iMLB Baseball Weekly - Jamey's Featured Pieces

Page last updated on Monday, May 12, 2003 .

Jamey's Featured Pieces:

The 2003 Ammy Draft
-- Revisited --
"Wild Thing, I think you move me."

The 2003 iMLB Amateur Draft was the first one in the league. A lot of people (myself included) considered it a weak draft at the time. It certainly seemed so, but a closer look shows that a lot of players in the class of 2003 have improved quite a bit. It's the beginning of the 2004 season, only one year later, and seven players from the first round are playing in the Major Leagues.
So let's take a closer look at the top of the draft class. To my recollection (I could be wrong) I believe the first three rounds were picked by the teams, and the last seven were 'puter picks. Either way, the first three rounds contain 93% (scientifically measured) of the talent in this draft. So we'll look at just the first three picks.

Anaheim -- Arizona -- Atlanta -- Baltimore -- Boston -- Chicago (A) -- Chicago (N) -- Cincinnati
Cleveland -- Colorado -- Detroit -- Houston -- Kansas City -- Los Angeles -- Miami -- Milwaukee
Minnesota - New York (A) - New York (N) - Oakland - Philadelphia - Pittsburgh - Raleigh Durham
San Diego -- San Francisco -- Seattle -- St. Louis -- Texas -- Toronto -- Washington D.C.

	1) RALEIGH DURHAM 2B TUCKER McKNIGHT ML - .283AVE 5HR 20RBI 12SB 1CS 138AB AAA - .310AVE 22HR 83RBI 25SB 7CS 529AB I talked with Ken after he made this pick, he wanted to take
SP Zack Mills (Washington D.C. did with the very next pick) but didn't want any GM's to think he created Mills for himself (knowing he had the first pick). ALL THAT SAID, McKinght is a GREAT first overall pick for the first iMLB Ammy Draft. Think of McKinght as a Bret Boone with LOTS of speed and the ability to play 3B and SS as well as 2B. MR CHANG ALARCON Traded to ARI A - 2.73ERA 1.22WHIP 18K 26.1INN He should be a decent MR if he can get his Avoid Runs up. Grade A at Duration and Holding running and he keeps the ball down. Put a strong defensive infielder behind this guy and the ground balls will just keep coming. LF CHRISTIAN CARLIN Traded to *DET* AAA - .214AVE 0HR 5RBI 42AB A - .231AVE 21HR 76RBI 576AB Strong hands and an upper body make Carlin a power hitter to contend with. At 23, he has filled out a 6'5" 215 lb frame well. His down fall is his patience at the plate. Christian is going to strike out a lot and it will keep his average down. Think of him as a Mike Cameron with less speed and more power. .
	2) WASHINGTON D.C. SP ZACK MILLS ML - 3.25ERA 19-12W-L 291K 75BB 293.2INN Zack made his debut at the major league level and no one has needed to question GM Jeremy I. Caplan as to why.
Mills is the next Pedro, hands down. He's got the fear of Randy Johnson and the control of Greg Maddux. Cy Young awards should be handed to him by the handful. He could be the best starting pitcher in iMLB history even after we play out twenty seasons. There's no need for me to talk about his strengths.. he is strong is every category and rating... wait I take that back... he can't hit very well. SS CLAUDE MARTIN A - .182AVE 9HR 40RBI 621AB Martin will not amount to much as far as major league talent. He might end up a decent infield utility guy, but I just don't have faith that he'll ever have a bat worthy of starting on a regular basis. 1B CHARLIE TAYLOR A - .191AVE 3HR 42RBI 643AB This guy should become an above average first baseman. Not a star, but someone you can count on daily. He should turn into a .270 - 30HR per season guy. .
	3) MILWAUKEE SP SCOTT SERVAIS JR. ML - 3.70ERA 5-8W-L 79K 30BB 97.1INN AAA - 3.91ERA 10-3W-L 111K 44BB 126.2INN Servais is almost an ace in the making, definitely a number
two guy in the rotation. He has "Good" ratings down the board, plus he got a great pick off move. Being the third pick, right behind Zack Mills, though, can certainly leave Servias in the shadows. That may not be a bad thing. MR ROBERTO CALLES A - 3.12ERA 51K 7BB 57.2INN Calles should be a high strikeout Jeff Nelson type. I'm not sure about his 175 lb frame though, but he's still young. Being a fish catcher (thrown from the boats) on the docks of Santo Domingo as a young teen has given him great hands and he fields off the mound very well. CL THEODORE REVELL A - 2.28ERA 50Sav 50K 27BB 75INN Posting 44 saves in his first season in pro-ball has allowed any skeptics of this third round pick to keep their mouths shut. Growing up in Wichita, his little league team mates called him "The Beaver." He's learning to control his strength, but he keeps base runners frozen and the few guys that get the bat on the ball usually ground out. .
	4) CHICAGO (A) RF SCOTT REILLY AAA - .291AVE 10HR 44RBI 275AB AA - .257 AVE 17HR 54RBI 331AB A - .250AVE 3HR 10RBI 44AB
Scott CRUSHES the ball. Many scouts are predicting .310-45-120 numbers out of this guy, and that might not be far off. He'll strikeout every now and then but not overly so, and he takes his share of walks. He's not an elite fielder but can certainly hold his own. I see a number of all-star appearances in Reilly's future and a possibly an MVP award or two. SP MOSES CRUZ AA - 5.09ERA 8-15W-L 157K 37BB 228.2INN Cruz should be a strong 2-3 guy in the rotation. He's got a small issue with giving up the extra base hits now and then, but other than that, he should be a good pitcher who pitches consistently. His past shows he was very loyal to his high school coach and that makes this guy a team player. C DAVE PRINCE A - .235AVE 0HR 5RBI 68AB His rating may not even be his own doing. Chicago has too many catchers at the single-A level and it would be wise to change that somehow. Prince has not gotten the play time he needs to mature as a catcher and if things don't change at Winston-Salem, he may waste away in Double or Single-A the rest of his career. There is tie to turn around though, he's still only 19. .
	5) CLEVELAND CF PAUL QUIROZ ML - .275AVE 1HR 5RBI 51AB AAA - .292AVE 7HR 36RBI 308AB AA - .266AVE 5HR 27RBI 305AB
This guy is a star, everything that Tim Salmon and Raul Mondesi should have been, Quiroz is. His homerun power is not quite there yet on the major league level, but there was no reason to keep this guy at AAA. I commend Cleveland for bringing him up this season. He's fast, can play any OF position very well and should be a valuable hitter to any team he plays for in the future. SP BILL RAGLIN A - 3.92ERA 8-10W-L 184K 88BB 180.1INN Raglin is a great pitcher... a clone of Pedro Martinez. He's consistent and GREAT in clutch situations. He has even shown great bunting ability and could turn out to be a perfect Senior Circuit pitcher, if Cleveland is ever crazy enough to trade him (or they don't make him a franchise player). 250-300 K's a season would not surprise me. 1B LAWRENCE TACKITT A - .197AVE 3HR 36RBI 482AB Tackitt is better than his stats show. His youth is showing at Single-A Kingston as he is finding life away from the farm can be shell shock. This kid almost became a rodeo clown like his father, until the local high school football coach saw him. Eventually Lawrence settled on baseball. Look for him to take awhile to reach the big show, but he certainly will reach stardom or near stardom as long as he matures. .
	6) PITTSBURGH RF JAMES TANNER AA - .257AVE 18HR 51RBI 7SB 1CS 319AB AAA - .258AVE 13HR 55RBI 12SB 4CS 283AB As a hitter, this guy reminds me on an early Frank Thomas.
He is patient at the plate and will take his walks, but DAMN can he whack the ball far. Pittsburgh started him a Double-A last season and brought him up to Triple-A. Tanner injured himself over the off-season and so they are rehabilitating him at the Double-A level, but I see him getting the call back up to Triple-A certainly by the All-Star Break. SP KYLE OQUENDO AA - 3.38ERA 5-6W-L 168K 40BB 109.0INN A - 3.34ERA 4-6W-L 90K 36BB 86.1INN Oqueno is a fireballer that seems to be getting better with age. His achilles heal is holding runners. He's almost too focused on the strikezone and tunes everything else out. That's ok when you are a closer, but Kyle has to remember he's out there for 6-8 innings. 1B SAMMY SHELTON A - .194AVE 0HR 5RBI 93AB Shelton's body is aging too fast. His back and hip muscles are sowing signs of stress. That pared with some family issues he catered to last season have limited his play time at Single-A Lynchburg. It's time to pull it together this season. I think he's capable of it, but it's really Sammy's decision. .
	7) TORONTO SS ANDERSON ORDONEZ A - .242AVE 35HR 103RBI 21SB 19CS 649AB Ordonez brings power to shortstop like so many others these days. His idol is Cal Ripken and I would characterize
much of his play and ability to be very close to Ripken accept for one small difference: Anderson missed nearly a quarter of his high school team's games due to injury. SP FRANCESCO LOPEZ A - 5.43ERA 6-15W-L 168K 54BB 180.2INN Lopez is one of those players that aged a couple extra years after the US government did a little more research into his background. It may explain why his growth has not been as quickly as expected. At 24, he really need to make the improvements needed to get through the farm system soon. This season may be make or break for a pitcher that had a lot of promise a season and a half ago. CL RODOLFO PROVENZANO A - 3.63ERA 43Sav 69K 39BB 74.1INN "Raindeer" as his new teammates started calling him last season, is a young kid that closes games old school. He'd rather get the ball in the 8th and pitch two innings than just enter in the 9th. So far, Single-A Auburn's skipper, Dave Trembley, seems to be working that out and it's keeping Provenzano comfortable. His pick off move is potent and his fielding is better than most scouts give him credit for. .
	8) LOS ANGELES SP CARL PARKS AAA - 5.29ERA 2-1W-L 54K 7BB 34.0INN AA - 3.68ERA 11-11W-L 228K 37BB 176.0INN Parks bring the heat, and at age 20, he's doing well to bring
near major league stuff to Triple-A. He's impressive scouts with the movement of a tricky slider and the explosiveness of a 99 mph fastball. Carl once pitched a month with sprained ankle on his landing foot an refused to tell his coach. He never even missed a day of high school. The kids got game. SP ANDREA LOALZA A - 3.65ERA 10-14W-L 149K 70BB 189.2INN AA - 7.00ERA 1-1W-L 9K 9BB 9.0INN Andrea was pitching well at Single-A last season and got a promotion to Double-A. After posting a ERA of 7.00 in two starts over nine innings, he was bought back to Single-A where he's finding his groove again. Loaiza is a crafty left-hander who leaves it up to his outfield as he get's batters to regularly chase after the high cheese. CL GERALD TIMM AA - 8.64ERA 4Sav 9K 7BB 8.1INN A - 3.84ERA 30Sav 51K 23BB 61.0INN This kid pitches well beyond is age. His poise on the mound is without question. Timm does not take kindly to walks and ha even been known to have has catcher hound an umpire that is squeezing his strikezone. He is consistent and rarely repeats a mistake, which is every skippers dream. Look for him to reach the bigs and close for many years to come. .
	9) KANSAS CITY C ARON SOTO A - 237AVE 11HR 53RBI 17SB 8CS 650AB Soto's a near Ivan Rodriguez type catcher. He can hit the ball well enough to be a middle of the lineup guy, but plays the
backstop like he really means business. If you are on base, you better not lead off much; this guys got a cannon for an arm. He's the best minor league catching prospect in the American League, hands down. CF THOMAS RENARD A - .203AVE 8HR 56RBI 644AB I am not so sure Renard has really earned all three stars in his rating. He looks like a Rondell White with a lot less power... that means he can't field all that well either. 3B JOSEPH FESTA A - .206AVE 7HR 51RBI 674AB I doubt this guy will ever be a major league starter and he's not the best of fielders either. He'll be an excellent third or fourth bat off the bench; even better at Triple-A. .
	10) MIAMI CL RICK VAUGHN ML - 3.28ERA 44Sav 83K 32BB 82.1INN "Wild Thing" has done well to fix his name sake from the "Major Leagues" movie. Although his consistency
sometimes eludes him, Vaughn always manages to step it up a couple of notches when the game is on the line. Like Washinnton's Zack Mills, Rick made his iMLB debut directly at the major league level and there's no doubt he's there to stay. CF HUNTER MARTIN A - .204AVE 8HR 35RBI 690AB Martin is progressing slowly since leaving BYU his sophomore year to enter the iMLB draft. That said, make no doubt about it, Hunter can hit for average and any pitcher that can strike this guy out gets a cookie. His defense in the outfield is slightly above average. I see him become a proto-typical number two guy in the batting order. 3B ARMAND ALCANTAR AA - .234AVE 1HR 6RBI 47AB A - .181AVE 7HR 39RBI 415AB This guy is a sleeper. If he makes it to the bigs (and he should) he'll probably be a bottom of the order guy. His glove is a little stiff in the hot corner, but there's still promise for him; just not a lot. .
	11) CHICAGO (N) LF GEORGE ROE A - .267AVE 22HR 81RBI 576AB AA - .185AVE 3HR 13RBI 108AB George hits the ball along, long way. I would eventually
expect .290-40-125 numbers from this guy and possibly an MVP in the future. He may have gotten a promotion a bit early to Double-A last season, but not by much. He can play all three outfield positions as well, but he definitely seems most comfortable in LF, and should progress as scheduled if he isn't troubled by playing elsewhere. CF WILLIAM SUTCLIFFE A - .243AVE 1HR 34RBI 34SB 625AB This guy is hard to figure out. I think he'll be a decent OF/Lead-Off hitter type, but his plate presence has got to improve a bit. He's a great fielder with a great arm that will do you right in any of the three positions. He's got the speed as well. His bat is just slightly above average though. If the OOTP gods give this guy a talent boost or two at the plate, it turns him into a four star prospect real quick. SP DAVID McCLASKEY A - 4.68ERA 12-16W-L 134K 97BB 198INN This guy is in the same boat as Mr. Sutcliffe above; a talent boost could turn him from an average guy to an above average guy real quick. McClaskey walks a bit too many guys and still gives up a fair share of hits. With that combination it's a good thing he holds runners well or his ERA could balloon to six or seven pretty easy. It's early enough in his career, so he could pan out to be better than he is now. .
	12) ATLANTA SP FABIAN HENNESSY AA - 7.05ERA 4-3W-L 42K 18BB 52.1INN A - 2.45ERA 11-4W-L 114K 43BB 158.0INN Fabian is an above average starter with four solid pitches
and a tenacity for keeping many batters off base. His not over powering but have managed to learn the fine art of finesse pitching at a very early age. He's consistent and that can only help him later. I see him as a 3 man, maybe a 2 man in a rotation is he works hard and things go his way. RF LOU LUCIER A - .245AVE 10HR 46RBI 29SB 11CS 548AB Lucier started his pro ball career at Single-A Myrtle Beach with a cold bat, but has since really heated up. It's early this season and he's batting over .300. I see a good future for Lou. He's fast, plays left or rightfield very well, and has a great arm. However, he's got to work on his strikezone. He's swinging at everything right now. But it appears he's hitting a lot of the time he swings so he has a shot at being an above average hitter. 1B GREGORY COLLAZO A - .230AVE 19HR 86RBI 648AB Collazo is hard to figure out. He's got terrific plate presence, working the count his way, and he seems to hit well to all fields, but his average even going back to college at NYU has never been much over .250. He's a sleeper. .
	13) OAKLAND C NATE ELLIOTT Traded to RD ML - .213AVE 1HR 10RBI 136AB AAA - .314AVE 20HR 94RBI 555AB Nate is a great catcher! His skills emulate his idol (Mike
Piazza). He calls a great game, pitchers love his catching style. He hits the ball well for average and power, and can even bunt a batter along if need be. He have a shot at MVP once or twice in his career and should make a number of all-star appearances. RF AARON MANCINI Traded to TOR AAA - .167AVE 0HR 1RBI 6AB A - .174AVE 12HR 44RBI 443AB Mancini reminds me of Rob Deer at the plate. However, he fields well and has great speed. I think he is a bit over matched at Triple-A and I don't see him learning much at Syracuse accept how to be a failure when getting over matched. That said, his future is bright if managed correctly. He's a young dead pull, power hitting that should be able to connect for 30-35HR a season easy as he wiffs 150+ times. C WESLEY TRAUTMAN A - .222AVE 8HR 51RBI 626AB Not much to say about Trautman. He can't hit, he can't run, but he can field decently at catcher. Sounds like a perfect career minor leaguer who will go on to manage the Yankees to a trio of World Series titles. .
	14) DETROIT SP JOHN SOLOMON AA - 3.95ERA 11-9W-L 206K 37BB 180.1INN Solomon is grade A- material. He pitches with good control and freezes his share of batters. He just need to work on
stranding runners better and he can turn that last half star into a whole one. SP TONY RODRIGUEZ AA - 3.44ERA 12-4W-L 102K 25BB 144.1INN Rodriguez is almost as good as the guy above him (Solomon). He spot's his itches well, maybe doesn't get as many strikeouts, but should have an ERA below four most of the time. His weakness is in the clutch. This guy chokes when the heat is on. But he could turn into a great number three guy in a rotation somewhere. SS JOHN KENNEDY A - .184AVE 11HR 48RBI 630AB Don't let the name fool you, women dig the low ball and this guy is lucky when he ever hits one. His low onbase percentage also keeps him from scoring much (go ahead, you can laugh). His teammates actually gave him the nickname "JFK." He's an average hitter (if that) but since his fielding is miserable and his speed is one gear faster than a crawl, his value is less than major league minimum. .
	15) SAN DIEGO CF EDISON GARTEN Traded to ATL ML - .187AVE 33HR 100RBI 653AB Edison brings serious power and should be a 40+ homerun guy when he makes it to the show. So far, his average is
struggling mightily in his pro career, but I think it has more to do with the fact that he is playing for his third team since being drafted only 15 months ago. He should work things out, but he's got two to four years of minor league ball ahead of him. 2B CHRISTIAN TAYLOR Traded to MIL A - .228AVE 4HR 30RBI 259AB Mr. Taylor has got a pretty good shot at playing in the bigs and even being a contributor. A .265-15-65 hitter with average speed and a great bunt. He's consistent and has a good clubhouse attitude 90% of the time. RF BILL FOOTMAN A - .206AVE 20HR 50RBI 720AB Of the three picks we have here for San Diego there may actually be a reason they held on to this guy. He's a great sleeper pick that could surprise a few GMs in a few years. I would not call him a super star, he won't be, but he might be a Darren Bragg type outfielder with less speed. .
	16) CINCINNATI SP CHRISTOPHER BLACKSHIRE A - 4.59ERA 9-9W-L 83K 56BB 137.1INN Here's a great number two guy for the rotation if he works on three important facets of his game: stamina, stamina, and
stamina. He's got good control, fields his position well, and keep the runners at bay. In order for him to not be a bust first round pick though, he's got to learn how to make it past the fifth inning and get to the sixth and seventh innings on a regular basis. SP JESUS VASQUEZ A - 4.10ERA 13-14W-L 126K 50BB 208.2INN Vasquez should make it to the show, but he's not going to impress anyone. He all but forgets about base-runners and like Blackshire has stamina issues. He's a great bunter though, so that could pay off in the National League. CL SALVATORE RODRIGUEZ A - 4.06ERA 37Sav 55K 27BB 77.2INN He may have been a closer in high school, but he'll be better off to settle for MR now. He's an average reliever and has not shown an ability to rise above that in the clutch. He still has a decent chance of making a major league roster someday, but he won't be closing games. .
	17) ANAHEIM SP/MR JOEL PALOMARES AAA - 3.50ERA 5-1W-L 68K 15BB 82.1INN Although his stamina as a starter is questionable, I think Palomares is going to make a great two man in the rotation.
In fact, the Angeles may be smart to get this guy up on the 25-man roster this season. He's got great control. The fat that he can get batters out with frequency with only two similar pitches in his arsenal is only another basis for his amazing talent. Oh, one more thing... he's only 19! C ALBERT IBARRA A - .193AVE 12HR 65RBI 597AB Don't let the numbers fool you, Ibarra should be able to post .245-25-70 numbers while playing decent defense behind the plate. He's got a Pat Borders feel to him. But he could make it last longer if he works at it. LF CARMELO MANNINO A - .248AVE 25HR 85RBI 624AB They call this guy "Candy" in the clubhouse and funny thing is you think he was a Candy Maldonado clone. A future .265-30-85 guy with a cannon for an arm in leftfield. His speed is average, but he should be able to swipe 10-15 a season without too much trouble. I've seen better third round draft picks in this ammy draft, but I have probably seen a lot worse. .
	18) ARIZONA 2B DOMENIC CHAIDEZ Traded to NYA A - .280AVE 17HR 88RBI 676AB Chaidez is a great second bagger. He reminds many of Ryne Sandberg. Simply a GREAT hitter; both for average and
power. He's a prototypical cleanup hitter. His fielding is solid, too. SP DEREK SHAW A - 5.79ERA 1-1W-L 1K 4BB 14.0INN AA - 5.92ERA 10-15W-L 68K 50BB 178.0INN Shaw maybe the worst second round pick of 2003; and that is saying a lot, wait until you see Seattle's crappy picks. He does everything right accept for pitching. He will throw some great BP in a few seasons. Wonder is he can hit, he's a decent fielder. Note to GM's: If you see this guy on your major league roster, bring a few packs of TUMS, it's going to be a long season and ownership doesn't look committed to winning. 3B ADRIAN AHUMADA A - .232AVE 7HR 25RBI 298AB Bad luck for 'Zona. This guy is not much better than Shaw, but he can actually make it as a late inning utility infielder for his defense. Other than that, hitting over the mendoza line a great goal for him, you know, let's not have him commit to unrealistic goals. .
	19) SAN FRANCISCO SP JAMES FLOWER A - 2.17ERA 13-5W-L 118K 42BB 153.1INN This guy is better than four stars. The stats are telling the truth. He's a GGGAA pitcher with average stamina and a
great nack for picking off base-runners. Flower should be in Double-A by seasons end. The only draw back is that he missed a couple starts on two different occasions last season. However both times he was back in a week. But make no doubt about it, Flower is a gamer and should be a number two guy, or possibly a staff ace if things land his way. RF JOHN THOMASSON A - .285AVE 10HR 56RBI 691AB Entering the draft out of high school to help pay for his fathers cancer treatment, Thomasson's family was hoping he'd go in the first round. However, the San Francisco front office did well to help the family out with financial security up front. In reality, John is an average batter with weak fielding ability. He may start for a small market team, but there is a better chance that he becomes a fourth outfielder somewhere. SP TONY SALAS A - 3.12ERA 11-8W-L 102K 59BB 182.0INN Salas has come a long way in a year at Single-A. He's very tough to get a hit off of, and don't even think of hitting a homerun. He sometimes focuses s hard on not giving the hitter anything to hit, that baserunners can take advantage of him and his slow delivery. At 19, he's got time to work on it, and the San Jose manager, Bill Hayes, has got a history of working well with young pitching talent. .
	20) TEXAS 1B HARRY FRAZEE ML - .361AVE 1HR 4RBI 36AB AAA - .291AVE 0HR 22RBI 251AB AA - .297AVE 11HR 48RBI 397AB
Frazee has developed very fast, and that is good news for Texas. The aging Rafael Palmeiro is as ready to step down as he can get. Frazee is not the power hitter, yet, that he should become. But he has been hitting for average well since being drafted out of LSU. Expect him to average .290-30-100 numbers for the next 15+ years. Another plus is that he always manages to rise to the occasion when the game is on the line. But probably the best extra this guy brings is that he plays not only great "d" at firstbase, but also third and he's a catcher worthy of a starting role. This kind of versatility should pay off well in the wallet for his career. 2B DARRYL THATCHER A - .212AVE 7HR 42RBI 35SB 707AB The numbers don't tell the whole story with Darryl. He's a great hitter, for both average and power. He fields excellently and has great speed; a true five tool player. He is easily the best prospect in the Ranger's organization and ranks in "iMLB Americana's" top 20 players in the minor leagues. At 20, he has a few seasons of grooming left, but look for this guy to win his share of awards for both his plate work and his defense. 3B TOSHITAROU TAKUJI AAA - .275AVE 0HR 2RBI 3SB 51AB AA - .302AVE 2HR 36RBI 29SB 649AB Takuji is a foreign exchange student who married his high school sweetheart a day after graduation and then immediately filed for the iMLB amateur draft the day after that. Lot of excitement, huh. His play is almost that exciting too. Definitely an above average player. He plays both infield positions on the left side pretty well and can hit for a decent average. Speed is is real threat and he thrives on hits into both left and rightfield gaps that role to the wall for triples. Like most Japanese players, Takuji works hardest at being consistent, and does a pretty good job at it. .
	21) COLORADO 3B TATSUTOSHI YUSHIRO Traded to RD AAA - .274AVE 15HR 78RBI 689AB Yushiro, strangely enough is a cousin to Texas' Takuji (see
above). He's a great hitter with better than average power. Expect .285-25-90 numbers from him, and an outside chance at a gold glove. Just like his cousin, his consistency is impeccable. SP PRESTON HENRIQUEZ Traded to CHN A - 3.53ERA 8-6W-L 77K 39BB 137.2INN Preston should be an average pitcher. He should fit well in the 3 spot of a rotation. At his age, consistency is good to see. His pick-off move is not that good, but he's a hard worker and has been known to ask for extra practice often to try and turn this around. If he ca figure out a better way to keep guys from running on him, there is no reason to doubt he'll add a star to his prospect rating and could move improve himself to a possible 2 spot guy in a the rotation when he makes the bigs. SS OCTIVIO HERRERA A - .197AVE 3HR 47RBI 613AB Herrera has his work cut out for him in the minor leagues. This guy made the Pan-American team at age 17 for his native Honduras. But since progression to pro ball in the states, he's having a tougher time. He's not that good a fielder and doesn't have a lot of patience at the plate. He's got a nack for reading pitchers well when on the basepaths, but that's just not enough to make him an everyday player in the bigs. He's the prefect sleeper candidate. A couple talent boost by the OOTP gods could make him a regular player, but anything short of that makes him nothing more than a fill-in guy on a minor league roster. .
	22) HOUSTON C HILARIO AGUILAR Traded to DET A - .232AVE 12HR 48RBI 267AB AAA - .175AVE 1HR 2RBI 57AB Aguilar is a second generation pro baller. His father was a
map maker back in the Dominican, but his grandfather was a fairly successful Negro League pitcher, winning 87 games over a 7 year career. Hilario has both great plate presence as a hitter and can call a good game. His baseball knowledge passed down from his grandfather is paying off dividends to this 22 year old. Look for him to be an above average major leaguer. SP JAKE RAMOS Traded to DET A - 2.77ERA 14-12W-L 158K 63BB 224.0INN ML - 9.82ERA 0-0W-L 2K 2BB 3.2INN Ramos is on track to earn the third spot in a major league rotation. He pitches well and gets his team into the eighth inning on a regular basis. Last year Jake had three shutouts at Single-A Michigan and then threw a fourth one in his second start for Single-A Lakeland after being part of a trading deadline deal to Detroit. At 19, he's got four pitches down well and should be a fairly successful starter in years to come. 1B SAMUEL MATZ A - .230AVE 15HR 74RBI 627AB Matz need to work harder during practice and BP. He's all there for game time but seems to slack off when it's time to learn and it's hurting his chances of ever making the show. His a natural first baseman and can dig throws out of the dirt very well. But his lack of power and turtle speed leaves him little chance to become a major league first sacker until he buckles down and learns the fundamentals of plate coverage. .
	23) BALTIMORE SP JOHN ARRUDA Traded to NYA - CAREER ENDING INJURY AAA - 6.32ERA 5-10W-L 82K 47BB 105.1INN AA - 3.87ERA 9-4W-L 68K 38BB 116.1INN
Arruda will walk away from the iMLB knowing he was one the the 20 best prospects in the league when he left. He had a very promising career as future ace of the only team in the iMLB to win a championship. Hide sight being 20/20, Baltimore GM, Brian should be given some credit for trading Arruda to the Yankees while his value was at it's height. For all the crap Brian may get financially, you can't say he made the wrong move here. :-) SP RENALDO PALAZZOLO A - 3.89ERA 6-12W-L 147K 55BB 214.2INN Renaldo should be a good starting pitcher, a 2 or 3 spot guy. He has great control and knows the strikezone pretty well. At 20, he's right were he needs to be. 1B ROBERT BENBOW A - .209AVE 9HR 48RBI 612AB Benbow is a yawner. Not bat at firstbase means no chance at ever reaching a starting role in the bigs. The only thing he can do is bunt, but that and three cups of coffee with keep you up all night. .
	24) BOSTON SP LARRY MARSHALL AA - 2.48ERA 7-3W-L 81K 62BB 83.1INN A - 2.45ERA 11-7W-L 88K 57BB 169.0INN Marshall has everything going for him. He's a strong pitcher
with your standard four pitches and a can get the ball into the mid 90's. Larry is one or two ratings from becoming an ace of the staff type guy. His brother (Moe Marshall) pitched two no-hitters on consecutive starts last spring as a freshman at Stadium High School in Tacoma, WA. SP JOSE SILVA Traded to DET A - 4.28ERA 8-12W-L 105K 39BB 153.2INN Silva has good control and should be able to compete for a starting job in the middle of the rotation. His problem might be his age. At 25, it's time to really put up or shut up. His fielding is like a bad hair day. SP RENEI HEIZO Traded to ATL A - 2.12ERA 4-2W-L 39K 22BB 59.1INN Heizo is an average pitcher. He's worked hard at his pick-off move and is tough to read. Heizo relies on his outfielder to shag balls quite a bit as he gets hitters to chase a high fastball fairly often. His childhood stamp collection recent sold on eBay six figures. .
	25) NEW YORK (N) SP SANTIAGO MIRAGLIA A - 3.66ERA 8-14W-L 136K 68BB 221.0INN Miraglia does not give up a lot of hits, but it has more to do with fear than anything else. As in the batters fear his
control. Strangely enough though, it's working for him a Single-A. If he keeps his ERA under four he'll be up in no time. He fields like a vacuum and use a yoga technique to extend is stamina. SP KERRY CARTER A - 2.47ERA 13-11W-L 139K 84BB 203.2INN Carter is running out of time. At 23 he needs to move up to Double-A soon or fear becoming a career minor leaguer. Team's have a nack for roughing him up early and then the following game he'll start with six shut-out innings. Strangely, he rises to the occasion when it comes to big games. Carter could be more complete if he improved his duration. He has been known to have a relief appearance every now and then. That coupled with his clutch performance could rebirth a better career as a closer. 2B JOHN KIEL A - .278AVE 14HR 78RBI 654AB Kiel has put up some surprisingly numbers given hit ratings. But it's going to take two or three batting talent boost for John to become a hitter worth talking about. That said, he plays pretty good defense and has above average stealing ability. .
	26) PHILADELPHIA 2B JAMES HOROWITZ Traded to LA AA - .306AVE 7HR 53RBI 27SB 704AB AAA - .200AVE 0HR 4RBI 62AB Horowitz has a future in the iMLB. He's not great at
anything, but plays steady-as-she-goes what ever he does. He does work in streaks, but kicks it up a notch during close games: BAM! (get it). His biggest weakness maybe his dead pull to left field. The shift can cut 30 points off his average. SP GEORGE JENKINS A - 3.63ERA 8-5W-L 65K 44BB 106.2INN Jenkins is a true battler. He was in a car accident at age 12 and spent a week in a comma. When he came to, his first words were, "How'd Clemens pitch today." Jenkins brings a 97 mph fastball and a wicked pick-off move to the game. He's having some control issues and walking a bit too many batters, but iMLB Americana scouts thinks that he'll be a late bloomer with his control, a la Randy Johnson. Overall, George could fit himself into a 2-3 rotation spot. SP GEORGE SOLARES A - 3.12ERA 7-7W-L 133K 36BB 138.2INN Being the second George on the Single-A Clearwater team AND coming weighing only 165lbs. and height of 5'10"... might have something to do with why they call him "Little George." What might be even funnier is that the two Georges pitch so similar. Solares fastball reaches 96 mph. His control issues have not been that much of an issue and what he lacks in an amazing pick-off move, he gains in fielder like a cat. He forces hitters to ground to the infield and then Solares can often field the out himself. .
	27) ST. LOUIS 3B DESMOND BRITO Traded to MIA A - .199AVE 7HR 63RBI 10SB 642AB After struggling to get to the mendoza line last season at Single-A Brevard County, Brito is showing better bat control
early this season. It may have to do with Going home during the off-season and playing in the Dominican winter league. Brito should be no better than an average thirdbaseman and he simply has not panned out, thus far, to be worthy of a first round pick. Since he's only twenty, he's yet to write the last chapter in his book. The question is of whether it will simply be a short story or a series of novels. MR LYMAN CRANOR A - 3.72ERA 77K 22BB 82.1INN Cranor is not a great strikeout guy, but you wouldn't know that from looking at his first pro season stats. He's got good control and movement on his change and slider. Most things about him are just plain and average. He eats vanilla ice cream. RF CHASE BARNETT Traded to DET A - .230AVE 1HR 34RBI 621AB AAA - .183AVE 0HR 2RBI 60AB Barnett is a meat and potatoes man. He plays all three outfield positions, but is most comfortable in right. Chase has a powerful and accurate arm in the outfield that his been known to catch a number of baserunners trying to stretch singles into something more. His switch hitting ability is handy, but he's got to work on his stroke before he can advance to the big dance. .
	28) SEATTLE C VITO ESCOBAR A - .214AVE 17HR 59RBI 15SB 17CS 509AB A lanky catcher with speed from San Juan, Escobar brings great defense at backstop, but needs to really improve his
bat. If this guy can't hit .300 at Single-A in next two seasons he'll be an absolute bust as a first round pick. Two &^%ing stars!!! You have to be kidding me! What was the Seattle GM was thinking? The Yanks had the very next pick in the Ammy Draft, and did 10 times better. It's sad really. LF JOE GLOVER* A - .227AVE 24HR 81RBI 28SB 707AB Gover is a low average high power guy with great speed. In fact, I would say he's a near Mike Cameron clone with more power and a wicked strong throwing arm in the outfield. That said, he'd easily be a four or even four-and-a-half star prospect if he could hit for average better. Expect .240-40-100 numbers from Joe, and I think he could be a future 30-30 guy, despite his batting average limitation. 1B IGNACIO SALADINO A - .256AVE 8HR 56RBI 22SB 574AB Saladino may never be a starter in the majors. His bat simply has not developed to what it should be. Time is running out for him to turn it around. At 22, he has a season and a half to get to Double-A. Saladino's defense is solid, and he can bunt like it's nobody's business. That gives him a far out chance of making it to the show as a bench guy. .
	29) NEW YORK (A) SP PAUL BOWERMAN A - 4.32ERA 1-4W-L 44K 7BB 41.2INN AA - 4.30ERA 10-13W-L 195K 44BB 186.1INN This guy can pitch. Bowerman's been known to break three
digits on the radar gun, and has excellent control of his pitches. He shows great strikezone knowledge for such a young lad. He's on track to become a strong number 2 guy in the rotation and could wind up to be the ace of the staff. SP SERGIO FRESE Traded to CHN A - 4.35ERA 10-12W-L 229K 75BB 184.0INN Last season, Single-A Kington's LF Bruce Lang (CLE) was walking up to the plate from the on-deck circle to face Sergio Frese for the first time. His skipper gave him some advice, "Don't whiff." That's how it is when you face Frese. He's going to give you a few pitches that look very meaty... then he'll pull the platter, the table, and the whole damn floor right out from under you. Frese has got everything he needs to be an all-star pitcher, and he's practicing his cliche' too. SP FLOYD BORQUEZ A - 4.00ERA 10-9W-L 127K 80BB 159.2INN Borquez is a very good prospect. His walks should tone down a bit according to his Single-A manager. Funny, there is nothing that completely stands out about Floyd, but he's pretty good at everything. He's been injured twice with arm and shoulder problems. That might be his only real shadow. .
	30) MINNESOTA SP DAVID CHANDLER AA - 7.28ERA 3-9W-L 75K 38BB 92.2INN A - 2.20ERA 5-3W-L 38K 19BB 73.2INN Chandler spots his pitches well and brings a great glove and
poise on the mound. He's a team leader, work great under pressure, and is consistent start after start. He struggled early after his promotion to Double-A New Britain, but has regained his game and is on track to become a solid pitcher in the middle of the Twins rotation in a few more seasons. 2B JOEL FRANKO A - .246AVE 17HR 55RBI 15SB 532AB Franko is a homerun hitter with low average and poor strikezone judgment. He's got above average speed below average fielding ability at second base. He has a good shot at becoming a major league player, but may not be much more than a platoon guy. His performance suffers when the game is on the line. 3B TASHIROU KIKUGORO A - .255AVE 16HR 74RBI 670AB Kikugoro ran away from home as a high school senior, jumped on a Tokyo container ship, and landed in the Port of Seattle with nothing more than a few hundred dollars and the cloths on this back. His first job was a vender at the Everett Aquasox games (Seattle Single-A affiliate). He attended classes on a student visa at Shoreline Community College and tried out for the baseball team. His coach secretly turned in the paper work to enter him into the iMLB Ammy Draft as a college sophomore. It's been a long road, but Tashirou actually has a good shot at making it to the big show. He's a natural fielder and can play both positions well on the left side of the infield. Three cheers for the American Dream. .

Between designing this site and a currently busy work schedule, I have had very little time to write up any reports and such (although Tom has been busy at the keyboard and come up with some great incite as usual).
I do have a couple of quick observances if I may however:

   What is going on in AAA? Mike Mussina started the season at AAA Edmonton for the Twins. Although he is a top ten guy in many AAA pitching categories... why the heck is he at AAA? Mussina is 203-106 at the major league level for his career AND was 19-4 last season!! He makes $12,000,000 a season playing at Triple-A?
   What is worse, a team GM who forgot to bring him up before opening day or a team GM who actually thinks Mussina legitimately belongs at Triple-A? I think this is a firable offense in the iMLB or at least deserves the taking away of his best three minor prospects and giving it to a prospect thirsty organization like say, the M's?
   Detroit also left Mark Mulder and Jason Bere down at Triple-A for the first sim. The difference between Minnesota and Detroit !@#$ing this up this badly is that Detroit didn't go 10-2.
   I have not looked more closely to see who else may be lingering in the minor leagues with multi-million dollar salaries, but in all seriousness I have to say this:
   GET WITH THE PROGRAM!!! Don't tell us that opening day just came out of nowhere. Both teams have been active this off-season. In the CDBL there is a rule that if you have an un-injured player making more than $500,000 and in the minor leagues, another team can claim the player. I am ready to make that a rule here, it keeps GM's from: (1) Throwing the season at the end of a not-so-good one to pick up a better Ammy Draft spot and (2) Holding major talent from the rest of the league even though they got no real use for them on the roster.
   I think it may work for those two reason's in the iMLB AND this third reason: (3) Inactive or just plain CRAZY GM's who need to be wearing a dunce cap.