by Mike Koepp on February 17, 2012
Austin Brice, RHP Miami Marlins
6/19/1992
Height: 6-4, Weight: 205
Austin Brice was Drafted by the Florida Marlins in the 9th round of the 2010 MLB June Amateur Draft out of Northwood High School in Pittsboro, North Carolina. Austin’s 2011 performance in the Gulf Coast League was impressive; 6-0, 2.96 ERA, 55 strike outs, 48 1/3 innings including 9 starts.
Before we expand, let’s see what we had to say about Austin Brice 340° in our recent Baseball Instinct 360°:
340°. Austin Brice, RHP Marlins 6/19/1992 – We got to see Brice in person and he has room to add weight to his 6’3″/190 frame. Displayed strikeout ability in his 2nd season in the Gulf Coast League, but his command needs improvement when he gets to Low-A Greensboro in 2012 if he wants to move on to the next level as a starter. ETA 2014. [click to continue…]
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by George Utter on February 11, 2012
Jose Fernandez, RHP Miami Marlins
7/31/1992
Height: 6’3″ Weight: 215
The top pick for the Miami Marlins in the 2011 draft, Jose Fernandez went #14 over all and signed for about $2 million. He’s a big and physical kid that comes right after hitters with a raw 93-94 mph fastball that at times he can dial-up to 97 mph. In addition to a two-seam and a four-seam fastball that offer varying movement, he also tosses a nice hard curveball and a wickedly biting slider that both can work as out pitches. We will dig into that more in a bit.
Despite being picked at #14, he came in #11 on our 2011 pre-draft coverage. This off-season, we ranked him #2 in our Miami Marlins top 10 prospect list, stating that:
2. Jose Fernandez, RHP 7/31/1992 H: 6’3″ W: 215 – Fernandez, who was the Marlins 2011 1st round draft pick, went all the way to the deadline to sign with the Fish. Born in Cuba, Fernandez went to high school in Tampa, Florida where he pitched very well and was on the national showcase circuit. He got into 2 games, 1 in the GCL, the other in the NYP and showed flashes of brilliance, but also lacked control. Really, not enough here to go on after just 4.1 innings. He’s armed with a 92-94 mph fastball, that could develop further. He’s got 3 off speed pitches that are already average, with room to grow into something special. Solid pick by the Marlins here. [click to continue…]
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by Thomas Belmont on February 6, 2012
Continuing our run through the Top 10 Lists for prospects and we find ourselves here with the 2B. It leads off with a rumored position switch with Rosario and includes some high probability 2B in Wong and Spangenberg. After that the position really thins on surefire major league talent. But there are some players here who change the public opinion in 2012. So once again, let’s take a step back and take a broad look at the minor leagues as we go position by position and bring to you the Top Position Lists with some additional players and information.
Because as we said, we’ll be analyzing the Baseball Instinct 360° not only full circle, but 365 days a year. The deeper we get into the video and our customized Instinctools Stat System the more the view changes from the top.
So let’s get into the catchers position and give you the list and some of the current thoughts.
In the Top 100
23°. Eddie Rosario, OF/2B, Twins, 9/28/1991 - Rosario had an impressive debut in 2010 as an 18-year-old in the Gulf Coast League. He hit .294 with 5 HRs and 22 SB in 194 at bats in 2010. He followed up that impressive season by displaying an awesome power/speed combination in the Appalachian League by posting a triple slash of .337/.397/.670. It was one of, if not the, best minor league performances in 2011. He still has to prove he do it against advanced pitchers and the FSL will be his first true test. He may start 2011 in Fort Myers. ETA 2014.
Update Instinct – Rumor still has it that, Rosario, an OF in 2011 will be making a transition to 2B. I guess the Twins think that Levi Michael will stick at SS or that they already have their SS in Brian Dozier. Either way, Rosario, seems to be in line for a shot at being a 2B. If this pans out, you have one the top bats as far as potential goes, taking on a premium position. It’s not an easy transition, and Levi Michael will be in line to slip right into the 2B of the future role if Rosario falters defensively. [click to continue…]
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by Thomas Belmont on February 5, 2012
Continuing our run through the Top 10 Lists for prospects, we find ourselves at the catchers position. A position that finds some right now players that could make a serious impact as early as the beginning of this season and down through the Top 10 into our 360 for some really young backstops that could be flying up the charts this year with the likes of Realmuto, Maron, Hernandez and Alfaro. So once again, let’s take a step back and take a broad look at the minor leagues as we go position by position and bring to you the Top Position Lists with some additional players and information.
Because as we said, we’ll be analyzing the Baseball Instinct 360° not only full circle, but 365 days a year. The deeper we get into the video and our customized Instinctools Stat System the more the view changes from the top.
So let’s get into the catchers position and give you the list and some of the current thoughts.
In the Top 100
5°. Jesus Montero, C/DH, Mariners, 11/28/1989 - Montero came in at #1 on our 2011 Top 100 List based on his advanced bat at a young age and making it all the way to Triple-A as a catcher. As we said in his Prospect Instinct, a perfect storm of events have led to him being in line for a shot at the catchers position in the Bronx. His contact ability is elite regardless of where he plays. He’ll have above average power as a 20-something and elite level power in his prime. How long he actually sticks at catcher is dependent of how well Joe Girardi and Tony Pena are able to cultivate him. But those two are the reason for my optimism of a future average regular on defense and glowing reviews on offense. ETA 2012.
Update Instinct – Well, the trade to Seattle finally happened. It looks like Seattle thinks he can handle a full catchers workload. He’s not going to be the best defender in the league, I think we all know that already. But the bat is legit and fantasy players should take note now. Real baseball? His bat will need to carry him and we think it can. [click to continue…]
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