Top 3 Prospects: American League West

by Project Prospect
September 13, 2006

This article is Part two of a six part series on the top three prospects in every Major League Baseball organization. Our NL West Top 3s were published on September, 9th. We will continue to rank the top three prospects on every team in the NL Central, AL Central, NL East, and AL East, respectively, this month.


Los Angeles Angels

1. Brandon Wood, SS/3B: Going into the season, Wood was ranked as Baseball America's No. 3 prospect in the game. At 21 years of age and in his first full season at Double-A Arkansas, Wood did little to diminish his stellar ranking, further solidifying a place among the games elite infielders.

Following a 43 home run campaign in 2005, the former first round draft pick hit 25, with a .907 OPS and 19 swiped bags in 22 attempts. His strikeout totals may be high, but not high enough to offset his superior potential. Wood's size combined with the presence of Orlando Cabrera at shortstop seem to hint at a move to third base. Nonetheless, it will be difficult to keep him in Triple-A Salt Lake and out of Anaheim next year.


2. Nick Adenhart, RHP: Judging by his performance this year, it's hard to believe that Adenhart, 20, was drafted in the 14th Round in 2004. An elite pitching prospect in high school, Adenhart blew out his elbow the month before the draft and required Tommy John surgery, lowering his draft stock and forcing him to miss his first professional season.

If Adenhart's comeback year in 2005 was encouraging, then his 2006 season must have made Angels executives ecstatic. Adenhart dominated Low-A Cedar Rapids to the tune of a 1.95 ERA and .215 BAA in 16 starts, earning a midseason promotion to High-A Rancho Cucamonga, where his numbers came back down to earth (3.78 ERA and .258 BAA).

Adenhart features an impressive 12-to-6 curveball and a fastball that tops out at 94. His strikeout numbers aren't dominant (8.24K/9 combined), but he has given up just three home runs in 208.1 innings as an Angel farmhand. It's looking like Adenhart has fully recovered from his 2004 surgery. He could begin 2007 in Double-A Arkansas and torch through the minors.


3. Erick Aybar, SS: The Angels farm system is loaded at shortstop with Wood, Aybar and Sean Rodriguez. Like Wood, Aybar is solid defensively up the middle and although he trails Wood in power, he brings more speed to the table.

Signed out of the Dominican in 2002, Aybar's 2006 season was another step in the right direction. His .283/.327/.413 Triple-A vitals aren't overly impressive, but his 89.38% contact ratio is top notch. Aybar should also turn in double-digit steal totals in the majors. At 22 years of age, Aybar is ready to contribute full-time if the Angels are willing to give him the opportunity.


Oakland Athletics

1. Daric Barton, 1B: Before last season, Barton - the blue chip Cardinals prospect who came over in the Mark Mulder trade - appeared primed to jump up to the elite prospect level. But he fractured his elbow in a collision at first base in late-May. Barton, 21, put up 2006 vitals of .259/.389/.395 to go along with 2 home runs and 7 doubles in 147 AAA at bats before his injury. Still, the 2003 first round draft pick's scouting report looks almost the same: mature hitting approach and excellent plate discipline (0.81K/BB ) with questions about power potential.

If Barton cannot develop more power, he may turn into a player similar to Kevin Youkilis. The left-handed hitter will get a shot to make the Athletics out of spring training, but will more likely get additional time at Triple-A Sacramento to make up for the at bats he missed in 2006.


2. Travis Buck, OF: While Barton's value may be on the decline, Buck's is on the rise. Starting the year in High-A Stockton, the 2005 first round draft pick turned in a 1.003 OPS, earning a promotion to Double-A Midland in mid-May and finishing the year with .302/.376/.472 vitals to go with 7 home runs, 39 doubles, and 11 steals in 13 attempts between the two levels.

Buck, 23, is above average defensively and Oakland believes he is capable of improving his power numbers. He could start the year with Triple-A Sacramento, but is more likely to begin in Double-A Midland, depending on the major league club's needs.

2. Kurt Suzuki, C: The A's farm system is made up of a lot of boom-or-bust players who still need more development time. But Suzuki, 23, ranks third for us not because he's going to be a superstar, but because he already has a good amount of polish and should produce at the big league level. Right now, Suzuki projects as either an effective starter or a great bench player.

Solid behind the plate and with his bat - Suzuki put up .285/.392/.415 vitals with 7 home runs and 26 doubles in Double-A Midland - he should be in line to start 2007 in Triple-A Sacramento and could be up with the big league club come September.


Seattle Mariners

1. Jeff Clement, C: One of the top college catching prospects in recent history, Clement, 23, has been hampered by injuries in his first two professional seasons. His amateur resume is impeccable: First Team College All-American at USC, 2005 Johnny Bench Award winner (best collegiate backstop), and All-Pac-10 team member his sophomore through senior year. Yet after being taken 3rd overall in 2005, Clement has been limited by a knee and elbow injury – both requiring surgery.

In 428 professional at bats, the 6-foot-1, 210-pound lefty (throws right) has put up a .768 OPS. Though his numbers are far lower than what most critics were expecting, it’s way to early to give up on this potential superstar. If Clement enters camp in 2007 healthy, he could be in a major league uniform by midseason.

 


2. Adam Jones, OF: In his first full season at Triple-A Tacoma, Jones not only handled a position change (shortstop to outfield) well, but mashed, too. Hitting .287/.345/.484 with 16 home runs and 19 doubles, while stealing 13 bases in 17 attempts. A five-tool prospect, the 21-year-old is Chris Young-lite to us, a tier below because of his inconsistency, lack of plate discipline, and lesser power numbers. Jones is still raw, but the Mariners big league team doesn't have much to offer, so we expect him to start the season in Seattle's outfield. Jones could be a 20/20 man someday with an OPS around 800.


3. Bryan LaHair, 1B: A late bloomer, LaHair has continued his hot hitting after finding his power stroke in 2005 at Single-A. Also encouraging, LaHair, 24, has improved his numbers slightly at each level as he has climbed the minor league ranks. He went from a vital line of .293/.371/.428 in AA-San Antonio to .327/.393/.525 in Triple-A Tacoma in 2006.

Not encouraging, LaHair has continued his inability to hit left-handed pitching. He rakes right-handers (977 OPS in AAA) - which makes it likely that he'll see the big leagues in 2007 - but unless he adjusts to southpaws, the Mariners probably won't make any major changes in order to get get his bat into the everyday lineup.


Texas Rangers

1. Eric Hurley, RHP: A first round pick out of high school in 2004, Hurley, 20, has flashed immense potential, but still has some flaws that he needs to overcome in order to reach his high ceiling. A Jeff Kent lookalike, Hurley started the season in High-A Bakersfield and put up very similar numbers to his 2005 stats in Single-A Clinton (4.11 ERA and .243 BAA in Bakersfield vs. 3.77 and .234). He earned a late-season promotion to Double-A Frisco, where he continued to improve upon his numbers - 1.95 ERA and .168 BAA in 6 starts.

The only major flaw on his statistical resume is his propensity to give up the long ball - 1.05 HR/9 between High-A and Double-A. His changeup is also still a work in progress. But Hurley is undoubtedly impressive, striking out 137 in 137.2 innings in 2006 and holding hitters to a .222 BAA. The Rangers are taking it slow with Hurley, so they'll probably have him start the year in Triple-A Frisco again, and he likely won't see the majors until 2008.


2. John Danks, LHP: The Rangers First round pick from the 2003 draft could benefit from another season in Triple-A Oklahoma, but if the team decides they need him at the big league level, he shouldn't disappoint. Danks, 21, sports a plus curveball, a low 90's fastball with good movement, and a run-of-the-mill changeup.

His 2006 strikeout ratio was solid in Double-A Frisco and Triple-A Oklahoma, as he totaled 154 strikeouts in 140 innings, but Danks likely won't develop into a top-tier starter - he projects more as a No. 2 or No. 3. Still, in a system typically devoid of pitching that's not something to scoff at.


3. Edinson Volquez, RHP: Volquez has almost put it all together, culminating in his great Triple-A season and a promotion to Texas. But his control remains a major issue. He has been hit to the tune of a .330 BAA (as of 9/13/06) with the Rangers, but the 23-year-old still is a top 100 prospect.

Volquez sports a mid-90s fastball and a plus changeup to go along with his occasionally spotty curveball. His 130 strikeouts in 120.2 innings at Triple-A Oklahoma shine, but his success at the major league level will depend on his control an how well he can avoid loud contact. He has some big adjustments to make if he's ever going to live up to his front-line starter potential.