Sox have 3 of the Top 13

[winninguglyin83]

Reed, Honel and Wing

 

some good news from the Carolina League

 

The high Class A Carolina League was chock full of pitching prospects in 2003, though most of them didn't stick around for very long. Led by Wilmington's Zack Greinke, the league's pitcher of the year, hurlers took center stage—and 11 of the first 15 spots on the top 20 list.

 

"All you have to do is look at the pitching leaders to realize how much they controlled what happened in the league this year," Winston-Salem manager Razor Shines said. "They all had ERA's under 3.40. And that's at the end of the year, so you aren't even talking about guys like Greinke or John VanBenschoten. Those guys were beyond this league pretty early on."

 

That's not to say hitters didn't do any damage. Winston-Salem outfielder Jeremy Reed tore up CL pitching and earned a promotion to Double-A, where he hit .409 in the second half.

 

"He was as good a hitter as I've ever seen, " Shines said. "Just the way he carried himself and the fact that he took the same approach every time he stepped in the box. He made the adjustments he had to make and moved on."

 

 

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2. Jeremy Reed, of, Winston-Salem Warthogs (White Sox)

 

With little fanfare, Reed led Team USA in hitting in 2001, outpacing future first-round picks Michael Aubrey, Carlos Quentin and Rickie Weeks. He went straight to full-season ball as a second-round pick in 2002 and batted .319, yet still remained anonymous.

 

That changed in 2003, when Reed led the minors in batting (.373) and on-base percentage (.453). He has good speed and plays a fine center field. The only question that remains is his ability to hit for power, and some managers say it will come. At worst, he should be able to hit 15 homers a year.

 

"Here's a guy who has all the tools," Salem manager John Massarelli said. "He's athletic, has good arm strength and has some power from the left side that I believe has great upside. His power will only develop for him. He had 18 doubles in the Carolina League and then went and hit seven homers in Birmingham, which isn't a very good park to hit in."

 

TEAM G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB AVG OBP SLG

Winston-Salem 65 222 37 74 18 1 4 52 41 17 27 .333 .431 .477

5. Kris Honel, rhp, Winston-Salem Warthogs (White Sox)

 

Honel and lefthander Ryan Wing pitched the Warthogs to their first league title since 1993. Winston-Salem swept through Kinston and Lynchburg as Honel won both of his playoff starts, including the clincher.

 

Observers can't agree on his strongest attribute. Some like his low-90s fastball. Some point to his knuckle-curve, which can be unhittable. Some say it's the command of all his pitches.

 

"He's got two plus pitches and he's developing a changeup," Massarelli said. "He creates a good angle and throws strikes. He overmatched a ton of hitters in this league. You can't ask for more at this level than he's already doing."

 

Team W-L ERA G IP H R ER BB SO

Winston-Salem 9-7 3.11 24 133.0 122 51 46 42 122

 

 

 

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13. Ryan Wing, lhp, Winston-Salem Warthogs (White Sox)

 

Another integral part of Winston-Salem's championship, Wing has pitched nearly as well as Honel since being drafted one round behind him in 2001. Wing doesn't have Honel's command, though he did improve in that regard this year, but he can match his two plus pitches.

 

Wing's slider is his best pitch and his 90-92 mph sinking fastball is nearly as good. His delivery has a lot of deception, making those offerings even tougher. He's difficult to run on, leading the CL with just 33 percent of basestealers succeeding against him.

 

"His stuff just bores in on lefthanded hitters especially," Massarelli said. "He'll throw you inside and set you up with the slider. He was one of the best pitchers we faced."

 

Team W-L ERA G IP H R ER BB SO

Winston-Salem 9-7 2.98 26 145.0 116 62 48 67 107

 

 

 

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