I was wondering if you would rate a few players for me, from best to worst:
Casey Kotchman, Omar Infante, Kelly Johnson, Gabe Gross, Marlon Byrd, and Brandon Phillips. Thanks for your time and effort.
My pleasure:
Casey Kotchman: Accumulated all of 22 at bats as the Angels’ first round pick last year. Tendinitis in his right hand did him in. He is expected to become a first-rate prospect but is clearly too far away at this point to properly evaluate.
Omar Infante: He’s a 21-year-old shortstop prospect for the Tigers with good, not great, defensive skills who hit .302 last year in Double-A. That was a nice step forward for him, but he still needs to take another large step forward with the bat to project as a future major league starter.
Kelly Johnson: He walked 71 times in 415 AB in Single-A last year. This 20-year-old Braves prospect is playing shortstop now, but he might not make the bigs in the middle infield. He has some power, however, and some speed, and should be expected to fill out as he matures. Unlikely to see the big leagues until 2004.
Gabe Gross: He’s 23 this year, a first round Blue Jays pick out of Auburn (where he was a quarterback), he quickly moved up to Double-A last year. He has shown good strike zone judgement and decent power and could advance quickly if he does well this year.
Marlon Byrd: He’s older, turning 25 this year, but is coming off a strong Double-A campaign, and is expected by some to take the starting job from Doug Glanville in Philadelphia this year. He’s a bit of a free swinger but has good speed and excellent stolen base skills, as well as real power. I think you have to be conservative when anticipating a rookie knocking a vet out of the lineup, but if the opportunity arises (or is taken) Byrd could be potent fantasy player right off the bat.
Brandon Phillips: He’s just 21 and only walked eight times in 211 Double-A AB last year. He played third base in the AFL, though his background is as an outfielder. The Expos are a team without much depth, so he could advance quickly, and it appears he’ll add some pop as he comes along. Still, I wouldn’t expect to see much of him this year, nor expect much production even if he gets and opportunity. If he continues to develop, however, there might be room for him in 2003, if there are Expos (or Capitols, or whatever).