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Baseball America's Sox Top 10


winninguglyin83

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Here is the list. Just arrived in my mailbox 5 seconds ago.

 

1. Jeremy Reed, outfield

 

2. Kris Honel, starting pitcher

 

3. Neal Cotts, starting pitcher

 

4. Ryan Sweeney, outfielder (wow, must be a Baseball America favorite to put a rookie league guy THIS high)

 

5. Joe Borchard, outfield

 

6. Ryan Wing, starting pitcher

 

7. Brian Anderson, outfield

 

8. Shingo Takatsu, relief pitcher

 

9. Chris Young, outfielder.

 

10. Arnie Munoz, relief pitcher.

 

No Pacheco, no Diaz, no McCarthy, no Valido, no Gonzalez, no Nanita, no Yan, No Rauch.

 

headline to the story says that "Failed Playoff run thins system's talent." talks about the deals that sent Rupe, Webster, Ring and others away.

 

won't be posted on the web site until tomorrow.

 

enjoy

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Exactly what I was thinking :huh

Besides that, it gives me hope to see Anderson and Sweeney so high. I also was surprised to see Chris Young on the top 10. Can anyone talk much about the guy? And my how the Rauch have fallen. Is this is for this guy? Can we call him Scott Ruffcorn, officially yet?

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I guess they consider Shingo a prospect because he's never pitched in the big leagues.

 

the article with the list isn't very upbeat. Sez the Sox stripped their system making those deals. Sez Borchard, Malone and Rauch all took major steps backwards last year. And sez there has been turmoil at the top of the farm system.

 

They like Young because he can really run and is a solid hitter. Not as high on him as an outfielder.

 

They project Sweeney to start the season in Low a, Anderson at Winston Salem.

 

And they believe Honel has the stuff to be a front of the rotation starter with a US Cellular Field arrival of 2005. They actually believe Wing could get a promotion this year.

 

That's a tiny analysis. I'll try to post more tomorrow.

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Two things:

 

in 1998 Baseball America ranked Magglio the Number 4 prospect in the Sox system

 

who was Number One?

 

Mike Caruso.

 

You have been warned.

 

Also, here are there picks for Best Tools

 

Hitter = Jeremy Reed

 

Power = Joe Borchard

 

Fastest Runner == Ruddy Yan

 

Best athlete == Chris Young

 

Fastball -- Enemencio Pacheco

 

Curve == Kris Honel

 

Slider == Ryan Wing

 

Change == Neal Cotts

 

Control == Ryan Meaux

 

Defensive catcher == Chris stewart

 

defensive infielder -- Robert Valido

 

Best infield arm == Andy Gonzalez

 

Best defensive outfielder == Brian Anderson

 

Best outfield arm == Brian Anderson

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What's your analysis of the rest of the list, Rex?

 

surprised to see Sweeney that high?

 

I am and I'm not. BA has loved him for a long, long time. Thought he should have been a top 15 pick last year.

Not really surprised..... if you look at most teams' list you will find a recent high draftee in there and many fairly high up. The fact that he performed well and is a HS draftee is in his favor. He is three years younger than Anderson and will likely only trail him by one level in the org. If he performs well, then he could move up quickly.

 

The rest of the list is what I expected (as did you, based on your earlier prediction) with the exception of Shingo. I have already said my piece on that so I will leave it from there. But I do know that McCarthy is the guy who got bumped.

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Another note on Sweeney....

 

When I originally did my list I had him around 8 or 9. But after I thought about it for awhile and at the same time thinking about Anderson's wrist injury (which could end up being a recurring problem), it made sense that Sweeney had a better upside if for no other reason that he is three years younger.

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It'll be interesting to see the chat transcript tomorrow afternoon.

 

I'm gonna try and ask a few questions about some of the pitchers, just to get their perspective.

 

To have Takatsu on there is a little goofy, I agree Rex.

 

Looks like they regard our three OF prospects pretty highly (Reed, Sweeney, Anderson).

 

I was a little surprised about Chris Young. He appears to have great tools, let's see if he can put it together in full season ball.

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I guess they consider Shingo a prospect because he's never pitched in the big leagues.

 

the article with the list isn't very upbeat. Sez the Sox stripped their system making those deals. Sez Borchard, Malone and Rauch all took major steps backwards last year. And sez there has been turmoil at the top of the farm system.

 

They like Young because he can really run and is a solid hitter. Not as high on him as an outfielder.

 

They project Sweeney to start the season in Low a, Anderson at Winston Salem.

 

And they believe Honel has the stuff to be a front of the rotation starter with a US Cellular Field arrival of 2005. They actually believe Wing could get a promotion this year.

 

That's a tiny analysis. I'll try to post more tomorrow.

Rick Hahn has already said that he expects Sweeney and Anderson to break at Kannapolis.

 

Maybe BA should have gotten some info on what he said at Soxfest.

 

I think the worst person to leave off the list was Valido. He's our only true SS prospect, appears to have great tools from all accounts I've read and should have been included in the list.

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I'm looking at the FS Top 50 right now, and we were pretty close with all the players except Sweeney and Young. We all agreed to leave Takatsu off the list, otherwise he would have cracked the Top 10.

 

I liked Honel over Cotts, although I was ruled out by Jason and Randy :)

 

Sweeney 4 is astonishing. The FS writers like him and all, but 4? No way. Young at 9? Well, we disagree. Greatly. I'd put a McCarthy, Valido etc above Young for the time being.

 

Rauch deserves to be up there.

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Ya, our list definately looks comparable Cerb. Of course I disagree with you on Rauch :)

 

I don't think Rauch deserves to be too high, but thats me. I've not heard good things about him at all, but I hope he proves me wrong.

 

I also agree that Young is over-rated. Yes, he has upside, but at the same time someone like Valido or McCarthy to me have even more upside.

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Im very surprised Valido wasn't on that list and Borchard was ranked so high.

Why would Borchard NOT be ranked high? He's 25 or 26 years old....a little old....but it does not mean that he has fully developed yet. The guy has a ton of raw potential, and just because of that, you have to consider him a very good prospect. If he ever gets it straightened out, he'll be one of the more dangerous LH power hitters in the game. The guy's got LTP, but LTP can only get you so far.

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Rex,

How do you know McCarthy was on the list originally?

In my book he should still be on the list, ahead of Young, ahead of Takatsu, and potentially in a year ahead of Wing (whom most people know I like a lot as a prospect).

 

I got a feeling that Brandon will round out and end up having a consistent mid 90's fastball as he fills out. But that isn't a necessity.

 

By the way, welcome aboard :headbang

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Rex,

How do you know McCarthy was on the list originally?

Aspen, I didn't mean to come across as a smart ass, but I do know that he was #10 on the original list. I can't always reveal who I get information from, for risk of that information source drying up on me.

 

Unless they went back and did more than just bumped everybody down (they did just bump Young and Munoz), then I would expect McCarthy to be #11 when the prospect handbook comes out.

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Why would Borchard NOT be ranked high?  He's 25 or 26 years old....a little old....but it does not mean that he has fully developed yet.  The guy has a ton of raw potential, and just because of that, you have to consider him a very good prospect.  If he ever gets it straightened out, he'll be one of the more dangerous LH power hitters in the game.  The guy's got LTP, but LTP can only get you so far.

A prospect can have "potential" but if he hasn't put it together for two straight seasons and is getting older, he shouldn't be ranked that high. Alot of players had "potential" in our system. (caruso, ruffcorn etc..) That doesn't mean, by any means, that they should have had their number that high just because of that. He has had time to get it straighten out. If he can't perform at the minor leagues (counting average, Strikeouts etc..) he shouldn't be on the top 5. Valido and McCarthy should have been on that list. Borchard and Shingo shouldn't have been. Cased closed. :bang

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