July 18, 2011
Monday-Morning Ten-Pack for 7/18/11
by Kevin Goldstein
Bobby Borchering, 3B/1B, Diamondbacks (High-A Visalia)
If you are looking for a mixed bag when it comes to prospects, Borchering is
your guy. A first-round pick in 2009, Borchering finished his full-season
debut with a strong second-half and was expected to build on it in 2011. Some
scouts say he is, some say he isn't. A switch hitter with a swing that
appeals to anyone with a sense of beauty, Borchering went 5-for-11 with a
pair of home runs over the weekend to lift his seasonal numbers to
.268/.327/.481, and that line alone shows you the good and the bad in his
game. While he's having a breakthrough on a power level, he's also struck out
109 times in 362 at-bats and remains prone to swinging at bad pitches. Scouts
love his hit tool, but it's not going to matter until he cleans up his
approach.
Chih-Hsien Chiang, OF, Red Sox (Double-A Portland)
When writing last week's Futures Game Ten Pack, I realized that I had
written up every player in the game this year except for one. A 23-year-old
converted second baseman from Taiwan, Chiang has come all but out of nowhere
to put up a .331/.389/.651 line after a 7-for-11 weekend with a pair of
doubles and two home home runs. Despite those numbers, scouts are still
having a problem warming up to him. “He has some power, and some hitting
ability,” said one talent evaluator. “But there aren't any plus physical
tools, so he has limited athleticism and therefore versatility.” Despite the
numbers, he'll have to prove himself further, and a move to Triple-A while
maintaining these numbers would do wonders for his prospect status.
Chun-Hsiu Chen, C, Indians (Double-A Akron)
Chen had an offensive breakout in 2010, hitting .315/.404/.521 between Low-A
and High-A, but he missed the Indians prospect list due to downright horrible
defensive reviews, leaving him as a big and bulky bat without a position. The
bat is still there at Double-A; after reaching base nine times over the
weekend, he's up to .286/.332/.475 in 71 Eastern League games, and the good
news is that the defense is better as well. The bad news is that it’s an
upgrade from dreadful to well below average as he still does not move well
behind the plate or receive well, and his pop times are in the 2.05 range. He
just needs to become adequate to have some semblance of a big league career,
and at least his trends are in the right direction.
Michael Choice, OF, Athletics (High-A Stockton)
Heading into this season, the biggest question about the 2010 first-round
pick was the amount of times he swings and misses, and while Choice has
already registered 104 strikeouts in 358 at-bats, his rate of whiffs has
decreased throughout the year. He's absolutely killing the ball in July as a
7-for-14 week with two home runs has him hitting .441/.479/.897 in 16 July
games and .291/.381/.575 overall, with his 26 home runs tied for third in the
minor leagues. With a patient approach, average speed, and a plus arm, Choice
profiles as a classic star-level right-fielder and the kind of power source
the A's have been desperate for.
Rymer Liriano, OF, Padres (Low-A Fort Wayne)
Liriano is having a tremendous year, but he still has a stigma attached to
him after hitting .127 in 15 California League games at the start of the
year. Demotions never help one's prospect status, but keep in mind that
Liriano is just 20 years old, so he’s young even for the Midwest League, and
he's been among the most dangerous all-around players on the circuit since
returning to Fort Wayne. After a six-hit weekend that included a mammoth home
run on Sunday, Liriano is hitting .315/.383/.503 with 44 stolen bases, and
both his power and speed tools are a tick above-average—although with a
thick 210 pounds on a six-foot frame, it's hard to see him staying fast as he
moves up the ladder. He's the type of player who will need to perform at
Double-A for us to get a true read on him, but despite the slow start to the
year, his stock is actually up.
Tom Milone, LHP, Nationals (Triple-A Syracuse)
Milone walked a batter on Sunday while allowing one run over 7 1/3 innings,
and that's notable because he's given out only eight free passes all year.
That's eight over 110.1 innings with 113 strikeouts, creating the most
eye-popping ratio in baseball to go with a 3.02 ERA. That said, scouts are
still confused as to his future. There's no need to bring a radar gun to a
Milone start as his fastball routinely sits at 85-90 mph, but obviously he
puts the pitch exactly where he wants it. He mixes in a solid curveball, a
changeup that is clearly his best pitch, and keeps hitters off balance with a
delivery that features multiple points of hesitation. He's certainly a trick
pitcher, but it's yet to catch up to him in the minors, and the act is at
least worth an audition in the big leagues.
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=14553