About That Wizard Gig…“0 Comments”

Mark Haverty | 3:01 pm | April 18, 2009 | Comics

Hitting the stands this Wednesday, August 22, you can find my first work with Wizard in issue 212. As the new price guide guru, you can find my handiwork in the three pages of Market Watch, plus all of the sidebars in the price guide, as well as the price adjustments there.

Sitting on a case of X-Force #1 from the ’90s? I am so going to make them worth gold…

Future Tense for April 18, 2009“0 Comments”

Mark Haverty | 2:58 pm | | Baseball, Prospects

This week’s Future Tense is up - check it out here! On tap for this week: Buster Posey, Angel Villalona, and plenty more!

Check it out and let me know what you think!

Back Again…“0 Comments”

Mark Haverty | 2:55 pm | | Welcome

Hey all! Sorry for the delay there since my last post here - between UVM and my new gig as the price guide editor, it’s been a little rough to get to do my own stuff here. But, back again…

Loving Homer“0 Comments”

Mark Haverty | 7:54 pm | March 17, 2009 | Baseball, Prospects

Looking back at last week’s Treasure Hunting (with another one going up tomorrow!), I probably completely killed my chances for trading for Homer Bailey. That said, I still love the upside this kid has, and far too many people have written him off despite his still being very, very young.

Bailey is still going to be great. For more on him, check out Treasure Hunting.

Future Tense - The Top 50 for 2009“0 Comments”

Mark Haverty | 7:48 pm | | Baseball, Prospects

Jumping back in the saddle with the prospecting, the 2009 debut of Future Tense brings my top 50 prospect lists to Crucial Taunt for the first time.

This is definitely not like my old Sporting News lists, wherein I was called upon by my corporate masters to focus the lists on fantasy baseball upside and immediate gratitude, since fantasy baseball is all about winning now.

No, my list this year is strictly about the top prospects, and to heck with fantasy value.

Check out the list here.

It’s Been Awhile…“0 Comments”

Mark Haverty | 7:33 pm | | Baseball, Comics, Politics

I return to blogging.

Indeed, like Staind says, it’s been awhile, but I am back.

What do I plan on doing this time around? A little bit of everything. There will be links to my articles here, my podcasts, news on my work elsewhere, and some commentaries that will not appear anywhere else.

On what topics? Well, obviously baseball will be here, as I am writing two weekly features here on that very subject, and that is what I am best known for. There will also be discussion of comic books here, as I am an editor and contributing writer for Wizard magazine. As a political junkie, there will probably be a little bit of that too.In other words, a little bit of everything…

Changing Gears…“0 Comments”

Mark Haverty | 12:37 pm | April 13, 2008 | Baseball

Wow, it has been a little while now since I posted a blog entry. Too long, in fact, but that ends now. With Don Visco doing an excellent job blogging on the American League, and my switching Future Tense from posts here on the blog to a Wednesday column – with the next edition looking at who has been off to a good start so far this spring in the minors – we are going to make this a National League-centric counterpoint to Don’s feature. The next feature on that will be coming… now.

Future Tense: the Cleveland Indians“0 Comments”

Mark Haverty | 9:33 am | March 19, 2008 | Baseball, Prospects

First off, my apologies for the time lag between this edition of Future Tense and the last one. The “fun” of a new site has started to catch up with me as I adjust to the extra burdens of editing, coding, and writing on two different sides of this site – both the sports and the politics in CrucialPolitics.com, which we hope that you are checking out. After all, as the saying goes, there are only two sports, baseball and politics.

With that out of the way, it is time to get back down to business, and that business is prospecting. Next up on our list is the Cleveland Indians, who, unlike their top two rivals in the division, actually value the development of in-house talent rather than simply viewing it as a bargaining chip.

The Top Ten Cleveland Indians Prospects:

1. Adam Miller, Starting Pitcher
2. Chuck Lofgren, Starting Pitcher
3. Beau Mills, First Base
4. Wes Hodges, Third Base
5. Jensen Lewis, Relief Pitcher
6. Nick Weglarz, Outfield
7. Josh Rodriguez, Shortstop
8. David Huff, Starting Pitcher
9. Trevor Crowe, Outfield
10. Brian Barton, Outfield

We have been waiting for Adam Miller for a while now it seems like, as he was the Indians’ first round selection in the 2003 draft. However, he was a selection out of high school and he just barely turned 23 this past November, so he is right on track age-wise. Numbers-wise, however, 2007 was definitely a disappointing one for him, as he was 5-4 with a 4.82 ERA in 19 appearances, 11 as a starter, and he once again missed time due to injury, which has been a recurring problem for him. As it is, he has missed time this Spring Training due to a strained finger and then blisters. That said, there are plenty of positives here too. His stuff is very solid, and his strikeout-to-walk ratio was a very healthy 68:21 in 65 1/3 innings last year, and for his career in the minors it is 455:137. If he could only stay healthy, he could be a solid front-of-the-rotation starter for the Indians. He will not start the season in the majors for them this year, but he should return at some point.

The good news with Chuck Lofgren is that he is just barely turned 22 this January and has already pitched a full season in Double-A. That is the good news. The bad news is that his numbers took a hit in 2007, as his walk rate increased, his home run rate doubled, and his strikeout rate lowered. He was not exactly giving up a boatload of home runs, and he was not suddenly walking any and every batter, but his numbers went form being great to average, and that surely is a disappointment. 2008 will be the test then – is he truly stud material, or rather pedestrian? He will have his chance to shine, or fall, in Triple-A this year.

A first round selection by the Indians in 2007, Beau Mills spent the 2007 season largely in the South Atlantic League with the Lake County Captains. In 44 games, Mills would hit .271 with 5 home runs, 12 doubles, 36 RBI, and 32 runs scored. Mills should develop into a serious power hitter, but we will not see him in the majors in all likelihood until late 2010 or 2011.

A second round selection in 2006, Wes Hodges made his professional debut last year in High-A Kinston. There, Hodges hit .288 with 15 home runs, 22 doubles, 71 RBI, and 60 runs scored in 393 at-bats. Like Mills, Hodges should develop into a solid power hitting corner infielder for the Indians. While he is not exactly right around the corner, look for Hodges to hit Double-A this year, with an outside shot at a September cup of coffee, with him likely a major league starter by 2010.

Jensen Lewis showed in his short time in the major leagues why people are excited about him. A third round selection in the 2005 draft, Lewis started the season relieving in Akron, then he would make a short stop in Buffalo, before ultimately finishing up the year with 26 appearances out of the pen for the big league club. The 23-year-old Lewis was 1-1 with a 2.15 ERA and an impeccable 34:10 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Lewis looks like the closer of the future for the Indians, and that could be the present depending on how Joe Borowski starts the 2008 season. While the Indians’ bullpen has quite a few solid arms, Lewis’ is the best.

After missing the 2006 season, Nick Weglarz returned in a big way in 2007, hitting .276 with 23 home runs, 82 RBI, and 75 runs scored in 439 at-bats for the Lake County Captains. Showing excellent plate discipline, Weglarz also posted an OBP close to .400. Look for Weglarz to move up to High-A in 2008, with a promotion to Double-A coming soon enough.

The good news with Josh Rodriguez is that he can seriously mash, as he hit 20 home runs with 82 RBI, 84 runs scored, and 20 doubles, and he can run too, as shown by his 21 steals. The only downside here is that Rodriguez might not stay at short for long.

David Huff excelled in High-A Kinston in 2007, going 4-2 with a 2.72 ERA and 46:15 K/BB ratio in 11 starts there, but the problem was the 11 starts, as he missed significant time due to shoulder issues. His time out in the Arizona Fall League was a mixed bag, with the good part being he was able to get out there and pitch, and do so with a 15:3 K/BB ratio over 16 1/3 innings. The downside here though is that also posted an ERA over 6.00.

If this list was last year’s list Trevor Crowe would have been much higher. However, his performance last year simply does not merit it, as he as he hit .259 over 518 at-bats, with 5 home runs, 50 RBI, 87 runs, and 28 stolen bases in 37 attempts. He did improve as the season went on however, as he hit .330, .308, and .294 for the months of July, August, and September respectively. Crowe will need to prove something this year to get back to being a hot commodity.

Brian Barton’s season was spent going back and forth between Double-A and Triple-A. His Double-A numbers were excellent, as he hit for a .314 batting average with 9 home runs, 59 RBI, 56 runs scored, 18 doubles, and 20 stolen bases in 389 at-bats. His Triple-A numbers are far more pedestrian, however, with a .264 batting average, one home run, seven RBI, nine runs, and one stolen base in 87 Triple-A at-bats. Look for Barton to return to Triple-A for 2008, with a shot at the majors in 2009.

Future Tense: the Chicago White Sox“0 Comments”

Mark Haverty | 6:34 pm | March 9, 2008 | Baseball, Prospects

This report would have been a lot easier before this past offseason. See, for some reason, the White Sox decided that the best thing to do for their team would be to trade off a sizeable chunk of the quality in the system for Carlos Quentin and Nick Swisher. No, it was not exactly the smartest of moves, but they did it.

Gone now are Chris Carter, Gio Gonzalez, Ryan Sweeney, and Fautino de los Santos. That would be their first baseman of the future, two front of the rotation starters, and an outfielder that should be close to as good as Quentin when he fully develops. That is a high price to pay for a nominal upgrade for this season.

Here is what remains from the gutted White Sox organization…

The Chicago White Sox Top Ten Prospects

1. Aaron Poreda, Starting Pitcher
2. Jack Egbert, Starting Pitcher
3. Lance Broadway, Starting Pitcher
4. John Shelby, Outfield
5. Jose Martinez, Outfield
6. John Ely, Starting Pitcher
7. Nevin Griffith, Starting Pitcher
8. Chris Getz, Second Base
9. Kyle McCulloch, Starting Pitcher
10. Charlie Haeger, Starting Pitcher/Relief Pitcher

Despite my badmouthing of the system for its lack of talent after all the trading, Poreda, Egbert, and Broadway are definitely prospects to watch. Poreda was the White Sox’ first round selection in 2007, and he spent the season in rookie ball, where he was 4-0 with a 1.17 ERA, with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 48:10 in 46 1/3 innings. The 21-year-old Poreda should open the season in High-A, with a debut around 2010.

Egbert spent 2007 in Double-A Birmingham, where he was 12-8 with a 3.06 ERA. Over 161 2/3 innings, Egbert struck out 165 and walked only 44. Look for the White Sox to move Egbert up to Triple-A this year, and he should make his major league debut at some point during the 2008 season.

Broadway made his major league debut last year and he was spectacular out of the pen, going 1-1 with a 0.87 ERA in four appearances, with 14 strikeouts and 5 walks in 10 1/3 innings. Before his promotion, Broadway was 8-9 with a 4.65 ERA in 26 starts, with 108 strikeouts and 78 walks in 155 innings. His Double-A numbers in 2006 were far superior to that, and he will more than likely return to starting at some point, but he might be of most use to the White Sox this year out of the pen, especially if he can continue to post numbers as he did in his short stint last year.

As for the rest, it is a collection of the unknown and the less than spectacular. Maybe some of them will put up numbers in 2008 to generate more excitement than they are right now, but this system gives no reason for one to be too excited.

Future Tense: the Toronto Blue Jays“0 Comments”

Mark Haverty | 9:20 pm | March 8, 2008 | Baseball, Prospects

This is not an easy list to do. It is a quite painful one, really. The fact is, the Blue Jays have not done a good job of drafting talent and developing talent under the direction of general manager J.P. Ricciardi, who was brought in to the system from the Athletics supposedly as a great judge of talent.

The top ten list we have here for them then is filled with names that one can only hopes become serviceable players, and there is only one name here, the first, that actually has the potential to be a true star talent. Considering the Jays’ recent draft history, there is not a likelihood of things improving in the next couple of seasons either barring a much-needed change in the front office.

The Toronto Blue Jays’ Top Ten:

1. Travis Snider, Outfield
2. Brett Cecil, Starting Pitcher
3. Kevin Ahrens, Third Base
4. Justin Jackson, Shortstop
5. Curtis Thigpen, Catcher
6. Ricky Romero, Starting Pitcher
7. J.P. Arencibia, Catcher
8. David Purcey, Starting Pitcher
9. Ryan Patterson, Outfield
10. Kyle Yates, Starting Pitcher

As I said in the beginning, Snider has serious star potential, with legit power potential after he knocked out 16 home runs and 35 doubles in 457 at-bats in the Midwest League. Snider also hit .313, drove in 93 RBI, and scored 72 runs, so there is a lot more to him than simply power. He is likely ticketed for High-A to open the 2008 season, but he should move quickly through the organizational ranks.

The 20-year-old Cecil put up some dominating numbers after being a first round selection in the 2007 draft, striking out 56 and walking just 11 in 49 2/3 innings, but he also did so in the New York/Penn League, so not a great challenge there by any means. Look for the Blue Jays to push him along this year with a start in High-A, with a potential move to Double-A before the season’s end.

Kevin Ahrens and Justin Jackson were high school pick like Snider was, but both are still very raw at this point, having just barely been drafted in 2007 and having spent the season in the Gulf Coast League. Look for both to move up to the Midwest League in Low-A for the 2008 season.

Curtis Thigpen should have been the catcher at the big league level for the Jays this year, but the presence of Gregg Zaun and Rod Barajas makes him likely ticketed back to the minors, and he should open the season with Triple-A Syracuse. It is possible that he could stick with the major league club as a third catcher, but it simply makes no sense to waste him on the bench like that. If given the opportunity, Thigpen can hit.

The other catcher on the list, J.P. Arencibia, was another first round selection in the 2007 draft, albeit this one from college, and he put together a relatively mediocre debut in the New York/Penn League. He will look to redeem his 2007 performance in the Midwest League this year.

Ricky Romero and David Purcey used to be two pitchers to at least be somewhat excited about, but both put together seriously disappointing numbers in Double-A New Hampshire, and both will likely return there, hopefully showing better numbers this time around. With Purcey turning 26 before the end of April, he is running out of time to show that he still has potential.

Kyle Yates’ season in Double-A was a mixed bag. On one hand, his strikeout-to-walk ratio was quite solid, and his walk rate dropped from his numbers there in 2006. On the other hand, his hit rate rose, his home run rate rose, his ERA rose, and his strikeout rate dropped. In addition, he was repeating in Double-A, and one’s numbers should improve, not decline, in a repeat performance.

Ryan Patterson showed he can hit for power with his 18 home runs and 27 doubles in 446 at-bats, but he also has a serious judgment problem at the plate with 102 strikeouts and only 23 walks, and his .302 OBP is got going to get him in the majors any time soon. Power potential, but he will never live up to it if he cannot improve his selectivity at the plate.

That wraps up the American League East – tomorrow, I will kick off the American League Central.

Photo courtesy mwlguide with Creative Commons licence.

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