Let’s get right into this - you’ll figure out what I mean by ’speed scouting’ without much trouble.

Kyle Parker, RHP (for slack, sorry it took so long)

Parker employs solid stuff, not overpowering, but with a fastball in the 88-90 range, touching 91 or 92 on his good days, and an above-average curve ball, and his plus command is paying dividends in a tough league in which to pitch.

His heater has decent movement and he’s able to spot it on both sides of the plate, which can get a pitcher outs all by itself.

Parker, a UW product, has prototypical size at 6-3 and 205,  and brings a mature approach to the mound. His changeup is improving weekly and he’ll see time in Double-A West Tennessee at some point this season, if he’s not thrown off course.

Greg Halman, CF

Halman is the best pure athlete in the entire system, but he’s still striking out far too often (39), walking far too seldom (9) and isn’t making progress in those areas, at least statistically.

He has big time power and good bat speed, but his swing, while quick enough to the ball, is fairly busy and he has balance issues at times because of it. For me, I need to see something tangible that shows he’s improved or my regard for him as a prospect won’t remain.

But he won’t be 21 until later this summer and is otherwise having a solid season. I still think in the big leagues he ends up in a corner outfield spot, but he continues to play a decent center down in High Desert. Oh, and look, he just hit his sixth home run of the year to give the Mavs a 2-0 lead.

Austin Bibens-Dirkx, RHP

Bibens-Dirkx is recovering from a rather invasive surgical procedure (last offseason) that included removing bone spurs in his throwing elbow. Since his elbow started bothering him early last season, he’s been sitting in the upper 80s more often than he had before.

His numbers last season were solid, sans the walks, but considering he was fighting through the pain and the California League, it’s a miracle his ERA was under 10, let alone four.

This season he’s still battling some soreness, but the club has backed off most of their mechanical changes, finally, and Austin returned from the DL last week after spending that time revamping those mechanics.

Bibens-Dirkx, when healthy, will sit in the low-90s (he’ll claim he can go 92-94, touching 95, but I’ll believe it when I see it) with good movement, with a solid slider and a changeup that he loves to throw these days.

Ryan Feierabend, LHP

I’ve seen Feierabend twice this year, and half of another start (I stayed into the fourth inning), and I haven’t seen anything different about Feierabend’s stuff that he didn’t show last year in Tacoma.

The difference, according to one scout, is that he appears to have a gameplan and is executing it every time out. He’s missing bats with his curve ball and changeup and his 87-89 mph fastbal, while down from his velocity maxes from ‘06 of 90-93, is steady.

His command has been very good as well. Feierabend can pitch in the big leagues if he repeats these performances, probably as a No. 4-5 guy in the AL, and holds a little bit of trade value, specifically to an NL team, namely the Cincinnati Griffeys. (read between the lines)