Comments on: Down On The Farm http://redlegnation.com/2009/07/10/down-on-the-farm-374/ A Cincinnati Reds Blog | Dishing out hot, creamy bowls of bloggy goodness Sun, 21 Mar 2010 20:00:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: brublejr http://redlegnation.com/2009/07/10/down-on-the-farm-374/#comment-1763131 brublejr Sat, 11 Jul 2009 13:50:44 +0000 http://redlegnation.com/?p=8072#comment-1763131 Sometimes it just clicks with a guy and he makes that next step up. Votto, good player to outstanding player Heisey, minor league filler to a good to very good player It just seemed to happen overnight, on both cases...that is all. Sometimes it just clicks with a guy and he makes that next step up.

Votto, good player to outstanding player
Heisey, minor league filler to a good to very good player

It just seemed to happen overnight, on both cases…that is all.

]]> By: brublejr http://redlegnation.com/2009/07/10/down-on-the-farm-374/#comment-1763130 brublejr Sat, 11 Jul 2009 13:48:13 +0000 http://redlegnation.com/?p=8072#comment-1763130 The only likeness I was originally making was that he seems to be a fast riser when not totally expected at that time. He has really made strides this year to put up great numbers. My point was that early Votto wasn't the type of player he is now. He really made strides in 06 then became a fast riser. People thought he could be a good player, but nobody expected him to become one of the best players in baseball. Heisey is not in that league at all, but he has come out of nowhere and could be a very nice player, especially if he sticks at CF (lots of power for a CF). The only likeness I was originally making was that he seems to be a fast riser when not totally expected at that time. He has really made strides this year to put up great numbers. My point was that early Votto wasn’t the type of player he is now. He really made strides in 06 then became a fast riser. People thought he could be a good player, but nobody expected him to become one of the best players in baseball. Heisey is not in that league at all, but he has come out of nowhere and could be a very nice player, especially if he sticks at CF (lots of power for a CF).

]]> By: Tom Diesman http://redlegnation.com/2009/07/10/down-on-the-farm-374/#comment-1763126 Tom Diesman Sat, 11 Jul 2009 13:27:06 +0000 http://redlegnation.com/?p=8072#comment-1763126 I'm not seeing the likeness between Votto and Heisey so much, I think it's a pretty big reach. Votto was a 2nd round draft pick out of high school and put up .289 .385 .476 861 minor league career where the only blip in his path was a .256 .330 .425 755 year in the FSL which was actually above the league average of 715 that season. In my eyes he performed as expected from a 2nd round draft pick. The only surprising thing is that he is actually hitting better in the majors than he did in the minors. Heisy was a 17th round draft pick out of college and has put up a minor league career of .292 .366 .435 801 entering this season. He improved his plate discipline and power after his first two seasons and began to get himself noticed. He's done much more than one would expect for a 17th round pick. I think a good comparison to Heisey would be Chris Denorfia who was a 19th round pick out of college and put up a minor league career of .297 .374 .438 812 entering this season. He had great plate discipline from the get go but hit a couple of bumps along the way as it took him some time to adjust to new levels after promotions. I’m not seeing the likeness between Votto and Heisey so much, I think it’s a pretty big reach.

Votto was a 2nd round draft pick out of high school and put up .289 .385 .476 861 minor league career where the only blip in his path was a .256 .330 .425 755 year in the FSL which was actually above the league average of 715 that season. In my eyes he performed as expected from a 2nd round draft pick. The only surprising thing is that he is actually hitting better in the majors than he did in the minors.

Heisy was a 17th round draft pick out of college and has put up a minor league career of .292 .366 .435 801 entering this season. He improved his plate discipline and power after his first two seasons and began to get himself noticed. He’s done much more than one would expect for a 17th round pick.

I think a good comparison to Heisey would be Chris Denorfia who was a 19th round pick out of college and put up a minor league career of .297 .374 .438 812 entering this season. He had great plate discipline from the get go but hit a couple of bumps along the way as it took him some time to adjust to new levels after promotions.

]]> By: brublejr http://redlegnation.com/2009/07/10/down-on-the-farm-374/#comment-1762753 brublejr Sat, 11 Jul 2009 07:28:27 +0000 http://redlegnation.com/?p=8072#comment-1762753 Bill: '05 Baseball Prospectus on Votto: "Another marginal prospect who gets more attention than he deserves because he's among the best of the sorry lot in the Reds organization. Votto has ball-crushing power, but it is one of those classic long swing/slow bat variety that will get nullified in the high minors if he can't adjust. At 22, he's spent two a half years at A ball and needs to make his move in 2006. If you want an ominous sign, he failed to impress the AFL last year." (Not ranked in top 50 prospects) Doesn't sound that encouraging. Baseball Prospectus '06 on Votto: "In order to refresh his prospect status after a disappointing 2005, Votto needed to bounce back while rising to the challenge of Double-A last year. After a slow start, he more than managed it. Although he's more likely to become Joey the Very Good opposed to Joey the Great, he generates a lot of fly balls and those can do a lot of damage in the Gap, and while he has problems with lefties, he did just slug .631 against right handers. Votto can press at times, but he has the all-around hitting skill to exploit his environment. There's more breakout potential here you might see at first glance. (Prospect rank 53) More promising, but he HAS turned into Joey the Great. Baseball Prospectus '08: Prospect rank 21 I didn't have time to go into that year quite as much, but he wasn't always a can't miss prospect. 2006, he pretty much started clicking and carried on through. I think this is a similar path of Heisey. Not that highly regarded but the dude can flat rake. Bill:

‘05 Baseball Prospectus on Votto: “Another marginal prospect who gets more attention than he deserves because he’s among the best of the sorry lot in the Reds organization. Votto has ball-crushing power, but it is one of those classic long swing/slow bat variety that will get nullified in the high minors if he can’t adjust. At 22, he’s spent two a half years at A ball and needs to make his move in 2006. If you want an ominous sign, he failed to impress the AFL last year.” (Not ranked in top 50 prospects)

Doesn’t sound that encouraging.

Baseball Prospectus ‘06 on Votto:
“In order to refresh his prospect status after a disappointing 2005, Votto needed to bounce back while rising to the challenge of Double-A last year. After a slow start, he more than managed it. Although he’s more likely to become Joey the Very Good opposed to Joey the Great, he generates a lot of fly balls and those can do a lot of damage in the Gap, and while he has problems with lefties, he did just slug .631 against right handers. Votto can press at times, but he has the all-around hitting skill to exploit his environment. There’s more breakout potential here you might see at first glance. (Prospect rank 53)

More promising, but he HAS turned into Joey the Great.

Baseball Prospectus ‘08: Prospect rank 21

I didn’t have time to go into that year quite as much, but he wasn’t always a can’t miss prospect. 2006, he pretty much started clicking and carried on through. I think this is a similar path of Heisey. Not that highly regarded but the dude can flat rake.

]]> By: Bill Lack http://redlegnation.com/2009/07/10/down-on-the-farm-374/#comment-1761426 Bill Lack Fri, 10 Jul 2009 16:52:04 +0000 http://redlegnation.com/?p=8072#comment-1761426 I'm not sure how you can say that about <a href="http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/V/Joey-Votto.shtml" rel="nofollow">Votto</a>. He only had one mediocre year ('05 in Sarasota) and that was the "take a strike first" year. He was .900plus almost every other year, that's strokin'. I’m not sure how you can say that about Votto. He only had one mediocre year (‘05 in Sarasota) and that was the “take a strike first” year. He was .900plus almost every other year, that’s strokin’.

]]> By: brublejr http://redlegnation.com/2009/07/10/down-on-the-farm-374/#comment-1761247 brublejr Fri, 10 Jul 2009 15:23:48 +0000 http://redlegnation.com/?p=8072#comment-1761247 I think Heisey could be the real deal. I liken him to Votto (probably not that good though), but nobody was that high on him (Votto) for quite a while then all the sudden he just starts ripping the cover off the ball and rising quickly. I think Heisey could be the real deal. I liken him to Votto (probably not that good though), but nobody was that high on him (Votto) for quite a while then all the sudden he just starts ripping the cover off the ball and rising quickly.

]]> By: brublejr http://redlegnation.com/2009/07/10/down-on-the-farm-374/#comment-1761242 brublejr Fri, 10 Jul 2009 15:21:39 +0000 http://redlegnation.com/?p=8072#comment-1761242 Greg, That situation was discussed over on Doug's site and he said that he thinks since this is the first time of him dominating, let him dominate for a while, look for him to move up in August. Greg, That situation was discussed over on Doug’s site and he said that he thinks since this is the first time of him dominating, let him dominate for a while, look for him to move up in August.

]]> By: GregD http://redlegnation.com/2009/07/10/down-on-the-farm-374/#comment-1761124 GregD Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:08:56 +0000 http://redlegnation.com/?p=8072#comment-1761124 Valaika returning to form? Hitting .375 in his last 10 games with a modest 6 game hitting streak now. What does Travis Wood have to do to get promoted? They need AAA pitchers, bring up Wood and sign the Kip Wells of baseball to AA. Valaika returning to form? Hitting .375 in his last 10 games with a modest 6 game hitting streak now.

What does Travis Wood have to do to get promoted? They need AAA pitchers, bring up Wood and sign the Kip Wells of baseball to AA.

]]> By: RiverCity Redleg http://redlegnation.com/2009/07/10/down-on-the-farm-374/#comment-1761040 RiverCity Redleg Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:13:25 +0000 http://redlegnation.com/?p=8072#comment-1761040 Chris Heisey. Wow. Valaika is really coming around also. Chris Heisey. Wow. Valaika is really coming around also.

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