Caulfield is seriously starting to run with his shtick. He never seizes to amaze me.

 

Or ceases for that matter.

Andrew Mitchell is having a pretty good start thus far. Walks could use reducing, but 1 hit, albeit a homer, through 4 is pretty good.

Semien's performance is very average to me. He has nice peripheral stats, but overall it's not a dominant season or anything. I'm still a bit skeptical about him.

 

He's 22 and in his first year at AA. I think he's been fine.

He's 22 and in his first year at AA. I think he's been fine.

That's it though. He's been fine. I'm not going to get excited about that.

That's it though. He's been fine. I'm not going to get excited about that.

 

C'mon look at that k:bb and tell me you don't feel a lil tickle

Trayce has rallied from poor play enough times that I'm not sure what he would have to do for me to rule him out as a prospect

That's it though. He's been fine. I'm not going to get excited about that.

 

He's a refreshing prospect compared to the all or nothing, raw, athletic outfield prospects we currently have.

 

Outside of his amazing walk rate, his strikeout rate has also improved a lot this year, to a point he's striking out once every 7 PA. He plays at a premium position, albeit not spectacular defense, but he is on pace to hit 15 HR and steal 20 bases while boasting an almost .400 OBP, as a 22 year old in Double A. If you add that together, that is pretty impressive.

 

The gap between him and Sanchez is a lot closer in my books.

He's a refreshing prospect compared to the all or nothing, raw, athletic outfield prospects we currently have.

 

Outside of his amazing walk rate, his strikeout rate has also improved a lot this year, to a point he's striking out once every 7 PA. He plays at a premium position, albeit not spectacular defense, but he is on pace to hit 15 HR and steal 20 bases while boasting an almost .400 OBP, as a 22 year old in Double A. If you add that together, that is pretty impressive.

 

The gap between him and Sanchez is a lot closer in my books.

You nailed it though. He's refreshing. I wonder if people are overrating his performance based on the fact that no one else in the system resembles that.

Came to this thread for 7/10 Sox prospect talk.

 

Left disappointed.

You nailed it though. He's refreshing. I wonder if people are overrating his performance based on the fact that no one else in the system resembles that.

 

He's what we hope our top prospects to be doing right now. If Hawkins, Thompson, or Mitchell are performing like Semien is right now, everyone will be screaming for joy. It's a shame Semien doesn't have the tools of those other guys, because he certainly looks like he has the smarts and skills to be an impact player.

 

We may have too much expectation for this guy, given he doesn't have one single great tool. But in a thin system like ours, where our top hitter prospects aren't hitting, those expectations are understandable.

Edited July 11, 201312 yr by thxfrthmmrs

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-fringe-...e-prospects-11/

 

The Fringe Five is a weekly exercise (introduced in April) wherein the author utilizes regressed stats, scouting reports, and also his own heart to identify and/or continue monitoring the most compelling fringe prospects in all of baseball.

 

Central to this exercise, of course, is a definition of the word fringe. The author recognizes that the word has different connotations for different sorts of readers. For the purposes of this column, however — and for reasons discussed more thoroughly in a recent edition of the Five — the author has considered eligible for the Five any prospect who was absent from all of three notable preseason top-100 prospect lists.

 

Marcus Semien, MI, Chicago AL (Profile)

 

Last week, the author suggsted that Semien’s June was notable, on account of how the infielder had posted a walk-to-strikeout ratio just above 1.00 while hitting four home runs and making all his starts on the more challenging end of the defensive spectrum. Improbably, he’s improved upon those figures in July thus far. As of Tuesday, Semien had recorded an 8:4 walk-to-strikeout ratio in 39 July plate appearances — this, while also hitting two home runs and stealing two bases on two attempts.

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-fringe-...e-prospects-11/

What's funny is, he's appeared like 3-4 times in that same recurring series - five fringe guys. When you are there 4 or 5 times, I don't think you qualify as fringe anymore. I think he's a real prospect.

 

But that word has many meanings for many different people.

 

What's funny is, he's appeared like 3-4 times in that same recurring series - five fringe guys. When you are there 4 or 5 times, I don't think you qualify as fringe anymore. I think he's a real prospect.

 

But that word has many meanings for many different people.

 

 

If he could play SS with those numbers, he would have 5X the value.

 

Unfortunately, he MIGHT end up getting stuck behind Beckham....and then Micah Johnson and Anderson are charging from behind, with Carlos Sanchez in front of him (maybe not minor league position-wise, but logical big league destination).

 

 

If he could play SS with those numbers, he would have 5X the value.

 

Unfortunately, he MIGHT end up getting stuck behind Beckham....and then Micah Johnson and Anderson are charging from behind, with Carlos Sanchez in front of him (maybe not minor league position-wise, but logical big league destination).

Really though...the hope is that one of those guys can come in and be a big league contributor. You're lucky if 1 of them does.

If he could play SS with those numbers, he would have 5X the value.

 

Unfortunately, he MIGHT end up getting stuck behind Beckham....and then Micah Johnson and Anderson are charging from behind, with Carlos Sanchez in front of him (maybe not minor league position-wise, but logical big league destination).

He can play SS, and has this year (and in previous years) - he and Saladino have both played SS for B-Ham.

 

But it isn't clear if they think he can stick there. The fact that both have played there is interesting. If one goes to Charlotte at some point, look to see what position they play, and what position the person left in B-Ham plays. That could tell you something.

 

He can play SS, and has this year (and in previous years) - he and Saladino have both played SS for B-Ham.

 

But it isn't clear if they think he can stick there. The fact that both have played there is interesting. If one goes to Charlotte at some point, look to see what position they play, and what position the person left in B-Ham plays. That could tell you something.

 

 

Here's the thing. The bloom is definitely off the Saladino rose.

 

So if they believed Semien could actually play big league SS, why wouldn't they flip them right now? (Is it because they think Beckham is easier to replace than Alexei, for example?)

 

Does Beckham's new-found career resurgence change their thinking again, as well as a possible Ramirez trade coming in the next two weeks?

 

Saladino, in the games I've watched, has been nothing special defensively...he's an okay AA shortstop, that's about it. He won't kill you, he won't make many spectacular plays and his arm and range are just average or a tick below average for that position, compared to the rest of the Southern League shortstops.

By the way, related to shortstop/second baseman and 7/10's games... now seen reports from a blogger and a scout that have said Joey DeMichele is having a hard time at SS. Not doing well there.

 

By the way, related to shortstop/second baseman and 7/10's games... now seen reports from a blogger and a scout that have said Joey DeMichele is having a hard time at SS. Not doing well there.

 

The hardest thing to do when you're struggling in the field is to stay positive at the plate too.

 

Johnson's emergence has put DiMichele into a bit of a bind. I like DeMichele but if he can't play SS, he's going to have to either learn how to play 3B and the OF, or he's going to have a difficult time breaking into the majors.

The hardest thing to do when you're struggling in the field is to stay positive at the plate too.

 

Johnson's emergence has put DiMichele into a bit of a bind. I like DeMichele but if he can't play SS, he's going to have to either learn how to play 3B and the OF, or he's going to have a difficult time breaking into the majors.

Yeah and his hitting has dropped off too.

 

If Micah tears up the Carolina League, and if one of Semien or Saladino head for AAA, you may see Micah go to AA this year and Joey can go back to 2B. That also allows for Tim Anderson to play SS at W-S if he earns it.

 

Semien's performance is very average to me. He has nice peripheral stats, but overall it's not a dominant season or anything. I'm still a bit skeptical about him.

Personally he strikes me as a player Jeff Luhnow would've targeted in the Cards organization. He doesn't appear to have a stand out tool but he appears average to above in everything he does, I can only hope he turns out like one of the cards unheralded prospects that just know how to play the game and take a walk.

Personally he strikes me as a player Jeff Luhnow would've targeted in the Cards organization. He doesn't appear to have a stand out tool but he appears average to above in everything he does, I can only hope he turns out like one of the cards unheralded prospects that just know how to play the game and take a walk.

 

I like the idea. I personally am so sick of the low average, high strikeout, slow, low baseball I.Q., power only type players that we always seem to have an abundance of. I realize that you need to have at least a couple of those types playing in U.S. Cellular, but we seem to have way too many all or nothing types.

 

Give me a solid ballplayer over the Adam Dunn types anyday.