The Minor League season opened across the country with record crowds, pomp, pageantry, fireworks and several noteworthy performances.  The following are the top 7 things you missed in affiliated Minor League Baseball last week.

1. Bryce Harper got his first Triple-A hit on Thursday.  It was a double in the second for the Syracuse Chiefs.  He ultimately went 2 for 4 for the Washington Nationals affiliate, which took the loss to the visiting Rochester Redwings (an affiliate of the Minnesota Twins), 7 to 4.  Harper proclaimed, “It’s always fun, to get that nervous feeling – the butterflies and whatnot.”  I know what you’re thinking.  Doesn’t Bryce Harper seem to be celebrating personal accomplishments in the face of a team loss? Ah, whom are we kidding?  Bryce Harper is going to be up with the big club so fast, you might as well have put him on the bench of your Fantasy Baseball team.

2. Luke French struck out four and allowed two hits over five innings.  He helped the Minnesota Twins Double-A affiliate, the New Britain Rock Cats, to take the win over the Richmond Flying Squirrels of the Giants farm system in the Eastern League.  I really don’t know what to say about this, but I think the Flying Squirrels might be the greatest name for a baseball team since the Albuquerque Isotopes.

3. The Columbus Clippers, the Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians, received their championship rings for taking the International League title last year.  They promptely lost that game to Louisville Bats of the Cincinnati Reds farm system, thanks to Paul Janish and his go-ahead solo shot in the ninth.  Tons of promise, only to fall short in the ninth?  Hmmm. Not much different than the big club are we?

4. The Brewers’ number 3 prospect, Taylor Jungmann, made his professional debut against the Daytona Cubs.  He allowed one run on four hits over five innings.  Ah, the Cubs losing.  Start them early boys, start them early.  Wouldn’t want to promote a culture of winning in that organization, would we?  The Chicago Cubs franchise is the only team that can pride themselves on the fact that the last time they won a World Series – we thought the automobile was going to go the way of the Betamax.

5. Derby the Dog was trained to bring out water to the umpires during the season opener of New York Yankees’ Double-A affiliate, the Trenton Thunder. They faced the visiting New Hampshire Fisher Cats of the Blue Jays organization…. or as Yankee fans like to call the sight, “I can’t get tickets to see Andy Pettitte pitch so I’m stuck watching this dumb dog.”

6. Giants top prospect Gary Brown went 1 for 3 with a walk in his Double-A debut for Richmond Flying Squirrels of the Eastern League.  Flying Squirrels…never not funny.

7. The Mets Class-A affiliate, the Savannah Sand Gnats, opened against the Giants affiliate, Augusta Green Jackets.  The Sand Gnats?  Really?  Making fun of this would just be too easy.

One of these new Rays blogs is Rays Digest.com, edited by John Gregg. Since starting Rays Digest, Gregg has been one of the growing number of voices discussing the Rays minor league system. This offseason, Gregg took his coverage up a level and conducted interviews with players and personnel from all levels of the Rays organization. Since we here at Bus Leagues Baseball are suckers for a good interview, I figured I would promote Gregg’s interviews here and share them with as many people as possible. Take a look and enjoy.

Charlotte Stone Crabs Broadcaster Kyle Bonn – 2/19/12

2B Ryan Brett (Part 1) – 1/31/12

2B Ryan Brett (Part 2) – 1/31/12

Scout Rico Brogna (Part 1) – 12/15/11

Scout Rico Brogna (Part 2) -12/17/11

RHP Matt Bush (audio)- 2/22/22 (premium)

LHP Shay Crawford (Part 1) – 2/10/12 (premium)

LHP Shay Crawford (Part 2) 2/11/12 (premium)

SS Johnny Eierman (audio) – 2/15/12

Princeton Rays GM Jim Holland – 11/30/11

OF Mikie Mahtook (Part 1) – 11/7/11

OF Mikie Mahtook (Part 2) – 11/8/11

SS Brandon Martin – 2/6/12

Charlotte Stone Crabs Broadcaster Grant McAuley (Part 1) – 3/1/12

C Justin O’Conner – 1/13/12

Scout.com National Baseball Expert Frankie Piliere – 2/11/12

RHP Jake Thompson – 1/12/12 (premium)

C/OF Stephen Vogt (Part 1) – 12/31/11

C/OF Stephen Vogt (Part 2) – 1/2/12

The main story about Alcantara isn’t about his baseball ability, but let’s start with that anyway. Baseball America ranked him as the #1 prospect in the Arizona Summer League after an outstanding season that was surprising to everyone. He batted .348 with a .367 OBP and .586 SLG. Those are impressive numbers for sure, but it’s a pretty nice hitters league, and he was only 16th in OPS. However, Alcantara was two years younger than the league average, and only three players ahead of him were also under 20. He was tied for third in the league in home runs and triples.

Alcantara wasn’t seen as a big time prospect as an amateur. He signed for $135,000, just a modest bonus for Latin American players. He bulked up in the last couple years, and his power stands out as his best tool. He also has a great arm which is why he profiles best in right field. He makes consistent, hard contact with very good bat control. He really showed none of those qualities the previous season in the Dominican Summer League, but he was still solid there. He hardly walks (only four in 210 AZL at bats), but he hardly strikes out either. Pitchers could exploit that in the future, but some players are able to make it work.

That’s not the big deal about Yoan Alcantara though. Earlier this offseason, Alcantara was involved in an identity fraud scandal. An investigator for Major League Baseball was arrested for accepting a bribe to take part in the scheme to help Alcantara pass through his background check. According to Baseball America, there were questions about Alcantara’s age leading up until the time he signed, and those concerns obviously came to fruition. A scout and trainer were also involved in the scheme, but it’s unknown whether or not Alcantara will face punishment from San Diego or the league office.

The league has tried to cut down on these identity fraud cases because it’s a rampant problem tin the Latin baseball market. Since Alcantara was signed, MLB has taken over the investigations themselves instead of contracting investigators like the one involved with Alcantara. They believe this is a more effective process for making sure players are who they say they are, and the new CBA put in even more strict regulations to be sure teams aren’t getting ripped off. This process also takes longer and results in long delays, sometimes up to a year, between the two parties reaching an agreement and the league approving it.

It’s easy to see why some players would take the risk of passing themselves off as someone else. Age is everything in the international amateur market. If a player is known to be 18, he’s not going to be a hot commodity because he’s more developed and has less room for future projection. 18 year olds get signed all the time, but they’re usually not the big bonus guys. The players that get the biggest bonuses are the 16 year olds that can hit, field and run while showing promising tools. If a player impresses a team by showing great power in batting practice or great range at shortstop and they think he’s younger than he actually is, he improves his stock. It can make a big difference.

This kind of fraud can go unnoticed for years. Perhaps the most recent significant case is “Leo Nunez”, the Marlins reliever who is actually named Juan Carlos Oviedo. He’s a year older than previously believed, and it wasn’t discovered until the end of the 2011 season. That’s after over five and a half years of major league service, playing for three organizations and being involved in two trades. Not that he would need his identification confirmed for trades, but the point is he’s a fairly visible player who had been able to get away with it, not just a run of the mill guy plugging away in the minors.

Another somewhat high profile case in the majors is Santiago Casilla, one of San Francisco’s best middle relievers. He’s posted an ERA under 2.00 in consecutive years, and he’ll turn 32 in June next season. However, for the first six years of his professional career with the A’s, he was known as Jairo Garcia. In spring training before the 2006 season, Casilla admitted he had taken a new identity, and he was actually three years older than previously believed. Instead of being a nice relief prospect, he was 26 years old, but it clearly didn’t stop him from having a solid career. Who knows what will happen with Yoan Alcantara, but if he has the talent, he will get a shot if MLB doesn’t come down unbelievably hard on him, but at this point it’s clear he probably doesn’t have quite as much projection as he used to.

Come back tomorrow when Prospect A-Z finally wraps up. Will it be an enthusiastic Brewer, a Cardinal that makes a lot of contact or a player that could’ve been playing in next week’s BCS Championship?

Aruba is more well known for being a great vacation destination and a couple recent highly publicized missing person reports, but there have been four men born in Aruba that have reached the majors. Gene Kingsale was a light hitting outfielder who played for a number of years and a number of teams; Calvin Maduro was an ineffective starter for a number of years, and Radhames Dykhoff made just one career appearance with Baltimore. The last is more recognizable: Sidney Ponson. Ponson had a long career at the back of various rotations, and he was a key part of the miracle Dutch World Baseball Classic team. One more thing they have in common? All four were originally signed by Baltimore.

Perhaps the tide is turning in Aruba. It’s difficult to find minor leaguers who were born there, but it is known that two of them are Xander Bogaerts and his twin brother Jair. Both were signed by the Red Sox, and it’s Xander that’s developing into a very good prospect. They were both signed around the same time. Did the Red Sox sign Jair to build up some good will with Xander to secure the better prospect? Maybe, but Jair received a six figure bonus, and no team would pay that much just to do a favor. However, as it was discussed in a Prospect A-Z entry last month, it’s not uncommon in baseball for teams to acquire brothers.

The twins played together on the Red Sox Dominican Summer League affiliate in 2010. This wasn’t a Daniel and Henrik Sedin kind of thing though. While those two are both incredibly skilled, world class players, Xander is head and shoulders above his brother, and that showed in 2010. Xander batted over .300 with an .819 OPS, very impressive for a young hitter in a pitchers league. Jair’s OPS was less than .500. Again, it’s a league that favors pitchers, but that’s still significantly below the league average, and it was clear that there was some separation between the brothers.

That separation couldn’t have been more evident the following season. Before spring training, conventional wisdom suggested that Xander would start the season in extended spring training, and he did. However, instead of ending up in the New York Penn League or even remaining in the GCL, at the end of May, he reported to Boston’s low-A affiliate in Greenville. Meanwhile, Jair was back in the Dominican Summer League, three levels below Xander. He had a much respectable season while still only being 18 years old. His OPS was up to .791 in an identical amount of plate appearances as the previous season.

Xander’s performance also improved considering he jumped all the way to the South Atlantic League at 18 years old. He only batted .260, but his power was very impressive. He hit 16 home runs in just 72 games, and he slugged .509. His plate approach was very aggressive and needs to improve, but it’s hard to argue with a .834 OPS from a middle infielder (from now) that’s just 18 in a full season league. Recent trades may have depleted Boston’s system, but they could have something going in the lower levels with Xavier, Brandon Jacobs, Sean Coyle, Garin Cecchini and others. There’s talent there.

Bogaerts was expected to develop above average power down the road, but it apparently came sooner than anyone anticipated. On the other hand, it was probably expected that he would hit for a higher average than he did because he was noted for his ability to hit to all fields. His plate approach wasn’t as good as advertised, but he’s still young enough that he should be able to improve in that area. He plays shortstop now, but as he continues to mature physically, he’ll have to move to another position. His arm strength would allow him to play third base, and it seems like he’ll have the power to profile nicely there.

Come back tomorrow as Prospect A-Z winds down. Will it be a Padres prospect that’s a bit of a fraud or an athletic Marlins outfielder?

Oscar Taveras, OF, St. Louis Cardinals (2011: A Quad Cities)

Oscar, pronounced OH-sker and not AH-sker, Taveras, burst onto the scene a bit in 2011. Kevin Goldstein had him in his top 11 Cardinals prospects last year which was more aggressive than any other source. John Sickels also had him in the top 10, but Keith Law didn’t, and Baseball America had Taveras towards the back end of their top 30 prospects. After 2011, it won’t be possible to have him out of the team’s top 5, and he might be top 100 in the entire league.

How did people miss on him? He signed for only $140,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2008, a modest bonus but not one in line with the top international signees every year. His debut in the Dominican Summer League was unremarkable. He batted .257 with a .731 OPS which doesn’t look like a top prospect, but he was only 17 years old and those numbers were well above the league average, so it was a quality season. He had decent patience and showed a little power, even hitting eight triples despite not being particularly athletic.

Taveras still wasn’t on many radars, but the Cardinals brought him over to the U.S. for the following spring training. He started in extended spring like many Latin players coming to the U.S. for the first time, and he made his stateside debut in the Gulf Coast League. After a poor seven game stint, he was assigned to Johnson City of the Appalachian League and broke out. His .889 OPS ranked 10th in the league, and only two of the players ranked higher than him were younger than 20 years old. He batted .322, albeit without much patience, and slugged eight home runs and 24 extra base hits in 53 games. After the season, Baseball America ranked him as the 4th best prospect in the league.

Baseball America’s scouting report from before the season indicated that Taveras could play in a full season league before he turned 20. He did just that in 2011, but he was only 18 on Opening Day for Quad Cities in the Midwest League. He only played 78 games due to various injuries but was very impressive. Baseball America ranked him 6th in the Midwest League, and I thought he could’ve been higher. He hit .386 and had 40 extra base hits including eighth home runs for a SLG of .584. His plate approach improved, and he’s on his way to becoming a very good hitter.

His stint in the AFL was okay at best. He hit over .300, but he didn’t draw a walk in 19 games. He was also primarily a singles hitter with only one home run and five doubles. It was only three weeks worth of games though, and it’s always to draw conclusions from only 75 at bats. Not to mention his age; Taveras was only 19 years old and hasn’t played above low-A. Most of the pitchers in Arizona come from the upper levels, and it was a challenge unlike any other he’s faced. It wasn’t a disaster, and the Cardinals probably have additional confidence in his future development.

What kind of player is he? Jason Parks at Baseball Prospectus rated his hit tool as the best in the minors this season and notes that he could be a regular .300 hitter when he reaches the majors. He has an aggressive stroke that produces consistent, hard contact to all fields. His plate approach has been improving, and although he hasn’t walked much so far, he always puts the ball in play. There are varying opinions on his future power from 40 (below average) to 60 (plus). With his quick swing and frame that’ll allow for some more strength, it’s not hard to envision him hitting 20 home runs.

Between his great ability to make contact and potential for average or above average power, Taveras should be a quality hitter. Will it be enough for a corner outfielder? He should be a first division starter. He’s an average athlete who could play center in a pinch, but he belongs in a corner outfield spot. Taveras has a decent arm to handle right field, and that’s where he spent most of 2011. With the recent loss of Albert Pujols, the Cardinals are going to need more offensive depth, and although Taveras is still a couple years away, he could be a big part of their future.

The next installment of Prospect A-Z will feature the letter P. Will it be an expensive Nationals signee, one of Arizona’s top pitching prospects or a former Clemson Quarterback?

Derek Norris, C, Washington Nationals (2011: AA Harrisburg)

When the Nationals finish over .500 and start competing for the postseason, the majority of people are going to be surprised. Maybe they shouldn’t be. We all know about Ryan Zimmerman being a franchise player and generational talents in Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper, but there’s more to this franchise. They have young talent across the diamond in the majors, especially up the middle with Wilson Ramos, Danny Espinosa and Ian Desmond who admittedly has to improve greatly on his 2011 season. Tyler Clippard and Drew Storen developed into a very good late inning combo. In recent seasons, they’ve added two elements to the franchise that can lead to a turnaround: willingness to spend big in free agency and increased emphasis on drafting and player development.

Their big free agent, Jayson Werth, didn’t work out, but he’s a talented player that could easily turn it around at any time. They’re looking to the free agent market again to upgrade their rotation although they may not find an answer. They could also explore trades thanks to their investments in amateur talent. They’re adding pieces to the farm system, and paying the big bonuses tends to pay off later. Good times are ahead for this franchise if ownership remains as committed to winning as they’ve shown in the past two years.

Derek Norris could definitely be a part of that future. After signing for $210,000 out of high school in 2007, Norris hit for a low average in the Gulf Coast League, but he showed what would be his two calling cards at the plate for his career to date: power and patience. In some years, he could be among the three true outcome league leaders. With Harrisburg in 2011, over half of his at bats resulted in a home run, walk or strikeout. In his only two full, healthy seasons, Norris has hit at least 20 home runs.

That kind of power is rare for a catcher, and he has plenty of it. In 2011, five catchers in the majors hit 20 or more home runs. If he develops, Norris should be able to join that group. His skillset is a little different from that set of five though. He’s far more patient than J.P. Arencibia and Matt Wieters, and he should be able to provide better defense than Carlos Santana and Brian McCann. Maybe he develops the all-around package that Mike Napoli showed this season with Texas, but even the most optimistic Norris backers have to agree that’s incredibly unlikely.

Norris really didn’t catch much before turning pro, but it didn’t take him long to get acclimated to the position. His arm is average or above average, but he’s always gotten the most out of it and posted great caught stealing percentages. He’s showing improvements in other aspects of the defensive game as well. Norris has gotten better at blocking pitches in the dirt, and his receiving should get good enough for him to be a very good defensive catcher.

The story of the last two years for Norris probably hasn’t been a statistic or accomplishment though. After the 2009 season, he broke a hamate bone which is a hand injury that can be devastating for hitters. It tends to sap power from the player for at least a year, and sometimes it never comes back. Complications from his surgery delayed Norris’ 2010 debut, and it did take away some of his home run power. In 94 games, he hit just 12 home runs, but his ISO (SLG-BA) was still very good. He went to the AFL and performed very well, and he carried that momentum into 2011 with Harrisburg where he slugged 20 home runs.

The interesting thing for Norris is the effect the injury apparently had on his batting average. According to the reports, he should be a solid average hitter with the ability to hit to all fields with a compact swing. However, in 2010 he batted .235, and this season he was down to .210. If he doesn’t improve his average next season, it may be time to re-evaluate his hit tool, but he could still have a lot of value in the majors because of the rest of his skills. He made better contact in the AFL but didn’t hit for much power, so maybe he can carry that over to next year like his previous AFL stint.

Will his future be with the Nationals though? Wilson Ramos is coming off a quality rookie season with a solid year at the plate and good defense. Norris probably has higher upside, but he’ll still have to earn a spot in the lineup with an established, young starter in place right now. Norris will have a very good bat, but probably still not good enough to profile at first base which is probably the only other defensive position he can play. If the Nationals want to go the trade route for a starter, Norris could be used as a major piece to land James Shields, but it may be tough for them to complete the package with other desirable prospects.

Come back next week for O’s edition of Prospect A-Z. Will it be Texas’ well-rounded third baseman, the Cardinals’ new Dominican slugger or a Rays catcher coming off a historic season?

The promise was there because of Moore’s prototypical size and his top notch stuff. His fastball and curveball were both great pitches, and those allowed him to rack up strikeout after strikeout in the South Atlantic League even though his changeup wasn’t very far along yet. Moore made strides the next season in the Florida State League where a strong second half allowed his BB/9 to drop down to 3.8 while his strikeout rate remained consistent. He struck out 208 in the regular season which led all of minor league baseball. With the improvements in command, Moore’s stock also improved.

Moore had a pattern of getting off to slow starts during season and improving in the second half, and after a rough April, it looked like it may happen again with Montgomery. However, he bucked the trend and settled in to have an incredible season. His strikeout rate was down a bit but who cares? His walk rate was well below 3.0, his hit rate was its lowest since his second season in the Appy League, and he was emerging as one of the game’s best prospects, if he wasn’t already.He was putting it all together. The Rays typically promote players a bit slower than the continents drift, but it was impossible to deny Moore the challenge of moving to AAA. He threw his first career no hitter with Montgomery, and it might not be his last.

His national coming out party (to prospect fans anyway) was probably the Futures Game at Arizona in July. He was in the midst of an incredible season, and fans wanted to see if he could live up to the hype. In short… yes. He was firing high 90′s fastballs, and his curveball had so much velocity and movement that people were wondering if he had a new, great pitch. He was amped up to pitch in a short burst, and there’s not much to take from Futures Game appearances, but it was impressive. He made one more start with Montgomery and was then promoted to AAA Durham.

Usually it takes players some time to adjust to new levels, but Moore may have been even better. His strikeout rate rose to 13.5 per nine innings, and even though his walk rate ticked up a bit, his hit rate improved. His WHIP was nearly identical to his Montgomery WHIP, and his ERA was down. He was a key cog in Durham’s rotation which was lacking depth in the rotation. He helped them reach the playoffs once again, but they were quickly dispatched by Columbus. The question had to be asked: would he be promoted to the majors?

The conventional wisdom was no; the Rays closely monitor service time for young players, and it appeared as if he may have been wearing down at the end of the season. However, the Rays were suddenly in the playoff hunt, and they could use some firepower in the bullpen. He was promoted.

Probably due to nerves, he struggled early on. His fastball location was poor, but he quickly settled in. The Rays needed a starter to step in late in the season, and they went to Moore. In five innings, he struck out 11 Yankees and only allowed five baserunners. It still wasn’t really his coming out party to fans not already familiar with him though, as impressive as it was. That would be just eight days later when the Rays tabbed Moore to be their game one starter against the Rangers in the ALDS. James Shields, David Price and Jeremy Hellickson were all unavailable for the start of the series, and Joe Maddon took a risk and gave the ball to the talented yet inexperienced Moore.

Despite what Buck Martinez desperately tried convincing viewers, Moore’s success that day wasn’t simply due to the shadows or the Rangers’ inexperience in dealing with him, although the latter is much more plausible. The Rays had plenty of success in the same environment. Moore was sharp, pitching seven shutout innings while only allowing four baserunners. He threw strikes, made nice adjustments in the middle innings and completely shut down one of the league’s best lineups. He entered game four in a relief role and allowed a run, but it was still a solid outing.

There’s no telling what Moore’s ceiling is. He could be the best pitching prospect in all of baseball with a true ace ceiling. In a recent survey conducted by ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick, big league talent evaluators were virtually split when asked if they would prefer Moore or phenom Stephen Strasburg (Yu Darvish was also an option, but no one chose him.) Hopefully the Rays don’t have him start the season in AAA due to service time concerns, but it would be understandable. What may help Moore reach his potential is the often undervalued sixth tool- humor.

Matt Moore Commercial

The tool is still raw, perhaps lagging behind the rest of his game, but any evaluator can see the potential is there. He starts off uneasy and tentative, stammering through his lines and asking Little Caesars if they are in fact Little Caesars despite looking right at their menu and dialing their phone number seconds earlier. He slowly gains confidence throughout the commercial and begins showing his comic upside. At the end, he looks like a finished product. “Hope they’re hungry” is delivered perfectly as he walks away. If he can fully develop his humor tool, he may be able to help Evan Longoria finally find that missing cap.

Come back Monday for the continuation of Prospect A-Z. Will it be Washington’s power hitting catcher, Detroit’s high priced third base prospect or a Toronto pitcher who probably couldn’t have pitched better this season?

Casey Kelly, RHP, San Diego Padres (2011: AA San Antonio)

Coming out of high school, Kelly had the opportunity to play Quarterback at Tennessee, and the Volunteers probably could’ve used him. He fell to the Red Sox at the end of the first round in 2008 because of his large bonus demands, and he also wanted to play every day instead of pitch. The Red Sox accommodated his wishes, and he didn’t have success at the plate. He played in 36 games in his pro debut, splitting time between the Gulf Coast League and New York Penn League. He hit just .215 between the two levels with a .255 OBP.

The Red Sox wanted him to pitch though. In 2009, Kelly started on the mound in the South Atlantic League. In 48.1 innings, he proved why he was considered such a polished high school pitcher from the previous draft. He posted outstanding stats across the board: 1.12 ERA, .85 WHIP and a 4.33 K:BB ratio. He was promoted to the Carolina League and posted similar numbers in 46.2 IP. Kelly still wanted to hit though, so he did just that for the second half of the season. The Red Sox were able to limit his innings, and Kelly was able to realize what Boston did all along: he needed to focus on pitching.

That’s exactly what he did in 2010, and it didn’t go so well. Even though he only had 95 innings of pro experience, he pitched in AA at 20 years old. A lingering finger injury and mechanical difficulties led to a rough season for Kelly. His ERA finished at 5.31 and his WHIP at 1.61 in 95 innings. His BB/9 jumped to 3.3 which is still better than average, but he’s expected to have better command than that. His hit rate jumped through the roof, but he did post the best K/9 of his career.

Despite the down season, Kelly was still highly regarded in prospect circles. He was the centerpiece of the big trade that sent slugger Adrian Gonzalez to Boston. His style fits Petco Park well and if he continues developing, it’ll allow him to put up better numbers than he would in other environments. He has to make it there first, and he still has a lot of development to do. He was expected to start the season in AAA Tucson, but the Padres held him back at AA San Antonio.

It wasn’t expected to be easy. Even though he had spent the previous season at AA, there were still some factors working against Kelly. His career high in innings was still only 95, he battled injuries in his first full season of pitching, and it’s never easy to pitch in the Texas League as he would be doing. He ended up showing a lot of improvement. His hit and walk rates both showed improvement, but his strikeout rated dipped into dangerous territory. It appears that Kelly may not have the stuff to pitch at the top of a rotation, but again, he’s young and has plenty of time to make improvements.

He has the potential for three above average to plus pitches with his fastball, changeup and curveball. His fastball has gained velocity in recent seasons, and it has nice movement. His changeup is his second best pitch, and his curve has made strides. If he continues to smooth out his mechanics, his command will remain above average, and he should be able to reach his ceiling of a #3 or maybe even #2 starter. He still has an athletic, projectable frame and could see his stuff continue to improve.

Kelly fits in near the top of a Padres system with great depth with a number of players that don’t have star potential. Over the summer, San Diego added two more pitchers with nice command that will fit in well at Petco Park, Robbie Erlin and Joe Wieland. In the brief regime of Jed Hoyer, they pumped more money into amateur players to add more talent. Josh Byrnes will need to keep that up. It’s a system that’s actually a bit reminiscent to Cleveland’s last year with a lot of good and very good prospects but probably no stars. I’m sure the Padres would love to produce a Jason Kipnis and Lonnie Chisenhall in one year but maybe do without trading a Drew Pomeranz or Alex White.

Tomorrow’s Prospect A-Z will be one of the following players: a Rays shortstop who missed some time in 2011 with chicken pox, the first Italian born player to ever play in the majors or a young catcher who made an impact in a brief time for Boston.

Harper has been drafted three times, twice by the Nationals and once by the Cubs, and has also pitched at three different colleges. After not signing with Washington out of high school, he pitched a year at Cal State Northridge before transferring. When Washington drafted Harper again in the 2011 draft, it was from the College World Series champion South Carolina Gamecocks. He played a minor role, but he was still a part of something special.

It was that season between CS Northridge and South Carolina that people will remember though. He pitched for a junior college called the College of Southern Nevada. His velocity increased to sit around 88-91 and improved his stock after a season at Northridge that didn’t go well at all. Thanks to his dominant pitching, Southern Nevada was able to advance to the Junior College World Series, and scouts were able to spot his younger brother Bryce Harper, a decent prospect in his own right. With his size, competitiveness and improving fastball and mechanics, it’s easy to see why teams would be interested. What happened to the other players drafted from his College of Southern Nevada team?

Bryce Harper, Washington- Okay, okay. The last two prospects were a gag not funny to anyone besides myself. Harper beat all expectations in his first year, continuing to prove he has transcendental talent. He’s now on track to make his major league debut at some point in 2012 despite some struggles at AA in 2011.

Donn Roach, Anaheim- Roach was the second CSN pick to go off the board in 2010, and he had a solid season in relief for Anaheim’s low-A affiliate. He struck out nearly a batter per inning. He struck out nearly a batter per inning, and he had a very good K:BB ratio of 3.40.

Kenneth McDowall, New York Mets- McDowall was taken in the 8th round by the Mets but didn’t pitch until 2011. Even then, he only pitched 20 innings combined between two Mets short season affiliates this year. He only allowed 21 baserunners in 20 innings, but when nine of them were walks, it’s clear he needs to improve his command.

Aaron Kurcz, Chicago Cubs- Statistically, Kurcz appears to be one of the steals of the 2010 draft, but we all know there’s more to prospects than stats. He showed a potential three pitch mix with a fastball that can get into mid 90′s, a breaking ball and a changeup, but due to his frame, he could end up as a reliever long term. He skipped right over low-A to the Florida State League where he struck out over a batter an inning. If he becomes a reliever permanently, he could join the Cubs at some point in 2012.

Chasen Shreve, Atlanta- Atlanta has scouted the Nevada area heavily in recent years, drafting Chasen’s older brother Colby, now a Phillies prospect. Chasen had an okay year in low-A, striking out nearly one batter per inning, but he allowed too many baserunners. Opponents batted over .280 against him, and relievers can’t succeed allowing that many batters to reach. His strikeout and groundball rates were promising though.

Tyler Hanks, Washington- In his milb.com biography, it says that Hanks played on Bryce Harper’s team which probably doesn’t say much about him. He pitched 24.2 IP this year between three different levels, and he didn’t have much success at all in a small sample size in a full season league. He allowed 20 baserunners in just eight innings in low-A, but he was effective in his short season appearances.

Jordan Keegan, Chicago White Sox- Keegan has spent consecutive seasons in the Appy League, and unfortunately for him declined in his second season. He’s been patient and able to take walks, but his batting average is low and hasn’t hit for any power.

Joe Robinson, UNLV- Robinson did not sign with the Orioles, instead he transferred to UNLV. He was drafted again in 2011, this time by the Dodgers, and again did not sign. He was very ineffective in 2011 with a dismal K:BB ratio dangerously close to 1.00. He’ll try one more time to improve his stock.

That’s a lot of talent for a junior college team. Although Bryan Harper would be in professional baseball even without the aid of everyone coming to see his brother, it’s not uncommon for teams to acquire brothers to improve morale from talented picks.

Joe Mauer‘s brothers Jake and Bill- Joe was the #1 overall pick of the 2011 draft which was controversial at the time because the Twins passed on college ace Mark Prior. Mauer was from Minnesota and was going to have an easier negotiation. He became the All-Star people expected, but his brothers weren’t quite as productive. Jake was drafted in the 23rd round and spent nearly five seasons as an infielder in Minnesota’s system. After his playing career, he began his career as a Twins managerial prospect. In 2003, Bill Mauer was signed as an undrafted free agent who pitched 64 innings across four seasons in the minors.

Gavin Floyd‘s brother Michael- In 2001, the Phillies decided to go after Gavin Floyd at the top of the draft, knowing he would be difficult to sign. Negotiations came down to the wire, and they got their man. His older brother Michael was drafted in the 22nd round that draft but never advanced above high-A. He showed some power and patience though, but he was always old for his level.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia‘s brother Justin- Saltalamacchia was a highly touted catching prospect when the Braves drafted him in the first round in 2003. It didn’t take him long to reach the majors, and by 2007 he reached Atlanta and was then traded. Justin played for UNC Greensboro and was signed as an undrafted free agent. He only played in a handful of games that year before he was out of pro baseball.

Tim Beckham‘s brother Jeremy- Like Mauer, Tim Beckham was the first overall pick in his draft. He wasn’t considered a difficult sign, and his selection has been controversial in the Rays’ internet community since. 16 rounds later, they drafted his brother Jeremy from Georgia Southern. He spent a year and a half in the lower levels of Tampa Bay’s system but was released after not hitting particularly well.

That’s it for this week. Enjoy Thanksgiving and come back Monday for the continuation of Prospect A-Z. Will it be an A-ball slugger or a slick fielding Cuban import? What kind of name is Gac anyway?

Statistically, 2011 was a breakout season for Cabrera. He unseated Matt Moore as the two-time defending strikeout champion in the minors, and he wasn’t on anyone’s radar prior to the season. He started the season in low-A Asheville as a 23 year old which is old, but he came over to the United States later than most. Asheville’s a bit of a unique place in the South Atlantic League because its park favors hitters instead of the usual pitcher friendly environments. He spent half the season with the Tourists and struck out 110 batters in 86 innings with a 3.14 ERA and 1.06 WHIP.

The Rockies are a very patient team in player development. It’s rare that they promote players not in the case of injuries in the middle of the season, but they did just that this year. After an outstanding first half with Modesto, Dan Houston was promoted to AA Tulsa, and Cabrera took his spot in the Nuts’ rotation. He really didn’t skip a beat. His strikeout rate actually rose from 11.5 to 11.9 per nine innings, and his hit and walk rates only increased slightly. His home run rate in the typically home run friendly Cal League actually decreased.

He finished the season with 224 strikeouts, including the seven he had in a tremendous playoff start. He could’ve had even more, but near the end of the regular season, the Rockies imposed inning limits on him to protect his arm. Despite those limitations, he still put up impressive strikeout totals not seen in years. It’s rare for even one player to strike out 200 in a season, but three did this year. A lot of years, it’s starters in the upper minors that lead the minors because they typically have fewer inning restrictions, but Cabrera did it without pitching above A-ball.

Cabrera probably surprised everyone by leading the minors, but should it have? He lead all short season pitchers in strikeouts last year, so it was just a matter of his ability translating to a tougher league, and it did. Don’t let his 1-8 record in 2010 fool you, he had a very good season. His ERA was just over 3.00, and he had a very good K:BB ratio of 3.67. This was just one season after spending half the year in the Dominican Summer League, the lowest level of competition in affiliated baseball.

How did Cabrera get it done? Unlike some previous MILB strikeout kings like Moore, Yovani Gallardo or Francisco Liriano, he doesn’t have overpowering stuff. Those three all have prototypical pitcher frames, and Cabrera is a bit on the small side at 6’0, 160, although that’s less prohibitive for lefties than righties. His fastball isn’t overpowering unlike the others as well. He has a great changeup, maybe the best in the minors, and he mixes in curveballs as well.

It’s worked for him so far, but players with great changeups tend to have success in the lower levels because a quality changeup is a pitch not many young hitters have seen. He’s not as good of a prospect as those other three were, so he’ll need to keep proving himself at the next level. In terms of prospect status, that hurts him, but it won’t prevent him from having a good minor league career. His true test will be 2012 in Tulsa. That’s when the hitters start getting more experienced, and either he has the arsenal after the changeup to survive or he won’t.

Statistically, his profile is somewhat similar to fellow Rockies Dominican pitching prospect Juan Nicasio, although the comparisons end there. Nicasio was a bit of an older prospect pitching in the Cal League in 2010, he went onto Tulsa, had success and reached the majors. Nicasio’s arsenal is different with more fastball velocity, so he has a better chance of a successful major league career. After this summer’s Ubaldo Jimenez trade, the Rockies need some starters to step up so they can return to the level they were at just a few years ago. They hope Drew Pomeranz and Alex White can be a part of that future rotation, and Cabrera could certainly join them soon.

Come back Monday for the continuation of the series. Will it be the Mets’ big shortstop, Carlos Beltran’s athletic cousin or Seattle’s powerful middle infielder?