We've come to the end of the season reviews. Timmy still has a couple of rookie reviews to get through, but for the most part, we've done quite a bit to break down the minor league system. A huge thank you goes out to Orem, Subber and timmy for all the great work this week. We'll get back to your regularly scheduled programming next week and hope you've enjoyed this minor league review.
As for the Gulf Coast League, there's a reason we saved it for the end. This is not a very good league. The talent here is very raw and/or not far removed from high school. Sure, some of the guys put up good numbers and sometimes the pitchers look dominant.
The point of this league is about more than numbers, though. It's about guys adjusting to the pros. Players signed out of South and Central America, including the Carribbean, can adjust to the US in a low-pressure environment. The Astros also play in Kissimmee, which is also their spring training home.
Knowing that, it's hard to see success here. The guys who perform the best stat-wise may not necessarily be the ones who have the highest ceiling. Last year, Kike Hernandez was one of the best players on the team and, as we've discussed here before, Hernandez doesn't have the highest ceiling in the system. Meanwhile, a guy like Telvin Nash doesn't show a tenth of his power potential but can make the top 20 of our prospect list a year later.
Keep that in mind when reading the following review:
Team MVP
Jordan Scott, Outfielder - One of the youngest players on the team put up a surprisingly solid performance. None of the GCL Astros hit for power this year, but Scott made a good transition from high school to hitting for average here. He doesn't have huge upside, but another quick, average-hitting center fielder can't hurt the system, can it?
Team Cy Young
Jose Perdomo, right-hander - Finally, we have one of the only players on this team to make the podcast. Perdomo is a bit of a mystery. We don't know what he throws. We don't know how hard he throws. We don't know what his mechanics are like. It's hard to talk about a player like that, but he's definitely done enough to move up in the system. He probably ends up in Tri-City next season.
Players To Watch
Chan Moon, shortstop - Think about Moon like Nash. He's an international signing who is playing in the minors for the first time. So, his stats don't live up to his potential level yet. I look for him to have a much better season in 2011.
Dieudone Paul, right-hander - Everything went right for Paul, striking out 39 in 33 innings. His walk rate was a little high, but his ERA was quite low and he didn't give up many hits. With not much info on what his repertoire is, it's hard to say whether he'll have success next season, but he'll probably end up in Greeneville.
Ryan Ditthardt, first baseman - The undrafted free agent from Troy posted a pretty respectable on-base percentage and an okay batting average. It's hard to see him moving a bunch, but he's earned a chance to make it to Tri-City next season.
Players Who Disappointed
Joshua Magee, second baseman - The pancake afficionado really did nothing of note after signing. He stole seven bases in 11 opportunities, but hit under .300 in all three slash categories. The Astros are also much deeper at second base, so he may not have a chance to stick in the system.
Kyle Redinger, third baseman - One of the later-round high school picks to sign, Redinger did nothing to show any promise next season. However, he could break out a little in Greeneville next season.
Danilo Del Rio, right-hander - He started more games than all but one other person on the staff and had two complete games but his ERA was 5.56 and he only struck out 37 guys in 57 2/3 innings. Oh, he also gave up 72 hits, which may have been affected by the defense behind him
Best Outlook for 2011
Ditthardt has some college experience and probably will rise the highest of this group. Expect him to end up in Tri-City next season with a slight possibilty of him landing in Lexington.