Random Prospect Jottings...

I was very pleased to see Angel Villalona really turn it on near the end of the Rookie League season. He ended up finishing .285/.344/.450 with 5 home runs in 200 at bats. Not too bad for someone who would just be starting his senior year in high school if he lived in the states. He even ended up as the 8th honorable mention (33rd overall i guess) on the Project Prospect Top 25. He is not far behind Josh Vitters, Mike Moustakas, and Matt Wieters, who were all top 5 picks in this past June's draft. He will likely start next year as a 17 year old playing in Low-A which is pretty unheard of.

Speaking of Project Prospect

Project Prospect also released their Top 100 Under 25. Topping the list for The Giants was Tim Lincecum at number 10 who was rated just behind Felix Hernandez, and in front of other pitchers like Yovani Gallardo, Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, and Scott Kazmir. Someone who I thought would be much higher than 21 is Matt Cain. He is younger, and has put up better numbers than Justin Verlander who was rated higher than him. To put the icing on the cake, Angel Villalona holds down the 84th position. The only other 17 year old on the list (Carlos Triunfel), is 6 months older than Villalona and is 97th on the list.

Kevin Pucetas Wins MSPA

Kevin Pucetas of the Augusta Greenjackets, The Giants Low-A affiliate, won the Most Spectacular Pitcher Award. The award is given to the minor league pitcher with the lowest E.R.A. that qualified with 112 IP, or 45 IP if you were to play with a short season team. Pucetas was a pleasant surprise after being drafted in the 17th round last year and will likely start next season as a 23 year old in either High-A or AA, depending on his performance in Spring Training.

Draft Notes

With another lost today The Giants have fallen to 66-83. They are in a three way tie for the 7th worst record in the league (the draft order for the MLB draft is based on regular season records). At one point, The Giants were in line for at least the 3rd or 4th overall pick, but a streak of mediocrity (oh no!!) has sent them flying (well not really) up the standings. The Giants end the season with series at Arizona, Cincinnati, San Diego, then at LA. With the way they have been trying to protect their young arms, I could really see The Giants tanking as the season ends. This years draft is not that deep so it is important that The Giants get a pick somewhere in the top 5 (whoever thought that tanking for a better draft pick would exist in baseball). As I see it, this season has been over for months, so why not play some younger guys (AKA not Durham, Feliz, and Bonds), get them some experience, and maybe lose a few games. Its probably the best thing for the organization at this point. I am hoping that The Giants can get someone like 1B Justin Smoak out of South Carolina, or Isaac Galloway, a So-Cal high school outfielder.