*** Around the Minors - July 6th ***
From The My Sportsbook
by Ed Moorhouse, Minor League Baseball Staff Writer
Hatboro, PA (My Sportsbook) - Second base has never been a position many teams gave much thought to when building for the future. Not too long ago, you probably couldn't find a second baseman in any farm system even worth dangling as trade bait. Usually identified as weak hitters who didn't have enough defensive ability or range to play on the left side of the infield, second basemen were an afterthought. Not anymore. There is a new mold of second basemen making waves in the minor leagues, and players like Scott Hairston and Chase Utley are already contributing to the Diamondbacks and Phillies, respectively. Rickie Weeks and Josh Barfield figure to be among the centerpieces of their teams' success for years to come. What follows is a list of the minor league's top second basemen this season.
SCOTT HAIRSTON, DIAMONDBACKS
Even though he has played in 41 games for Arizona this season, no conversation about the top second base prospects in baseball should take place without mentioning Hairston. In 28 games for Triple-A Tucson before being called up, Hairston hit .313 with five homers and 20 RBI. He was the winner of the Arizona Junior College Triple Crown in 2001 and tied for the minor league lead with 73 extra base hits in 2002, his first full season as a pro. He has excellent bat speed and power, and projects to put up plus power numbers throughout his career. It was only a matter of time before Arizona called him up this season and he should now be a fixture in the Diamondbacks' lineup for years to come. Hairston is batting .323 in 41 games for Arizona.
RICKIE WEEKS, BREWERS
Weeks is the cornerstone of Milwaukee's future. The second overall pick in the 2003 draft, Weeks is a two-time NCAA batting champion and a two-time All-American. He boasts tremendous bat speed, makes consistent contact and is a terror on the bath paths. Combined with his knack for getting on base, Weeks should be an exceptional big league hitter. He hit .349 last season in 20 games for Single-A Beloit before being called up to the big club in September. After the season, he gained experience playing in the Arizona Fall League and hit .319. This season for Double-A Huntsville, Weeks has yet to hit for average, as he's hit at a .244 clip in 76 games, but has belted 16 doubles, two triples and five home runs while driving in 22 runs. He swiped six bases and has an on-base percentage of .359. Given his limitless potential and his natural ability, Weeks is expected be one of the premiere second basemen in baseball.
JOSH BARFIELD, PADRES
Barfield can flat out hit. A fourth round draft pick out of high school in 2001, Barfield is a line drive hitter that has a huge upside to hit for power. The 21-year old son of former major leaguer Jesse Barfield hit .337 with 16 home runs for Class-A Lake Elsinore of the California League in 2003. His 128 RBI led all of minor league baseball. He also led the minors in hits, doubles and extra base hits. His performance was good enough to earn him California League MVP honors. In 79 games this season for Double-A Mobile, Barfield is hitting just .235, but has slugged 10 homers and 14 doubles while driving in 50 runs.
ALBERTO CALLASPO, ANGELS
With Casey Kotchman, Dallas McPherson, Jeff Mathis and Collaspo excelling down on the farm, Anaheim's top prospects could fill out the better part of an all- star roster. Callaspo led the Midwest League in batting, hits and doubles last season as a member of the Cedar Rapids Kernels. He hit .327 with two homers, 67 RBI and 38 doubles in 2003. Callaspo is a contact hitter who has shown that he can drive the ball as well and hits almost everything he swings at, so he does not walk much. In addition, he is an exceptional defensive fielder. For Double-A Arkansas this season, Callaspo is hitting .279 with a pair of homers, 15 doubles and 27 RBI.
CHRIS BURKE, ASTROS
Burke was promoted to Houston on July 4th after playing 72 games for the New Orleans Zephyrs in the Pacific Coast League. At New Orleans, Burke was hitting .325 with 10 homers and 35 RBI. His .513 slugging percentage accompanied a .403 on-base percentage and the second baseman stole 21 bases in 29 attempts. Burke has power to the gaps and good bat speed, but his real strength is his ability to get on base. Last season he walked 122 times. At Double-A Round Rock, Burke, a 2001 first round draft pick, hit .301 with three homers, 41 RBI, 23 doubles and 34 stolen bases. Burke has also played some shortstop, but figures to play exclusively at second with Adam Everett at shortstop for the Astros. In Burke the Astros have their second baseman of the future, and considering he is already getting major league at bats this season, the future may not be that far off.
ROBINSON CANO, YANKEES
Cano has developed quite nicely and has moved through the Yankees farm system rather quickly. After excelling at Double-A Trenton of the Eastern League, the Yankees promoted Cano to their Triple-A affiliate. In 74 games for the Thunder, Cano hit at a .301 clip and smacked 28 extra base hits (20 doubles and 8 triples), while driving in 44 runs and belting seven homers. Last season, he split time between Tampa of the Florida State League and Trenton. Cano has a nice swing and is capable of hitting for power, as evidenced by his extra base totals this season. Defensively, Cano has not demonstrated much range, but boasts good arm strength. Since being promoted to Columbus, Cano is hitting .406 in nine games.
JAYSON NIX, ROCKIES
A first round draft pick of the Rockies in 2001, Nix is a power hitter that shared the minor league lead for doubles (46) in 2003. He hit .281 for Class-A Visalia of the California League last season with 21 homers and drove in 86 runs. Nix, whose brother Lance is an outfielder in the Texas organization, has solid bat speed and will benefit from playing at Coors Field should he make it up to the Rockies. He is a converted shortstop, so he has good range and solid arm strength, but will be primarily known as an offensive player. This season at Double-A Tulsa in the Texas League, Nix is hitting just .222 with eight home runs and 32 RBI.
MIKE FONTENOT, ORIOLES
Following a slow start in 2003, Fontenot finished the season hitting at a .325 clip with 12 homers and 66 RBI. The 24-year old boasts good power and is also a threat on the base paths, with 20-steal potential. He swiped 16 bags last season. For Triple-A Ottawa this season, Fontenot is hitting at a solid .271 with five homers and 34 runs batted in. He has belted 20 doubles and six triples while slugging .425. Fontenot was the Orioles first round pick in 2001 (19th overall).
FREDDY SANCHEZ, PIRATES
Injuries sustained by Sanchez forced him to shut down at the end of last season. Before being shipped to Pittsburgh from Boston in a July trade, Sanchez hit .341 with five home runs, 25 runs batted in and 17 doubles at Triple-A Pawtucket. He was slated to take over at second base for the Pirates last September, but the injury kept him on the shelf. Sanchez began the 2004 season on the disabled list and is finally getting back into the swing of things this summer. In 12 games with Nashville, he is hitting .241. He uses all fields as a hitter and demonstrates great knowledge of the game. Sanchez has also played shortstop, but is better suited at second base.
JEFF KEPPINGER, PIRATES
Keppinger is somewhat of a surprise, considering he is not even the Pirates' best prospect at his position. His numbers can't be ignored. In 68 games with Altoona this season, Keppinger is hitting a robust .368/.416/.447 (batting average/on-base percentage/slugging percentage) with 17 extra base hits and 27 runs batted in. He has been selected to represent the Curve in next week's Eastern League All-Star team. Last season at Single-A Lynchburg, Keppinger led the Carolina league with a .325 batting average, good enough for fifth in the Pirates' minor league system in hitting. The 24-year old collected 32 multi-hit games and batted .418 in the month of August. In addition, Keppinger is almost impossible to strike out. Entering this season, he whiffed just 61 times in 820 at-bats. He was the Pirates fourth round draft pick in 2001.
BRENDAN HARRIS, CUBS
After seeing his numbers drop in 2003 (.280 average, 5 homers) from 2002 (.328 average, 15 homers), Harris looks to be back on pace to come close to the numbers that had the Cubs buzzing two seasons ago. At Triple-A Iowa this season, Harris is hitting at a healthy .311 with eight homers and 26 runs batted in. He has smacked 18 doubles and has a .515 slugging percentage and a .350 on-base percentage. A fifth-round selection in the 2001 draft, the 23-year old is a line drive hitter with gap power. He has exceptional arm strength and has played third base, which is probably a more natural position for him.
