Comments on: Rank the middle infielders http://futureredbirds.com/2007/09/19/rank-the-middle-infielders/ Baseball's Future in the Gateway City Wed, 11 Mar 2009 20:29:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU hourly 1 By: fewgoodcards http://futureredbirds.com/2007/09/19/rank-the-middle-infielders/#comment-7312 fewgoodcards Thu, 20 Sep 2007 20:26:47 +0000 http://futureredbirds.com/2007/09/19/rank-the-middle-infielders/#comment-7312 greene's only shot at being a regular is staying at short and i have read some people that thought he was pretty good defensively there. the reason i say that is he is never going to hit for a high average b/c of his contact issues. however, he has legit 20/20 potential and that is hard to find at that position even if he is only going to hit .250. jose martinez seems to be living up to my placido polanco comp that i have made in the past, but he may have more value b/c of his ability to play an above average shortstop. that is one darn good player. i too think brendan ryan will get a shot to be the everyday shorstop next year, but i like him a lot more in the utility role where his bat doesn't get as exposed. as a regular i think he would be a ryan theriot type. hopefully he is just a stop gap until martinez is ready. kozma may have had a rough start, but it is such a small sample size and he had a long layoff before he started. remember that derek jeter led the GCL in errors and hit about .200 in his first season. i think he will play a lot better and we will see the type of player he is next season at quad cities. hoffpauir seems to me like a poor man's dustin pedroia. they are both smallish, scrappy 2nd baseman drafted out of college in 2004. i don't think he will hit .320 like pedroia is this year, but .290-.300 with 5-10 homers, 25-30 doubles, and a very solid BB/K ratio seems very possible. i still don't know why he didn't get a chance this september. greene’s only shot at being a regular is staying at short and i have read some people that thought he was pretty good defensively there. the reason i say that is he is never going to hit for a high average b/c of his contact issues. however, he has legit 20/20 potential and that is hard to find at that position even if he is only going to hit .250.

jose martinez seems to be living up to my placido polanco comp that i have made in the past, but he may have more value b/c of his ability to play an above average shortstop. that is one darn good player.

i too think brendan ryan will get a shot to be the everyday shorstop next year, but i like him a lot more in the utility role where his bat doesn’t get as exposed. as a regular i think he would be a ryan theriot type. hopefully he is just a stop gap until martinez is ready.

kozma may have had a rough start, but it is such a small sample size and he had a long layoff before he started. remember that derek jeter led the GCL in errors and hit about .200 in his first season. i think he will play a lot better and we will see the type of player he is next season at quad cities.

hoffpauir seems to me like a poor man’s dustin pedroia. they are both smallish, scrappy 2nd baseman drafted out of college in 2004. i don’t think he will hit .320 like pedroia is this year, but .290-.300 with 5-10 homers, 25-30 doubles, and a very solid BB/K ratio seems very possible. i still don’t know why he didn’t get a chance this september.

]]> By: Erik http://futureredbirds.com/2007/09/19/rank-the-middle-infielders/#comment-7311 Erik Thu, 20 Sep 2007 19:42:49 +0000 http://futureredbirds.com/2007/09/19/rank-the-middle-infielders/#comment-7311 mateo...i half way thing pham should get a shot at pitching, because he has not hit a lick. mateo…i half way thing pham should get a shot at pitching, because he has not hit a lick.

]]> By: mateodh http://futureredbirds.com/2007/09/19/rank-the-middle-infielders/#comment-7310 mateodh Thu, 20 Sep 2007 19:37:28 +0000 http://futureredbirds.com/2007/09/19/rank-the-middle-infielders/#comment-7310 Right now I'm assuming Greene will start off at Springfield, where Allen Craig will be manning third base, so until one of them is promoted to Memphis he'll probably stay at shortstop. Even then, unless he's an absolute butcher, I'd like to think they'll keep him at short until the last possible minute. Anyone think there's any chance at all they'll give Tommy Pham another shot at shortstop, or at least second base, before he gets too accustomed to the outfield? Right now I’m assuming Greene will start off at Springfield, where Allen Craig will be manning third base, so until one of them is promoted to Memphis he’ll probably stay at shortstop. Even then, unless he’s an absolute butcher, I’d like to think they’ll keep him at short until the last possible minute.

Anyone think there’s any chance at all they’ll give Tommy Pham another shot at shortstop, or at least second base, before he gets too accustomed to the outfield?

]]> By: Chris http://futureredbirds.com/2007/09/19/rank-the-middle-infielders/#comment-7306 Chris Thu, 20 Sep 2007 18:13:33 +0000 http://futureredbirds.com/2007/09/19/rank-the-middle-infielders/#comment-7306 I really see the Cards giving Ryan the starting SS job next year. If the competition catches up to him and Martinez lights up AAA early on I wouldn't be shocked if Martinez ends up getting called up and the Cards move Ryan to a utility role. Hoff should get a shot at winning the 2B job. I am one of the believers that the only way Greene gets a shot is to move to 3B. Rolen is downsliding hard and if Greene wants to get on the field his best shot is 3B utility (Spezio type). My rankings would be: Martinez, Ryan, Hoff, Greene, Kozma I really think that Kozma will do really well next year in his first full season. I think the pressure of being the 1st round pick of the World Champs and coming out high school got to him. I think next year he will be able to relax and put together a good year. I really see the Cards giving Ryan the starting SS job next year. If the competition catches up to him and Martinez lights up AAA early on I wouldn’t be shocked if Martinez ends up getting called up and the Cards move Ryan to a utility role. Hoff should get a shot at winning the 2B job. I am one of the believers that the only way Greene gets a shot is to move to 3B. Rolen is downsliding hard and if Greene wants to get on the field his best shot is 3B utility (Spezio type).

My rankings would be: Martinez, Ryan, Hoff, Greene, Kozma

I really think that Kozma will do really well next year in his first full season. I think the pressure of being the 1st round pick of the World Champs and coming out high school got to him. I think next year he will be able to relax and put together a good year.

]]> By: Erik http://futureredbirds.com/2007/09/19/rank-the-middle-infielders/#comment-7304 Erik Thu, 20 Sep 2007 16:10:01 +0000 http://futureredbirds.com/2007/09/19/rank-the-middle-infielders/#comment-7304 few...thanks for sharing that. i hadn't heard anything previous regarding de la cruz, has scout.com or anyone else on to him? they ranked him above Devin Mesoraco, the 2nd catcher selected in the draft. and they were higher on him the kevin ahrens. pretty amazing stuff! nice to see ingram get some puckett comps, too. few…thanks for sharing that. i hadn’t heard anything previous regarding de la cruz, has scout.com or anyone else on to him? they ranked him above Devin Mesoraco, the 2nd catcher selected in the draft. and they were higher on him the kevin ahrens. pretty amazing stuff! nice to see ingram get some puckett comps, too.

]]> By: fewgoodcards http://futureredbirds.com/2007/09/19/rank-the-middle-infielders/#comment-7303 fewgoodcards Thu, 20 Sep 2007 15:51:25 +0000 http://futureredbirds.com/2007/09/19/rank-the-middle-infielders/#comment-7303 not middle infielders, but the cardinals place 3 prospects in baseball america's GCL top 20 list. C Luis De La Cruz leads the group at #9 with D'Marcus Ingram and Deryk Hooker going back to back at #16 and #17. chris kline wrote an absolutely sparkling report on de la cruz saying he drew comparisons to a young pudge rodriguez both for his bat and for his arm. not middle infielders, but the cardinals place 3 prospects in baseball america’s GCL top 20 list. C Luis De La Cruz leads the group at #9 with D’Marcus Ingram and Deryk Hooker going back to back at #16 and #17.

chris kline wrote an absolutely sparkling report on de la cruz saying he drew comparisons to a young pudge rodriguez both for his bat and for his arm.

]]> By: Lou Schuler http://futureredbirds.com/2007/09/19/rank-the-middle-infielders/#comment-7301 Lou Schuler Thu, 20 Sep 2007 15:19:23 +0000 http://futureredbirds.com/2007/09/19/rank-the-middle-infielders/#comment-7301 Regarding Martinez, isn't it unusual to have a line-drive percentage above 20 percent and a BABIP of .301? Intuitively, shouldn't the guy who hits more line drives have a higher BABIP? Regarding Martinez, isn’t it unusual to have a line-drive percentage above 20 percent and a BABIP of .301? Intuitively, shouldn’t the guy who hits more line drives have a higher BABIP?

]]> By: Hugo http://futureredbirds.com/2007/09/19/rank-the-middle-infielders/#comment-7300 Hugo Thu, 20 Sep 2007 14:44:22 +0000 http://futureredbirds.com/2007/09/19/rank-the-middle-infielders/#comment-7300 Not related to MIF but thought you might like this BA article about AFL and Team USA http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/?p=600 Not related to MIF but thought you might like this BA article about AFL and Team USA http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/?p=600

]]> By: Toddy http://futureredbirds.com/2007/09/19/rank-the-middle-infielders/#comment-7298 Toddy Thu, 20 Sep 2007 14:11:39 +0000 http://futureredbirds.com/2007/09/19/rank-the-middle-infielders/#comment-7298 Hoffpauir's a very intriguing guy. . .he was one of those Moneyball-type picks in 2004 (a high OBP guy) who had a huge junior year at Southern Miss. This year he really put it together, and became probably what the Cards thought they were getting out of the draft. A .400+ OBP at the high minor league level from a middle infielder position would definitely earn you a roster spot on a ML roster, I would think. I'm hoping he gets a legit shot at the 2B job in '08 for the Cards. Hoffpauir’s a very intriguing guy. . .he was one of those Moneyball-type picks in 2004 (a high OBP guy) who had a huge junior year at Southern Miss. This year he really put it together, and became probably what the Cards thought they were getting out of the draft. A .400+ OBP at the high minor league level from a middle infielder position would definitely earn you a roster spot on a ML roster, I would think. I’m hoping he gets a legit shot at the 2B job in ‘08 for the Cards.

]]> By: ricky http://futureredbirds.com/2007/09/19/rank-the-middle-infielders/#comment-7286 ricky Thu, 20 Sep 2007 03:09:34 +0000 http://futureredbirds.com/2007/09/19/rank-the-middle-infielders/#comment-7286 what about marmol.... i saw him play this summer, he learns pretty quick "i think" what about marmol…. i saw him play this summer, he learns pretty quick “i think”

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