Thursday
12Mar2009
Ask Professor Parks: Spring Training Edition
Jason Parks
Having just returned from a week in Surprise, I can safely say that this is the most confident Rangers team in recent memory. The players can sense that something special is on the horizon and have been putting in the extra wrench work to maximize their potential. Do you want know more about the minor leaguers in camp? Do you want to know which major leaguers were already in mid-season form? Do you want to know why the Chick-fil-A on Bell Rd. is so tasty? Post your questions in the comments section and I will answer throughout the day. Anything goes.
A few quick notes:
- Check out some of my ST pics in the Photo Gallery
- In the next few days I will publish a more thorough spring training report, featuring brief interviews with Thomas Diamond, Guillermo Moscoso, Greg Golson, and Justin Smoak.
- If you haven't already, I encourage you to bookmark Inside Corner, D Magazine's Rangers blog featuring beat reporting from Evan Grant and analysis from the great Mike Hindman.
Reader Comments (141)
After seeing smoak in camp, do you think he could pull the Davis trick this year? I wouldn't mind seeing him in the lineup during the second half of the season. Him and Davis taking turns at DH and 1st. Smoak's ability to hit from both sides of the plate could make the bottom of this line up insane. Salt and Smoak hitting 6 and 8 in he line up.....
Jason: Welcome Back!!!
Who looked better than you expected, and who looked worse than expected among the prospects, and among those who are already at the MLB level?
Brian: Smoak could hold his own at the major league level right now. If the opportunity is there, I think Smoak is up by the end of the summer. He's that good.
OK Jason, I'll bite. Why exactly is the Chik-Fil-A on Bell Rd. so tasty?
Tell me more of this Chick-fil-A.
C'mon Rangers: Greg Golson and Guillermo Moscoso really impressed me. Omar Poveda wasn't as impressive as he was in the FIL. His mechanics concern me a bit. His change-up is still a monster. Smoak is ready for Arlington and Borbon isn't far behind him.
I've heard mixed reports on Millwood, then he goes out and gets bombed, what's your take on him?
Chad and Clayton: I live in NYC and do not have the opportunity to eat Chick-fil-A on a regular basis. I usually get over to the back fields at 7:30 am and when lunchtime rolls around I'm usually quite famished. I jump in my car and head to the local Chick-fil-A and those tasty chicken tenders and salty fries make everything better. After that, I'm ready to head back to the fields for five more hours of baseball. It's the perfect bridge between morning workouts and the afternoon game. I love it.
C'mon: Millwood will be fine. Getting bombed in ST is a part of the process. The important thing to remember is that he actually showed up in shape and is determined to make 30 starts in '09. A healthy and physically fit Millwood makes the Rangers a much better team.
Jason,
I live in Brooklyn. There is a chic-fil-a on the Columbia campus. Enjoy and thanks for the hard work.
What was your impression of Salty? Other than pitching, I think he is the key to this season. Either by trade or crushing the ball.
A few for starters...
Did you happen to hear if Kennil Gomez is healthy? Any update on Pedro Strop? Did Mad Dog look like he has progressed since last year to the point that he can legitimately help a contending big league club this year?
How did Diamond look in that "B" game they played? I keep thinking he has the stuff to be a late inning reliever, but I am starting to worry he may never find a role he flourishes in.
Lastly, taking all other factors out (contract status, ML experience, 40 man roster and service time issues, etc), if the Rangers could fill out a lineup and rotation at the major league level with the top talent in their system for the last week of this season, who would be there?
a few more...
Did you get a good look at Arias' arm? What's the truth, there?
Can you give us a little more insight into what impressed you about Golson (besides the stat lines) and Moscoso (whose stat lines haven't been eye popping)? Do you see Moscoso ultimately staying in a starter's role or moving to the pen, and does his uncanny ability to miss bats seem legit?
There was some debate yesterday between MJH and Callis (I think) about who has the better offspeed pitch, Feliz or Holland. Care to opine on that?
Brian: I also live in Brooklyn, but the Columbia campus is nowhere near where I work (Union Sq.), so I'm basically out of luck.
Salty impressed me in camp. He was really working on his defense and showing improvement.
How did Andruw Jones look defensively to you? Does he make this team?
What is your opinion on Andruw Jones?
Assuming Wilson, Frankie and Guardado are set, who gets the last 4 bullpen spots?
Clark: Gomez is close to 100%. Strop is going to be really good and he is almost ready to go. Madrigal looked good as well. His slider is a good pitch.
Diamond is finally healthy and is confident in his arsenal. It showed. He's going to surprise people this season. His eventually role might be in the pen, but I'd like to see him stick in a rotation.
Rotation:
Feliz
Holland
Main
Diamond
Poveda
1B: Smoak
2B: Vallejo
SS: Elvis
3B: Whittleman
LF: Golson
CF: Borbon
RF: Beltre
C: Teagarden
I didn't get to see Arias's arm. I did hear that his arm is stronger than it has been in the past, but not as strong as it was before the surgery.
Golson is just a really impressive athlete that is determined to develop into an impressive baseball player. You can see this on the field during games and in the clubhouse preparing for games. I like this kid.
Moscoso is another promising player. He's much smaller than I thought (listed at 6'1'' 160), but his stuff is really good. He is working on a splitter to go with his heavy fastball. His eventually role will probably be in the pen, but Moscoso doesn't seem to care. He just wants to pitch. His fastball is one sneaky SOB. It finds a way to avoid the lumber. Pretty amazing, actually.
Feliz has the better off-speed pitch. His curve will eventually be a plus pitch. He throws it around 76-78 mph and it usually has 12/6 shape. Holland's change is a good pitch (slightly above-average) but I don't think it has the promise of Feliz's curve.
C'mon: Jones's bat was starting to come around, but his defense wasn't that impressive. He seemed to lack the first-step quickness necessary to play above-average defense in CF. Personally, I think he makes the team. He seems to be a good fit with the Rangers. He would be a great fit if his defense can improve.
AJM: Rupe, Madrigal, Nippert, and Turnbow.
Talk Diamond here - how does he look out there? Is he capable of putting it together either as a starter or in the pen and being worthy of the high ranking pre-injury, or do you think we'll have to temper our expectations for him?
any encouraging news on any of the young lefties behind Holland like Kiker, B. Jones, T. Murphy, C. Young? I loves me some lefties.
Also, did you get a chance to see Robbie Ross?
Can you give a quick rundown on the most recent Latin FA class? Is Esdras Abreu the best talent of that group? Any intriquing arms that will be making stateside debuts this season?
Hows Pina's bat looking?
I should have read the other answers before the Diamond post...I'll try one more: Teagarden. If Salty is impressing this spring, is Teagarden lowering expectations? I've read a lot of scouting lately saying they are very high and very low on Taylor. Do you think he can be a decent hitter at the major league level based on what you've seen from him in the past and the short sample here this spring?
Walter: Diamond looked good. He's a very intense competitor and it was frustrating for him to be less than 100%. He's ready to show us something in '09.
Jason,
What do you think the chances are of Brandon Boggs and Arias making the team? What do you like about those two and see for them in the future? I realize both have some hurdles, but seem to be having productive camps.
speaking of intriguing Latin arms and stateside debuts, does anyone know if the other pitcher we got for Laird will be pitching stateside this year? His stats last year looked great, so if anyone has any more info on him, I'd love to hear it.
I'd love to hear about Pina as well. If his bat can advance a little more this year, it would make me much more comfortable with the idea of trading a guy like Teagarden to Boston (or elsewhere).
Todd: Kiker is definitely in shape. It was the first thing he mentioned to me. Tim Murphy had an intense off-season workout program looks ready to go as well. I didn't get a chance to see Young, Ross, or Jones. Sorry.
Abreu is a tremendous talent, but he is very, very raw. His bat has unlimited potential, but his defense will require a lot work.
LA Talent: Two words: Carlos Melo. He could be special.
Kinslerhomer: Pina's bat isn't that great. He takes good swings, but he doesn't always make good contact. His glove will take him to the majors, but if his bat can improve he could be a starter in the mold of a Molina brother.
Walter: Teagarden has the potential to be a good hitter. He doesn't make a lot of contact and despite his ability to draw walks, he doesn't have the best pitch recognition. I think he will be a .240-.250 hitter with some pop and some on-base ability. That's about it. His defense is so good that I don't even care about his offense.
awesome. thanks for all the insight, Jason. I guess I should ask the obligatory "How does Young look at 3rd?" question as well. Does he have the potential to actually become a defensive asset over there as he continues to get comfortable?
Peachygbc_1: Arias and Boggs will not make the team. Boggs was very, very impressive in camp, but the crowded outfield will push him to OKC to start the year. Arias isn't going to beat out Vizquel for the utility spot unless an injury occurs. He is headed to OKC as well. Arias needs to show he can make strong throws from the left side of the infield on a regular basis in order to have value to the 25.
Did you get to see NeRa? If so how does he look?
Clark: Melo will be stateside this year. I'm guessing he will be in the AZL rotation.
Young looked good at 3B. His arm is a big asset at the position.
Kinslerhomer: I spoke with Ramirez and he told me his goal was to win a league championship at every level as he advances. He said that with the talent in the system he can't just get by on his natural ability and that he needs to work extra hard in order to excel. It's what you want to hear from a guy about to join one of the top rotations in all of minor league baseball. His hand is 100%.
Thanks Jason.
Matt Harrison and the new cutter. What are your thoughts on him so far far and how is that cutter looking?
Are you getting as excited about the major league squad for this year, as we all are for the minor league system?
Great work on this and thanks for taking the questions. What the hell is your day job that allows you to get away with this?
Gdawg: Harrison looked good when I saw him, but I didn't know about the cutter until I read about it. If the pitch develops, it could give Harrison the out-pitch his arsenal lacks. It could be the difference between a decent 5th starter and a very good #3/4.
Brian: I'm very excited about our organization in general. Everything seems to be heading in the right direction. We have the right personnel in place to develop into a very good team for a very long time. It might not happen this season, but it will happen.
It kills me to see two young, super talented players like Salty and TT not get consistant playing time. It killed me when Laird had to split time with Barajas.
Since Pudge left, the catcher position has been platooned. How much more time will pass before we have an every-day catcher? I guess the real question here is will the Rangers commit to Salty or Teagarden? How long will it be until one of these guys plays 135ish games behind the plate?
Jason: OT, Anything goes, so here goes: My wife is from NY, and always raves how much I would like it. I'm comfortably numb in TX, and would like to get a Texans perspective on the "Big Apple". What is the most overrated thing about NYC, and what is the most underrated?
Did you notice any scouts from other teams around? If so, which teams, and could you tell which players they might have been interested in?
ncrangerfan: I think the catching situation will work itself in '09. One of the platoon is going to make a case for being the full-time starter. Of course, I think it would be a really great problem to have if both players proved worthy of starting. If that is the case the Rangers would no-doubt flip one and promote the other. My guess is that Salty's bat is real and that he is moved after the season for pitching. Teagarden will take over as the full-time starter and catch 120 games in '10.
Did you get to see Tommy Hunter pitch? Any progress on his FB command? What about his change? I love his curveball, sure would be nice to see the other offerings progress. Do you see him as more of a back rotation starter or end game reliever or something else?
C'mon:
Overrated: Times Sq, the people, most restaurants
Underrated: Public transportation, the safety, most street vendors
Thanks Jason!!!
Todd: Sure. There are always lots of scouts around. Most of them don't advertise which team they are affiliated with unless you sneak a peak at their clipboard. I can't say for sure who they were there to see.
I did see Hunter pitch, but it wasn't a very strong performance. His fastball was very hittable and seemed lifeless. His curveball was solid, but like you said, it would be nice to see his other offerings progress. I think Hunter eventually ends up in the pen. His fastball is only average and his change-up is so-so at best. I think he's a future swingman.
How did Elvis Andrus look overall? Did he struggle with the bat, and how did he handle the field?
C'mon: Elvis looked like a major leaguer. He looked like he belonged. His bat was decent (he made solid contact), his glove was excellent, and his baserunning was efficient. Nothing to complain about.