Arizona Fall League thread

[Eminor3rd]

Daryl Van Schouwen ‏@CST_soxvan 29m

 

OF prospect Brandon Jacobs, acquired in Matt Thornton trade, was an Arizona Fall League Player of Week nominee. Hit 2 HRs.

 

I have a weird feeling he's going to be the one to push Viciedo out of LF in like 2015.

[Balta1701]

I have a weird feeling he's going to be the one to push Viciedo out of LF in like 2015.

All of that would be good. Viciedo still being good enough with both the bat and defense to be playing LF in 2015 would be good. Jacobs stepping up would be good. Viciedo being pushed to another position because someone else is ready to contribute also...also good.

[Chisoxfn]

I actually agree with you there, the Sox might have gotten a good player but he basically lost 2 years where he should be developing to that injury. Another team might have had more success with him but unlikely since he was raw before the injury.

 

What really drives me nuts is all the people saying how they knew we should have taken Trout. I actually once went back to that year's draft thread to check. The only response to Trout being drafted from the entire board was something similar to "the Angels sure do love their outfielders, don't they"?

If you look on futuresox, i had written an article about Trout being one of the best outfield prospects for the Sox to target. That said, I had zero problem with Mitchell (and never in a million years thought Trout would be what he became...then again, fairly certain Angels scouts didn't see him panning out like he did either).

[southsider2k5]

Birmingham Barons ‏@BhamBarons 3h

 

Finals MVP Micah Johnson is hitting .333 with 6 runs scored and 5 RBI through 4 games in the @MLBazFallLeague.

[flavum]

http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?gi...ox&sid=l119

 

McCray 4 hitless innings.

 

Johnson out at 3rd trying to stretch double into triple.

[MnSoxFan]

The 4 Sox pitchers: McCray, Leesman, Bassitt and Vance have yet to give up a run in the AFL. Impressive thus far.

[oldsox]

I have a weird feeling he's going to be the one to push Viciedo out of LF in like 2015.

It won't be Hawkins doing the pushing.

[Balta1701]

It won't be Hawkins doing the pushing.

That comment was about Brandon Jacobs.

[witesoxfan]

It won't be Hawkins doing the pushing.

 

That's because come Spring Training of 2015, Courtney Hawkins will be 21 years old.

 

I do like that you made it a point to work a shot against Courtney Hawkins into the post, even though I haven't the slightest clue why.

[southsider2k5]

Birmingham Barons ‏@BhamBarons 1h

 

2013 Baron Stephen McCray (@McCrazy44) has been named pitcher of week in the @MLBazFallLeague: http://atmilb.com/1cc3R5X

[winninguglyin83]

Has Micah Johnson been shut down for the rest of the AFL to have a procedure on a nerve in his arm?

[Ozzie Ball]

Some fangraphs stats/analysis on the AFL/Thomas La Stella. Mitchell amongst the top hitters by their SCOUT+ metric:

 

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/almost-not-...na-fall-league/

 

[oldsox]

That's because come Spring Training of 2015, Courtney Hawkins will be 21 years old.

 

I do like that you made it a point to work a shot against Courtney Hawkins into the post, even though I haven't the slightest clue why.

It still blows my mind that so many people, including the White Sox themselves, consider Hawkins to be the #1 prospect.

[ChiSox_Sonix]

It still blows my mind that so many people, including the White Sox themselves, consider Hawkins to be the #1 prospect.

 

Well when you are of the belief that players like Michael Early, Dan Black and Toby Thomas are legitimate prospects, then that will happen

[Chicago White Sox]

Well when you are of the belief that players like Michael Early, Dan Black and Toby Thomas are legitimate prospects, then that will happen

Lol...seriously though, oldsox's complete disregard for tools amazes me.

Edited October 25, 2013 by Chicago White Sox

[witesoxfan]

It still blows my mind that so many people, including the White Sox themselves, consider Hawkins to be the #1 prospect.

 

He has incredible bat speed, has fantastic speed, an incredibly strong arm, and he can hit the ball 500 feet. As of this moment, his mechanics at the plate are absolutely brutal. The Sox have not been good about getting that kind of stuff corrected, but if they can quiet those down, we are talking about a guy that has the talent of a guy like Giancarlo Stanton.

[NorthSideSox72]

Well when you are of the belief that players like Michael Early, Dan Black and Toby Thomas are legitimate prospects, then that will happen

For the record, I wouldn't dismiss Toby Thomas just yet, the guy was drafted less than a year ago and put up good numbers. He's no elite prospect, probably not even T25 in the Sox system, but he's not in the same mold as the other two.

 

[GGajewski18]

Sox 4 pitchers have a combined 0.69 era so far and Mitchell is having a really good fall

[southsider2k5]

 

FutureSox.com ‏@FutureSox 40m

 

Sox pitchers (Bassitt, Leesman, McCray, Vance) doing well in hitter-friendly AFL: 26 IP, 13 H, 2 ER (0.69 ERA). Mitchell hitting well too.

[oldsox]

Well when you are of the belief that players like Michael Early, Dan Black and Toby Thomas are legitimate prospects, then that will happen

Sounds like you did some research on previous posts of mine. I can't remember what I said about Early a year or two ago. Black, I remember saying that he should be moved up in 2012 because others here thought he was too old for his classification in 2012. Since he had good numbers then, I recommended he be promoted to see what he has at a higher level. Toby Thomas, I remember saying something like his numbers bear watching, or words to that effect. None of these comments were a crusade on my part to get them promoted to Top Ten status. Regarding Hawkins, I was a bit more expressive, I admit. I expressed surprise/dismay/discouragement over his poor stats in 2013, just like a few others here. The only thing I added was that he should not be ranked in Top Ten with those kind of stats. He was a Number 1 pick in 2012, and that is the only reason he is ranked so high by you and others. I say that once he is signed and thrown into the competitive arena, his prospect status should be determined by performance, not signing bonus. I once asked parenthetically how long he will continue being ranked #1 if he continues to underperform. No answer yet. Part of my negativity is caused by poor drafting in the first round over many years, exception Sale. Still, I am pulling for Hawkins to do well, but I remain very skeptical. It takes more than tools to be #1. I like Micah Johnson's tools much better. Same with Semien.

[NorthSideSox72]

Sounds like you did some research on previous posts of mine. I can't remember what I said about Early a year or two ago. Black, I remember saying that he should be moved up in 2012 because others here thought he was too old for his classification in 2012. Since he had good numbers then, I recommended he be promoted to see what he has at a higher level. Toby Thomas, I remember saying something like his numbers bear watching, or words to that effect. None of these comments were a crusade on my part to get them promoted to Top Ten status. Regarding Hawkins, I was a bit more expressive, I admit. I expressed surprise/dismay/discouragement over his poor stats in 2013, just like a few others here. The only thing I added was that he should not be ranked in Top Ten with those kind of stats. He was a Number 1 pick in 2012, and that is the only reason he is ranked so high by you and others. I say that once he is signed and thrown into the competitive arena, his prospect status should be determined by performance, not signing bonus. I once asked parenthetically how long he will continue being ranked #1 if he continues to underperform. No answer yet. Part of my negativity is caused by poor drafting in the first round over many years, exception Sale. Still, I am pulling for Hawkins to do well, but I remain very skeptical. It takes more than tools to be #1. I like Micah Johnson's tools much better. Same with Semien.

1. Performance, statistically, certianly plays a role, but there is no absolute. For a guy in his 4th pro year and at AA or AAA, stats matter a lot. For a 19 year old in his first full year (i.e. Hawkins), they mean a lot less. Not NOTHING mind you, but less. When you draft someone (especially a high schooler), you are looking at RAW TOOLS. And you know going in it will take some years to turn those tools into baseball skills.

 

2. There is no direct answer to your question "how long is he #1". First of all, most people wouldn't have him #1 right now anyway - Erik Johnson at the least, and maybe a few others, will be above Hawkins on most people's lists. So your query is somewhat of a straw man argument. Second point on this, there is no exact timeframe, because the timeframe is dictated in part by things no one can know yet, like what level(s) he'll be at and how he will perform in various measures.

 

3. I think you confuse SKILLS with TOOLS. Semien doesn't have nearly the arm strength, power projection or speed that Hawkins has - those are tools. On the other hand, Semien is far more advanced in putting barrel to ball, and recognizing pitches - those are skills. Micah Johnson has only one tool that is even close to what Hawkins has - speed - but even that there is only a slight edge. Johnson is successful in part because he has learned the SKILL of stealing bases, not just being fast.

 

[ChiSox_Sonix]

Sounds like you did some research on previous posts of mine. I can't remember what I said about Early a year or two ago. Black, I remember saying that he should be moved up in 2012 because others here thought he was too old for his classification in 2012. Since he had good numbers then, I recommended he be promoted to see what he has at a higher level. Toby Thomas, I remember saying something like his numbers bear watching, or words to that effect. None of these comments were a crusade on my part to get them promoted to Top Ten status. Regarding Hawkins, I was a bit more expressive, I admit. I expressed surprise/dismay/discouragement over his poor stats in 2013, just like a few others here. The only thing I added was that he should not be ranked in Top Ten with those kind of stats. He was a Number 1 pick in 2012, and that is the only reason he is ranked so high by you and others. I say that once he is signed and thrown into the competitive arena, his prospect status should be determined by performance, not signing bonus. I once asked parenthetically how long he will continue being ranked #1 if he continues to underperform. No answer yet. Part of my negativity is caused by poor drafting in the first round over many years, exception Sale. Still, I am pulling for Hawkins to do well, but I remain very skeptical. It takes more than tools to be #1. I like Micah Johnson's tools much better. Same with Semien.

 

No research necessary. It's easy observation when the person does it repeatedly and consistently.

[flavum]

2 homers for Semien today.

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?gi...ox&sid=l119

[southsider2k5]

McCray AFL Pitcher of the Week

 

http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/news/artic...36&c_id=cws

[southsider2k5]

http://www.csnchicago.com/white-sox/semien...fall-stars-game

 

White Sox minor-leaguers Marcus Semien and Chris Bassitt were named to the Fall Stars Game on Monday.

 

Semien, an infielder, and Bassitt, a right-handed pitcher, will play for the West team in the contest on Saturday in Surprise, Ariz. The game, formerly known as the Rising Stars Game, is comprised of Arizona Fall League players.