Reader Top 30; #16

2009 Reader Top 30

Let’s kick it back into gear. We’re now over half way to the finish line. Julian Sampson took the #15 slot, grabbing 59 of the 145 votes. He rounds out our Top 15, giving us a solid group…

01. Carlos Carrasco, RHP
02. Lou Marson, C
03. Jason Donald, SS
04. Kyle Drabek, RHP
05. Michael Taylor, OF
06. Dominic Brown, OF
07. JA Happ, LHP
08. Travis D’Arnaud, C
09. Joe Savery, LHP
10. Zach Collier, OF
11. Jason Knapp, RHP
12. John Mayberry Jr, OF
13. Edgar Garcia, RHP
14. Antonio Bastardo, LHP
15. Julian Sampson, RHP

Check below for more…

41 thoughts on “Reader Top 30; #16”

  3. Voting for Hewitt as a write-in. Tools do mean something. I was among those who absolutely hated the pick, but it does not mean he doesn’t have a high ceiling. I admit his performance is way behind Naylor and Valle (and just about everyone), but he belongs in the top 20.

    I think I will probably have to vote for him for a week or two.

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  4. It’s Stutes for me, although I was very close to voting for Valle. I didn’t vote for Naylor because the reports I’ve read on him suggest to me that, at best, he will be a fringe major leaguer, even if everything goes according to plan. At this stage of the voting, I am looking for proven performance and at upside – Naylor seems to fall a little short on both fronts.

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  5. I don’t think we’ll know anything substantive about Hewitt until 2010 as I think, developmentally, he’s just so far behind the curve – just a hunch.

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  6. I think its about time for our first round pick, so full of potential, to make an appearance so I voted for Hewitt.
    I had to laugh when I saw that BA named Marson our best defensive catcher. Its not that I disagree, its just that K Goldstein said that’s why he favored D’Arnaud. I also found it interesting that they named Gose the best defensive outfielder. Since he played so few games, he must have had a great game in front of someone from BA that stuck in their head. You have to assume the best OF arms are the former pitchers so Brown and Gose should be up there. Best average = Dom Brown? While he had a great month in Hawaii, he only hit 290 in Lakewood while Donald has hit over 300 everywhere. I just don’t understand the lack of love for Jason Donald. The only negative I’ll give Donald is that he’ll never be an everyday SS on a champion team because he doesn’t have that big arm. He reminds me so much of Pedroia and will be a top 2B for someone although it won’t be in Philly. Also, while I like Carrasco, I doubt we’ll look back and say he had the best fastball compared to Drabek, Sampson, and Knapp.

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  9. Naylor. ButCatch 22 expressed his point well and maybe I should be looking at ceiling more at this stage of things. I think Valle (taking people’s owrd that he is a stud) and Worley are next on my list.

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  10. I went with Naylor here. His ceiling isnt as high as some of the other pitchers already on this list, but he’s still got a chance to be part of a rotation. He was great in low A, and after three or four terrible starts at Clearwater, he started to put some very nice games together. I think he’ll do the job this year in A ball and get a shot with Reading at some point.

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  11. Now that I’m back to work after missing a month (knee surgery), I was able to access my top 30 list that I wrote a few months back. It looks like I need to start pimping for Cisco, who I had at 12. 10:1 Strikeout to walk ratio, including a whopping zero BB at Lakewood. WHIP of .6 (I believe). To quote our Beloved Leader, those are video game numbers.

    – Jeff

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  12. Again, I’ll vote for Valle at this level. Shortly I see Galvis coming on , then Clean up of the remaining pitchers with somewhat high regard, then Hewitt might work in, and then the finish when one hopes some lesser known might be considered.

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  15. I went with Worley again, although I like Cisco almost as much. I’m curious why people are voting for Stutes over Cisco or Worley. All three had similiar numbers at the same level, but Stutes is a year than Worley and 9 months older than Cisco.

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  17. Drew Naylor is quite a spiffy little ripper and that’s fair dinkum, mates. When he’s on the mound he’s flat out like a lizard drinking! I’ll be gobsmacked if he doesn’t take this round. He’ll make a quid or two in the Bigs before he’s all said and done or I’ll be stuffed!

    I never get tired of Aussie slang.

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  19. xfactor – you are the man! I practically fell off my seat laughing, which is good because, aside from the baseball chatter, coming back to work this week has been a grind.

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  20. STREWTH !!! Fair suck of the sav… i’m goin’ for my Cobber Drew. Saw my mate Naylor Pitch last Sunday but he had a fair dinkum shocker V the blokes from New South Wales.. but long term he will be a bobby dazzler of a chucker in the bigs.

    BTW ( I have never , ever heard one true blue Aussie EVER say ” Throw another shrimp on the barbie “.. But when thirsty ” I’m as dry as a dead dingo’s donger !!”

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  22. @ Jeff O: here’s hoping for a speedy recovery.

    I went with Naylor here; he’d have been a shoe-in for the Top 10 if he hadn’t struggled at Clearwater, and while you can’t completely write those struggles off, I think docking him down into this range is quite far enough. As James has reminded us, the developmental curve for Australians is a little different, so while Naylor will start at Clearwater at age 23, he’s not really behind the curve at all.

    If all goes well, I think he’s still got the ceiling of a #3 — it’s optimistic, certainly, but not completely out of the question. It gives him more upside than any of the more advanced choices (Berry), and a much longer track record than any of the lottery tickets (Mattair, Hewitt, etc.)

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  24. Mike Stutes looks good here. Could move up the ladder fast and audition for a reliever role by late 2010.

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  25. I voted for Worley because he moved quickly through the system his first year with success. I’ve asked this before, if you’re going to have Mattair and Galvis on the ballot then Derrick Mitchell should also be on it. He had a better year then both of those two at the same level.

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  27. I’m surprised that Galvis is getting so little love.

    I like Galvis here, after that I’d go Worley/Stutes/Valle in no order for the next 3 spots.

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  28. Airborne

    Galvis was 18, and Mattair was 19. Mitchell while I like him was 21 years old. He’s got good power, but he has very little plate discipline and had something like 30 errors at second base. Galvis is said to be a + defender at a prime defensive position, he was so good defensively he made the SAL postseason all star list as the SS with those offensive #’s. Mitchell is one of my favorite sleeper prospects, but he still has some major holes in his game.

    .252/.294/.404/.698 @ 21
    .238/.300/.288/.588 @ 18
    .254/.321/.328/.649 @ 19

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  31. The think about Mitchell is he is improving every year. He was as green as grass when he was first signed. I wasn’t sure he made the right decision to sign out of high school especially coming from a northern state were they get to play a limited number of games in the spring. As for his fielding, because of his athleticism he tries to make plays he probably should hold onto the ball. I do like his versatility of being able to handle all three spots on the infield. BTW, both Mattair and Galvis made their fair share of errors also. Mitchell has a chance to be a middle infielder with power, something rare. Let’s see what a year at Clearwater does.

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  32. Valle. A kid who is younger than everybody else in the league and can put up those numbers at catcher has got to be considered a solid prospect.

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  36. Torn between Valle and Naylor. Galvis soon.

    Hewitt around #20/21. To me he is Golson from a warm weather state, meaning despite being a year older when drafted, he was also much rawer and not quite as athletic as Golson. Golson went about as far with Phillies as many of us thought he would. I don’t think Hewitt makes it as far. Golson in GCL at a younger age didn’t strike out quite as much as Hewitt and actually put up overall quite decent numbers. Hewitt just bombed. He may recover in 2009, but he will be really old for a genuine prospect in GCL. Because of his age he will need RUle 5 protection a year earlier than the other HS draftees from 2008.

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  37. I am sorry if this is off topic, but I just saw that #14 Antonio Bastardo got an invite to Spring Training. With Romero suspended, could the Phillies actually want to get a good look at Bastardo?

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  38. Bastardo hmmmm How good is his fastball. I also like Happ for a one inning guy. He was very effective to sixty pitches.
    I believe his has the backbone . God knows he hasnt got the proper luv from the coaching staff.
    Carrasco = fifth starter

    Swami Lou says Berry contributes this year

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  39. Atown, Hewitt has no place to go but up. I saw a little of him at instructional and he certainly has the physical part down. I think he’s quite coachable, has a different personality then Golson. Expects to get it. I’m not going to write him off just yet, let’s see what the development folks can do.

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  40. In the BA chat Manuel mentioned that Bastardo was almost called up this past year, so that is not a surprise that he was invited. Definitely could be the surprise of spring training and make the team as the second lefty out of the pen, especially with Juan Carlos out for 50 games.

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