This will be the last MLPW of the year, as the minor leagues wrap up their regular season. Be on the lookout for an updated Top 10 (and maybe more) in the near future.
Minor League Players of the Week (v21):
Pitcher:
Brett Marshall, 20, RHP, A+
11 IP, 12 K, 0 BB, 10 H, 3 ER
Only a little more than a year after going under the knife for Tommy John surgery, Brett Marshall has done everything you could have asked for and more. The young Texan has shown considerable improvement over his injury-shortened rookie campaign, increasing his strikeouts, while simultaneously lowering his walk rate (2009: 15.3 K%, 9.4 BB% 1.62 K/BB; 2010: 20.5 K%, 7.6 BB%, 2.69 K/BB).
He’s also been utilizing his two-seamer to induce weak contact and it’s been very successful: his groundball rate at Charleston was great (49.6 GB%). Brett’s work this past month was good enough to earn him a cameo at Tampa (4 IP, 6 K, 0 BB, 5 H, 2 ER). The funny thing is, even with how good Marshall has been this season, it’s not unreasonable to think he can come out and perform even better next year. As Brett gets farther away from his surgery, his command should continue to improve and he should be getting the feel for his best pitch back — the slider.
Coming into the Yankee organization as a teenager, Brett was taught a curveball and wasn’t allowed to throw his slide piece (we had to pay Joe Morgan in order to use this phrase). The start after he sustained the injury that would eventually lead to his TJ, Nardi Contreras informed him he was able to bust out his old weapon. Such is fate. Hopefully, as Brett continues to get reacquainted with his old friend, we see his strikeouts improve. Maybe Mike Pavlick (Tampa pitching coach) works a little of his magic on Brett’s slider in 2011, as he did with Graham Stoneburner’s this past year. In any case, being able to freely use his old best weapon probably isn’t going to hurt the performance of Brett Marshall.
It’s been a fairly long road back to pitching for Brett, but it’s great to see him come out and pitch the way the Yankees knew he could when they drafted him.
Position Player:
Jesus Montero, 20, RHB C, AAA
.323/.323/.645 in 31 PAs
NoMaas Ranking – Pre-Season Top 10: #1, Mid-Season Top 20: #1
Previous Wins – Week(s): 10, 13, 14, 15, 17, 20 – Month(s): July
Since I’m tired of writing about Montero in long form, let’s bulletpoint him to save us all some time…
- Jesus Montero is the best pure hitter in the minor leagues.
- He will probably play some catcher in the MLB.
- He will not, in all likelihood, stick there for much longer than a couple of half seasons or so, and will end up transitioning to a DH/1B role.
- He’s going to hit in the MLB. At the very least, he should be league-average. He could be a lot, lot better than that if he approaches his ceiling. Like MVP-candidate good.
Honorable Mentions:
Dan Brewer, 22, RHB OF, AA
.400/.455/.500 in 33 PAs
Could be useful to someone, but it’s probably not the Yankees.
Sean Black, 22, RHP, A+
8 IP, 12 K, 0 BB, 8 H, 3 ER
”Meh” start. Pick it up, son.
David Phelps, 23, RHP, AAA
13 IP, 9 K, 2 BB, 13 H, 2 ER
Got better with the competition. Serious Yankee Minor League Pitcher of the Year candidate.
Austin Romine, 21, RHB C, AA
.333/.364/.476 in 22 PAs
Hasn’t had a lot to be happy about in three months (.616 OPS since June 1st).
8 Comments
Brandon September 7, 2010 05:48
Jesus has been bat ready since last year. Do you think he may need more time to become ready defensively?
I like turtles September 7, 2010 08:41
I don’t know if I agree with being bat ready since last year. He had a pretty terrible first couple of months in AAA this season.
Gary Wallace September 7, 2010 11:49
“Jesus has been bat ready since last year.”
I tend to agree with turtles here. His bat might have looked MLB ready the last couple of months, but you can’t ignore the horrific start to the season he had to overcome. It would probably have been even tougher for him to work out of if he was only playing part time in the MLB.
You also can’t underestimate the psychological toll that might be incurred if you had to send him back down to AAA. There are lot’s of guys who don’t respond well to things like that. Maybe Jesus isn’t one of them, maybe he is. I’m not informed enough to know.
“Do you think he may need more time to become ready defensively?”
I’d say a month and a half down at AAA to start 2011 will probably be enough. You don’t worry if he’s defensively “ready” enough, because the odds are against him sticking at C anyways. If you wait for him to be ready defensively, you might be waiting a long, long time.
Albert Poo-Holes September 7, 2010 14:15
What’s Montero’s cathers era? I want to rip him or say good job over a useless retard stat.
anyone know his swinging at balls out of the strike zone after the pitcher shakes off 2+ times percentage?
Bird September 7, 2010 16:28
That Marshall kid is something else………he seems so familar to me……..seems like he has a heck of a work ethic and is determined to make it no matter what kind of adversity that he encounters…….then again thats what we were both taught growing up…..to never give up……CONGRATS LIL BRO….you truly deserve this and everything else that comes your way!!!!!!!
Elefante September 10, 2010 11:48
Ese Montero es una cosa grande…….es como si lo conosco…….como si comismo mierda junto en nuestro pais…….como si el mama mucha mucha pinga y le gusta chupar mucho….puedo ser que somo hermanos!…..FELICIDADES HERMANO!…….
Sanitarium orderly September 13, 2010 16:17
Elefante, “outside time” is over now, so let’s get you back in your padded cell. Tonight we’re serving tapioca pudding – your favorite! Remember to take *all* your pills with dinner.
Marylin Parekh January 21, 2011 12:45
Wow, just finished the captions for Surfing the Middle East. Now, out to a producer, a copy editor, and then, finally, the programmers.