Ten Game Review: Texas League Top 10 Prospects
By Mike Damman
Entering the 2012 season, the Texas League was viewed as one of the most talent rich leagues in minor league baseball. Of the top 100 prospects by Baseball America, 14 of them started the season in the league. Each team in the league began the season with a position player in their top 100 prospect list. Ten games into the season and we’ve already seen why some of the prospects were so highly touted.
1.) SS Jurickson Profar, Texas Rangers
Stats: 9 games .206/.308/.471/.779 0 2B 0 3B 3 HR 4 RBI 4 BB-7 K 1 SB-0 CS
Like last season, Jurickson Profar got off to a slow start and like last year, he’s shown signs of breaking through. After going 2 for his first 26, Profar is 5 for 8 with 2 homeruns over his last two games. Both homeruns were no doubters from the left handed side. In fact, all three of his homeruns have come from the left handed side, where he has looked far more impressive, despite a lower batting average from that side.
2.) RF Wil Myers, Kansas City Royals
Stats: 9 games .333/.366/.641/1.007 3 2B 0 3B 3 HR 7 RBI 2 BB-14 K 1 SB-0 CS
Repeating AA after an injury filled 2011 season, Wil Myers was producing solidly until a breakout game yesterday. Myers went 4 for 5 with a double, homerun, and 5 RBI against the Corpus Christi Hooks. He did have a stretch of 5 consecutive games with 2 strikeouts, so that is something to watch out for. Still the 21 year old outfielder is a very talented hitter and hasn’t shown anything short of that to begin the season.
3.) 3B Nolan Arenado, Colorado Rockies
Stats: 10 games .395/.477/.632/1.109 6 2B 0 3B 1 HR 8 RBI 3 BB-6 K 0 SB-0 CS
Few players had a bigger AFL and spring training than Nolan Arenado. Still, Arenado started the year in AA and has gotten off to a very nice start so far. He has reached base in all 10 games and hit his first AA homerun on Sunday. In his first AA game, Arenado went 4 for 5 with a double and 3 RBI. He is hitting .545 with a 1.674 OPS against LHP.
4.) 1B Jonathan Singleton, Houston Astros
Stats: 9 games .344/.432/.531/.964 4 2B 1 3B 0 HR 4 RBI 5 BB-9 K 0 SB-0 CS
Every time I looked at the Corpus Christi box score, it seemed that Jonathan Singleton was doing something to help his team win. It looks like Corpus Christi has their best team in a few years and Jonathan Singleton is a big part of that. After going 0 for his first 7 in AA, Singleton is batting .440 (11 for 25) since. He also has shown better power early on against left handed pitching than right handed, which is surprising given he is a left handed hitter.
5.) CF Oscar Taveras, St. Louis Cardinals
Stats: 9 games .275/.293/.575/.868 4 2B 1 3B 2 HR 10 RBI 1 BB-8 K 0 SB-0 CS
The showcase in Frisco over the weekend was a pair of 19 year old position players on the field for three games, Jurickson Profar for Frisco and Oscar Taveras for Springfield. Both players struggled in the first game, and Taveras broke out with a 3 hit game in the second game, including a triple down the right field line. On Saturday, Taveras and Profar both went deep in the first inning. Taveras has struggled a bit in the early going, but given his age and the jump he was making (like Profar), it was expected.
6.) SS Jean Segura, Los Angeles Angels
Stats: 10 games .243/.300/.324/.624 0 2B 0 3B 1 HR 4 RBI 2 BB-7 K 2 SB-1 CS
Another highly touted middle infielder in the Angel’s organization, Jean Segura hasn’t gotten off to the hottest start so far in AA, but had a 2 for 4 game on Sunday. It was his second multi hit game in the early part of the season. Segura spent the majority of 2011 hurt, but was given the jump to AA. He has very good speed.
7.) CF Michael Choice, Oakland Athletics
Stats: 10 games .286/.444/.343/.787 2 2B 0 3B 0 HR 5 RBI 10 BB-9 K 0 SB-0 CS
A UT-Arlington product, Michael Choice fits the Oakland Athletics to a “T” with his very good plate discipline. Through 10 games, Choice has averaged a walk a game. In his first 6 games, he walked 9 times. While the power hasn’t shown yet, Michael Choice does have a lot of it. Choice hit 30 homeruns last season along with 28 doubles and a triple.
8.) 3B Mike Olt, Texas Rangers
Stats: 10 games .231/.302/.462/.764 1 2B 1 3B 2 HR 5 RBI 4 BB-15 K 0 SB-0 CS
The third base part of maybe the most talented left side infield combo in minor league baseball, Mike Olt has shown the tremendous power that he has to offer early on in Frisco. The former UConn standout has hit 2 homeruns and 4 total extra bases in the first 10 games. Olt’s triple was his first in full season minor league baseball and second overall as a pro. Despite the power he has shown, Olt has struck out more than you’d like to see with five multi strikeout games.
9.) RHP Jake Odorizzi, Kansas City Royals
Stats: 2 starts 1-1 6.35 ERA 5 2/3 IP 4 H 3 BB 10 K .182 Opponents Average
The first pitcher to show up on this list, Jake Odorizzi had a dominant first start for the season, but did not get out of the first inning in his second start. He gave up 3 hits and struck out 8 over 5 shutout innings in his first start. A centerpiece in the Zack Greinke deal, Odorizzi has front of the rotation ability.
10.) RHP Jarred Cosart, Houston Astros
Stats: 1 start 0-0 0.00 ERA 4 1/3 IP 4 H 3 BB 5 K .235 Opponents Average
Jarred Cosart struggled with his command in his first start of the season, but still did not give up a run and struck out over a batter an inning. Cosart was acquired by the Astros in the Hunter Pence deal last season and joins Jonathan Singleton as a key part of a much improved Corpus Christi Hooks team. Cosart has very good stuff, although that didn’t translate into huge strikeout totals last season.
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