Dirtbags Baseball - Long Beach State 49ers

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Wednesday, July 20, 2005

Bryan Smith's Midseason Rankings

Bryan Smith (Baseball Analysts) is out with his midseason rankings of minor league players with this introduction [Part 1] [Part 2]:

Alright ladies and gentleman, start your engines, it's list time. Finally I have my midseason top 75 all ready for viewing, and we will go through the players during the next two days. Please notice the list does not include any players drafted in the 2005 draft, or those currently playing in short-season ball. I promise to rank them this winter, but it's too early this time around.

For each player I have provided their statistics, as well as their age. The numbers I used, and the way I presented them, are pretty similar to past styles (hitters: AVG/OBP/SLG, W/K, SB in AB; pitchers: ERA H/IP K/BB HR). Today we begin the countdown with numbers 75-31, so please enjoy and check back tomorrow.

Bryan lists 2 former Dirtbags, and 1st on the countdown list is Jason Vargas:

67. Jason Vargas: Florida Marlins (SP)- 22
A- (SAL): 0.80 16/33.2 33/10 1
A+ (FSL): 3.42 47/55.1 60/14 6
AA (CAR): 2.84 13/19.0 25/7 3

Really on a tour of America this year, Vargas is currently on his fourth level of the season in Miami. He has seen success at each stop, and his first start against the Diamondbacks went fine. Four walks is way too much for five innings, and they look to be the result of falling behind in the count, in which Vargas does not pitch very effectively. A lot of people would kill for the southpaw trio of Willis, Olsen and Vargas in one rotation.

It's a small thing, but Bryan must have missed that 2 of 4 walks issued in Jason's 1st start with the Marlins were of the intentional variety. Next comes Jered Weaver:

63. Jered Weaver: Anaheim Angels (SP)- 22
A+ (CAL): 4.85 24/26 39/5 3

Really coming on strong after a rough start. His pitchability is off the charts, second maybe only to Yusmeiro Petit on this list. But, his G/F that Rich listed is concerning, as is the stuff that scouts have long and outspokenly doubted. Look for him to prove the scouts wrong, settling nicely into a number two/three role in the Majors.

posted on 7/20/2005 by Jeff Agnew

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