Danny Espinoza, SS - Nationals

Welcome to this week’s Farm Report. I’ve picked out five prospects flying a bit under the radar who I think will be factors eventually in fantasy leagues, as well as updated some goings on and some of my thoughts on minor league action. Remember to send me your feedback, so I can make sure I am being useful to my readers.

Danny Espinosa, SS, WAS- A third-round pick in last June’s draft out of infield factory Long Beach State (Bobby Crosby, Troy Tulowitzki, Evan Longoria recently), Espinosa doesn’t have the power of his fellow alumni, but does have some promise as a big league shortstop. The 22 year-old has some serious on-base skills to go with good contact skills from both sides of the plate and above average speed, all of which make him a prototype #2 hitter in the bigs. He has even shown some doubles power in the early going, posting a .333/.475/.517 line in his first 60 at bats at Hi-A Potomac. The Nationals system is weak, so if he continues to excel to this degree, he could move quickly. His arrival time is probably two years from now, in 2011, though he could push for a promotion in mid 2010 if he continues to produce. As a fantasy prospect, think somewhere along the lines of a Ryan Theriot, high average and on base guy with good but not great speed, although Espinosa is a bigger guy and could develop 10 HR power.

Jeremy Hellickson, SP, TB- Hellickson got his share of attention after an incredible start to last season in Hi-A, where he sported an 83/5 K:BB ratio in his first 14 starts. He struggled a bit upon his promotion to Double-A Montgomery, mainly as a result of some bad luck, batters had a sparkling .358 batting average on balls in play, much higher than average. This year he has roared out of the gate once again, with a 1.92 ERA and 33 Ks in 28 innings. There are a couple causes for concern, his walks are up and his GB% down so far, but overall Hellickson has had a very encouraging start. While his fastball normally sits in the low 90s, his curveball and changeup are major league caliber, and while he won’t be a mow-down starter, he should develop into a #3 starter with a decent amount of K’s, in the mold of a James Shields. The problem is that there is a rough road ahead of him, with David Price and Wade Davis both higher in the pecking order, and a good rotation already in place in Tampa. While he probably will be ready for the show by next season at the latest, when he will actually get the call is another question.

Zeke Spruill, SP, ATL- The Braves love drafting and developing local high school kids and Zeke was the best Georgia had to offer this year, going in the 2^nd round. His debut for the GCL Braves last year was very good, as he went 7-0 in 10 appearances, working some relief, but his start this year has been even more impressive. He has tossed 21 innings and allowed just 4 earned runs, for a sparkling 1.71 ERA. His groundball rate is high, his strikeouts are good (but not great), and his walks are low, the trifecta of secondary stats. Spruill isn’t an overpowering pitcher, but he has a big 6 foot 4 frame and room to add velocity as he grows. He is still a project, but has shown very good signs so far this year as a 19 year old in A ball. He is still probably at least two years away, but has a very high upside as a major league starter.

Tony Delmonico, C, LAD- Los Angeles thinks they may have found a new Russell Martin in Delmonico, a collegiate shortstop turned professional catcher. A coach’s son, his great plate discipline, contact skills and athleticism are reminiscent of the tools Martin brought with him from third base. In his debut last year, he clubbed 30 extra base hits in just 138 at bats, showing some pop. He is 22 years old and just in A ball, but after a .294/.442/.515 start he could find himself promoted to Double-A Jacksonville by the end of this season if he can continue to make defensive strides. Delmonico has only been catching about 60% of the time, so he will need to prove to the organization he can be a full-time catcher moving forward. Due to the demanding nature of the position, he may take a little bit longer to develop, and with Martin just hitting his prime, they will probably move him slowly. However, with Martin showing signs that a move back to third may be on the horizon, Delmonico may find himself with a job at the beginning of the 2011 or 2012 seasons, assuming he continues to hit.

Daniel Hudson, SP, CHW- A couple weeks ago in this column I profiled Dexter Carter (who by the way continues to be lights out), a starter in A ball for the White Sox who was a sleeper pick in the 2008 draft from Old Dominion. Now his teammate at Kannapolis, Daniel Hudson, who also pitched with Carter at ODU, is turning heads with some awesome performances. After striking out 90 in 69.2 innings in his pro debut last year, he’s off to an excellent start again with 24 strikeouts in his last 2 starts, a span of 12.2 innings. He doesn’t throw that hard, sitting in the low 90’s, but he has wicked movement on his fastball, and at 6 foot 4 has a long stride that brings his delivery point closer to home plate than most pitchers. Keep an eye on both of these surprising starters as the year continues.

Notes from around the minors:

-          Josh Reddick, a 22 year old centerfielder in the Red Sox organization, continues to show some huge power, having slugged 6 homers in his first 17 games of the year. He has slugged .500+ in each of the past to year, and may be major league ready by mid-season next year, since Double-A does not appear to be posing much of a challenge. His plate discipline leaves something to be desired, but he projects as a high power player with above average speed.

-          Dayan Viciedo has not been nearly the impact player he was hyped to be when he came over from Cuba. His early line is just .219/.234/.288, and his plate discipline has been terrible, with a 20:2 K/BB ratio. At this point, he should have no significance to fantasy owners, as he doesn’t appear to be anywhere near major league action. Keep an eye on him though; he still has a high upside, if he can adjust to American pitching.

-          After a breakout year last season at Hi-A Kinston, Hector Rondon has dominated AA ball so far at Akron, going 4-0 while striking out a batter per inning and allowing just 4 walks and 3 runs in 23 innings. He has bust onto the scene in a big way now, and could be making noise in Cleveland by next season and on top prospect lists even sooner.

-          Charlie Blackmon was a rare college draft pick in 2008, a toolsy and raw outfielder with a lot of upside. He seems to have made progress with his plate discipline this season, with a 9/9 BB/K ratio. He’s also stolen 6 bases, and if his power comes along, he could develop into an excellent prospect, although he still looks to be at least 2 years away.

-          San Diego Padres big man Kyle Blanks is a major league position away from being a very good big leaguer. He’s blocked at first by Adrian Gonzalez, who is undoubtedly the Pad’s best player. They’ve talked about moving him to the outfield, but his size (6’6 270) doesn’t play that well there. He has a line drive stroke resulting in great contact, and a good approach that brings some on base aptitude, but his power is surprisingly unimpressive for a man of his stature. He looks like a Conor Jackson-type hitter right now, and he will need to add some loft to his swing if he wants to best that.