The folks over at Project Prospect continue to do great work and they recently released an updated list of the Top 25 players under 25 years old. The names I found most interesting were Brian McCann ranking ahead of the likes of Evan Longoria, B.J. Upton, and Nick Markakis (to name just a few. You can find the list here.

Photo courtesy of Sporting News

Only three teams have fewer wins in the National League than the San Francisco Giants and yet they are widely considered one of the worst teams due to the lack of overwhelming fantasy commodities they present. Sure they have Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain and they are elite and productive players respectively, but the one player who has taken the biggest step forward for them this season is their rotation mate, Jonathan Sanchez.

LHP Jonathan Sanchez, Giants (Inside the Numbers)

Sanchez has made the right adjustments and has continue to cut down on his walks while maintaining a strong dominance rate (K/9IP). The biggest maturation is he’s not overthrowing and relying more on command to baffle hitters.

His teammates and coaches agree.

“Sanchez has got a different look to him, and he doesn’t lose his focus anymore,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy told the San Francisco Chronicle. “He used to start over-throwing and have trouble repeating his delivery, but now, he just keeps his poise.”

To put into perspective how on a roll he has been, Sanchez is undefeated in six consecutive road starts, and while he has been torched for seven runs in three starts this season, he’s allowed three earned runs or less in nine of his 10 starts dating back to April 11.

“He trusts himself a lot more because he sees that his ball moves a lot and hitters are having a hard time putting good wood on it,” catcher Bengie Molina added. “He’s probably unknown for now, but he’s going to be known soon because people have to realize the pitcher he is. If he takes advantage of this, this could be the turning point of a great career.”

Sanchez credits the addition of a sinkerball to his arsenal this season as a major reason for his step forward, but the stats above indicate there are many reasons for his maturation. He’s truly become a giant among Giants and I’m thrilled that I have him on my side in at least one of my fantasy leagues.

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As promised, your top five prospects on the World team for the upcoming MLB Futures game.

WORLD

1) OF Fernando Martinez, Mets
175 at bats, .303 AVG, three HR, 22 R, 16 RBI
Scouts have drooled over Martinez for years and while the young outfielder is still just 19 years old, it’s remarkable that he hasn’t made more progress with improving his plate discipline. I’m skeptical that he’ll become the five-tool prospect in the mold of Carlos Beltran or Vlad Guerrero in their heyday and feel we may just have to be happy with the conclusion John Sickels drew about him—a Garret Anderson type of player (strong average despite horrible plate discipline).

2) OF Gorkys Hernandez, Braves
183 at bats, .311 AVG, four HR, 31 R, 24 RBI, seven SB
Only a hamstring injury was able to slow Hernandez—a toolsy outfielder that any major league team would be thrilled to slot in at the top of their lineup. He makes solid contact and has a disciplined enough approach at the plate to mature into an elite leadoff hitter at the major league level. He is however just 20-years old and needs another couple seasons in the minors to polish up his game before settling into a starting role in Atlanta.

3) C/1B Max Ramirez, Rangers
237 at bats, .363 AVG, 17 HR, 49 R, 50 RBI, two SB
The recently promoted Ramirez barely makes the list over teammate Chris Davis simply because I believe Davis has more potential and will earn a larger share of the at bats in the current platoon. His defensive ability is enough of a question mark to guarantee a move to first base or elsewhere on the diamond and while he’s never had a problem hitting the ball, it’s difficult for me to imagine him out producing some of the other aforementioned Rangers sluggers.

4) RHP Carlos Carrasco, Phillies
97 IP, 5-7 record, 4.18 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 8.3 K/9IP, 2.3 K/BB Ratio
Carrasco has always been a highly regarded prospect, but it seems like he’s shown some improvement this season. This is obvious when you consider he’s been able to maintain his command while improving his K/9IP and all while mixing his pitches to better keep hitters off balance. His repeatable delivery is also considered a plus, particularly since he has a max-effort delivery that might seem to suggest future injury is imminent. He’s not going to be a dominant starter at the major league level, but he’s certainly capable of being an effective arm in the middle of a rotation.

5) OF Geraldo Parra, Diamondbacks
283 at bats, .300 AVG, four HR, 36 R, 29 RBI, 15 SB
Parra is just 20 years old and there are heaps of doubt that he’ll ever develop any power, but he can hit for average and profiles to be a Gold Glove caliber defender at the major league level. He has the makings of a solid offensive approach, but needs another couple seasons to refine it in the minors.

Each year when the rosters for the MLB Futures Game are announced a bounce around the room like a kid who has been shooting Pixi sticks for the better part of the week. I have grown more attracted to projecting the future performance of some of the league’s top prospects and the cream of the crop are invited to play in the prelude to the midsummer classic. Rangers slugging corner infielder Chris Davis was recently promoted and I decided he shouldn’t be in this game since he’s more firmly entrenched at the major league level than his two week stay (at the time this game is played) will indicate. I’m going to post the five top US prospects first and then the top players from the World squad later tonight.

UNITED STATES

1) RHP Trevor Cahill, Athletics
98.1 IP, 6-4 record, 2.70 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 10.5 K/9IP, 3.2 K/BB Ratio
Cahill didn’t look fazed in his Double-A debut and continues to lead the minors in whiffs. He’s been effective at getting ground balls, with a ratio of 2.35 in 98.1 minor league innings and that combined with the fact he’s missing bats has him on the fast track to Oakland.

2) OF Andrew McCutchen, Pirates
.281 AVG, eight HR, 45 R, 31 RBI, 21 SB
McCutchen has been heralded as a dynamic athlete with an incredible ceiling for quite some time and he appears right on the cusp of flashing that potential at the major league level. If lack of health or deadline deals creates an opening in the Bucs outfield, we’ll usher in the McCutchen era immediately.

3) LHP Brett Anderson, Athletics
80 IP, 10-4 record, 4.05 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 10.4 K/9IP, 5.1 K/BB Ratio
There are pitching prospects who are earning more attention from prospect pundits, but none of them have earned as much of my love as Anderson. Why? How about a 92-18 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The guy flat out knows how to pitch and doesn’t try to pick his way around the plate, opting instead to put it where he can punch guys out. When asked about his style of pitching by Scout.com, he responded with, “My style is that I am not going to overpower you. I’m probably right at about 90, 91 with my fastball. My big thing is that I throw strikes. I like to keep a fast pace, throw strikes and try to get as many hitters out as early and often as possible. I am really aggressive and throw a lot of strikes.” Anderson is bound to experience some hiccups as he ascends to the upper levels of the minors, but he’s a mere two and a half years from high school and the progress he’s made in his brief professional career should open the few eyes that have yet to take notice.

4) OF/1B Matt LaPorta, Brewers
273 at bats, .297 AVG, 19 HR, 51 R, 61 RBI, two SB
Already being anointed as the next Ryan Braun, the Brewers fans are demanding he be called up despite the fact he doesn’t really have a position open to play. There is no disputing his ability to crush the ball, but it’s a high probability that someone will need to be traded in the Brew City before there is room in the lineup for LaPorta to play on a daily basis. Any of a handful of prospects for Indians pitcher C.C. Sabathia would seem like a good place to start the conversation.

5) 3B Mat Gamel, Brewers
318 at bats, .371 AVG, 15 HR, 67 R, 68 RBI, five SB
Very few hitters have shown as much improvement as Gamel has this season. He’s put it all together including plate discipline and polished glove work and that is starting to earn him the attention he deserves. Between the left field, third base, and first base, the Brewers have Braun, Prince Fielder, LaPorta, and Gamel so something will have to give. Just don’t expect it to be Gamel’s bat.

Photo courtesy of HelenaBrewers.net

For someone whose past seemed to earn him the injury prone label, it’s worthwhile to discuss how fantasy owners should approach Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal over the remaining 84 games on the schedule. Obviously he won’t be in the lineup for all of those contests, but his potential in merely half that is enough to provoke a little fantasy fireside chat of sorts.

Furcal participated in the most extensive workout on Thursday since his heading back on the disabled list on May 6 with a back injury. After running zigzags and taking ground balls, both player and team were optimistic that the 30-year old shortstop would head out on a rehab assignment soon. “I felt much better than before,” Furcal told the Los Angeles Times. “I can’t wait to be on the field. I’ll look like a little kid out there.”

His current injury is similar to the lower back sprain that cost him the final 12 games of the 2007 season and sounded particularly painful due to the presence of impingements and nerve pain. This is a pretty serious injury for fantasy owners to gamble on, but why might I be convinced to suggest a buy low opportunity? Check out the numbers below.
SS, Rafael Furcal, Dodgers (Split Stats)

Furcal has always been a better second half player, but his career splits above may prove underwhelming to some. If you fall in that category consider how the gap becomes greater between halves when you look at the last three seasons. His average is nearly 50 points better in the second half and he’s crushed more long balls in 219 fewer at bats Post All-Star break. His runs, RBI, and stolen bases are less in the second half, but the gap isn’t reason to scoff at his performance considering the significant difference in at bats during those respective stretches.

So aren’t we playing with fire by choosing to buy low on the oft-injured Furcal? It’s a tee time at Hades Country Club kind of fire, but given how he can turn it up to a level synonymous with the Inferno, it’s the kind of gamble winning fantasy teams are made of.

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After mashing his way through a combined 297 at bats between Double-A Frisco and Triple-A Oklahoma City, the Rangers promoted corner infielder Chris Davis on Wednesday.

“It’s hard to put into words,” Davis told MLB.com. “It’s something I’ve been working toward since I was 4 years old since I knew what being in the big leagues is all about. I’m getting an opportunity to play with the best.”

All Davis has done in the aforementioned 297 at bats is hit .333 with 23 homers and 77 RBI in 77 minor league games. Those are the kind of gaudy numbers major league teams expect from the first base position–the spot Davis will assume until veteran slugger Hank Blalock can return from the disabled list.

The question for fantasy owners is whether or not Davis will earn enough at bats to justify his being claimed in leagues. I wasted no time in claiming him in one of my leagues and I’ve submitted a claim in another league that processes claims each Monday. Why? Rangers manager Ron Washington has his back and has already hinted at him taking over at first base on a regular basis. “He’s a kid with a bright future who is swinging the bat very well,” Washington said. He’s a kid who has improved his defensive abilities around first base. He’s a kid who we have high hopes for.”

The thing to remember is that very few positions on the field are relied upon to drive in the number of runs typical of a starting first baseman. Consider that as of the start of the Rangers Thursday night game against the Astros, they were tied with the Royals for the fewest RBI from the first base position (26). The team has made it clear that Blalock will play when he does return to health–something that is expected following a rehab assignment in the next couple weeks, but he’s recovering from a hand injury so he’s no sure bet to produce well enough to justify regular at bats…and don’t tell me you expect Ramon Vazquez or German Duran to provide a stopgap to one of the hottest hitting prospects earning at bats.

Fantasy owners have to ask themselves about how many corner infielders they feel have the potential to club 20 dingers or drive in 30-35 runs over the course of the rest of the season. I’m not saying these are easily attainable numbers for Davis, particularly if new teammate and Triple-Crown threat Josh Hamilton misses much time after being labeled day-to-day following his taking a bean ball off his left hand on Thursday. Nevertheless, Davis was clearly raking in the upper levels of the minors in an eerily similar way to that of Brewers eventual Rookie of the Year Ryan Braun did last season. Sounds like a two step worth gambling on.

Photo courtesy of MLB.com

When Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano was still an up-and-coming prospect and Mark Prior was still in the rotation picture, I was in the first season of the favorite of my three fantasy keeper leagues. I was fortunate enough to get my hands on him late in my draft and keep him for a few years before a light bulb went off and I felt strongly that the time was right to trade him.

RHP, Carlos Zambrano, Cubs

If you look closer at the stats above, you can see why I was compelled to deal the Cubs ace. The most obvious reason was the average of just under 216 innings per season for the last five years. That combined with the fact he was facing between 27 and 28 batters per game through those seasons had me more than mildly concerned his arm would give out sooner than later.

I haven’t looked quite so shrewd in my assessment, as a couple years have past and still certain guys like Indians pitcher C.C. Sabathia and Zambrano continue to buck the research done over at Baseball HQ that has done a very good job at forecasting risk in pitchers, specifically their likelihood for injury. While Carlos hasn’t missed many games during the last few years, his numbers have started to show the effects of being overworked. His K/9IP, control (bb*9/IP), ERA, and WHIP have all taken a turn for the worse, while his fly ball rate has risen–a sure sign that he’ll be serving up more homers over the next couple seasons.

The bottom line is that regardless of how serious the results of the MRI on his shoulder ends up being, I wanted nothing to do with him prior to the injury and I strongly believe his fantasy owners should sell him while they still can.

Photo courtesy of Sports Illustrated.

Fantasy owners have been drooling over the potential of plenty of promoted pitching prospects this season, but one that has yet to make it to the bigs is Athletics prospect Trevor Cahill. Cahill was promoted to Double-A Midland after a very impressive start for Single-A Stockton.

“Cahill prepares himself so well, and his numbers are phenomenal,” Single-A manager Darren Bush told the Stockton Record. “It’s tough to replace him, but that’s the process. We want him to get to the next level and succeed.”

Cahill put together a 5-4 record with a 2.78 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 10.95 k/9IP in 87.1 innings.

Considering the A’s could be selling off most of their talent in a month, it’s not out of the question that Cahill is promoted to make his major league debut straight from Double-A before the major league season is over.  It would be particularly aggressive even for a franchise like the Athletics, but if he is successful at Double-A the team will have little reason to hold him back. Regardless of where his progress takes him this season, he is clearly a pitcher that should be near the top of every fantasy owner’s top prospect lists next season.

Photo courtesy of Scout.com

Every time I read about Tigers pitching prospect Rick Porcello, I can’t help but recall the famous quote from “Major League.”

“Forget about the curve ball Ricky, give him the heater.”
- Manager Lou Brown

Porcello is pitching well so far in his first professional season, and the guys at Fangraphs had a blurb about him that I found worthwhile. Enjoy it here.

Photo courtesy of DetroitTigersWebblog.com

The Padres have had their ups and downs this season, and while they have been playing better as of late, the organization can longer resist the temptation to promote their top prospect outfielder/third baseman Chase Headley from Triple-A. Headley, the converted third baseman who has been playing the outfield this season, was hitting .305 with 13 home runs and 40 RBIs in 65 games for Triple-A Portland.

Headley wasn’t able to play on Sunday, but will be with the team when they open an interleague series against the Yankees in the Bronx on Monday. “I think the environment is much better than it was three weeks ago,” Padres general manager Kevin Towers told MLB.com. “We have got a lot of guys contributing offensively. When he gets here, he shouldn’t have to feel like he’s got to carry this ballclub. We’re playing good baseball now.  To me, now is kind of the right time to have him here, when things are going well.”

The Padres have been looking forward to his arrival for at least a season now and Towers elaborated on the kind of potential he has. “He’s kind of been our, the last two years, top prospect in the system,” Towers added. “So it’s always exciting when a [Jake] Peavy, an [Oliver] Ollie Perez, Khalil Greene … when they finally get here. You’ve been waiting for that event to happen.”

To offer my take on Towers assessment,  I don’t think Headley makes the kind of impact a Jake Peavy does, but he has much more potential than Khalil Greene. He really committed himself to ascending to the majors this past offseason, adding 15 pounds of muscle and putting in the extra work to show the Padres he’s put the necessary polish on his hitting ability. He’s certainly major-league ready and at this point it would behoove fantasy owners in all but the shallowest mixed leagues to consider picking him up and plucking him into a third base/corner infielder spot. He should get the number of at bats common for regulars as early as this week given the fact outfielder Scott Hairston is hurt and starting third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff is overdue for a routine day off (he’s played in all but one game this season).

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