Pioneer League Top 20 Prospects

[Ozzie Ball]

PIONEER LEAGUE TOP 20 PROSPECTS

1. Wilin Rosario, c, Casper (Rockies)

2. Cutter Dykstra, of, Helena (Brewers)

3. Will Smith, lhp, Orem (Angels)

4. Devaris Gordon, ss, Ogden (Dodgers)

5. Luis Jimenez, 3b, Orem (Angels)

6. Delta Cleary, of, Casper (Rockies)

7. Bryan Shaw, rhp, Missoula (Diamondbacks)

8. Trevor Harden, rhp, Missoula (Diamondbacks)

9. Dexter Carter, rhp, Great Falls (White Sox)

10. Kyle Russell, of, Ogden (Dodgers)

11. Pedro Baez, 3b, Ogden (Dodgers)

12. Jose Perez, rhp, Orem (Angels)

13. Efrain Nieves, lhp, Helena (Brewers)

14. Rossmel Perez, c, Missoula (Diamondbacks)

15. Angel Castillo, of, Orem (Angels)

16. Wily Peralta, rhp, Helena (Brewers)

17. Erik Komatsu, of, Helena (Brewers)

18. Dan Hudson, rhp, Great Falls (White Sox)

19. Tony Delmonico, 2b, Ogden (Dodgers)

20. Michael Kohn, rhp, Orem (Angels)

Dexter Carter, rhp, Great Falls Voyagers (White Sox)

B-T: R-R Ht.: 6-6 Wt.: 195 Age: 21 Drafted: White Sox '08 (14)

Carter had a disastrous junior season at Old Dominion, posting an 8.76 ERA and walking nearly a batter per inning. After drafting him in the 14th round, the White Sox made some minor tweaks to his delivery, giving him a more consistent landing point and getting him on a straighter line to the plate. The changes worked wonders, as he led the league with a 2.23 ERA and finished second to college and pro teammate Dan Hudson in the strikeout race with 89 in 69 innings.

 

Lanky, loose and athletic, Carter has fine command of a lively 88-93 mph fastball. His high-70s curveball worked well for him this summer. His changeup is inconsistent at this point, but he has feel for it and could turn it into an average pitch in the future.

 

Carter leverages his 6-foot-6 size well, getting good downward plane by coming almost straight over the top. While he was able to open up his delivery, he still throws somewhat across his body.

 

"Whoever the scout was that drafted him needs to be given a bonus," Orem manager Tom Kotchman said, "because that's a heck of a 14th-round pick right there."

Dan Hudson, rhp, Great Falls Voyagers White Sox '08 (5)

B-T: R-R Ht.: 6-4 Wt.: 220 Age: 21 Drafted: White Sox '08

After pitching together at Old Dominion, Hudson and Carter roomed together in Great Falls and formed a dynamic 1-2 punch on the mound for the league-champion Voyagers. Hudson led the league in strikeouts with 90 in 70 innings, then fanned 12 over six innings in the championship clincher against Orem.

 

Hudson throws strikes while operating from a low three-quarters angle with a long arm stroke in the back. His fastball has average velocity and exceptional life, riding in on righties and tailing away from lefties. He gets strikeouts by throwing his slider down in the zone and he also mixes in an occasional changeup.

[maggsmaggs]

Age hurt both of them apparently because their ERAs are great and terrific peripherals. I am not discouraged, both have mid-rotation starter written all over them. Granted, I haven't see them pitch, so I really can't comment on their stuff, but BA seems to like both of their skill sets. Add their pitches with the numbers, and there is plenty of reason to think they can have successful ML careers.

[BlackBetsy]

Age hurt both of them apparently because their ERAs are great and terrific peripherals. I am not discouraged, both have mid-rotation starter written all over them. Granted, I haven't see them pitch, so I really can't comment on their stuff, but BA seems to like both of their skill sets. Add their pitches with the numbers, and there is plenty of reason to think they can have successful ML careers.

Good comment. Age is the biggest hesitation on them, but the peripherals are so good you have to think that it's not them outclassing younger players.

 

I guess you start them both in Kannapolis next year and see if they rise to the competition, or you can go for broke with them both and let them sink or swim at Winston Salem.

[winninguglyin83]

Tyler Allen didn't make it.

 

Why?

 

Because of his age or because of his glove??

[scenario]

Tyler Allen didn't make it.

 

Why?

 

Because of his age or because of his glove??

 

I'm assuming you mean Tyler Kuhn.

 

Age may have worked against him.

 

There were alot of good infielders in the Pioneer League this year... many a year or more younger than Kuhn.

[Ozzie Ball]

Here's what they said about Kuhn in the chat:

 

Q: Richard Smiley from Chicago, IL asks:

Ben — I enjoyed your write-up. Did Tyler Kuhn receive any consideration for the list?

A: Ben Badler:

Thanks for the kind words. He did, though he probably slots into that 21-30 range. Doesn't have the tools that blow anyone away (that's why you tend to get picked in the 15th round), but his performance was excellent, so he'll have a chance to prove it next year outside of rookie ball.

[southsider2k5]

Age hurt both of them apparently because their ERAs are great and terrific peripherals. I am not discouraged, both have mid-rotation starter written all over them. Granted, I haven't see them pitch, so I really can't comment on their stuff, but BA seems to like both of their skill sets. Add their pitches with the numbers, and there is plenty of reason to think they can have successful ML careers.

 

These days a middle of the rotation starter is worth $10-12 million a year. There is no shame in the Sox developing a couple of those.

[BearSox]

I am a bit worried about the fact that Carter throws across his body... That could lead to injury problems down the line.

[NorthSideSox72]

I am a bit worried about the fact that Carter throws across his body... That could lead to injury problems down the line.

The article says the opposite. To wit:

 

Carter leverages his 6-foot-6 size well, getting good downward plane by coming almost straight over the top. While he was able to open up his delivery, he still throws somewhat across his body.

 

They tweaked his delivery and he's now throwing almost fully over the top.

 

[BearSox]

The article says the opposite. To wit:

 

 

 

They tweaked his delivery and he's now throwing almost fully over the top.

I don't know if you know what throwing across your body is, but it has nothing to do with which arm angle a pitcher uses. Throwing across your body means that your landing leg is ending up on your throwing side. So for a righty, their landing leg would end up on their right side, and vice versa for a lefty.

 

The problem with this is because it often leads to a pitcher becomming off-balance, and can lead to added arm stress. Now, a lot of pitchers do throw across their body. But usually the pitchers with more velocity are more suspectable to injuries. Kerry Wood is a key example of this. Anyone who throws as hard as him while going across their body will get arm injuries no matter what.

 

Gavin Floyd throws across his body, but because he isn't really a flame thrower, there's a much lesser chance for injuries. From what I've heard about Carter is that he has pretty decent velocity, and the fact he throws across his body scares me.

[NorthSideSox72]

I don't know if you know what throwing across your body is, but it has nothing to do with which arm angle a pitcher uses. Throwing across your body means that your landing leg is ending up on your throwing side. So for a righty, their landing leg would end up on their right side, and vice versa for a lefty.

 

The problem with this is because it often leads to a pitcher becomming off-balance, and can lead to added arm stress. Now, a lot of pitchers do throw across their body. But usually the pitchers with more velocity are more suspectable to injuries. Kerry Wood is a key example of this. Anyone who throws as hard as him while going across their body will get arm injuries no matter what.

 

Gavin Floyd throws across his body, but because he isn't really a flame thrower, there's a much lesser chance for injuries. From what I've heard about Carter is that he has pretty decent velocity, and the fact he throws across his body scares me.

Ah, I see. But Kerry Wood had elbow and shoulder problems, and as I have read elsewhere before, his arm angle and motion are his injury issues.

 

And Floyd gets it up there at 93-94. Is Carter's velocity really much more than that? I think the key difference there isn't velocity, but motion. Floyd can hit 93-94 without it looking like he's pushing himself that hard. Thornton is another good example of that. Then there are guys like Danks who look like they are putting everything they have behind the pitch. Which one of those things is Carter?

 

[BearSox]

Ah, I see. But Kerry Wood had elbow and shoulder problems, and as I have read elsewhere before, his arm angle and motion are his injury issues.

 

And Floyd gets it up there at 93-94. Is Carter's velocity really much more than that? I think the key difference there isn't velocity, but motion. Floyd can hit 93-94 without it looking like he's pushing himself that hard. Thornton is another good example of that. Then there are guys like Danks who look like they are putting everything they have behind the pitch. Which one of those things is Carter?

Well, throwing across your body correlates with your arm. I always think throwing across your body is a dangerous thing to do and comes with injury risks, but those risks are lesser for some.

Edited September 24, 2008 by BearSox

[winninguglyin83]

Sorry. I did mean Tyler Kuhn.

 

He was second in the lead in hitting and OBP.

 

Not a great SS. And as a fourth-year college guy, age has to count again him.

 

But he was a stud at West Virginia and at Great Falls.