Josh Bell
makes me cry at night.
Late-season power surge
Josh Bell 3B, Orioles (Double-A Bowie)
Monday's stats: 2-for-3, HR (9), R, RBI
When Bell went to Baltimore in the George Sherrill deal, everything about his season took a major step forward except for his power output, as he hit just 11 in 334 at-bats for Double-A Chattanooga. After the trade, the power showed up in a major way, as Bell smashed nine in just 114 at-bats, finishing the year with a .289/.346/.570 line in 33 games for Bowie. Off to the Arizona Fall League, he'll get a genuine look for a big league job next spring.
Trayvon Robinson might be emerging.
Sleeper alert!
Trayvon Robinson, OF, Dodgers (Double-A Chattanooga)
Monday's stats: 2-for-3, 2 HR (2), 2 R, 2 RBI
Robinson struggled a bit at Double-A after moving up in August, but he's still one of the bigger breakout players in the minors this year. A toolsy player from South Central Los Angeles, Robinson has been slow in transforming his tools into performance, but everything came together this year, as his finished the year with a .300 batting average, 17 home runs, 60 walks and 47 stolen bases.
A
Mitch Jones sighting!
Slugging Percentage: Mitch Jones, Dodgers (Triple-A Albuquerque): .651
You have to feel good about Jones reaching the big leagues for the first time as a 31-year-old, and in 10 minor league seasons with the Yankees and Dodgers, he's becoming a regular Crash Davis with 235 minor league home runs. The definition of a Quad-A hitter, and that home park (where he slugged a whopping .776) sure helps.
Pretty much what I feel about Dee Gordon as well.
Caught Stealing: Dee Gordon, Dodgers (Low-A Great Lakes): 25
To his credit, Gordon finished second in the minors with 73 stolen bases, so it's not like his stolen-base percentage was bad. Still, this is the perfect opportunity to talk about Gordon, as the main point I can make about this guy is that he hit .301, had 12 triples, 73 stolen bases, and 43 walks, yet he's still really, really raw. The potential here is through the roof, and the only concern is that he's already 21 with the aptitude of a recent high school pick, so he's going to need to ramp things up quickly.
