2009 Top Midwest League Prospects

The Midwest League rankings feature the up and coming Jaff Decker who will reach San Diego far too late to save Kevin Towers his job. I never had a huge problem with Towers. He was far more handicapped (and successful despite this) by his team's ownership and budget than a frequent complainer like J.P. Ricciardi and his $100 million dollar losing squads.

MLB Fantasy Prospects wrote a great piece on Jaff Decker that I may have mentioned previously, but if you missed it you should certainly check it out. the site is an excellent resource for the prospect crazy or just the committed Advanced Fantasy Baseball Shark in need of an edge.

The big boy was no slouch this year at Low-A hitting .299, with 16 HRs, a .442 OBP, and a .514 SLG. Decker has a phenomenal eye that is indicative of a future fantasy star. He had a 19.2% walk rate and .92 BB/K rate batting third in the Fort Wayne (Padres’ Low-A affiliate) batting order. Notably, Decker has had a fairly high Batting Average on Balls in Play [BABIP] (.364 at Low-A /.432 in the AZL). Usually, such a high BABIP suggests a lucky hitter. In this case, there’s no luck involved, as Decker’s BABIP is sky high because he hits the ball freakishly hard.

MLB Fantasy Prospects has recently reported on prospects like Derek Norris of the Washington Nationals, Hector Rondon of the Cleveland Indians, and Brian Matusz of the Baltimore Orioles.

Top 25 Midwest League Batters (minimum 50 at-bats)

Name	Team	BB%	K%	AVG	OBP	SLG	ISO	Spd	BABIP	wOBA
James Darnell	Padres	20.40%	23.00%	0.329	0.468	0.518	0.189	4	0.402	0.449
Brett Jackson	Cubs	8.90%	28.60%	0.295	0.383	0.545	0.25	8.2	0.356	0.436
Jaff Decker	Padres	19.20%	25.70%	0.299	0.442	0.514	0.215	4.8	0.364	0.434
Chris Dennis	Brewers	12.60%	29.50%	0.318	0.409	0.538	0.22	4.2	0.427	0.432
Xavier Scruggs	Cardinals	15.10%	33.30%	0.295	0.409	0.527	0.233	3.4	0.392	0.427
Jermaine Curtis	Cardinals	14.50%	18.80%	0.304	0.426	0.438	0.134	5.3	0.367	0.417
Kyler Burke	Cubs	14.40%	21.30%	0.303	0.405	0.505	0.202	5.8	0.359	0.417
Kyle Russell	Dodgers	13.00%	37.40%	0.272	0.371	0.545	0.272	7.6	0.382	0.416
Joseph Becker	Dodgers	10.60%	20.30%	0.339	0.403	0.492	0.153	3.9	0.413	0.407
Sawyer Carroll	Padres	13.80%	22.80%	0.316	0.41	0.464	0.148	5.1	0.394	0.406
Josh Vitters	Cubs	2.50%	15.60%	0.316	0.351	0.535	0.219	4.4	0.33	0.402
Conner Crumbliss	Athletics	18.00%	18.00%	0.28	0.438	0.4	0.12	6.5	0.341	0.401
Kris Sanchez	Mariners	13.60%	27.20%	0.291	0.391	0.496	0.205	1.7	0.366	0.401
Billy Nowlin	Tigers	8.10%	16.00%	0.311	0.39	0.483	0.172	3.9	0.346	0.399
Chris Swauger	Cardinals	7.30%	20.00%	0.296	0.357	0.522	0.226	6.7	0.341	0.397
Jerry Sands	Dodgers	12.60%	30.80%	0.26	0.361	0.51	0.25	5.9	0.328	0.395
Grant Desme	Athletics	7.50%	31.30%	0.274	0.334	0.49	0.216	8.4	0.359	0.394
Charles Cutler	Cardinals	9.00%	10.30%	0.351	0.41	0.455	0.103	2.8	0.38	0.393
Byron Wiley	Reds	16.60%	29.80%	0.275	0.395	0.461	0.186	5.4	0.363	0.392
Brian Van Kirk	Blue Jays	14.00%	25.70%	0.278	0.389	0.451	0.173	4.1	0.344	0.392
Alexia Amarista	Angels	9.50%	12.80%	0.319	0.39	0.468	0.149	7.8	0.359	0.391
Nick Van Stratten	Royals	9.90%	12.50%	0.318	0.393	0.447	0.129	7.7	0.36	0.39
Blake Ochoa	Mariners	7.50%	20.20%	0.318	0.379	0.48	0.162	3.6	0.376	0.387
Josh Harrison	Cubs	5.00%	8.30%	0.337	0.377	0.479	0.142	7.3	0.358	0.386
Marc Krauss	Diamondbacks	10.90%	18.30%	0.304	0.377	0.478	0.174	3.1	0.359	0.386
Luis Flores	Cubs	20.00%	22.90%	0.208	0.387	0.458	0.25	1.9	0.229	0.385
Brendan Duffy	Diamondbacks	11.10%	20.90%	0.308	0.414	0.393	0.085	7.7	0.39	0.384
Anthony Delmonico	Dodgers	11.20%	23.60%	0.285	0.383	0.43	0.145	4.4	0.352	0.382
Andrew Cumberland	Padres	12.10%	12.40%	0.293	0.386	0.41	0.117	7.9	0.329	0.382
Matt Carpenter	Cardinals	13.90%	12.40%	0.295	0.405	0.39	0.095	4.6	0.337	0.381
Matt Clark	Padres	11.60%	28.60%	0.266	0.352	0.484	0.218	1.6	0.331	0.381
Ramon Santana	Twins	11.90%	25.30%	0.296	0.384	0.453	0.156	4	0.377	0.379
Anthony Hatch	Dodgers	9.60%	14.60%	0.294	0.363	0.463	0.169	5.4	0.327	0.379
Jarrod Dyson	Royals	6.90%	20.90%	0.343	0.397	0.403	0.06	8	0.434	0.377
Scott Savastano	Mariners	11.90%	17.90%	0.3	0.39	0.404	0.104	6.1	0.354	0.377

Top 25 Midwest League Pitchers (minimum 50 IP)

Name	Team	K/9	BB/9	HR/9	WHIP	BABIP	LOB%	ERA	FIP
Andrew Taylor	Angels	14.55	3.33	0	0.94	0.32	85.40%	1.23	1.08
Brad Brach	Padres	11.59	1.55	0.14	0.74	0.264	82.70%	1.27	1.54
Cheyne Hann	Mariners	9.75	1.05	0.26	0.82	0.279	83.30%	1.32	1.85
Chris Huseby	Cubs	12.17	1.67	0.5	0.98	0.335	86.90%	1.83	1.94
Vladimir Veras	Angels	9.83	3	0	1.13	0.316	68.30%	3	2.13
Matt Daly	Blue Jays	9.59	3.55	0	1.09	0.283	76.80%	1.95	2.31
Bryan Woodall	Diamondbacks	9.86	2.3	0.27	1.35	0.382	68.00%	3.24	2.34
Blaine Hardy	Royals	9.16	1.66	0.29	0.95	0.29	76.00%	2.05	2.37
Zachary Herr	Padres	12.71	3.18	0.64	1.24	0.366	62.70%	4.13	2.41
Bayron Zepeda	Diamondbacks	7.3	2.04	0	1.43	0.375	62.00%	4.58	2.43
Henderson Alvarez	Blue Jays	6.66	1.38	0.07	1.13	0.317	63.60%	3.47	2.43
Nick Schmidt	Padres	10.28	4.01	0	1.18	0.305	67.70%	2.79	2.48
Nick Schumacher	Padres	8.74	2.22	0.16	1.08	0.305	88.20%	1.11	2.49
Barry Bowden	Royals	11.22	3.86	0.35	1.01	0.257	75.70%	2.28	2.56
Ezequiel Infante	Reds	7.91	1.55	0.34	1.15	0.325	69.30%	3.44	2.57
Robert Boothe	Dodgers	12.46	4.63	0.32	1.49	0.396	62.20%	4.95	2.65
Kenn Kasparek	Mariners	8.51	2.03	0.32	1.12	0.313	73.50%	2.41	2.68
Liam Hendriks	Twins	8.37	2.03	0.41	1.32	0.357	65.30%	3.51	2.69
Ryan Buchter	Cubs	11.66	5.02	0.15	1.15	0.273	77.10%	1.33	2.69
Jamie Richmond	Athletics	7.2	0.9	0.54	1.06	0.308	74.30%	2.7	2.74
Tyler Stohr	Tigers	8.11	2.36	0.3	1.23	0.328	69.20%	3.54	2.76
Casey Crosby	Tigers	10.06	4.13	0.26	1.13	0.273	72.80%	2.41	2.8
Tyler Conn	Tigers	7.97	2.31	0.39	1.19	0.314	72.70%	3.21	2.8
Simon Castro	Padres	10.07	2.37	0.58	1.1	0.313	68.20%	3.33	2.8
Anthony Shawler	Tigers	8.19	2.59	0.33	1.23	0.321	66.50%	3.76	2.89
Daniel Merklinger	Brewers	9	2.89	0.51	1.17	0.303	76.10%	2.55	2.9
Austin Bibens-Dirkx	Cubs	6.37	1.15	0.51	0.91	0.255	77.10%	2.04	2.9
Brayan Villarreal	Tigers	10.28	2.96	0.44	1.15	0.316	73.60%	2.87	2.91
Steven Blevins	Twins	7.87	3.05	0.23	1.37	0.34	66.90%	3.52	2.97
Michael Montgomery	Royals	8.07	3.72	0.16	1.14	0.269	73.60%	2.17	2.98
Geison Aguasviva	Dodgers	6.61	2.87	0.14	1.16	0.285	80.20%	1.58	2.99
Wily Peralta	Brewers	10.24	3.99	0.43	1.32	0.33	71.60%	3.47	3
Christopher Archer	Cubs	9.83	5.45	0	1.32	0.293	72.90%	2.81	3.03
Ramon Delgado	Cardinals	7.46	1.87	0.55	1.06	0.285	74.40%	2.41	3.03
Luke Putkonen	Tigers	6.93	2.83	0.18	1.31	0.321	70.60%	3.13	3.05

Trevor Hoffman Close to Re-Signing with Brewers

According to a report in the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel, Trevor Hoffman is very close to re-signing with the Milwaukee Brewers. Both sides have been quoted as interested in another deal so this should come as no surprise to Brewer fans. In fact, ESPN's Buster Olney is saying that the deal is done. A one year deal for $8 million that keeps the closer in a Brewer uniform.

Hoffman had another very solid season despite common belief that his skills were fading at the end of the 2008 season. Hoffman converted 37 of 41 save chances and finished with a 3-2 record, 1.83/2.63 ERA/FIP, 8.00 K9, 2.33 BB9, 0.33HR9, and a 0.85 GB/FB ratio. He should be a solid mid-range closer for fantasy owners in 2010.


Under Not Fantasy Sports But Still Awesome:

Joe Posnanski is my favorite baseball writer. He is the favorite of a lot of serious baseball fans. He has a new book out called "The Machine" which you can buy through the link below. You'll not only be buying a great book but supporting this site (and a great baseball writer) if you use this link. Thanks.

Rob Neyer: (interviewing Joe P.)

Some people root for baseball teams. I root for baseball books, for two reasons. One, a fair number of my friends have written baseball books, so rooting for a book is like rooting for a friend. And two, I've written a few books myself, and know what it's like to pour one's life into something for many months and wind up eliciting hardly a yawn from the Big Wide World. Anyway, I'm rooting for Joe Posnanski's new book, The Machine, about the 1975 Cincinnati Reds, which was officially published today. Joe and I haven't yet met, but I do know he's an easy guy to root for, all the more because I've read his book. Well, I thought I knew Pete Rose and Johnny Bench already -- and I did -- but now I know them better.

There are memorable teams in baseball—and then there are utterly unforgettable teams like the 1975 Cincinnati Reds. From 1972 to 1976, the franchise known as the Big Red Machine dominated the National League, winning four division crowns, three league pennants, and two World Series titles. But their 1975 season has become the stuff of sports legend. In The Machine, award-winning sports columnist Joe Posnanski captures all of the passion and tension, drama and glory of this extraordinary team considered to be one of the greatest ever to take the field. Helmed by Hall of Fame manager Sparky Anderson, the lineup for the '75 Reds is a Who's Who of baseball stars: Pete Rose, Ken Griffey, Joe Morgan, Johnny Bench, Tony Perez, George Foster, Cesar Geronimo, and Dave Concepcion. Like a well-oiled engine, the '75 Reds ended the regular season with 108 wins and finished a whopping 20 games ahead of their closest division competitor, the Los Angeles Dodgers. But that remarkable year was not without controversy. Feuds, fights, insults, and run-ins with fans were as much a part of the season as hits, runs, steals, and strikeouts. Capturing this rollicking thrill-ride of a story, Posnanski brings to vivid life the excitement, hope, and high expectations that surrounded the players from the beginning of spring training through the long summer and into a nail-biting World Series, where, in the ninth inning of the seventh game, the Big Red Machine fulfilled its destiny, defeating the Boston Red Sox 4-3. As enthralling and entertaining as the season and players it captures, The Machine is the story of a team unlike any other in the sport's glorious history.

Evaluating Major League Baseball Managers

There is a huge story brewing in Toronto. Stories are breaking that the team has started to rebel against Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston. But there is also serious doubt as to where this story is coming from. First, as Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star points out, it is unusual that a team that has been lost by its manager does so while on its best streak of the season. They've won their last six games and nine of their last ten. Ken Rosenthal who blew this story up has been (to put it gently) annoying a lot of people with unsubstantiated rumors and exaggerations (exactly what he generally accuses all bloggers of doing) this season. Griffin points out that Rosenthal generally gets his stories (at least in Toronto) from the front office and not the players in the clubhouse. Thoughts are that J.P. Ricciardi (fired today) planted the story on his way out the door.

Managers always seem to get either too much credit or none at all. Many stat guys will tell you that a good major league manager has an impact on very few games. I haven't decided whether I believe that or not. I think a good manager might have a huge impact everyday that is simply not quantifiable. But just because we can't (or it is hard to) count it does not mean it doesn't exist. As fantasy owners we are a little more likely to see the things managers do that affect our games. We notice that Matt Kemp is batting seventh in the lineup despite being the best hitter on the team. We can read between the lines and realize that Cito Gaston has a problem with B.J. Ryan in Spring Training. We know that Dusty Baker will give his favorite veterans many opportunities but that rookies and younger players had better perform one way or another if they want to stay in the lineup.

Fantasy owners can get a huge jump on their competition by getting to know managers and how they do things. This is not simply reading what they say to the press. Most of us know that we can't take their words for much. But if we listen to their words and watch what they do we can build a very good picture of what they really think. This is hugely important to owners that want to play Advanced Fantasy Baseball. Your player evaluations are not complete if you haven't taken the time to consider what the team's manager and front office personnel think about him. I have made this mistake at times this season. Drew Sutton and Kevin Frandsen might have better skills than the players in front of them but unless they win the approval of their respective managers they would be lucky to make their teams out of Spring Training.

There have been various attempts by very smart people at Baseball Prospectus, Hardball Times and a few other sites to quantify a manager's impact on the game. But it's remains difficult to measure but there has been progress. Recently, Jeremy Greenhouse wrote an article for the Baseball Analysts that examines the impact managers have on major league bullpens. The results are very interesting. It includes some very good graphics that make the difference between some teams very clear.

Here's a small sample:

...La Russa does a fantastic job of platooning. Both lefties he’s utilized out of the pen have had the benefit of facing a majority of same-handed batters. Trever Miller has put up great numbers this year, and La Russa would be well-served to use him as the southpaw in a righty-lefty combination with Kyle McClellan who has been holding his own as La Russa's go-to guy after Franklin. There is a dilemma in the case of Miller, who is truly exceptional against lefties to the tune of 37 strikeouts to six walks this year. So in a relatively close game, should La Russa bring him in once the starter is out and a lefty is up to ensure quality innings from Miller, or should La Russa at times wait and hope that Miller might have the chance to face a couple lefties in the 8th or 9th when the leverage is highest, but risk not pitching Miller at all?

The Baseball Analysts is a great site that every fantasy owner interested in increasing their understanding of the game of baseball should be reading. They regularly evaluate pitchers and hitters in great detail, they study prospects and release lists that are very underrated by those that get intense about minor leaguers. If they do what they usually do you can expect very nice reports on the non-tenders, Rule V, and Arizona Fall League players.

Press Release: Toronto Blue Jays management change

ROGERS today announced that J.P. RICCIARDI will be leaving his position as Senior Vice President, Baseball Operations & General Manager of the Toronto Blue Jays effective immediately. Mr. Ricciardi joined the Blue Jays in 2001.

"This was a tough decision and a difficult one for me personally as I have enjoyed J.P.'s friendship and his perspective on the game," said Paul Beeston, acting President, and CEO. "J.P. has put an incredible amount of effort into improving the team and he has brought along a number of great young players. However, I feel that it is time for a change and accordingly we have decided to move on."

Alexander Anthopoulos, Vice President, Baseball Operations & Assistant General Manager will fill the role commencing today.

Top Carolina League Players of 2009

The Carolina League is next up in our series of minor league rankings. This will get very interesting next week when we begin to review the 2009 MLB season.

The Top 25 Carolina League Batters (minimum 50 at-bats)

Name	Team	BB%	K%	AVG	OBP	SLG	ISO	Spd	BABIP	wOBA
Matt McBride	Indians	8.00%	11.90%	0.405	0.453	0.667	0.262	1.5	0.429	0.495
Ryan Kalish	Red Sox	18.40%	17.40%	0.304	0.434	0.513	0.209	6	0.333	0.428
Jordan Danks	White Sox	13.20%	27.10%	0.322	0.409	0.525	0.203	6.9	0.422	0.425
Daniel Nava	Red Sox	14.20%	19.30%	0.339	0.434	0.495	0.156	3.6	0.414	0.415
Robert Widlansky	Orioles	8.20%	14.70%	0.34	0.395	0.506	0.166	3.8	0.384	0.406
Chase D'Arnaud	Pirates	12.50%	19.50%	0.295	0.402	0.481	0.186	8	0.352	0.406
Yamaico Navarro	Red Sox	6.00%	12.80%	0.319	0.373	0.543	0.223	2.3	0.333	0.405
Jason Heyward	Braves	10.00%	15.90%	0.296	0.369	0.519	0.222	3.8	0.309	0.401
Ernesto Mejia	Braves	6.50%	27.60%	0.293	0.358	0.569	0.276	2.2	0.359	0.397
Brandon Waring	Orioles	9.70%	25.60%	0.273	0.354	0.52	0.247	3.8	0.316	0.387
Kris Watts	Pirates	13.90%	15.00%	0.291	0.405	0.432	0.141	4.1	0.326	0.385
Danny Espinosa	Nationals	13.50%	27.20%	0.264	0.375	0.46	0.196	6.6	0.327	0.382
Freddie Freeman	Braves	9.30%	16.10%	0.302	0.394	0.447	0.145	2.7	0.341	0.381
David Lough	Royals	5.10%	15.30%	0.32	0.37	0.473	0.153	4.8	0.361	0.379
Matthew Tucker	Orioles	9.70%	23.00%	0.317	0.386	0.489	0.173	4.6	0.388	0.379
Miles Durham	Pirates	6.40%	22.30%	0.296	0.348	0.49	0.194	6.7	0.357	0.379
Kyle Shelton	White Sox	7.70%	23.10%	0.324	0.387	0.426	0.102	2.8	0.415	0.377
Cody Johnson	Braves	13.20%	40.50%	0.242	0.345	0.517	0.275	3.5	0.32	0.377
Logan Johnson	White Sox	9.40%	19.80%	0.269	0.362	0.467	0.198	2.3	0.295	0.376
Lonnie Chisenhall	Indians	8.70%	20.60%	0.276	0.346	0.492	0.216	3.5	0.307	0.376
Ole Sheldon	Indians	11.00%	16.30%	0.267	0.36	0.473	0.205	2.1	0.276	0.376
Sean Rooney	Nationals	10.00%	15.20%	0.3	0.366	0.465	0.166	2.4	0.331	0.376
Christian Marrero	White Sox	4.60%	19.50%	0.314	0.357	0.482	0.168	3.6	0.366	0.374
Gerardo Rodriguez	Braves	6.30%	32.10%	0.281	0.331	0.5	0.219	5.2	0.364	0.373
Christopher Marrero	Nationals	9.20%	23.40%	0.287	0.36	0.464	0.176	3	0.342	0.371
Devin Ivany	Nationals	12.80%	17.50%	0.269	0.36	0.474	0.205	2.6	0.291	0.368
Seth Loman	White Sox	5.60%	29.70%	0.262	0.335	0.483	0.22	2	0.323	0.367
Clint Robinson	Royals	7.40%	18.10%	0.298	0.356	0.463	0.165	3.4	0.34	0.366
Michael Martinez	Nationals	7.50%	15.70%	0.293	0.347	0.475	0.182	7.8	0.331	0.366
Pedro Alvarez	Pirates	13.20%	28.80%	0.247	0.342	0.486	0.239	3	0.289	0.364
Jeff Bianchi	Royals	8.30%	21.40%	0.3	0.36	0.427	0.127	6.2	0.367	0.364
Tim Fedroff	Indians	14.50%	25.10%	0.278	0.383	0.381	0.103	5.6	0.362	0.362
Jared Keel	Pirates	18.40%	23.90%	0.229	0.378	0.409	0.179	2	0.266	0.362
John Drennen	Indians	16.00%	15.90%	0.27	0.395	0.397	0.127	4.8	0.321	0.361
Nick Van Stratten	Royals	8.60%	13.70%	0.288	0.371	0.403	0.115	3.5	0.316	0.359

The Top 25 Carolina League Pitchers (minimum 50 IP)

Name	Team	K/9	BB/9	HR/9	WHIP	BABIP	LOB%	ERA	FIP
Brandon Sisk	Royals	11.51	2.66	0.3	0.79	0.229	77.90%	1.92	2
Michael Montgomery	Royals	7.96	2.08	0	0.96	0.274	71.70%	2.25	2.3
Derrick Loop	Red Sox	10.48	2.96	0.27	1.09	0.306	83.10%	1.61	2.33
Charles Shirek	White Sox	6.09	2.22	0	1.22	0.311	62.50%	3.88	2.63
Bradley Meyers	Nationals	6.62	2.14	0.1	1.04	0.275	83.50%	1.43	2.72
Jason Rice	Red Sox	12.09	5.27	0.26	1.13	0.258	78.60%	2.44	2.81
Danny Duffy	Royals	8.88	2.91	0.43	1.18	0.305	71.30%	2.98	2.84
Ryne Miller	Red Sox	9.6	2.93	0.49	1.23	0.326	79.00%	2.77	2.86
Kelvin Villa	Royals	7.8	2.56	0.35	1.46	0.368	70.10%	3.38	2.86
Brian Matusz	Orioles	10.13	2.84	0.68	1.16	0.311	78.90%	2.16	2.91
Chen Lee	Indians	10.48	3.02	0.54	1.14	0.31	73.20%	3.35	2.98
Chris Chavez	Royals	7.28	4.26	0	1.5	0.338	83.10%	1.95	3.06
Eric Berger	Indians	8.16	3.67	0.33	1.25	0.297	75.90%	2.45	3.14
Kyle Landis	Indians	9.76	2.59	0.76	1.19	0.319	74.20%	3.05	3.15
Eammon Portice	Red Sox	9.89	2.52	0.84	1.28	0.344	66.80%	4.35	3.15
Edgar Osuna	Braves	6.94	1.73	0.5	1.32	0.344	63.90%	4.33	3.16
Harrison Bishop	Pirates	8.14	2.68	0.56	1.21	0.309	53.20%	5.02	3.2
Matt McSwain	Pirates	3.99	1.43	0.19	1.28	0.317	70.30%	3.43	3.21
Brandon Beachy	Braves	7.29	2.33	0.31	1.26	0.325	63.90%	3.26	3.22
Zachary Britton	Orioles	8.42	3.54	0.39	1.27	0.307	68.90%	2.7	3.26
Jose Ortegano	Braves	7.62	2.45	0.52	1.08	0.274	67.20%	3.49	3.29
Thomas Palica	Braves	10.28	3.66	0.7	1.3	0.326	71.40%	3.31	3.32
Dan Leatherman	Nationals	8.66	2.97	0.65	1.25	0.313	75.90%	3.23	3.33
Jeff Locke	- - -	7	3.11	0.35	1.48	0.35	63.80%	4.59	3.33
Robert Coello	Red Sox	11.18	4.64	0.55	1.09	0.246	77.70%	2.05	3.37
Tom Milone	Nationals	6.3	2.14	0.54	1.19	0.296	74.30%	2.91	3.39
Dave McKae	Red Sox	6.75	1.9	0.63	1.32	0.335	63.00%	4.32	3.42
Mario Santiago	Royals	6.42	2.25	0.53	1.42	0.345	64.10%	4.3	3.44
Josh Papelbon	Red Sox	6.03	2.26	0.3	1.19	0.296	76.10%	2.87	3.45
Russell Young	Indians	5.44	1.53	0.49	1.15	0.294	72.40%	3.28	3.46
William Atwood	Nationals	7.77	2.63	0.66	1.33	0.33	64.80%	4.61	3.48
Hector Santiago	White Sox	10.24	3.88	0.78	1.36	0.334	64.00%	3.88	3.49
Paolo Espino	Indians	7.68	2.59	0.68	1.04	0.256	76.00%	2.59	3.55
Kyle Weiland	Red Sox	7.6	3.87	0.27	1.33	0.305	68.10%	3.46	3.55
Richard Sullivan	Braves	6.41	3.12	0.4	1.37	0.317	62.20%	4.25	3.64

Top California League Players of 2009

That Koby Clemens had a good season. Maybe he just needed to get his Dad out of the league. If you haven't guessed we're down to A-ball and we're ranking the players by wOBA and FIP.

The Top 25 California League Batters (minimum 50 at-bats)

Name	Team	BB%	K%	AVG	OBP	SLG	ISO	Spd	BABIP	wOBA
Koby Clemens	Astros	10.80%	25.80%	0.345	0.419	0.636	0.291	5.1	0.425	0.451
Grant Desme	Athletics	12.70%	29.50%	0.304	0.398	0.656	0.352	7.5	0.35	0.45
Brandon Crawford	Giants	8.70%	30.50%	0.371	0.445	0.6	0.229	5.5	0.493	0.445
Thomas Neal	Giants	12.00%	20.60%	0.337	0.431	0.579	0.242	4.8	0.389	0.444
Mitchell Moreland	Rangers	11.00%	15.30%	0.341	0.421	0.594	0.253	2.7	0.368	0.441
Logan Forsythe	Padres	20.50%	20.30%	0.322	0.472	0.504	0.182	5.2	0.378	0.441
Buster Posey	Giants	13.40%	15.50%	0.326	0.428	0.54	0.213	4.2	0.352	0.433
Alex Liddi	Mariners	9.70%	24.70%	0.345	0.411	0.594	0.249	5.4	0.422	0.431
Eduardo Perez	Dodgers	8.50%	31.30%	0.353	0.414	0.567	0.213	5.2	0.5	0.426
Scott Beerer	Rockies	9.90%	14.10%	0.346	0.413	0.55	0.204	6.3	0.376	0.422
Tommy Giles	Dodgers	8.60%	21.90%	0.344	0.389	0.594	0.25	1.8	0.391	0.417
Andres Perez	Dodgers	6.40%	22.30%	0.34	0.393	0.573	0.233	4	0.4	0.412
Tyson Gillies	Mariners	10.80%	16.30%	0.341	0.43	0.486	0.145	8	0.395	0.411
Jonathan Gaston	Astros	12.10%	31.70%	0.278	0.367	0.598	0.32	7.5	0.342	0.41
Steve Kleen	Athletics	11.10%	14.80%	0.342	0.43	0.486	0.144	2	0.382	0.409
Tim Smith	Rangers	7.70%	16.70%	0.333	0.413	0.475	0.142	4.2	0.375	0.407
Thomas Steele	Astros	4.40%	20.60%	0.345	0.385	0.562	0.216	7.5	0.416	0.406
James Darnell	Padres	11.30%	16.20%	0.294	0.377	0.553	0.26	4.4	0.304	0.406
Sawyer Carroll	Padres	13.00%	22.40%	0.32	0.402	0.531	0.211	6.3	0.402	0.404
Jose Yepez	Mariners	9.40%	11.70%	0.338	0.407	0.51	0.172	2.2	0.358	0.403
Matt Weston	Astros	10.40%	32.70%	0.3	0.374	0.572	0.272	4.1	0.399	0.403
Jason Castro	Astros	12.70%	19.80%	0.309	0.399	0.517	0.208	2.7	0.358	0.401
Elio Sarmiento	Rangers	9.40%	19.10%	0.344	0.415	0.475	0.131	5.5	0.418	0.4
Joseph Dunigan	Mariners	8.60%	28.30%	0.294	0.355	0.57	0.276	6.4	0.35	0.397
Scott Van Slyke	Dodgers	11.00%	25.80%	0.294	0.373	0.534	0.24	4.6	0.357	0.394
Matthew Sweeney	Angels	11.00%	17.50%	0.299	0.379	0.517	0.218	4.1	0.327	0.394
Lance Zawadzki	Padres	11.00%	20.00%	0.276	0.36	0.552	0.276	4.4	0.283	0.393
Matt Clark	Padres	10.10%	24.80%	0.292	0.367	0.524	0.232	4.9	0.343	0.39
Matthew Spencer	Athletics	9.30%	12.80%	0.274	0.338	0.573	0.299	3.3	0.239	0.389
James McOwen	Mariners	8.20%	15.70%	0.34	0.393	0.494	0.154	6.1	0.387	0.386
Jemile Weeks	Athletics	11.50%	19.90%	0.299	0.385	0.468	0.169	4.8	0.344	0.386
Brent Johnson	Mariners	12.20%	13.80%	0.292	0.413	0.415	0.123	6.1	0.327	0.385
Trayvon Robinson	Dodgers	9.60%	26.60%	0.306	0.375	0.5	0.194	7.9	0.391	0.384
Darren Ford	Giants	11.40%	25.50%	0.3	0.386	0.463	0.163	8.5	0.383	0.384
Roger Kieschnick	Giants	6.50%	25.10%	0.296	0.345	0.532	0.236	6.6	0.357	0.381

The Top 25 California League Pitchers (minimum 50 IP)

Name	Team	K/9	BB/9	HR/9	AVG	WHIP	BABIP	LOB%	ERA	FIP
Craig Baker	Rockies	10.77	3.02	0.14	0.217	1.12	0.321	70.70%	2.3	2.26
Ben Hornbeck	Athletics	13.03	3.76	0.35	0.228	1.25	0.367	67.50%	3.52	2.3
Bryan Oland	Padres	10.55	2.02	0.47	0.245	1.14	0.344	75.20%	3.1	2.3
Nick Vincent	Padres	10.35	2.52	0.42	0.267	1.31	0.37	71.80%	3.08	2.39
Christian Friedrich	Rockies	11.26	3.39	0.36	0.22	1.17	0.324	76.30%	2.54	2.55
Cory Luebke	Padres	8.15	1.73	0.31	0.227	1.02	0.293	78.20%	2.34	2.58
Colt Hynes	Padres	6.71	2.59	0	0.265	1.31	0.329	68.80%	2.9	2.73
Ryan Falcon	Rangers	9.5	1.76	0.68	0.23	1.04	0.303	79.70%	2.44	2.75
Ethan Hollingsworth	Rockies	8.45	2.41	0.45	0.314	1.56	0.397	61.30%	4.83	2.83
Daniel Turpen	Giants	7.58	3.03	0.14	0.233	1.19	0.299	83.10%	1.24	2.91
Chris Withrow	Dodgers	10.95	4.69	0.31	0.247	1.45	0.357	63.60%	4.69	2.96
Connor Graham	Rockies	9.75	4.59	0.22	0.231	1.36	0.321	70.20%	3.14	2.96
Steven Richard	Mariners	9.76	4.12	0.31	0.302	1.68	0.406	62.50%	5.03	3
Fernando Abad	Astros	8.6	0.87	0.87	0.251	1.04	0.312	61.40%	4.14	3.02
Tanner Roark	Rangers	9.45	2.8	0.52	0.218	1.1	0.291	79.00%	2.7	3.03
Garrett Broshuis	Giants	5.06	1.23	0.31	0.214	0.9	0.245	76.60%	2.15	3.03
Bryan Henry	Diamondbacks	7.67	1.79	0.6	0.271	1.25	0.333	71.10%	3.15	3.04
Sean Jarrett	Rockies	7.64	2.05	0.41	0.306	1.47	0.378	59.70%	4.64	3.05
Wilmin Rodriguez	Giants	7.54	3.77	0.15	0.207	1.16	0.267	73.30%	2.72	3.1
Adalberto Flores	Rangers	11.8	3.4	0.97	0.245	1.29	0.349	70.80%	3.4	3.11
Jeff Dietz	Diamondbacks	9.68	2.32	0.68	0.234	1.12	0.311	66.20%	3.14	3.12
Joshua Collmenter	Diamondbacks	9.41	3.41	0.5	0.237	1.25	0.316	63.80%	4.15	3.12
Richard Bleier	Rangers	6.77	1.25	0.56	0.289	1.29	0.344	58.70%	4.51	3.14
Corey Kluber	Padres	10.24	2.97	0.74	0.264	1.34	0.355	62.40%	4.54	3.15
Paul Oseguera	Giants	8.31	1.8	0.77	0.235	1.07	0.292	68.00%	3.77	3.21
Shane Wolf	Astros	7.49	2.23	0.67	0.293	1.42	0.355	61.10%	5.34	3.27
Scott Barnes	Giants	9.09	2.66	0.64	0.229	1.13	0.297	76.20%	2.85	3.27
Alexander Torres	Angels	9.2	4.67	0.3	0.214	1.29	0.29	76.10%	2.74	3.29
Wynn Pelzer	Padres	8.78	3.52	0.36	0.24	1.28	0.315	66.60%	3.94	3.3
Joey Williamson	Rockies	8.75	2.61	0.76	0.232	1.14	0.293	73.20%	3.36	3.33
Jake Wild	Mariners	7.91	2.52	0.68	0.282	1.39	0.347	64.50%	4.09	3.34
T.J. Brewer	Giants	10.3	3.01	0.88	0.296	1.52	0.394	75.60%	4.02	3.35
Tom Layne	Diamondbacks	5.86	3.41	0.14	0.253	1.33	0.302	71.40%	2.86	3.37
Derrick Gordon	Athletics	9.46	3.47	0.63	0.225	1.2	0.297	60.60%	3.78	3.38
Bruce Billings	Rockies	11.05	3.44	0.91	0.245	1.3	0.339	62.00%	4.17	3.38

News, Links and Observations

The Cleveland Indians have fired manager Eric Wedge and the entire coaching staff. Why they bothered to do this with less than a week remaining in the season will probably remain a mystery.

The Indians are in the early stages of what general manager Mark Shapiro referred to as a "reloading" period, and the reload will extend to the managerial position and the coaching staff.

A 1:30 p.m. ET press conference was scheduled Wednesday at Progressive Field to announce that Wedge and his coaches have all been relieved of their duties. Wedge and his staff will stay aboard for the season's final six games, including the four-game set in Boston this weekend.

According to a team source, Wedge has known his fate for several days, while the coaches -- including pitching coach Carl Willis, hitting coach Derek Shelton, bench coach Jeff Datz, first-base coach Luis Rivera, third-base coach Joel Skinner and bullpen coach Chuck Hernandez -- were informed of the moves following Tuesday's rainout against the White Sox.

Taking over for Peter Abraham, the number one Yankees blogger at The LoHud Yankees Blog, will be Chad Jennings of the Times-Tribune in Scranton and the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees Blog. I loved Peter's work and as a huge Yankees fan (I'll be sharing news on my own new Yankees Blog very soon). I follow a few blogs for each MLB team, and I'll certainly be adding his new Red Sox blog to my list. The Boston Globe sports section just became relevant again.

Here's a small sample:

Chad covered the Triple-A Yankees with distinction and his blog was a must-read for Yankee fans who wanted to be up to date on the organization’s prospects. Chad has a knack for blogging and is a fine writer and reporter.

As somebody who once covered the Double-A Yankees, I believe there is a lot of value in having a reporter who started in the minors and worked his way up. Chad is a young guy with a lot of ambition and knowledge of baseball and he’s the perfect choice to take over this blog.

Over at Athletics Nation they are discussing the 2010 roster and which players should be o n it. Every aspiring or returning fantasy league champ can use articles like this to get a little closer to the thinking of the front office and the most loyal fans.

Here's a small sample:

As much as I love Rajai Davis, never has the phrase "sell high" been more apropos. Unless we really believe he can hit .360 for half a season ever again in his career, it might be worth entertaining some offers. If not, we have a very fast leadoff or number two hitter for next season. The A's will also have to make a decision on Adam Kennedy (and third base), and it's possible they aren't fully committed to Jack Cust and/or Scott Hairston as full-time players next season. Have the A's found the shortstop answer in Cliff Pennington (and we're assuming that 30 year old Free Agent Bobby Crosby will finally leave Oakland) or are they still searching for something they haven't had since Miguel Tejada (coincidentally, who is a FA of his own this year)?

Lou Piniella described what he expects his 2010 pitching staff to look like and he gets very specific about it in this Chicago Tribune article. The article focuses on the Cubs apparently allowing Rich Harden to depart via free agency. I found the the quote about Jeff Samardzija to be pretty interesting...

Here's a small sample:

"You look at our starting pitching here for next year," Piniella said. "You've got (Carlos) Zambrano, you've got (Ryan) Dempster, you've got (Randy) Wells, you've got (Ted) Lilly, you've got (Tom) Gorzelanny, and you've got (Jeff) Samardzija, who is going to go to winter ball. And if this kid keeps improving, he'll be right in the mix. So we've got six nice arms."

Mike Pelfrey's season has mercifully come to an end and Matt Cerrone of MetsBlog, examines his season and what went wrong. I still think Pelfrey has some good years coming. I'm just not certain what I'd bet to have him on my teams...

Here's a small sample:

…that said, he was pitching in front of a terrible, ever-changing, often-out-of-place defense… also, he seemed to get more ground balls than in previous seasons, and that is important for him to be effective… the problem was his walks, and putting himself in a position to fail, which is something no pitcher should do with that sort of defense behind him…

Tommy Rancel of D'Rays Bay is predicting that Matt Joyce will take over right field for the Rays in 2010. He also sees Gabe Gross as a potential non-tender. I actually thought the Rays were going to give Joyce that shot this season mostly based on Joyce's solid rookie season with the Detroit Tigers. Joyce was traded for Edwin Jackson, a move that at this point heavily favors the Tigers but that could be changing in 2010.

Sports: A Game of Inches has a nice piece on Jonny Gomes and his improvements this season. Those of you who have read my stuff for a while know I've been on that bandwagon. I called him potentially the next David Ortiz. This article breaks down his tools and skills very well and will give you a true sense of his value and upside.

Here's a small sample:

But let's not be too hard on Gomes here. A marginally better than league average walk rate is nothing to sneer at when paired with legitimate power (.230 career ISO) and defense skills that are only half as crappy as his predecessor. In fact, in less than half as many PA's as Adam Dunn this season, Jonny Gomes has been, when you combine and compare offensive and defensive production, exactly half as valuable as Adam Dunn this season. Extrapolated, that insinuates that two have the same production rate per game for their respective teams. Such is true for 2009, but is this a legitimate expectation for 2010 and going forward?

If you enjoy the MLB offseason as much as I do, you should like this piece by BUCCOfans.com. They examine the needs of the Pittsburgh Pirates and a few of their potential targets come the free-agency period. According to their calculations the Pirates have nearly $20 million to spend. I'm sure a good portion of that will go to raises and arbitration but they should be able to add a quality bat and do some bargain hunting for bullpen arms.

Here's a small sample:

The first thing anyone should say is "we've heard this before". Many will point to last year when Neal Huntington said "we're going after a right handed power bat, a starting pitcher, and a bullpen arm". He came away with Eric Hinske, Virgil Vasquez, and Chris Bootcheck, although it should be noted that Daniel Cabrera, Rocco Baldelli, and Derrick Turnbow all turned down more money to play elsewhere (although that's not really a bad thing for the Pirates).

The Red Sox desperately need to re-sign Jason Bay. Bay is their primary power source and a key element in the middle of their lineup. Unfortunately for Boston fans, the Red Sox underestimated what it would take to re-sign him and will now most likely have to compete with other teams for his services. The New York Yankees could be lurking, ready to steal another Red Sox target from under their noses. The Bottom Line (a quality Red Sox blog) examines this situation.

Here's a small sample:

My point is this... Teixeira got away and now he's a major part of why the Yankees are the World Series favorites. If they win it all this season, many will say that they "bought" another ring with the huge contracts they dished out this offseason, but the Red Sox can't afford to let another potential "anchor" sign with someone else.