Oscar Taveras

[AWvsCBsteeeerike3]

Touche. I'm not disagreeing with anything you said regarding the difference bw MLB pitchers and minor league pitchers, though you're bound to see a shelby miller per se in the minors that can break em off w the best of them.

I just don't think u can ruin a kid regardless of how over matched he is in a month. But I could be wrong and you're right itd be real tough to work on stuff in the majors.

Fwiw, I was against taverns skipping pb from the get go. Somehow we got on this tangent.

[pioneer98]

I landed Oscar's jersey tonight in a silent auction for charity.

[Fat Strat]

I landed Oscar's jersey tonight in a silent auction for charity.

Awesome! Game worn?

[go birds]

I landed Oscar's jersey tonight in a silent auction for charity.

That's pretty sweet.

[pioneer98]

It would have been game worn if he made it into the lineup. He got the night off for some reason.

It was a special "tuxedo" themed jersey they wore. They had a wedding on the field before the game.

It looked like Wong's jersey drew the highest bids, but none were what I would call "high". I think I got a steal.

[Fat Strat]

I would hang on to that thing. When he's won his third MVP at age 24, that thing will be worth a lot.

[themiddle54]

Jason Parks did a rundown on the best tools in the minors today. Best power = Harper, best speed = Billy Hamilton. This was the biggest surprise to me, for best hit tool in the minor leagues in 2011:

Hit: Oscar Taveras (Cardinals)
TCF: There are lots of good candidates, but the name that received the most love was Taveras, a gifted hitter who exploded on the prospect scene this season with a sexy slash line of .386/.444/.584 in the Midwest League. The 19-year-old’s present performance suggests his hit tool is very real, and the balanced approach and fluid swing mechanics should allow the tool find utility as he advances through the system. Taveras’ power grades vary, ranging from 40 (future) to 60 (future). But the voices sing in unison on his hit tool, with all signs pointing to a future .300-hitter at maturity.

He followed with this:

Most Awkward Body Award (The Brett Wallace Lower-Half Explosion Award; Formerly Known as the Calvin Pickering Award)
Matt Adams (Cardinals)
TCF: We’re not selling jeans here, but if we were, Adams would require very large jeans. Husky jeans. He doesn’t have a great body. But he can hit. That’s all the matters.

Best Farm Systems Award (This is basically impossible to do, so try not to overreact if your team doesn’t get the love you feel they deserve)
Toronto Blue Jays
Texas Rangers
Tampa Bay Rays
Atlanta Braves
Kansas City Royals
Pittsburgh Pirates
St. Louis Cardinals
Washington Nationals
Boston Red Sox
New York Yankees

[pioneer98]

Oscar hit a 2 run homer in the top of the 8th inning last night to put the Bandits ahead 3-2 in game 1 of the MWL finals. The Bandits went on to win 4-2.

[pioneer98]

Jason Parks did a rundown on the best tools in the minors today. Best power = Harper, best speed = Billy Hamilton. This was the biggest surprise to me, for best hit tool in the minor leagues in 2011:

Hit: Oscar Taveras (Cardinals)
TCF: There are lots of good candidates, but the name that received the most love was Taveras, a gifted hitter who exploded on the prospect scene this season with a sexy slash line of .386/.444/.584 in the Midwest League. The 19-year-old’s present performance suggests his hit tool is very real, and the balanced approach and fluid swing mechanics should allow the tool find utility as he advances through the system. Taveras’ power grades vary, ranging from 40 (future) to 60 (future). But the voices sing in unison on his hit tool, with all signs pointing to a future .300-hitter at maturity.

Thanks for sharing that. Like I said before, the best comp I've got for him right now is Vladimir Guerrero, but with a bit less power at this point. Maybe that will come with time.

The best way I can describe Taveras is that he has great bat speed all the way through the zone. If he is a bit late swinging, he can still square it up enough with enough speed to hit it hard the other way. He can hit it hard to all fields from what I've seen.

[Fat Strat]

Hits to all fields and has doubles power as a 19 year old. I can see why some people would think that his power could range from 40-60, but I've got to think it will end up at the upper end of that. I'm going solely by speculation and looking at his current stats and thinking what will happen when he matures. But, if you're hitting doubles at his rate in the Midwest League at his age and in a fairly neutral park, what will those doubles be when he's age 24? 26? They're not good minor league comps at all, but I do wonder if Holliday isn't a good comp for the type of hitter he could be. Holliday hits line drives that are often powerful enough to leave the park. I also see the Vlad comp that you've mentioned before, but Vlad's just so free swinging. It defines his hitting approach.

Anyway, we're talking about some great hitters here, though, that's for sure.