By - Mack Ade
Most of
you realize that I know a lot of high school, college, and minor league
ballplayers. That means a lot of them read what I write. I know this when I
post the wrong picture up next to a story about them. I then, almost instantaneously,
get a comment from an anonymous poster.
This post
if written for them.
There is
no secret formula to get from the Pony to the Major Leagues. You simply have to
excel at the level you are currently playing at. You do that, someone will send
you to the next level.
Forget
how many other pitchers there are in the system, or the coach doesn’t like me,
or what do I do now that they just signed that other third baseman to an eight
year deal? None of this means a damn thing.
You throw
a season with a WHIP below 1.20 or post up an ,800 OPS, you’re going to the next
level somewhere.
Oh, you’re
going to have to do a lot of things to put up numbers like that. You better
learn to hit the corners and keep your fastball down. Or, plate discipline will
have to be mastered before you lead your team in hitting. Still, >1.20 or .800.
Here’s an
example of how that works:
David Price - 2005 – Vanderbilt - 1.20
WHIP
2006 – Vanderblit - 0.83
2007 – Vanderbilt - 0.95
2008 - A+ - 1.01
2008 - AA - 1.02
2008 - MLB - 0.93
You put
up numbers like this, consistently, level after level, and you will play major
league baseball, either for the team that owns you, or the team they trade you
to.
What
about hitting?
Ryan Howard - 2001 - A- - .840 OPS
2002 - A - .828
2003 - A+ - .889
2004 - AA - 1.033
2005 - AAA - 1.157
Again,
you can’t ignore these numbers and no first baseman is going to get in the way
of Howard’s progress.
Look, you
are going to have to do some things that seem a little boring to you. No one
likes running the cones nor have I ever heard anyone explain properly why it is
necessary to be in the clubhouse six hours before game time. Managers are going
to ask you to do things you don’t want to and roving coaches are going to try
and change everything you’ve been doing naturally since birth. Still, do what
they tell you or not. That’s your decision. But, if you go >1.20 or .800+, everyone
is going to stop telling you what to do. I promise.
So, where
are the Mets top prospects right now:
Matt Harvey - 2008 - college 1.46
2009 - college 1.73
2010 - college 1.20
2011 - A+ 1.20
2011 - AA 1.36
Zack Wheeler - 2010 - A 1.45
2011 - A+ 1.32
Kirk Nieuwenhuis – 2008 A- .744
2009 - A+ .824
2010 - AA .847
2011 - AAA .908
Oh yeah... one more thing...
In 18 years, Chipper Jones has never had less than an 800 OPS.
In 18 years, Chipper Jones has never had less than an 800 OPS.
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