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| Monday, January 21 Padres minor-league report By John Sickels Special to ESPN.com |
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System overview While it has been three years since the Padres contended, that should be changing soon. Despite their limited revenue streams, the front office has invested in the farm system, drafting well while also expanding their foreign scouting operations. They are particularly interested in finding talent in Mexico, trying to establish their "brand name" south of the border. They have also been active in Asia. The system has a strong upper tier of prospects. Sean Burroughs is one of the best prospects in baseball, although there is less depth in position players behind him. Pitching is quite strong, with right-handers Dennis Tankersley and Jacob Peavy both ranking among the elite hurlers in the minor leagues. The system is thinner once you get past the upper rank of prospects, but a hearty 2001 draft class will help correct that problem. The Padres have also made good prospect-for-veteran trades, stealing Tankersley from the Red Sox in '00 and also picking up shortstop Ramon Vazquez this winter. Overall, the system is in pretty good shape, and getting better. 2001 Minor League W-L Percentage: .470, (ranked 23rd)
2001 amateur draft First-round pick Jake Gautreau, a third baseman out of Tulane, is hard-as-nails and hit .309 in his pro debut. The word is that he'll be converted to second base due to the presence of Burroughs in the system. Second-round pick Matt Harrington, a high school pitcher who spurned the Rockies as a first-rounder in 2000, has yet to sign. Third-rounder Taggert Bozied, a first baseman/third baseman from the University of San Francisco, signed too late to play, but has a powerful bat. Fourth-round pick Josh Barfield, a second baseman from high school in Texas (and Jesse Barfield's son), hit .310 in rookie ball and is on the fast track. Fifth-rounder Greg Sain, a catcher from the University of San Diego, led the Northwest League with 16 homers. Eleventh-rounder Marcus Nettles, a speed demon from the University of Miami, and 13th-round pick Jason Bartlett, a shortstop from the University of Oklahoma, are also well-regarded.
Top prospects Sean Burroughs, 3B: Should play third base for the Padres in 2002. Will hit for average, and his power is developing. Strong Rookie of the Year contender, and will win a batting title someday. Xavier Nady, 1B: Hit .302 with 26 homers, 100 RBI in the Class A California League. Bothered by an elbow injury, which will limit him to DH in 2002. Double-A will tell us if he'll be a star or "merely" a very good hitter. Jake Peavy, RHP: Fanned 188 in 133 innings last year, with just 45 walks. Fires 90-92 mph fastball, slider, and changeup to spots. Should see San Diego after the All-Star break. Dennis Tankersley, RHP: Works with nasty 94-mph fastball and wicked slider. Also throws strikes, and will be in the rotation mix at some point soon. One of the best pitching prospects in the game. Ramon Vazquez, SS; Acquired from the Mariners in the Ben Davis/Brett Tomko trade. Will play shortstop, with D'Angelo Jimenez moving to second base. Will take a walk, hit .275, and provide very good defense.
WILL HELP SOMEDAY Ben Howard, RHP: Clocked as high as 98 mph, and threw strikes last year for the first time, walking 47 in 132 innings. Will need a consolidation season, but worth watching closely. Ben Johnson, OF: Tools guy, hit .276 with 12 homers, 35 doubles, 54 walks, and 22 steals in the Cal League. Also fanned 141 times. I like his potential, but he needs more polish. Oliver Perez, LHP: Mexican lefty, throws in the low 90s and has a good slider. 20 years old, will need at least a year in the high minors. Mark Phillips, LHP: 2000 first-rounder, made rapid progress after starting the year out-of-shape in extended spring training. Throws 91-94 mph, and has a solid curveball.
KEY SLEEPER
Other names to know John Sickels is working on the 2002 STATS Minor League Scouting Notebook. He lives in Lawrence, Kansas, with his wife, son, and two cats. You can send John questions or comments at JASickels@aol.com, or you can visit his homepage at hometown.aol.com/jasickels/page1.html. |
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