Howdy everyone, time to get geared up for some of the minor league season as well as the MLB season. I'll be posting some stuff I find over the next few weeks and I will do my best to get previews up for all of the MiLB teams as their rosters start getting set. If you guys see any of this stuff just send me a link in an email (email addresses for Gondeee and I are at the very bottom of the page).
Anyways, BA posted a premium article today about this years crop of rookie CFs. The list of players included Cameron Maybin, Colby Rasmus, Dexter Fowler, Andrew McCutchen and our very own Jordan Schafer. Their breakdown for each player is similar to their Prospect Handbook (for those who are familiar): Background, Opportunity, Best case Scenario, Worst Case Scenario, and Scout's Take.
Obviously I can't post the whole thing, but I'll give you a snipet of the worst case scenario:
Worst Case: Schafer is a streaky hitter who is prone to striking out a lot, and he particularly struggled against lefthanders last season. His center-field defense virtually guarantees him a big league job, but if he doesn't refine his offensive approach he could end up as a defensive reserve or a regular who should bat at the bottom of the order.
The funny thing is Schafer had probably the best worst case scenario out of the 5 guys profiled because of his stellar defense. He is pretty much a lock to be useful and has solid skills across the board to be an all star. BA goes on to praise his defense and his strong spring. They also say he could probably use some time in AAA as well (which I agree with, his LH splits are still scary bad) but would be on a short rope at Gwinnett should Blanco or Anderson struggle. A lot of this is stuff we already know but it is nice to see him mentioned with some of the top prospects around. Here is the link for those with premium accounts: Baseball America