Around the Organization
A look at the Delray Beach Grasshoppers of the Liberty League (R)
Only one team within the North Carolina organization is struggling, and that's the Delray Beach Grasshoppers. While we knew this was a young club, as are most rookie league squads, we still thought there'd be enough talent to push for a playoff spot. But right now, the Hoppers are 21-31, 9th in the East Division, and 14 games out of first.
On a more optimistic note, the team has won 6 games in a row and sits 7.5 games out of the final wildcard spot. Here's a look at the notable prospects in Delray Beach:
Teimua Kirisitopa - SP
Featured in our previous write-up, Teimua has been successful in his first 4 starts with the club, posting a 2-0 record and a 1.77 ERA. He's allowed just 1 HR in 20.3 innings of work.
Dave Murphy - SP
Scouts have recently boosted their projections on Murphy, a throwaway 8th round pick from the 2033 draft who had a 9+ ERA his senior year in high school. While he was an abysmal 3-12 with an 8.85 ERA in his first year as a pro last season and is an even more abysmal 2-4 with a 9.66 ERA this year, the one-time 5/4/5 prospect is suddenly a 7/5/6 prospect. With 4 decent pitches in his repertoire, that makes Murphy a big league prospect, even though he doesn't look like one so far.
Jorge Ramirez - RP
This 18-year-old scouting discovery, like Murphy, has ugly stats (7.16 ERA this year, 6.38 ERA last year) but pretty potential ratings (8/6/5). Once he masters his Cutter and Curve, he should be on the fast track to the big league bullpen.
Chris 'Foghorn' Cleghorn - CL
Our 2nd round pick last fall is a 4.5 star prospect, and although he's struggled to adjust to the pros, his 3-3-6, 6.33 line doesn't look so bad after checking out Murphy and Ramirez. The Foghorn has top shelf stuff, at least potentially. A 10/7/6 potential talent, he's a guy to keep a real close eye on.
Juan Rodriguez - CA
19-year-old Juan Rodriguez is looking pretty good for a 3rd round pick. Drafted 59th overall in 2033, he's followed up .227-10-55 season with a .324-8-40 start... so after hitting 10 HR in 106 games last season, he's already got 8 in 47 games this year. His 5/7/7/6/5 ratings potentials are solid, though a bump to a 6 in contact would put him in very good shape to start in NC someday.
Kazuhiko Nakashima - 1B
Our 4th round pick last fall looks like a keeper with potentials of 6/7/6/6/6. He's off to a .303-11-32 start, 46 games into his pro career. He needs to improve in the field or else he'll be a DH down the line.
Jimmy Dixon - 2B
Infielder Jimmy Dixon, our 7th round pick last year, is off to a .220-9-27 start. He's expected to be more of a 'hit for average' guy than a 'hit for power' guy, but he's doing his best Willie Mays Hayes impersonation so far. Still, it's rare to have a 7th round pick you think can make the show, but that's what we have in Dixon.
Jose Medrano - SS
Our first round pick has already been dinged by scouts, dropping from 8/6/5 to 7/6/4 potentials in Contact/Power/Eye. But he's still a good looking prospect, and his .273-7-38 start to his pro career isn't terrible. He's going to have to work on his fielding ability, because a SS with a 2 rating won't cut it in NC. Medrano is on pace for a .272-19-102 season.
Charlie 'Smarty Pants' Dickinson - RF
Dickinson, our 3rd round pick last fall, has been outstanding. He's hitting .308-11-35 (paced for .309-30-94) and has done everything you can expect from a 3rd round pick. He's one of the guys - along with Medrano - that can really turn this team's season around.