| By Jason A. Churchill |  | By 08-02-2009 |
I finally made it up to Everett to see the 'Sox and all their glory and I got a chance to see just about every worthy talent on the roster.Fourth-round pick James Jones, Venezuelan Mario Martinez, left-handed reliever Jose Rios, and right-handers Andrew Carraway and Luke Burnett. There are also some fringy guys I watched closely.
Going in, I expected to like Jones, see something encouraging in Burnett, and be so-so or blah on everyone else.
I was wrong.
I really liked Jones, didn't see one arm worth talking much about after today, and Martinez is as good a prospect Everett has this year, completely erasing the poor reports -- and results -- I had received from his time in Clinton.
James Jones, RF
The talk on draft day was that Jones was an athletic left-hander with plus velocity who had a bad spring on the mound. Very few clubs were on him as a bat, despite his strong numbers at the plate.
There were Adam Jones and Mike Cameron comparisons, but I think Jones profiles more like Jermaine Dye in his prime when it comes to physical tools. He probably has a little better foot speed than did Dye, but everything is very similar in terms of athleticism.
The 20-year-old Jones, a left-handed batter, has a terrific swing that stays in the zone a long time for a hitter with above-average power. He stays in well versus left-handed pitching, but will occasionally be fooled on offspeed stuff. He appears to recognize the pitch type well enough at this stage, but is unable to determine its velocity in time -- a minor fix in pro ball that generally takes experience and nothing more.
He fanned swinging on a mid-80s curve ball in the Thursday game after taking three straight offspeed pitches for balls. Two of the three appeared to be just inches off the plate and knee-to-belt high.
Jones kept his hands back better on Monday than in the Thursday game, a good sign that he's either self-correcting or listens and accepts coaching -- or both.
He possesses good speed, not great speed, taking long strides that sometimes appear a little, well, unsmooth, for lack of an actual word to describe it. It's not quite choppy, but certainly doesn't glide like Devon White.
Defensively he belongs in a corner and he shows pretty good instincts to go with a plus arm. If he hits, right field is a good spot for him, but I'd like to see the Mariners avoid playing him sporadically all over the outfield. Leave him in right, help him get acclimated to running toward the foul line. He looked tentative there a couple times last weekend, as if he was expecting to run into a fence or wall, or perhaps trip on a bullpen mound.
Jones' feel for the game comes out in all facets, inclusing baserunning, where the Long Island product got good jumps each of the three times he was on base and a ball was hit to the outfield. He's probably not going to steal a lot of bases, due to a lack of quickness, but could be a double-figure thief if he learns to read pitchers as he moves through the minors.
At the plate he'll use the whole field -- did so in B.P. and during the games, taking a curve ball on the outer half from a southpaw and hitting it hard on a line to left field.
He singled on an 82-mph curveball to the opposite field and did not offer at a single bad pitch the entire first day.
He'll also turn on fastballs, and while Jones will work the count some, he's also successful in seeing a fastball he can handle early on and squaring it up on the barrel.
In his first few weeks as a pro, Jones has not given pitchers a way to get him out; he's hitting the ball up the middle and to left field, and he's handled breaking balls and hit fastballs with authority. Even though the pitching is down in the Northwest League, he's still facing a lot of the better college arms drafted over the past season or two -- including quite a few LHPs -- and still hitting the ball very well.
Jones will be challenged by the tougher ballparks and hitting environments of the Midwest League next year, but if he's patient enough to wait out the raw arms that circuit boasts year-in and year-out, he'll be in High Desert by this time next summer.
Subscribers can see some game footage of Jones at the plate by clicking here.
Andrew Carraway, RHP
Carraway threw more strikes on Monday than Burnett did on Thursday, but was almost as equally unimpressive. Carraway seems to know how to pitch, but sat 85-87 with his fastball and never touched as high as 89. There was occasional glove side run and sink, but his fastball is really just a setup pitch for him.
His curve ball is a slow-breaker in the 71-75 mph range; it backed up on him some Monday, and he didn't turn over the change, clocked in the 80-83 mph range, very well, or very often.
His command was below average, though his overall control was satisfactory. He didn't pitch inside much, but was effectively wild in the zone against a pretty good hitting Tri-City club.
Carraway's arm is very long to the plate and his delivery has two hitches in it -- slightly at the back of his arm path and again during his leg kick. His plant foot almost touches the ground right before he starts his motion toward the plate. Both could hinder his ability to repeat the delivery and maximize his control and command, as well as create deception on any or all of his pitches.
Carraway also throws across his body a little bit and combined with the lengthy route his arm takes to the plate, forces the 6-2, 200 pounder to use mostly arm.
He's since been promoted to Clinton after posting a 1.44 ERA and 31-4 K/BB ratio in 25 innings with Everett, but he'll have to show better stuff, including more velocity and bite on his breaking ball, to continue to have success as he progresses.
Luke Burnett, RHP
I'm going to keep this short, because I certainly caught the 6-8, 250-pound right-hander on his worst night as a pro.
There was no command, no stuff and no velocity, not to mention I don't like his delivery much.
Burnett was 86-89 with the fastball and his curve, which hung up on him all evening, came in at 83-85. His heater has plane, aided by his tall frame and high release point, but there was not a lot of movement on it Thursday night.
He's a little too upright for me; he doesn't bend his back or use his drive leg enough, which is clearly going to rob him of potential velocity. Burnett throws from a high 3/4 arm slot, but has funky arm action that offsets anything he does well mechanically.
I will see Burnett again before I say a whole lot more, but right off the top I'd bet Burnett ends up in relief where his fastball may play up enough to see him used in the seventh inning.
Jose Rios, LHP
Rios has good numbers, but after seeing him with my own eyes, there's not a lot to be impressed about.
He possesses plus control, average command and two average offspeed pitches. He sat 84-86 with the fastball, showing some sink and arm side run. His breaking ball is a 68-72 mph curve that would not play well in the upper levels and a straight change.
Rios' consistent arm speed and his ability to repeat his delivery helps him sell the slow stuff, and his ability to hit his spots enough and stay around the strike zone with his fastball without missing in the middle of the plate are the reasons for his strong results.
Without a sharper breaking ball and added velocity and/or sink, Rios is an organizational relief pitcher without a way to miss bats in a strong league. It doesn't help him that he's just 5-foot-9 and 190 pounds.
Mario Martinez, 3B
Martinez was the biggest, most pleasant surprise for me. I was told he was lost in Clinton, both defensively and at the plate, he offers above-average bat speed and a good swing and approach.
What I saw was a leader -- he speaks English well enough at age 19 and is the captain of the infield -- an athletic third baseman with enough arm and quick feet.
He's an above-average runner now, but that will probably downgrade itself as he gets stronger and more physical, but he plays the game hard and obviously has a lot of fun in the process.
At present, Martinez owns the middle of the plate, can hit pitches on the outer half -- fastballs and breaking balls alike -- but has problems with hard stuff in on his hands. Pitchers with good command of a fastball and a useful breaking ball can get Martinez out with that game plan, but the Venezuelan native has made some adjustments since his time in the Midwest League where one scout said he had "holes, holes, everywhere there's holes."
He does like to be pitched away from a little bit, but he stays inside the ball well and trusts his hands to get through the zone quick enough. His contact rates aren't good, but I'm not alarmed at 32 strikeouts in almost 180 plate appearances. Martinez needs to learn to be more patient so he can stop expanding his strike zone and getting himself out. This is where most of the whiffs are coming from.
With the glove, he fields everything he gets to, showing good hands and instincts, and one NL scout says he came in on a couple balls on the road very well and made accurate throws.
It appeared in Clinton that Martinez was simply unable to use his physical skills to hold his own, but now it may have just been a case of comfort, confidence and plate discipline.
Notes
Sox 1B Gerardo Avila will get himself out, as long as you don't throw him strikes with something straight... Anthony Phillips isn't a bad shortstop, showing range, great footwork and just enough arm strength to get by in the NWL. As he progresses, Phillips will move to 2B where his iffy bat might play better. He's decent as a righty, but slaps at the ball from the left side... Colorado Rockies first-round pick Tim Wheeler is good. Really good. I think he can play center field and he was the best payer in the series on either side of the field between the Sox and Dust Devils... I saw a 6-9 right-hander drop down to an arm angle I have never seen on someone so tall -- submarine. Not low-3/4, not sidearm -- submarine. He's only been doing it for about a year, but Rod Scurry, son of a former big-leaguer of the same name, is effective with it and may have a big-league career if he can get some of the velocity he has throwing high-3/4 into his new arm slot. He's already got a good feel for some deceiving offspeed stuff... Sox 2B Hawkins Gebbers might end up being a cult favorite, and will probably soon find his name on Paul Marsh's wall as the next player to be "freed." But you have to see him play first, Marsh. New rules...
Update:
I will have a little video of Burnett available in the next few days for everyone, too, and may have some of Gabriel Noriega to share as well.
prospect-pack:-aquasox-(with-video)
Comments
The following 20 comment(s) for this article are shown below:
| 1. By: DAMellen on 08-02-2009 19:57:02 Player to be freed? What is this? |
| 2. By: Jason A. Churchill on 08-02-2009 20:33:56 http://marinersmorsels.blogspot.com/ Started with FREE GEORGE SHERRILL, then FREE AB-D, now MOORE and POYTHRESS. |
| 3. By: rocketdawg31 on 08-02-2009 21:48:26 Didn't we draft Rod Scurry a couple years ago, Jason? That name sounds familiar to me. |
| 4. By: Jason A. Churchill on 08-02-2009 22:17:31 Yes, 31st round, I think. Maybe 41st. |
| 5. By: shemberry on 08-02-2009 23:25:15 Jason, The mid season top 30 is great, but why no Cortes? |
| 6. By: Jason A. Churchill on 08-03-2009 08:27:22 While i THINK Cortes may have a place in it, I haven't seen him nor have I been able to get much scouting info on him. I know the gist, but I need more than that to rank him. He'll be in the Sept 1 update. |
| 7. By: shemberry on 08-03-2009 09:57:00 That's cool. Thanks. |
| 8. By: Jason A. Churchill on 08-03-2009 10:49:13 No problem. And There's a chance Saito is in that, too, though I think his upside is relatively low. Hassiel Jimenez has been the name of the day, however. Couple part-time scouts saw and liked him last week. I've always liked him -- he was featured in the 2008 handbook -- and he's still very young. |
| 9. By: The Great Pumpkin on 08-03-2009 11:12:43 Jason, If the proposed mega-deal with Boston was really out there, and we we're offered 5 of those Red Sox prospects,(Bucholz, Bard, Masterson, Hagadone, Bowden, Doubront, Reddick, Navarro)would that have been a good haul for Felix? I dont know a lot aboput prospects, and I'm sure there prospects get a little over-hyped, but that seems like a lot of talent. |
| 10. By: PositivePaul on 08-03-2009 11:58:43 HAHAHAHA. Hmmm, a 6'9" submariner??? Screw Gebbers - give me Scurry! |
| 11. By: PositivePaul on 08-03-2009 12:00:47 Oh, and to be fair - the only guy in person I actually saw before wanting him freed was Austin. So maybe that's the jinx??? |
| 12. By: StandinPat on 08-03-2009 12:21:47 Jason, Two questions... 1) Whats your take on RRS's last couple of outings? In his last start his command looked better than I think I've ever seen it. Does it look like he's possibly taken a big step forward? 2) Can you rank Saito compared to the 3 specs we sent out for Snell and Wilson? I know overall the 3 coming in have way more upside than the 3 that went out, but most of the talk is about Robles and Cortes. |
| 13. By: John_S on 08-03-2009 12:48:08 Jason, what do you think James Jones's power potential to be? Do you see him as a 20-25 HR guy or maybe better? If he can have a similar career path as Jermaine Dye, I would be elated. |
| 14. By: Jason A. Churchill on 08-03-2009 13:49:59 I would not have dealt Felix in the Boston talks. I'm not that high on Buchholz -- and I think that deal sets you back a year or two, if not longer. Not a jinx... no way, POSP. Pat, 1. He's be ok, his CB has been better and his velo is up a bit. Both good signs. But he's still just a back-end guy and that's all he's ever going to be. 2. I'd rank the three arms that went to Pitt for Snell in Wilson higher than Saito. Because they all have at least a small chance to start. Saito does not. Robles has better command and feel for the strikeout, but he, too, may lack the ability to start. I'd rank the group like this: 1. Robles 2. Lorin 3. Cortes 4. Adcock 5. Pribanic 6. Saito But if you included Snell, Wilson, Clement, Washburn, French and Cedeno, too, just in terms of individual player value... 1. Washburn 2. Snell 3. Wilson 4. French 5. Clement 6. Robles (tie) 6. Cedeno (tie) 8. Lorin 9. Cortes 10. Adcock 11. Pribanic 12. Saito |
| 15. By: PositivePaul on 08-03-2009 14:07:21 Didn't know where else to ask this, and thought it was a little more important to bring this above the fold (and not in an e-mail convo). You're getting some questions on other blogs that you don't visit, so I thought I'd ask here... At the time of the trade, you had this to say about Cortes: "Ultimately, Cortes is probably a reliever, too, but he has a chance to start and will be in the rotation in West Tennessee at just 22 years of age. He's the best starting pitching prospect in the Seattle organization right now, which says more about the M's system than it does Cortes, but Cortes is a good, live arm to have, and a good get for Seattle in return for Yuniesky Betancourt." (emphasis mine) But Cortes isn't on your top-30 list. Is this an oversight? |
| 16. By: Jason A. Churchill on 08-03-2009 15:30:45 No, like I said above, I just don't know enough, don't have enough to put a ranking next to his name and feel right about it. There are a lot of non-baseball issues with him, and until I have a little grasp on that as well as his overall abilities, I can't confidently say a whole lot. I do think he's the best SP prospect in the system still, unless you count Aumont in that group. Ramirez is too far away and his breaking ball has not progressed much in the Cal League, so I think Cortes has an edge there. I've been promised 15 minutes this week by an Orioles scout that has seen Cortes extensively over the past two seasons. The only subject will be Cortes. If I had to guess, I'd say he'll end up ranked in the Top 20, but maybe not the Top 10. And while that would mean Ramirez would rank ahead of him, that doesn't mean I think Ramirez is necessarily the better starter, but he's got a better chance to be a good 8th or 9th inning reliever if starting doesn't pan out. If I absolutely had to rank him, Cortes would probably slide into the 13th or 14th slot. |
| 17. By: amac360 on 08-03-2009 15:44:47 Who do you think ill get September call ups this year? Field? Will they give Adam Moore a chance to play a little? |
| 18. By: amac360 on 08-03-2009 15:45:13 Fields* |
| 19. By: Jason A. Churchill on 08-03-2009 16:31:43 I think they'll call up 5-8 guys. LaHair, Nelson, Moore, Tui (if deemed healthy), Fields, Mike Wilson, Messenger, Fister... maybe even Burke, Navarro. Shelton, if he clears waivers and returns to Tacoma. |
| 20. By: wbathurs on 08-04-2009 00:05:33 Question about James Jones. If teams were aware of his current talent, where do you think he would have been selected in the draft? BTW - He went yard again tonight and still batting .400+ |
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