Seattle Mariners Top-15 Prospects of 2010, No’s 6 – 15

ALSO SEE – Mariners Top Prospects, No’s 1 – 5

Grades are based on a prospect’s projected value over the course of his career and how likely it is that prospect will fulfill his projected value. Various factors are accounted for including upside, red flags, actual performance, and closeness to the majors. See the 2010 Prospect Primer for more information as it relates to prospect grading and philosophy.

Hitters must have 100 or fewer Major League ABs to qualify for this list. Starting pitchers must have 50 or fewer Major League innings to qualify for this list. Relief pitchers must have 25 or fewer Major League innings to qualify for this list. Ages are listed as of May 1st, 2010. Levels are based on the highest level in which a prospect played in 2009. All grades are subject to change based on any new information I receive before the season starts.

If you need to reach me in any way, please contact me via e-mail or post a comment at the bottom of the page and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible. The first two prospects are available for everybody to read.

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Player Grades
Contact – 40 Now | 55 Future
Power – 35 | 45
Discipline – 40 | 55
Speed – 55 | 55
Defense – 50 | 55
Arm – 55 | 55
Instincts – 50 | 60
ETA – 2014
Final Grade – B-

Body Type – Athletic, but his frame is small

Scouting Report

Nick Franklin is a contact oriented shortstop prospect with the potential to be an above average defender at the position.

At shortstop, Franklin shows good footwork and fluid actions to go along with a better than average arm.

At the plate, Franklin is a switch hitter, though I like his swing from the left side better. I’ve seen some of Franklin during batting practice and during in-game situations. He was better at staying back on the ball, letting it travel, and then unloading during BP, while he was more out in front, focused on getting contact, rather than driving the ball for the in-game situations.

*Credit to baseballfactoryTV

From the left-hand side, Franklin employs a slight rock back and then stride forward to generate momentum into his swing. He keeps the swing short, which allows him to make consistent contact. The ball jumps off his bat when he’s able to wait on it.

I managed to find a more recent clip of Franklin and it appears he’s made some adjustments to his swing.

*Credit to High School Playbook

Franklin is leaning back, front leg kinda extended…he taps his front foot and then shifts his weight forward on his front foot. He then aggressively plants his front foot and the hips rotate efficiently. Franklin’s back shoulder dips, creating a slight uppercut in his swing path. The result is a ball launched for a homerun. I tend to prefer the rock back and stride rather than hitting off the front foot, but whatever works for the hitter is best, whatever is most comfortable.

Overall, Franklin doesn’t project for better than average power, if that. But he does a lot of things well, nothing poorly, and scouts praise his mental make-up. If he can work on being more selective at the plate, Franklin profiles as a potential top-of-the-order hitter.

Best Case Outcome – Above average everyday shortstop

More Likely Outcome – Average everyday shortstop

Player Grades
Fastball – 50 Now | 55 Future
Slider – 40 | 45
Change-Up – 50 | 55
Control – 50 | 60
Command – 45 | 55
Pitchability – 50 | 55
ETA – 2012
Final Grade – B-

Body Type – Tall and lanky with long legs

Stuff

Fastball – A low 90′s pitch that can get up to 94 at times with good sink…the key is that he commands it very well

Slider – Upper 70′s – low 80′s pitch that acts sort of like a cutter..it’s inconsistent, but at least he’s able to throw it for strikes…throws it to both left-handed and right-handed hitters

Change-Up – Above average pitch he can also throw for strikes…plays up because of a deceptive arm action

Scouting Report

Michael Pineda would be rated higher if not for his high injury risk as a prospect. Pineda uses an arm action many would deem stressful for the elbow, so it’s not all that surprising that Pineda missed much of 2009 with a sore elbow. Not helping matters was the fact he pitched 138 innings despite pitching in only 59 the previous year.

When Pineda was on the mound, he was dominant. He struck out 28.6% of the batters he faced, while walking just 3.6%. He put up an ERA of 2.84. And he did this in High Desert, one the worst parks a pitcher could pitch in.

Pineda had a BABIP against of just .255, which is the second consecutive year Pineda held opponents to a BABIP against of less than .280.

Helping Pineda accomplish this feat is his ability to command all his pitches, his feel for pitching, and an arm action that makes it difficult for hitters to pick up the ball out of his hand.

Mechanics

Pineda has a pretty slow tempo, coming out at 27 frames, meaning he may not be getting as much out of his body as he could. Tempo isn’t always a requirement for velocity, however.

*Credit to Pacific Prospect Report (site no longer active)

I refer to Pineda as a unibody thrower. By this I mean there is little separation between his torso and hips. The torso and hips rotate together as a unit. This places the brunt of Pineda’s velocity generation on his arm.

It’s hard to tell, but Pineda’s arm looks like it lays back longer than normal. By lays back, I refer to the point in external rotation where it looks like the forearm is “laying back”. Pineda’s arm seems to lay back for a longer period and as a result the hitter doesn’t pick up the ball until it’s essentially out of Pineda’s hand. Making it more difficult for the hitter to pick up the pitch is the kind of life Pineda is able to get.

The downside to this is there are some that feel it is stressful for the arm to have the forearm lay back. I’ve also seen pictures of Pineda where it looks like he has more torque on his arm than your typical pitcher.

Best Case Outcome – If Pineda had the mechanics and the track record of a healthy starting pitcher, I’d put his potential around a No. 3, maybe even a No. 2 starter…but as I see it, Pineda may have to be placed in the bullpen to keep him healthy

More Likely Outcome – Solid set-up man out of the bullpen

Brief Summary on Prospects 8 – 15

8. Guillermo Pimentel | OF | C+ – Very young with a lot of potential…interested in seeing how he performs in his first pro experience

9. Rich Poythress | 1b | C+ – Good approach, good patience…worry about him not having enough bat for first base

10. Mario Martinez | 3b | C+ – Plus defense, but needs to prove he can hit high level pitching

11. Dan Cortes | RHP | C+ – Down season for Cortes last year, but he finished strongly…profiles much better out of the bullpen

12. Greg Halman | CF | C+ – Terrible season for Halman…major contact problems…don’t see him as much more than a fourth outfielder at this point

13. Mauricio Robles | LHP | C+ – Big arm for smallish lefty, but command issues and problems against left handed hitters (a reverse split pitcher) could limit him to the bullpen

14. Julio Morban | CF | C+ – Talented, very young outfielder that showed good power, but terrible plate discipline…need to see him against higher levels of pitching

15. Dennis Raben | OF/1b | Grade – C+ – Missed all of last year with a torn ACL, but he raked in his first pro season as a second round pick, so he’s somebody to watch next year…

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HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order) – Ezequiel Carrera (OF) | Matt Tuiasosopo (3b/2b/UTI) | Tyler Blandford (RHP) | Maikel Cleto (RHP) | James Jones (1b/OF) | Mike Carp (1b/LF) | Steve Baron (C) | Kanaoke Texeira (RHP) | Josh Fields (RHP) | Kyle Seager (2b) | Brian Moran (LHP) | Nick Hill (LHP) | Kenn Kasparek (RHP) | Steven Hensley (RHP) | Jharmidy DeJesus (1B/3b) | Johermyn Chavez (OF)

ALSO SEE – Seattle Mariners Top Prospects, No’s 1 – 5

UP NEXT – Texas Rangers Top Prospects, No’s 6 – 15

Other References and Resources Used for This Article – First Inning and Minor League Splits