Is Brandon Wood finally ready? And is the power legit?

Shortstop

Mike Moustakas, Kansas City Royals – the second overall pick in the 2007 draft, the Royals selected Moustakas out of Chatsworth High School in Chatsworth, California. In other words, he is still very young and very raw, but he also has an incredibly high ceiling, and there is absolutely no one blocking him in this system.

Brandon Wood, Los Angeles Angels – The 2005 season that made everyone salivate over Wood, where he hit 43 home runs and drove in 115 RBI, looks increasingly like an aberration than the real deal. That said, he has posted at least 24 homers and 80 RBI in each of the last two seasons, and there is something to be said for that type of power out of a shortstop. He does not look like a .300 hitter, but a .270 - .280 hitter with pop is nothing to sneeze at.

Reid Brignac, Tampa Bay Rays – The good from his season in Double-A was the 17 home runs and the 30 doubles he posted. The bad, though, was the .260 batting average, and it looks like batting average is not going to be a strength of his, despite his having hit over .300 in 2006, as his 2007 average was very much in line with his .264 average from 2005. Brignac looks like a mini-Wood at this point.

Elvis Andrus, Texas Rangers – All it took was a trade to the Rangers to turn Andrus around, as this toolsy youngster has always impressed scouts but never put up exciting numbers. Post-trade, Andrus hit .300 with 2 home runs, 12 RBI, 15 stolen bases, and 19 runs scored in 27 games in the California League. Following that, he was quite impressive in the Arizona Fall League, hitting .353 with 10 runs, 3 RBI, and 5 stolen bases in 51 at-bats. Andrus is finally on the fast track, and he should open the 2008 season in Double-A.

Third Base

Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays – In 248 at-bats in 2006 after being the third overall selection in that year’s draft, Longoria went out and belted out 18 home runs and 14 doubles at 3 different levels. Last year, Longoria continued to mash, hitting 26 home runs with 29 doubles in 485 at-bats between Double-A and Triple-A. The power is legit, and this could be this year’s Ryan Braun.

Andy LaRoche, Los Angeles Dodgers – Despite numbers in 2006 that indicated he was ready, the Dodgers went ahead and banished him back to Vegas for 2007, where he hit .309 with 18 homers, 48 RBI, and 55 runs scored in just 265 at-bats. The Dodgers have run out of excuses to hold him back, and third base is, at last, his. LaRoche should be one of the favorites for Rookie of the Year this season.

Chase Headley, San Diego Padres – Headley did have a minor cup of coffee in the majors during the 2007 season, but the majority of his time was in Double-A with the San Antonio Missions. Headley hit .330 with 20 home runs, 78 RBI, 82 runs, and 38 doubles in 433 at-bats there, but he struggled mightily in his eight games in the majors. The presence of Kevin Kouzmanoff at third base could force a move to second base for Headley.

Ian Stewart, Colorado Rockies – Stewart was a hotshot prospect before bottoming out hard in 2006, but his 2007 bounce-back has him back on the prospect radar. In 414 at-bats in Colorado Springs, Stewart hit .304 with 15 home runs, 65 RBI, 72 runs, 11 stolen bases, and 23 doubles. Power should come with time as the 22-year-old (he will turn 23 at the beginning of the season) continues to develop.