PRD's Top 25 Padres Minor League Players (6-10)

The Florida Marlins were in the NL Wild Card hunt until the final season with a $16 million payroll. Padres rookies Adrian Gonzales and Josh Barfield were second and sixth among hitters, respectively in terms of “Value Over Replacement Player” (VORP) and fellow rookies Clay Hensley and Cla Meredith were second and fourth among the pitchers. Virtually every team needs to get meaningful contribution out of its farm in order to do well. Farm players are cheaper, thus allowing the team to spend money in other areas of need.

In addition to the four players mentioned above, the Padres also received contribution from several other Padres rookies. This off-season the Padres will have some $25 million coming off the books. While the Padres will likely be players on the free agent market, they will again need the support of the farm as they look to build on the success of a 88-win repeat-NL West Championship season.

In 2005 the Padres added CEO Sandy Alderson to the helm and he brought in Grady Fuson to run the Padres minor leagues/scouting departments. Since then the Padres have made significant gains in the scouting/development arenas.

Welcome to my top 25. Players will be introduced in reverse order, 5 at a time…

Monday: 21-25
Tuesday: 16-20
Wednesday: 11-15

Check back if you haven’t already seen those portions of my list.

Thanks for reading.

10. Paul McAnulty, OF/1B, Bats: L, Throws R, Birthday: February 24, 1981, 5’10” 220 lbs.

Paul McAnulty, “The Hammer,” “P-Mac…” Whatever… All he does is hit. Paul is not going to be an average defender at any position. However he plays a passable 1B and a workable LF. The Padres also claim McAnulty can play RF, but it’s unlikely he’d be able to handle Petco’s spacious right-center and he’s not known for his throwing ability; RF would probably be by emergency only.

This season, in an effort to find more ways to get his bat on the field, the Padres had McAnulty log extensive experience at 3B. Baseball experts often praise a player for not taking offensive troubles with them back to the field. Likewise, McAnulty didn’t take his defensive struggles (21 errors overall, 12 coming in 50 games at 3B) back with him to plate. In 198 AB as a third baseman, Paul hit better than he did as a 1B, his normal position.

The Padres traded for slick-fielding Adrian Gonzales (who is younger than McAnulty) to man 1B for the near future in San Diego. The Padres are still looking to find more power production in left field. A Paul McAnulty/Ben Johnson left field platoon is not out of the question for 2007. If not, Paul will likely be traded or find himself on the bench in San Diego next year. He has nothing left to prove in AAA.

2006 Statistics

MLB (San Diego):
.231/.333/.538 – 13 AB, 3 R, 3 H, 1 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 4 SO, 0 SB, 0 CS

AAA (Portland):
.310/.388/.521 – 478 AB, 76 R, 148 H, 34 2B, 5 3B, 19 HR, 79 RBI, 62 BB, 79 SO, 1 SB, 2 CS

9. Kyler Burke, OF, Bats: L, Throws: L, Birthday: April 20, 1988, 6’3” 205 lbs.

The Padres were very high on Kyler Burke heading into 2006 draft (the Padres selected Burke in the first-supplemental round). In fact, in one interview Grady Fuson said the Padres took a chance by not using the 17th overall pick on Burke. To be able to get a talented player in your organization is always a good thing, using a later-than-expected pick to acquire that player, is even better.

Burke is a big strong kid from a small high school in Tennessee who had a solid senior season and performed well against other top prospects in showcase events. He had some of the best raw power in the draft hitting 20 HR as a high school senior. In reporting on Kyler’s athleticism, Baseball America pointed out that he won a high school slam-dunk contest, played linebacker, and even registered a few 90-91’s on the mound. His one tool that doesn’t profile as “above average” or better is his average speed.

His professional debut in the rookie-level Arizona League wasn’t a smashing success… He struck out 56 times (in 163 AB) and obviously needs to make an adjustment. However he did walk 26 times. He also only had 8 XBH: 3 doubles, 4 triples, and one home run, but the Padres are confident he’ll display the same power he showed as an amateur once he adjusts to professional baseball.

2006 Statistics:

Short-Season (AZL Padres):
.209/.313/.294 – 163 AB, 24 R, 34 H, 3 2B, 4 3B, 1 HR, 15 RBI, 26 BB, 56 SO, 1 SB, 3 CS

8. Kyle Blanks, OF/1B, Bats: R, Throws: R, Birthday: September 11, 1986, 6’6” 270 lbs.

Drafted in 2004 as a “Draft and Follow” out of Yavapai JC in Arizona in the 42nd round, Blanks signed right before the 2005 draft. Blanks is big enough that scouts say he would make Frank Thomas look small. Despite his size, Blanks has rare athleticism with Major League-average speed and noteworthy bat speed.

In the midst of a solid season, Blanks was sidelined in late July with an infection in his ankle and missed the remainder of the season. At the time of the injury, Blanks co-lead the Fort Wayne Wizards with 10 HR. Blanks recovered in time to join other Padres prospects in Arizona for the Instructional league in September.

Blanks is one of many patient, powerful hitters (possibly with the highest upside) who best profile as LF or 1B…

2006 Statistics:

Low-A (Fort Wayne):
.292/.382/.455 – 308 AB, 41 R, 90 H, 20 2B, 0 3B, 10 HR, 52 RBI, 36 BB, 79 SO, 2 SB, 0 CS

7. David Freese, 3B, Bats: R, Throws: R, Birthday: April 28, 1983, 6’2” 220 lbs.

As Baseball America reported before the draft, “Freese, 23, could have been a prime candidate to sign following the season as a fifth-year senior, but South Alabama earned a spot in the NCAA regional play,” thus preventing Freese from negotiating with clubs and sending Freese back into the draft. The Padres were happy he was available taking the strong right-handed hitter in the 9th round.

Freese and Antonelli were both assigned to the Short-Season Eugene club and shared 3B and DH responsibilities. Off to a blazing start, Freese was promoted to Low-A Fort Wayne after only 18 games. In those 18 games (58 AB) David accumulated 22 hits, 13 of which were of the extra-base variety… In his debut season, Freese had 37 XBH (out of 83 hits).

Freese is obviously old for his level. So he has to do two things to maintain “prospect” status: one, he has to put some serious numbers (check), two, he has to advance quickly (check).

Freese will likely be assigned to Lake Elsinore next season and should have another big season. He defense needs work and he could stand to cut down on his strikeouts… While he may also get a look at LF (1B has also been mentioned as a future position, but the Padres have too much talent at 1B, including current Padres 1B, Adrian Gonzalez who is only 1 year older than Freese), the Padres are currently letting the right-hander play his way off the hot corner.

2006 Statistics:

Low-A (Fort Wayne):
.299/.374/.510 – 204 AB, 27 R, 61 H, 13 2B, 3 3B, 8 HR, 44 RBI, 21 BB, 44 SO, 1 SB, 1 CS

Short-Season (Eugene):
.379/.465/.776 – 58 AB, 19 R, 22 H, 8 2B, 0 3B, 5 HR, 26 RBI, 7 BB, 12 SO, 0 SB, 0 CS

6. Nick Hundley, C, Bats: R, Throws: R, Birthday: September 8, 1983, 6’1” 210 lbs.

With the trade of George Kottaras to Boston, Nick Hundley assumes the mantle of “Padres’ catcher of the future.” Actually there is more at work in the Padres’ catching situation…

Before the season started, the Padres had planned on Mike Piazza and Doug Mirabelli handing the catching this season and Kottaras taking over in 2007. Mirabelli was then traded back to Boston for Josh Bard (along with Cla Meredith and $100,000). Then Piazza and Bard hit better than anyone could have expected and Rob Bowen was added as a third catcher to help keep strain off Piazza’s aging body. With the success of the Padres’ catching corps, Kottaras inability to win over organizational supporters as a receiver, and the immergence of Nick Hundley (who does not share Kottaras’ defensive question marks), the Padres will likely bring back the three MLB catchers and groom Hundley for a 2009 full-time starting role.

Hundley was considered the second best defensive catchers in the 2005 draft and improved every year as a hitter while playing at the University of Arizona. The Padres even thought enough of Hundley to take him over the higher regarded Taylor Teagarden.

Former Padres catcher Kottaras had a strong arm but poor footwork and a slow glove-to-hand transfer that downgraded his overall ability to throw out would-be base-stealers. Hundley on the other hand, has an above-average throwing arm and above average transfer ability.

Hundley hit Low-A very well and was passable in Hi-A. Hundley came on strong during the Storm’s late-season playoff push. Nick will likely be back in Lake Elsinore for the first half of 2007 as he could use more time to adjust offensively and get his bat back on the track it was on in Low-A. Another mid-season promotion will likely be in order, this time to AA, if he continues to perform well.

2006 Statistics:

High-A (Lake Elsinore):
.278/.355/.403 – 176 AB, 18 R, 13 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 23 RBI, 20 BB, 44 SO, 1 SB, 1 CS

Low-A (Fort Wayne):
.274/.355/.474 – 215 AB, 29 R, 59 H, 19 2B, 0 3B, 8 HR, 44 RBI, 25 BB, 45 SO, 1 SB, 1 CS

Check back tomorrow for numbers 1-5.