I hate to merge three good topics of conversation into one spot, but I want to see what our community is thinking on these guys.

 

To start I don't think Mitchell will ever play in the bigs, Walker needs to go down and Hawkins should return in Kanny.

Buddy Bell said Hawkins is going back to Winston-Salem, probably early next week.

Edited May 31, 201312 yr by flavum

Buddy Bell said Hawkins is going back to Winston-Salem, probably early next week.

It wasn't really a question of what will happen, but rather what should happen? He was an abysmal high-A hitter before the time off.

Mitchell can't even hit .225 in AA.

 

He couldn't hit .200 in AAA.

 

He might get a September call up just out of courtesy, but he has provided ZERO evidence he is a big-league player.

 

Walker has been overmatched at AA all season.

 

Hawkins started at High A ball and slowed slight improvement before he got hurt. Let him go back there.

It wasn't really a question of what will happen, but rather what should happen? He was an abysmal high-A hitter before the time off.

 

Hawkins should have started the season at Kanny.

 

Mitchell probably isn't good enough to play in the bigs. Doubt it will happen.

 

Walker--keep him at AA.

Being a half a level too high isn't an explanation for his K rate more than doubling. I'd just leave him at W-S for now.

He might get a September call up just out of courtesy, but he has provided ZERO evidence he is a big-league player.

That's the part that makes it a tough question though. That's a fairly reasonable possibility.

Hawkins deserves more than 60 or 70 ab's to show he doesn't belong in Hi A ball. Worst case scenario is he repeats the level next year which still puts him right on track to reach the majors at 22 or 23. Same with Walker at AA. Mitchell, who knows, his speed and defense may be enough to get him a part time gig somewhere. I doubt that it'll be in chicago though.

I think the real takeaway from this thread is that Buddy Bell has been too aggressive with these guys.

 

Mitchell never should have been promoted to AAA last year, let alone start there this year. Walker had 143 ABs in high A last year, so I'm not sure why they decided to send him to AA this year.

 

Hawkins I'm torn on because he was such a monster last year. In hindsight, low A probably makes more sense to be a little conservative and he still would have been on the young side for the league. Having said that, I was ok with the high assignment this year. Nothing in his performance last season would have foreshadowed his K problem this year, even with an aggressive assignment.

Find out what Kenny would do, then do the opposite for each.

Mitchell sees the majors, but is never a significant contributor, is my guess.

 

Walker should probably be demoted - no need to rush him, and he continues to struggle, after doing pretty well in previous levels.

 

Hawkins, as others have said, is not suddenly striking out more than twice as much because of the transition to High A. I won't re-write the article I wrote on FS, you can all read it there, but I think he needs to stay at W-S at this point. He has adjustments to make, mechanically and in approach/tactics. He has the ability to hit that pitching, he just needs a LOT of refinement. Putting him at a lower level doesn't really help any of that, and may even hurt him by allowing him to not fix certain things.