Posts belonging to Category MLB Draft

There is nothing an organization loves more than a middle to low round draft pick that ultimately emerges as a top prospect, and forces a team to incorporate him into their immediate plans.

For the Los Angeles Dodgers, that player is Jerry Sands.  Drafted in the 25^th round of the 2008 MLB Amateur Draft, Sands, 22, has continued to punish the baseball at each Minor League stop, displaying tremendous power, as well as the ability to play multiple positions.

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In 2010, Starlin Castro finished 10^th in the National League with a .300 batting average while playing in 125 games for the Chicago Cubs.  Yet, what made the feat even more impressive was the fact the rookie shortstop did it as a 20-year old.

Ranked by Baseball America as the 16^th best prospect in baseball headed into the 2010 season, Castro was called up by the Cubs on May 7 after posting slashes of .376/.421/.569 in 26 games at Double-A Tennessee.  In his first Major League game, not only did Castro crack a three run, opposite field homer in his first at-bat, but he also ripped a bases clearing triple to notch six RBI in his MLB Debut.

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As we briefly mentioned last week, the Atlanta Braves have cleared the way at first base for power hitting prospect, Freddie Freeman.  With a physique similar to that of Brandon Belt of the San Francisco Giants, the 6’5,” 225 pound Freeman is poised to make an impact in 2011, hitting in the middle of the Braves order alongside Jason Heyward.

Drafted by the Braves in the second round of the 2007 MLB Amateur Draft, Freeman was ranked by Baseball America as the 32^nd best prospect in all of baseball headed into the 2010 season.  And at just 20-years of age, in his first season at Triple-A Gwinnett, the left-handed hitting youngster demonstrated exactly why he was deserving of such a prominent ranking.

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Here is a video of prospect Matt Moore, a pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays.  As you can plainly see, Moore is devastating and would be the top pitching prospect in almost any other organization.  Moore is of particular interest to me due to his New Mexican roots.

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• On Tuesday, the Atlanta Braves declined to offer arbitration to both Troy Glaus and Derrek Lee, indicating that prospect Freddie Freeman will get the nod at first base in 2011.

• Last week the Florida Marlins traded Dan Uggla to the Atlanta Braves for infielder Omar Infante and relief pitcher Mike Dunn.   Two of our writers, Griff and Dee, actually played with and against him in high school.  Marlin Maniac offers a scouting report and projection for the left-hander.

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