21.) Jose Osuna (NA)--1B--19
Osuna was aggressively promoted to low-A this year, but that wasn’t surprising after a .331 average and .911 OPS in the rookie level Gulf Coast League last year. So far, he has handled the promotion pretty well with a .276/.333/.421 line in 214 at bats, to go with four home runs and a .754 OPS. Osuna has good contact abilities and has hit for power in the past, and if he continues to develop, there’s a chance he could be a long term answer for the Pirates at first base.
22.) Wyatt Mathisen (NA)--C--18
Mathisen was the Pirates’ 2nd round draft pick in the 2012 draft, and was rated the 47th best prospect in the draft. He played mostly shortstop in high school, but will most likely be a catcher in the Pirates’ organization. He has the chance to be an above average defender behind the plate, and also has good power and contact abilities. After signing for the slot amount of about $746 K, he should play for the Gulf Coast League Pirates when their season starts.
23.) Barrett Barnes (NA)--OF--20
Barnes was the supplemental pick for the Pirates in 2012, and has a good combination of power and speed. He is said to have plus raw power from the right side of the plate, along with good bat speed and good discipline at the plate. If he signs, he will play for the short season State College Spikes. He has the chance to stick in center field because of his speed, but there is also a good chance he is moved to left field at some point.
24.) Jarek Cunningham (NA)--2B--22
Cunningham missed some time this season due to injury, and has struggled while healthy. He is a rare middle infielder with power, hitting 15 home runs in 310 at bats in high-A last season, along with a .514 slugging percentage. In 2012, his power has not been nearly as good, with a .365 slugging percentage in 115 at bats. The jump to AA is always a difficult one for hitting prospects, so Cunningham’s struggles could just be him not yet adjusting to the level yet. He’s had a limited number of at bats this year, and at 22 years old, still has plenty of time to develop into a power threat at second base, with a possible Dan Uggla upside.
25.) Willy Garcia (NA)--OF--19
Garcia is a toolsy outfielder that is still raw in his abilities. So far in 217 low-A at bats this year, he has a line of .272/.312/.429, with eight home runs and a .741 OPS. He runs well in the outfield and has a good arm, so he could be a good corner outfielder in the future. Garcia has the potential to add more power in the future, and with eight homers already this year, his development looks promising.
26.) Brock Holt (NA)--SS--24
Holt is currently playing for AA Altoona right now, but he was probably ready to begin the year in AAA if there weren’t a surplus of middle infielders at that level already. Holt is hitting well in AA this year, with a .309 average and .778 OPS. He doesn’t have any power, which will limit his offensive upside in the future, and may also make him a utility man as well. Holt plays shortstop for Altoona, but with his lack of arm strength and range, it is more likely he will be a second baseman moving forward.
27.) Tim Alderson (NA)--RHP--23
Tim Alderson, the former 2009 #45 prospect in all of baseball, has made it back to a top prospect list. After his fall from top prospect status, starting in that 2009 season where his velocity started to fall, Alderson has rediscovered his fastball. In 2010-2011, his fastball dropped to around 85 MPH, which led to demotions and disappointments. He saw a return of velocity at the beginning of the 2011 season when he was pitching out of the bullpen, but it fell back to the mid 80’s by mid season. In spring training this year, Alderson was being clocked at 90-93 MPH, and he has held that velocity all season so far. He was moved to the rotation, where he has had mixed results in five starts, but overall he has had a good season. With a very deceptive delivery, a great hammer curveball, and good control, all Alderson needs is a low 90’s fastball to be successful. Alderson’s season has been a great story so far, and it will be interesting to see him progress, and how he can handle AAA when he gets promoted.
28.) Zack Von Rosenberg (NA)--RHP--21
ZVR has now made two starts in the low-A West Virginia rotation, with one very good start and one very bad start. In his first start, he went four strong innings, giving up no earned runs on two hits. In his second start, he allowed six earned runs on eight hits in four innings. After a good deal of struggles in 2011 (5.73 ERA) and spending all of April and May in extended spring training, ZVR is falling on a lot of prospect lists. He has a very high upside, but doesn’t seem to be making a lot of progress, so he will have to quickly turn things around to regain what made him the #41 prospect in the 2009 draft.
29.) Clay Holmes (NA)--RHP--19
Holmes signed for $1.2 M after being taken in the ninth round of the 2011 draft, where he was rated the 140th prospect by Baseball America. That amount was a record for a ninth rounder. Holmes has a fastball that sits between 90-93 MPH, and a slider and change that are going to need some work. He should begin the year in short season State College, where he will pitch out of the rotation. This will be a challenge for him because the New York-Penn League is dominated by college hitters.
30.) Harold Ramirez (NA)--OF--17
Ramirez, a Colombian who received $1.05 M as the top Latin American signee for the Pirates in 2011, is said to have plus-plus speed and a good feel for hitting. The Pirates are apparently very high on Ramirez, as he will be starting the season for the rookie level Gulf Coast League team, where he should serve as the primary center fielder.
No comments:
Post a Comment