Trenton Thunder Prospects

Usually I do this before a series starts, but I’ve been too busy this week, so here’s the "better late than never" version of the Trenton Thunder Prospect Preview. Here’s how John Sickels rated the Yankees prospects at the beginning of Spring Training, and here’s the review he did a few weeks ago.

The Thunder have four guys on the Top 20 list, including the #1 guy:

Eric Duncan (3B, #1, B+) is the only Yankee prospect that Sickels rates as a "potential star". In the review, Sickes states that Duncan is "overmatched by Double-A competition at this point, though young for the level." At the time, Duncan had posted a 235/324/327 line through 40 games. Now he’s at 239/338/367-8-34 through 72 games. The batting average remains low, but there are clear upticks in his discipline (evidenced by the four walks the other night) and power numbers. He’s only 20, one of the younger players in the EL, so there is certainly room for him to grow. Duncan posted OPS of 828 and 830 at two levels of A ball last year, with 16 HR and 83 RBI in 129 games. The Yankees may have been rushing him a bit to have him start the year in AA, but I think that’s because they are so very desperate to have a prospect in the higher levels of the minors come the July trading deadline. Duncan seems to be acclimating, so I think this move has turned out OK.

Melkey Cabrera (OF, #6, B-) is a scrappy little guy whose numbers have also improved since the review post. He's currently batting 269/312/409-8-40. Cabrera is another 20-year-old, so he's young for the league, too. Last season he had a .779 OPS in low-A (85 games) and .845 OPS in 42 games at high-A. He's got some pop in his bat, but he doesn't draw a lot of walks and he isn't really a speed guy, either. Portland fans seem to like his first name.

Bronson Sardinha (#8, OF/3B, C+) has put up numbers similar to Melkey’s – 259/327/408-6-34 on the season. I guess you can erase the "3B" from above as long as Duncan is on the team, because I don’t believe he’s got the same kind of upside. Sardinha played half a season at AA last year, in which he batted 267/356/387-6-29 in 72 games. He’s showing more power (18 doubles), but the discipline seems to have deteriorated somewhat.

Sardhina and Cabrera are really just middle-of-the-road guys; the fact that they are in the top 10 for prospects is a real indictment of the system.

The only Thunder pitcher on the list is Ramon Ramirez (#19, RHP, C). "Problems with his command", says Sickels. Ramirez started the year in Columbus (AAA), but was demoted after a poor start. His numbers through nine starts in Trenton aren’t all that inspiring: 49.2 IP, 4.35 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 44/21 K/BB. He pitched 18 games for the Thunder last season, with a 4.69 ERA but slightly better WHIP and K/BB rates. Ramirez pitched well in a losing effort against the Sea Dogs last night: 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 3 K.

Matt Desalvo (RHP) garnered a "watch out for" in the prospect review, meaning he’s a guy whose stock is rising. Desalvo is a sinker/slider guy who pitched pretty well on Tuesday night. He’s pitched 63.1 innings this season with a 3.27 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, and 70/34 K/BB ratio. His walk rate is pretty high, but all the other numbers look pretty good, and he’s one of the better pitchers on the team. Desalvo pitched very well in Tampa last season (1.43 ERA, 1.04 WHIP) before getting knocked around in a handful of AA starts.

Not among the top prospects because they are both 25-year-olds are the two top hitters in the lineup, OF Kevin Thompson (326/435/543-8-35, 24 SB) has done it all for Trenton, getting on base and hitting for power at the top of the lineup, and adding a bunch of stolen bases to boot. At the opposite end of the spectrum is hulking 1B Shelley Duncan (264/333/518-18-51), who provides the power, leading the league in home runs.

In addition to Desalvo, Charlie Isaacson (52.1 IP, 3.27 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 58/22 K/BB) and Matt Smith (50 IP, 3.06, 1.38, 52/23), both of whom have spent some time in the bullpen, have been the most effective pitchers. Neither has a great WHIP, but seem to be aided by good strikeout rates. Justin Pope (40.1 IP, 2.68, 1.17, 31/12, 15 SV) is the workhouse closer for the team.