Every Friday, Baseball America publishes their weekly Hot Sheet where they rank the best minor league performers for the previous week. In addition to the Hot Sheet, they hold a chat to discuss their weekly rankings, and here are some excerpts:
Keith (Tennessee): Mesoraco looks ready for the show. Do you see the Reds moving Ramon Hernandez to make room for him?Ben Badler: I think he's very, very close to being big league ready, I'm just not sure if the Reds will bring up a rookie catcher to supplant a veteran in the midst of what should be a post-season run. If he's killing it to a .900 OPS through June though, yeah, I'd bring him up if it were up to me.
Mesoraco has had a solid start to the 2011 AAA season hitting .320-.393-.800 with 3 HRs and 8 RBIs.
Elliot (Youngstown OH): How do you like Lonnie Chisenhall's debut in Columbus ? Lots of xb hits.Ben Badler: Yup, the guy can flat-out hit. And I think he's going to surprise people with those extra-base hits now that his shoulder is healthy. It's not Moustakas-type power, but I'm counting on 20-25 home runs this year.
Hey, Adrian Beltre hits 20-25 HRs per year, so Chissy is going to be a solid choice at third base for fantasy owners.
More excerpts for the BA Hot Sheet chat after the jump:
eastin (Louisiana): Is Goldschmidt for real? He's killed the ball throughout his minor league career and had a very nice(though small sample size) spring training this year.Ben Badler: I saw him his first series at Carolina when he was on that tear, and there's some thing to like, but he's still going to have to shake the "mistake hitter" tag from scouts. No questions about the power. He struggled some though when pitchers elevated stuff up on him and they got him to chase some offspeed stuff out of the zone, so I think he's still going to have to prove he can make more contact against advanced pitchers.
John Sickels heard reports that Goldschmidt has an iimproved approach at the plate this year.
Tom (Des Peres, MO): What will Jerry Sands need to accomplish to get more respect from the prospect community? Big numbers last year, were discounted as he was old for high A. Now he gets dinged for hitting in Albq. Seems one of the better prospects with a direct path to the big leagues with LAD problems in LF and Loney's poor start.Ben Badler: Well, he did make the Hot Sheet, right? There's a lot of Jerry Sands fans in the office, not necessarily as a superstar in the making, but definitely a guy who could be a solid to above-average regular. Lord knows the Dodgers could use him with the lineup they're putting out there right now.
I agree with what Tom and Ben said about Sands not getting respect and the fact that the Dodgers need a bat in their lineup right now. As I have stated in the past, I think Loney will be gone-one waty or another-after this season.
Tim (Colorado): At all worried about Tyler Matzek's start, particularly after an underwhelming pro-debut last season?Ben Badler: I'm not worried about his stuff, but I yes, I'm absolutely worried about his command.
Matzek is an example of a prospect who still gets respect for his ceiling, whereby someone like Sands still gets no respect, from some prospect experts, for being a 25th round draft choice.