[情報] Prospect Watch: Top 10 third basemen
1. Nolan Arenado, Rockies: Sometimes a player gets knocked unfairly because
of his surroundings. It's not Arenado's fault he played in the
hitting-friendly California League and then the equally cozy Arizona Fall
League in 2011. What he does deserve credit for is raking in both places.
Arenado led the Minors in RBIs with 122. He struck out just 53 times all
season. Then Arenado went on and won the AFL MVP Award, finishing among the
leaders in a host of offensive categories. He should hit for average, and
even if he doesn't hit a ton of homers, he'll be a run producer. There once
was concern about Arenado's defense at third, but he's worked to improve and
those worries are now gone. He'll move up to Double-A now, and it might not
be too long before he's spotted in Coors Field.
2. Anthony Rendon, Nationals: Rendon was the top college bat in last year's
Draft class, and the only reasons he was around at No. 6 for the Nats was
concern over a shoulder issue that had kept him from playing defense for
nearly all of his junior season. He rehabbed his shoulder during the
offseason, and all reports are that he'll be ready to go this spring. There
was some talk of Rendon moving to second base because of Ryan Zimmerman's
presence, but that discussion did not take place internally. When healthy,
he's a plus defender at third. At the plate, Rendon has the kind of advanced
approach that should allow him to move quickly while hitting for average and
power.
3. Miguel Sano, Twins: At age 18, Sano finished second in the Appalachian
League in homers and third in RBIs, slugging and OPS. Imagine what he'll be
able to do as his approach at the plate/discipline develops. Sano has power
to all fields and should hit for average and power as he progresses. While he
was signed as a shortstop and did play there a bit in 2011, he saw more time
at third. With his size -- and he's bound to get bigger -- the hot corner is
likely to be his full-time home. Sano's defense should be fine there, and
it's pretty clear the bat will play at the infield corner spot as well. He
should give full-season ball a whirl in 2012.
4. Mike Olt, Rangers: Olt was plugging away, having a solid first full year
in the Carolina League when he went down with a broken collarbone. He came
back two months later, but it wasn't until the Arizona Fall League that he
shook off the rust. Olt chased the home run and RBI records in the fall and
was named the No. 6 prospect in the AFL by MLB.com. Scouts who saw him in the
AFL thought he had a chance to be a better all-around hitter than originally
thought, though power and run production are what will get him to the big
leagues. Olt is a good defender at third to boot, and he'll take his skills
up to Double-A in 2012.
5. Nick Castellanos, Tigers: Detroit didn't have a pick until No. 44 in 2010.
Castellanos, a first-round talent according to some, slid to the Tigers and
they gave the Florida high schooler a record bonus for a supplemental
first-round pick. After a rough April, he took off after that, never hitting
below .300 in any month. Castellanos played a good amount of shortstop in
high school, out of need, and is now settling in nicely at third. The power
should start to come as he matures, something that could start happening as
he moves up to Lakeland in 2012.
6. Will Middlebrooks, Red Sox: Middlebrooks has developed slowly and
steadily, but it looked like things really started to click in 2011. He set
career highs in a host of offensive categories while earning a promotion from
Double-A to Triple-A. Middlebrooks was hitting well in the Arizona Fall
League before he was shut down with a hand injury. That's not a long-term
concern, and he'll be ready to go at the start of 2012, moving ever-so-close
to being ready to take Fenway by storm. Middlebrooks has the makings of the
prototypical third baseman, with solid defense, a strong arm and more than
enough bat for the hot corner.
7. Jedd Gyorko, Padres: Even though Gyorko was one of the best college
hitters in his Draft class, he lasted until the second round because of his
size and his apparent lack of a natural position. The Padres loved his bat
and for good reason; the guy can flat-out rake and proved it in his first
full season, leading the Minors in hits, finishing second in RBIs and
reaching Double-A. Gyorko then went on to win the Arizona Fall League batting
title. He also settled nicely into third base and shouldn't have a problem
staying there. With Gyorko's advanced bat, it shouldn't be long before he's
ready to hit at Petco.
8. Matt Dominguez, Marlins: Dominguez had a chance to be the Marlins' third
baseman a year ago, but after a rough spring, he got sent down. Then he got
hurt and didn't play in 2011 until mid-May. Dominguez's bat, which has always
lagged behind his Gold Glove-caliber defense, started to come alive after a
while, but a hamstring issue probably cost him an earlier callup than the one
he received in September. His glove is ready for the big leagues now, but it
remains to be seen if he's ready to hit Major League pitching full-time. The
signing of Jose Reyes, pushing Hanley Ramirez to third, clouds Dominguez's
future in Miami's organization.
9. Wilmer Flores, Mets: It's easy to look at Flores' numbers and feel like
he's been disappointing, especially for a highly-touted prospect. But
considering he's still just 20 years old, and will be for most of 2012, and
that he's reached the Class A Advanced level, it might soften those
criticisms. Flores still has things to learn, particularly in the plate
discipline department, but he rarely strikes out and there's power to tap
into. A shortstop for the first few years of his career, the move to third
most predicted started in Venezuela this winter. This is a big year for
Flores, who needs to start turning potential into performance, perhaps while
playing in Double-A.
10. Zack Cox, Cardinals: As the best college hitter in the 2010 Draft class,
Cox pretty much did what the Cards hoped he would in his first full season,
hitting for average and jumping on the fast track by reaching Double-A. He
looks like the type who will continue to hit over .300, maybe even compete
for batting titles. Cox did hit 10 homers after his promotion, but it's
unclear just how much power he'll have long term. Without a clear defensive
home initially, it looks like he should be OK at third. Cox's bat could have
him ready for St. Louis within a year.
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120117&content_id=26367440&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb
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