Pirate 1999 Scouting Report - Pitchers

Last Updated 12 April 1999

On January 30, 1999, Mark Jareb (lshark@akula.com) posted the following to the Pirate e-mail list. I have edited it and included it here with his permission.

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Pirates
Francisco Cordova: 27-4/26/72; NDFA 1/18/96; Rancho Cerro Azul, MX
P, R-R, 5-11 163
Cordova was one of the top ten starters in the NL in '98 and could conceivably improve on that. He pitched solidly throughout the year showing he had the stamina for a full season. He simply is a very good pitcher whose indicators all suggest he'll remain one of the top NL pitchers for years. The only concern would be an arm injury, but he hasn't really been overused to any extent. He didn't pitch an inordinate amount when he was younger, and Lamont has handled him decently since he's been a starter the past two seasons. Out of 33 starts, he went over 115 pitches 5 times, and of those, only once over 130 pitches. Ideally, even at this point in his career, I'd rather not see him throwing that many pitches in any game, but this is a reasonable workload for pitchers of his quality and age. He's signed through 2000 with an option for 2001 which the Bucs will almost surely exercise. I expect he'll be the opening day starter. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
92 MEX   16   1  28.0  28 --  14  14  5.79
93 MEX   43   4 106.0  96 --  47  71  3.23
94 MEX   41  15 150.1 122 --  43 104  2.33
95 MEX   27  20 125.0 131 --  42  88  3.10
96 PIT   59   6  99.0 103 11  20  95  4.09
97 PIT   29  29 178.2 175 14  49 121  3.63
98 PIT   33  33 220.1 204 22  69 157  3.31
Chris Peters: 27-1/28/72; #37 '93; Indiana U.
P, L-L, 6-1 162
Peters apparently surprised everybody with his solid performance in '98, but in hindsight looking at his numbers in previous years, it shouldn't have been such a surprise. Peters got his feet wet in the majors, struggling as a starter in '96, and then established himself as a reliever in '97. Meanwhile, he put up very good numbers in the minors throughout that time, even pitching well in Calgary with a K/IP over 1. He began '98 again in the pen, and then moved into the rotation after injuries to Lieber and then Silva. His solid performance also allowed the Bucs to then trade Loaiza for Morris and Van Poppel. Peters' BB and K rates, which I think scared most people coming into '98, were much better as a starter. For example, as a starter in '98, his BB/9IP was 3.1 as compared to 5.1 as reliever the past two years. One concern from '98 is his stamina as he pitched significantly worse beyond 75 pitches. Going into spring training as a definite member of the rotation should help in that area, since he can prepare himself for a starting role. Also, again, Lamont will likely handle him gently. He'll likely be arbitration eligible next season and I expect he'll be signed to a multi-year deal sometime before next off-season. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
93 A-    16   0  27.2  33  0  20  25  4.55
94 A+     3   0   3.1   5  2   1   2 13.50
   A     54   0  60.2  51  1  33  83  4.30
95 A+    24  24 144.2 126  5  35 132  2.43
   AA     2   2  14.0   9  0   2   7  1.29
96 AA    14  14  92.0  73  4  34  69  2.64
   AAA    4   4  27.2  18  0   8  16  0.98
   PIT   16  10  64.0  72  9  25  28  5.63
97 AAA   14   9  51.1  52  5  30  55  4.38
   PIT   31   1  37.1  38  6  21  17  4.58
   VWL    4   -  11.2  19  0   4  10  7.71
98 PIT   39  21 148.0 142 13  55 103  3.47
Jason Schmidt: 26-1/29/73; #8 '91(ATL); Kelso HS (WA)
P, R-R, 6-5 185
Schmidt hasn't turned into the star predicted by many....yet. Nevertheless, he's shown improvement each year in the majors thus far, and I'd expect more of the same next season. He was hurt by the long ball at times last year, and perhaps got frustrated by the lack of run support as well. In addition, he was the one pitcher that Lamont pushed in terms of pitches thrown -- 14 times Schmidt threw more than 115 pitches in a game. Though Schmidt does look like a workhorse, he was decidedly less effective with a high pitch count -- when throwing pitches 106 and beyond, batters hit him at a 338/434/620 clip. Equally effective against RHB and LHB, with slightly more consistent command and Lamont easing up on him a little, I could easily see a 3.40 ERA for him next year. Last February Schmidt signed a 3 year deal for $4.5M ($150K signing bonus, $450K last year, $1.4M in '99, and $2.5M in '00). 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
91 R     11  11  45.1  32  0  23  44  2.38
92 A      7   7  24.2  31  2  19  33  4.01
   R+    11  11  58.1  55  4  31  56  4.01
93 A+    22  22 116.2 128 12  47 110  4.94
94 AA    24  24 140.2 135  9  54 131  3.65
95 AAA   19  19 116.0  97  2  48  95  2.25
   ATL    9   2  25.0  27  2  18  19  5.76
96 ATL   13  11  58.2  69  8  32  48  6.75
   AAA    7   7  45.2  36  2  19  41  2.56
   AA     1   1   2.0   4  0   0   2  9.00
   PIT    6   6  37.2  39  2  21  26  4.06
97 PIT   32  32 187.2 193 16  76 136  4.60
98 PIT   33  33 214.1 228 24  71 158  4.07
Pete Schourek: 30-5/10/69; #2 '87(NYM); Falls Church,VA(HS)
P, L-L, 6-5 205
Schourek was signed as a free agent this offseason to a 2 yr, $4M deal. The Pirates' thought is that he'll replace Jon Lieber in the rotation. The big question mark is whether his elbow will hold up. The primary reason that Schourek signed with the Bucs is that no other team would offer him a 2-year deal. He did pitch decently in '98, though he never went very far into a game. If his elbow holds up so that he can average 6 innings in a game and he pitches at the level he was at in Boston in '98, the signing is a good deal. I think those are big ifs and I probably would not have done the deal from the Pirates perspective -- I'm just a little too risk-averse. Nevertheless, he at least has a reasonable chance to be a valuable addition to the rotation. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
91 NYM   35   8  86.1  82  7  43  67  4.27
92 NYM   22  21 136.0 137  9  44  60  3.64
93 NYM   41  18 128.1 168 13  45  72  5.96
94 CIN   22  10  81.1  90 11  29  69  4.09
95 CIN   29  29 190.1 158 17  45 160  3.22
96 CIN   12  12  67.1  79  7  24  54  6.01
97 CIN   18  17  84.2  78 18  38  59  5.42
98 HOU   15  15  80.0  82 10  36  59  4.50
   BOS   10   8  44.0  45  7  14  36  4.30
Jose Silva: 25-12/19/73; #6 '91 (TOR), Chula Vista,CA(HS)
P, R-R, 6-5 210
Silva was on his way toward an excellent season until he was hit on his right wrist by a pitch while attempting to bunt in June. His wrist was broken, and he was not fully recovered when he came back in September and made 4 more starts. Here's his numbers pre-injury compared to the 4 starts in September. 
G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
14  14  81.0  82  4  20  57  3.44
 4   4  19.1  22  3  10   7  8.38
He pitched in winter ball in Mexico to shake the rust off some more. Initially, he had problems with his command, but he (and the Bucs) were satisfied with his last few starts in Mexico so they decided to shut him down until spring training. He's assured of a spot in the rotation, and I think he'll be right back on track in '99. IMO he has the highest upside of any of the Bucs starters, and in a few years, Silva could vault himself into vying for the Cy Young. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
92 R     12  12  59.1  42  1  18  78  2.28
93 A     24  24 142.2 103  6  62 161  2.52
94 A+     8   7  43.0  41  4  24  41  3.77
   AA    16  16  91.1  89  9  31  71  4.14
95 AA     3   0   2.0   3  0   6   2  9.00
96 AA    22   6  44.0  45  3  22  26  4.91
   TOR    2   0   2.0   5  1   0   0 13.50
97 AAA   17  11  66.0  74  3  22  54  3.41
   PIT   11   4  36.1  52  4  16  30  5.94
   MWL    7   -  29.0  18  2  21  25  2.48
98 AAA    3   3   9.1  10  2   4   6  4.82
   PIT   18  18 100.1 104  7  30  64  4.40
   MWL   11  11  61.2  63  6  37  41  4.67
Jason Christianson: 29-9/21/69; NDFA 7/5/91; Cameron U.(OK)
P, R-L, 6-5 230
Christiansen vaulted himself into one of the top 20 relievers in the NL with his performance in '98. Since coming back from his elbow injury in '96, he's been one of the toughest lefties in the majors. He has both a very good fastball and a hard slider which makes him effective against both righties and lefties. He could easily be a closer for a number of teams and if Loiselle gets hurt, Jason will take over that role for the Bucs. His role for '99 will be the Bucs primary set up man. I think he's the best reliever for the Bucs and I think that role makes the most sense for your best bullpen arm. The set-up guys tend to pitch in more high leverage situations than the closer and that's where I'd like to see Christiansen pitching. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
91 R      6   0   8.0   4  0   1   8  0.00
   A-     8   1  21.1  15  1  12  17  2.53
92 A     10   0  20.0  12  0   8  21  1.80
   A+    38   0  50.0  47  7  22  59  3.24
93 A+    57   0  71.1  48  5  24  70  3.15
   AA     2   0   2.2   3  0   1   2  0.00
94 AA    28   0  38.2  30  2  14  43  2.09
   AAA   33   0  33.2  19  3  16  39  2.41
95 PIT   63   0  56.1  49  5  34  53  4.15
96 PIT   33   0  44.1  56  7  19  38  6.70
   AAA    2   2  11.0   9  1   1  10  3.27
97 AA     8   1  15.0  17  1   5  25  4.20
   PIT   39   0  33.2  37  2  17  37  2.94
98 PIT   60   0  64.2  51  2  27  71  2.51
Elmer Dessens: 27-1/13/72; NDFA 1/27/93; Carrera Technica HS(Mex)
P, R-R, 6-0 185
Elmer had a great May and June for the Bucs in '98, but was pretty bad in every other month. Particularly noticeable was that when his BB rate started going up in July, his ERA shot up as well. He also auditioned in the role of a starter in September and didn't do well in that role either. His low K rates don't indicate much success for him in the future. He may have started doing things a little differently in '98 though as his K rate in Pittsburgh and the Mexican Winter League were considerably higher than in the past. Reports have suggested that Elmer's velocity has increased into the mid-to-high 80's but he still lives off of his sinker. When he gets strikes with his sinker, he's effective, but otherwise he gets hit hard particularly by LH batters. He is on the 40-man roster but if he doesn't make the major league team as the 3rd or 4th RH reliever, he may be one of the first guys taken off the 40-man. I'd take the odds that he doesn't make the team and gets sent to AAA (if he clears waivers). 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
93 MEX   14   0  30.2  31  -   5  16  2.35
94 MEX   37  15 127.2 121  -  32  51  2.04
95 AA    27  27 152.0 170 10  21  68  2.49
96 AAA    6   6  34.1  40  5  15  15  3.15
   MEX    7   7  50.0  44  -  10  17  1.26
   PIT   15   3  25.0  40  2   4  13  8.28
   AA     5   1  11.2  15  1   4   7  5.40
97 MEX   26  25 159.1 156  1  51  61  3.56
   PIT    3   0   3.1   2  0   0   2  0.00
   MWL    5   -  23.2  23  1  12  11  5.32
98 AAA    6   5  30.0  32  2   6  13  3.30
   PIT   43   5  74.2  90 10  25  43  5.67
   MWL    8   -  43.0  46  -  11  29  2.93
Rich Loiselle: 27-1/12/72; #38 '91(SD); Odessa JC (TX)
P, R-R, 6-5 225
Loiselle had what many view as a disappointing second year in '98. It clearly wasn't as good as his '97 campaign, but he still was an above average reliever. He was primarily hurt by a high BB rate, though he did compensate to some extent by giving up very few extra base hits. In '99 spring training, he's going to pitch more innings like that of starter to try and develop his command as well as increase his stamina for '99. If he can get his BB rate back down to '97 levels and keep the extra base hits as low as he did in '98, then he'll be extremely good. I don't expect that he'll be that good, but my expectations are more along the lines of his '97 numbers. I think he'll be a very good reliever who's somewhat overrated because he's the closer. Loiselle is guaranteed to start '99 as the Bucs closer and he won't lose the job unless he gets hurt or stumbles very badly. I don't expect either to happen. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
91 R     12  12  61.1  72  1  26  47  3.52
92 A     19  19  97.0  93  2  42  64  3.71
93 A     10  10  59.1  55  3  29  47  3.94
   A+    14  14  82.2 109  5  34  53  5.77
94 A+    27  27 156.2 160 12  76 120  3.96
95 AAA    8   7  27.1  36  5   9  16  7.24
96 AA    16  16  98.2 107  6  27  65  3.47
   AAA    5   5  33.1  28  1  11  31  2.43
   AAA    8   8  50.2  64  3  16  41  4.09
   PIT    5   3  20.2  22  3   8   9  3.05
97 PIT   72   0  72.2  76  7  24  66  3.10
98 PIT   54   0  55.0  56  2  36  48  3.44
Javier Martinez: 22-2/5/77; #3 '94(CUBS); Bayamon, PR
P, R-R, 6-2 210
The Pirates acquired Martinez by paying the A's a reported $100K -- the A's had just selected Martinez in the major league Rule V draft from the Cubs for $50K. His poor numbers in '97 reflect his recovery from elbow surgery which had shelved him for most of '96. He caught the Pirates' eye when he excelled in relief for Arecibo in the Puerto Rico Winter League in '97. In recovering from the surgery, a slight change in mechanics bumped up his velocity to the 95MPH range. During '98, Javier was used sparingly by Lamont, primarily in mopup situations, though at the end of the year seemed to be used in higher leverage situations. In addition, he also did pitch better toward the end of the season, such that Lamont and the Bucs' front office considers him a viable candidate for the '99 bullpen. His BB rate is too high, but his K rate is very good while his BA against is decent and he doesn't give up many extra base hits. He had a fairly small shot to make the Bucs bullpen out of spring training but some elbow inflammation has pretty much wiped out that shot. Prior to any elbow problems, I expected that he'd be the closer in Nashville, but now he might start '99 in the pen at Altoona when healthy. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
94 R+     8   8  33.0  21  1  19  28  3.55
95 A     18  18 104.2 100  6  39  53  3.96
96 R      3   3  15.0  11  0   6  15  0.60
   A     10  10  59.0  49  5  30  53  3.36
97 A+     9   9  51.1  65  8  26  34  5.79
   A     17  17  79.0  85  7  50  70  5.70
   PR
98 PIT   37   0  41.0  39  5  34  42  4.83
   PR    17   0  29.1  26  2  10  27  2.45
Jeff Tabaka: 35-1/17/64; #2 '86(MON); Kent College
P, R-L, 6-2 195
Tabaka was called up fairly quickly in '98 and had his best season ever in the majors. He also missed a chunk of the season due to a fairly silly incident in which he broke his jaw courtesy of roommate Marc Wilkins. He was particularly effective against LH batters and decent against RH batters. He was practically assured of a spot on the roster as the 2nd LH reliever, but has not yet made an appearance in an exhibition game due to elbow tendinitis. He'll either start the year on the DL or in the pen. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
'86-'88 (MON), '89-'91 (PHI), '91-'93 (MIL)
93 AAA   53   0  58.1  50  3  30  63  3.24
94 AAA    9   0   5.1   3  0   4   4  3.38
PIT-SD  39   0  41.0  32  1  27  32  5.27
95 AAA   19   0  22.2  16  0  14  27  1.99
SD-HOU  34   0  30.2  27  2  17  25  3.23
96 HOU   18   0  20.1  28  5  14  18  6.64
   AAA   41   0  43.0  40  2  21  51  2.93
97 CIN    3   0   2.0   1  1   1   1  4.50
   AAA   58   0  57.2  44  5  19  68  2.65
98 AAA    4   0   4.2   9  0   0   4  7.71
   PIT   37   0  50.2  37  6  22  40  3.02
Todd Van Poppel: 27-12/9/71; #1 '90(OAK), Southlake,TX(HS)
P, R-R, 6-5 210
Van Poppel was acquired midseason '98 from Texas along with Warren Morris in exchange for Esteban Loiaza. Van Poppel was taken off the 40-man roster this offseason, but re-signed with the Bucs as a minor league free agent with an invite to spring training. Van Poppel was fairly inconsistent as a starter for the Bucs, but pitched pretty well in relief when switched to the pen at the end of the year. His previous best season in the majors was in '95 when he pitched a fair amount as a long reliever. If Wilkins' shoulder is not fully healthy by the start of the year, Van Poppel has a decent shot at making the Bucs bullpen out of spring training. Other than Wilkins, Todd's main competition is Todd Ritchie and Elmer Dessens. I think Todd will win that matchup. If he doesn't make the Bucs roster, then he'll start '99 in the pen at Nashville. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
90 A-     5   5  24.0  10  1   9  32  1.13
   A      3   3  13.2   8  0  10  17  3.95
91 AA    24  24 132.1 118  2  90 115  3.47
   OAK    1   1   4.2   7  1   2   6  9.64
92 AAA    9   9  45.1  44  1  35  29  3.97
93 AAA   16  16  78.2  67  5  54  71  5.83
   OAK   16  16  84.0  76 10  62  47  5.04
94 OAK   23  23 116.2 108 20  89  83  6.09
95 OAK   36  14 138.1 125 16  56 122  4.88
96OK-DT  37  15  99.1 139 24  62  53  9.06
97 AAA   11   6  37.0  50 10  24  27  8.03
   A+     6   6  35.2  36  3  10  33  4.04
   AA     7   7  42.2  53  2  15  26  5.06
98 AA     1   1   4.0   2  1   4   2  4.50
   AAA   15  13  87.0  88 11  25  69  3.72
   TEX    4   4  19.1  26  5  10  10  8.84
   PIT   18   7  47.0  53  4  18  32  5.36
Jeff Wallace: 23-4/12/76; #25 '95(KC), Minerva,OH(HS)
P, L-L, 6-2 237
Wallace missed all of '98 with an elbow surgery, but was already throwing in the instructional league in the fall. He appears healthy this spring training, and his velocity is already in the low-to-mid 90's. He's legitimately one of the main candidates for the 3rd LH job in the pen, although he's only pitched 12 innings above AA ball. Tabaka's elbow problems have made him an even likelier candidate to begin the year with the Bucs. I think he'd be better off starting the year at Nashville, but then again, if he can get his control to a reasonable level, his stuff is nasty enough to be effective in the majors. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
95 R     12   7  44.0  28  0  15  51  1.23
96 A     30  21 122.1 140 10  66  84  5.30
97 A+     9   0  16.1   9  0  10  13  1.65
   AA    38   0  43.1  43  3  36  39  5.40
   PIT   11   0  12.0   8  0   8  14  0.75
98  INJURED -- DID NOT PLAY
Marc Wilkins: 28-10/21/70; #47 '92; U. of Toledo
P, R-R, 5-11 200
Wilkins missed most of '98 after having shoulder surgery on his rotator cuff. He's been a very effective middle reliever the last three years, and if healthy, he's likely to continue to be effective. He's pitched decently in a few exhibition games thus far, but the big test will be if his shoulder can handle pitching on consecutive days. I'm expecting that he'll start the year on the DL, but will likely rejoin the Bucs within the first month of the season. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
92 A-    28   1  42.0  49  2  24  42  7.29
93 A     48   5  77.0  83  4  31  73  4.21
94 A+    28  28 151.0 155 15  45  90  3.70
95 AA    37  12  99.1  91 --  44  80  3.99
96 AA    11   3  24.2  19  1  11  19  4.01
   PIT   47   2  75.0  75  6  36  62  3.84
97 PIT   70   0  75.2  65  7  33  47  3.69
98 PIT   16   0  15.1  13  1   9  17  3.52
   AA     2   0   2.0   1  1   0   4  4.50
   AAA    5   0   4.1   3  1   3   4 10.38
Mike Williams: 30-7/29/68; #14 '90 (PHI); Virginia Tech
P, R-R, 6-2 200
Williams began the year pitching pretty poorly at Nashville, but seemed to find his groove at the right time, shortly before being called up. He was even more successful in the majors putting up essentially his best season ever. Apparently slowed by injuries in '97, being 100% healthy in '98 and the addition of a knuckle-curve to his repertoire have turned things around for his career. He's assured of a spot in the pen as the primary RH set-up man. When Wilkins gets fully healthy he'll likely be the long reliever. Though '98 may potentially be a fluke, I don't think it was. The health issue, the new pitch, and having Vuke as his pitching coach all make me think he'll be effective again in '99. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
90 A-    27   0  47.0  39  -  13  42  2.30
91 A+    14  14  93.1  65  -  14  76  1.74
   AA    16  15 102.1  93  -  36  51  3.69
92 AA     3   3  15.2  17  -   7  12  5.17
   AAA   16  16  92.2  84  -  30  59  2.43
   PHI    5   5  28.2  29  3   7   5  5.34
93 AAA   14  13  97.1  93  -  16  53  2.87
   PHI   17   4  51.0  50  5  22  33  5.29
94 AAA   14  14  84.0  91  -  36  53  5.79
   PHI   12   8  50.1  61  7  20  29  5.01
95 AAA    3   3   9.2   8  0   2   8  4.66
   PHI   33   8  87.2  78 10  29  57  3.29
96 PHI   32  29 167.0 188 25  67 103  5.44
97 KCR   10   0  14.0  20  1   8  10  6.43
   AAA   20  11  79.0  71 10  38  68  4.22
98 AAA   16   4  37.0  36 11  14  34  5.59
   PIT   37   1  51.0  39  1  16  59  1.94
Nashville AAA
Jimmy Anderson: 23-1/22/76; #9 '94, Chesapeake,VA (HS)
P, L-L, 6-1 180
Anderson's '98 season at Nashville was very much like his '97 campaign at Calgary; he had a poor performance characterized by control problems. He was moved to the bullpen in the second half of the year, but that didn't really change his numbers. In short, Anderson's star was dropping considerably as a Bucco prospect. Then, he was assigned to the Arizona Fall League. With Spin Williams (the Bucs bullpen coach) as his pitching coach, Anderson seemed to regain his control and pitched very well. Anderson clearly still has the pitching arsenal to be a very good major league pitcher. He is a lefty who throws in the low 90's, with an excellent slider that induces many ground balls. My impression is that his problems at AAA have been some combination of bad mechanics and a poor pitching approach. Reports suggest a little mechanical tinkering by Williams and an emphasis on throwing strikes were the key ingredients to his AFL numbers. If he can carry that over into '99, I'd expect to see Anderson in Pittsburgh at some point this year. He will compete for a spot in the Bucco pen during spring training, though he's a long shot. Most likely he'll begin '99 once again in the rotation at Nashville. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
94 R     10  10  56.1  35  1  27  66  1.60
95 A     24  23 129.0 107  2  52 107  2.58
   A+    10   9  52.1  56  1  21  32  4.13
96 A+    11  11  65.1  51  2  21  56  1.93
   AA    17  16  97.0  92  3  44  79  3.34
97 AA     4   4  24.2  16  1   9  23  1.46
   AAA   21  21 103.0 124  9  64  71  5.68
98 AAA   35  17 123.2 144  8  72  63  5.02
   AFL    9   9  40.0  38  2  12  35  3.15
Jim Baron: 25-2/22/74; #5 '92(SD); Humble, TX (HS)
P, L-L, 6-3 210
Baron was signed during the offseason as a minor league free agent out of the Yankees organization and was invited to the major league spring training camp. Prior to '98, Baron had spent his entire career in the Padres organization, mostly as a reliever. In '98, he had an excellent season at AA, and then struggled in the rotation during his first extended stay at AAA. He has a very tiny shot at a lefty bullpen job with the Bucs. Most likely, he'll begin '99 in the pen at Nashville, though a poor spring training could even send him to Altoona. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
92-93 R; 94 A; 95 A+, A, and R+; 96 A+
97 AAA    4   0   4.0   8  2   3   3 11.25
   AA    19   1  33.2  35  3  13  30  4.54
   A+    14  14  85.1  89  2  28  64  3.38
98 AA    23  12  96.2  99  2  20  69  2.33
   AAA    8   7  44.1  54  7  19  28  6.09
Kris Benson: 24-11/7/74; #1 '96, Clemson
P, R-R, 6-4 190
Benson's '98 season was not nearly as successful as many people had hoped or projected it would be, but on the other hand, several aspects make me feel me quite good about his future. Though his composite '98 campaign was below average, it was a result of a number of very good outings offset by a number of bad outings. In 11 of his 28 starts, he gave up 2 or fewer runs. Benson clearly showed the ability to dominate hitters in the PCL, but was too inconsistent from one appearance to the next. He was even voted by PCL managers at midseason as having the best breaking pitch of anyone in the PCL. Although inconsistent, he showed improvement as the season progressed. Here's the numbers from his first 14 starts compared to his last 14.
        IP      H       BB      K       ERA
        72.1    78      32      61      5.97
        83.2    84      18      68      4.84
In the second half, he lowered his H rate a little and more than halved his BB rate, while maintaining a K rate above the league average. He throws a 95-MPH fastball and has excellent breaking stuff. His biggest problem thus far has been losing his command and getting the ball up in the zone where it's tattooed for extra base hits. He's a non-roster invitee to major league spring training, but unless a number of guys get injured, he's ticketed back to Nashville to start '99 as (the GM) Bonifay has said he'd like to see Benson get another 15 starts at AAA before thinking about promoting him to Pittsburgh. I'd say he's almost a lock to be in Pittsburgh in September and perhaps may be called up even earlier in the year. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
94 NCAA  17  na  85.0  84 na  29  73  4.24
95 NCAA  14  na  79.0  75 na  23  79  3.20
96 NCAA  19  19 156.0 109 na  27 204  2.02
96 USA    9   9  55.0  55 na  12  53  4.12
97 A+    10  10  59.1  49  1  13  72  2.58
   AA    14  14  68.2  81 11  32  66  4.98
98 AAA   28  28 156.0 162 26  50 129  5.37
Manny Bernal: 25-4/29/74; NDFA '94(KC); Los Mochis, MX
P, R-R, 6-2 163
Bernal was acquired, in a midseason trade, from Kansas City, in exchange for Jermaine Allensworth. In the Royals organization, he was on loan and pitching for the Mexico City Rojos Diablos at the time of the trade. His BB rates are fairly low; his K rates are also quite low, and he's shown a tendency to give up a lot of hits. I'm not sure how much that's the product of his pitching approach (throwing more strikes and allowing the batter to put the ball in play) or a lack of ability to strike out batters. His '98 numbers while pitching in Mexico were quite good, though the K rate was still low. That could be a real improvement or a product of the environment as the Mexican League in general seems to be a low BB, low K league. Actually, his K rate in the Mexican Winter League was above average. I'm skeptical of his long term future primarily due to the low K rate, but perhaps a change in pitching syle could turn Bernal into a better prospect. A non-roster invitee to major league spring training, I expect he'll get reassigned to the minor league camp fairly quickly. I don't have a very good feel for where he'll start '99 though I expect it'll be at least at AA or higher. It is definitely possible that he'll be back in Mexico City as well. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
94 R     19   0  28.1  25  0  11  14  1.27
95 R      6   6  33.0  29  1   4  25  1.36
   A      8   8  42.2  55  9   9  17  7.38
96 A     34   6  95.0 123  7  16  41  4.55
97 A+    45   3  97.2 108  5  27  55  4.33
98 MEX   23   - 164.0 154  -  47  75  2.52
   MWL   11   -  71.2  63  -  23  50  3.14
Enrique Burgos: 33-10/7/65; NDFA '83(TOR); Panama City,PAN
P, L-L, 6-4 230
Signed to a minor league deal this offseason, Burgos was in spring training camp with the Brewers in '98 and tore his labrum. If he's recovered from the shoulder surgery, he'll likely be in the pen at AAA. On the other hand, he might start the year in extended spring training. He was not invited to major league spring training. The last place he pitched professionally was in Taiwan in '96 and '97 (which he had also done from '90-'92).

David Daniels: 25-7/25/73; NDFA '95; Vanderbilt U.
P, R-R, 6-2 185

Daniels is a good example of a player who thus far has beat the odds and made it to AAA without having the tools that scouts notice. He was unrecruited out of high school and made the Vanderbilt U. baseball team as a walk-on. At Vandy, he changed his pitching motion to the submarining style he uses now. Undrafted out of Vandy, he signed with Johnstown of the Frontier League, pitching well enough to catch the eye of the Bucs who bought his contract. (I should note that Mal Fichman managed Johnstown that year and seems to have someone's ear in the Bucs front office. Some other Fichman-managed signees include Matt Bryant, Joe Hunt, Billy Bone, Danny Crawford, and Tony Pavlovich). In '98, Daniels moved all the way from Lynchburg to AAA Nashville, his hometown. For a submarining reliever without very good velocity, the higher levels are particularly hard tests, and Daniels did quite well. His BB rate went up fairly significantly, but his K rate remained above average, and he was still an effective closer. The biggest obstacle facing Daniels' with respect to getting to the majors is to develop a way to get LH batters out. At Carolina, LH batters killed him hitting 388/444/551, while he was devastating against RH batters giving up a measly 163/252/217 to them. I expect he'll begin '99 in Nashville as the Sounds' closer, and depending on his performance, could even possibly see some time in Pittsburgh. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
95 IND   28   0  44.0  36  1  15  40  3.27
96 A     11   0  12.1  21  0   3  14  5.11
   A-    31   0  36.1  33  3   5  45  2.72
97 A     44   0  55.0  51  0  13  51  2.62
   A+    10   0  10.0   6  1   1   6  1.80
98 A+    14   0  18.1   9  2   3  19  1.47
   AA    35   0  39.1  34  0  16  37  2.97
   AAA    2   0   1.0   0  0   2   1  0.00
Jim Dougherty: 31-3/8/68; #27 '90 (HOU); U. of North Carolina
P, R-R, 6-0 210
Dougherty was signed during the offseason as a minor league free agent out of the A's organization and invited to the major league spring training camp. He was drafted out of college as a reliever and has exclusively been in that role throughout his career. Groomed in the early 90's by the Astros as a closer, when he reached AAA and the majors, he gave up few extra base hits; his H and BB rates rose high enough to make him a below average reliever. His K rates are decent, but he's still giving up too many hits and BBs. he is one of a number of guys competing for a RH relief spot if Wilkins isn't healthy enough to start the year. I'd probably rank him 6th among guys fighting for that job, so my expectation is that he'll be in Nashville all year. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
91 A; 92 A+; 93 AA; 94-97 AAA
95 MLB   56   0  67.2  76  7  25  49  4.92
96 MLB   12   0  13.0  14  2  11   6  9.00
98 AAA   45   0  57.2  57  7  33  45  3.75
   MLB    9   0  12.0  17  2   7   3  8.25
Gus Gandarillas: 27-7/19/71; #3 '92 (MIN); U. of Miami
P, R-R, 6-1 185
Gandarillas was signed during the offseason as a minor league free agent out of the Twins organization, but was not even a non-roster invitee. He's been with the Twins his entire career until now. Last year, he had a below average year as a RH set up man at AAA Salt Lake. After an injury in late '95, his K/IP rate has barely been over 0.5. He enters spring training fighting for a spot in the Nashville pen -- the best season of his career was '94 where he spent half the year in Nashville, then the Twins' AA affiliate. It's possible that he's still recovering from his injury and maybe he'll find his pre '95 form. It's doubtful but it would make a good story

Jason Haynie: 25-3/29/74; #11 '96, U. of South Carolina
P, L-L, 6-0 190

Haynie began the '98 season pitching extremely well; through his first 8 starts and 49 IP, his ERA was 2.18. After another 3 starts, which saw his ERA go up to 2.76, he went on the DL for a sore elbow. He came back for a few more starts in which he piched OK, was promoted to AAA and went on the DL again with a sore elbow after 3 starts there. Likewise in '97, he had a stint on the DL with a tired arm. The other potential problem besides health is his low K rate; even when he was pitching well at Carolina, his K rate was below average. On the other hand, he's a groundball pitcher who doesn't give up many extra base hits, which is a very desirable combination. One odd note, likely to be of no meaning, is that of the 8 HRs he gave up at Carolina, 5 were by LH batters and those were the only XBH that LH batters had. He'll probably be in Nashville to start '99 though it wouldn't surprise me to see him at Altoona. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
96 NCAA  17  na 108.0 108 na  39  86  3.43
96 A-      16  12  80.1  86  2  22  74  3.25
97 A     14  14  86.2  77  5  24  81  3.43
   A+    13  13  83.0  68  8  23  69  3.25
98 AA    17  15  79.2  82  8  28  44  3.50
   AAA    3   3  15.2  24  3   7   6  9.19
Sean Lawrence: 28-9/2/70; #6 '92, St. Francis(IL)
P, L-L, 6-4 215
(signed by A's as minor league free agent)

Joey Long: 28-7/15/70; #5 '91 (SD); Kent State U.
P, R-L, 6-2 215

Long was signed during the offseason as a minor league free agent, out of the Expos organization, but was not even a non-roster invitee. He's a lefty with a decent K rate, but he's never had a season where his H/IP ratio was less than 1. He was a pretty good prospect coming out of college, but injuries have hurt his career. He had a cup of coffee with the Padres in '97 and the odds are pretty low that he'll make it to back to the majors. He'll provide depth in the pen at Nashville if he makes that team out of spring training.

Johann Lopez: 24-4/4/75; NDFA '91(HOU); Agua Negra, VEN
P, R-R, 6-2 210

Lopez was signed during the offseason as a minor league free agent out of the Astros organization and was invited to the major league spring training camp. Of all the minor league free agent pitcher signees this year, I think Lopez has the highest upside. He pitched better as reliever in '98; if you exclude his starts, his ERA is half a point lower. In addition, his BB and K rates were very good the last two seasons, and he's relatively young. His two main problems are the extra base hits and that LH batters hit him pretty hard. He doesn't have much of a chance to make the team out of spring training, but could see a call up if he pitches well in Nashville. I expect he'll start '99 in the Sounds pen. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
92 R     17   0  34.0  42  1  13  19  4.50
94 A-    14  14  76.2  86  4  24  74  4.81
   VWL   11   -  25.2  27  -  17  17  4.91
95 A+    18  12  69.0  55  3  25  67  2.61
   VWL   18   - 101.1  99  -  33  56  2.66
96 A+    19  19  98.1 114  5  35  70  3.75
   VWL   17   -  93.2  83  -  31  59  2.79
97 AA    35  19 133.2 131 18  57 109  4.38
   VWL   31   -  52.1  45  -  22  39  2.58
98 AAA   45   6  80.1  84 11  28  77  5.60
   VWL   20   2  42.0  29  1  13  16  0.86
Bob Milacki: 34-7/28/64; #1 '83(BAL); Yavapai College
P, R-R, 6-4 225
Milacki was signed during the offseason as a minor league free agent out of the Astros organization and was invited to the major league spring training camp. Apparently, he was retired for the '97 season, but decided to come back and eat up AAA innings for the 'Stros last year in hopes of getting a shot at the MLB rotation. My sense is he has a similar plan for '99 at Nashville as well. If he makes the Sounds squad, I expect he'll be in the rotation. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
MLB career 88-96
98 AAA   30  28 191.0 199 18  51 104  3.82
Jose Pett: 23-1/8/76; NDFA '92 (Toronto), Brazil (HS)
P, R-R, 6-6 190
Pett spent the entire '98 season on the DL with what was referred to as a shoulder impingement. I assume he had surgery on the shoulder, though I'm not sure exactly when that happened. In addition, he was taken off of the 40-man roster this offseason. Pett is still relatively young, but his window of opportunity is getting considerably smaller. I think he's been an overhyped prospect, but on the other hand, he does have a major league arm that can hit the low 90's. He also has put up decent numbers at AA at a young age. The healthiness of his arm is a big question mark going into this season. If he is healthy this year, I expect the Bucs to work him back in a relief role. He may rehab early in Bradenton, but eventually I expect he'll show up at the pen in Altoona. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
93 R      4   4  10.0  10  0   3   7  3.60
94 A+    15  15  90.2 103  1  20  49  3.77
95 AA    26  25 141.2 132 16  48  89  4.26
96 AA     7   7  44.0  37  4  10  38  4.09
   AAA   20  18 109.2 134 10  42  50  5.83
   AFL   11   8  42.2  55  8  12  34  6.75
97 AA    14  14  74.1  76  5  25  39  3.51
   AAA    3   3  14.0  25  4   8   8  9.64
98        INJURED -- DID NOT PLAY
Jason Phillips: 25-3/2/74; #14 '92, Muncy,PA(HS)
P, R-R, 6-6 215
Phillips had a decent year in '98, with OK numbers at each level. At Carolina, in the first half of the year, he initially struggled with his control, but came on strong at the end of the year. Over his last 4 starts at Carolina and his 5 games at Nashville, he had a 2.73 ERA in 59.1 IP while giving up 16 BB and 41 K. He tends to give up more hits than I'd like, but he's relatively stingy with extra base hits. In addition, for two consecutive years now, he's been significantly better against LH batters than RH batters (split at AA was 241/298/324 vs LHB; 293/352/463 vs RHB). He's also an extreme groundball pitcher and even more so against LH batters. He pitched in the AFL again in '98 and generally got good reviews with talk about him possibly becoming a closer. Reports in previous years stated that he topped out about 90 MPH, but the Post-Gazette (Paul Meyer) this offseason mentioned his fastball was in the 93-94 MPH range. Perhaps he's added a little velocity in '98. Regardless, it strikes me that his best pitch most likely is something like a hard screwball that darts down and away from LH batters. Screwball pitchers typically have reverse splits and the extreme ground ball rate that Phillips gives up against LHB is consistent with this. I think Phillips has a real shot at making the Bucs as the 3rd RH in the pen if Wilkins isn't ready at the start of the year. I think Phillips' main competition will be Dessens and Ritchie, and I could see him beating both of those guys out. If he doesn't make the team, I'd expect to see him back in the rotation at Nashville. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
92 R      4   4  17.0  21  0  13  10  8.47
93 A-    14  14  71.1  60  2  36  66  3.53
94 A     23  23 108.1 118  4  88 108  6.73
95 A     30   6  80.0  76  2  53  65  3.60
96 A     14  14  89.2  79  3  29  75  2.41
   A+    13  13  73.2  82  3  35  63  4.52
97 A+    23  23 138.2 129 10  35 140  3.76
   AA     4   4  31.0  21  1   9  22  2.32
   AFL   12   2  29.0  32  -   7  38  4.91
98 AA    25  25 151.0 161 14  52 114  4.71
   AAA    5   5  31.1  38  3  12  21  2.59
   AFL   12   0  17.2  12  1  14  14  4.08
Kevin Pickford: 24-3/12/75; #2 '93, Clovis,CA(HS)
P, L-L, 6-3 200
Pickford put himself back on the prospect map with a very strong '98 season and got himself added to the 40-man roster this offseason. He had his usual good control while upping his K rate, but most importantly, he dropped his H rate considerably. The one red flag from his '98 stats are his strong split. Pickford was particularly tough on lefties, while RH batters hit him decently (combined AA/AAA splits: 205/246/277 vs. LHB; 268/317/442 vs RHB). His fastball only hits the upper 80's, but his command and movement baffle LH batters. I don't see him ever being an effective starter in the majors, but he definitely could succeed as a situational lefty. He does have a decent shot as the 3rd LHP in the pen for the Bucs, though elbow problems could hurt him in that bid. He was replaced by Ah Yat in the AFL this fall because of his elbow and a flareup of that has slowed him down at the start of spring training. If he doesn't make the Pirates roster, he'll be in Nashville, probably in the rotation but perhaps in the pen. 3/4/99: Pickford is expected to miss the entire '99 season due to reconstructive elbow surgery. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
93 R      9   7  34.1  24  1  20  28  3.41
94 A      2   2   8.2   9  1   5   7  4.15
   A-    15  15  84.2  86  7  36  52  4.89
95 A+     4   4  27.1  31  5   0  15  4.94
   A     16  16  85.2  85  5  16  59  2.00
96 A+    28  28 172.1 195 15  25 100  4.07
97 AA    21   1  29.1  48  3  15  24  7.36
   A+    14  10  73.1  72  3  11  49  3.56
98 AA    13   8  57.2  48  7  15  43  3.90
   AAA   13  12  80.0  84  7  20  59  3.49
Todd Ritchie: 27-11/7/71; #12 '90(MIN); Duncanville, TX (HS)
P, R-R, 6-3 190
Ritchie was signed during the offseason as a minor league free agent out of the Twins organization and invited to the major league spring training camp. Ritchie has a good live arm with a fastball around 93MPH. His big stumbling block is his command. He pitched decently in his first stint in the majors in '97, but obviously gave up too many hits and too many HR. Though, he spent most of '98 at AAA, the improvement in his K rate is a good sign. He strikes me as the kind of guy that Vuke could help turn into an above average reliever. If Wilkins isn't healthy enough to start the year, I expect the 3rd RH slot in the pen will come down to him, Dessens, and Phillips. If Ritchie doesn't make the big league club, then he becomes the top middle reliever in Nashville. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
90 R+, 91 A, 92 A+, 93-95 AA
96 AA    29  10  82.2 101  6  30  53  5.44
   AAA   16   0  24.2  27  5  11  19  5.47
97 MIN   42   0  74.2  87 11  28  44  4.58
98 AAA   36   0  60.2  55  5  31  62  4.15
   MIN   15   0  24.0  30  1   9  21  5.63
Matt Ryan: 27-3/20/72; #25 '93; Ole Miss
P, R-R, 6-5 190
Ryan made it back to AAA in '98 faring a little better this time compared to his AAA tour in Calgary ('95-'96). He still doesn't give up many extra base hits and induces many groundballs, but his K rate was much too low while his BB rate was a little high. He even made a few starts in '98 as an inning eater at Nashville. He's a longshot to get that cup of coffee at some point, but I hope he does. It likely won't be with the Pirates though; he's pretty far down on the depth chart of AAA RH relievers for insurance in case of injury. He'll be a minor league free agent after '99, so perhaps he'll get a shot with someone else. I expect he'll be in the pen for Nashville all year; hopefully, he'll put up some solid numbers and get himself noticed. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
93 R      9   0  19.1  17  0   9  20  2.33
   A-    16   0  17.1  11  0  12  25  1.56
94 A     34   0  41.0  33  0   7  49  1.32
   A+    25   0  28.1  27  0   8  13  1.91
95 AAA    5   0   4.2   5  0   1   2  1.93
   AA    49   0  50.2  38  0  20  25  1.60
96 AAA   51   0  52.2  70  4  28  35  5.30
97 AA    48   0  52.2  32  2  21  43  2.22
   DR    16   0  16.0  17  -   2   9  2.25
98 AAA   51   6  86.1  85  2  36  41  4.17
Scott Sauerbeck: 27-11/9/71;#23 '94(NYM); Miami(OH) U.
P, R-L, 6-3 190
Sauerbeck was a major league Rule V pick from the Mets organization. If he doesn't stay on the major league roster all season, the Bucs have to offer him back to the Mets for $25K. Sauerbeck doesn't have great velocity, but occasionally hits 90-91 MPH and has pretty good command. He was in the Venezuealan League this winter when he was picked by the Bucs; he had a fairly solid winter campaign. He has the potential to make the team, but he'll have to show the coaching staff he's the best option over Wallace, Sauveur, Pickford, and Anderson. I'd say his odds are less than 50% at making the team though his Rule V status gives him a better shot than some others. If he's not in Pittsburgh, he'll be back in Norfolk in the Mets system. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
94 A-    21   0  48.1  39  0  19  39  2.05
95 A+    20   1  26.2  26  0  14  25  2.03
   A     19   0  33.0  28  2  14  33  3.27
96 A+    17  16  99.1 101  1  27  62  2.27
   AA     8   8  46.2  48  4  12  30  3.47
97 AAA    1   1   5.0   3  0   4   4  3.60
   AA    27  20 131.1 144 15  50  88  4.93
98 AAA   27  27 160.1 178  8  68 119  3.93
   VWL   10   8  45.2  43  2  25  24  3.35
Rich Sauveur: 35-11/23/63; #11 '83; Manatee JC in Bradenton,FL
P, L-L, 6-4 170
Sauveur was resigned by the Bucs this offseason and invited to major league spring training. He's one of a very few left-handed knuckleball relievers in organized ball. Originally drafted by the Bucs in '83, his picture appears next to the definition of career minor leaguer. He pitched extremely well in Nashville last year (and at many other places before that) and has a legitimate, albeit small, shot at a job in the pen for the Bucs. I'd be curious to see how Lamont handles a knuckleballer. Most likely, Sauveur will start '99 in Nashville, but he's excellent insurance if Tabaka or the 3rd lefty falter during the year. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
83 A-    16  12  93.2  80  6  31  73  2.31
84 A+    10  10  54.2  43  5  31  54  3.13
   AA    10  10  70.2  54  4  34  48  2.93
85 AA    25  25 157.1 146  7  78  85  3.55
86 AA     5   5  38.0  21  1  11  28  1.18
   AAA   14  14  92.0  73  3  45  68  3.03
   PIT    3   3  12.0  17  3   6   6  6.00
87 AA    30  27 195.0 174  9  96 160  2.86
88 AAA   43   3  81.1  60  8  28  58  2.43
   AA     8   0   6.2   7  0   5   8  4.05
   MON    4   0   3.0   3  1   2   3  6.00
89 AAA    8   0   9.2  10  1   6   8  7.45
90 AAA   14   7  56.0  45  1  25  24  1.93
   A+    11   6  40.2  41  2  17  34  3.32
91 AAA   42   0  45.1  31  0  23  49  2.38
   NYM    6   0   3.1   7  1   2   4 10.80
92 AAA   34  13 117.1  93  8  39  88  3.22
   KCR    8   0  14.1  15  1   8   7  4.40
93 AAA    5   5  34.2  41  2   7  21  1.82
94 AAA   53   1  67.0  47  7  23  65  2.82
95 AAA   52   0  57.0  43  3  18  47  2.05
96 AAA   61   3  73.0  63  8  28  69  3.70
   CHW    3   0   3.0   3  1   5   1 15.00
97 AAA   39   1  45.1  46  4  21  37  3.38
98 AAA    7   0   9.0   9  2   4   6  3.00
   AAA   46   0  44.2  34  0  17  43  1.81
   VWL   20   9  65.2  65  3  17  40  3.15
Unsigned minor league Free Agents: Tavo Alvarez, Chuck Bauer, Tom Bolton, Chad Brown, Mariano de los Santos, Miguel Del Toro, Ken Giard, Julian Heredia, Del Mathews, and Rusty Meacham. Some of these arms could pop up in the Bucco system in 1999.
Altoona AA
Paul Ah Yat: 25-10/13/73; #21 '96, U. of Hawaii
P, R-L, 6-1 196
Ah Yat had another very good year in '98 pitching well both at Lynchburg and Carolina. As Ah Yat doesn't have blazing velocity (fastball in the 88-90 MPH) or some other oustanding pitch, I thought AA would be a particularly challenging test for him. His ERA was a little higher than it was at lower minor league levels, but both his K and BB rates were solid. The one potential problem area that showed up was his HR rate. He's a flyball pitcher, so if he makes a mistake up in the strikezone, he can get hurt. His best assets are his mental toughness, pitching intelligence, and command. He's very good at mixing in his curve, slider, and change for strikes thereby making his fastball very effective. Though I think it'd be better for him to be in AAA, I expect he'll start the year at Altoona and likely be their best pitcher. On a side note, one of his younger brothers, Brian, was a Division 1-AA All-American QB for U. of Montana and may get drafted for the NFL this year. Ah Yat was assigned to the AFL this fall and had to face some tougher competition, but also got a chance to work regularly with Bucco bullpen coach Spin Williams. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
94 NCAA  21   5  59.2  61 na  42  38  4.53
95 NCAA  16   6  60.1  71 na  22  45  4.92
96 NCAA  19  na 112.0 122 na  37  87  4.66
96 A-    26   0  27.2  24  1   6  34  3.25
97 A     29   9  90.0  82  7  16 119  2.90
   A+     6   6  48.0  37  2   4  38  1.31
   HAW   24   -  43.1  37  -  16  42  3.74
98 A+    14  14 102.1  95  9  13  77  2.73
   AA    13  13  84.1  84 10  21  60  3.63
   AFL   14   2  23.2  30  4   4  14  4.94
Bronson Arroyo: 22-2/24/77; #3 '95, Brooksville,FL(HS)
P, R-R, 6-5 175
Added to the 40-man roster this offseason, Arroyo's star was rising until he hit AA in '98 like a brick wall. His K rate, his BB rate, and the rate at which he gave up XBH all went appreciably up. The one positive note was that his K rate pretty much stayed the same (which is an improvement since he did that at a higher level). A groundball pitcher, he was particularly hit hard by left-handed batters (353/413/582). Drafted with the expectation that his velocity would increase as he filled out, it appears that his fastball will remain in the low 90's. Nevertheless, he still has the pitching tools to turn into a good pitcher if he develops his command and ability to set up batters. In addition, he'll only be 22 next season which is relatively young for hitting his first time at AA. His assignment to the AFL this season was mostly an opportunity to work regularly with Bucco bullpen coach Spin Williams. He'll start '99 in Altoona's rotation. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
95 HS    14   -  80.0  40  -  24 131  0.44
   R     13   9  61.1  72  4   9  48  4.26
96 A     26  26 135.2 123 11  36 107  3.52
97 A+    24  24 160.1 154 17  33 121  3.31
98 AA    23  22 127.0 158 18  51  90  5.46
   AFL    9   9  37.1  49  9  13  26  6.51
Chris Corn: 27-10/4/71; #21 '94 (NYY), U. of Kansas
P, R-R, 6-2 170
Corn's biggest problem thus far in his career has been the injury bug, and he's beginning to run out of time to ever get a shot at the majors. He was showing an improvement over his last few starts at Carolina and then went on the DL on June 28th with a shoulder strain. Considering that he began '97 on the DL, also with a shoulder strain, does not bode well. Both times now in his pro career, he's gone on the DL after being moved into the rotation. His main out pitch is a biting curve, perhaps throwing it too often is too much stress for his shoulder. If Corn is healthy (and that's a big if), I expect he'll be in the pen at Altoona to start '99 and perhaps should stay there for his shoulder's sake. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
94 NCAA  16  na 108.0 108 na  49  76  4.42
94 A-    21   2  50.2  49  4  19  51  3.73
95 A     49   0  82.0  54  3  22 101  1.76
   A+     4   0   5.2   3  0   3   9  3.18
96 A+    26  25 170.1 145 10  38 109  2.91
97 A+    28   1  64.2  54  8  23  66  3.20
98 A+     7   3  24.2  20  1   7  25  1.09
   AA     8   7  46.0  61  8  14  26  5.48
Kane Davis: 24-6/25/75; #13 '93, Reedy,WV(HS)
P, R-R, 6-3 180
Davis had reconstructive elbow surgery in late May of '97 and, by the end of '98, had still not recovered. He also was taken off the 40-man roster this offseason (though without pitching once in the majors he has 70+ days of MLB service time since he was on the 60-day DL in '97 to make room for call-ups). His future is highly dependent on whether his arm gets near the level it was prior to his injury. I never thought he was as good of a prospect as scouts touted him, primarily because of his relatively low K rates in '95 and '96. Nevertheless, the solid ERAs coupled with the good velocity suggested he might develop better than his K rate indicated. This setback may be too much to overcome. I expect he'll start '99 in Altoona's pen, though a good spring training may put him in the Curve's rotation. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
93 R     11   4  28.0  34  0  19  24  7.07
94 A-    15  15  98.1  90  4  32  74  2.65
95 A     26  25 139.1 136  4  43  78  3.75
96 A+    26  26 157.1 160 12  56 116  4.29
97 AA     6   6  28.2  22  2  16  23  3.77
98 A      2   2   9.0   8  0   3   6  6.00
   AA    18  16  74.0 102 12  38  39  9.24
Alfredo Garcia: 25-6/11/74; #19 '93(Cubs); Buena Park, CA (HS)
P, R-R, 6-4 175
Garcia was acquired in the minor league portion of the Rule V draft from the Cubs organization, so he's not considered a prospect by any stretch and rightly so. Essentially, he's a soft-tosser with very low K rates and at best mediocre ERAs. He's pitched in the Mexican Winter League this year and in the past, so it wouldn't surprise me to see him pitching for the Rojos Diablos in '99 for our Mexican League AAA team. If not in Mexico City, he may be in the pen at Altoona. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
93 R      9   7  49.2  47  0   7  33  3.26
   R+     3   3  20.0  23  2   1  11  4.95
94 R+     8   4  30.0  35  3   6  28  4.50
   A-     8   7  45.1  41  1  17  39  2.98
95 A     27  27 177.0 176 13  43 120  3.76
96 A+     7   7  47.0  48  1   5  28  3.76
   AA    23  16 118.2 149 17  32  66  4.85
97 AA    12  12  72.1  87  6  23  27  3.48
98 AA    25  10  78.0  89  2  16  39  4.96
   MWL   14   -  85.1  86  -  33  32  2.74
Elvin Hernandez: 21-8/20/77; NDFA '94, Dominican(HS)
P, R-R, 6-1 165
(claimed off waivers by Twins and then Cubs)

Sam McConnell: 23-12/31/75; #11 '97; Ball State U.
P, L-L, 6-5 204

His full name is John Samuel McConnell. After a relatively mediocre first season as a pro, McConnell had the most rapid ascent of any pitcher in the organization in '98. He pitched well in Augusta, then even better at Lynchburg before getting promoted to Carolina at the end of the season. He was rated by Baseball America as having the best control of anyone in the organization. I probably would've given that title to Ah Yat, but regardless, they appear to be fairly similar types of pitchers. McConnell doesn't have overpowering stuff, but has a good sense of how to pitch, plus the command to throw all of his pitches for quality strikes. I expect he'll be in the rotation in Altoona in '99. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
96 NCAA  15   -  66.0  69  -  28  57  3.95
97 NCAA  22  13  72.2  88  -  36  52  5.57
   A-    17  10  58.2  56  7  24  45  5.06
98 A      8   8  45.0  36  2  13  35  3.20
   A+    19  19 121.0 118  4  20  80  2.90
   AA     2   1  12.0  15  2   3   5  4.50
Brian O'Connor: 22-1/4/77; #11 '95, Redding,OH(HS)
P, L-L, 6-2 175
O'Connor was added to the 40-man roster this offseason. Similar to '96, his '98 season was the tale of two seasons. In Lynchburg, he pitched extremely well, keeping his BB rate very low while putting up an above average K rate. Then, when he was promoted to Carolina, he seemed to lose his control completely and put up extremely poor numbers. Similar to '96, O'Connor thinks that after switching leagues, he tried to be too fine and that snowballed into his control problems. His main out pitch is a biting curve, and when that's not getting over for strikes, he's in trouble. He's bounced back and forth between relieving and starting with his control, on average, better in relief. My sense is that the Bucs project him as a reliever in the majors, but have been starting him to get more innings to develop. I think the Bucs will start '99 with him in the pen at Altoona to allow him to get his mechanics and control together. Then, midseason perhaps, he'll move into the rotation. He has a shot to get some time in Pittsburgh in September depending on his performance with the Curve. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
95 R     14   5  43.0  33  1  13  43  1.88
96 A     19   0  35.1  33  2   8  37  3.06
   A-    15  15  67.2  76  4  47  60  5.85
97 A     25  14  85.2  90  6  39  91  4.41
   A+    11   0  13.0  11  0   6  14  3.46
   HAW   23   0  29.0  29  -  14  21  5.28
98 A+    14  14  86.2  86  3  22  84  2.60
   AA    14  13  64.1  86 11  53  41  8.25
Tony Runion: 27-12/6/71; #58 '93(CLE); Duke U.
P, R-R, 6-3 220
Runion's contract was purchased from the Sioux Falls Canaries of the Northern League in late April '98, and he pitched extremely well in a middle relief role for Lynchburg. Enough so that he was promoted to Carolina and then selected to pitch in the Maryland Fall League. In his earlier stint with the Indians organization, it seemed as if he was progressing decently and then was derailed by an injury in '96. He's a hard thrower who comes after batters and so far is doing well with that strategy. I expect he'll be one of the main relievers at Altoona, perhaps the closer. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
93 A-     4   1   8.0   7  0   9   8  6.75
   R+     3   2  12.0  10  1   6   6  3.00
94 A     35   8 119.0  89  5  39 140  2.50
95 A+    28  24 143.0 131  9  57  84  4.09
96 A+    13   7  49.2  77  5  41  31  9.79
97 IND   37   0  55.0  61  5  17  48  3.93
98 A+    36   0  57.0  49  5  20  72  3.00
   AA     7   0   9.1  11  0   7  11  4.82
   MFL   14   0  19.2  15  0   5  24  1.37
Lynchburg A+ (full season, high)
Giancarlo (Carlos) Alvarado: 21-1/24/78; NDFA 1/16/95; Arecibo,PR(HS)
P, R-R, 6-4 195
I was surprised when Carlos started '98 in Augusta; to some extent, it was a numbers game (there were only so many spots at Lynchburg), plus he had a sore elbow early in the year. Since he's very young, it was not much of a setback. After pitching solidly at Augusta, he was promoted midseason. His K and BB rates were good in Lynchburg, but he was hurt by the longball. His fastball is in the low 90's, and his command is fairly good. Considering his age, he's done well thus far in his career. He'll likely start '99 back in the rotation at Lynchburg, and depending on his performance, he may get promoted to Altoona. 
          G   GS    IP  H HR  BB   K   ERA
95 R      2   0   3.0   1  0   5   2  6.00
96 R     11   1  27.1  32  1  10  31  4.94
97 A     29  20 113.0 114  4  45 109  3.27
   PR    15   0  27.1  15  -  13  17  0.66
98 A     14  10  50.0  48  2  24  50  3.60
   A+    13  10  59.1  69 10  24  52  5.61
   PR     1   0   0.2   0  0   2  0   0.00
Mike Ayers: 25-12/23/73; NDFA '96, Cincinnati,OH(?)
P, L-L, 5-10 190
Ayers began the year in Lynchburg, and except for a short stint with Augusta in early August, he pitched for the HillCats the whole year. He pitched poorly in both places. Though his K rate is OK, he simply gives up too many hits and walks too many hitters. The odds are most likely that he's out of the organization for '99. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
96 A     27   0  30.1  33  1   8  31  4.15
97 A+    39   0  63.0  54  8  44  62  5.00
98 A      4   0   5.2  11  0   6   6 17.47
   A+    34   0  40.1  53  5  17  31  7.59
Matt Buirley: 23-7/21/75; #18 '96(MON); Ohio St.
P, R-R, 6-3 205
Buirley's contract was bought from the Richmond Roosters of the Frontier League in the '97-'98 offseason. He was a catcher for the Roosters (as well as in college and in the Expos' minors), and even in '98 spring training for the Bucs, he was strictly a catcher. It was sometime during extended spring training that he made the conversion to pitcher. Given the conversion and the way he was used, it's almost certain his main attribute is his velocity. He was overpowering in Erie, but at Lynchburg he ran into some problems with control as well as batters who could catch up with his fastball. I expect he'll be in Lynchburg as the primary closer in '99. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
98 A-    16   0  22.0  12  2   7  31  2.86
   A+    13   0  20.2  26  1  15  21  6.97
Matt Duff: 24-10/6/74; NDFA 8/25/97; U. of Mississipi
P, R-R, 6-1 205
Duff began the year at Augusta and quickly moved up to Lynchburg. He had good numbers in both places putting up solid K rates while keeping his BB rate fairly low. He was a surprising selection for the Maryland Fall League, but had a solid season (despite a couple bad outings) against tougher competition. He'll have a big test when he moves up to the bullpen in Altoona where I expect he'll begin the '99 season. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
97 NCAA  27   -  68.0  65  -  32  45  5.45
   IND   14   -  80.0  70  -  20  76  2.71
   A      2   1   6.0   6  0   2   6  1.50
98 A     10   0   9.0   8  1   4  12  3.00
   A+    40   0  62.2  52  4  20  61  3.30
   MFL   12   0  27.0  30  2  11  28  4.67
Aaron France: 25-4/17/74; #3 '94; Cypress,FL(JC)
P, L-R, 6-3 175
France got over the hump in Lynchburg, worked his way into the rotation and put up very solid numbers. His BB and K rate were solid. He doesn't possess great stuff (can hit the low 90s) so he tends to have trouble when his control is off. In '98 that wasn't very often. He was a solid middle of the rotation man in '98 at A+. He'll likely be in the rotation at Altoona in '99. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
94 A-     7   5  24.0  22  -   6  16  2.25
95 A     18  15  94.2  80  -  26  77  2.47
96 A+    13  13  60.1  79  6  32  40  6.41
   A      5   5  25.0  23  2   7  24  2.52
97 A     26  17 107.1  98  5  44  89  3.52
98 A+    26  20 129.0  99  9  45 110  2.72
Michael Gonzalez: 21-5/23/78; #30 '97; San Jacinto JC
P, R-L, 6-2 205
Gonzalez was Augusta's opening day pitcher, and at the time of his promotion, he was leading the minors in Ks. Shortly after getting promoted to Lynchburg though, he developed tendinitis in his shoulder and tried to pitch through it between a couple of stints on the DL. After allowing enough time for recovery, he was sent back to Augusta in the last couple of weeks of the season to help the 'Jackets staff in the playoffs. His velocity is good, but his command has been what sets him apart. I expect he'll be fully healthy to start '99 in Lynchburg in their rotation. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
97 R      7   3  29.0  21  0   8  33  2.48
   A      4   3  19.1  11  1   8  22  1.86
98 A     11   9  50.2  43  2  26  72  2.84
   A+     7   7  28.1  40  5  13  22  6.67
Ryan Halla: 25-10/3/73; NDFA 12/21/96; Auburn U.
P, S-R, 6-4 250
Once again, Ryan put up very good numbers while moving up to the next level. Taking away the last appearance just before Ryan went on the DL for shoulder stiffness in mid-May, his ERA drops below 3. He throws four pitches (fastball, slider, curve, and changeup) and his fastball was regularly in the low 90's (91-93MPH) last year. More importantly, Ryan's command is very good, making his fastball that much more effective. He gives up few hits and doesn't walks many while having a very good K rate. All of these are good signs in a pitcher. I expect he'll be the primary setup man in Altoona in '99. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
93 NCAA  19  13  90.1  83  -  40  73  3.59
94 NCAA  33   8  98.0  94  -  39 108  4.22
95 NCAA  24  24 146.2 122  -  47 148  3.07
96 NCAA  13   -  65.0  56  -  28  63  4.29
97 A     32   0  46.1  26  2  10  51  1.75
98 A+    40   0  56.0  51  5  22  51  3.70
Jeff Kelly: 24-1/11/75; #15 '94, Staten Island,NY(HS)
P, L-L, 6-6 215
Jeff began the '98 season with Lynchburg, pitched poorly, and then went on the DL. He was sent to Augusta as sort of an injury rehab and to get his mechanics back in order. He didn't really pitch well in Augusta, though he did pitch a good bit better when promoted back to Lynchburg. At the end of '98, he began to look to be most of the way back from his injury and mechanical problems; it appeared that his control was nearing his pre-'97 levels. I'm expecting he'll be fully healthy by the start of '99, and he'll likely be in the pen at Altoona. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
94 R     11   7  46.1  54  4  12  24  4.08
95 A     26  26 142.2 134  6  51 114  3.47
96 A     14  14  84.0  76  4  27  68  3.32
   A+    13  13  75.0  77  7  24  57  3.60
97 AA    31  19 127.2 134  7  85  83  4.65
   HAW   10   9  42.0  49  -  26  23  5.36
98 A     18   3  42.0  54  5  16  36  7.50
   A+    10   4  29.2  33  2  10  18  5.46
Kris Lambert: 25-11/23/73; #13 '97; Baylor Univ.
P, L-L, 5-10 175
Lambert followed up his sterling '97 season with a very solid '98 campaign at Lynchburg. His BB and K rate were both very good, and his numbers in all phases gradually got better as the season progressed. One example of the adjustments he made during the year is that 8 of the 14 HRs he gave up were in the first 1/4 of the year. He throws a fastball, curve, and change all with good command. He'll likely be in the rotation at Altoona. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
95 NCAA  17   -  81.0  87  -  41  65  5.02
96 NCAA  21   - 108.0 101  -  41  81  3.60
97 NCAA  19   - 110.0 111  -  36 104  4.35
   A-    15  14  81.0  59  5  21  94  2.33
98 A+    28  28 160.2 161 14  44 145  3.59
Jeff Martin: 22-1/25/77; #8 '95(KC), Las Vegas,NV(HS)
P, R-R, 6-1 200
Martin's '98 campaign, much like his '96 season, was lost to an elbow injury. If his arm gets fully healthy, I doubt we'll see any reflection in his numbers until '00. I expect he'll start '99 on rehab in Bradenton and from there we'll eventually see him in relief at some point in Lynchburg. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
95 R     11  10  55.0  35  1  11  53  1.47
96 A+     5   5  20.1  24  3   5  12  4.87
   HAW   10   -  40.0  25  -  13  43  1.77
97 A+    24  21 115.1 139  8  48 101  5.77
98 A+     2   2   6.0   6  0   5   5  9.00
   R      1   0   1.0   4  0   0   0  0.00
Neal McDade: 23-6/16/76; #29 '95(D&F); Florida CC
P, R-R, 6-3 165
McDade has pitched well at every step thus far in his career; the Pirates have moved him up in the organization each season. He began the '98 season in the bullpen, and then worked his way into the rotation at the end of the year. He pitched a little better as a starter, K'ing 59 in 65.2 IP with only 13 BB and a 3.02 ERA. I expect he'll be in Altoona in '99 beginning the year in the pen, though there's a slight chance they'll keep him in Lynchburg in the rotation. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
96 A-    13  13  76.2  76  3  21  67  3.40
   A+     1   1   5.0   6  1   1   2  9.00
97 A     36  12 112.1 105  4  24 104  2.80
   A+     3   3  18.2  16  3   6  15  2.89
98 A+    25  11  90.0  87  7  20  74  3.30
Rick Paugh: 27-2/6/72; #45 '94, Marshall U.(WV)
P, L-L, 6-1 190
Paugh began the year on injury rehab in Bradenton and then finished up the year at Lynchburg. Though his ERA was pretty good with the Hillcats, the peripheral numbers were not very positive. He has a 50-50 shot of starting '99 in the pen at Altoona or being out of the organization. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
94 A-    25   1  35.1  24  0  12  34  1.27
95 A     52   0  59.0  60  3  17  61  2.59
96 A+    45   0  52.0  48  1  20  41  3.81
97 AA     5   0   8.0   8  2   1   3  5.63
   A+    24   0  18.1  18  6  11  18  7.85
   A     24   0  29.2  24  3   7  40  2.43
98 R      4   1   6.1  10  1   0   5  5.68
   A+    14   0  12.1  14  2   4   8  2.92
Jason Temple: 24-11/8/74; #5 '93; Woodhaven HS (MI)
P, R-R, 6-1 185
Jason had major control problems in '98, and his future in the organization is iffy. He maybe never has gotten his mechanics back since arm surgery in '96, though other than his '95 season in Augusta, control has always been a problem for him. My feeling is that he's probably done in this organization. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
93 R     11   7  39.0  35 --  22  36  5.08
94 R     12  11  58.0  54  6  35  44  4.50
95 A     51   0  71.0  50  6  19  71  2.26
   HAW   14   0  21.0  16  -  17  24  3.74
96 A+    21   0  22.2  24  0  19  18  4.76
97 A     11   5  37.1  46  2  22  38  5.54
   A+    28   0  37.0  39  4  24  34  4.14
   HAW   16   0  23.1  11  -  12  14  1.54
98 AA    20   0  23.2  23  4  36  11 10.27
   A     13   0  18.1  21  1  26  25  8.35
   A+     6   0  11.0  14  2   5  11  7.26
Hickory A (full season, low)
Andy Bausher: 22-8/17/76; #6 '97; Kutztown Univ.
P, R-L, 6-3 192
Bausher pitched decently in Augusta with a K rate above league average and a BB rate below the league norm. His ERA was a little on the high side though. I expect we'll know more about his future when he eventually hits AA. For now, he'll likely start '99 in the rotation at Lynchburg. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB  K   ERA
97 NCAA   -  14  83.2   -  -  41 104  3.12
   A-    15  10  65.0  62  3  19  44  3.88
98 A     24  21 109.2 112  5  36 119  4.43
Franklin Bravo: 20-12/24/78; NDFA '96; Dominican(HS)
P, R-R, 6-2 170
Bravo has been plagued by injuries the last two seasons hurting his recent performance considerably. He began '98 in Augusta, then went back to Erie for a stint in their rotation before coming back to Augusta to finish the season. Since his shoulder injury in '97, his control hasn't been very good, and he's been getting the ball up in the strike zone too often. On the other hand, he'll only be 20 years old next season. If he's fully healthy and has his mechanics in order, I expect he'll be in Lynchburg to start '99. If not, he'll be in Hickory. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB  K   ERA
96 R     11  11  62.0  62  1  10  36  2.32
97 A      7   3  15.1  12  1   5  14  2.35
   R      4   4   9.0  16  1   5   5  8.00
98 A-    11   9  37.2  57  5  16  37  8.36
   A     20   5  46.1  44  8  30  43  4.47
Chris Combs: 24-5/19/75; #5 '97; North Carolina St.
P, L-R, 6-8 230
Combs didn't have nearly as wonderful of a year as he did in '97, but nevertheless, 1998 was a solid campaign for him. He did have some off- season shoulder surgery last winter, but his early '98 season numbers suggest he was healthy at the start of the year. The Bucs decided he needed more innings/experience, so they moved him to the rotation at the end of the year. It is sort of interesting when 2/5's of your rotation were top power hitters in college (see Clint Johnston). Combs' K rate was below league average -- I think this was partly due to his velocity being a little down from the 95-96MPH he was hitting in Erie. Perhaps coming back from the shoulder surgery slowed his velocity down a bit. On the other hand, his BB rate was still quite good. He's fairly old for his level, but I think they'll still move him slowly due to his relative inexperience in pitching. He'll start '99 in Lynchburg, and he has a chance to move up to Altoona with a good performance. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
97 NCAA  14   -  16.0  17  -   6  22  3.45
   A-    21   0  24.2  13  0   3  36  0.73
98 A     33  12  97.0 100  8  28  76  3.25
O.J. Cook: 21-12/13/76; #6 '95, Bethlehem,PA(HS)
P, R-R, 6-3 195
(taken in the minor league Rule V draft by the Mets)

Danny Crawford: 24-5/25/75; NDFA '98; U. of Houston
P, R-R, 6-6 228

Crawford's contract was bought from the Canton Crocs of the Frontier League in the '97-'98 offseason. He was drafted in '93 after HS (21st round by TOR) and '94 after JUCO (32nd round by OAK). While at U. of Houston, he became used as an example for getting rid of aluminum bats. Hit by a line drive in the mouth in '96, he lost 5 teeth and required 62 stitches -- he made his next start 8 days later. Though a big guy, he doesn't throw quite as hard as one would expect. He's very stingy with the BB, but in doing so, perhaps he throws a few too many strikes, thereby giving up so many hits. He'll likely be in Lynchburg to start '99, though he may start out in the pen there. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
96 NCAA  22   -  82.0 103  -  42  53  5.27
97 NCAA   ?
   IND   20   -  79.0  84  -  20  50  4.23
98 A     20  18 109.2 120  9  15  71  4.68
John Grabow: 20-11/4/78; #3 '97; San Gabriel, CA(HS)
P, L-L, 6-2 185
Grabow began '98 in Augusta a month or so into the season. He pitched decently, given his age, with a particularly decent K rate. As the season wore on, he pitched better. His best start of the year was the 'Jackets final playoff game in which he pitched shutout ball for 8 innings. Though he'll likely play at some point in Lynchburg in '99, I expect he'll start the year back in the SAL at Hickory. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
97 R     11   8  45.1  57  0  14  28  4.57
98 A     17  16  71.2  84  7  34  67  5.78
Brad Guy: 23-10/25/75; #27 '97; Cal State- LA
P, R-R, 6-2 180
Guy again put up excellent numbers in the role of RH set up man. In particular, his K rate was strong while he kept his BB rate low. He is likely to be in the same role in '99 at Lynchburg, where he'll need to be a little more concerned about keeping the ball down or his HR rate will jump even more. On the other hand, if he keeps putting up similar numbers, he may even work his way into the rotation. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
97 A-    25   0  52.2  37  3   7  53  1.88
98 A     56   0  86.1  75  7  26  94  3.02
Wilson Guzman: 21-7/14/77; NDFA 11/7/94; Dominican (HS) P, L-L, 5-11 160
Guzman is a young lefty who's gotten very good results everywhere he's pitched thus far. Though he pitched out of the pen in '98, I expect he'll eventually move into the rotation. I think it perhaps may be a wiser thing to pitch younger guys like him in long relief to save their arm and give them more confidence. He'll be in Lynchburg in '99 probably initially in the pen. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
95 DSL   16   -  55.0  52  -  17  48  1.47
96 DSL    ?
97 R      9   8  40.1  43  1   8  48  2.90
   A-     5   5  26.2  26  4   6  25  5.06
98 A+     3   0   2.2   4  1   5   2 13.50
   A     42   0  70.0  55  0  24  73  2.57
Clint Johnston: 21-7/2/77; #1 '98; Vanderbilt U.
P, L-L, 6-3 205
Johnston was the Bucs' #1 pick in '98, though it wasn't initially clear where he was projected to play. Most teams projected him as a power hitting OF, but the Bucs preferred his arm and his 92-94MPH fastball. In addition, his changeup is quite good. Johnston pitched sparingly in relief while in college, so he's relatively inexperienced. Nevertheless, he came in and while pitching on a fairly strict pitch count, put up excellent numbers in Augusta. The only concern is his relatively high BB rate. In addition to the pitching, he did DH a couple of times to keep his bat from going rusty. I wouldn't be surprised by a jump to Altoona but it's just as likely he'll start '99 in Lynchburg. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
97 NCAA   9   1  16.2  19  4  12  25  9.18
98 NCAA  16   0  20.1  10  4  13  26  2.66
   A     16  11  59.0  42  4  32  68  2.75
Alex Pena: 21-9/9/77; FA 1/7/94; Santo Domingo, DR
P/OF, R-R, 6-2 175
Prior to this year's offseason, Pena was a relatively poor hitting OF who was solid defensively with an excellent outfield arm. After being converted to a pitcher in the fall instructional league, he's now on the 40-man roster by virtue of an arm that can hit 98MPH. Even in his one appearance with the 'Jackets, they noted he was hitting 94MPH regularly. Most likely, he'll start the year in the pen in Hickory, though Lynchburg isn't out of the question. 
         AB   H  2B 3B HR  BB  SO  SB CS   BA/OBP/SLG
95 R    172  41   7  3  1   6  26         238/264/331
96 A    167  27   4  2  0   7  51         162/194/210
   A-   281  75  10  3  4  14  52         267/305/367
97 A    356  87  12  2  5  18  81         244/286/331
98 A    292  74  15  1  5  24  69   7  5  253/307/363

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
98 A      1  0    1.0   2  0   3   1 18.00
Stephen Sparks: 24-3/28/75; #28 '98; U. of South Alabama
P, R-R, 6-5 215
Sparks was the Seawolves' most effective starter in the early part of the season, but he tended to be fairly inconsistent, either pitching well or getting hit hard. His numbers were OK in his 2 regular season starts and his playoff start at Augusta. I expect he'll be in the rotation in Hickory in '99. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
97 NCAA  13  13  52.2  44  -  26  51  5.47
98 NCAA  19   - 101.1 104  -  46  84  3.73
   A-    14  10  63.0  55  3  30  61  4.43
   A      2   2   8.2  11  1   4  12  6.23
Paul Stabile: 22-1/16/76; #8 '97; Brookdale JC (NJ)
P, L-L, 6-0 203
Stabile broke into the rotation relatively early in the season at Augusta and pitched decently throughout the year. His K rate was again above 1 (and above league average). The slightly above average BB rate hurt him some, but the long ball hurt him more. He'll probably be in the rotation at Lynchburg which should be a telling test for him. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ER
97 A-    22   0  43.0  32  1  16  50  2.72
98 A     29  20 129.2 111 15  51 132  4.30
Keith Breitenstein: ?
P, L-L,
Breitenstein pitched last season for the Adirondack Lumberjacks in the Northeast League. He was the top left-handed pitcher in that league. I'm guessing he'll end up seeing time in Hickory or Williamsport in '99. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
98 IND   15  15  96.1  79  8  24  76  2.24
Mike Garcia:? ; NDFA '99; Long Beach State U.
P, R-R, 6-2 180
I think the Mike Garcia that the Bucs signed this offseason is the same guy who pitched sparingly for Long Beach State. That Garcia was a Jr. in '98, but is not on their '99 roster. He pitched for Cerritos College (a junior college) before going to Long Beach. Probably, he'll go to extended spring training and then pitch for Williamsport. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
98 NCAA   5   0   6.0   4  1   5   6  4.50
Byung-Il Kim: 22- ;NDFA 12/98; Dong-Guk University (Seoul,KO)
P, R-R, 6-3 220
Kim was signed for a reported $350K signing bonus and represents the first tangible result of the Pirates' scouting presence in Asia. Last year, the Bucs developed a working relationship with the Hyundai Unicorns -- 2 Unicorn pitchers and a coach were with the Bradenton team last year. This relationship probably played a part in the Kim signing. According to the Pro Sports Exchange, the Pirates feel Kim is advanced enough to begin next season with Hickory rather than start off in extended spring training.

Jason Simontacchi: 25-11/13/73; #21 '96(KC); Albertson College (ID)
P, R-R, 6-1 185

Simontacchi was signed from the Springfield Capitals of the Frontier League. He pitched well there after having pitched pretty poorly in the minors with Spokane. Considering his age, I expect he'll pitch for Hickory or get released at the end of spring training. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
96 A-    14   6  47.0  59  8  15  43  5.17
97 A     29   0  60.2  93  7  15  38  6.97
98 IND   16   - 110.0 103  -  21  92  2.95
Jeff Sparks: 27-4/4/72; #24 '95(CIN); St. Mary's U. (CA)
P, R-R, 6-3 210
Sparks was signed after having played a couple of seasons with the Winnipeg Goldeyes of the Northern League. He was signed by the Colorado Rockies in early '98, but they must have released him toward the end of spring training, as he pitched the full season with Winnipeg. Between the '97-'98 season, he also pitched in the Colombia Winter League. He's always had great K rates wherever he's gone, but his BB rates are much too high. If he sticks in the organization this year, he'll likely start out at Lynchburg. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
95 R+    16   2  39.0  32  2  27  49  3.23
96 AA     3   0   2.0   5  1   1   2  4.50
   A     46   3  89.1  79  4  46  94  4.74
97 A     22   9  61.1  61  7  39  72  5.72
   IND    7   0  13.0  11  0  10  20  4.15
98 IND   38   0  49.0  30  5  42  85  3.12
Williamsport A- (short season)
David Alvarado: 21-4/29/78; NDFA '95; Falcon,VEN(HS)
P, R-R, 6-3 170
Alvarado has been brought along slowly by the Bucs, but is still pretty raw. He had a pretty poor season in Erie in '98, giving up way too many hits, particularly those for extra bases. The one good sign was that his K rate was above league average. Though raw, my sense is that the Pirates like his stuff, so I think it's likely that he'll be back. If he makes big strides in spring training perhaps he'll see some time in Hickory but more likely I expect we'll see him at Williamsport. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
95 R      9   2  15.0  15  1   4  15  4.80
96 R      1   0   4.0   0  0   1   8  0.00
97 R     12   6  47.1  51  4  23  34  3.80
   VWL    3   0   3.1   3  0   3   0  2.70
98 A-    19   3  42.1  64 10  18  41  9.14
   VWL    3   0   3.1   5  -   1   1 10.80
Tony Bacci: 23-8/16/75; NDFA 2/12/97; McHenry County College (IL)
P, L-L, 6-2 180
Bacci began the year in the bullpen at Augusta and then was sent down to Erie to get some more innings in as a starter and help their beleagured staff. He pitched decently in both places, though he was hurt by the long ball at Erie. Considering his age, his prospect for success isn't very good, but as a lefty, one never knows. He may be back in the SAL at Hickory, but an equally good chance to be in the pen at Lynchburg. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
97 A      6   6  28.1  31  3  14  24  4.76
   A-    15  14  84.1  68  5  36  50  2.56
98 A     27   1  49.2  39  4  34  51  3.81
   A-     6   6  30.1  25  6  10  23  5.34
Joe Beimel: 22-4/19/77; #18 '98; Duquesne U.
P, L-L, 6-3 205
Beimel is a local product having gone to St. Mary's High School in Kersey, PA, then Allegany CC and Duquesne U. His fastball tops out at 91 MPH. He didn't pitch well in his first stint in pro ball. He did pitch better in relief such that he was moved into the rotation at the end of the season. I expect he'll be in the pen in Hickory in '99. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
98 NCAA  14   7  65.0  60  -  36  39  4.71
   A-    17   6  47.0  56  6  22  37  6.32
Ender Classen: 21-4/1/78; #29 '96; Arecibo,PR(HS)
P, R-R, 6-3 185
Classen, when drafted, was originally listed as a SS, so in '96, he was fairly raw as a pitcher. In '98, he was one of the few Buc pitchers to do well in rookie ball, and then he made a couple of nice starts finishing up the year at Erie. Apparently, he looks like Tiger Woods (which provided some club house humor in Augusta last year). I expect he'll be in the rotation at Hickory in '99. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
96 R      7   0   7.2  12  0   3   6  4.70
97 DSL    ?
98 R     12  11  52.2  51  0  18  28  3.59
   A-     2   2  11.0   9  2   4  10  2.45
Mike Gray: 22-9/15/76; NDFA '98; U. of Florida
P, R-R, 6-2 200
Gray was signed as a non-drafted senior out of U. of Florida. He started out great at Erie; in his first 30 IP, his ERA was 0.91, and he hadn't given up a BB. Obviously, he stumbled a little down the stretch, but his overall numbers were still very solid. Probably, he'll be in the pen at Hickory, though Lynchburg is a slight possibility. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
98 NCAA  24   3  57.0  65  9  17  63  4.58
   A-    29   0  45.0  40  4   5  39  3.20
George Hlodan: 23-6/25/76; #28 '95 (D&F), Elizabeth,PA(JC)
P, R-R, 6-0 170
Hlodan was troubled by injuries in '97, and my sense is that in '98 he wasn't fully healthy yet. He hasn't put up very good K rates at any point but he also has kept his BB rate down. If healthy, I expect he'll be in Hickory to start '99. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
96 R      7   6  27.0  29  0   7  15  2.67
97 A     12   6  40.1  40  7  15  33  5.58
   R      3   3  18.1  12  0   4  12  0.49
   A-    15   1  33.2  39  3  11  21  6.15
98 A-    20   8  58.0  82  3  15  31  6.05
Michael Johnston: 20-3/30/79; #20; Garrett CC(MD)
P, L-L, 6-3 180
Johnston is from western PA having grown up in Colwyn, PA. He pitched pretty well in rookie ball and then was promoted to Erie at the end of the year. I expect he'll be in Hickory in '99, though he may see some time in Williamsport in the second half. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
98 R     13   3  29.2  28  1  10  17  3.34
   A-     2   0   2.0   4  0   1   2  4.50
Chris Luttig: 23-2/19/76; #17 '97; U. of Evansville
P, L-L, 6-0 210
Luttig is a hard thrower who needs to add to his repertoire. He did have a good '98 in Erie, improving on his '97 BB and K rates. He is likely to be in Hickory in '99 as one of their closers. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
97 NCAA  29   0  39.0  41  -  31  46  4.62
   R     12   0  21.2  23  0   9  21  2.49
   A-    11   0  19.0  18  0   8  16  3.32
98 A      4   0   3.0   7  0   3   4 18.00
   A-    27   0  30.0  30  2  10  39  3.60
Felix Montilla: 19-3/7/80; NDFA '97; Santo Domingo, DR
P, R-R 6-1 185
The youngest guy who pitched for Erie in '98, Montilla did not have a good season, but some aspects were a good sign given his age. His BB and K rates were both about league average. I expect he'll be in Hickory in '99. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
97 DSL    ?
98 A-    27   1  38.2  53  6  14  32  6.28
Tony Pavlovich: 24-8/23/74; #54 '94(MIL); Middle Georgia CC
P, R-R, 6-0 185
Pavlovich's contract was bought from the Springfield Capitals of the Frontier League midseason. He actually had decent numbers when he was in the Brewers farm system; I'm wondering if they released him because he was a one-pitch pitcher. In '98, he seemed to have found something new as he was incredibly effective both in the Frontier League as well as in Erie in his short stint there. Most likely, he'll be in Hickory in '99, though an assignment to Lynchburg is not out of the question. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
94 R     19   0  27.1  24  1   8  29  1.65
95 R     19   0  18.0  20  0   3  20  4.00
   R+     9   0   9.2   4  1   3  14  0.93
96 A-    28   0  33.2  26  1  15  31  3.21
97 IND   30   0  43.0  52  -  19  44  4.15
98 IND   20   0  29.0  14  -   7  40  1.26
   A-     8   0  11.0   6  1   2  17  1.64
Andy Prater: 21-9/27/77; #2 '96; Florrisant,MO(HS)
P, R-R, 6-3 175
Prater, thus far, has gotten a little worse each successive year. His K rate in Erie in '98 was a little better, but his BB rate also jumped up. My sense is that physically he's fine, but that his problems have more to do with confidence and mental aspects of the game. An Augusta Chronicle article highlights this. Over pressure by the organization, or immaturity by the individual? Hopefully, Prater will be able to overcome these issues. He will likely be in Hickory to start '99. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
96 HS    10  na  56.0  36 na  16  85  1.76
96 R     12  12  68.0  63  3  11  53  3.18
97 A      6   3  12.1  21  3   6   9 10.95
   A-    15  14  73.2  82  6  26  40  4.40
98 A-    18  11  59.1  60  8  30  44  5.76
Jess Siciliano: 22-8/31/76; #9 '96, Rockland(NY) CC
P, R-R, 6-2 190
Siciliano bounced between several levels in '98 (perhaps due to an injury), but he really didn't pitch well at any level. His control was particularly off. I think odds are likely that he'll be out of the organization. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
96 A-     4   0   5.1   7  0   4   4   6.75
   R      3   0   5.0   4  0   2   1   3.60
97 A-    16   0  23.1  22  2  10  20   4.24
   A     11   0  19.1  22  2   5   9   4.66
98 R      4   0   4.2   7  0   4   1  13.50
   A      5   0   3.2   5  2   5   6   7.36
   A-    12   0  12.2  16  0   8   8   5.68
Bobby Vogt: 20-10/19/78; #8 '96; Tampa,FL(HS)
P, L-L, 6-6 200
Vogt is a big LH who has control problems. If he can work out his mechanics, then he'll be an effective pitcher. For now, his control problems have hurt his numbers greatly. Depending on his showing in spring training, he may be in Hickory to start '99; otherwise he'll be in Williamsport. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
96 R     13   5  42.2  36  2  19  46  2.95
97 A-     1   1   3.1   3  0   4   0 10.80
   R     12   4  34.0  23  1  19  40  3.97
98 A-    15   5  30.2  40  9  32  25  9.68
Dave Williams: 20-3/12/79; #17 '98; Delaware Tech CC
P, L-L, 6-3 215
Williams was one of the better pitchers in Erie. He pitched well enough to get a couple of starts at the end of the season. He'll start '99 in Hickory. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
98 A-    22   2  47.1  45  6  14  38  3.23
Gulf Coast (Rookie League)
Juan Bazan: 21-4/7/78; NDFA '96; Chitre, Panama
P, R-R, 6-0 180
Bazan is the only Panamanian I know of in the organization. He pitched decently in relief in Bradenton, although he's a little on the old side. He has an equal chance of seeing time in Hickory, Williamsport, or being out of the organization in '99. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
98 R      8   0  15.1  11  1   7   9  2.93
David (Jeff) Bennett: 19-6/10/80; #19 '98; Gordonsville, TN (HS)
P, R-R, 6-3 190
Bennett was in the Bradenton rotation pretty much all season with middling results. He had a realtively low BB rate, but also a very low K rate. He is likely to be in Williamsport in '99. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
98 R     13  11  46.2  50  4  13  18  4.63
Mike Bumatay: 19-10/9/79; #21 '98; Clovis, CA (HS)
P, L-L, 6-0 175
Bumatay was the ace pitcher for Clovis High, which was ranked as one of the top 5 high school teams in '98 by a number of publications. I'm guessing his relatively small size scared away most scouts. He had the best numbers of our high school pitcher draftees and worked his way into the Bradenton rotation by year's end. He is likely to be in Williamsport in '99, though a stint at Hickory is within the realm of possibility. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
98 R     13   5  39.2  46  1  16  37  3.18
Juan de la Cruz: 19-3/21/80; NDFA '97; El Seibo, DR
P, R-R, 6-4 185
De La Cruz was one of the better starters for Bradenton in '99. His K rate is very low, but at least his BB rate was good. He is likely to be in Williamsport in '99. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
98 R     11  11  49.2  53  2   9  20  3.44
Giovanni Gonzalez: 19-6/18/80; #9 '98; Miami, FL (HS)
P, R-R, 6-4 225
Gonzalez was 1st team All-State in Class 1A in Florida pitching for tiny Northwest Christian Academy. Baseball America lists his home as Ponce, PR suggesting he may have gone to high school in the US to get noticed by scouts. A big guy, he can throw in the low 90's. Control problems hurt him. In addition, his relatively high HR total suggests he's a flyball pitcher. Spring training will determine whether he's in Williamsport or back in Bradenton. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
98 R     14   0  24.0  32  4  16  15  7.50
Veon Harris: 22-3/19/77; #39 '98; East Mississippi JC
P, R-R, 6-0 175
Harris is relatively old to be coming out of JC as well as pitching in rookie ball. On the other hand, he had some injury prior to starting his carrer in Bradenton, so this stint was to some extent an injury rehab. Other than his first appearance in which he gave up 6 runs in 2/3 IP, he pitched pretty well. He may see some time in Hickory in '99, though Williamsport is also a very realistic possibility. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
98 R      7   0  13.1  13  0  12  16  6.07
Ben Levesque: 19-10/9/79; #13 '98; Cary, NC (HS)
P, R-R, 6-3 185
Levesque looks to be a hard thrower with control problems. His BB rate in high school was even high. He'll probably be back in Bradenton to start '99. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
98 HS     -   -  61.0   -  -  53 100  3.40
98 R      6   0  12.2  17  2   9  11  7.11
Rafael Marichal: 19-8/20/79; NDFA '96; Santo Domingo, DR
P, R-R, 6-0 170
Marichal had the best year of any youngster in rookie ball, though his ERA is a bit deceiving -- half of the runs he gave up were unearned. Nevertheless, he gave up few BB and had a decent K/IP rate. He is likely to be a hard thrower since he was the primary closer in Bradenton. He likely will be in Williamsport in '99. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
98 R     18   0  30.1  26  1   6  30  2.08
Juan Morrobel: 20-9/14/78; NDFA '95; Dominican(HS)
P, L-L, 6-0 180
Like '97, Morrobel made 3 appearances early in the year and then didn't pitch again. He'll either be out of the organization or in Williamsport in '99. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
97 R      3   0   8.0   7  0   2   4  0.00
98 R      3   0   6.2   2  0   5   7  1.35
Eric Smith: 19-9/1/79; NDFA '98; Richmond, IN
P, R-R, 6-1 164
Smith is an interesting case as he wasn't drafted, but signed with the Bucs sometime in '98, yet he's high school age. I'm guessing he was noticed at a tryout camp. He is likely to be very raw, so he'll probably be back in Bradenton in '99. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
98 R      7   0   7.1  14  1   3   5  8.59
Etanislao Vallejo: 19-6/7/80; NDFA '97; San Cristobal, DR
P, R-R, 6-3 185
Vallejo pitched pretty well in Bradenton, but his BB rate was pretty high. The fact that he worked part of the year as a starter suggests the organization has some interest in him. He is likely to be in Williamsport in '99. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
98 R     13   6  34.0  31  0  22  26  3.71
James White: 19-11/6/79; #7 '98; Chico, CA (HS)
P, R-R, 6-2 185
White can throw in the low 90's, so he fits the notion of drafting power arms. In rookie ball, like a number of his teammates, he was particularly hurt by control problems. Depending on spring training, he'll either be in Williamsport or back in Bradenton to start '99. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
98 R     12  12  38.2  44  1  30  26  7.22

Venezuelan Summer League
Jason Alcala: ?; NDFA ; Caracas, VEN
P,

Alcala pitched for Montalban in the Venezuelan Summer League and was listed as a Pirates farmhand. His performance there was OK, and his K rate was above league average. Of more note was that he pitched well for the "minor league" team of Leones de Caracas in the winter leagues; he was called up late in their season and made a few appearances for Leones, including an appearance in one of their semifinal playoff games. I'm guessing he's fairly young and he may pitch in Bradenton this year. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
98 VSL   11   8  43.1  44  2  16  43  3.74
   VWLm  12   9  64.2  62  4  19  35  2.64
   VWL    3   0   3.2   4  0   4   2  0.00
Jesus Rumbos: ?;
P,
Rumbos pitched for Montalban in the Venezuelan Summer League and was listed as a Pirates farmhand. His ERA was very good, though his K rate was only average. He did gave up a number of hits, but few of them went for extra bases (11 2B and 1 3B out of 69 hits). He's another possibility to see some time in Bradenton in '99. 
          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
98 VSL   16  10  59.0  69  0  15  44  2.44
Projections:

Bucs: Starters
Bullpen 		Cordova, Schmidt, Silva, Peters, Schourek
Loiselle, Wilkins/Phillips, Christianson, Wallace/Sauerbeck, Williams, Tabaka
Nashville: Starters
Bullpen 		Benson, Anderson, Phillips, Haynie, Milacki
Martinez, Van Poppel, Baron, Bernal, Burgos, Daniels, Dougherty, Long, Pickford, Ritchie, Ryan, Sauveur, Dessens
Altoona: Starters
Bullpen 		Arroyo, Ah Yat, Lambert, France, McConnell
McDade, Halla, Duff, Kelly, Paugh, Corn, Davis, O'Connor, Runion, Pett
Lynchburg: Starters
Bullpen 		Alvarado, M. Gonzales, Bausher, C. Johnston, Stabile
Buirley, Bacci, Martin, Bravo, Combs, Crawford, Guy, Guzman, J. Sparks
Hickory: Starters
Bullpen 		Prater, Classen, Grabow, S. Sparks, Breitenstein, Kim
Luttig, Williams, Vogt, Pavlovich, Montilla, M. Johnston, Hlodan, Gray, Beimel, Pena, Simontacchi, Harris
Williamsport: Starters
Bullpen 		D. Alvarado, Bennett, Bumatay, Dela Cruz, White
Garcia, Bazan, G. Gonzales, Marichal, Vallejo, 1999 Draft Picks/Reassignments
Gulf Coast League: Starters
Bullpen 		Alcala, Rumbos
Levesque, Smith, 1999 Draft Picks/Reassignments

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