Minor Distractions (05/02/00)We're barely through one month into the season but several minor league prospects are showing they are already to move up in the world.
Bobby Bradley, RHSP - Hickory Crawdads, South Atlantic League (A)
PITCHER W-L ERA G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR HB BB SO WP AVG
Bradley, Bobby 4- 1 1.41 5 5 1 0 0 32.0 27 11 5 0 2 3 49 1 .221Bradley was the eighth pick overall in last year's amateur draft. Signed out of high school (Wellington, Florida), Bradley wasted no time showing what he could do. The 19-year old posted solid numbers in rookie league play, striking out 31 while walking only 4 in 31 innings. He has a decent fastball, but outstanding control of a big breaking curveball. He also has no trouble throwing his slider or change-up for strikes. The Pirates really like his maturity and intelligence on the mound. Health-willing, he should rise quickly and make the early comparisons to Greg Maddux warranted.
Chin-Hui Tsao, RHSP - Asheville Tourists, South Atlantic League (A)
PITCHER W-L ERA G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR HB BB SO WP AVG
Tsao, Chin-hui 2- 2 1.78 5 5 0 0 0 30.1 19 7 6 2 0 3 45 1 .174Tsao came over from Taiwan this offseason when the Rockies offered him a signing bonus of $2.2 million. The 18-year old has had no trouble accepting that kind money or dominating Sally League hitters. He has a legitimate mid-90s fastball, which is why the Yomiuri Giants, Atlanta Braves, Toronto Blue Jays and LA Dodgers also made strong efforts to sign him. Tsao has a pretty good idea how to use his fastball and complements it with a good slider and decent change-up. He fields his position well, a rarity for someone who throws as hard as he does.
Cesar Crespo, 2B - Portland Sea Dogs, Eastern League (AA)
PLAYER AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS SLG OBP E
#Crespo, Cesar,OF .391 19 64 23 25 7 1 4 13 19 12 9 1 .719 .536 4Cesar Crespo passed under the radar of just about everyone last year, including the Marlins. He was not listed amongst the Marlins top 15 prospects when they submitted their list to Baseball America. Guaranteed, they won't make that mistake again. Crespo came to the Marlins as part of the Al Leiter deal in the winter following the Marlins' World Championship in 1997. The 20-year old Puerto Rican native was basically a throw in. Big mistake. Although it wasn't until this year that he showed good power, he's always had excellent speed, stealing 69 bases over the past 2 season while only getting caught 22 times, and an excellent eye at the plate. Last year, he walked 62 times while striking out only 86 in 427 ABs. He's also a superb defensive player at second, although the inconsistency of youth still plagues him.
Chin-Feng Chen, OF - San Antonio Missions, Texas League (AA)
PLAYER AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS SLG OBP E
Chen, Chin-Feng,OF .350 22 100 15 35 10 2 2 18 8 24 12 2 .550 .398 2Last winter, the Dodgers made Chen the first Taiwanese player signed since 1975 for the princely sum of $680,000. They had enjoyed success signing pitchers from the Far East but Chen was the first hitter. There were concerns that he wouldn't be able to make the adjustment from aluminum bats to wooden ones. There were also concerns about cultural differences and completely different playing philosophies. Apparently, someone forgot to tell Chen, as he hit and ran his way into California League history, winning the League MVP and becoming the first 30/30 man in league history. Although Chen played mostly centerfield in Taiwan, his arm strength will probably force him to left by the time he reaches the majors. The 22-year old also has a tough time with strikeouts, but those are the only two weaknesses in his very impressive set of skills.
Jack Cust, OF - El Paso Diablos, Texas League (AA)
PLAYER AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS SLG OBP E
*Cust, Jack,OF .380 21 71 18 27 2 2 7 21 17 21 3 2 .761 .500 2We had a hint Cust could hit after his first season of rookie ball - he hit .306 with 15 extra base hits in 121 at bats as an 18-year old in 1997. However, I don't know that anyone but perhaps Cust knew he'd become the monster hitter he was last year in High A High Desert. Cust finished in the top 5 in batting average, slugging, on base, walks, runs and RBI in all of A-ball, which includes 5 full season leagues. This year in AA, he's simply picking up where he left off. His defense is more suited to DH (which might be a possibility if Arizona moves to the AL), as he has a below average arm and almost no range. But there's no question with his great bat speed and eye at the plate, he can hit. His closest major league comparison is Jim Thome, but Cust will likely hit for a much better batting average once he's in the show.
Brad Wilkerson, OF - Harrisburg Senators, Eastern League (AA)
PLAYER AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS SLG OBP E
*Wilkerson, Brad,OF .378 21 74 15 28 10 1 1 13 11 11 3 0 .581 .465 1Wilkerson was the 33rd overall pick in the 1998 amateur draft. At the University of Florida, he was one of the top two-way players in the history of the NCAA. In his senior year, he hit .349 with 23 homers, 69 RBI and 20 steals. He also walked 80 times while striking out only 29. Oh, and he also went 10-4 as a pitcher, striking out 133 batters in only 119 innings. After college, he concentrated on hitting. He didn't do much last year, hitting a lowly .235 but he still drew walks at a very high rate and finished with an on base of .372. Scouts complained that he was too patient. This year, the 22-year old is being a little more aggressive at the plate and seems to have found his old stroke. He's a very good corner outfielder, with above average range, and as you'd expect, a great arm. It won't be too much longer before the Expos' outfield picture is very, very crowded.
Keith Ginter, 2B - Round Rock Express, Texas League (AA)
PLAYER AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS SLG OBP E
Ginter, Keith,2B .457 25 94 30 43 10 1 10 34 19 22 7 1 .904 .560 4There's one other guy who bears mentioning. His name is Keith Ginter. He's a 24-year old second baseman in the Astros system, currently playing at AA Round Rock. Round Rock, for those who are interested, was the team formerly known as the Jackson (Ms.) Generals, but was bought and moved to Texas by Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan. Anyway, Ginter is a tad old to be playing at AA, but with the way he's going, he won't be there long. Unfortunately, some guy named Biggio blocks his route to the majors. Ginter was drafted in the 10th round of the 1998 draft out of Texas Tech. In his first season in the New York Penn League, he was named an all star at second base. He's got terrific range and turns the double play well, although he has had troubles with errors; he committed 21 last year. He may end up at third base. Regardless, if he continues to hit like this, the Astros will find a position for him.
* = Left-handed
# = switch hitter