Speed, power, and the ability to hit for average. Sounds like our top prospect to me. Look how fast he moved up a level this year and didn’t skip a beat. If he can be moved to RF in 2010, the Rays may have one of the fastest outfields in MLB history when combined with Crawford and Upton.
Jennings is a legitimate 4, possible 5 tool player.
Davis has been a bit inconsistent…
Hellboy has to stay healthy…
Beckham needs to remember how to play defense, and is lightyears (as expected- to some extent) from the Bigs.
What??? No…..
6) Ability to attract women (Longo has all six)
7) Ability to drink till 2am (after a night game/day game next day)
*still trying to develope this list
The other guys are obv closer to the bigs, but Timmy is the top talent coming up. He has all the tools to be a star player. By far the biggest upside of the current crop.
I don’t know gatorray, T-Becks, is known for having 5 above avg tools for a SS, but DJ has 4 way above avg tools for a CF’er (w/ power his avg tool at least being a little above most CF’ers and his D being excellent as opposed to becks), you could argue either, but one is closer to reaching his ceiling, the other has performed just above avg for his league (Becks). With injuries taken into the equation, Becks can definitely be ranked higher, but brickhaus and others think DJ’s tools etc make him a top 10 prospect in the game right now.
The numbers on Hellickson don’t lie, and he’s made a similarly smooth transition through the ranks. And, oh my god, he actually has a freakin changeup and a curve. . . how novel.
Seriously, I really do not comprehend the fact that Price does not have an offspeed pitch. Does it not stand to reason that a 6-4 bomber with a 95-plus fastball would want a changeup? How does this happen? Are all his coaches (High School, Legion, College) that lazy?
Carey, I agree about Price, who was last year’s hot prospect. He either needs to develop other pitches or consider a bullpen career. You can’t be a major league starter with only a fastball.
it’s either Hellickson or Jennings just look how fast they’ve moved through the system and how they played at the next level. But also if you have concerns about injuries with Hellickson Jennings missed pretty much all of 08.
Davis has got the talent to be a real top-of-the-rotation guy.
That coupled with the fact that he’s about to get his frst MLB start had me thinking that everyone would be on-board the Davis Train…
you crazy Rays fans- you baffle me, day-in and day-out.
I voted for jennings but if I had to put the spects in order it would have to bo
1.Jennings
2Davis
3.hellickson
4.Beckham.
I suprise for the no love for Davis.Hellickson has a hot streak in Durham and everyone jumps on his bandwagon. If I remember correctly Davis was great for Durham at first last year too and he didnt get this big of hype.
rade BJ Upton…PLEASE!!! Jennings is the future. It should be Crawford,Jennings,Joyce, and Perez combo. Zobrist at 2B with Rodriguez and Brignac competing for INF job in 2010. I want to see Wade Davis as a 5th starter with Shields,Price,Garza,and Niemann with Hellickson waiting in the wings. I don’t want to see a Andy Sonnanstine sighting in 2010. Release Sonny; he is a poor mans version of Casey Fossum. Watch out for closer Matt Gorgen in AA Montgomery. He could the Rays future closer. At catcher, I want to see a veteran out there like Pierzynski,Varitek, or Kendall; I understand Lucas Bailey has 4 years to develop and Tim Beckham needs to work on his defense. Remember, Derek Jeter played A ball 18 years ago and had 50 plus errors at SS. After that, the rest is history. A Gold Glove SS and an All Star. Beckham has Derek Jeter/Jimmy Rollins type talent. Bolster up the pen and this team is set; I don’t want to see the Russian Roulette relievers
But wasn’t BJ just a few years ago a top prospect, too? Only saying…it’s good to have some strong players in the pipeline, but predicting which AA or even AAA star will become a solid major leaguer is very difficult. I hope Jennings and Davis are as good as they seem, but do we know for sure that they will be better than, say, Upton and Sonnanstine have been? I think there’s a pretty steep climb between even AAA and major league success. Those who succeed must be not only good athletes, but athletes capable of learning in a pressure situation.
Beth, you are absolutely correct. In 2004, BJ Upton was called up in September at the age of 19. He was also a 5 tool player, but he was rushed too soon. Then Rays manager Lou Piniella compared Upton to a young A Rod. As a result, he could not play the INF,does not hustle and misplays flyballs at center. He is one of the last men standing from the Chuck LaMar regime (Crawford and Wheeler). Tim Beckham at the age 19 is learning to play SS in a full time basis at Bowling Green (low A) with no pressure due to Jason Bartlett’s performance at SS.
Who knows??…never seen them play a “real game”…but NOW (SEPT) is the time!
Ask me on 10/04/09…….
Speed, power, and the ability to hit for average. Sounds like our top prospect to me. Look how fast he moved up a level this year and didn’t skip a beat. If he can be moved to RF in 2010, the Rays may have one of the fastest outfields in MLB history when combined with Crawford and Upton.
Jennings is a legitimate 4, possible 5 tool player.
Davis has been a bit inconsistent…
Hellboy has to stay healthy…
Beckham needs to remember how to play defense, and is lightyears (as expected- to some extent) from the Bigs.
May I ask a stupid question?
What are the “tools” of which Jennings has 4 or 5?
5 basic tools:
great speed
hit for average
hit for power
great throwing arm
great defense
What??? No…..
6) Ability to attract women (Longo has all six)
7) Ability to drink till 2am (after a night game/day game next day)
*still trying to develope this list
The other guys are obv closer to the bigs, but Timmy is the top talent coming up. He has all the tools to be a star player. By far the biggest upside of the current crop.
I don’t know gatorray, T-Becks, is known for having 5 above avg tools for a SS, but DJ has 4 way above avg tools for a CF’er (w/ power his avg tool at least being a little above most CF’ers and his D being excellent as opposed to becks), you could argue either, but one is closer to reaching his ceiling, the other has performed just above avg for his league (Becks). With injuries taken into the equation, Becks can definitely be ranked higher, but brickhaus and others think DJ’s tools etc make him a top 10 prospect in the game right now.
The numbers on Hellickson don’t lie, and he’s made a similarly smooth transition through the ranks. And, oh my god, he actually has a freakin changeup and a curve. . . how novel.
Seriously, I really do not comprehend the fact that Price does not have an offspeed pitch. Does it not stand to reason that a 6-4 bomber with a 95-plus fastball would want a changeup? How does this happen? Are all his coaches (High School, Legion, College) that lazy?
Carey, I agree about Price, who was last year’s hot prospect. He either needs to develop other pitches or consider a bullpen career. You can’t be a major league starter with only a fastball.
it’s either Hellickson or Jennings just look how fast they’ve moved through the system and how they played at the next level. But also if you have concerns about injuries with Hellickson Jennings missed pretty much all of 08.
Jennings insn’t a pitcher
Jennings isn’t a pitcher… injuries have much less overall impact on position players
I’m amazed at the lack of support for Davis.
Davis has got the talent to be a real top-of-the-rotation guy.
That coupled with the fact that he’s about to get his frst MLB start had me thinking that everyone would be on-board the Davis Train…
you crazy Rays fans- you baffle me, day-in and day-out.
(that being said, I voted for Jennings)
I voted for jennings but if I had to put the spects in order it would have to bo
1.Jennings
2Davis
3.hellickson
4.Beckham.
I suprise for the no love for Davis.Hellickson has a hot streak in Durham and everyone jumps on his bandwagon. If I remember correctly Davis was great for Durham at first last year too and he didnt get this big of hype.
hellickson is a better prospect than David. It hasn’t been a “hot” streak in Durham. His numbers at every level have been better.
Gorgen’s numbers in AA have fallen off a cliff lately.
rade BJ Upton…PLEASE!!! Jennings is the future. It should be Crawford,Jennings,Joyce, and Perez combo. Zobrist at 2B with Rodriguez and Brignac competing for INF job in 2010. I want to see Wade Davis as a 5th starter with Shields,Price,Garza,and Niemann with Hellickson waiting in the wings. I don’t want to see a Andy Sonnanstine sighting in 2010. Release Sonny; he is a poor mans version of Casey Fossum. Watch out for closer Matt Gorgen in AA Montgomery. He could the Rays future closer. At catcher, I want to see a veteran out there like Pierzynski,Varitek, or Kendall; I understand Lucas Bailey has 4 years to develop and Tim Beckham needs to work on his defense. Remember, Derek Jeter played A ball 18 years ago and had 50 plus errors at SS. After that, the rest is history. A Gold Glove SS and an All Star. Beckham has Derek Jeter/Jimmy Rollins type talent. Bolster up the pen and this team is set; I don’t want to see the Russian Roulette relievers
In the first sentence, I meant to say Trade BJ Upton. He has to go
But wasn’t BJ just a few years ago a top prospect, too? Only saying…it’s good to have some strong players in the pipeline, but predicting which AA or even AAA star will become a solid major leaguer is very difficult. I hope Jennings and Davis are as good as they seem, but do we know for sure that they will be better than, say, Upton and Sonnanstine have been? I think there’s a pretty steep climb between even AAA and major league success. Those who succeed must be not only good athletes, but athletes capable of learning in a pressure situation.
Beth, you are absolutely correct. In 2004, BJ Upton was called up in September at the age of 19. He was also a 5 tool player, but he was rushed too soon. Then Rays manager Lou Piniella compared Upton to a young A Rod. As a result, he could not play the INF,does not hustle and misplays flyballs at center. He is one of the last men standing from the Chuck LaMar regime (Crawford and Wheeler). Tim Beckham at the age 19 is learning to play SS in a full time basis at Bowling Green (low A) with no pressure due to Jason Bartlett’s performance at SS.