Well, well, well. The moment that I have been waiting for since Brad Lidge closed out the Rays in last year World Series is here... baseball games!! I know the regular season is about a month away but Spring Training games gets my blood pumping. Not only that, we have the World Baseball Classic coming up as well (GO VENEZUELA!!)
But first, the Astros' first game of the Grapefruit league is finally in the book. A 6-3 win over the Nationals. Now, I know that this games are more of a tune-up for the real thing since both pitchers and batters are tinkering with their machanics and what not, but it is still fun to talk about it. Of note, I want to bring up Mike Hampton and Russ Ortiz, two pitchers the Astros are hoping to round out their rotation behind Roy Oswalt, Wandy Rodriguez and Brian Moehler.
Both pitched two innings to start out the game and neither allowed a run. Hampton started the game a little shaky, hitting the first batter he faced and walking the next two to load the bases with no out (ay!) but then struck out the next batter and induced a double play to get out of the inning unscathed and proceeded with a 1-2-3 second inning. Not a bad Houidini impression there. Ortiz followed suit and got the next nine outs with little problem other than a harmless hit and a walk. He struck out three.
Although it's only the first game, it is a good sign that both pitchers, who have lost significant time due to injuries the last few years, are on the right track. If both can regain the form that made them former all-stars and are able to avoid the injury bug, the Astros will contend in the NL Central. Simple as that. They are the wild card of this Astros team. Those who have counted the Astros out in each of the last 5 years have learned that we are always the sleepers of the NL Central.
In other front, a couple of rookies made good impressions on manager Cecil Cooper. Infielder Drew Sutton took over second base halfway through the game and went 2-2 with 2 runs scored. And third baseman Chris Johnson launched a solo home run in his only hit of the day. Both Sutton and Johnson are trying to make the case to be in the 25-man roster on opening night and they didn't dissapoint. There are still many Spring games left but it is an encouraging beginning. Go Astros.
Showing posts with label Rookies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rookies. Show all posts
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
5 Names to Know in Baseball for 2009
With pitchers and catchers reporting to their respective Spring Training camps, I want to dish out who I think are the top 5 prospects that everyone should know about. Every spring, rookies set out to impress their managers, battling out veterans to compete for a starting job and trying to make a case for the Rookie of the Year award. In past years, a new crop of impressive rookies have dazzled major league baseball with their hustle, enthusiasm, and eagerness to be thrust into the spotlight. Last year it was Evan Longoria and Geovanny Soto who captured the ROY award. Before that it was Ryan Braun and Dustin Pedroia. We also had Hanley Ramirez and Justin Verlander to name a few more. But without further ado, here are the 5 guys to watch this year.
1. David Price, 23, P, Tampa Bay Rays: The first overall pick in the 2007 draft is now a bone fide, genuine phenom. Last year was a year to remember for this hurler, going a combined 12-1 with a 2.30 ERA in 19 minor league starts between the A, AA and AAA level. And, after being called up Sept. 14 to the bigs, he yielded a 1.93 ERA with 12 K in 14 innings in five regular season appearances. Never mind the playoffs, in which he compiled a 1-0 record with a 1.59 ERA, including a save in game 7 to close out the Red Sox in the ALCS. He is poised to have a breakout year and become the ace of this young Rays team.
2. Pablo Sandoval, 22, IF, San Francisco Giants: The Giants might be a little closer to be the NL West champion this year, even after four consecutive losing seasons, thanks in part to a youthful core that includes Tim Lincecum and this young, fellow Venezuelan in Sandoval. He was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2002 and last year he split time in AA and AAA, hitting .350 with 20 home runs and 96 RBIs by the time he was called up to the big leagues. He didn’t disappoint once he got there either, batting an eye-catching .345 with 24 RBIs in 145 at-bats. The only question mark for Sandoval is where the Giants plan on playing him. He can be their catcher, first or third baseman, but his bat will force the team to play him somewhere.
3. Travis Snider, 21, OF, Toronto Blue Jays: This 14th overall pick of 2006 is slated to become the Jays starting left fielder after a brief call-up last year in which he hit .301 with 2 homers and 13 RBIs in 73 at-bats. The Blue Jays are in dire need of a power hitter after finishing 10th in the AL in home run last year. They hope Snider, who hit a cumulative 23 homers last year, can change that. This left-hander can also hit for average and to all fields. The only catch against him is that he strikes out a lot, having done so 177 times last year between the majors and the minors. With some patience and more seasoning he should be among the elite players in its class.
4. Kenshin Kawakami, 33, P, Atlanta Braves: Granted, he is an 11 year veteran of the Japanese league, having won the Sawamura award (similar to the Cy Young) in 2004 after going 17-7 for the Chunichi Dragons. Last year, he went 9-5 with a 2.30 ERA in a 117 innings. But he still qualifies as a rookie and he will try to make his mark pitching for the Atlanta Braves in 2009. He could wind up being a better pitcher than Daisuke Matsusaka has been for the Red Sox. He’s said his style is “all about putting my soul into my pitches”. We’ll see if he has the stuff to regularly get major leaguers out, but working for manager Bobby Cox should be a plus.
5. Matt Wieters, 22, C, Baltimore Orioles: This little-known catcher played in his first pro-season last year after being the 5th round pick of the 2007 draft and had a monster year. Between A ball and AA he hit .355 with 27 homers and 91 RBIs, poising himself into the driver seat for the catching job. The top brass want to start him at AAA (the Orioles signed Greg Zaun as a stopgap) but he should be up in Baltimore by the All-Star break. There hasn’t been a dominant catcher like him since the Mike Piazza days. He will probably be an all-star himself for years to come.
There are a lot more players that deserve mention, too many to count. But these 5 players stand out the most to me for their immense potential that they carry.
Honorable Mention: Bud Norris, P, Astros; Matt LaPorta, OF, Indians; Carlos Carrasco, P, Phillies; Clayton Richard, P, White Sox; Cameron Maybin, OF, Marlins.
1. David Price, 23, P, Tampa Bay Rays: The first overall pick in the 2007 draft is now a bone fide, genuine phenom. Last year was a year to remember for this hurler, going a combined 12-1 with a 2.30 ERA in 19 minor league starts between the A, AA and AAA level. And, after being called up Sept. 14 to the bigs, he yielded a 1.93 ERA with 12 K in 14 innings in five regular season appearances. Never mind the playoffs, in which he compiled a 1-0 record with a 1.59 ERA, including a save in game 7 to close out the Red Sox in the ALCS. He is poised to have a breakout year and become the ace of this young Rays team.
2. Pablo Sandoval, 22, IF, San Francisco Giants: The Giants might be a little closer to be the NL West champion this year, even after four consecutive losing seasons, thanks in part to a youthful core that includes Tim Lincecum and this young, fellow Venezuelan in Sandoval. He was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2002 and last year he split time in AA and AAA, hitting .350 with 20 home runs and 96 RBIs by the time he was called up to the big leagues. He didn’t disappoint once he got there either, batting an eye-catching .345 with 24 RBIs in 145 at-bats. The only question mark for Sandoval is where the Giants plan on playing him. He can be their catcher, first or third baseman, but his bat will force the team to play him somewhere.
3. Travis Snider, 21, OF, Toronto Blue Jays: This 14th overall pick of 2006 is slated to become the Jays starting left fielder after a brief call-up last year in which he hit .301 with 2 homers and 13 RBIs in 73 at-bats. The Blue Jays are in dire need of a power hitter after finishing 10th in the AL in home run last year. They hope Snider, who hit a cumulative 23 homers last year, can change that. This left-hander can also hit for average and to all fields. The only catch against him is that he strikes out a lot, having done so 177 times last year between the majors and the minors. With some patience and more seasoning he should be among the elite players in its class.
4. Kenshin Kawakami, 33, P, Atlanta Braves: Granted, he is an 11 year veteran of the Japanese league, having won the Sawamura award (similar to the Cy Young) in 2004 after going 17-7 for the Chunichi Dragons. Last year, he went 9-5 with a 2.30 ERA in a 117 innings. But he still qualifies as a rookie and he will try to make his mark pitching for the Atlanta Braves in 2009. He could wind up being a better pitcher than Daisuke Matsusaka has been for the Red Sox. He’s said his style is “all about putting my soul into my pitches”. We’ll see if he has the stuff to regularly get major leaguers out, but working for manager Bobby Cox should be a plus.
5. Matt Wieters, 22, C, Baltimore Orioles: This little-known catcher played in his first pro-season last year after being the 5th round pick of the 2007 draft and had a monster year. Between A ball and AA he hit .355 with 27 homers and 91 RBIs, poising himself into the driver seat for the catching job. The top brass want to start him at AAA (the Orioles signed Greg Zaun as a stopgap) but he should be up in Baltimore by the All-Star break. There hasn’t been a dominant catcher like him since the Mike Piazza days. He will probably be an all-star himself for years to come.
There are a lot more players that deserve mention, too many to count. But these 5 players stand out the most to me for their immense potential that they carry.
Honorable Mention: Bud Norris, P, Astros; Matt LaPorta, OF, Indians; Carlos Carrasco, P, Phillies; Clayton Richard, P, White Sox; Cameron Maybin, OF, Marlins.
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