Welcome back to the Minor-ity Report. With April almost in the rearview mirror, we take a look at Triple A hitters who are off to a strong start. We ignore major league has-beens like Jose Offerman and Fernando Tatis who are smashing the ball, and instead, focus on young players who may get their first taste of the Bigs later this season. Note that all stats are as of Monday evening.
1. Brian Buscher, 3B
A former third-round draft pick, Buscher actually made it to the majors last season for a short stint with the Twins. He’s off to a monster start, leading to expectations that he’ll be back in the majors before long. In 58 at-bats, Buscher has 4 homers, 11 RBIs and a .345 batting average.
2. Matthew Brown, 3B
This 25-year old has toiled in the minors since 2001. Over the past few seasons Brown has begun to demonstrate the talent that encouraged the Angels to draft him in the 10th round. In 2007, Brown hit .276 with 19 homers, and 60 RBIs in 391 at-bats. In 2008, Brown has 75 at-bats and is hitting .413 with 6 homers and 19 RBIs.
3. Nelson Cruz, OF
At 27 years of age, Cruz can hardly be considered a prospect. But he’s been knocking on the door of the majors for the past few seasons and is off to a solid start. After hitting an eye-popping 15 homers with a 428 OBP% in only 162 at-bats in 2007, Cruz earned a call-up to the Rangers’ major league club. There, he hit 9 homers, but struggled with a .235 batting average. In 2008, Cruz as 4 homers, 14 RBIs, 5 steals, and a .348 batting average in 46 at-bats. More impressive, is that Cruz has walked 16 times and struck out in only 6 at-bats.
4. Homer Bailey, SP
OK. We’ll add a pitcher in the mix. Well known future top-of-the-rotation Reds’ starter Homer Bailey has dominated in his first 26 innings of 2008 in triple A. Having only surrendered 19 hits and 4 walks, Bailey has improved upon iffy control to dominate to the tune of 16 strikeouts. Yes, his whiff totals have been down relative to past figures – but maybe, just maybe, Bailey is learning how to “pitch.”
5. Jason Lane, OF
Bizarre to think of Astros’ farmhand Jason Lane in Yankee pinstripes, but he is certainly making a play to GM Brian Cashman. With 6 homers and 10 RBI in his first 67 at bats in triple A, all signs point to an early call to the ‘Bigs for Jason Lane. Positionally blocked by a hundred high priced offensive foot-soldiers, Lane will have to prove he is more than a stopgap outfielder or platoon consideration to pierce New York’s veteran, all-star laden lineup of regulars.
6. Shelley Duncan, 1B
Well-known to New York Yankees fans, Duncan got a dose of the majors last year, and did well, hitting 7 homers in only 74 at-bats. Prior to his call-up, in Triple A, Duncan hit .295 with 25 dingers in 336 at-bats. In 2008, Duncan is off to a fast start. He has hit 4 homers with 10 RBIs and a .295 batting average in only 44 at-bats.
Triple A is a tricky level to evaluate. Former major leaguers, or career minor leaguers, often learn to dominate the league, but fail to live up to their promise on the major league level. Accordingly, journeymen like Kit Pellow or DeWayne Wise appear at the top of the statistical charts, even though veteran Roto fans know not to get excited about them. Instead, pay attention to the young players who adjust to the higher level of competition and see how they adapt. That is where you can find the diamonds in the rough and the players likely to compete for future major league jobs.