May 26, 2009

Future Shock Blog

May 26

by Kevin Goldstein

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Five who just missed today's Ten Pack .

More points in his favor: he's not married to a Spice Girl

Gordan Beckham, SS, White Sox (Double-A Birmingham)
Monday's stats: 3-for-5, 2B, HR (4), 5 RBI
The 2008 first-round pick hasn't received much attention for his daily performances, as he's been consistently good, but not great. Now we finally have a dominant run, as in his last six games, Beckham has gone 12-for-26 with three doubles and two home runs, raising his OPS nearly 100 points in the process with a season line of .307/.368/.514.

The Mariners rank 13th in the American League in runs . . . we're just sayin'

Jeff Clement, C/DH, Mariners (Triple-A Tacoma)
Monday's stats: 3-for-5, K
Meanwhile, this guy keeps putting the screws on the ball. It's hard to find a hotter bat at the upper levels than Clement, who is currently in the midst of a 13-game hitting streak during which he's gone 26-for-58 (.448). Nah, a big league team that has scored ten runs in their last six games has no need for a bat like this. .

Insert other Beckham joke here

Tim Beckham, SS, Rays (Low-A Bowling Green)
Monday's stats: 2-for-3, 2B, BB, K, CS
Last year's number one overall pick now has a career-high five straight multi-hit games, going 11-for-20 over his last five games to up his season averages to .313/.358/.433. Just as encouraging, the plate discipline is starting to show up, as after drawing just four walks in his first 30 games, he's added seven in his last nine.

Worthy of another chance?

Carlos Gonzalez, of, Rockies (Triple-A Colorado Springs)
Monday's stats: 3-for-4, HR (6), RBI, CS
This is hardly the first time Gonzalez has gotten hot in his minor league career, as Gonzalez is just that, going 9-for-18 in his last four games. Effort issues and poor big league performance had Arizona and Oakland willing to move him along in trades, but he's still just 23, and the tools are undeniable. It's not like the Rockies are going anywhere, so why not give him a look and see if that thin mountain air is just what the doctor ordered.

Semi-sleeper alert!

Pedro Baez, 3B, Dodgers (High-A Inland Empire)
Monday's stats: 2-for-4, 2 HR (8), 2 R, 3 RBI, K
I categorize this as 'semi,' as Baez is the kind of guy who ends up towards the end of prospect lists for the Dodgers (I had him ninth entering the year) based on just the tools alone. A 21-year-old Dominican, Baez is loaded with raw power and has one of the best arms in the minor leagues, but a highly aggressive approach has held him back as a pro. While he's made only a big of progress on that front, with nine walks and 34 strikeouts in 122 at-bats, all of the other tools are starting to click.

Kevin Goldstein is an author of Baseball Prospectus. 
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