Altoona Curve Prospects

With a 41-34 record, the Altoona Curve are in a virtual tie with Erie for first in the EL South division. The Curve carry a fair number of prospects, with five of John Sickels' top 20 on their roster.

Tom Gorzelanny (LHP, #4, B) has pitched 61.1 innings over 11 starts this season, with a 3.08 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, and 56/21 (2.7:1) K/BB ratio. According to Sickels, "Tom Gorzelanny has a good arm for a lefty (90-95 MPH fastball), but is dogged by command problems at times. If he resolves that he could move to B+." His numbers are pretty consistent this season with those he posted in A ball, with his K rate down just a little bit. This is to be expected with the jump in levels, but I'm not sure if it equates to an improvement in command. Never one to give up a lot of home runs,Gorzelanny has allowed just two this season.

Matt Peterson (RHP, #7, B-) has stuggled in 13 starts this season, with a 6.28 ERA, 1.75 WHIP, and 36/37 K/BB ratio. He struggled over seven starts with the Curve last season, but pitched pretty well for Binghamton (Mets, AA) before coming over in the Kris Benson trade. For Binghamton, Peterson posted a very respectable 3.27 ERA and 1.31 WHIP, numbers which ballooned in Altoona. "Matt Peterson . . . is another guy with a very good arm, but with occasional control problems. I like his long-term potential but he should not be rushed." He's pitching in AA for the third consecutive year (6 starts in Binghamton in 2003), so I don't think he's being rushed, but his numbers are showing serious deterioration, which is a problem.

Rajai Davis (OF, #8, B-) is a classic leadoff hitter. On the season he's batting 295/361/354-2-24 and leading the team with 28 steals (in 33 attempts) and 50 runs scored. He has very little power but he draws some walks and causes trouble on the base paths. According to Sickels, "Rajai Davis has been an excellent leadoff man at the Class A level, but is untried in Double-A and is already 24." Davis had a higher BA and SLG in single A, and didn't strike out as much as he has for the Curve, but he does seem to be handling AA OK and projects to have a few useful seasons in the majors.

Paul Maholm (LHP, #11, C+) has very similar numbers to Gorzelanny on the season: 13 starts, 63.2 IP, 3.39 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 57/21 (2.7:1) K/BB, 4 HR allowed. Whereas Gorzelanny is a power pitcher, "Maholm has to show he can use his finesse game at higher levels." Maholm's peripherals have improved from those he displayed at single A last season, so he seems to be developing. Soft-tossing lefties can be fun to watch (Abe Alvarez, Bill Lee), but they have little room for error and they can sometimes get crushed.

Josh Sharpless (RHP, #20, C) was recently promoted and pitches in relief. Before the season, Sickels reported that "Sharpless is a sleeper with a hot fastball but control problems." It's easy to see where that comment came from; last season in the Sally league, Sharpless struck out 13.2 batters per nine, but also walked 6.7 batters, which seems like too many. Sharpless appears to have improved his control this season, in 27 IP at Lynchburg, he struck out 46 (15 per 9 IP!), with only 11 walks (3.7/9), 7 hits (0.67 WHIP) and a 0.00 ERA (one unearned run allowed). Um, that's pretty good! In 7.1 AA innings, he has a very impressive 10/2 K/BB ratio, allowing seven base runners and two runs scored (2.45 ERA). I hope I get a chance to see him pitch tomorrow night.

In addition to the prospects mentioned, the other top pitchers are starter Mike Connolly (84 IP, 3.32 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 60/24 K/BB), reliever Brady Borner (45 IP, 1.60 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 44/9 K/BB) and closer Justin Kaye (34 IP, 3.44 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 38/14 K/BB). Hitting leaders are a couple of good gap-power guys, Jose Bautista (who somehow managed to play for four major league teams last season – I think he was a Rule 5 guy) at 305/382/465-8-47, and Tom Evans (another former big leaguer but, at age 30, not a prospect) at 277/392/518-8-27 in just 52 games. Josh Bonifay is swinging the power stick: 259/328/546-13-39 in just 50 games.