Every year the Baseball America Top 100 Prospect list comes out as the most heralded prospect list around. This year it was no different. Several other quality lists came out that had the prospect community’s attention for a while, but in the end everyone was still waiting for ‘the one’. Well, on the first day our Reds actually play a semi-real game (intrasquad scrimmage) the list came out. Here are how our Reds did:
#1 - Jay Bruce
Jay Bruce is actually the first Cincinnati Reds prospect to come in at #1 on the list. However, he is not the first #1 prospect to wear a Reds uniform. Back in 1991 some kid named Todd Van Poppel was the #1 prospect on the list and a decade and a half later he dawned a Reds uniform. Then there was some guy named Josh Hamilton in 2000 at the top of the list.
#9 - Homer Bailey
(Photo by paddyglover2 on flickr.com)
This was the second straight year that Homer Bailey was in the top 10 on the list. He is also the first Reds prospect to ever make the top 10 list twice (Reggie Sanders was real close as he was #8 one year and then #11 the next year).
#34 - Johnny Cueto
Cueto makes his debut this year at #34. This marks the first time the Reds have ever had 2 starting pitchers in the top 50 in the same year.
#44 - Joey Votto
(Photo by Larry Coor)
This is the second straight year Joey Votto is in the 40’s. Last year he came in 1 spot higher, at #43. He was also one of only two Canadians to make the list.
#100 - Drew Stubbs
(Photo by MWLGuide.com)
This is also the second straight year that Stubbs has made the list. He came in at #88 last year but hung around just enough to make the list this year.
The Reds were tied for third most prospects on the list with 5. Only the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox had more on the list with 7.
While this is subscriber information that I can’t give away, there were 4 other Reds that got votes in the top 150 (each person had to submit a top 150 and they went from there as to the overall rankings). One left handed pitcher in the system got a top 100 vote while a catcher, third baseman and shortstop took the other votes.
Tuesday, 26. February 2008
I do not think Maloney gets enough credit from people. He should have been on the list.
Tuesday, 26. February 2008
Who do you think could be on that list next year? There seems to me to be a bias against relievers but does Viola have a chance next year to make the list.
Tuesday, 26. February 2008
Maloney did get 1 vote for the top 100, but not votes for the top 150 from the other guys. I tend to agree with the other 3 guys. Maloney is a fine prospect, but he isn’t among the cream of the crop. His upside is likely a #4 starting pitcher. While that is extremely valuable, especially through the arbitration years, its not going to get someone onto these types of lists all too often.
As for Viola, not a chance at next years list. He is too old and plays a position that gets next to zero love. That doesn’t mean he can’t or won’t be quite valuable to the Reds, just that relief pitchers, much less non closers that aren’t throwing 100 MPH with control aren’t generally making these lists.
As for guys to look for next year…. If Johnny Cueto doesn’t get the innings, he will obviously make the list. I expect Stubbs to also join him, but be closer to 50 next year instead of his current 100. Other guys to keep eyes on would be Todd Frazier, Juan Francisco, Devin Mesoraco, Travis Wood (if healthy) and Kyle Lotzkar.
Wednesday, 27. February 2008
Maloney is a left handed Harang. Mark my words. I think he will be a #1 or #2 starter. A lot of people are biased by the out of the draft 88-89 fastball. But he has increased that to 90-92 which is close to the speed Harang pitches at. He is like Harang in that both are deceptive. They both use both sides of the plate. Both are also big guys.
I think as he has matured that fastball has a little more speed than most people realize.
Just look at the quotes from today taking about how hard he threw in the intra-squad game.
Wednesday, 27. February 2008
Harang wasn’t all that good of a pitcher until his slider tightened up and became a true plus pitch. Harang was a solid #4 guy until he found whatever it was that turned his slider from a decent pitch to a true plus pitch.
Maloney doesn’t throw as hard as Harang. Maloney tops out around 91 MPH, regardless of what John Fay seems to think he saw n terms of how hard Maloney was throwing. Let me know what a radar gun says on Maloney, because if it reads above 91 MPH I will be very surprised. Harang on the flip side work 88-92 MPH but threw about 25% of his fastballs in the 93-96 MPH range (much more in the 93 and 94 range).
Wednesday, 27. February 2008
little OT here and perhaps completely absurd but shouldnt medical science have isolated by now what group of muscles in the human body enable pitchers to throw harder?
I mean if players in their young 20’s can develop more power as they age why can’t pitchers?
Wednesday, 27. February 2008
Tom,
I imagine it is something being worked on with Biomechanics, but being that I pitched through high school I feel I have a good idea of what it all is. Firstly it is arm speed. That can only be taught so much by cleaning up ones mechanics. Secondly its your tempo with your legs and your hips to kind of get the right action and to ‘explode’ toward the plate. Then there are your legs in which can help you explode that motion toward the plate.
In the end though I think that the things that will make a guy throw so hard is something that really can’t be taught. There are likely ways to turn a guy throwing 85 into a guy who may hit 89 or 90, but there is a limit on it all based on someones arm speed and that really can’t be taught.