Boy, could our farm system get any better!? I'm literally salivating at what our lineup could look like in a few years, especially our pitching rotation..
We have 2 of the top 3 pitching prospects, who are 4 and 6 respectively in the overall 100 top prospects list. Along with 2B Alan Henson and 19 year old catcher Jin-De Jhang who are also in the top 100. Here's my overall thoughts on each guy..
Jameson Taillon
21 years old, called up to AA last season and went 3-0 with a 1.50 ERA and 18 strikeouts. His movement is already almost at a major league level, as is his 97 MPH fastball. I love this kid, if he continues at this pace, I can see him reaching AAA by the end of the year.
Gerrit Cole
Struggled a bit at the AA level last year going 3-6 with a 2.55 ERA. His ERA looks good, which leads me to believe he didn't have enough run support in the games he started. His fastball is out of this world, and, has superb defensive fielding skills at his position. Could also make the jump to AAA this year to join Kyle McPherson to give us a dangerous combination in the minors.
Alen Hanson
16 HRs and 62 RBIs with a .309 AVG last year in A ball. This guy could be a superstar if handled correctly. If he continues to dominate the single A level, I could easily see him moving up to AA this year.
Jin-De-Jhang
Only 19 years old, and he put up a respectable .309 batting average in our rookie league last year. The future is looking bright for this kid as his defensive abilities are already better than most catchers in our farm system.