Dozens of new players have arrived on major-league rosters since the calendar turned over to September last week. Many of them are marginal prospects or journeymen roster-filler, but there are occasional gems. Here's a look at the American League callups, focusing primarily on those players with some long-term potential. Note that some teams have yet to make their callups, due to the minor-league playoffs underway.
Anaheim
Jose Fernandez, Matt Wise, Bart Miadich
Fernandez is a third baseman, a minor-league vet who turns 27 in November. He had the best season of his career this year, hitting 30 homers with a .337 batting average in the Pacific Coast League. He's a journeyman, but a good example of the type of "free talent" that is lying around the minor leagues, just waiting to be used. Miadich saved 27 for Triple-A Salt Lake, with a fine 2.44 ERA. His track record is inconsistent, but he has enough stuff to be a decent middle reliever. Wise has already started six games for the Angels this year and has done pretty well. He isn't a hot prospect because his fastball isn't great, but he throws strikes and knows how to pitch.
Baltimore
Kris Foster, Sean Douglass, Willie Harris, Rick Bauer
Foster is a hard-thrower who came over from the Dodgers system in the trade involving Mike Trombley. I think Foster will make a fine middle man, assuming that the control troubles he's shown in brief action for the Orioles go away. His numbers were great this year in Triple-A, and he does throw quite hard. Douglass is a bit of an unknown, but did well in his Triple-A debut this year for Rochester, with a 3.63 ERA in 26 starts and a 148/60 K/BB ratio in 156 innings. I don't see him as an ace-type, but he could end up being an innings-eater in the back end of a rotation. Harris swiped 54 bases and hit .305 for Double-A Bowie this season. He is an outfielder with leadoff potential if he's patient enough. Bauer pitched well in his first start, but his track record is mixed, and like Douglass he doesn't look like a future star to me. That's not to say he won't prove valuable at some point, but it isn't a sure bet.
Boston
Sun-Woo Kim, Morgan Burkhart, Angel Santos, Izzy Alcantara
Kim has a great arm, but his career minor league ERA is now 5.24, including 5.36 this year at Triple-A Pawtucket. He's too hittable for a guy with good velocity, and I don't see any reason to expect a quick turnaround. Burkhart you know from last year: he's basically a switch-hitting version of Brian Daubach. You probably also know about Alcantara: he's a masher, but his glove is made of corroded iron from the wreck of HMS Hood, and his personality has been an issue. Santos is a power/speed infielder (26 steals, 14 homers this year) but his strike zone judgment is erratic, and he's as liable to hit .160 as he is to hit .280 for the Sox. He does have youth on his side, but I don't think he is ready to help much at this point.
Chicago
Joe Crede, Matt Ginter, Josh Fogg
Crede was a mild disappointment in Triple-A this year, but I'm not worried. He hit .276 instead of the .305 mark he posted in Double-A, but his power production and strike zone judgment remained steady. It looks like random variation to me, and I still think he's one of the better third-base prospects around. Of the two pitchers, Ginter is the better prospect since he throws harder, although Fogg has pitched better in the majors to this point, though in very limited action. Ginter has probably been rushed a bit ahead of schedule and may need some more Triple-A time, but he has the better ceiling.
Cleveland
Mike Bacsik, Ryan Drese, John McDonald
I caught some flack from Indians fans earlier this year when I said their farm system was dry at the upper levels. None of these three guys has any star potential in my view. Bacsik throws strikes, but is a soft-tossing lefty whose control is merely very good, rather than excellent. Don't think that doesn't make a difference; it does when you don't have much of a fastball. Drese has a better arm, but has been inconsistent and prone to injury throughout his career. He started in the minors, but may be better suited to relief, though he did well in an emergency start last weekend. McDonald has a good infield glove and can steal a base, but is basically a utility guy.
Detroit
Adam Bernero, Matt Miller, Chris Wakeland, Nate Cornejo
Bernero came out of nowhere last year, but was disappointing this year at Triple-A Toledo, with a 5.13 ERA and weak peripheral numbers. I don't think he was a total flash in the pan, but it may be another year or two before they get useful work out of him. Cornejo is a superior prospect, one of the best young pitchers in the upper minor leagues this year, even though he didn't get much attention. I should do a profile of him later this month. He's been rushed, but if he stays healthy he could develop into an ace. Miller should be a useful bullpen lefty once he gets his feet wet, but I don't see a huge upside for him. Wakeland has power from the left side, but strikes out a lot, doesn't walk enough, and will struggle to hit .250 in the majors.
Kansas City
Jeff Austin
The Royals should call up more guys once the minor-league playoffs are over, so for now I'll just reemphasize that Austin could be the closer of the future for K.C. if he retains the progress he's made this year.
Minnesota
Adam Johnson, Bobby Kielty, Matt LeCroy, Dustin Mohr
It will be very tough for the Twins to catch Cleveland now, thanks to the bullpen implosion and the lack of hitting. Looking towards the future, all four of these guys should be able to help in some capacity. Johnson is the best pitching prospect in the system, though he struggled initially after being promoted straight from Double-A. He may need another year, but I like his chances in the long haul. Kielty has played 21 games so far and has done little impressive, though his minor-league record suggests he will eventually provide a nice OBP and some power. LeCroy's power bat would be nice to have in the lineup somewhere, but manager Tom Kelly doesn't like his glovework and that may keep him from finding a place to play for the punchless Twins. Mohr emerged from nowhere this year to blast the ball at Double-A New Britain, but promoting him to play in the outfield was a desperate move. He could help as a bench guy next year, but I don't see a regular job in his future.
New York
Adrian Hernandez, Brandon Knight, Erick Almonte, Juan Rivera, Nick Johnson
Hernandez's numbers at Triple-A Columbus were disappointing, with a 5.51 ERA and mediocre peripherals. It is too early to call him a bust by any means, but I don't think we're looking at another El Duque here. Knight was 12-7 with a 3.66 ERA and 173/45 K/BB ratio at Columbus, but he's a not a blazer and doesn't get scouts overly excited. I think he could help as a fifth starter/long reliever. Almonte is an infielder who has power, and made major strides with the strike zone this year. He won't start for New York, but is better than many infielders with jobs and could handle a bench role without much trouble. Rivera hit .324 with 24 homers at two levels this season, but his walk rate is low enough to concern me. I think he'll hit, although not at a star level, at least not at first. I still think Nick Johnson is one of the best hitting prospects in the game today; he just needs to shake off the final rust from missing the 2000 season.
Tampa Bay
Jason Standridge, Dewon Brazelton
First-round pick Brazelton is on the roster and eligible to pitch, but is unlikely to do so. Standridge is a former top draft pick himself. He throws quite hard and has a football mentality, but struggled with his command this year. He is very unpredictable; he could crash and burn, or he could surprise. Signs point to the former rather than the latter, but you never know with pitchers. Invest accordingly, based on your tolerance for risk.
Texas
Carlos Pena, Justin Duchscherer, Craig Monroe, Chris Magruder
Pena heated up after a slow start at Triple-A Oklahoma, finishing the season with a higher OPS than what he posted in Double-A. He'll be a star within two years of getting the playing time. Duchscherer has been a major surprise since coming over from the Red Sox system. He has great command, and throws hard enough to survive. I think he'll be a solid pitcher, though not an ace. Monroe and Magruder are potential reserve outfielders; both can swipe a base and have some pop in their bats.
Toronto
Josh Phelps, Pascual Coco, Matt DeWitt, Vernon Wells, Brian Bowles
Big group here. Wells is on fire, although his second-straight disappointing Triple-A season does give cause for concern. He's still only 22, and the power/speed combination is too good to ignore, but I have to admit to some qualms about giving him a strong recommendation. He could be one of those guys whose career consists of flashes of terrific brilliance, punctuated by streaks of mediocrity. Phelps is a power-hitting catcher who doubled his walk rate this year. He slammed 30 homers in Double-A, and I think he'll keep hitting at higher levels. He also deserves a full profile and will get one later this month. Coco has a great name, throws hard, but needs to sharpen his command. Bowles is being groomed for a middle relief role; he won't set the world on fire, but can do the job when he's throwing strikes. The same can be said for DeWitt.
John Sickels is the author of the 2001 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.
