2012 Prospect Rankings Review: Second Base

Over the next couple weeks, I will be taking a look back at how the players on our preseason and midseason positional prospect rankings performed, and whether or not they improved or worsened their stock during the season. Note that each of these reviews will not be new rankings, and will not discuss anyone not on the rankings at either point.

So far I've looked at the catcher and first base positional rankings, so we'll keep going around the diamond to second base. You can find the preseason rankings here and the midseason rankings here. All statistics are courtesy of Baseball Reference.

Note: The following players will be discussed within different positions:

Coming Soon to A Stadium Near You (AA and AAA)

Gyorko has been alternating between second and third base this season while at both AA and AAA, as the Padres hoped to find a way to have him and current 3B Chase Headley on the field at the same time. Gyorko definitely played well enough to warrant consideration for a spot on the 2013 opening day roster, as he crushed 24 homers in the offense-friendly environments of the PCL. At either position, he looks like he has the potential to be a decent contributor for the Padres next year.

Wong was the 1st round draft pick of the Cardinals a season ago, and after his first full pro season, I'm wondering if we will see him starting for the Cardinals next April. Wong has been said to fit the prototype for a #2 hitter in the lineup: good batting average, a little bit of power, and a bit of speed, and this appears to be an apt observation. I think the numbers he posted this year in AA are similar to what he will likely provide in the Majors.

A bit overlooked in the Orioles' system, Schoop played primarily at second base until Manny Machado was called up to the Majors, when he moved back to shortstop. Craig wrote about Schoop yesterday, and reminds us that the numbers don't necessarily tell the whole story with Schoop. As with a lot of prospects, the key still remains age-to-level when viewing his performance. He will still be just 21 years old for all of next season.

An undersized second baseman (5'9"), Gennett just hits for average no matter where he goes. The .293 batting average this season was the lowest of his minor league career so far. I think we're seeing what he can be at the Majors, with the potential down the line maybe (MAYBE!) for double digit power and speed.

Havens would definitely fit the qualification of a lost prospect at this point. He turns 26 in October, but has not played above AA, and not played particularly well there either. While I don't think it's impossible, this is probably the last time I'll end up discussing the future of Havens.

Low Level Prospects (High-A and Below)

Spangenberg missed most of June and nearly all of July with "post-concussion-like symptoms", and I'm wondering if he ends up starting his season back at High-A again in 2013 as a result. He looks like he will get to the Majors on his speed, which is concerning given that he stole just 1 base in 3 attempts in August. If that speed doesn't continue, Spangenberg may end up as a better real-life prospect than one for fantasy purposes.

Rosario spent the season working on his move to second base, and it appears to be going reasonably well. He played 2B primarily during the season, but also had some time in center field as well. Rosario missed time after being hit in the face by a line drive during batting practice in June, but was able to return before the end of the season. Despite that, a very good season in Low-A for Rosario.

Odor spent the full season in Low-A, and while the numbers don't jump out as super impressive on their own, Odor played the entire season at the age of 18. I like seeing the power already considering that he played in the Sally League, not exactly known as a hitter's league.