Reviewing Our 2012 Top-100: #51-60 (Z.Wheeler to Milone)
By Wally Fish
Today we’re back with a look at the next group of ten from Nathaniel’s 2012 S2S Top-100 list. If you’d like to check out the review/recap of prospects from previous installments of this review, click here (#61-70), click here (#71-80), click here (#81-90) and here (#91-100).
Familia made his major league debut in 2012. The goal for 2013 is to prove he belongs there. (Photo Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-US PRESSWIRE)
It’s a case of six up and four down for this section of last year’s Top-100. Two of the below (Milone and Lavarnway) graduated from the world while a pair of Royals farm hands had impressive 2012 showings.
#51: Zack Wheeler – RHP – New York Mets
Profile Published – 11/17/2011
2012 – Binghamton (AA): 3.26 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 92 H, 43 BB and 117 SO in 116.0 IP
2012 – Buffalo (AAA): 3.27 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 23 H, 16 BB and 31 SO in 33.0 IP
Best Month – May: 27.0 IP, 13 H, 6 ER, 7 BB and 30 SO with Binghamton
Worst Month – June: 32.2 IP, 30 H, 15 ER, 14 BB and 22 SO with Binghamton
Stock Up/Down – Up. It’s full steam ahead for the Mets top prospect.
#52: Bubba Starling – OF – Kansas City Royals
Profile Published – 11/16/2011
2012 – Burlington (Rk): 0.275/.371/.485, 8 2B, 2 2B, 10 HR, 10 SB, 28 BB and 70 SO in 234 PA
Best Month – July: 0.313/.402/.563 in 109 PA
Worst Month – June: 0.182/.400/.182 in 14 PA
Stock Up/Down – Up. Given his profile, the strikeouts were to be expected. The rest of the tools were present and obvious in his performance from the jump which is an excellent sign for the young CF.
#53: Ryan Lavarnway – C – Boston Red Sox
Profile Published – 11/15/2011
2012 – Pawtucket (AAA): 0.295/.376/.439, 22 2B, 8 HR, 1 SB, 40 BB and 62 SO in 367 PA
2012 – Boston (MLB): 0.157/.211/.248, 8 2B, 2 HR, 11 BB and 41 SO in 166 PA
Best Month – June: 0.405/.469/.667 in 96 PA with Pawtucket
Worst Month – September/October: 0.138/.180/.255 in 100 PA with Boston
Stock Up/Down – Down and not a surprise given that it was unlikely he could match his production from 2011. What was a surprise was how dreadful he was with Boston late in the season.
#54: Jeurys Familia – RHP – New York Mets
Profile Published – 11/14/2011
2012 – Buffalo (AAA): 4.73 ERA, 1.59 WHIP, 145 H, 73 BB and 128 SO in 137.0 IP
2012 – New York (MLB): 5.84 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 10 H, 8 BB, 10 SO in 12.1 IP
Best Month – August: 33.2 IP, 37 H, 16 ER, 12 BB and 35 SO with Buffalo
Worst Month – April: 21.2 IP, 21 H, 13 ER, 22 BB and 26 SO with Buffalo
Stock Up/Down – Down. He turned in the worst SO/BB and worst H/9 rates of his minor league career and did not look good in his first major league action. Still plenty of reason for optimism here, but it has to be reigned in from where it was a year ago.
#55: Arodys Vizcaino – RHP – Chicago Cubs
Profile Published – 11/13/2011
2012 – Did Not Pitch (Had Tommy John surgery in March)
Best Month – N/A
Worst Month – N/A
Stock Up/Down – Down. You could certainly argue for a push, but the trade that sent him from Atlanta to Chicago factors in here. I have far less faith in the Cubs ability to develop arms than Atlanta’s and that reduces Vizcaino’s stock slightly in my book.
#56: Tim Wheeler – OF – Colorado Rockies
Profile Published – 11/12/2011
2012 – Colorado Springs (AAA): 0.303/.357/.412, 27 2B, 4 3B, 2 HR, 7 SB, 29 BB and 69 SO in 415 PA
Best Month – August: 0.325/.351/.452 in 131 PA
Worst Month – April: 0.200/.375/.280 in 31 PA
Stock Up/Down – Up … or maybe push? His power completely vanished going from 33 HR with Tulsa (AA) in 2011 to just 2 with the SkySox. However he cut his K% by nearly 6%, turned in the best BA of his 4 year career and effectively held serve on his OBP.
#57: Yordano Ventura – RHP – Kansas City Royals
Profile Published – 11/11/2011
2012 – AZL Royals (Rk): 2.45 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 3 H, 1 BB and 7 SO in 3.2 IP
2012 – Wilmington (A+): 3.30 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 66 H, 28 BB and 98 SO in 76.1 IP
2012 – NW Arkansas (AA): 4.60 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 23 H, 13 BB and 25 SO in 29.1 IP
Best Month – May: 29.0 IP, 19 H, 7 ER, 6 BB and 31 SO with Wilmington
Worst Month – July: 21.2 IP, 23 H, 17 ER, 11 BB and 20 SO with Wilmington and NW Arkansas
Stock Up/Down – Up, but can he buck the curse that seems to hound Royals pitching prospects once they reach the majors?
#58: Jonathan Galvez – 2B/SS – San Diego Padres
Profile Published – 11/10/2011
2012 – San Antonio (AA): 0.292/.364/.426, 20 2B, 2 3B, 6 HR, 12 SB, 31 BB and 70 SO in 350 PA
Best Month – May: 0.341/.449/.537 in 47 PA
Worst Month – August: 0.226/.281/.349 in 113 PA
Stock Up/Down – Up after largely replicating his 2011 California League stats in Double-A this season.
#59: Vinnie Catricala – 3B/1B/OF – Seattle Mariners
Profile Published – 11/9/2011
2012 – Tacoma (AAA): 0.229/.292/.348, 23 2B, 1 3B, 10 HR, 4 SB, 37 BB and 88 SO in 507 PA
Best Month – June: 0.256/.343/.400 in 100 PA
Worst Month – April: 0.182/.240/.205 in 93 PA
Stock Up/Down – Down, each of his slash stats dropped by more than 120 points from last season.
#60: Tommy Milone – LHP – Oakland Athletics
Profile Published – 11/8/2011
2012 – Oakland (MLB): 3.74 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 207 H, 36 BB and 137 SO in 190.0 IP
Best Month – July: 33.0 IP, 37 H, 13 ER, 3 BB and 34 SO
Worst Month – June: 37.0 IP, 40 H, 16 ER, 8 BB and 28 SO
Stock Up/Down – Up as he helped pitch the Athletics into the playoffs.
~~~~~
For links to plenty more content on prospects check out, Fantasy Rundown and to keep tabs on all the happenings in the majors, check out Call to the Pen.