Tuesday, October 28, 2008 | By Alex Eisenberg

Arizona Diamondbacks Top-15 Prospects of 2009: No's 1 - 5

For an overview of the process I use to grade players, the factors I use in determining where a player ranks, and other frequently asked questions, please click here. All grades are subject to change based on any new information I receive before the season starts. If you disagree, you can make your case by contacting me.

You can find a full listing of each team's top prospect list in the Top Prospects of 2009 Archive Page. Also, each team will have their Team Page published when their top prospect list becomes available. Team pages include team rosters, stats, payroll and front office information, past Baseball-Intellect articles related to that team, and links to some of the team's best fan sites. We start with the Arizona Diamondbacks...

*Updated 4/9 - A couple grade changes I wanted to make before the MiLB season starts...click here to review the changes made

Also See: Arizona Diamondbacks, Prospects 6 - 15

1. Jarrod Parker | RHP | A+ Visalia | Age - 20 | Drafted - Round 1 (9), 2007

Player Grades

Fastball - 60 Now | 65 Future

Curveball - 40 | 45

Slider - 55 | 60

Change-Up - 40 | 45

Control - 45 | 55

Command - 45/50 | 60

Pitchability - 40 | 50

Final Grade - A-

Body Type - Parker stands in at around 6-foot-1, close to 190 pounds and has an athletic and well-proportioned frame.

Stuff

Fastball - his best pitch and he can get it up to 98 mph, but is more regularly thrown in the mid-90's...excellent command of the pitch...can manipulate it to all four quadrants of the plate, adding and subtracting to it as he pleases

Slider - some call it a curve, but it's more of a slider due to its velocity (84 - 86 mph) and its trajectory (breaking away from right-handed hitters). It's late breaking, but also inconsistent. Right now, it profiles as an above average pitch with the potential to be plus

Curveball - clocked in the high 70's...not thrown much, but the team wants him to work on one...has solid depth and could become useful in the future

Change-up - made great strides in the pitch's development...team made him focus on his change-up development and he improved the pitch from a show-me type to average...pitch has above average potential.

Mechanics - Tremendous, tremendous arm action...fast and whip like and a major factor in Parker's velocity...very little wasted motion in his smoot and fluid delivery...few weaknesses--can improve his consistency from pitch-to-pitch

What Makes Parker Special - the combination of command and velocity, not to mention his potentially above average secondary offerings.

Weaknesses - numbers not super-dominant (K% of 23.3, BB% of 6.6), but that could be in part to Parker emphasizing his change-up for much of the year...a little too hittable (.322 BABIP)...doesn't generate a lot of GBs (GB% of 44)

Best Case Outcome - Parker becomes bonafied No. 1 starter for the Diamondbacks

More Likely Outcome - Parker straddles the line of a No. 2 and No. 3 starter by mixing a few great years with a few ordinary ones...think Javier Vazquez. But let's keep in mind: Parker is still a pitcher in the lower level of the minor leagues that throws pure heat (the harder you throw, the higher the injury risk). He's still a long ways off in reaching his potential but he's somebody who could find himself on a fast track to the majors.

2. Daniel Schlereth | LHP | Single-A South Bend | Age - 22 | Drafted - Round 1 (26), 2008

Player Grades

Fastball - 60 Now | 60/65 Future

Curveball - 60/65 | 70

Control - 40 | 45

Command - 45 | 50

Pitchability - 40 | 50

Final Grade - B

Body Type - Well built and strong...stands about 6-feet tall and weighs about 210 pounds.

Scouting Report

For a more in-depth take on Schlereth's overall stuff and mechanics, you can read my profile on him from earlier this year.

He's a two pitch pitcher, but both pitches are already of the plus variety. In fact, his curveball is already close to plus-plus status. Schlereth has a violent wind-up, which is why he's viewed solely as a reliever.

Schlereth misses bats, generates ground balls, and makes centering the ball very tough to do for opposing batters. Control is the biggest issue facing Schlereth, but it improved by leaps and bounds in 2008 and he's hopeful it won't regress back to pre-08' levels as a professional.

Schlereth didn't just improve his control. His K/9 increased, his fastball velocity upticked by 1 or 2 mph, and he allowed less hits per nine innings. Some of it of course was Schlereth simply maturing--growing up and becoming a better and more consistent player in addition to adding some strength and size to his frame.

However, Schlereth was also able to more consistently repeat his mechanics. A minor change--the lowering of his hands--helped Schlereth correct a flaw in his delivery where the arm would lag behind the body and the pitch would sail. The change also put Schlereth in a more compact and together position.

Daniel Schlereth in 2008 Daniel Schlereth in 2007

Other changes to his mechanics also manifested from the lowering of his hands. First, his arm action was shortened. By lowering the hands, Schlereth's arm circle covers less distance. The shorter the arm action the better. I actually think Schlereth was able to more efficiently load the scapula in 2008. The 07' version's arm was in constant catch-up with the body. In 2008 the arm was in a much more ideal position to efficiently load and unload. That could be one reason for the velocity increase.

Best Case Outcome - Schlereth becomes a dominant set-up man or closer in the back end of the Arizona bullpen and makes his debut at some point during the 2007 season.

More Likely Outcome - Schlereth becomes a good reliever but suffers from spats in his control that prevents him from reaching that next level.

3. Gerardo Parra | CF | B - L | Double-A Mobile | Age - 22 | Signed - 2006 from Venezuela

Player Grades

Contact - 45 Now | 55 Future

Power - 35 | 45

Discipline - 35 | 40/45

Speed - 50 | 50

Defense - 50 | 55

Arm - 55 | 55

Instincts - 45 | 50

Final Grade - B-

Body Type - Athletic build, relatively short...doesn't have a ton of room to fill out, but there is some projection left

Hitting

High-contact hitter that improved his plate discipline this past season...his BB% improved from 5.7% (combined numbers from Single-A South Bend and A+ Visalia) to 9.7% (combined numbers from Visalia and Double-A Mobile).

Contact skills are a result of his fast hands and a quick bat. Doesn't always make hard, consistent contact, but his BABIP rates and relatively low K% should be enough for Parra to hit for a moderately high batting average.

Power has yet to truly develop though it did take somewhat of a spike after he was promoted to the AA level...has played in parks more suited for hitters...high GB% and a lack of physical projection puts a cap on power potential...mechanical inefficiency in which Parra's hips open up to soon also hurts Parra's power (Source: Keith Law)

Defense - Less pressure on the bat to succeed in center field...can play all three outfield positions...not a stand-out defender, but solid with a strong arm and above average speed

Best Case Outcome - Shows just enough offensive ability to become Arizona's everyday center fielder, where his bat has less pressure to succeed. Profiles as a little below average at the position.

More Likely Outcome - Becomes a quality fourth outfielder that can play all three outfield positions

4. Wade Miley | LHP | Yakima (SS) | Age - 22 | Drafted - Round 1 (43), 2008

Player Grades

Fastball - 50 Now | 55 Future

Curveball - 60 | 60

Change-Up - 40 | 45

Control - 45 | 50

Command - 45 | 55

Pitchability - 50 | 55

Final Grade -C+/B-

Body Type - Stocky without much projection left...a durable frame

Scouting Report

For a more in-depth take on Miley's overall stuff and mechanics, you can read my profile on him from earlier this year.

Miley has three-pitch repertoire: a fastball, curveball, and change-up. The best pitch of the three is his curveball, which he can throw for strikes and command to both sides of the plate. It has a nice two-plane break. The fastball has good sinking action, but the command and velocity is inconsistent. It ranges anywhere from 87 - 92. The change-up profiles as an average pitch with solid fade.

Mechanically, Miley throws accross his body which I'm not a big fan of though he does add some deception with the motion and it makes it easier for him to throw his breaking ball on the outer half of the plate. However, the same motion also hinders his velocity and hurts the command of his fastball.

While control has been an issue for Miley, he gets by because his curveball gets a lot of swing-and-misses, while his fastball gets ground balls--a good combination.

Best Case Outcome - Miley is able to improve his command and make mechanical adjustments to increase his velocity, which would help him reach No. 4 starter status or the long shot chance of a borderline No. 3 starter.

More Likely Outcome - Miley settles nicely into a reliever role or becomes a quality No. 5 starter.

5. Bryan Augenstein | RHP | A+ Visalia | Age - 22 | Drafted - Round 7, 2007

Player Grades

Fastball - 50 Now | 55 Future

Slider - 40 | 45

Change-Up - 30 | 40

Control - 65 | 65

Command - 50 | 55

Pitchability - 55 | 55

Final Grade - C+

Body Type - 6-foot-5, big body with very little projection left

Stuff

Fastball - velocity has increased since he was drafted in 07', moving from 87 - 89 to 91 - 94. Can pin-point his fastball to both sides of the plate...heavy fastball has lots of sink which helped in producing a GB% of around 60 last year...fastball can be too straight at times. His fastball from the 2008 Midwest League All-Star Game:

Bryan Augenstein

Slider - tightness and depth of slider has improved over the course of the year...more vertical and less horizontal movement...another pitch he commands very well

Change-up - a third pitch he can throw for strikes, but still very much in development...the success he has improving his change-up could dictate whether he stays a starter or not

Mechanics - Doesn't possess a power pitcher's mechanics...fairly slow to the plate, but also very consistent in his ability to repeat his mechanics...has an athletic background (father was a college basketball player) and that helps Augenstein maintain consistent mechanics throughout the game

The ability to repeat one's mechanics is very important in terms of control. Delivery is also very compact...he keeps everything close to his body, around his core...keeps glove firm out in front of his chest to help maintain a consistent release point. Low three-quarter arm angle helps in getting ground balls

Strengths - the ability to generate ground balls...control is close to plus-plus...maintains velocity deep into games

Weaknesses - K% is decent enough, but he would make me much more comfortable if he could raise it a bit...BABIP against was very solid at Rookie Ball and in Single-A, but got too much of the plate at times in A+ Visalia, where his BABIP spiked from .290 to .361.

Best Case Outcome - Back of the rotation starter

More Likely Outcome - A solid set-up man out of the bullpen

Next Up: Arizona Diamondbacks, Prospects 6 - 15

Also See: Arizona Diamonbacks Team Page

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