Bet on tomorrow not following the trend.
6:Jamie Romak OF
The power hitting Romak strikes out too much like Brad Corley,but his is not as much poor plate discipline as much as strikeouts that come with the territory.
Romak also will take a walk (unlike Corley) and has a power stroke that can go all over the park.
Romak is far from speedy,but does have a strong arm in right to make up for some defensive deficiencies.
Simply put,although he is far from a guaranteed star,he is the Pirates top power prospect.
Romak is currently on the DL and should be assigned to Altoona,although a Lynchburg pit stop would not be surprising.
7:Brian Bixler SS
Bixler is currently a temporary Pirate with the injury to Jack Wilson,but with Wilson nearing a return to the lineup,Brian should be returned to Indianapolis.
Bixler has shown an adequate glove,making some excellent plays but his glove work clearly does not match that of Wilson.
Bixler has been a decent average hitter on his way through the minors,but has seemed overmatched at times in his debut.
Some think Bixler profiles best as a utility player,but I think he could be an average shortstop when Wilson is traded,but do not expect more than that.
8:Brian Friday SS
Friday was the Pirates third round pick last year and seems in the mold of Bixler.
Friday skipped Hickory to start at Lynchburg,so the Pirates front office must think he has some long term promise.
Brian is never going hit more than a few homers,but could be a .280 hitter with the proper adjustments.
In fielding is where Friday shines as he has a slick glove and a pretty strong arm,so he should stay at SS instead of a utility player.
9:Duke Welker RHP
The second round pick from Arkansas is starting at Low A Hickory and should be the ace of the staff.
Welker has been plagued with elbow problems,which makes him par for the Littlefield/Creech course.
At his best,Welker can throw in the low to mid 90's and uses his 6'7 frame to deceive the hitter.
Welker does need to work on his changeup and curve though and not be a one pitch pitcher.
Welker's first two starts at Hickory have been dominant,so a mid season Lynchburg is not unrealistic
10:James Boone OF
First,I need to make a correction.
I mixed Boone and Corley up when I did the work on this list.
So keep in mind that Corley is 10 and Boone 11.
Boone has shown flashes of real potential,but it seems like every time that he turns a corner,he suffers a season ending injury that stalls his progress.
Boone is an good athlete and could play any of the three outfield spots in a pinch.
A good all around player with no real shortcomings in his game,Boone needs to make his move this season as being at AA Altoona at the age of 25 means he is running out of time to show true prospecthood.
The Pirates take on the Cubs in just a few minutes,so coverage here tomorrow,
Pitching Matchup
Pittsburgh:Ian Snell (2-0) at Chicago:Rich Hill (0-0) 2:20
The New Jersey Devils attempt to stay alive in the Eastern Conference playoffs with a win in Game 5 of their series vs the Rangers.
A loss and the series ends.
More tomorrow with plenty of coverage and hopefully the finish to the Pirate Prospect series.
Photo Credits
Romak:Joy Absalon-MLB.com
Bixler:Bill Gentry
Friday:Ted Kirk-AP
Welker:Tony Farlow
Boone:Topps
No comments:
Post a Comment