Ugh. The Dog Days of August. I hate that term, "Dog Days." A more accurate description would be "Ungodly Humid and Hot as Hell Days," but that just doesn't roll off the tongue in quite the same way.
Let's take a dip into the ole' mailbag. Not quite as refreshing as a dip in the swimming pool, but this is the internet, not your backyard.
John C. writes: With all the talk about Alex Graman and Brandon Claussen being the Yankees' two top left-handed pitching prospects, I never hear anything about Double-A lefty Randy Flores. He is currently 12-4 at Norwich with a 2.35 ERA. Is he a legitimate prospect or is his stuff just good enough to succeed in the minors?
Flores has done nothing but pitch well as a pro, but doesn't show up on many prospect lists. A ninth-round pick out of USC in 1997, Flores has a career 51-34 W-L record, with a fine 3.19 ERA and a 550/240 K/BB ratio in 693 innings. He's spent the last two seasons at Double-A Norwich, with ERAs of 2.94 and 2.35. You would figure that with a career .600 winning percentage and a strong ERA that he'd get more press, but he doesn't.
Flores is a polished pitcher with good breaking stuff and a fine changeup, but his fastball isn't very fast, getting only into the upper 80s on a good day. He turned 26 last week, so he's older and more experienced than most guys in Double-A, giving him another advantage. That said, he deserves a chance to move up. He may not have a great fastball, but so far he hasn't found a level he can't handle. He ranks behind guys like Graman and Claussen because he doesn't have their ceiling or physical talents, but Flores is a skilled mound craftsman and could be a surprise one day.
Matt C. asks: I've have been following Mets "top" pitching prospect Pat Strange all year, and I have been a bit perplexed by his numbers. For a player who supposed to be a hardthrowing strike out pitcher, he has not been striking many people out. Just 87 punchouts in 132 innings, to be exact. He has a pretty good W/IP, but has a dreadful H/IP and 4.30 ERA. What's going on with this guy, why is he doing so bad?
Strange is the opposite of Flores: he has great physical talent, but his performance hasn't matched his potential as of yet. As you point out, all of his statistical indicators are rather weak in Double-A this year, although he's been pitching better lately and his ERA has dropped about 70 points over the last month.
Strange is a 6-5, 240-pound right-hander, who doesn't turn 21 until August 23. The fact that he's 20 years old and holding his own in Double-A is the most impressive thing about him. He has an above-average fastball and a very good changeup, but his breaking pitches are erratic and his mechanics are not reliable. This hurts his command and also gives rise to fears of injury.
I wouldn't give up on him yet by any means. He is just a kid. I do believe that the Mets have rushed him somewhat, and I wouldn't expect him to dominate anytime soon. His long-term potential is immense, but he has work to do.
Albcuba asks: Do you think Abraham Nunez has a future in the big leagues? He has not played very well in the minors since the Florida Marlins got him from the Diamondbacks. Is he what the Marlins thought they had stolen from Arizona in the Matt Mantei deal?
Nunez was something of a mild disappointment in 2000, and he's hitting just .241 in Double-A this year. But there are mitigating factors. A severe shoulder injury kept him in the DH role last year and may have hurt his ability to turn on pitches. Such injuries can take a year (or more) to properly heal, and while he's been playing the field this year, it is quite possible that he has still been impacted by the injury.
Despite his low batting average and high strikeout rate (130 so far), I like his overall package. He draws walks, steals bases, and has well above-average power, plus he is only 21, quite young for Double-A. He needs more refinement and will likely need a solid year of Triple-A, but I could see him putting up Preston Wilson-style numbers in the long run. If he cuts down on the strikeouts a bit, he could do better than that.
Dana C. writes: Is Jacques Landry, presently playing for Oakland's Double-A affiliate, for real? I see he has a low batting average (.242) and strikes out a lot (158), but has 34 home runs and 30 stolen bases. What is his timetable?
Landry turns 28 next Wednesday, so he can't be considered a prospect. He has major problems making contact, as the low batting average and high strikeout totals show. He does have real power, and steals bases more with instinct and good jumps than pure speed. But his contact problems and birthday preclude any major hopes for him.
It would be fun for him to get a cup of coffee, just to see what he could do with 30 at-bats.
J.D. asks: What is the story with Darnell McDonald? Do the Orioles still consider him a legitimate outfield prospect? It seems he had a lot of potential coming out of high school in Colorado, yet maybe that was due to his football abilities as well.
McDonald was a high-profile draftee in 1997. Possibly the best high school athlete available that year, he had to be bought away from playing football at the University of Texas, where he was projected as a starting running back. He has terrific tools, but hasn't been able to do much with them on the baseball field.
He runs very well, but hasn't developed a smooth technique on the bases. He is very strong, but hasn't crafted a swing to translate his strength into power. He doesn't strike out excessively, but doesn't draw many walks, either, and will get himself out too frequently. The Orioles have pushed him very quickly despite mediocre performance. He is relatively young for Triple-A this year at 22, but is hitting just .243 for Rochester, without much in the way of power or walks. He has stolen 10 bases, and shows good outfield range.
Statistically, there's nothing to get interested in with McDonald. Scouting-wise, he still has a chance due to his athleticism and youth. But this just may end up being a case where a great athlete isn't able to develop into a great baseball player.
John Sickels is the author of the 2001 STATS Minor League Scouting Notebook. He lives in Lawrence, Kansas, with his wife, son, and two cats. You can send John questions or comments at JASickels@aol.com, or you can visit his homepage at hometown.aol.com/jasickels/page1.html.
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