Will Daric Barton hit for enough power to have value at first?

Welcome back for yet another thrilling edition of Treasure Hunting, where we every week dip into the fantasy baseball free agent pools, check out the temperature of the water, and see what quality players might be swimming around there.

Okay, I probably stretched that metaphor out a little too much, but you get the idea.

This week, we have a first rounder already getting his cup of coffee out of the way and a new first baseman out by the bay. Will either of these players be worth owning this year, or are they worth grabbing only with next year in mind? Or, neither of the above? Read on!

Ross Detwiler, Starting Pitcher, Washington Nationals

A product of Southwest Missouri State, Detwiler pitched for the Bears for three seasons before the Nationals drafted him. His first season was less than impressive – 0-2 with a 6.35 ERA in eleven appearances, eight as a starter – but his pitching would improve dramatically in the following season. That year, the 20-year-old Detwiler was 7-4 with a 2.81 ERA in fourteen starts, recording 99 strikeouts and walking 47 in 93 innings.

That brings us to this year, where he was only 4-5 for the Bears despite an ERA of just 2.22. Over 89 innings, Detwiler struck out an impressive 110 and walked just 38. Featuring a low- to mid-90s fastball, a solid curveball, and changeup, Detwiler would parlay his success this season into the sixth overall selection in this year’s draft.

Detwiler signed early enough to make nine appearances in the minors this year, all but one as a starter, starting out in the Gulf Coast League. Despite making four starts with the Gulf Coast Nationals, he would pitch just 12 innings there. That did not stop him from putting up impressive numbers, with fifteen strikeouts and just three walks.

Pleased with his performance there, the Nationals moved him up to the High-A Carolina League, where in five appearances Detwiler was 2-2 with a 4.22 ERA. His control numbers would take a severe hit though, as he struck out just 13 in 21 1/3 innings and walked nine. Detwiler also allowed 27 hits, giving him a WHIP of 1.687.

At this point, most teams would realize that Detwiler needs more time there and would simply shut him down when the season was over. Not the Nationals though, as they would promote him to the bigs and let him get into one game, a perfect inning with one strikeout.

Fortunately, the Nationals have not pitched Detwiler again since then, as his results in the last are not likely to be repeated. If anything, further pitching this season, especially in the majors, can only do him harm and set him back.

While the temptation is always there to grab the next big thing, Detwiler is not ready for the majors, or even close. No offense to the Bears, but Detwiler did not come from an elite program and he can use the extra coaching and seasoning in the minors even if he did come out of college. His struggles with his control, albeit in a short time, certainly indicate that. At this point, Detwiler is simply a long-term pick, not worth grabbing with either this year or next in mind.

Daric Barton, First Base, Oakland Athletics

A first round selection of the St. Louis Cardinals out of high school in the 2003 draft, Barton would kick off his professional career as a catcher in the Appalachian League. Barton would do quite well for himself as a 17-year-old in the Appy League, hitting .291 with four home runs, 29 RBI, and 29 runs scored in 172 at-bats over 52 games.

While Barton would move up the ladder in 2004, he would remain in Low-A, heading to Peoria in the Midwest League. His numbers would only look even better this time around, as he batted .313 with thirteen home runs, 77 RBI, and 63 runs in 313 at-bats over 90 games. Hinting at more power to come, Barton would also pound out 23 doubles.

That offseason would bring the end to Barton’s days as a catcher, as he would be traded to the Athletics, along with Dan Haren and Kiko Calero, for Mark Mulder. The Athletics loved Barton for his patience – he walked more than he struck out in 2004 – but they were not that fond of his skills behind the plate, and he would move to first base to open the 2005 season, which he would do in High-A Stockton.

Barton would not spend the full season in Stockton though, barely half, as he would hit .318 with eight home runs, 52 RBI, and 60 runs scored in 292 at-bats over 79 games, and he once again walked more than he struck out, with 62 walks and 49 whiffs. The Athletics would bump him up to Double-A for the rest of the season, and he would hit .316 there with five homers, 37 RBI, and 38 runs scored in 212 at-bats in 56 games. Again, patience was a virtue for him, with 35 walks and 30 strikeouts.

2006 would be a disappointment though, as he would appear in just 43 games at Triple-A Sacramento thanks to injury. His numbers coming back from injury would not be anything to write home about either, as he hit just .259 with 2 homers, 22 RBI, and 25 runs. At least his patience remained, as he walked 32 times and walked 26 times.

2007 would see Barton return to Triple-A, and this time around the Athletics would see the numbers they were looking for. In 136 games, Barton picked up 516 at-bats with a .293 batting average. The homers still have not come around, as he hit just nine, but he did pick up 38 doubles as well, so the homers could still come. The plate discipline that the Athletics’ organization covets was certainly still there, as he picked up 78 free bags and whiffed only 69 times.

That brings us to the present, where Barton is now in the bigs, where he has picked up two hits and three walks in seven at-bats. The Athletics have said that they plan to get Barton as many times up at the plate as they can, and he will produce, especially for those in on-base league. While he will hit for the homers most look for in a first baseman, the runs, RBI, and batting average will certainly help, and he is potentially an elite first baseman in leagues that count on-base instead of batting average.

Last Week Revisited

Last week, we took at look at Wladimir Balentien and Joey Votto. How have they done since? Well, Balentien, like we warned, has sat around and looked good – even though they continue to lose ground, the Mariners are still in a playoff hunt, and they are unwilling to use a rookie in a pressure role. Votto, however, plays for a team that has been out of the playoff picture since, well, when did the season begin again? Since his call-up, Votto has appeared in six games, picked up 15 at-bats, and hit .467 with two home runs, six RBI, and four runs scored.

That wraps up this week – tune in again next week for more treasure hunting!

Questions and comments may be sent to markhaverty@sportsgrumblings.com