One of the great things about minor-league baseball is that it won't be affected very much by a major-league strike. Players solely on minor-league rosters aren't impacted at all. While all players on 40-man rosters are represented by the MLBPA, those in the minors were allowed to keep playing by the union in all previous labor actions. This one should be no different; don't worry about Triple-A guys being forced to skip minor league playoff games because of a strike. They'll continue to play.

Personally, I'm somewhat optimistic that a strike will be avoided this time around. Even if there is one, it should be short. The apocalyptic labor war will wait until the new contract expires.

Even if there is no labor stoppage, all baseball fans should take in a minor-league game when they can. Most people who live within driving distance of a major-league city have access to minor-league games. It costs a lot less to attend a minor-league game, plus the atmosphere is usually more intimate and family-oriented.

Let's hit the mailbag.

John R. writes: Prince Fielder's statistics in rookie ball have really caught my attention. He's really bashing the ball and showing some advanced plate discipline since signing as a first-round pick this year. What are your feelings about him?

Prince was selected seventh overall by the Brewers in this year's draft. Scouts had no doubt he'd hit, but the Brewers came under some criticism for the selection, since Cecil's son is very similar to his weight-challenged father physically. Most teams were worried that he'd eventually pick up too much bulk to play in the field, and teams aren't fond of spending first-round picks on future DHs.

I don't know how much weight Prince will or will not gain. Despite his bulk, Cecil was actually a good natural athlete, and Prince is similar. He could very well stay at first base longer than skeptics expect, though he has a lot of work to do on reliability. But his bat will play anywhere.

In his first 41 games after signing, Fielder hit .390/.531/.678 for the Ogden Raptors in the Pioneer League. Read that again. He shows outstanding bat speed and an advanced feel for hitting. Prince has as much raw power as his father did, but projects to hit for a higher batting average and OBP. Promoted to full-season Class A at Beloit three weeks ago, Fielder is hitting .262, though with considerably reduced power. Still, his debut has been extremely impressive for a guy right out of high school. I'm certain he'll hit, which leaves the defense and weight questions that I really can't answer yet.

Gerry writes: I would like to know what happened to a Boston Red Sox farm system player by the name of Rick Asadoorian. I can't find his name on any Red Sox system rosters.

Asadoorian was traded to the Cardinals last winter in the Dustin Hermanson trade. He's pretty much the exact opposite of Prince Fielder. Fielder is a huge guy with a great bat, but questionable defense. Rick is a trim athlete with a terrific glove, but a thus-far lousy bat. He was a first-round pick by the Sox in 1999, out of high school in Massachusetts. He did very little in the BoSox system, hitting just .229 in two seasons, with little power and horrible plate discipline. His outfield glove is terrific, but if he can't hit A-ball stuff, it won't get him to the majors by itself.

Since the trade, Asadoorian has actually made some progress. He's hitting .268 this year, with a .403 slugging percentage and improved strike zone judgment. It's just the Midwest League, though. To put it in context, Asadoorian is three years older than Prince Fielder, but is playing in the same league. It is still a long shot for him to have a major-league career, but a year ago I would have said it was impossible.

Pete writes: Two words: Rocco Baldelli. He has speed, power, the ability to hit for average, a great glove and a great name. Jump on the bandwagon now ... there's still a little room left.

Baldelli is similar in many ways to Rick Asadoorian. Both are excellent overall athletes who could excel in other sports. Both came from New England, Rhode Island in Baldelli's case. Both were raw when drafted in the first round, Baldelli being a 2000 pick. Like Asadoorian, Baldelli entered the '02 season with a weak track record, in his case a career average of .237 to go with poor strike zone judgment and marginal power production. But while Asadoorian has made a little progress this year, Baldelli has shot to the top of the prospect charts.

A strong spring training made the Devil Rays feel comfortable sending Baldelli to the advanced Class A California League. He ripped through the circuit in 77 games, hitting .333/.382/.535, with 21 steals. Promoted to Double-A Orlando, he hit .371 in 17 games, then moved up to Triple-A Durham to replace the promoted Carl Crawford. Triple-A has been a challenge: he's hitting .245 in 11 contests, with 11 strikeouts and no walks thus far.

Baldelli still needs to improve his strike zone judgment, but his swing is much stronger and more consistent than it was last year, and the game of baseball seems to have finally clicked for him. I think he'll need a year of Triple-A before being ready for the majors, and it's possible he'll fall back somewhat next season. But he's done enough this year to establish himself as one of the top outfield prospects in baseball.

Daniel asks: I was wondering what your take was on two of the Cubs' youngest pitching prospects with the Boise Hawks: Andy Sisco and Jae-Kuk Ryu. Sisco has potential for dominance, being as big as he is, and his numbers look awesome so far. Ryu hasn't pitched quite as well, but I believe he's younger and he's considered a great talent. Do you know much more about them?

Sisco is 5-2, 2.42 in 12 starts, with a 92/33 K/BB in 67 innings, with only 45 hits allowed. Ryu is 6-1, 3.57 in 10 starts, with a 56/25 K/BB in 53 innings, with 45 hits allowed. As you point out, Sisco has pitched better, though it was Ryu who was recently awarded with a promotion to the Midwest League, where he's been battered in his first two outings.

I like both of these guys. Sisco is a 6-8 lefty, drafted in the second round from a Washington state high school last year. He throws 90-93 mph right now, and given his size and frame, increased velocity seems likely. He also has a slider and a splitter, and while his command needs some work, his very high strikeout rate is a great sign for his future. Ryu was signed from South Korea last year. He throws in the low 90s, has a good assortment of breaking pitches, and projects plus command as he matures. Both guys could be top notch rotation starters, although it will be at least two and probably four years before they get their chances, and a lot can happen (blown elbows, sore shoulders, etc.) in the meantime.

Dale C: I am probably not the first Oakland A's fan to e-mail you regarding your rookie surprises in 2002. But I was wondering why Mark Ellis did not make the list. The A's have been spending years trying to find their long term secnd baseman and it appears that they have finally found that player in Ellis. Both his defense, offense and general heads-up play have been one of the reasons the A's are still in the playoff race even though their offense has struggled the whole year.

I mentioned right-handed pitcher Aaron Harang in that piece, but should have brought up Ellis as well.

In 68 games for Oakland, Ellis is hitting .278/.360/.416. He has solid strike zone judgment, gets on base at a good clip, will bang some doubles and the occasional homer, and handles his position defensively. When the Royals drafted him out of the University of Florida in 1999 (a ninth-round pick), scouts wrote Ellis off as either a Triple-A player or, at best, a future utility guy. The main reason the Royals traded him to Oakland as part of the Johnny Damon deal in '00 was because they didn't think Ellis had a high "ceiling," in terms of being a potential regular. They also didn't think he had the arm for shortstop, and at the time, Carlos Febles looked like the long-term answer at second base.

Ellis won't win any batting titles or home run crowns, but he's a useful part of the offense due to his broad base of skills. He doesn't do any one thing exceptionally well, but does a lot of things right. He reminds me of Randy Velarde, and I think he'll have a similar career.

John Sickels is the author of the 2002 STATS Minor League Scouting Notebook. He is currently writing a biography of Bob Feller. 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 johnsickels.com.