My obligatory “I’m reading my new BA Prospect Handbook” post

Posted by Steve

I did this last year, almost exactly a year ago in fact, so let’s make it The Second Annual BA Handbook Post. Things are very different this year for the Brewers’ system. The last four years, it was ranked 1, 3, 5 and 5 in baseball. Because the majority of their top prospects have graduated to the major league team, BA ranked the Brewers at 21 this year. This is why this is such a big draft, as Jack Z will have to take advantage of those extra comp picks to replenish the system. Here is BA’s top 10 list, followed by some players of note.

1. Matt LaPorta OF
2. Manny Parra SP
3. Alcides Escobar SS
4. Jeremy Jeffress SP
5. Mat Gamel 3B
6. Cole Gillespie OF
7. Brent Brewer SS
8. Angel Salome C
9. Lorenzo Cain OF
10. Caleb Gindl OF

Matt LaPorta LF

The Brewers took a lot of criticism for drafting LaPorta with the seventh pick last year, but not even a year later it appears (shockingly) they knew what they were doing. Granted it was only in 115 at bats, but LaPorta showed serious power with 12 home runs and a line of .304/.369/.696. He went to the AFL, in part to work on his defense in left field after playing first base all throughout college. He doesn’t project to be a good left fielder, but they Brewers just need him to be close to average. It appears he’ll be able to do that. Look for LaPorta to start in AA, and if things stay on target this should be his only full year in the minors before reaching Milwaukee.

Manny Parra, SP

We’ve seen him at the big league level, and even after just a handful of MLB innings it’s easy to see where the hype comes from. There isn’t much to say about Parra–it all comes down to his health. He has great potential, yet he really hasn’t been able to stay healthy for a prolonged period of time. The only goal he should set for himself this year is to stay healthy all year. If he does the rest will take care of itself.

Alcides Escobar, SS

Escobar made one of the biggest jumps from last year, going from #9 to #3. His biggest strength is defense; every report I’ve read says his defense is MLB ready right now. He’s a more “traditional” shortstop in that he doesn’t have much power, but he projects to be a starting MLB shortstop.

Jeremy Jeffress SP

Jeffress is very difficult to rank because of his unusual situation.  He was tested positive for marijuana twice last season, and he will start 2008 serving a suspension.  The Brewers’ 2006 first round pick, Jeffress has the talent to be the number one prospect in the system.  At the same time, you could make a case that he doesn’t belong in the top ten until he cleans up.

Caleb Gindl OF

Gindl started his pro career on fire, as he hit .372 in his first half-season. BA selected him as the player with the best pro debut of Brewers’ 2007 draft class.  They also compare him to Brian Giles; he has an advanced eye, but power may be an issue.

Mark Rogers SP (#12)

The Brewers’ 2004 first round pick (and fifth pick overall) is still a long way from the majors.  He missed all of last season after shoulder surgery.  He had amazing strikeout ability, but had serious command issues.  He is still only 22, and BA claims he still has the upside of a number one starter.  Many outsiders have given up on Rogers as a serious prospect, so this is a big year for his development.

Luis Pena RP (#14)

Despite all the success the Brewers have had developing players, they have had virtually no success developing relief pitchers.  Of course this is partially because almost all pitchers are drafted as starters, but Luis Pena is the closest thing the Brewers have had to a legitimate relief pitching prospect in many years.   He is a power pitcher who dominated in 2007 between A and AA.  In 67 innings Pena totaled 69 strikeouts and 21 walks.

Without giving away too much content (I really recommend the both this book and the BP Manual if you want to learn more about the game, by the way), here are some other tidbits BA gives about the Brewers.  I’ll leave it at the best tools in the system, but they also project the 2011 lineup, list the top prospects of the decade and list their minor league depth chart.

Best hitter for average- Mat Gamel

Best power hitter- Matt LaPorta

Best Strike-Zone Discipline- Michael Brantley

Fastest Baserunner- Darren Ford

Best Athlete- Brent Brewer

Best Fastball- Jeremy Jeffress

Best Curveball- Nick Tyson

Best Slider- Robert Hinton

Best Changeup- R.J. Seidel

Best Control- Manny Parra

Best Defensive Catcher- Lou Palmisano

Best Defensive Infielder- Alcides Escobar

Best Infield Arm- Alcides Escobar

Best Defensive Outfielder- Darren Ford

Best Outfield Arm- Brendan Katin