Reader Top 30; #26

2009 Reader Top 30

Only 5 more spots to go in this year’s Reader Top 30. Andrew Carpenter takes spot 25 with 98 out of the 227 votes cast. Chance Chapman received 2 write-in votes, so he moves into the voting for #26. Also receiving votes; Heitor Correa, Jeremy Slayden, Tyson Brummett, Leandro Castro, Kyle Slate, Jon Pettibone, and Jiwan James. I have a number of things in the works for the next few weeks, but I’ve been very busy of late, so I don’t want to make any promises I’ll have to break. But for now, we move on with the voting…

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
16. Drew Naylor, RHP
17. Mike Stutes, RHP
18. Anthony Hewitt, 3B
19. Sebastian Valle, C
20. Vance Worley, RHP
21. Freddy Galvis, SS
22. Travis Mattair, 3B
23. Damarii Saunderson, OF
24. Anthony Gose, OF
25. Andrew Carpenter, RHP
26.

62 thoughts on “Reader Top 30; #26”

  2. I will vote for the highly touted Jared Cosart, whom I mostly know from reading on here. Believe there are a couple more big upside players and then work in some inclined to favor and then on to the next exercise.

    Like

  4. I would vote for Slayden again, but he’s not making the top 30 on this list, so I voted for Cisco so my vote meant something.

    Like

  7. I actually have Cisco at 26 – so hopefully I will at least match the group poll. But I have DeFratus and Chapman ahead of him. So I went with DeFratus a-gain.

    Like

  9. I am sticking with Slayden—-perhaps I need to do something to record this vote. I hit other and then post Slayden. Seems he has multiple people posting for him but is not showing up with more than one vote.

    Like

  10. Cisco could have been as high as 20 or so–at this point it becomes how you offset performance (Cisco) against scouting and projection. Honestly, since most of us have never seen a lot of these guys play, I’d personally believe we have to value what we do know (performance) over what we’re guessing about through other people.

    Cisco: 0.99 ERA in WMPT and LAK, 50 Ks and 5 BBs in 52 IP. Batters hit .198 against him. He’ll be 22 this season, age-appropriate for CLW if he starts there (for a college draftee).

    Gotta give him his props here.

    Like

  12. To get ‘Other’ to work, you need to click on the gray bar below the ‘Other’ button and write-in the name you are selecting.

    That being said, I went with Cisco again based on his eye-popping numbers. Realistically, most of these guys in the 20’s won’t make the majors, so I’m going with performance.

    Like

  13. mwbbfan, there is a box under the “other” selection. Type your write ins name in this box then hit the vote button.

    Like

  14. Voted for Chapman. Have seen him pitch, so there is bias. He has a major league slider, which I think could make him an effective middle reliever. Has been successful in college and as a pro. I expect to see him pitching in Reading at some point this year.

    Like

  15. From what i’ve seen of Chapman, he has journeyman minor league reliever written all over him- his fastball rarely breaks 90 mph, and for all the press his slider gets, its more of a firm slurve then a knockout pitch. He’s going to have alot more trouble when he gets to the AA level.

    Like

  16. now is the time where we can go on projection. I voted for pettibone. Others who i like here are cosart, jiwan, shreve, and some of the other kids mentioned last poll.

    Like

  17. It’s impressive how many intriguing names are likely to wind up outside the Top 30: Schwimer, Slate, Chapman, Correa, May, Rosenberg, Rizzotti, Slayden, Susdorf, Pettibone, Jean Rodriguez, Escalona, Zagurski, etc.

    I’ve always been intrigued by Chapman, but I’ll gladly defer to Billy Mac and the fish, who have actually seen him pitch. BA had this to say about him before the 2007 draft: “Chapman’s strikeout pitch is a big league slider, and he also has an 88-91 mph fastball with life. When he commands his fastball, he’s tough to hit.” If his stuff looked flat last year, I wonder if it would play up a bit if he’s shifted to the bullpen. IMO, he should start in Clearwater’s pen, with a quick promotion to Reading if he pitches well in the first half of the season. Then we’ll be able to see what we’ve really got.

    Like

  18. Finally, next round I’ll get to vote for someone other than Mike Cisco. That should be interesting- will look forward to the discussion.

    Like

  21. Paulino hasn’t been mentioned at all either. Would Jaramillo have dropped off the list had he not been traded?

    Dark horse prediction time – does anyone think someone NOT currently on the ballot will crack the top 30? Seems like Cisco, Shreve, Berry, Cosart and DeFratus have enough support to round out the 30. They’ll need to start campaigning. In addition to those PhillyFriar mentioned, how about Roth?

    Like

  22. Voted for Cisco. He was outstanding in what little time he pitched at Lakewood and showed great control. Since he probably projects to be a reliever in the majors, he only just barely edges out Escalona for me.

    Like

  24. Junior –

    Seeing how the voting is going, it looks like the final four spots will probably be Cosart, DeFratus, Shreve and maybe Berry. I doubt anyone who is not on the ballot will sneak in. Although personally, I don’t have Cosart or Berry on my list, and will be voting for Overbeck and Hamilton, who I think will win this years Michael Taylor Award.

    – Jeff

    Like

  25. I’m to the point where I could put 10 guys in this slot. I have a different reason for each. It’s hard to formulate the advantages and disadvantages into a process that spits out an answer.

    I voted for De Fratus. My reasoning was simple. I put his name out last year because of his control. In 2007, 3 BB in 46 inn. In 2008 BBs went up (25 in 83 inn.) but he’s only given up 2 HRs in 2 years.

    I told you I had a different reason for each guy.

    Like

  27. Question for anyone: mlb channel is showing the latin series live, I only caught a couple minutes of the DR venezuela game, is Carlos Carrasco pitching for Venezuela?

    I’ve been trying to find info and stats without too much luck. Any good info sites would be appreciated.

    I voted for Cisco so Jeff O. can vote for somebady else:)

    Like

  28. Interesting that a guy with a .020 ERA as starter and lost his only game on an error has to wait to make the list at 26
    gotta mean sumpin

    Like

  29. We are now at the point where many of the players in the discussion don’t have much of a track record. As a result, I went back to your (PP’s) draft commentary and analysis, complete with stat.s, write-ups from other publications and scouting videos. I have to say that what you compiled is nothing short of amazing and really gave me a good working understanding of many of the players. In retrospect, last year’s draft seems like it has a chance to be an “A” or an “A+”. Lots of high end prospects plus other guys who were college sleepers that did well last year in the minors (Cisco and Stutes are good examples).

    Like

  30. Carrasco shut it down back in December for the winter. I was watching some of the Puerto Rico and Mexico game- great to have some baseball to watch, but if thats the best those leagues have to offer, there was nary a lick of big leaguers on either roster. I mean, Jorge Padilla was Puerto Rico’s best player for pete sakes.

    Like

  31. Heh, thanks Phil. I’ve been second guessing my ranking of Cisco for close to two weeks now, but I’m sticking to my guns. Maybe he fly through the minors this year and get a September call up for me.

    – Jeff

    Like

  32. FWIW I believe Ronny Paulino is playing in the Caribbean Series, and played in the 5:00 pm game last night.

    Not a minor leaguer of the Phils, but per some reports the only person on a Phillies roster playing.

    Like

  33. “Question for anyone: mlb channel is showing the latin series live, I only caught a couple minutes of the DR venezuela game, is Carlos Carrasco pitching for Venezuela?”

    He’s not. One thing to remember for this series is that it’s essentially a club championship, not a tournament of national teams. Still a great tournament. The opening game two years ago went 18 innings.

    If you watch, there are some familiar names to Philly minor league watchers. Yorman Bazardo for Venezuela. Ronny Paulino, Alfredo Simon and Julio Mateo for the Dominican Republic. Oscar Robles is playing for Mexico, and Hector Mercado, Travis Minix and Jorge Padilla are playing for Puerto Rico.

    Like

  40. Looking at BA’s Top 30, Sebastian Valle off the list entirely? Considering he made the GCL Top 20 Prospects list, that seems like an oversight.

    Like

  44. My “friend” the cisco kid is in finally. Good luck to him and his results. Who knows but which of us would be impressed watching Jamie Moyer warm up.
    BTW Cisco and Bastardo are the exact same size and weight
    according to the stat pages

    Like

  45. My last five are Cisco, Cosart, Kyle Slate, Shreve, and DeFratus in that order. Lots of arms and I still feel like I’m forgetting a ton of guys. I guess that it is good to have this problem, although it probably means that we’ll all be wrong.

    Like

  46. My next five in order are: Cisco, Cosart, Kyle Slate, Shreve, DeFratus. Lots of good arms there I believe. If one or two fo these guys pans out, it will bode well for the Phils.

    Like

  48. Valle was number 31 on the BA list. They do a supplemental team of players who did not make the top 30 and he was on it.

    Like

  49. Is it spring yet?

    Sorry, I just can’t stand the sight of snow anymore when I know that, two months from tomorrow, it will be opening day.

    Like

  51. USA TODAY released its annual list of “100 Names You Need to Know” – described as “the next wave of players heading into the major leagues who, in our view, could make the biggest impact during the 2009 season.” Three Phillies made the list (though no Jason Donald), including Carrasco at #10:

    10. Carlos Carrasco, RHP, Phillies: Philadelphia’s top pitching prospect, Carrasco, who turns 22 on March 21, is expected to compete for the fifth starter’s job but might be focused on pitching for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic. “I think he’s going to be one of our starting pitchers — whether that will be in 2009 or 2010 kind of depends on how he develops,” GM Ruben Amaro says. “He throws 92 to 96 mph with a good breaking ball and good changeup, and he handled Triple-A quite well.”

    88. Lou Marson, C, Phillies: Marson, 22, gained valuable big-game experience as a member of the U.S. Olympic team. Solid defensively with a quick release, he works well with pitchers. Offensively, his .433 on-base percentage was the best in the Class AA Eastern League and in the Phillies’ system. Philadelphia will have several veteran catching candidates ahead of him this spring, so it’s likely the team would prefer to let him play regularly in the minors. “Lou’s got a chance to be an everyday catcher at some point,” GM Ruben Amaro says.

    95. J.A. Happ, LHP, Phillies: Happ’s ERA in four starts for the Phillies last season was 2.28, but he also made four relief appearances. That could be significant because J.C. Romero’s 50-game suspension will have Philadelphia looking for early-season help from a lefty in the bullpen. Happ, 26, throws a 90-mph fastball and mixes in an effective changeup, slider and curve.

    Like

  54. ” nowheels please Says:
    February 4, 2009 at 4:25 pm
    i didnt see Marlins Stanton or Morrison who made up that list?”

    Because they don’t figure to have much of an impact in 2009

    Like

  55. Yeah, Stanton’s only 19 – so I guess he’s in the next next wave. I met him a couple weeks ago – he’s a stud. I hope he ends up here in Jupiter.

    Like

  57. I cast my vote for Andrew Carpent….oh, he finally actually won a vote?

    In that case, I will go with Cisco.

    Like

  58. Matt Rizzotti. He’s powerful, showed a great second half last year. I think this kid is going to do something this year and open everyone’s eyes!

    Like

  59. The list was from USA Today – it wasn’t a “top prospects” list, but a list of players they viewed could have impacts this upcoming season.

    Like

  60. Donald has way more chance to make an impact THIS year. Marson may be a Sept callup, unless there is an injury. Same with Carrasco. Donald already got AAA-level experience in a full AFL season. Does not make sense.

    Like

Comments are closed.