With a quarter of the MLB season in the books, and some of the baseball’s best prospects now suiting up for their respective big league squads, it’s time to reflect on the performances of our Top 50 Prospects.  Today we look at 24-20, which includes: Mike Montgomery, Manny Machado, Mike Minor, John Lamb and Freddie Freeman.

24. Mike Montgomery, LHP, Kansas City Royals

Triple-A: 2-2, 5.18 ERA, 57.1 IP, 34 BB, 48 K, 1.57 WHIP, 5.3 BB/9

23. Manny Machado, SS, Baltimore Orioles

Class-A: .333/.450/.611, 20 R, 6 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 21 RBI, 3 SB, 19 BB, 14 K

22. Mike Minor, LHP, Atlanta Braves

Triple-A: 2-2, 2.56 ERA, 52.2 IP, 14 BB, 54 K, 6 HR, 1.158 WHIP

MLB: 0-1, 5.40 ERA, 10 IP, 6 BB, 7 K, 2.00 WHIP

21. John Lamb, LHP, Kansas City Royals

Double-A: 1-2, 3.09 ERA, 35 IP, 13 BB, 22 K, 1.314 WHIP

20. Freddie Freeman, 1B, Atlanta Braves

MLB: .249/.332/.390, 22 R, 10 2B, 5 HR, 15 RBI, 21 BB, 42 K, 2 SB

Top 1: Alex Gordon struck out on a foul tip against Jake Arrieta

Top 3: Gordon hit a ground-rule double to left-center off Arrieta

Top 5: Gordon struck out swinging against Arrieta

Top 7: Gordon struck out on a foul tip against Jim Johnson

Top 9: Gordon struck out swinging against Mike Gonzalez

Final Line: 1-5, 2B, 4 K

Notes: Although Gordon did a lot of whiffing in his sombrero on Wednesday, he did salvage some respect by doubling in the fifth.  The hit saved the rejuvenated slugger from falling victim to the platinum sombrero—or as a reader suggested it be called, “The Mongolian War Helmet,”—a feat yet to occur this season.  One thing is certain: Gordon was involved in one hell of a game of just a tip on Wednesday.

Total 2011 Sombreros: 28

With the first month of the MLB season in the books, and some of the baseball’s best prospects now suiting up for their respective big league squads, it’s time to reflect on the performances of our Top 50 Prospects.  Today we look at 39-35, which includes: Casey Kelly, Jennry Meija, Jonathan Singleton, Derek Norris and Jake Odorizzi.

39. Casey Kelly, RHP, San Diego Padres

Double-A: 3-1, 3.38 ERA, 45.1 IP, 14 BB, 33 K, 1.301 WHIP

38. Jennry Mejia, RHP, New York Mets

Triple-A: 1-2, 2.86 ERA, 28.1 IP, 14 BB, 21 K, 1.059 WHIP

37. Jonathan Singleton, 1B, Philadelphia Phillies

High-A: .276/.394/.333, 2 2B, HR, 10 RBI, 16 BB, 31 K

36. Derek Norris, C, Washington Nationals

Double-A: .194/.354/.323, 2 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 14 BB, 24 K, 4-for-5 SB

35. Jake Odorizzi, RHP, Kansas City Royals

High-A: 3-0, 1.97 ERA, 32 IP, 8 BB, 51 K, 0.938 WHIP

Conger off to solid start for Angels

With the first month of the MLB season in the books, and some of the baseball’s best prospects now suiting up for their respective big league squads, it’s time to reflect on the performances of our Top 50 Prospects.  Today we look at 45-50, which include: Chris Dwyer, J.P. Arencibia, Aaron Hicks, Jose Iglesias, Nick Castellanos and Hank Conger.

50. Chris Dwyer, LHP, Kansas City Royals

Double-A: 1-3, 6.35 ERA, 6 GS, CG, 28.1 IP, 27 H, 17 BB, 21 K, 1.553 WHIP, 1.24 K/BB

49. J.P. Arencibia, C, Toronto Blue Jays

MLB: .247(21-for-85)/.304/.482, 4 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 11 RBI, 7 BB, 20 K

48. Aaron Hicks, OF, Minnesota Twins

High-A: .206(20-for-97)/.322/.309, 3 2B, 2 3B, HR, 10 RBI, 2-for-5 SB, 18 BB, 23 K

47. Jose Iglesias, SS, Boston Red Sox

Triple-A: .253(22-for-87)/.278/.253, 0 XBH, 4 RBI, 2-for-4 SB, 2 BB, 17 K

46. Nick Castellanos, 3B, Detroit Tigers

Single-A: .208(20-96)/.260/.281, 4 2B, HR, 13 RBI, 7 BB, 28 K

45. Hank Conger, C, Los Angeles Angels

MLB: .300(18-for-60)/.354/.500, 3 2B, 3 HR, 11 RBI, 4 BB, 11 K

As I mentioned a couple of pieces ago, my 1B in the Denslow Cup this season is Billy Butler.  I currently am using the Towel’s account to watch MLB TV during afternoon and evening lab, so I have been watching a little bit of the middle of the Royals’ order, since Butler is hitting cleanup for KC currently with sparkling results.  The Royals have been hitting Alex Gordon third, and he too has been crushing, starting the season with a 1.000+ OPS in his first 30 or so AB’s of 2011 after a torrential spring in which he slashed .343/.459/.729 in around 90 PA’s.  I am a huge supporter of statistical analysis and its role within player evaluation in baseball, so obviously this month of success does little to help us forget the last few years of Gordon’s career.  Still, something tells me that Gordon might be getting close to reminding us what it was about him, before he was drafted second overall in the 2005 MLB Draft, that made us believe that he was the messiah for which Kansas City had prayed for 20 years.

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