The New Texas Rangers Analyst

Head over to the new Texas Rangers Analyst site now!

I thought I'd take the time to introduce what the new site and newsletter will be about. Sign up for the newsletter by emailing me at andy@texasrangersanalyst.com to recieve updates through your email rather than checking the site all the time. I've decided that I'm going to make the site available immediately so that you can see the stages it goes through as I add new topics and features. As of the moment, I only have the copies of the player profiles I did on my blog, and I'll have many more to come over the course of the offseason and beyond.  The site has a quick outline of my plans for it, so check it out.

-Andy

Mailing List

Hey guys, sorry for the long delay between posts. I'm working on launching a new all-inclusive Rangers site, but it's taking awhile what with a wedding coming up and classes. For now, shoot me an email at andy@texasrangersanalyst.com to sign up for my new mailing list on the status of the site and other Ranger news. -Andy

Player Profile - Ben Harrison

  
Position: Outfield/Designated Hitter
Hits/Throws: Right/Right
Height/Weight: 6'4''/203
Birthday: 9/18/1981 (Age 26)
Roster Status: Rule V Eligible after 2008 Season; Minor League Free Agent after 2010 Season

Background: Harrison was a 7th round draft pick of the Rangers in the 2004 draft out of the University of Florida.  Entering Florida, he was a fairly highly-recruited player from Key West High School in the same state.  His power wasn't very high in high school, though he hit for average very well.  His commitment to Florida led to all 30 teams passing on him in the 2000 draft, despite being listed as the 44th-best Florida draft prospect in a deep state by Baseball America.  As a result, Harrison entered the SEC and proceeded to have a monster career.  His freshman year, he split time in the outfield, though he lost playing time as the season went on.  He finished the year hitting .270, hitting 4 home runs in 100 at-bats.  After a solid summer in the Shenandoah Valley League following that year, Harrison was expected to be much-improved for his sophomore campaign.  He met those expectations with a .342/.399/.615 line, hitting a career-high 8 home runs in 161 at-bats.  He played well in the Cape Cod League following the year, and entered 2003 as a high-end draft prospect.  He did not disappoint, finishing at .362/.437/.598 with 11 home runs.  His biggest weakness was his strikeout rate, having gone down 50 times in 224 at-bats.  Scouts in general saw this as a sign that he was still raw for his age, and he ended up being drafted in the 4th round by the Cleveland Indians.  He ended up not signing, and returned to play his senior year at Florida.  He finished at .354/.463/.629 with 17 home runs, but an equally frustrating strikeout rate.  The Rangers nabbed him with their 7th round selection, and signed him for $27,500, a number far below what he was offered the year before by the Indians.

Tools: Harrison has been seen as a toolsy hitter ever since he came on scouts' radars in high school.  He hit well for average over his college career, and he continued that near the beginning of his pro career until injuries in 2007.  As of now, his hitting for average tool is probably rated as slightly above-average, with the potential to be a .280 hitter in the majors.  His power tool is also above-average, as he's developed his power over time.  His max for a year might be around 25 homers.  His speed is somewhat deceiving, because he's an excellent baserunner.  He's always over a 75% success rate on stolen base attempts over the course of a season, and he's nabbed 18 in 20 attempts this year.  The tool itself is average.  As for fielding, we haven't gotten a good view of Harrison's outfield skills since his return from shoulder issues this year.  In the past, he's been prone to mistakes in the outfield, as evidenced by his 10 errors in 67 games in the outfield for Clinton in 2005.  However, he's cut down the errors somewhat, though his range is a little limited.  I would grade his fielding tool as somewhat below-average.  His arm strength has eroded due to shoulder injuries, and it also grades as a little below-average, though he's handling right field for Oklahoma fairly well so far.  His arm is accurate, but it's without the pop most right fielders show.  Overall, his tools are a strength, but injuries and age are starting to play a major role in his ability to reach his potential.

Professional Experience: Harrison was assigned to Spokane out of Florida in 2004.  He showed good wooden-bat power in his debut, hitting 11 homers in 214 at-bats.  His line finished at .271/.339/.477, about average for an outfield prospect entering pro ball for the first time.  Surprisingly, the Rangers assigned the older Harrison to Clinton out of Spring Training in 2005, despite him being 23 already.  He struggled with the assignment, hitting .250/.323/.367, and the Rangers gracefully moved him to Bakersfield to try and break the monotony.  In his 12 games in the Cal League, he hit .318/.367/.432, giving hope to some that he could rebound for 2006.  He began the 2006 season back at Bakersfield, and he started the show the pop scouts hoped he would.  In 331 at-bats there, he finished at .293/.397/.520, a solid line for a corner outfield prospect.  He earned a promotion to Frisco in July, and hit .282/.341/.491 in 163 at-bats there.  His smooth transition to AA was a relief to many, and Harrison entered 2007 on the cusp of a breakout year.  However, major shoulder issues from a shoulder separation in Venezuela in the winter limited his year to 246 grueling at-bats, most of which were hampered by a shoulder that didn't want to lift the bat.  He played 8 games for Frisco after missing the first two months of the season, and was promptly demoted to Bakersfield.  His overall line sat at .232/.304/.358 for the season, and he entered 2008 on the verge of being cut if he struggled.

2008 Season: Harrison's main goal entering the season had to be staying healthy and productive at the plate.  There are obvious issues in the outfield when returning from shoulder problems, but his main asset was always his bat.  So far, Harrison has turned a corner.  He opened the year at Frisco after a few extra weeks of strengthening, and hit .300/.385/.518 in 340 at-bats for the RoughRiders.  With the injury to Nelson Cruz, the Rangers promoted Harrison to AAA, and he's had ups and downs against the more advanced pitching.  Entering play today, he's at .243/.341/.357, an obvious disappointment considering his AA numbers.  However, the most important thing is that Harrison has been consistently healthy, and is currently handling the right field job for the RedHawks with ease.  His bat continues to be his strength, and he'll be with the RedHawks through the playoffs.

Future Outlook: Harrison is at a crossroads in baseball development.  The Rangers themselves are at a crossroads when it comes to Harrison.  Teams passed on Harrison at the Rule V draft last year due to his numerous issues following the shoulder separation.  However, this year might be a little different.  Harrison has been showing he can handle advanced pitching, and has also been showing an ability to play both left and right field.  If the Rangers fail to add him to the 40-man roster, there's a real possibility he could find himself on someone else's come December.  There isn't much space for Harrison on the Rangers' 40-man roster at this point, so I don't see them adding him yet.  They have another real development year before I think there's a good chance he'll be taken by another club.  However, be aware of the possibility that this could be his last year in the Texas organization.

Profile Coming Next: LHP Zach Phillips

Don't forget to check Rangers Rosters Update for current Ranger roster moves across all affiliations.

Player Profile - Corey Young

  
Throws: Left
Height/Weight: 6'2''/175
Birthday: 12/30/1986 (Age 21) 
Roster Status: Rule V Eligible after 2011 Season

Background: Young came to the Rangers as a 12th round draft pick from Seton Hall in June this year.  Before Seton Hall, Young was a decorated high school from New Jersey, having earned honors as an all-state pitcher as named by the Newark Star Ledger.  However, he was undrafted, and went on to start almost immediately for the Pirates of Seton Hall.  He posted average peripherals and ERAs over his first two years, and entered 2008 as a 7th-12th round range draft prospect.  His 2008 campaign was almost entirely in the rotation, and he posted a career-best 3.52 ERA, going 8-4 with 79.1 innings pitched.  He struck out 78 and walked 25, and hitters hit .239 against him.  His college career showed slow, steady progress as his stuff improved.  The Rangers signed him away from his senior year, and assigned him to Spokane.

Pitches: Young enters the Rangers' organization with a starter's repertoire.  His fastball sits in the upper-80s mostly, and also has some sink due to his three-quarters arm slot.  He complements the fastball with an average curve and changeup.  Both showed solid improvement as his college career went along, and both are good reasons why he was drafted so high.  His feel for pitching was noted by scouts in many organizations, and his offspeed pitches are seen as solid.  When he changes speeds, he can add and subtract movement, and his location is pretty good with all his pitches.  Expect each of his pitches to improve steadily over time.

Professional Experience: 2008 is Young's first pro season.

2008 Season: Young signed a few days after the draft and was assigned to short-season Spokane.  He's been working out of the bullpen, a place where most think he will stick long-term.  So far, he's had good success.  In 25 innings out of the 'pen, he's posted a 3.24 ERA with 27 strikeouts and 13 walks.  Obviously his control could be better, but he's adjusting to the bullpen, and he's also only allowing hitters to hit .191 off of him.  One slight worrisome thing is that Young's splits against hitters are a little lopsided.  He's holding lefties to a .094 average, while righties are at .242.  It's good that he's so effective against lefties, but there is still some hope that Young can be an all-purpose pitcher.  His debut has been solid, and his control has been improving of late, so look for a good ending to the year.

Future Outlook: Young is someone that profiles as a middle reliever in the long-term.  However, if his stuff improves steadily like it has in the past, he has the makeup to start.  Don't be surprised to see him in the rotation at Clinton next year.  However, his success against lefties probably has him written down in the lefty specialist role for the Rangers a few years down the road.  If the Rangers choose to go that route, look for him to start at Bakersfield next year, and possibly move like Andrew Laughter has this year.  He has great feel for pitching and a relatively young arm with regards to innings, so I think he can have success as a starter for the next few years.

Profile Coming Next: OF Ben Harrison

Don't forget to check Rangers Rosters Update for current Ranger roster moves across all affiliations.

Player Profile - Davis Stoneburner

  
Position: Infield
Hits/Throws: Right/Right
Height/Weight: 6'0''/175
Birthday: 1/14/1985 (Age 23)
Roster Status: Rule V Eligible after 2010 Season

Background: Stoneburner came to the Rangers in the 9th round of 2007's amateur draft out of James Madison University.  He had gone to James Madison from Mills E. Godwin High in Virginia, where he was a moderately-decorated player.  From there, Stoneburner went on to start for all four of his years at JMU, improving slightly from start to finish.  His freshman year had a .295 line with fairly good plate discipline and a shade of gap power.  His sophomore year was disappointing considering the expectations.  His average dropped to a .259 mark, and his discipline and power stayed at the same level as his freshman campaign.  Stoneburner hoped for a strong return in his junior year in 2006, but a torn ACL 31 games into the season derailed that hope.  He had been having a career season at the time, hitting .325 with a career high 6 home runs.  However, his plate discipline stayed roughly the same.  Every team passed over Stoneburner in the 2006 draft, so he came back to JMU for his senior year.  He stayed healthy the whole year, and had a line similar to his 2006 season before the injury, hitting .324 with 7 homers.  He was regarded as an easy sign as a senior, so the Rangers called his name in the 9th round and gave him a small $10,000 bonus.

Tools: Stoneburner is one of those minor league infielders that has no plus tool.  His ability to hit for average and power are highly in doubt, and he's done nothing to show improvement since signing over a year ago.  His speed is also nothing special, as he's just 8 for 13 in stolen base attempts in 99 games as a pro to this point.  His fielding is seen as especially bad, as he's made 27 errors in 97 games at various postitions, mostly at shortstop.  He only began to play shortstop full-time in college, so it's possible he's still learning the position.  However, he's about to complete his fifth season in the infield, so you'd hope he's adjusted by now.  His arm is nothing special, so his glove will have to improve.  On the whole, his tools don't play out at all, so he'll have to rely on heady play to advance.

Professional Experience: Stoneburner's pro debut did not go very well at Spokane in 2007.  He played rather sparingly as a reserve infielder, gathering only 85 at-bats over the entire season, and finished with a .235/.313/.306 line.  His plate discipline was average, and his glove was just plain bad.  He made 8 errors in 21 games at shortstop and 4 in 6 games at third.  He got caught in his only steal attempt during the season, and he entered 2008 with only a job as a reserve infielder.

2008 Season: Stoneburner's 2008 campaign has been similar to Jacob Kaase's.  He's shuttled between Bakersfield and Clinton, depending on who's healthy at the time.  Since Erik Morrison has graduated to Bakersfield, Stoneburner's been back at Clinton splitting time at shortstop.  Between Clinton and Bakersfield, he's played all four infield positions, committing errors at all but first base (where he played in a single game).  As with most part-time infielders, he's struggled with his plate discipline, as his numbers have been in decline even relative to his college numbers.  At the moment, he's looking at a .259/.307/.389 line in 162 at-bats for Clinton.  That's not what you would want from a 23 year-old college draftee.  It's still not fair to say Stoneburner is incapable of playing well, as his playing time has been erratic at best.  However, he did prove he can't handle pitching in the Cal League, and the Midwest League is a little over his head too.  Stoneburner's 2008 season has been a disappointment.

Future Outlook: I wouldn't be surprised to see the Rangers cut Stoneburner loose this offseason.  He's done nothing to distinguish himself over players like Kaase, who has hit better than Stoneburner all year.  If he does stick around for another year, look for it to be as a fill-in at Clinton or Bakersfield again.  He doesn't really have a future as an infielder at any of the upper levels.

Profile Coming Next: LHP Corey Young

Don't forget to check Rangers Rosters Update for current Ranger roster moves across all affiliations.

Player Profile - Scott Feldman

  
Throws: Right
Height/Weight: 6'5''/210
Birthday: 2/7/1983 (Age 25) 
Roster Status: On 25- and 40-man Rosters; Eligible for Arbitration after 2009 Season

Background: Scott Feldman came to the Rangers as a 30th round pick in the 2003 draft from the College of San Mateo in California.  He had finished his two-year career there with a 25-2 record after playing high school ball for Burlingame High School in the same state.  It took the Rangers nearly a month to sign Feldman, but they got it done.  The previous year, the Astros had drafted Feldman in the 41st round, but had failed to sign him.  On the whole, Feldman was seen as a pitcher with some upside who needed some refinement to be considered a quality pitcher.

Pitches: Since Feldman moved his delivery up to three-quarters from the above-pictured sidearm delivery, he's really sharpened his pitches.  As a starter, he features up to four pitches in any game.  His main fastball is a sinker that routinely sits in the low-90s, touching as high as 94 on some nights.  However, the harder he throws, the less movement he gets, so the Rangers are more comfortable with somewhere around 92 for his sinker.  Feldman has a second fastball variation, a cutter, that he uses frequently against left-handed hitters.  It usually sits around 90-91.  It is a developing pitch that sits with his changeup as his two main options for lefties.  The changeup itself is of the average variety, and he does make mistakes with it.  He rarely ever throws it against righties, but it is his third pitch against lefties.  If he commands it, it is a quality pitch.  His last pitch is a curve that has gained bite since his motion was re-worked.  He's much more likely to throw the curve against righties than lefties, but once again, he can get into trouble locating it.  From a pitch standpoint, Feldman has a lot of similarities to Cardinal pitcher Chris Carpenter when healthy.  However, Feldman has a long way to go in terms of locating those pitches.

Professional Experience: Feldman's pro experience has really been interesting, as it has involved two deliveries in two different roles.  He only got into a few games in his debut season in 2003 before succumbing to Tommy John surgery, which cost him a full year of development.  By the time he got back, he could only get it 7 innings in the AZL, and he didn't allow a run in that time.  The Rangers challenged Feldman the next year with an assignment to Bakersfield and a "permanent" role as a relief pitcher.  He only lasted 9 innings in Bakersfield before getting promoted to Frisco, having allowed no earned runs and striking out 11.  However, his biggest challenge was yet to come.  After 61 AA innings with a 2.36 ERA, Feldman found himself with the big club, and he only allowed an earned run in 9.1 innings to finish the year.  2006 found Feldman on the Oklahoma City-Arlington shuttle, with 23 games for Oklahoma and 36 for Texas.  He had success for both, with an ERA of 2.00 for Oklahoma and 3.92 for Texas.  Therefore, Feldman was expected to contribute heavily to the 2007 Rangers' bullpen.  However, his ups and downs continued, and he finished 2007 with an ERA of 5.77 for the big club 4.50 for Oklahoma.  The Rangers decided to move Feldman to a starting role for 2008 and moved his delivery around.  He then went on to pitch in the Arizona Fall League, and entered 2008 figuring to spend the year transitioning into a starting pitcher in the minors.

2008 Season: Feldman's year of transition has really not had a chance to happen.  He did indeed start the year in the minors, but that didn't last long.  The Rangers' rotation has suffered numerous injuries, and Feldman has been one of the few healthy pitchers over the course of the season.  He's only made 2 starts for Frisco this year, and has an ERA of 4.26 over those starts.  However, he's started 19 for the Rangers, and also had 2 relief appearances.  Until his implosion in Boston, he had been having arguably the most consistent season of any Ranger starting pitcher.  However, he now stands at 4-5 with a 5.18 ERA over 114.2 innings, already a career high by a ton.  The Rangers wanted to move Feldman back to the bullpen to finish off the year in order to keep his innings down.  However, until the Rangers find suitable replacements for him in the rotation, he'll continue to step onto the rubber every fifth day with Tommy Hunter being the skipped starter.  It's likely that Feldman will indeed find the bullpen between now and the end of year as Ranger starters come back from the DL.  He'll continue working on his new motion and hopes to finish the year strong.

Future Outlook: Feldman is still only 25, amazing considering how long we've seen him in Arlington.  This is his fourth year to spend time with the big club, and I expect we'll see quite a few more.  His transition to starting has been quite exceptional, and he's now looking more like a true number four or five starter.  By that, I mean that he's good enough to fit in to that number in most rotations around baseball.  He'll continue to have some struggles locating, as most pitchers changing motions do.  In addition, most sinkerballers have trouble from time to time keeping pitches down in the zone, so we'll see some nights where he gets hit hard.  His stuff is fairly good, so I expect Feldman will be in the Rangers rotation until he gets bumped off in 3 years or so.

Profile Coming Next: IF Davis Stoneburner

Don't forget to check Rangers Rosters Update for current Ranger roster moves across all affiliations.  I'll be on vacation, so updates might be less frequent than usual.  Check back for profiles, as I'll do my best to get them to you fairly often.

Player Profile - Aja Barto

  
Position: Outfield
Hits/Throws: Right/Right
Height/Weight: 6'5''/225
Birthday: 9/26/1986 (Age 21)
Roster Status: Rule V Eligible after 2011 Season

Background: Barto came to the Rangers this year as a non-drafted free agent.  That means every team, including the Rangers, passed him up about 50 times each.  Barto even attended a large baseball program in Tulane.  However, he went undrafted after a mediocre junior season and decided to sign with the Rangers rather than return to Tulane for his senior year.  Barto was actually a highly touted outfielder in high school.  He attended Stratford High in Spring Branch, where he was a highly-decorated player.  The Phillies drafted him in the 14th round in 2005, and he was only drafted that late due to signability concerns.  He ended up not signing and started his career at Tulane where his older brother was a Green Wave football player.  However, things weren't so great for Barto at Tulane once he got there.  He only got 46 at-bats and 11 starts his freshman year due to a broken bone in his hand and normal freshman bumps.  He finished at .152/.316/.304, an obvious disappointment for such a highly-touted player.  After the year, he played in the Cape Cod League, and struggled against older competition.  However, he did grow and moved on to be a starter his sophomore year at Tulane.  He finished that year at .269/.354/.451, a fair improvement.  Once again, he played in the Cape Cod League, and was named to the all-star team after an improved campaign.  Barto's junior season at Tulane was supposed to be his breakout year.  However, in 168 at-bats, he finished at only .274/.403/.393, an almost even season with his sophomore year.  He did steal 21 of 24 bases, though.  Baseball America ranked him the eighth-best prospect in Louisiana entering the draft and wrote, "If a club can get him to make adjustments, he could be a steal between the sixth and 10th rounds."  After 50 rounds, the Rangers signed him, and are reaping the benefits.

Tools: Barto's build is that of a great hitter.  At 6'5'', 225 lbs., he looks like he should tear the cover off the ball.  However, his .274 average and 3 home runs this year show that his game is not very refined.  He strikes out a lot due to a long swing, and his eye is average.  However, his raw tools are still strong.  His ability to hit for average is not too good, and a .270 season for him should be seen as a positive step forward in the pros.  He's flashed raw power at times, as he led the Green Wave with 6 home runs his sophomore year.  However, it's inconsistent, so his tool to this point has gone unused.  His speed is considered above-average, and that is surprising given his bulk.  Most players Barto's size lose some speed due to the extra inches they have to move, but Barto has kept himself a prime athlete over the years.  His fielding has been quite good so far.  He started mainly in center for the Green Wave, and has moved to right field in the pros.  He has good range and did not make an error in his collegiate career.  He's made a single error so far in right in the pros, but I'll credit him for reaching some balls others might not get to.  His arm is probably his biggest weakness, as he only had four assists total in college, and has only one so far this year in the pros.  However, his tools as a whole are quite strong, and he has a lot of upside.

Professional Experience: 2008 is Barto's first pro season.

2008 Season: Barto has adjusted very well to pro pitching so far.  Assigned to the Arizona League following signing, Barto has gone on to hit the league well.  Entering play today, his line stands at .319/.435/.553.  The main concern has to be his 30 strikeouts in only 27 games.  That was one of his main knocks by scouts, and he'll need to improve that to succeed against better pitching.  He has shown a good eye so far, and his power is also starting to peek its head.  He's hit 4 homers so far, to go along with 8 doubles and a triple.  Surprisingly, he hasn't been running too much on AZL catchers.  He has only 2 stolen bases against 1 caught.  He's been steadily improving so far, so look for him to continue to do so for the rest of the year.  His playing time has been a little more inconsistent with the arrivals of Clark Murphy and Cody Podraza, so we'll see how much more playing time he gets.

Future Outlook: Barto has the tools to be a Major League outfielder.  However, considering he's a 21 year-old college product in the AZL, I'd say his chances of fulfilling that potential are low.  He's been passed over for a chance to play for Bakersfield by Adam Cobb, and he'll need to improve his consistency across the board to even stay a starter in the organization past this year.  It's likely he'll play in Clinton to open next year, and it's likely that he'll need a full year there.  I think his tools will start to play out, but in the end his lack of consistency will come back to bite him, and he'll never reach the majors.

Profile Coming Tomorrow: RHP Scott Feldman

Don't forget to check Rangers Rosters Update for current Ranger roster moves across all affiliations.