6/26 AA Minor League Report

Lots of great performances by super prospects!  Here’s the rundown…

 

Travis Snider

• 3-6 HR(15) 3 RBI 3 R—Adjusting well at AA but has K’ed 103 times!

 

David Hernandez

• 6.1 IP 2H 2ER 2BB 9K (W)—96 K’s thusfar with opponents hitting only .211 against him

 

George Kontos

• 5 IP 4H ER BB 7K (L)—3rd straight quality start but can’t win games (3-7)

 

Kris Johnson

• 6 IP 2H 2BB 4K (W)—6-3 3.32 ERA 59K/89IP

 

Jeremy Slayden

• 3-3 2B BB—.291 8 HR 53 RBI

 

Alcides Escobar

• 3-6 HR(7) 3 RBI 3R 2B—.326 50 RBI 111 Hits 21 SB

 

Mat Gamel

• 1-3 2B RBI 3BB—.371 118 Hits 15 HR 68 RBI .632 SLG

 

Michael Brantley

• 2-3 R SB(25)—Multiple hits in 4 of last 5 games

 

Matt LaPorta

• 2-4 2 2B 2 RBI BB—.297 19 HR 61 RBI .601 SLG

 

Jordan Schafer

• 2-3 R BB SB(5)—.378 10 RBI 10 R 10 BB last 10 games

 

David Price

• 6IP 4H 2ER 4BB 7K (W)—Solid 1st outing at AA now 5-0 on the season

 

Tyler Colvin

• 3-4 3B 2 RBI R—Back to back solid outings in a season that has been a struggle for Colvin

 

Matt Mangini

• 2-4 2B 3 RBI—Starting to get acclimated at AA after struggling early

 

Allen Craig

• 2-4 2B RBI R BB—.273 11 HR 47 RBI

 

Adam Ottovino

• 6IP 1H BB 5K—1st good outing in quite a while

 

Aaron Cunningham

• 3-4 R 2B—.283 5 HR 20 RBI 8 SB

 

Brett Anderson

• 6IP 3H 2ER 12K—Stellar AA debut, Anderson seems to have put his early struggles behind him

 

BUY/SELL Analysis

 

Kris Johnson was a supplimental 1st round pick in 2006 out of Witchita State.  He suffered an elbow injury and had Tommy John surgery following the 2006 season.  Johnson struggled a bit coming back last year, but has pitched well at AA.  While he has not dominated, .282 BAA, 38 BB, Johnson has found a way to win.  Johnson has good life on his fastball which can reach the mid-90’s, but his secondary pitches need some polish.  Johnson has autographed first year cards in the 2006 Bowman Draft and Chrome and Bowman Sterling.  The chrome autos sell for about $7-10 each and the Sterlings sell for about $6-8. 

Market Advice: The fact that Johnson is a Red Sox prospect makes him more attractive than if he was a Pirates or Marlins prospect.  I am having a hard time gauging where Johnson fits in, but the fact remains that he is a raw, left-handed prospect that throws in the low to mid 90’s.  He has to develop his secondary pitches or else he will be a lefty middle reliever, which is the equivalent of death as a baseball card prospect.  Tentatively, I would BUY a chrome auto and watch his development closely. Now that Masterson and Buchholz have shown their faces at Fenway, Johnson trails only Michael Bowden as Boston’s top minor league pitching prospects.

 

Alcides Escobar has been one of many Huntsville Stars prospects that has terrorized AA pitching this season.  In his previous 4 minor league seasons, Escobar accumulated just 7 HR in 1,595 AB.  This season, Escobar has 7 HR in just 341 AB.  Escobar has always been an above average SS, and now that his hitting seems to be on the upswing, it is just a matter of time before he is playing in Miller Park.  Escobar has 1st year cards in the 2006 Bowman Chrome Prospects set which are selling at $2 each. 

Market Advice: Escobar is never going to be a prolific power hitter, but he has an opportunity to be a special top of the order hitter in a offense-friendly ballpark.  At $2 each, it seems that Escobar is a solid BUY, and though he likely will not replicate these current numbers at the major league level, he still should receive a nice bump in value once he makes it to The Show.