Bakersfield Minor League Review: Top 10 Batting Prospects
November 25, 2011
After offering a glimpse of the Bakersfield Bears‘ top 10 pitching prospects last month, we now turn our attention to the top 10 position players in Bakersfield’s minor league system.
Bakersfield faithful can be forgiven for knowing so little about this kid; he was signed mere days ago after being discovered in Puerto Rico. Indeed, nobody outside the Bears brain trust knows much of anything about him, it seems. Martínez is a young 19-year-old who is 6’0” and weighs 165 pounds. Beyond that, it’s all conjecture, but what conjecture it is. Billy Adams, the Bears’ head scout, raves about his potential, calling him, “a scout’s dream.” That’s right; Martínez is one of those 5-tool prospects that come along every six or seven years. Whether he will be of the “can’t miss and didn’t miss” variety remains to be seen, but his signing was quite a coup for the Bears. Simply put, he is already the best prospect in the Bakersfield stable.
Fun Fact: Martínez has already let it be known to Bakersfield scribes that he is not named after the band Steely Dan.
José Cruz – C
Cruz was a high school phenom at Wilson Classical High School when in 2007, as an 8th grader (and at the tender age of only 14), he was an Interscholastic Federation All-Star catcher. That year, he established himself as a sandlot legend when he had a better VORP than superstar senior prospect Jorge Guavara. After batting .405, Cruz went on to hit at an incredible .437 clip his sophomore year and again made the Interscholastic Federation All Star team. He finished that year with a .548 OBP, which remains a single-season Interscholastic Federation record. Of course, his career .523 OBP also remains the best percentage in Interscholastic Federation history.
After a few more successful years, where he was a man among boys, the Bears made him their 1 st round pick (14th overall) in the 2011 draft. The only reason the Bears were fortunate enough to snag him was because of concerns about a fractured thumb sustained just a month and a half earlier. Though Cruz had a mildly disappointing 2011 season for the Cold Bay Eleven in SS-A, where he swatted just 5 home runs, his batting average, OBP and slugging percentage saw steady increases every single month. While only 19 and therefore likely to spend another year with Cold Bay, there is every reason to be excited about this kid’s future.
Fun fact: Rumors persist that Cruz (who has always been non-committal about his injury) actually fractured his thumb playing UNO.
Jack Wallace – OF
Wallace was selected in the 3rd round of the 2008 draft, and Baseball America currently lists him as the 82nd-ranked minor league prospect in the PEBA. A lanky 6’1” and 190 pounds, this 25-year-old is currently playing for the West Valley City Grizzlies, the Bears’ AAA affiliate. Wallace possesses all of the attributes to become a star outfielder for the Bears. He has shown great speed, power, defensive skills and the ability to hit for average, but has yet to put it all together in a single season. Still, he did flash his talent for hitting for average when he hit .321 in 2010 for AA Sherwood Park before being promoted to AAA. He has respectable speed (16 stolen bases in 2011 after swiping 21 the year before), and has shown a knack for getting extra base hits (he had 31 last year after getting 34 in 2010). Wallace has played excellent defense through his minor league career, giving up no more than a couple of errors each year.
Wallace’s future depends in no small part on his ability to stay healthy. He has suffered nagging injuries throughout his minor league career, hurting his development Nevertheless, the Bears believe, if he can stay healthy, he has the physical abilities and dedication to eventually make the big league roster and be a substantial contributor to the club.
Fun Fact: Jack has a tattoo across his back of the entire cast of the hit television show Small Wonder.
Shawn David – 3B
David was initially drafted by the Omaha Cyclones with the 13th overall pick in the 2008 draft. The Bears acquired him in a trade, along with fellow top prospect Miguel Salinas. Shawn was named the #77 prospect in the PEBA in 2009, but has thus far failed to post the gaudy numbers his talent indicates he is capable off. However, the Bears believe that David’s work ethic, rather than his talent, has been holding him back. Despite an underwhelming 2010 and a slow start in 2011, David was absolutely torrid in the second half (though it was shortened by a fractured thumb). He hit over .320, had an OBP over .350 and an OPS over .800. Word is that once David was informed he’d be spending some time in winter ball and that he is penciled in as the Bears’ Opening Day third baseman, he finally got his head screwed on right. Bakersfield faithful can only hope it will stay that way.
Fun Fact: Wears uniform number #99 in honor of NFL football great Mark Gastineau.
Miguel Salinas – 1B
Salinas was acquired from Omaha in the same trade that netted Shawn David. He was the 4th round pick by Omaha in 2008. Miguel had an excellent year in AAA last season. He batted .331, smacking 13 home runs and notching 73 RBI. Additionally, Salinas made the Global Baseball Brotherhood All-Star team and had a 20-game hitting streak. At 6’4” and 245 pounds, he is one the largest players in the Bears’ organization. Early word is that the Bears are going to give Ronnie Ray one more shot to back up Josh Emery at 1B on the major league club. However, the team has made it clear that if Ray falters, we can expect to see Salinas getting substantial time with the Bears as early as mid-season.
Fun Fact: Has roomed and shared a bunk bed with Shawn David ever since they played in Waikiki together.
Rubén Díaz – SS
Rubén, a 21-year-old slick-fielding shortstop, was acquired from the Canton Longshoremen in the 2007 blockbuster trade for Bears favorite Jack Cobb. Díaz came to the United States from Ecuador at age 16 when he signed with Canton. He has not been able to develop his hitting yet, and he finished with a disappointing .226 batting average last year at AA. However, since he is only 21, Bakersfield scouts are guardedly optimistic about his potential, especially his ability to provide high OBP and power at the three spot in the lineup. Additionally, his glove is another reason to love this kid: he should be a perennial All-Leather candidate. He’s also flexible, having played all seven fielding positions (besides catcher and pitcher) in his career.
Fun Fact – Rubén has worn pajamas under his uniform in every game he has ever played.
John Lee – OF
Lee is a 23-year-old outfielder currently assigned to West Valley City. Lee was acquired in a 2010 trade with Arlington for picks and two long-time Bears: Ken Johnstone and Joseph Lane. A 2nd round pick by Arlington in 2009, Lee was a college teammate at Michigan State with Hayden Walters, who is currently on the Bears major league roster. Though Lee’s 2011 came to a screeching halt when he sustained a broken elbow that will keep him off the field for nine months, there is much reason to be optimistic about his development. Lee was phenomenal in 47 games with the Sherwood Park Hoods. In 168 at bats, Lee flashed a .307 average with 5 home runs and 18 RBI. After playing very well in AA, John was sidelined less than a week after being promoted to AAA. The Bears front office has done a great job of keeping Lee’s morale up while he recuperates back home in Georgia by sending him boxes of the famous West Valley City salt water taffy that he enjoyed when he played his 6 games there.
Fun fact: John insists on being introduced before every at bat to the Velvet Underground’s “Beginning To See The Light“.
Gus Wilson – 2B
Wilson was the 5th pick in the 2nd round of the 2007 draft by the West Virginia Coal Sox. While the 25-year-old Wilson’s ceiling has lowered as of late, he was once highly regarded as a top prospect, and in 2009 was named the 76th-rated prospect in the PEBA. The Bears acquired Wilson from San Antonio, along with a 7th round pick, for major league starting pitcher (and full-time enigma) Jeff Cobb. Wilson finally seemed to put it together in August of last season when he hit .390 and posted a .903 OPS before he sustained a shoulder injury. The injury finished his season, but it still ended on a good note, as he was named the AAA Rocky Mountain League Batter of the Month.
It is not clear where Wilson currently fits into the Bears’ plans, but expect him to get a look at shortstop during Spring Training. There is much to like about this kid’s defense, speed, and ability to hit for average, so he will remain a part of the Bears’ long-term plans regardless of where he winds up in 2012.
Fun Fact: Gus was named after a mule that could kick field goals.
Jaime Pérez– OF
Pérez, a 24-year-old outfielder for West Valley City, is a dark horse candidate to take over the fourth outfielder spot for the Bears come Opening Day. The Bears believed they found a diamond in the rough when they drafted Pérez in the 7th round of the 2008 draft, and thus far they are pleased with his development. Pérez’s explosive speed and elite defensive abilities are beyond question, and he has also shown that he can hit for a high average. If Pérez can improve his ability to make solid contact and cut down on the strikeouts, expect to see him make a serious run at a spot on the Bears’ roster in 2012 or 2013.
Fun Fact: Jaime has a pet bunny named “Giggles”.
Lyle Ward – OF
Lyle was drafted in the 6th round of the 2010 draft. Pure power potential is what the Bears see in Lyle. Unfortunately, it is only potential, as Ward failed to provide a meaningful contribution in 2011. The lack of success may explain why Lyle is very unhappy, though the Bears hope that this 23-year-old – who is smart and has a fantastic work ethic – can turn it around in 2012. Still, a review of his 2011 numbers establish some serious question marks. After hitting .211 with Chula Vista, the Bears hoped that a spot promotion to AA would help him turn things around. Those hopes were dashed when Ward batted .173 in his short stint at AA. Unless he can put it together and recover from an abysmal (and injury-plagued) season, next year Ward might not have a spot on this list, let alone a future with the Bears.
Fun Fact: Before Lyle cut his flowing blond hair, he used to enter – and routinely win – Simple Minds lead singer Jim Kerr lookalike contests.