Marlins Notes - June 2010

[Orioles]

6/11

PROSPECT NOTES:


Newest Fish Making Waves

After an unmitigated trainwreck of a 2008 draft - recently re-signed 5th rd pick CF Juan Perez is the only player on the roster selected by the Fish in 08 - the Marlins badly needed to rebound and re-stock the ponds on the Fish Farm in 2009. So far it appears they've done just that with their first two picks C Wil Myers (1st/27th) and 1B Jon Singleton (2nd/57th), who are racking up the accolades as the season progresses. The latest...


Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus:

Myers seemingly gets better every day, at least at the plate. Defensively, he's still scuffling at catcher, and many think a move further down the defensive spectrum is in his future, but the bat is going to play anywhere. With four home runs in June and an overall line of .289/.403/.523, he's one of the best hitters in the Midwest League...

From Baseball America's latest Hot Sheet:

No. 6 WIL MYERS, C

Team: high Class A (Wilmington)
Age: 19
Why He's Here: .389/.542/1.000 (7-for-18), 2 2B, 3 HR, 8 RBIs, 6 BB, 6 SO

Wil Myers appears to be on the Mike Moustakas career path. Like Moustakas, Myers struggled in the cold of a Midwest League April, but he's quickly heated up to be one of the league's best hitters. Myers' two-home run binge on Thursday night allowed him to become only the fourth Midwest League to reach double digits in home runs this season. Moustakas' 2007 season in Burlington stood out because it was an impressive display of power for a teenager in a difficult league to hit. Even with a bad April, Myers is on pace to top Moustakas' numbers. Defensively, there are a few more questions—Myers has allowed 14 passed balls this season while no other MWL catcher has more than 11.
2010 Stats

No. 7 JONATHAN SINGLETON, 1B

Team: low Class A Lakewood (South Atlantic)
Age: 18
Why He's Here: .409/.500/.773 (9-for-22), 2 HR, 2 2B, 5 RBIs, 6 R, 3 BB, 6 SO, 1-for-1 SB

Singleton looks well on his way to becoming one of 2010's top breakout prospects. The Phillies' 6-foot-2, 215 pound first baseman has shown a little bit of everything since being called up to Lakewood a little over a month ago. He's shown natural power and loft in his swing with six home runs and an ability to stay patient and work the count. And he can flat out rake—he's reached base in all but two of the 28 games he's played. Singleton would be leading the Sally League batting race by almost 50 points if he had enough at-bats to qualify, and his .410 average since joining the BlueClaws on May 13 ranks fourth in the minors over that span.

[Orioles]

6/15

Myers and Singleton still raking...

Will Myers, C, Royals (Low-A Burlington): 2-for-4, 2B, K. 9-for-19 with 18 total bases in last five games; top five in Midwest League in both on-base (.406) and slugging (.524). Keep in mind that he hit .232 in April.

Jonathan Singleton, 1B, Phillies (Low-A Lakewood): 2-for-4, 2 2B, K. It's simply what he does; 11 mutli-hit games in last 19 and .411/.500/.714 overall in 31 contests.

[Orioles]

6/17

From BA:

Jonathan Singleton, 1b, low Class A Lakewood (Phi)

Shortstop Jonathan Villar has boosted his stock with his play at the plate and in the field, but it's another Jonathan on Lakewood who's caught scouts' attention. In 33 games, Singleton is hitting a no-that's-not-a-typo .392/.483/.675 with seven home runs, 21 walks and 24 strikeouts. Singleton signed for $200,000 last year as an eighth-round pick out of high school, money that's looking like a steal for a player who has quickly become one of the best first-base prospects in the minors.

Eliezer Mesa, cf, low Class A Asheville (Col)

The Rockies don't have a Rookie-level Arizona League team, which means they have to send their youngest players to the Pioneer League, which plays as a hybrid between Rookie ball and a short-season league. That can present a challenge for young Rockies' Latin American players like Mesa, who spent the last two years in the Pioneer League after signing in November 2007. Now 21, Mesa is having a breakout year with the Tourists. Sure, he's benefiting from a hitter-friendly park, but his combination of speed and hitting ability are real.