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Futures Game: World Team thumbnails
Justin Huber, C, Mets• Signed as non-drafted free agent in 2000 Despite attending a high school without a baseball team, Huber was discovered by scouts after playing for the Under-18 Australian National team for three years. Huber, who was selected to the Futures Game last year as well, batted .286 with 14 home runs and 93 RBIs -- tied for most in the Mets organization -- between Columbia of the lower-level Class A South Atlantic League and St. Lucie of the advanced Class A Florida State League. The 21-year-old got off to a strong start with St. Lucie this year, hitting .284 with nine home runs and 36 RBIs in 50 games before being promoted to Binghamton of the Class AA Eastern League.
Guillermo Quiroz, C, Blue Jays• Signed as non-drafted free agent in 1998 Quiroz was a member of the Venezuelan little league team that won the World Series back in 1994. He signed with the Blue Jays just four years after winning that championship. The 21-year-old batted .260 with 12 homers and 68 RBIs last season with Dunedin of the advanced Class A Florida State League. The performance earned him a promotion to Syracuse of the Class AAA International League, where he finished the year. The native of Venezuela has always had big power potential but it's been most evident this year. On April 6, he blasted a pair of homers in the sixth inning of a 14-8 victory over New Britain. He has already tied a career-high with 13 homers this season.
Pete LaForest, C-DH, Devil Rays• 16th-round pick in 1995 Originally signed out of Canada as a third baseman, LaForest has found a home behind the plate. He has a respectable arm and good footwork, but his bat has been most impressive. After a knee injury sidelined him for most of 2001, LaForest came back stronger than ever last season. He led the Class AA Southern League with 20 home runs and drove in an organizational-best 64 runs for Orlando. The 25-year-old began this season in Orlando and hit .250 with three homers and 15 RBIs in 21 games before being promoted to Durham of the Class AAA International League. LaForest has began with a bang in Durham, homering seven times in his first 12 games and winning the League's Player of the Week award on June 16.
Robinson Cano, 2B, Yankees• Signed as non-drafted free agent in 2001 The Dominican Republic native started out 2002 with Greensboro of the Class A South Atlantic League, where he hit .276 with 14 homers and 66 RBIs. He was selected to the league all-star game. He knocked in 24 runs in May and finished the season strong with a .367 average in August. In the advanced Class A Florida State League this year, the 20-year-old went 5-for-5 in his first game and hit safely in his first 11 games at a .440 clip. He hit safely in 18 of his first 19 games en route to a .319 average in April. Cano had five consecutive multi-hit games May 25-30.
Jose Castillo, SS, Pirates• Signed as non-drafted free agent in 1997 Castillo, a native of Venezuela, made his first appearance in full-season baseball in 2000, hitting .299 with 16 homers and 72 RBIs for Class A Hickory of the South Atlantic League. After a tough 2001 campaign that ended in offseason wrist surgery, Castillo nearly duplicated his 2000 numbers by hitting .300 with the league's fourth most homers, 16, and third most RBIs, 81, for Lynchburg of the advanced Class A Carolina League last season. His performance earned him a spot on the all-star team at the end of the year. Every year Castillo has made strides defensively. He committed 60 errors in 2000 but knocked that total down to 37 in 2001, 33 in 2002 and just 13 so far this year. The most impressive adjustment Castillo has made is in his patience. He has walked 30 times and fanned just 45 so far this season. The 22-year-old has been solid on the road, batting .316 with three homers and 28 RBIs. He tied an Altoona franchise record with five hits at Akron on May 7.
Edwin Encarnacion, 3B, Reds• Ninth-round pick in 2000 Encarnacion, born in the Dominican Republic, came over to the Reds from the Rangers in the Rob Bell deal in 2001 and the athletic 19-year-old showed off his five tools in the Class A Midwest League. He hit .282, belted 32 doubles and 17 homers and stole 25 bases. His range and rocket arm impressed enough that he was tried at shortstop at the end of the season. Attempting to skip a level and begin the year in the Class AA Southern League, the 20-year-old Encarnacion wasn't ready. learned that he just wasn't ready for it. Sent to the advanced Class A Carolina League .220 with one homer and 14 RBIs in 31 games with the Lookouts before being sent down to Potomac of the advanced Class A Carolina League in mid May, he has responded by hitting .311 with three homers and 15 RBIs.
Andy Marte, 3B, Braves• Signed as non-drafted free agent in 2000 Marte was the first Dominican Player the organization signed after they were temporarily banned from signing players from the country. They were punished for having illegally signed Wilson Betemit before he turned 16. Last season in Macon of the South Atlantic League he pounded out 21 homers -- second most in the league -- and led the circuit with 105 RBIs. He was selected to the SportsTicker All-Teen Team and the South Atlantic League All-Star squad. The 19-year-old has continued his success as the third-youngest hitter in the advanced Class A Carolina League this season. Marte doubled in six straight games -- one shy of the longest such streak in the minors this season -- May 18-22 and was leading the league with 25 doubles through July 8.
Ramon Nivar, 2B, Rangers• Signed as non-drafted free agent in 1998 A Dominican Republic native, Nivar was signed as a third baseman but has been tried out at many different positions. He has played shortstop, second base and is now trying out center field. His defensive versatility has made him a valuable commodity. After struggling in 2001, Nivar returned for a second season in the advanced Class A last year to hit .305 with four homers and 41 RBIs. He made the all-star team and led the league with 98 runs. The 23-year-old began this season in Frisco of the Class AA Texas League. He batted a league-best .347 with four homers and 37 RBIs before being promoted to Oklahoma of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League. In his first six games with the RedHawks, Nivar hit .304 with a homer and four RBIs. He began May with a 12-game hitting streak en route to a .381 average during the month. Through July 8, Nivar was second in all of the minor leagues with 119 hits.
Rene Reyes, OF-1B, Rockies• Signed as non-drafted free agent in 1996 A two-time minor league batting champion and MVP, Reyes advanced to Class AA last season and hit .292 with 33 doubles, 14 homers and 54 RBIs at Carolina in the Southern League. The 5-11, 210-pound Reyes is a gifted athlete who can run and play the outfield. The native of Venezuela was originally signed as a catcher but has been moved to first base. Reyes missed most of 1999 due to shoulder surgery and all of 2000 to a knee operation. The 25-year-old has thrived in hitter-friendly Colorado Springs of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League. Reyes was third among all National Association switch hitters with a .342 average through July 8.
Alexis Gomez, OF, Royals• Signed as non-drafted free agent in 1997 Considered the top all-around athlete in the Royals organization because of his five-tool potential, Gomez is developing the plate discipline he needs to as a top-of-the-order hitter at higher levels. In 2001 the native of the Dominican Republic finished with more than 110 strikeouts for the second straight season, but dramatically improved last season with 45 walks and 84 strikeouts in 461 at-bats. The 24-year-old, who had just 12 homers in his first five seasons, increased his power numbers last season. He batted .295 with a career-high 14 homers and 75 RBIs in Class AA Wichita. He was selected to the Texas League All-Star team, finished fourth in steals (36), fifth in RBIs and 10th in batting. After a slow start this season, Gomez heated up along with the weather, batting .301 with two homers and 20 RBIs in the month of June.
Chin-Feng Chen, OF, Dodgers• Signed as non-drafted free agent in 1999 In his North American debut in 1999, Chen became the first player in the history of the Class A California League to hit 30 homers and steal 30 bases in one season. He hit .316 and drove in a league-high 123 runs. The performance earned Chen the league's Most Valuable Player award and a spot on the How Sportsdata All-Prospect team. A year removed from an injury-plagued season which nearly bumped him off the prospect charts, Chen rebounded with a terrific effort with Jacksonville of the CLass AA Southern League, hitting .313 with 17 homers and 50 RBIs in the second half of 2001. The 25-year-old hit .284 and set organizational bests with 26 homers and 84 RBIs despite lead the league with 160 strikeouts last year. He was given a three-game stint in Los Angeles but went 0-for-5 in the majors, making him the first Taiwanese player in the big leagues.
Franklin Gutierrez, OF, Dodgers• Signed as non-drafted free agent in 2000 Gutierrez was a very raw talent when drafted out of Venezuela. Debuting in the Gulf Coast League in 2001, he batted .269 with four homers and 30 RBIs. He was second in the league with 38 runs and was third with 63 hits. After performing well last season with South Georgia of the South Atlantic League (.283, 12 HR, 45 RBIs), the 20-year-old started this season with a bang, hitting .321 with 14 homers and 45 RBIs between April and May. He was selected as the Florida State League Player of the Week on April 14 and May 12.
Felix Pie, OF, Cubs• Signed as non-drafted free agent in 2001 Pie went to watch a tryout in his native Dominican Republic and was picked out of the crowd to try out as well. He impressed a Cubs scout and was signed later that day at age 16. Last season, Pie made a splash in the National Association, batting .321 with four homers, 37 RBIs and a league-best 13 triples to be named the Arizona League co-MVP. The 18-year-old was the youngest position player to start this season in a full-season league. In the Class A Midwest League, he recorded eight multi-hit performances in a nine-game span June 12-24 and was hitting .290 with a pair of homers and 32 RBIs through July 8.
Alexis Rios, OF, Blue Jays• First-round pick (19th overall) in 1999 In 2002, Rios had a breakout season in the Florida State League, hitting .305 with 22 doubles and 61 RBIs. At 6-5, 180 pounds Rios is just starting to fill out his frame. He failed to hit a home run in his first professional season and hit just six blasts over his next three seasons. This year in the Class AA Eastern League, he has already doubled his career total. Rios was red hot at the beginning of the season, collecting multiple hits in each of his first five games and starting the year with a 12-game hitting streak. He was hitting a league-best .352 with 45 RBIs through July 8.
Denny Bautista, RHP, Marlins• Signed as non-drafted free agent in 2000 A personal friend of Pedro Martinez from back in his home country of the Dominican Republic, Bautista pitches at 92-94 mph with his fastball and compliments it with a curve and a changeup. In his first full campaign as a professional, he went 6-2 with a 3.22 ERA in 15 starts between two Class A stops. Bautista spent the first six weeks of the season with full-season Kane County, made seven starts with short-season Class A Utica and then returned to Kane County in late August. Bautista took a small step backwards in 2001. After showing up late in spring training due to Visa troubles, he missed six weeks due to shoulder tendinitis. He spent the season with Jupiter of the advanced Class A Florida State League. This year the 20-year-old has been better than ever. He went 8-4 with a 3.18 ERA in 14 starts with the HammerHeads, earning him a promotion to Carolina of the Class AA Southern League. He won each of his first three starts with the Mudcats, yielding just three runs over 17 2/3 innings.
Travis Blackley, LHP, Mariners• Signed as non-drafted free agent in 2000 The 6-3, 190-pound Blackley made his professional debut at 18 and dominated the short-season Northwest League, going 6-1 with a 3.32 ERA in 2001. He recorded 90 strikeouts, good for third in the league. After his strong rookie season, the Mariners decided to skip Blackley straight to San Bernardino of the advanced Class A California League. This season, the Australia native entered the Class AA Texas League as the fourth-youngest player and has thrived in what is generally considered a hitters' league. The 20-year-old has gone 11-3 with a 2.13 ERA. His 11 wins were tops in the loop as was his ERA. He allowed two runs or less in 13 of 14 outings through July 8. Blackley uses a fastball in the high 80s and a deceiving changeup while still perfecting his two breaking pitches. He developed a slider this year to help him battle left-handed hitters. His changeup is his best pitch and it's very effective against right-handers.
Jorge De La Rosa, LHP, Red Sox• Signed as non-drafted free agent in 1998 De la Rosa was originally signed by the Diamondbacks organization before his contract was purchased by Monterrey of the Mexican League and then by the Red Sox. A powerful left-hander, the Mexico native has impressed the Red Sox with his mid-90s heater and breaking ball. After coming out of the bullpen his first four pro seasons, the 22-year-old was used strictly as a starter last year and afforded the opposition just a .232 average between Class A Sarasota and Class AA Trenton. This season the Mexico native went 5-3 with a 3.50 ERA in his first 17 outings 16 starts with Portland of the Class AA Eastern League. He has fanned 80 batters over 74 2/3 innings for the Sea Dogs.
Rich Harden, RHP, Athletics• 17th-round pick in 2000 Harden's explosive, mid-90s fastball and bewildering changeup gives him the best one-two punch in the system. A native of Victoria, British Columbia, the 21-year-old began last season in the advanced Class A California League and went 4-3 with a 2.93 ERA. He did not allow an earned run in six of his 12 starts and won each of his last three before promoted to Class AA Midland in early June. In the hitter-friendly Texas League, Harden continued to excel, going 8-3 with a 2.95 ERA, a .217 average against and 102 strikeouts, including 11 over seven scoreless frames in his final start, in 85 1/3 total innings. Over the two levels, the 6-1 Harden finished atop the organization in ERA (2.93) and strikeouts (187) while ranking second in wins (12). The Athletics placed Harden back in Midland at the beginning of this year, but he quickly proved that he was ready to move on. He tossed 13 perfect innings over two starts, both wins, before being promoted to Sacramento of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League. Including his last start of 2002 and his first Class AAA outing, Harden retired an astounding 57 batters in succession. Since his promotion to Class AAA, Harden has gone 9-4 with a 3.18 ERA, striking out 91 batters in 87 2/3 innings.
Shawn Hill, RHP, Expos• Sixth-round pick in 2000 Hill induces plenty of groundballs with a 88-92 mph sinker and throws a changeup and curveball both in the mid 70s. The native of Canada emerged last season with Clinton of the lower Class A Midwest League. He went 12-7 with a 3.44 ERA and made the league all-star team. The 22-year-old has continued his success through this season, going 7-4 with a 2.89 ERA with Brevard County of the advanced Class A Florida State League. His control has been a strength, walking just 20 batters in 99 2/3 innings.
Ervin Santana, RHP, Angels• Signed as non-drafted free agent in 2000 A right-handed flamethrower, Santana struck out 146 batters and walked just 48 in 147 innings last season. Opposing righties hit just .195. Santana, who formerly went by the first name of Johan, finished his first full professional season with 14 wins but the 6-4, 170-pounder may be asked to add some bulk to his frame. His fastball already has touched 98 mph and sits in the mid-90s. The 20-year-old has not allowed more than four runs in any start this season, going at least five innings in each outing. He has won six straight decision and has allowed just one hit in three straight starts through July 8. Overall, Santana has gone 9-1 with a 2.33 ERA for Rancho Cucamonga of the advanced Class A California League.
Edgar Gonzalez, RHP, Diamondbacks• Signed as non-drafted free agent in 2000 The Diamondbacks, who inked Erubiel Durazo in 1998, have continued their success in finding prospects in Mexico. Edgar Gonzalez had a breakthrough season at Class A, pitching a no-hitter featuring eight straight strikeouts and leading the organization in ERA (2.63) and strikeouts (131). The 20-year-old began the season with El Paso of the Class AA Texas League, where he went 2-2 with a 3.50 ERA before being promoted to Tucson of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League. Gonzalez went 3-2 with a 3.19 ERA in five starts with the Sidewinders before 12 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings over two starts earned him a promotion to Arizona. In two starts with the Diamondbacks he went 1-1 with a 5.73 ERA before returning to Tucson.
Seung Song, RHP, Expos• Signed as non-drafted free agent in 1999 When the Red Sox traded away the 22-year-old right-hander in the Cliff Floyd deal last July, they parted with one of their top prospects in the system. He has a mid-90s fastball has good movement and his breaking stuff has improved since signing. After establishing himself as one of the most dominant Class A pitchers in 2001 - his 1.90 ERA was second in the minors to Marlins' phenom Josh Beckett - Song battled through injuries for the majority of his 2002 campaign. The Korea native went 7-7 with a 4.39 ERA in 21 starts. Despite an uneven year fraught with constant pain, Song never lost his command, striking out 116 and walking just 37. This season the 23-year-old began the year in Harrisburg, where he went 5-2 with a 2.35 ERA. He tossed a nine-inning no-hitter on April 28 in a 2-1 win against Erie. He was promoted to Edmonton of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League and in his first four starts with the Trappers Song went 2-0 with a 2.49 ERA.
Chin-Hui Tsao, RHP, Rockies• Signed as non-drafted free agent in 1999 Many considered Tsao the best pitching prospect in the game after a 2000 season at the low Class A South Atlantic League. Tsao, who started that season at 18 years of age, went 11-8 with a 2.73 ERA in 24 starts. But the native of Taiwan hurt his elbow in the first month of the 2001 season, had Tommy John elbow surgery and pitched just 75 innings the past two years. Tsao started to show his old stuff late last season at Class A Salem, going 4-2 with a 2.09 ERA in nine starts. He allowed 34 hits and 12 walks with 45 strikeouts in 47 innings. The 22-year-old has returned to top-prospect status this season with Tulsa of the Class AA Texas League. He led the league in strikeouts (118), was second in in ERA (2.56) and was tied for second in wins (10). His fastball sits in the 92-94 mph range and he throws a tight slider with downward break and an effective changeup.
Merkin Valdez, RHP, Giants• Signed as non-drafted free agent in 1999 The 21-year-old came to the Giants with Damian Moss in the deal that sent Russ Ortiz to Atlanta this offseason. He has been very successful everywhere he's been. Valdez has never had an ERA over 3.00 for an entire season. Last season, he dominated the rookie-level Gulf Coast League, going 7-3 with a 1.98 ERA and a league-leading 76 strikeouts. This season he tackled full-season baseball for the first time with Hagerstown of the lower Class A South Atlantic League and has gone 5-4 with a 2.16 ERA, good for fifth in the loop. The Dominican Republic native gets ahead in the count with a lively 93-95 mph fastball. Has a good feel for his changeup and slider but still needs to gain consistency with his secondary pitches.
Chien-Ming Wang, RHP, Yankees• Signed as non-drafted free agent in 2000 The Taiwan native was signed to a $1.9 million bonus on May 5, 2000. He debuted in Staten Island of the short-season New York-Penn League and went 4-4 with a 2.48 ERA.
After missing all of the 2001 season because of shoulder surgery, Wang returned to Staten Island and dominated with a 6-1 mark and a 1.72 ERA in 13 starts last season. He also threw eight scoreless innings to clinch the league championship for Staten Island.
© 2003 SportsTicker Enterprises, LP
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