Rotoworld Top 10 List

[DBAHO]

Good read;

 

1. Ryan Sweeney - OF - DOB: 02/20/85 - ETA: April 2008

.296/.350/.452, 13 HR, 70 RBI, 73/35 K/BB, 7 SB in 449 AB for Triple-A Charlotte

.229/.229/.229, 0 HR, 5 RBI, 7/0 K/BB, 0 SB in 35 AB for Chicago (AL)

 

Pushed too aggressively practically from the start of his pro career, Sweeney has yet to put up big numbers at any level. However, with his power finally starting to emerge, he was surprisingly productive as a 21-year-old in Triple-A last year. From June through August, he hit 11 homers, one fewer than the 12 he had in his 1,185 previous at-bats since being drafted in the second round in 2003. In August alone, he had 15 extra-base hits in 106 at-bats. Also encouraging was that he proved to be adequate when tried in center field, though right field continues to look like his long-term home. Sweeney will be a 25-homer guy within a few years and he's going to keep hitting for average. Assuming that he fails to win the center-field job this spring, the White Sox will send him back to Triple-A and groom him as a replacement for Jermaine Dye in 2008.

 

2. John Danks - LHP - DOB: 04/15/85 - ETA: Aug. 2007

5-4, 4.15 ERA, 74 H, 82/22 K/BB in 69 1/3 IP for Double-A Frisco

4-5, 4.33 ERA, 67 H, 72/34 K/BB in 70 2/3 IP for Triple-A Oklahoma

 

It was a risky trade, but the White Sox felt Danks had at least as much upside as Brandon McCarthy when they swapped youngsters with the Rangers in December. Of course, it helped that they also got Nick Masset in the bargain. Danks, the ninth overall pick in the 2003 draft, gets his fastball into the low-90s and has a plus curve he can use effectively against both lefties and righties. His changeup remains a mediocre third offering and he doesn't have great command, so he still appears to be a year away from the majors. The White Sox intend to give him a look this spring, but it would be a surprise if he isn't in Charlotte's rotation to begin the year. He currently projects as a No. 3 starter, but if his command improves enough, he could be a No. 2.

 

3. Josh Fields - 3B - DOB: 12/14/82 - ETA: Aug. 2007

.305/.379/.515, 19 HR, 70 RBI, 136/54 K/BB, 28 SB in 462 AB for Triple-A Charlotte

.150/.320/.400, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 8/5 K/BB, 0 SB in 20 AB for Chicago (AL)

 

Fields appeared unlikely to star in his first go-round in Triple-A after hitting just .252/.341/.409 at Double-A Birmingham in 2005, but the former Oklahoma State quarterback was able to post a fine average despite striking out 136 times and continued to improve his power production. He also stole four times as many bases as he did in 2005. Despite his success, Fields probably isn't ready for the majors just yet. It remains to be seen whether he'll be a long-term third baseman, and the White Sox will likely try him in left field this spring with Scott Podsednik sidelined. Also, much of his production last year came against lefties. His .291/.360/.475 line against righties was more solid than spectacular. He might eventually have the bat to be an All-Star if he can stay at third base, but if made a regular now, all of the strikeouts would likely make it tough for him to maintain a quality OBP.

 

4. Gio Gonzalez - LHP - DOB: 09/19/85 - ETA: May 2008

7-12, 4.66 ERA, 140 H, 166/81 K/BB in 154 2/3 IP for Double-A Reading

0-0, 2.81 ERA, 13 H, 20/10 K/BB in 16 IP for Peoria (AFL)

 

The White Sox drafted Gonzalez 38th overall in 2004, traded him to the Phillies in the Jim Thome deal after 2005 and reacquired him in the Freddy Garcia trade in December. Gonzalez throws in the low-90s and has a sharp curveball, which has allowed him to rack up some very impressive strikeout numbers for a left-hander. His changeup is a third major league pitch. His walk rate has to come down and likely will as he matures. However, because of his smallish build and his lack of efficiency on the mound, there's also some question about whether he'll be able to hold up as a starter. Gonzalez has No. 2-starter upside, but he seems like even more of a long shot than most pitching prospects to reach his full potential.

 

5. Charlie Haeger - RHP - DOB: 09/19/83 - ETA: May 2007

14-6, 3.07 ERA, 143 H, 130/78 K/BB in 170 IP for Triple-A Charlotte

1-1, 3.44 ERA, 12 H, 19/13 K/BB in 18 1/3 IP for Chicago (AL)

 

Haeger is easily the best hope out there to keep the knuckleball alive after Tim Wakefield eventually hangs up his spikes. Originally a conventional pitcher, Haeger retired in 2003 before attempting a comeback the next year with his new weapon. Since then, he's made exceptional progress. While he had a rough outing in his first major league start against the Angels last May, he returned to the majors in September as a reliever and had a 1.29 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 14 innings the rest of the way. The White Sox could carry him as a middle reliever to begin 2007, though they'll first give him a chance to win a rotation spot. Even if he experiences a couple of setbacks, he's got a real chance of having a 15-year career in the majors.

 

6. Nick Masset - RHP - DOB: 05/17/82 - ETA: Now

2-2, 0 Sv, 2.06 ERA, 38 H, 40/20 K/BB in 48 IP for Double-A Frisco

4-5, 3 Sv, 4.81 ERA, 79 H, 65/28 K/BB in 67 1/3 IP for Triple-A Oklahoma

0-0, 0 Sv, 4.15 ERA, 9 H, 4/2 K/BB in 8 2/3 IP for Texas

 

Masset couldn't distinguish himself as a starting pitcher, but a move to the bullpen at the end of June made a huge difference in his status as a prospect. He continued to catch the eyes of White Sox scouts while finishing with 15 saves and a 22/2 K/BB ratio in 20 2/3 innings in the Mexican Pacific League over the winter and was a key part of the Brandon McCarthy-John Danks trade in December. Masset's fastball is up to the mid-90s as a reliever and he can get strikeouts with a hard slider. The White Sox are expected to carry him as a middle reliever this year, and he could be a setup man or a closer in time.

 

7. Lance Broadway - RHP - DOB: 08/20/83 - ETA: July 2007

8-8, 2.74 ERA, 160 H, 111/40 K/BB in 154 1/3 IP for Double-A Birmingham

0-0, 3.00 ERA, 5 H, 6/1 K/BB in 6 IP for Triple-A Charlotte

 

White Sox GM Ken Williams has made an effort to collect power arms of late, but Broadway, the 15th overall pick in the 2005 draft, doesn't really qualify. His velocity is a little below average for a right-hander, though he does his best to make up for it with an excellent curve. Still, it's his only above average pitch. If he's going to be much more than a fifth starter, he'll to have to master a changeup. He'll open this year at Triple-A and get a look at the back of the rotation later on.

 

8. Kyle McCulloch - RHP - DOB: 03/20/85 - ETA: July 2008

1-1, 1.61 ERA, 19 H, 27/7 K/BB in 22 1/3 IP for Rookie Great Falls

2-5, 4.08 ERA, 37 H, 21/17 K/BB in 35 1/3 IP for Single-A Winston-Salem

 

The White Sox went for another polished college arm while drafting 29th overall in 2006. McCulloch was a fine pitcher at the University of Texas, but his stock slipped a little with his velocity down last year. He was never a big strikeout guy in school, even while throwing 91-93 mph consistently. He has four reliable pitches, including a plus changeup, so the odds are good that he'll make it as at least a fourth or fifth starter. Still, the White Sox may regret not targeting someone with more upside.

 

9. Aaron Cunningham - OF - DOB: 04/24/86 - ETA: 2010

.305/.386/.496, 11 HR, 41 RBI, 72/34 K/BB, 19 SB in 341 AB for low Single-A Kannapolis

 

Cunningham, a fifth-round pick in 2005, claimed the 11th spot on a White Sox list that was only about eight deep a year ago. Now he's a much more legitimate prospect, although he climbs just two spots. The 5-foot-11 right-handed hitter has 25-homer potential and a swing that suggests he'll keep hitting for average. His walk rate is unspectacular, but he does boost his OBP with the occasional HBP. He's probably not going to be a basestealer in the majors, and there is the chance that he won't hit righties well enough to become a regular, but he is a potential long-term option in left field.

 

10. Jerry Owens - OF - DOB: 02/16/81 - ETA: Aug. 2007

.262/.330/.346, 4 HR, 48 RBI, 61/45 K/BB, 40 SB in 439 AB for Triple-A Charlotte

.333/.333/.444, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 2/0 K/BB, 1 SB in 0 AB for Chicago (AL)

.310/.355/.345, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 9/4 K/BB, 10 SB in 58 AB for Scottsdale (AFL)

 

Owens, who was picked up from the Nationals for Alex Escobar two years ago, looked like a potential regular after hitting .331/.393/.406 in Double-A in 2005. However, concerns about his ability to handle center field led to skepticism even then, and after a disappointing first season in Triple-A, he looks more like a reserve outfielder. Given that Owens was originally a wide receiver at UCLA and only began to focus on baseball due to injuries, he might have more room for growth than most 26-year-old prospects. However, since he's not going to add much power, he'll have a tough time making it as a left fielder. The White Sox figure to send him back to Triple-A for the beginning of this year.

 

Next five: 1B/3B Chris Carter, RHP Sean Tracey, RHP Lucas Harrell, LHP Ray Liotta, RHP Oneli Perez

 

2006 top 15: Brian Anderson, Ryan Sweeney, Ray Liotta, Josh Fields, Jerry Owens, Lance Broadway, Sean Tracey, Charles Haeger, Robert Valido, Chris Getz, Aaron Cunningham, Francisco Hernandez, Casey Rogowski, Jeff Bajenaru, Brandon Allen

 

2005 top 10: Brian Anderson, Brandon McCarthy, Ryan Sweeney, (OF) Chris Young, Kris Honel, Josh Fields, Gio Gonzalez, Sean Tracey, Bobby Jenks, Felix Diaz

 

2004 top 10: Jeremy Reed, Joe Borchard, Kris Honel, Neal Cotts, Jon Rauch, Ryan Wing, Brian Anderson, Ryan Sweeney, Corwin Malone, (OF) Chris Young

 

2003 top 10: Joe Borchard, Jon Rauch, Kris Honel, Anthony Webster, Miguel Olivo, Corwin Malone, Arnaldo Munoz, Felix Diaz, Micah Schnurstein, Tim Hummel

[dasox24]

Awesome read. Thanks for posting that!

[danman31]

Weird that they thought striking out more has anything to do with your OBP (from the Fields part). They made it sound as if K'ing is worse than a regular out in terms of OBP.

 

Also good to see they aren't big Owens fans, still don't know why everyone likes him on here.

 

More of a general thing that related to this article, but why does everyone think Masset is Major League ready? His AAA numbers are unimpressive, only his K numbers are decent.

 

I still don't think Sweeney is that good. 10 of his 13 HRs came in Charlotte's bandbox. I'd be willing to put good money he never becomes a consistent 25 HR guy and I don't even think that's much of a statement.

[DBAHO]

More of a general thing that related to this article, but why does everyone think Masset is Major League ready? His AAA numbers are unimpressive, only his K numbers are decent.

I think probably because of;

 

a) his stuff in terms of a power arsenal, and the impact Don Cooper has had on power pitchers

B) his Mexican Winter League performance as a closer.

 

I do see your point though.

[WhiteSoxfan1986]

More of a general thing that related to this article, but why does everyone think Masset is Major League ready? His AAA numbers are unimpressive, only his K numbers are decent.

 

His #'s were better as a reliever. Pretty good list, I guess the only disagreement I have is him putting Haeger ahead of Lance, hell I would put Mcculloch ahead of him as well.

 

Also, it's pretty sad looking at that 2003 list.

[RockRaines]

I still don't think Sweeney is that good. 10 of his 13 HRs came in Charlotte's bandbox. I'd be willing to put good money he never becomes a consistent 25 HR guy and I don't even think that's much of a statement.

And he did that as a 21 year old. Thats not impressive to you at all?

[Steve9347]

Personally, I LOVE Ryan Sweeney, and think he's going to wind up being an excellent 2 or 3 hitter.

[danman31]

And he did that as a 21 year old. Thats not impressive to you at all?

His contact skills impress me, but 13 HR is far from exceptional. Especially when you consider the park factor. I think he'll be a .270-.290 hitter in the bigs, but will doubtfully consistently hit 25 HR in a season. His walk rate is rather poor as well. I'm thinking Mark DeRosa or Jay Payton, which isn't all that bad, but would probably disappoint a lot of people.

[BHAMBARONS]

More of a general thing that related to this article, but why does everyone think Masset is Major League ready? His AAA numbers are unimpressive, only his K numbers are decent.

 

 

Massett pitched against Tucson once and was lit up. I believe he surrendered 2 gopher balls one to Chris Young that I wonder if it has landed yet. Has good heat but I seriously doubt he is ready for the bigs yet.

[Flash Tizzle]

I seriously doubt Sweeney replaces Dye unless a major upgrade is made at another position -- ideally LF. If we were to have a decent OBP/20+ HR threat from LF, Anderson (conservatively) with 15+HR, and Sweeney with ~10, we're hardly worse.

 

A lot depends on how Anderson improves this upcoming season. If he's hitting <.230 it won matter how he fares defensively. i just don believe guillen will have the patience. remember too crede may be traded before and we certaintly need consistent players available to compensate for his departure if say fields replaces him.>

Edited February 6, 2007 by Flash Tizzle

[jackie hayes]

His contact skills impress me, but 13 HR is far from exceptional. Especially when you consider the park factor. I think he'll be a .270-.290 hitter in the bigs, but will doubtfully consistently hit 25 HR in a season. His walk rate is rather poor as well. I'm thinking Mark DeRosa or Jay Payton, which isn't all that bad, but would probably disappoint a lot of people.

I'm not as well-versed in the minors as a lot of people around here, but I was under the impression that a 21-year old doing as well as he did is pretty impressive, even with the park factors. Adjusting his numbers to compare them to Delmon Young's (since they are about the same age): Sweeney had 13 hrs in 449 abs. Young had 8 hrs in 342 abs. The hr park factor in Charlotte is 1.54 to Durham's 1.11 (first thing that came up in a Google search, anyway). So the comparison would be (I think) 13 * (342/449) * (1.11/1.54) = 7.14, or just a shade below Young's 8 hrs. Given what Young looks capable of becoming, why then should I be concerned that Sweeney hit only 13 hrs? Or about his walk rate, which looks better than Young's (and to my eyes, not at all shabby)?

 

I know Young tore up AA the year before last, but since the conversation's centered around the AAA numbers, I don't get the pessimism.

[danman31]

I think Sweeney will become a solid contact hitter, but will never develop power. Sweeney hasn't shown power at any level while Young showed power at high A and AA. Young also has hit for higher averages than Sweeney.

[GoodAsGould]

I think Sweeney will become a solid contact hitter, but will never develop power. Sweeney hasn't shown power at any level while Young showed power at high A and AA. Young also has hit for higher averages than Sweeney.

 

Im going to go with what scouts say and pencil Sweeney into the 15-25 HR mark consistently if he reaches his potential. This season will definitely be interesting with him, first time ever repeating.

[danman31]

Im going to go with what scouts say and pencil Sweeney into the 15-25 HR mark consistently if he reaches his potential. This season will definitely be interesting with him, first time ever repeating.

It's funny that that number has fallen from a 30 HR guy to a 25 HR guy to 15-25 HR.

[GoodAsGould]

It's funny that that number has fallen from a 30 HR guy to a 25 HR guy to 15-25 HR.

 

Well thats me assuming, I dont know the exact number and I havent seen Sweeney besides in spring training and his short stint last season. Im assuming your mostly the same, so its hard to make judgement. But I do know all scouts think that power will come and im going to stick to that.

[danman31]

Well thats me assuming, I dont know the exact number and I havent seen Sweeney besides in spring training and his short stint last season. Im assuming your mostly the same, so its hard to make judgement. But I do know all scouts think that power will come and im going to stick to that.

Yeah, that's fair. If I'm remembering right, the HR projection has followed the pattern I posted. 25 HR is still possible, but doubted by many, and a best case scenario. The only reason I brought up Sweeney's walk rate is that if he is going to be a .280-.290 hitter with minimal to below average power he is going to need to bring his on base up via the walk.

[knightni]

Wow.

 

That 2003 list sucked.

[Rex Hudler]

Danman, while I tend to agree with you that Sweeney may never develop the power some have him pegged for, his current stats are quite misleading.

 

Sweeney has a real sweet swing and could be one of those guys that develop power as they mature. Don Mattingly was one prime example of that. He never hit for power in the minors and finally learned to turn on the ball after reaching the Majors. While it could happen, I am not going out on a limb to say that it will.

 

The problem with evaluating Sweeney is the Sox have pushed him too quickly, as the original piece stated. Sweeney should have been back in AA last year. While he has held his own at each level, he hasn't been great. Everything about Sweeney is based on potential. Personally, I wish the Sox would just let him repeat a level and see how comfortable he gets. He is still very young and has time to develop.

 

A 2008 MLB debut (as a regular) is more realistic. But expecting him to hit with power right away is not.

[winninguglyin83]

agree with rex.

 

the guy is from Iowa, which means he lagged in developmental time against kids from everywhere else.

 

the sox fast tracked him immediately.

 

now they're talking about bringing him to the bigs and playing him in CF.

 

that's asking a lot of the kid.

 

better to let him repeat AAA, learn to play CF there and then come to the bigs in July or august.

 

With Erstad around, no reason to damage the kid's confidence.

[Whitewashed in '05]

Weird that they thought striking out more has anything to do with your OBP (from the Fields part). They made it sound as if K'ing is worse than a regular out in terms of OBP.

 

Also good to see they aren't big Owens fans, still don't know why everyone likes him on here.

 

More of a general thing that related to this article, but why does everyone think Masset is Major League ready? His AAA numbers are unimpressive, only his K numbers are decent.

 

I still don't think Sweeney is that good. 10 of his 13 HRs came in Charlotte's bandbox. I'd be willing to put good money he never becomes a consistent 25 HR guy and I don't even think that's much of a statement.

Remember, KW has compared Masset to Jenks. KW's praise of Masset is everywhere.

[Vance Law]

Weird that they thought striking out more has anything to do with your OBP (from the Fields part). They made it sound as if K'ing is worse than a regular out in terms of OBP.

 

K'ing is worse than a regular out in terms of OBP, but not in a direct way.

 

They mean that a high propensity for striking out is bad for your OBP. If you make contact more, swing more conservatively particularly with 2 strikes, and at least put the ball in play, necessarily some of those will become hits and you'll get on base more.

 

Mike Schmidt was just ripping on Adam Dunn and Pat Burrell for this in an interview. He accused himself of the same thing, though his strikeout rate improved in his later years (ie focusing more on making contact more to make up for his declining bat speed).

Edited February 18, 2007 by Vance Law

[GIOin08]

that was a great read... I am shocked that Harrell didn't make it on there but he probably will next year

[dasox24]

that was a great read... I am shocked that Harrell didn't make it on there but he probably will next year

Ya know, I would have loved to see Harrell make it, but if he has another good year, you're right that he'll probably be on it next year. He's really just a great, friendly guy, and I had a blast interviewing him last summer. Best of luck to Luke this year!

[GoodAsGould]

I hope he does make it too, he also is the ideal pitcher for our ballpark.

[Frank the Tank 35]

Here's how the Sox prospects stack up in the Rotoworld top 150.

 

Sweeney - 23

Danks - 36

Fields - 39

Gonzalez - 78

Haeger - 81

Masset - 109

Broadway - 137

 

Surprisingly, the Sox (7) trail only the Devil Rays (11) and the Rockies (8) in number of prospects in their top 150. We're tied with the D'backs, Yanks, and Twins. Of course, that doesn't say anything about the comparative quality of those 'spects. For all those lamentors, Chris Young is #5.

 

FWIW- Brian Anderson was ranked #30 last year.

 

link: http://www.rotoworld.com/content/features/...articleid=27859