Farm System: Year In Review Part II

11. Billy Buckner 22/SP: Buckner had a pretty good season, earning a quick promotion to High Desert. Buckner's K/BB ratio was solid throughout the season, but he allowed a lot of hits. Buckner's ERA was slightly-below California league average. Considering that Buckner relies heavily on an excellent curve (doesn't break as well at high elevations) and pitched half his games in a hitter's paradise, he had a pretty good season. Buckner could be a No. 4/5 starter in a couple of years.

Low A 3-7 3.88 ERA 60 IP 66 Hs 17 BBs 60 SOs
High A 5-6 5.36 ERA 94 IP 105 Hs 46 BBs 92 SOs

12. Kila Kaaihue 21/1B: Kaaihue had an excellent season at High Desert. Most impressive is his plate discipline, drawing 97 walks. Kaaihue hit 53 extra-base hits and had a .925 OPS.

High A 493 ABs .304/.428/.497 31 2Bs 20 HRs 90 RBIs

13. Mitch Maier 23/OF: Maier had a pretty good season. He hit 47 doubles and 15 HRs between two hitter-friendly leagues. Maier struggled at AA with just a .705 OPS. Maier's strongest assets are his basestealing abilities (16 for 20) and his defense (can play all three outfield spots well). Maier hasn't shown much power yet, which will be needed as a corner outfielder. Maier will likely start at AA and probably make his debut next year.

High A 221 ABs .336/.370/.583 26 2Bs 8 HRs 32 RBIs
AA 322 ABs .255/.289/.416 21 2Bs 7 HRs 49 RBIs

14. Chris Nicoll 21/SP: Nicoll had a good pro debut. Nicoll has good command of a three-pitch repertoire. His polish should help him move quickly and he'll start at Burlington next year.

Pio 0-3 3.62 ERA 27.1 IP 26 Hs 9 BBs 34 SOs

15. Adam Donachie 21/C: Donachie put together a very nice season. Donachie's career has been inhibited by injuries. Donachie is an excellent defensive catcher and started to show some offensive abilities as well. AA will be a good test for Donachie and his High Desert teammates.

High A 347 ABs .294/.375/.467 24 2Bs 12 HRs 48 RBIs

16. Mike Aviles 24/Util: Aviles committed 41 errors. The rest of the Wichita team committed 56. Aviles is still light-years away from the big leagues defensively. He had a solid season offensively, with 53 extra-base hits. Aviles could become a utility guy with a solid bat.

AA 521 ABs .280/.318/.447 33 2Bs 14 HRs 80 RBIs

17. Juan Cedeno 21/RP: Cedeno was rushed to AA and didn't perform well. Nonetheless, a lefty with a mid-90s fastball has a lot of potential, thus justifying his spot on the list.

High A 2-6 5.49 ERA 80.1 IP 85 Hs 37 BBs 71 SOs
AA 0-2 7.20 ERA 20.0 IP 21 Hs 11 BBs 16 SOs

18. Brent Fisher 18/SP: Fisher had a great debut in the Arizona Rookie League. Fisher's K/BB was outstanding (69/13). Fisher was also tough to hit, allowing just 48 hits and 2 HRs in 50 IP.

AZL 5-2 3.04 ERA 50.1 IP 48 Hs 13 BBs 69 SOs

19. Chad Blackwell 22/RP: Blackwell had a solid season as the closer for Burlington. His K/BB was very good and he wasn't very hittable. Blackwell's deceptive delivery and good command make him tough to hit.

Low A 7-4 2.23 ERA 68.2 IP 62 Hs 27 BBs 74 SOs

20. Gary Perez ??/IF: Perez had a good debut, tearing up Idaho Falls. Perez's defense is questionable. Perez will likely start at Burlington next year.

Pio 127 ABs .362/.465/.559 11 2Bs 2 HRs 23 RBIs
Low A 115 ABs .252/.301/.409 6 2Bs 4 HRs 16 RBIs

21-30 coming soon!