first minor leaguer in yrs to record 100 extra base
hits thanks to 43HR and 51 2B. Explosive bat
speed from fast hands allow him to sit back and
drive the ball to all fields. Lofty K totals give
pause but total package is too good to ignore
from such a young kid. All the requisite defensive
tools to become an avg to above avg glove man @
ML level. Made every defensive play and then
some for me. Swings bat well enough to move to
3B or 2B if he outgrows SS. Championship
caliber makeup.
around hitter. Advanced approach at plate with
light tower power to all fields. .348/.419/.636
while in Cal League with equal production @
home (.345/.429/.697) and on the road
(.350/.412/.598). Hit 25 HR and drove in 91 in 92
games. Numbers would be even more
overwhelming had his plate discipline not
abandoned him in July (8BB 30K). Continued to
excel with bat upon promotion to AA
(.313/.353/.527). Lack of defensive position gives
pause but he'll hit enough to make it irrelevant.
supposed to do in the Cal League. Showing off
pure hitting ability, strength to drive ball out of
park all while displaying the sweetest swing in
the league. In his brief stay he hit .389/.486/.738
with 10HR in 149AB. Advanced feel for strike
zone (26BB:25K) further emphasized his
outclassing of the league. At times lazy on
defense but has all tools to be a plus everyday SS
@ ML level. Makeup issues create questions on
whether or not he'll play up to his ceiling every
yr. or only when contract is coming up.
unbelievable makeup. Best pure stuff in league.
Will pitch in the mid to high 90's while
showcasing a plus plus CH and a developing
breaking ball. Threw tons of strikes while in
league and missed number of bats worthy of
sizable stuff. Flashed brilliance @ times after
being promoted to AA but struggled to adjust to
more polished hitters. Rushed to ML level where
he is learning on job. Has makeup to rise above
diff. and understands why he is there right now.
Chance to become a #1 starter if everything clicks.
Brought pull heavy approach to league upon
arrival and struggled as a result. Began to put up
numbers fitting of his prospect status as he began
to use entire field. Swing similar to a young Larry
Walker. Best defensive 3B in Cal League. Chance
to win some gold gloves @ hot corner. Plus arm,
moves well laterally and makes some sick plays
coming in on balls. Will need to do a better job
controlling strike zone and becoming more consis.
with routine plays. Should be a plus major league,
Eric Chavez is a good comparison.
a 19 yr. old. Uncanny plate discipline for his age.
(62BB:49K). Continued to hit upon promotion
to AA (.316/.410/.491). Can turn around a good
FB with ease. More athletic than you imagine
with body. Improved throwing from spring
training surgery should allow him to move back
behind plate where a fair assessment of his
defensive ability can finally be made. 2004 Low
A observers didn't see healthy arm. Bat will play
@ 1B if needed but not with value he has if he
can handle defensive responsibilities @ catcher.
advanced repertoire and clean delivery to allow
him to locate his pitches with ease. Pitched great
in the Cal League with a 2.5 ERA while giving up
only 50 hits in 57.2 innings and striking out 53
along the way. Ran into some trouble in AA
much like he did upon being promoted to High in
2004. No reason he won't make similar
adjustments early next year when he gets a
second chance @ AA. Brings an avg to slightly
above avg FB and a knee buckling CV along with
feel for a CH to the mound every night.
climbs ladder. Entered 2005 as career .355 hitter
and actually improved upon it. Swung his way
out of the Cal League by posting .384/.421/.638
numbers. Loudest contact in league. Continued to
hit in AA with a .324 Avg 7HR and drove in 42
in 190AB. At best is probably a below avg
defender if he is able to play up the middle but
bat should make him playable somewhere. Plate
discipline creates a few questions but his pure
hand eye coordination has done a good job of
masking it to this point.
ball. Heavier physically than he was this spring
@ Lon Beach. Anticipate body being tighter next
spring. Prototypical modern SS in mold of
Dirtbag alum Bobby Crosby. Tulowitzki has
more offensive upside than Crosby did out of
college. Can airmail a ball to any corner of yard.
When healthy he displayed solid to plus tools
across board. Natural born leader makes everyone
around him better. Plays a bit too amped up right
now which suited college game just fine. Chance
to become plus big league SS.
campaign winning the Cal League batting title
with a .349/.403/.625 line in 85 games. Helped by
home field but not in a Chris Lubanski or Chris
Carter type fashion. Compact uppercut swing
creates legit power to his pull side. Had the best
and most consistent at bats of any hitter in
league. Ability to take same aggressive yet
balanced swing at any time in count. Take charge
receiver likes to throw and keep his infielders on
toes. Happy go lucky kid who plays with a
noticeable passion for game.
opening day until he left for in late July. Made
tremendous strides from a receiving, blocking and
throwing perspective while at the same time
turning up his offensive game. Solid approach at
plate (46BB:61K)puts him in good counts to
drive ball. Needs to be pushed, play improved a
ton when a formidable back up C showed up to
caddy for him. Struggled upon promotion to AA.
Expect him to make similar adjustments next
year and slowly but surely move up ladder with
ceiling as everyday backstop.
make him a regular at ML level. As pure a
defensive SS as you'll see at minor league level.
Can do some crazy stuff with a glove in his hand.
Plus instincts and feel for speed of game to go
along with plus plus hands. More than held his
own with bat to the tune of .284/.325/.418 all
while spending entire 2005 season as a 19 yr old.
Presence of Betancourt @ ML level may make
Cabrera expendable. Would be a shame if he is
not allowed to play SS in big leagues due to
organizational depth.
polish than you'd expect for kid two years out of
HS. Power arm was best on a position player in
league gives him a legit chance on bump if bat
doesn't work out. Whippy bat is under control.
Model of consistency with bat. .295/.374/.494
line in Cal League with 8HR and continued it in
Texas League (.298/.365/.461). Will need to bring
more consistency to defensive game day and day
out. Has already moved to CF for AFL in an
effort to expedite his arrival @ ML level as bat
seems to be pushing the issue.
during brief stay. .400/.471/.800 with 9HR in 22
games. Balanced swing allows him to move ball
around field with some serious pop behind it.
Very loud bat. High K and High BB player. Came
down to earth in Midland in second half but
season counting stats are pretty gaudy. Between
three levels he homered 24 times, drove in 95 and
doubled 35 times. Needs work to become
adequate defender @ 2B but offensive
performance should make any glove problems
much easier to swallow. Can help soon.
hard to argue with numbers that made him
statistically the best pitcher to take the hill in the
Cal League in 2005. 1.99 ERA 81IP 53H. 101:31
K:BB. Average stuff is made better by moxie and
strike throwing ability. Command needs some
work and I wasn't surprised by struggles he had
@ AA level(5.35 ERA 68:38 K:BB and 69:38
IP:BB). A ball numbers masked some inconsis.
but no one battled harder and got more out of
their stuff than him. Very safe bet to get full
return on him but top of rotation ceiling isn't
there.
