Minor League Previews: PCL Pacific Southern

Feb 20, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher

poses for a portrait during photo day at Camelback Ranch. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Albuquerque Isotopes

Parent Club: Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers have the highest payroll in baseball, and they have plenty of young talent throughout the system. The Isotopes roster is no different.

Pitching

The pitching staff in Albuquerque will probably not put up great numbers as the team plays at one of the best hitter’s parks in Minor League Baseball. Don’t let the numbers fool you, there are plenty of quality arms to go around. Stephen Fife, Matt Magill, Zach Lee highlight the starting rotation while Daniel Moskos and Yimi Garcia sit in the bullpen.

Fife and Magill both have big league experience, with Fife having success while Magill struggled in his brief sting in the bigs in 2013. Both look to be guys that can fit into the back of a rotation for many years, Zach Lee could be a potential number three starter. Lee had a solid spring, earning himself the start against Team Australia down in Sydney, but will start the season at Triple-A.

Batting

Not yet listed on the roster, but expected to begin the year with the Isotopes, is Alexander Guerrero. Guerrero is a Cuban second baseman signed this off-season and was expected to be the starter opening day. He struggled both offensively and defensively this spring, but I liked what I saw from him. Big league pitchers may be able to keep him off-balance, but he has good, fluid movement when turning the double play and I could see him being an above-average defender in time.

With Matt Kemp coming off the DL on Friday, Mike Baxter was sent down to Triple-A, making the Isotopes outfield as full as the one in Los Angeles. Baxter joins Nick “Chili” Buss, Trayvon Robinson, and Joc Pederson in the outfield down in Triple-A. Robinson flashed to tools that once made him a top prospect this spring, but his overall skills with the bat will probably prevent him from ever being a big league regular. On just about any other team, Pederson would be a big league starter today, but instead he sits in Triple-A while there are four All-Star caliber outfielders blocking his way to the big leagues. Time in the minors is not all bad though, as he still appeared raw when I saw him this spring and could use a bit more maturing at the plate.

The Isotopes will also start the season with the man affectionately known as “Fed-Ex”, Tim Federowicz, but will probably bounce between New Mexico and Los Angeles until he runs out of options.

Nov 2, 2013; Surprise, AZ, USA; San Diego Padres pitcher

against the East during the Fall Stars Game at Surprise Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

El Paso Chihuahuas

Parent Club: San Diego Padres

The Tucson Padres have moved to El Paso, Texas and re-branded themselves the Chihuahuas, but they will head back to Tucson for a four game set to begin their home schedule next weekend. While the team will no longer be branded with the same team name as the big league club, they do still feature guys that will wear “Padres” across their chest before too long.

Pitching

I got a good look at Keyvius Sampson this spring, where he was working as a starter, but his long term future is probably a power arm out of the bullpen. He features a plus fastball and hard slider to go with an average change that creates a mix that could play as a starter, but his accuracy is not what you want from someone in the starting rotation.

After struggling in his first stint in the big leagues, Burch Smith is back in Triple-A where he should thrive. He has number four starter potential, but will probably end up being a long term fifth starter for the Padres just based on track record and the number of quality arms in the Padres system. If they end up moving him to the bullpen, his mid-90s fastball has been known to touch 98 MPH and he has a very good change to go with it.

Batting

The Triple-A roster does not yet feature the top position prospects, but they will still roll out plenty of quality players. The all-or-nothing power swing of Kyle Blanks is on the roster, as is Jeff Francoeur. The Padres are another team with a logjam in the outfield, and while Reymond Fuentes could serve as a solid fourth outfielder and excellent defensive replacement, he will instead be the starting center fielder for El Paso.

Mar 3, 2014; Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA; New Yorks Mets pitcher

(55) warms up before the spring training exhibition game against the Atlanta Bravesat Champion Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

Las Vegas 51s

Parent Club: New York Mets

There might not be a Triple-A team based further from the big league home than Las Vegas is from New York, but the 51s will roll out a team worthy of the Vegas lights. They have a mix of past and present stars that carry as much name recognition as some big league clubs.

Pitching

Both Rafael Montero and Noah Syndergaard are expected to make their big league debuts later this season, but will start the year in Vegas. Syndergaard could join Matt Harvey and Zach Wheeler to create one of the best young 1-2-3 punches in baseball since the Oakland A’s featured Barry Zito, Tim Hudson, and Mark Mulder. Meanwhile Montero could be a very good fourth starter at the next level, which gives the Mets a bright future.

The 51s will also roll out the one time superstar from Japan, Daisuke Matsuzaka. Daisuke was in the battle for the fifth spot in the rotation, but lost out and finds himself in Triple-A. While he never did live up to the expectations when the Red Sox signed him, he is still a name that could draw attention at a minor league park.

Batting

Another player whose name might be worth the price of admission is Bobby Abreu. Abreu lit up the Venezuelan Winter League and earned himself a trip to camp with the Philadelphia Phillies. After the Phillies decided not to keep him on the 25-man roster, the Mets picked him up and added him to their Triple-A squad. While he may be the biggest name in the lineup, the outfield has two players who will probably make more of an impact in the big leagues this season in Kirk Niuenwenhuis and Matt den Dekker.

Taylor Teagarden will be the man charged with the responsibility to catch the supremely talented pitching staff, and while Teagarden never lived up to his potential as a big league starter, a veteran catcher is just what the young pitchers need at Triple-A.

Nov 2, 2013; Surprise, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Angels second baseman

against the West during the Fall Stars Game at Surprise Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Salt Lake Bees

Parent Club: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

The Angels farm system is poor, but you won’t be able to tell when looking at the Triple-A squad. To go along with two of the top three prospects in the system, the Angels send several players with a solid big league track record to Salt Lake.

Pitching

Pitching in Salt Lake is always difficult given the altitude, but it will be more than the ballpark that makes the pitching hard to watch for the Bees this season. When the two best pitchers on the staff are Wade LeBlanc and Brandon Lyon you know it is going to be a long season.

Batting

I got a good look at a number of the position players on the Bees roster this spring. C.J. Cron is lost against a big league breaking ball but, when he makes contact, there is undeniable power in his bat. Also at first base for the Bees is Efren Navarro who plays excellent defense, but the bat is fringe-average.

The top prospect in the system, Taylor Lindsey, will start the 2014 season in Triple-A but could make his big league debut this season. His bat is his best attribute, but he probably will never be a .300 hitter.

Luis Jimenez was a well thought of prospect going into last season, but his bat didn’t make the trip with him to Anaheim. Instead he will be back with the Bees where his numbers will probably jump off the page yet again and the argument may be raised he is a product of the PCL.

J.B. Shuck and Brennan Boesch both start the season in the outfield in Salt Lake, but could easily serve as quality depth for the big league club.