10/9/10 Odds & Ends: slim odds & short ends edition

It's been kind of a slow week, and quite honestly, I can't think of much to write for this post. I can, however, think of plenty of things that are worthy of their own posts. I've sat here for an hour or two poking around on the web for news bytes and just can't come up with anything, so I reckon I should just leave you with what I've got so far and go right to work on something much cooler to post in the coming days. So this is what I've got.

- Have you voted for the 49th State Hardball ABL-to-MLB Year-end awards? If not, hit this link up and fill out your official ballot. It's a quick and easy way to get your favorite ABLers in MLB recognized. After the first wave of voting there are some clear front-runners but there definitely haven't been enough votes for anyone to seal the deal yet. So it's not too late to help your favorite guy get over the top. Go vote!

- The College Baseball Blog has honored a former ABLer, and one of my favorites, in its top-100 ranking: 2010 Mat-Su Miner Andy Mee of Florida Atlantic. I highly recommend that you read the short piece by Brian Foley (link), the hardest working blogger in college ball. Of course, for more Andy Mee goodness, check out our very own scouting video.

Told you that would be short & sweet!

ABL-to-MLB Year-end awards

Vote for your favorite ABL player in the Major Leagues

Regular-season baseball in all its forms is officially over. You've listened to me ramble on for the past year. Now it's your turn to tell me what you think! Below is the official ballot for the 2010 ABL-to-MLB year-end awards. There are four categories: Batter, Pitcher, Bench/Util and Rookie. You can help elect whoever you want to the awards, but there are a few ground rules...

Rules: You can vote for anyone you want. There is a list of suggested candidates, but there is also a write-in form. I had to narrow the ballot down somehow, so I made some judgment calls. Some were obvious and some were borderline, so I figured the only way to make it fair was to give you the opportunity to write-in your own selection. The only rule I have regarding this is to be reasonable. First, this is an MLB award, so a player should have participated in a significant amount of a season at the MLB level. Second, keep your votes roughly within their own category. For example, don't write-in an American League pitcher for "best batter". There is some gray area in both of these rules and I'll be pretty flexible, but if your vote is too ridiculous I reserve the right to leave it uncounted.

You can only vote once, you can leave a section blank if you choose, and the only required field is a valid e-mail address. I realize that there may be temptation to spam your favorite guy over the top, so I will only count votes attached to a valid e-mail address. I understand that this is not a perfect way to keep spam-voting from happening, so realistically the rule should be "you can vote as many times as you can come up with phony e-mail addresses", but I also reserve the right to throw out votes that are obvious duplicates.

OK, if you're still with me, click the "read more" link below to access the ballot...

'96 Panner Young finally tasting October

Rangers' franchise player has waited a decade to see the post-season. 

Photo courtesy of Goldpanners.com

 

After completing his MVP season with the Goldpanners in 1996, Michael Young went pro. By 2000, he'd reached the major leagues; since 2001 he has been a permanent fixture with the Texas Rangers, and despite being shuffled around the field and seeing highly-touted stars come and go, he's been the constant in a sea of change.

Through it all, Young has put together a pretty impressive resume. Six consecutive all-star appearances. Career .302 batting average. A Gold Glove. Consideration, lukewarm as it may have been, for MVP on several occasions. An MLB-best .331 average in 2005. But there's been one thing missing:

A playoff appearance.

That will all change tomorrow, when the Texas Rangers take on the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS. The first pitch is slated for 1:35pm eastern.

During spring training, team President Nolan Ryan -- whose son played for the Anchorage Bucs -- predicted that the Rangers would win 92 games en route to the post season. They fell just short of that, with 90 W's on the standings board, but with second-place Oakland struggling to break even (81-81) on the year, those two wins didn't make a whole lot of difference. Now, with over 1500 playoff-less games to his credit (good, or should I say bad, enough for second among active players) Young will finally get his shot.

2011 Draft Eligibles: Goldpanners of Fairbanks

Cabral, Meaux and Newman lead a class of likely Goldpanner draft picks.

Ryan Cabral could be a nice pick-up for a pro team
in the 2011 MLB draft.

The Goldpanners have an interesting list of draft eligible players this year. I think that 2010 was a stronger year in the top-prospect department than 2009; however, most of the more recent season's big name Goldpanners seem to be juniors. The result is a lot of players who will probably get drafted in 2011, and definitely beyond, but it's difficult for me to find an upper tier of players who I can predict will be drafted in, say, the first ten rounds or so in the upcoming spring. Regardless, I'll go out on a limb and suggest a few possibilities:

Ryan Cabral: Cabral is one guy who not only stood out to me, but as a senior won't be pushed down to the middle of the pack due to a lack of signability. Cabral moved from the pen to the starting rotation when he came up to Alaska and really took advantage of his lively fastball with pro-caliber velocity to pick apart the ABL's batters. He went 5-0 with a 2.47 ERA overall, and was the Panners' workhorse as he pitched consistently well over a team-best 54.2 IP. His efforts landed him a first-team All-ABL selection.

Jesse Meaux: Meaux was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 44th round as a junior last year. Obviously he made what should turn out to be a smart choice and went back to school instead of signing, as I imagine that re-entering the draft as a senior will only increase his draft stock. The rightie Meaux is a bit of a soft thrower, but he's got great control and does a good job of locating his pitches. His hard work paid off this last spring as he moved from the mid-week starter job into the weekend mix.

Legend of the Last Frontier: Bill "Spaceman" Lee

In the mid 60's, the Goldpanners launched a personality into orbit that still hasn't landed.

Photo courtesy of Goldpanners.com

I won't dance around the issue here. Bill Lee is quite possibly my favorite baseball player of all time, and was so before I even knew that he was a Goldpanner. You might have got a hint of that since I'm always keeping tabs on him in the Odds & Ends section, but anyway, I'm not entirely sure why that is. Maybe it's because he's in his 60's and he's still making appearances on mounds (amateur and pro) from Fairbanks, Alaska to Santiago de Cuba. Maybe it's because he took the eephus pitch, made it even more ridiculous than it already was, and named it the "Leephus". Maybe it's because he smoked copious amounts of dope and didn't care what anyone thought about it. He's just one of those guys that's so larger-than-life, you either love him or you hate him.

Of course, that's not to say that he wasn't (or should I say, isn't) a good pitcher. With a career 3.62 ERA and 119 wins to 90 losses at the major league level, he definitely wasn't bad. With the Goldpanners in '66 he posted a 1.35 ERA with 58 strikeouts in 60.1 IP, mostly in relief; in '67 he 7-4 with a 2.25 ERA and 83K's in 84 innings as a starter. But he was known as much for his free spirit as for his success on the mound.

Lee didn't have very good velocity on his fastball, so instead of trying to throw hard, he tried to throw really slow. That's where the "Leephus" comes in. For those of you who don't know, the Eephus pitch (or, in this case, the Leephus) is essentially the change-up from hell. The pitch was invented by Rip Sewell back in the 40's, is typically thrown about 50 miles per hour and is basically just lobbed up to the plate with a nice "rainbow" throw. This pitch was surprisingly successful, but it cost Lee and the Red Sox the 1975 World Series when he gave up a two-run homer off the pitch in game seven.

2011 Draft Eligibles: Mat-Su Miners

Bermudez, Mee and Scott headline big class of potential picks.

Senior Andy Mee made a case for himself in the ABL,
but where will the scouts slot him for the 2011 draft?

It's never too soon to look ahead to next year's draft, so why wait until spring time to start going over next year's potential draft picks? This year, we'll go in the order of last year's league standings (because I thought that would be a fun way to do it, I guess) and that brings us to the Mat-Su Miners for our first stop. And man, do the Miners have a big ol' list of potential draft picks. There's a lot of names below, mainly due to the big number of Sophomores and Juniors recruited by the valley club in 2010. And just like the famous Matanuska Valley giant produce, the Miners farmed some pretty big draft prospects this last year. Here's a couple who've caught my eye; feel free to suggest your own if you're so inclined:

Pablo Bermudez: One of my favorite players in 2010, a real electrifying guy. Good power and ability to drive the ball to all fields, and great instincts in the outfield. Ranked by Perfect Game as #4 prospect in the league last year.

Andy Mee: I think Andy very possibly had the best season in the whole ABL in 2010. He can pitch, he can hit, he can play the field, he can do it all. I think he'd be drafted as a RF because he can rake, he really flies in the field, and his pitcher's arm gives him a good cannon from right. He'll also be a senior in 2011, and I can't imagine him falling through the cracks and becoming an insurance salesman or something.

Trio of Anchorage players transferring

Bucs Schiller, Matulis on the move; Pilot Cederquist rumored to be leaving also.

Rumor has it that Clay Cederquist has taken off,
but where will he land?

The season is over, and for the student-athletes who have played in the sacred dirt of Alaska, the fall semester has arrived (whether they like it or not!). As always, several former ABLers have traded in one jersey for another in the college ball scene.

Making the jump from JuCo to NCAA Division I is a player who should be fresh in the minds of Bucs fans, 2010 recruit Cam Schiller. Schiller will be packing up his locker at Yavapai, because he's headed up to Oral Roberts to play ball next season. Schiller's season with the Bucs in 2010 was shortened, as the team sent him home as a precaution after a minor back injury, but in his .295 batting average led the team in the overall stats column (he hit .273 in league play, second behind Chris Serritella).

A guy who we haven't seen for a while, but should be no less memorable, is former Buc Chris Matulis. Matulis is vacating the Louisiana State pitching staff and is headed down to join the ballclub of Central Florida. Matulis, of course, was taken as a prep player in the 2008 MLB draft and struck out 33 in 33 IP overall for the 2009 Bucs.

Andrew Berger's whirlwind pro tour

Former Miner inked a free-agent deal with the D-Backs, scaled minor-league ladder this summer.

When Andrew Berger was passed over in the MLB amateur draft this spring, it looked like his dreams of pro ball were over. College degree in hand, the former Lehigh and Mat-Su right-hander was about to leave the game behind and take on the grind of the "real world" that the rest of us know so well.

Little did he know that his dreams would be resurrected so quickly.

Their minor-league staffs depleted, the Arizona Diamondbacks followed up on their draft by scouring undrafted free agents for experienced arms that might flesh out their crippled farm teams. A couple weeks later, and Berger was inked to a free-agent deal and on his way to Yakima of the low-A Northwest league.

ABL to AFL: First look at 2010

A look at the former ABLers on the initial rosters for the Arizona Fall League

Chris Kissock will state his case in the AFL
this off-season.
Photo courtesy of Goldpanners.com

One of the coolest things, if you're a prospect watcher, once the pro season ends is winter baseball. Particularly the Arizona Fall League, which has become the most notable prospect winter league. For those of you unfamiliar, the AFL runs six teams (plus, this year will feature appearances from Team USA and Team China) to which each MLB team can designate a handful of their minor league players.

What makes the AFL interesting is that the players are usually those poised to make some sort of a move. On the one hand, you've got guys who are considered some of the top prospects in a system and are sent to polish up their games before making the final push toward the majors. On the other, you have a lot of guys who might have struggled in their pro careers and are getting some extra work to figure out their issues and hopefully avoid getting the cut. In a nutshell, there are plenty of compelling stories to follow in the fall.

Of course, anywhere you find an assortment of professional baseball players, you're bound to find a few guys who have logged time in Alaska, and the Arizona Fall League is never an exception. The AFL teams have released their initial rosters, and I've caught wind of some ABL alumni who are going to Arizona to represent their organizations. Last year I followed all the former ABLers in the league with a little blurb on each and concluding with a "report card"; I imagine I'll do at least as much this year. But first, let's just have a look at who made the initial rosters (which are, of course, subject to change).

2008 Buc Goldschmidt named Cal League MVP

D-Backs prospect and former ABLer muscles his way to honors.

In his first full year of professional baseball, former Anchorage Bucs slugger Paul Goldschmidt (2008) has been named the California League's Most Valuable Player for 2010.

Goldschmidt, who has manned first base for the Class A+ Visalia Rawhide, has been very productive in the minors this season. So far on the year (130 games) he's driven in 97 RBI's and knocked 33 homers. That number is good enough to tie him for first place in all of the minor leagues for homers, sharing the #1 slugger spot with Jerry Sands of the AA Chattanooga Lookouts. Goldschmidt is also hitting at a very respectable .305 average and .967 OPS.

As a first-year full-season player, Goldschmidt has also taken home the Cal League's Rookie of the Year award. Consideration of this award does not include his 2009 campaign, in which he served a short-season tour of duty with the rookie-level Pioneer League's Missoula Osprey. At that level, he batted to a tune of .334 with an OPS of 1.045.

In Alaska in 2008, Goldschmidt was one of the Bucs' best hitters. In league play, the right-hander posted a .310 AVG and led the team in homers (3), RBI (20), doubles (13), and hits (45). According to a close acquaintance of his host family, Goldschmidt still keeps in touch with his summer parents and has a reputation as an all-around good guy.

8/21/10 Odds & Ends - Marban Goes Pro Edition

2010 Oiler Jorge Marban is the latest ABLer
gone pro.

Time again for another Odds & Ends post! This one is a little late in the day -- my apologies -- because it's been kind of a wild day for me. But thankfully I had most of the content rounded up in advance, so I was able to pound this one out before nightfall. So let's cut to the chase, because there's some good stuff this weekend...

- First things first, some great news: Oilers' RHP Jorge Marban has signed as an undrafted free agent with the Texas Rangers organization. Apparently he was scouted and signed out of the NBC tournament, so it was definitely worth the trip despite the Oilers' somewhat disappointing finish. If there are any Rangers prospect watchers out there looking for scouting reports or video, I'm afraid I don't have much (I only saw him once in person). He finished the season in Alaska with a 1.38 ERA, 4-0 record, surrendered 13 hits and just 8 walks on 26 innings of work, and struck out a whopping 32 batters. For his efforts he was chosen first-team All-ABL. Jorge is a great NDFA signing for the Rangers, and I'm stoked to see him get his chance at the pro leagues. Best of luck.

- I caught wind of a great blog post on Twitter this week, from the Kentucky Wildcats blog "Cat Scratches", entitled the "20 Greatest Games Since 2006". #10 on the list is a performance by former Glacier Pilot and Kentucky pitcher James Paxton, who (as you probably know considering my recent posts) was the #4 draft pick by the Seattle Mariners in the most recent draft. Great read, check it out.

August '10 ABL-to-MiLB Update: N-Z

Catching up on some more former ABLers in the minor leagues

Dakota Watts, now in the Florida State League.
Photo courtesy of OriolesProspects.com

If you read my ABL-to-MiLB update last week, you knew that an article catching up with our former ABL players now in minor league baseball was coming up. Well, here it is. I've got all the rest of the guys in affiliated ball, alphabetically, N through Z.

Of course, the big stories here are Danny Valencia (Pilots, 2005) and Robbie Weinhardt (Fire, 2005-06), who have been promoted to the major leagues. Weinhardt has struggled a little bit with the Detroit Tigers as of late, but heading into September I imagine he'll stick around for the remainder of the season and battle for a spot in spring training. Valencia, on the other hand, has been tearing it up for the Minnesota Twins and I imagine that he'll also stick around for a while. 

OK, with that out of the way, I just want to mention that I'll do a third post about players who were last seen in independent leagues, or as free agents, since the two kind of go hand in hand. Watch for that update, most likely next week. But in the mean time, here is the complete alphabetical listing (after the fold):

August '10 ABL-to-MiLB Update: A-M

As promised, we're now going to shift our focus on catching up with some of the alumni to come through the ABL, and boy do we have a lot of catching up to do. With so many former ABLers in the minor league ranks it takes a fair amount of effort to stay on top of them all. In order to make it more digestible for you the reader -- not to mention give me, the blogger, a bit of a break -- I'm breaking this update up into two posts of roughly half the players each. Below the "fold" you'll find a listing of all notable transactions regarding the up-and-coming pro prospects who've logged ABL time. Some of this is old news, so I hope you'll excuse me, but I'm just posting up everything of note that has occurred since the last time I updated the Pro Prospects spreadsheet (which was before the ABL season began).

Most notable, of course, are the players who have escaped the minors and are now logging valuable time in MLB. Ike Davis (Bucs, 2006), of course, came up with the Mets early in the season and seems to have stuck in the big leagues. I know Mets fans -- and Bucs fans! -- have been pulling for him to break in to the bigs and they've had their wishes granted. Hector Ambriz (Pilots, 2003) is now with the Cleveland Indians, although as a Rule Five draft pick we knew that was a matter of time. They could only milk his "rehab assignment" for so long before they had to choose between putting him on the MLB roster or losing him. Jason Castro (Bucs, 2006) -- ranked 49th State Hardball's #1 ABL Pro Prospect -- has come up with the Astros; Barry Enright (Oilers, 2005) has looked very impressive for the Arizona Diamondbacks; Chris Gimenez (Bucs, 2002) has joined Ambriz with the Indians. Congrats to all of those former Alaska League players for making the jump, and hopefully they all stick around for a while.

8/7/2010 Odds & Ends

Hey guys, with the season over and the off-season so young, it seems like there's not very many odds, nor many ends this week. So I'll make this quick. Check out the three blurbs below and then stay tuned in for the Oilers game coming up today.

- UPDATE: I'll just throw this in here since it kind of fits. I've had a bit of a family tragedy and I might need to take a couple of "personal days" from blogging. I'm not saying I definitely won't post, but I might not do so with my usual vigor and if I have to leave town for a few it won't be the first thing on my mind. Just to let you know that any interruption will be short-term and not to worry.

- Here's an article on my all-time favorite Goldpanner and one of my top players in general, Bill "Spaceman" Lee, from a fantastic blog called The Golden Sombrero. The article is basically about how Lee did and said all kinds of wacky things, although it neglects to mention how he came up to Alaska to play for this team called the Goldpanners back when that was still kind of a crazy thing to do. Anyway, thumbs up on the article and the blog, you should check it out.

- For those of you who are interested in how the season league leaders list shook out, check out the stats on the Glacier Pilots' website. They've got season league leaders in all categories. Some really interesting stuff on there...look at all the Miners on the batting average category. I didn't think I'd see anyone challenge Drew Heid's batting title last year, but Brett Schwartz has pulled it off, hitting over .400 for the season.

Draft Pick Update

A quick look at where our 2010 Draft Picks have ended up so far.

Forrest Snow has been promoted to Single-
A Clinton after a fantastic stint in the
Northwest League.
Photo courtesy of Rachel Leask and the
Anchorage Bucs.

With the 2010 ABL season having officially drawn to a close, we're transitioning to "offseason mode" around here, and that means doing some long-awaited catch-up on our alumni who are making the transition to the pros. We had a good crop of draft picks this spring, most of whom have signed professional contracts and are now working their way up the minor league ladder. Below is a table of all the draft picks from the ABL, including where they've been assigned. Players in red (and without a team) have not signed. The deadline for signing draft picks is August 15.

I'm surprised to see that James Paxton hasn't put his name to the paperwork for Seattle yet, although as I sit here and write this, I can think of several reasons why they might not have agreed to terms yet. Paxton is actually playing independent pro ball this season so it's not like he's sitting around gathering rust. At one point he was touted as a potential first-round pick, and the Mariners have reportedly had some concerns about his health. I can understand, then, why the two might not see eye-to-eye on a signing bonus or whatever, and why Paxton might choose to continue playing indy ball right up until the deadline. On a more positive note, three players -- Shawn Teufel (Fire, 2008), Forrest Snow (Bucs, 2009) and Jonathan Kaskow (Oilers, 2009) -- have already been promoted or assigned to Single-A and have escaped the short-season leagues. Congratulations to these players on making it to that next rung up the ladder to the big leagues.

2003 Goldpanner Brad Davis shines in MLB Debut

Davis, the latest of hundreds of ABL players
to ascend to Major League Baseball.
Photo courtesy of Goldpanners.com

Catcher Brad Davis -- a member of the 2003 Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks -- joined the prestigious club of ABL players to ascend the ranks to Major League Baseball this July 25th. What's more, he immediately proved that he belongs in the big leagues.

In a stellar debut on Sunday, Davis helped shut down the first-place Atlanta Braves (who are, as you may know, my favorite MLB team...good thing for Davis my love of ABL and the Panners transcends my life-long affinity for the Bravos) with two hits, an RBI, and a throw-out at second base of a stealing Matt Diaz. Davis had been on the 25-man roster since Wednesday, but Sunday was his first taste of big-league action when he got the start to spell every-day man Ronnie Paulino. Things obviously smoothed out for the catcher, who had to borrow gear after discovering that he had accidentally grabbed the wrong equipment bag in his haste to leave AAA New Orleans in the dust, and he went on to make a memorable MLB debut.

With his call-up, Brad Davis has become the 198th Goldpanner to play in the major leagues. Approaching the magic number of 200 alumni in the bigs, and countless more sent on to the various ranks of minor league ball, the Goldpanners have firmly established themselves as the most legendary amateur team in the history of the game. Counting alumni like Brad Davis and many more who are hot on his heels in the climb to the top, the Panners can be assured that their legacy will live on into the future.

2010 Draft Eligibles: AIA Fire

The sixth and final team of our ABL Draft Prospects watching is the AIA Fire. The Fire don't have as many draft prospects as some of the other teams in the league, most likely due to the nature of their team. Athletes in Action is a Christian ministry organization which sponsors teams in a couple other summer leagues around the country; I'm guessing that the net they cast isn't as wide and the talent is spread around a little bit more. But that's not to say that these guys aren't good, and in fact, they've netted some good prospects before and have at least one guy who will go early in the draft this year.

The guy I really love out of this bunch is left-handed batter Ryan Enos (2009), a senior outfielder for Dallas Baptist. He's not a big guy (5'10" 180lb) but he can drive the ball well and even hit one out of the park on occasion. He's hit for a high average everywhere he's played, including a league-leading .316 for the Fire in '09. He's got some speed, too. He'll swipe a few bases, and if he can get a little smarter on the base paths he will have serious pro leadoff potential. The College Baseball Blog ranked him #62 of their Top 100 for 2010, and as a senior I think he'll go in the top ten rounds; probably in the 7th or thereabouts.

Ryan Wooley (2009) is another guy to watch. He's got lots of raw talent but he's hit quite a few speed bumps along the way. First, the plug was pulled on his Cape Cod season a few years back after a vehicle accident involving another player. Then, he transferred to UAB and had to sit out the season due to NCAA rules. He was drafted by the Braves regardless, but came up to AK unsigned and the rust was apparent; his lackluster season with the Fire didn't help his cause any and the two parties couldn't come to terms. Will another team take a chance on him this year? We'll find out.

2010 Draft Eligibles: Fairbanks Goldpanners

Justin Schafer is one of the more intriquing
draft prospects for the Panners this year.
Photo courtesy of Goldpanners.com

As we continue our countdown to the 2010 MLB amateur draft, today we're going to have a look at the Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks, and their draft-eligible alumni. The Panners have a good haul of draft-eligible players in this year's draft class, most of them from their 2008 & 2009 squads. Before we see the whole list, let's take a look at some interesting players.

Justin Schafer (2009) is a guy who I believe has a shot -- not a lock, but a possibility -- of cracking the first ten rounds. Schafer is a junior shortstop out of UC Davis. He's got a solid glove, not a ton of power potential but he can get on base and shows good speed. I picture him as a leadoff or 2-hole type hitter, though if he wants to fill that role he'll need to learn to take a few more walks (but patience is something that can be taught in the minors). He hit .314 and swiped 6 bases on 7 attempts in 2009 for the Panners.

Derek Wilson (2009-10R) is a Scottsdale CC redshirt sophomore; he's eligible to be drafted as a JuCo player but where he'll be picked is kind of hard to pin down since he has college eligibility left. Anyway, he's from right down the road in North Pole and picked up a couple at-bats for the Panners in 2009. He's probably more of a late-round pickup for any team this year, but he'll be looked at by scouts in the ABL this season and should see his draft stock rise next year. The locals will be pulling for him, in any event, along with fellow Fairbanks-area products and 2009 teammates Zach Peek and Nigel Morton.

Matt Newman (2008) was ranked #99 on the College Baseball Blog's Top 100. The Arizona State outfielder is a Junior, so he might not be tearing up anybody's draft board, but keep an eye on him. I reckon any of the top 100 college players is definitely draft material, so be careful not to overlook him. Newman was one of the best-hitting Panners in 2008, posting a .339 AVG and a .906 OPS, and hit a pair out of the park to boot. He struck out nine times, but walked 11, which is also good to see.

2010 Draft Eligibles: Anchorage Glacier Pilots

With every passing day we're hurtling headlong toward the biggest day of the year for prospect watchers: the MLB Rule 4 draft. We're going through the ABL team by team, seeing which former players are eligible to be drafted this year, and today we're going to have a peek at the Anchorage Glacier Pilots. The Pilots have one of the most exciting draft classes in the league this year, so let's see who they've got.

The biggest names on the list have to be a pair of Pilot pitchers out of the University of Kentucky: James Paxton and Logan Darnell. Paxton is a big, hard-throwing southpaw with a fastball that he can run up to about 98 mph, settling in at about 95. He compliments this with a power slider and a changeup. We mentioned this the other day when we updated the Pro Prospects list, but Paxton somehow rubbed the NCAA the wrong way and instead of butting heads with them all year long, he opted out of his senior season at UK and went to work in the independent leagues (this does not nullify him for the MLB draft).

His teammate Darnell took over the role of staff ace for the Wildcats after he proved he could make the move from the pen with a stellar Glacier Pilots season last year. Baseball America named him the sixth-best prospect in the ABL for his efforts. Darnell is also a lefty; he doesn't throw as hard (topping out at 91-92) but he has a three-quarters delivery that helps him generate some interesting movement. 

Pro Prospect Transactions: May 26, 2010

It's been a long time coming, but I've finally gone back through the Pro Prospects list and updated as many players as I could find info for. 

One of the more interesting guys on this list is James Paxton. The former Glacier Pilot was set to begin his senior season this year with Kentucky, but after a big drama bomb with the NCAA exploded he opted not to pitch the college season. Instead, he's signed on with the Grand Prairie Air Hogs of the independent American Association. However, signing with an independent professional league does not make you ineligible for the MLB Rule 4 draft, and Paxton is still a draft prospect -- in fact, one projected to possibly go in the first round. So, in a strange sort of way, Paxton is both a pro prospect and a draft prospect.

The rest of the list is available "below the fold". But before we get into it, a couple more notes. First, we're getting a lot of the blanks on the pro prospect list filled, but there are still quite a few left. This is because most of those guys will be assigned to short-season leagues, we just don't know which ones yet. Next, under the "In MLB" section, this is obviously not a complete list of all ABL players in Major League Baseball. These are just the ones considered prospects who are making their first stint in the major leagues. Finally, the "New to List" section is composed of players who I previously missed, who are just now being added to our pro prospects watch list. And, as always, if you notice any errors or omissions, please let me know!