As I was sifting through AA stats, a friend of mine asked me to come up with some names that may have fallen through the cracks, or perhaps aren’t particularly well known.  The following guys may not be relatively well known, but should be monitored this year.

Eastern League:

Ryan Strieby, 1B/LF | Detroit Tigers | Bats: R | Throws: R | Age: 24 |

2009: .303, 19 HR, 58 RBI, 2 SB, 64 Runs

An under-the-radar prospect, Strieby was on his way to making a name for himself before injuries derailed his season.  He displayed massive power potential over the past couple years, and showed growth last year, in particular with his batting eye (a whopping 16% walk rate).  The only thing holding him back is his contact rate.  He needs to cut down on the whiffs as it’s hovering around dangerous levels.  With Cabrera blocking Strieby at 1B, the Tigers have tried playing him at LF.  Look for Strieby to begin the season in AAA, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him with the big club at some point this season.

Ike Davis, 1B | New York Mets | Bats: L | Throws: L | Age: 22 |

2009: .309, 13 HR, 43 RBI, 0 SB, 30 Runs

He’s a former first rounder (18th overall 2008 draft) who was labeled a bust after hitting .256 with 0 HR & 17 RBI in 215 AB in A- Ball.  Fast forward a year later; Davis showed some nice growth in A+ Ball and performed even better in AA, hitting .309, with 13 HR & 43 RBI.  Davis is a left handed power hitting 1B with good plate patience, and someone the Mets hold in high regard.  Like Strieby, he’ll needs to cut down on his strikeouts next year, or he risks becoming another Adam Laroche.  Davis had a strong AFL season as well and improved his contact rate while maintaining the massive power potential.  If he shows further growth to begin the year, Davis will be the answer to the current 1B controversy  More than likely he needs one more year of seasoning.

Jeanmar Gomez, SP | Cleveland Indians | Bats: R | Throws: R | Age: 21 |

2009: 10-4, 3.43 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 109 K, 40 BB

Gomez may be best known for his perfect game last year (aftermath pictured above), which was heralded as the best single game performance by MLB.com.  Gomez made his mark on the prospect charts after having a strong season, going 10-4, with a 3.43 ERA & 1.27 WHIP.  Slowly increasing his dominance each year since rookie ball, Gomez finished the year with Akron tallying 8 strikeouts per nine and 2.9 walks per nine, good for a 2.7 K/BB.  He doesn’t have overpowering stuff, but does command his pitches well and has the skills to become a potential #3 or#4 starter.

Southern League:

Sean Coughlin, C | Arizona Diamondbacks| Bats: L | Throws: R | Age 24 |

2009: .304, 7 HR, 20 RBI, 0 SB, 24 Runs

Coughlin caught my eye this year after having a very good AA season in which he showed a very good batting eye.  He’s defensively sound, and has shown glimpses of power potential.  He’s never had a walk rate in the single digits, and makes good contact with the ball.  He projects to be a backup catcher, but good left handed bats are hard to find and would upgrade him to a useful starter if he ever gets a chance.

Christian Marrero, 1B | Chicago White Sox | Bats: L | Throws: L | Age: 23 |

2009: .301, 11 HR, 40 RBI, 1 SB, 28 Runs

Although his younger brother Chris gets all the attention, the older of the two made some strides in 2009, despite question marks about his potential.  Starting in A+ ball the beginning of the year, Marrero hit .314 with 7 HR, 34 RBI & 2 SB.  A promotion to AA soon followed, despite the decline in batting eye.  An increase in walks was nice, but with it, the strikeouts increased as well.  After initially struggling in AA, he appeared to grow more comfortable with each passing month; he destroyed the ball in August, hitting .323 with 7 HR & 20 RBI.  Marrero projects to be a utility player at best, but someone to keep an eye on should he show further growth.

Texas League:

Daniel Descalso, 2B – St. Louis Cardinals | Bats: L | Throws: R | Age: 23 |

2009: .323, 8 HR, 51 RBI, 0 SB, 46 Runs

The 23 year old second baseman had a great season while playing with the Springfield Cardinals, hitting .323 with 8 HR and 51 RBI.  Flexing above average power, and a very good batting eye, Descalso was named as the starting second baseman for the Texas League’s North squad All Stars.  A promotion to AAA soon followed, where he continued to show an elite walk rate and very good batting eye, however the power disappeared.  Even though his power has been up and down over his career, he could potentially top out at 15 HR. RScouts have said he has gold glove potential, and could be up at some point this year and should provide a useful average and runs in a potent Cardinals lineup.

Fernando Abad – SP/RP | Houston Astros | Bat: L | Throws: L | Age: 24 |

2009: 0-1, 3.21 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 13 K, 3 BB

Abad started the 2009 year in A+ ball as a reliever and went 4-6 with 6 saves and a 4.14 ERA.  Showing exceptional control since being signed as a free agent in 2002, the 24 year old lefty was promoted to AA and converted to a starter.  Although it’s a small sample size, Abad went 0-1 with a 3.21 ERA, 8.4 K/9, 1.9 BB/9 and 4.4 K/BB.  The southpaw also participated in the Dominican League and posted a 3-1 record with a 3.42 ERA, 6.1 K/9, 2.9 BB/9 and 2.1 K/BB while limiting batters to a .240 average.  Abad’s strikeouts did take a hit, which is not unusual when a reliever is converted into a starter.  It’s too early to tell whether the 6.1 K/9 is his true strikeout rate as he doesn’t have much experience as a starter. He bears watching this upcoming year.

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