Our Pirates series continues with prospects 6-10.If you haven't voted in the poll yet,please do so as I'll take time (hopefully) to use my off days to work on the winning entrant....
6) Luis Heredia RHP Did not play
I hesitate to rate a player this high with zero data to rate him by,but Heredia comes with a high amount of touting from talent graders and the Pirates sure spent enough on his right arm at a bonus of 2.6 million.
That dwarfed the previous Pirate bonus leader in Latin America,who was signed for a comparably small 400 grand.
The lanky 6'6 Heredia will not turn 17 until August and throws in the mid 90's and has a plus curveball.
He also has a change and slider that need work and polish.
I look to see Heredia with the Gulf Coast League Pirates making his pro debut later this season....
7) Bryan Morris RHP High A Bradenton/AA Altoona
Morris gets my vote for comeback of the year in the Pirate farm system after a strong bounceback from a less than stellar 2009.
Morris dominated the Florida State League and his Altoona numbers are better than they appear after a few later season outings that fluffed the ERA a bit.
Morris finished the season in the Curve bullpen in an effort to limit his innings and work on some mechanical issues.
Morris throws in the low to mid 90's and when I saw him in 2009 had a hard 12 to 6 curveball.
Morris also has a change and slider,but needs to work on both.
It seems to me that most pitchers have issues with having both a strong curve and slider,so look for Morris to perhaps stop throwing the slider at some time.
Morris will start the season in the rotation at AAA Indianapolis.
8) Andrew Lambo OF AA Chattanooga/Altoona
Lambo was the Dodgers top prospect as recently as 2009 and the Pirates were able to steal him along with James McDonald for the Dodgers getting about a month out of Octavio Dotel in what looks to be the best trade yet for Neal Huntington.
Lambo served a 50 game suspension for a second positive drug test (marijuana) before the trade,so the Pirates will have to be diligent in keeping Lambo on track as they don't want another Jeremy Jefferies here.
Lambo might have been pushed too soon by the Dodgers as he repeated AA in 2010 before the trade.Lambo will have to make it with the bat as his main tool and his power is still a work in progress.
I like Lambo's upside and think this will be his breakout year after an excellent stint in the Arizona Fall League.
Lambo will likely start at AAA Indianapolis....
9) Zack Von Rosenberg RHP GCL Pirates/Short Season State College
Von Rosenberg struggled early with the Spikes,but was downright dominating over his last seven games in which he allowed just three earned runs.
The Pirates kept ZVR on a tight pitch count and have to be pleased at his finish of the season.
Von Rosenberg throws in the low 90's and mixes a change and curve in as well.
Von Rosenberg will be part of the prospect laden West Virginia rotation this season....
10) Chase D'arnaud SS/2B AA Altoona
D'Arnaud was rocketing through the farm belt until last season when AA pitchers slammed on the brakes and defensive issues sent him to second for the Curve in August in favor of Jordy Mercer.
Chase runs well (33 steals) and has plenty of range on defense,but the arm has been erratic.
D'Arnaud needs to make better contact (over 100 K's last season) for a player that projects to be a possible number two hitter in the bigs.
D'Arnaud could return to AA Altoona after not really mastering the level,but the Pirates may want to keep him and Jordy Mercer together as well,so he could be either the starting shortstop at Altoona to start or the starting second sacker for the AAA Indianapolis Indians depending on that decision.
No comments:
Post a Comment