AA is far and away my favorite level to prospect as it seems that the best prospects congregate there and give you the best glimpse of who is real deal and what they project to do at the major league level.  Lots of “real deals” had nice performances last night.

Zack Daeges

• 3-4 3 RBI 2B 2R SB(3)—.324 HR 10 RBI last 10 games (hits when healthy)

 

Josh Reddick

• 1-3 HR(23) 2 RBI—.323 23 HR 91 RBI 14 SB 88 R over 3 levels

 

Argenis Diaz

• 3-4 HR(2) RBI 3R—.304 2 HR 20 RBI in 33 games at Portland

 

Jose Tabata

• 1-4 HR(7) RBI—.400 2 HR 6 RBI 4 SB 10 R last 10 games

 

Fernando Martinez

• 2-4 R RBI BB—.287 7 HR 38 RBI 6 SB in 80 games at Binghamton

 

Chris Tillman

• 6 IP 4H 2BB 8K (W)—3-0 0 ER 23K/5BB in last 3 outings (get a Bowman Auto now)

 

Nolan Reimold

• 2-5 2HR(22) 3 RBI—.283 22 HR 78 RBI 82 R 60 BB (September MLB debut?)

 

Jeremy Hellickson

• 5 IP 6H ER 3BB 9K (W)—Not struggling anymore at AA (4-2 2.82 ERA 67K/61IP)

 

Brandon Allen

• 1-4 HR(27) RBI—5 HR 7 RBI 7 R last 7 games (may replace Paul Konerko at 1B soon)

 

Andrew Lambo

• 1-4 HR(16) 3 RBI—2nd game at Jacksonville (just turned 20 yrs. old)

 

\Russ Mitchell

• 1-4 HR(16) 3 RBI—.282 5 HR 13 RBI 8 R last 10 games

 

Scott Elbert

• IP 3K—3-0 1.46 ERA 20K/12IP 5H (Will his future role be in the 8th or 9th inning?)

 

Jesus Guzman

• 1-4 HR(17) RBI—Hot again .395 2 HR 11 RBI last 10 games

 

Kyle Blanks

• 2-4 R RBI—Sizzling .439 3 HR 20 RBI 18 H last 10 games

 

Drew Sutton

• 2-4 HR(19) 2 RBI 2R BB—.382 2 HR 5 RBI 9 R 13BB/4K last 10 games

 

Brian Bogusevic

• 2-5 RBI—Pitching career may be bogus, but bat is real (.343 4 HR 23 RBI 8 SB in 47 games)

 

BUY/SELL Analysis

4-1 2.40 ERA .157 BAA in '08

Scott Elbert was one of the hottest pitching prospects in all of baseball in 2007 before a torn labrum ended his season after just 3 starts.  Elbert came back in June and has thrown in 25 games this season as a mid to late inning RP.  The lefty Elbert is still electrifying, pounding the strike zone with a lively 94-97 MPH fastball and a two-zone curveball that is his out pitch.  Elbert is a fiery competitor who has all the makings of a top flight closer within the next couple seasons.  Elbert has several cards in the 2004 products with autographs in Bowman Sterling, SP Prospects, Donruss Elite Extra, and Fleer Hot Prospects.  His base cards are also in great abundance in products like Bowman Draft and Chrome, Bowman Heritage, and Topps Traded and Chrome.  With so many products available, it is easy to see that prices vary.  Autographs can be had for as low as $5 (Donruss Elite) to as high as $25 (SP Prospects).  Base cards are difficult to find in bulk right now, but singles can be attained for 75 cents to $1 each.

Market Advice: Elbert is a prospect fraught with uncertainties.  What will his eventual role be? Will his role as a RP increase his chances to be healthy?, Will he dominate at the MLB level like he does now?  The risk/reward factor for pitching prospects is high and for injury-prone RP’s it is even higher.  In light of these observations, I cannot endorse buying Elbert’s cards unless you get them for well under the above mentioned prices, but I do think that it would be wise to HOLD his cards (especially autos) if you have them.  He is close to making an MLB debut and has the potential to make some early waves a la Max Scherzer.  If you have his cards, get them scanned and ready to SELL on Ebay if he gets an MLB call up in September.