Amaury Marti is currently hitting .424/.509/.633 in 39 games for the Mexican Red Devils of the Mexican League, also known as Liga de Amaury Cazana. Bud Selig ordered the Cardinals to banish him to there, in fear of the major leagues losing competitive balance.
Amaury also refuses to accept the watch curse. He has the power to curse, and the power to bless.
FirstInning.com: St. Louis Cardinals Daily Report
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OK. So AZ and I have come out with our top 25. Now it’s your turn. This post is to kick off the reader top 25, I want to get the wisdom of the crowds here. Obviously, Rasmus is # 1. I want you to vote in the comments on who is your number 2. And we’ll take it from there.
If I don’t get enough votes, then this thing isn’t happening. So make sure to not be quiet, make your voice heard.
Filed under: Top 25
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erik
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fewgoodcards
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For me, No. 2 is Anderson over Garcia. There are more pitching prospects in the minor leagues of Garcia’s caliber/upside than there are catching prospects of Anderson’s.
1) Rasmus
2) Anderson
Garcia could provide more value to a team, Anderson seems more likely to contribute consistently on the major league level. got to give the nod here to Anderson because the probability he’ll contribute is higher than Garcia’s.
Garcia has to be 2. His ceiling is too high. The Webb comps are enticing. That alone makes him #2. After that its gonna get tricky.
I’ll go with the upside of Garcia, even though I think Anderson has a better chance of having a long career, and Perez is more of a sure bet to contribute something to the big league team.
Jamie.
Garcia,
Though Anderson and Perez make sense here, too.
2) anderson
3) herron (just a hunch)
Garcia, injury be damned.
#2 Garcia
Garcia. Hard throwing lefties with secondary pitches can go places in this world.
I’ll take Boggs here. He’s closest to the majors and he’s shown more consistency than any other pitcher.
2.Garcia
3.Ottavino
4.Perez
5.Anderson
Not to knock Anderson but I am big on arms. look around in the big league, most teams are looking for pitching. It could only take a special talent like Rasmus to rank ahead of these arms the Cardinals have.
herron, i really want to say garcia, but this organization’s injury managmement is a joke. not sold on anderson anymore. i mean that was springfield– if that park isn’t going to let him show power, what park will? he’d better be hitting the gym as soon as he gets out of winterball.
Jose Garcia? No Jaime!
2. Anderson - I give him the nod over Garcia just b/c his lack of injury problems. Also, people seem to be putting his defense on a Mike Piazza level. He’s no Molina, but he’s about average and is capable of hitting in the 2 or 6 hole.
3. Garcia - please let the arm heal
4. Perez - I understand the worries about the jump in walk rates and decline a K rates at AAA. But he’s in a perfect spot timeline wise. Give him a half the year to keep improving in AAA, then move him up to the Bigs and start grooming him for the closer/set up man for 2009.
5. Adam Ottavino - Let’s just hope he doesn’t turn into Chris Lambert; able to dominate at the A level but terrible of AA and AAA.
2) Garcia
Anderson’s lack of power is the only thing I don’t like about him, and that usually develops later, so who knows. I’m just hoping Garcia isn’t injured worse than the organization is letting on…
Anderson, based on age, position and leftorium-ism…combined with the typical Cardinal’s luck in dealing with elbows. Garcia third. Boggs third. Herron fifth. TINSTAAPP be damned.
2) Garcia without question-If the rating of a prospect is based on potential, value to current MLB team, value to other MLB teams (trade), and performance relative to age and league.
Potential- His potential is probably in the #2 starter range. His pure “stuff” is well documented. Even being mentioned in the same breathe as Webb when comparing their stuff speaks volumes of his potential.
Value to current MLB team- The Cards 2 biggest needs are a power RH bat and starting pitching. Garcia is not only a starting pitcher, but a potential LH front of the rotation starter. The Cards brass probably have Garcia penciled in to be a 3 or 4 starter by 2009. The cost of getting a starter of this talent on the free agent market would be about $10-$12 million.
Value to other MLB teams- Everyone knows that young stud starters are the most desired asset in baseball right now. There are few teams that wouldn’t trade almost anything to get their hands on a stud young pitcher-Garcia represents that for the Cards.
Performance- Look up the guys stats he has put up! His k/walk stats are very good as is his groundball ratios. He struggled this past year and still performed well for his age at AA.
#2 — Jaime Garcia
Garcia. A lefty with the groundball rates he produces is hard to come by.
Garcia if he’s healthy. Elbow injury? Rest? I don’t know, how many times have you heard of a elbow injury healing itself with rest, I can’t even think of anyone. Please enlighten me because I’m skeptical. I hope the Cards aren’t wasting a year hoping.
Didn’t they shut down Wainwright a couple years ago with elbow soreness and he turned out to be fine.. Maybe it wasn’t elbow, I just remember he was shut down for something and it turned out alright
Wainwright dealt with an elbow strain throughout 2004, I believe. He eventually got over it without surgery and hasn’t had problems since then. It always worries you whenever a team decides to just have a guy rest an injury, (particularly this team) but there are such things as mild injuries. Let’s just hope that’s what this one is.
I would put Garcia at #2, even with the injury. His upside is just too good, in my opinion. He’s getting some Brandon Webb comparisons, and his sinker is pretty good, but I think, overall, he compares to Mark Mulder as well as anyone. Obviously, their physical builds aren’t real similar, but the repertoires are. Low 90’s sinking fb with wicked movement, check. Well above average curveball, check. Great arm speed changeup with nice fade, getting there. Garcia doesn’t throw a splitter, and his change has a way to go still, but they’re pretty similar pitchers.
After Garcia, I would put Anderson at 3. He’s got a much higher upside than most people are giving him credit for, even if the power doesn’t quite get there. Joe Mauer doesn’t hit many home runs either.
Herron is 4, followed by Perez. I like Herron over the Wild Thing only because he’s a starter.
Then Ottavino, followed by, um, how about Mortenson. After that, I would have to think a lot harder than I’m willing to do right now.