Taking a Look at Prospect Lists: Texas Rangers related

For people who love minor league baseball and looking at their team's future down the road, this time of the year is one of the better ones. Football is over, which means Spring Training is coming closer, and with it the baseball season. There also are the annual Top 100 Prospect lists that come out where many different sources create their lists of the best players that minor league baseball has to offer based on projection and future value. The top 5 prospects in the game are usually a consensus list, while the rest is up for debate based on personal bias and views. Every major independent scouting source is going to have different views and opinions of players and with it come different lists.

The ones that I pay particular attention to are Kevin Goldstein (Baseball Prospectus), Keith Law (ESPN), Baseball America, Jonathan Mayo (MLB.com), and Scout.com. I enjoy John Sickel's opinions as well. His list of top 20 prospects in the Texas Rangers can be found here.

I recently put together a spreadsheet of seven different top 100 prospect lists. Baseball America has not come out with their list yet, so it will eventually be 8 different lists. In the seven that have been done so far, there have been 194 different players rated in the top 100 prospect lists. The sources are:

Kevin Goldstein (BP)
Keith Law (ESPN)
Jonathan Mayo (MLB.com)
Scout.com (magazine)
Project Prospect
Scouting Book
Seedlings to Stars

The Texas Rangers once again have a highly rated farm system by virtually everybody and with it, the versatility and depth that an organization wants. Below is a listing of the top 5 teams with the most prospects in the top 100 prospects lists (out of 194 players remember):

1. San Diego- 15
2. Boston- 11
3. Toronto- 11
4. St. Louis- 10
5. Texas- 10

Two of the Texas Ranger's prospects, Jurickson Profar and Martin Perez, were also rated in the top 100 by every source. Another, third baseman Mike Olt, was rated in the top 100 by 6 of the 7 lists. Pitcher Neil Ramirez and outfielder Leonys Martin made at least 3 of the 7 lists.

Taking the first four sources that I pay attention to (Kevin Goldstein, Keith Law, MLB.com, and Scout.com), I also put together a list of the 68 players that came in every top 100 list of those four sources. I then took the 68 players and put together the list by average ranking. The list is as follows, with Texas Rangers prospects in bold:

1. LHP Matt Moore, Tampa Bay
2. OF Mike Trout, Los Angeles (A)
3. OF Bryce Harper, Washington
4. SS Jurickson Profar, Texas
5. RHP Shelby Miller, St. Louis
6. SS Manny Machado, Baltimore
7. RHP Julio Teheran, Atlanta
8. C Jesus Montero, Seattle
9. RHP Gerrit Cole, Pittsburgh
10. RHP Jameson Taillon, Pittsburgh
11. RHP Dylan Bundy, Baltimore
12. C Devin Mesoraco, Cincinnati
13. OF Wil Myers, Kansas City
14. RHP Jacob Turner, Detroit
15. RHP Manny Banuelos, New York (A)
16. RHP Trevor Bauer, Arizona
17. 3B Nolan Arenado, Colorado
18. 3B Miguel Sano, Minnesota
19. C Travis D'Arnaud, Toronto
20. LHP Danny Hultzen, Seattle
21. LHP Martin Perez, Texas
22. OF Bubba Starling, Kansas City
23. RHP Carlos Martinez, St. Louis
24. RHP Archie Bradley, Arizona
25. LHP Drew Pomeranz, Colorado
26. 3B Anthony Rendon, Washington
27. RHP Jarrod Parker, Oakland
28. RHP Taijuan Walker, Seattle
29. RHP Arodyz Vizcaino, Atlanta
30. RHP Zack Wheeler, New York (N)
31. SS Hak-Ju Lee, Tampa Bay
32. SS Francisco Lindor, Cleveland
33. RHP Matt Harvey, New York (N)
34. OF Jake Marisnick, Toronto
35. SS Jean Segura, Los Angeles (A)
36. SS Billy Hamilton, Cincinnati
37. OF Gary Brown, San Francisco
38. OF Christian Yelich, Florida
39. 1B Anthony Rizzo, Chicago (N)
40. C Gary Sanchez, New York (A)
41. OF Brett Jackson, Chicago (N)
42. 1B Jonathan Singleton, Houston
43. OF Michael Choice, Oakland
44. RHP Jarred Cosart, Houston
45. SS Xander Bogaerts, Boston
46. RHP Zach Lee, Los Angeles (N)
47. RHP Dellin Betances, New York (A)
48. RHP Jake Odorizzi, Kansas City
49. 3B Mike Olt, Texas
50. OF George Springer, Houston
51. RHP Wily Peralta, Milwaukee
52. 3B Nick Castellanos, Detroit
53. OF Anthony Gose, Toronto
54. RHP Randall Delgado, Atlanta
55. RHP Casey Kelly, San Diego
56. OF Rymer Liriano, San Diego
57. OF Starling Marte, Pittsburgh
58. RHP Trevor May, Philadelphia
59. RHP A.J. Cole, Oakland
60. LHP James Paxton, Seattle
61. RHP Sonny Gray, Oakland
62. C Yasmani Grandal, San Diego
63. OF Josh Bell, Pittsburgh
64. SS Javier Baez, Chicago (N)
65. 1B Yonder Alonso, San Diego
66. OF Mason Williams, New York (A)
67. 3B Jedd Gyorko, San Diego
68. RHP Addison Reed, Chicago (A)

In case you had missed it as well, I have put out a few tweets over today and on Thursday related to the lists and the Texas League. 

Of Keith Law's top 100 prospects, 14 of them played in the Texas League in 2011. When the rosters are put out, likely late in Spring Training or after it's over altogether, I will have a list of the top prospects in the league put together as well.

Of Kevin Goldstein's top 101 prospects, 18 of them played in the Texas League in 2011. Five Texas Ranger's (Jurickson Profar at #4, Martin Perez at #36, Mike Olt at #45, Neil Ramirez at #77, and Jorge Alfaro at #101) were in Kevin Goldstein's top 100 prospect list. You can find the list at the link above.

- Michael Damman

Texas League Best of the Best: Left Field

Team Rankings

1. Corpus Christi Hooks

Statistics: .303/.369/.492/.861 59 Extra Base Hits 99 RBI 74 Runs 55 BB- 95 K


The Corpus Christi Hooks began the season with J.D. Martinez taking the field in left field, but by the middle of the year Martinez was promoted to Houston and from there Brandon Barnes and Jake Goebbert took over most of the playing time in the second half. Martinez used a .348 average, .412 on base percentage, and .577 slugging percentage along with 36 extra base hits and 64 RBI in 72 games to get the promotion to the big league club. After productive time in the major leagues (.274/.319/.423/.742), Martinez looks like he will remain the starting left fielder for the Astros going forward. Jake Goebbert played left field for 31 games as well and batted .283/.377/.453/.830 over 123 plate appearances. Brandon Barnes chipped in a .237/.306/.382/.687 batting line over 20 games (86 plate appearances), while Adam Bailey, David Flores, Andrew Simunic, Jon Gaston, and James Van Ostrand combined for 25 games played as well.


2. San Antonio Missions

Statistics: .232/.367/.409/.777 53 Extra Base Hits 92 RBI 101 Runs 106 BB-144 K

In April there was no hotter hitter in the Texas League than Jaff Decker. The 21 year old outfielder batted .316/.449/.759/1.208 for the month of April with 17 extra base hits and 27 RBI over 21 games. Over the final four full months of Texas League play, however, Decker played cat and mouse with terrible and above average having OPS's of .593-.875-.554-.838 over that time. After hitting 8 homeruns in the 1st month of the season, Decker hit 11 over the final 4+ months. He still finished with a solid season overall (.222/.361/.408/.769 with 91 BB-128 K and 15 SB-20 SBA), but nothing like the machine he looked like out of the gate. Daniel Robertson also saw playing time in left field for 17 games and batted .333/.440/.452/.892 over 51 plate appearances. Dean Anna, James Darnell, Kyle Blanks, Oscar Garcia, Andy Parrino, and Danny Payne combined for 17 games played.

3. Springfield Cardinals

Statistics: .282/.351/.458/.809 48 Extra Base Hits 62 RBI 88 Runs 52 BB-109 K

The Springfield Cardinals used 10 different left fielders during the 2011 season with none of them getting more than 37 games played in left field. Five of the ten outfielders had at least 10 games played as well. Chris Swauger led the Cardinals with 37 games played and batted .287/.338/.434/.772 over 134 plate appearances. Eric Duncan proved to be the most productive of Springfield's left fielders as the former top prospect of the New York Yankees batted .303/.360/.590/.950 when he trotted out to left field. He had 16 extra base hits in 136 plate appearances. Jermaine Curtis was the third member of the 100 plate appearance club as he batted .312/.398/.419/.817 over 110 plate appearances with more walks (13) than strikeouts (9). Daryl Jones batted .295/.348/.508/.857 in his 66 plate appearances (17 games) in left field, while Jose Garcia (12 games) was the 5th player with at least 10 games and batted .263/.333/.447/.780 during that time. Tyler Henley, Aaron Luna, Charles Cutler, Alan Ahmady, and Allen Craig combined for 26 games as well.

4. Northwest Arkansas Naturals

Statistics: .287/.351/.421/.772 37 Extra Base Hits 68 RBI 77 Runs 50 BB-96 K

Former Frisco RoughRider Tim Smith led the Northwest Arkansas Naturals left fielders in games played in 2011 with 34 and batted .344/.398/.574/.972 over 134 plate appearances for the Naturals. Anthony Seratelli was the only other player to have 100 or more plate appearances for the Naturals in left field as he had 110. Seratelli batted .247/.336/.320/.656 over the time as well. Nick Francis hit .293/.341/.390/.731 over 93 plate appearances during 27 games played, while Nick Van Stratten batted just .179/.258/.286/.544 over 25 games (63 plate appearances). Brazilian native Paulo Orlando batted .347/.392/.583/.976 during 19 games in left field and stole 6 bases in 8 attempts. Derrick Robinson added even more speed as the switch handed hitter batted .268/.328/.268/.596 but stole 13 bases in 16 attempts over 14 games in left field. Top prospect Wil Myers chipped in 6 games of his own in left field as well.

5. Tulsa Drillers

Statistics: .251/.310/.433/.743 49 Extra Base Hits 71 RBI 77 Runs 37 BB-103 K

Scott Beerer started 73 games in left field for the Tulsa Drillers and batted .292/.334/.466/.800 over 300 plate appearances with 27 extra base hits and 36 RBI. The rest of the left fielders, however, were not so great. Mike Mitchell had the 2nd most games in left field for the Drillers with 41, but batted just .180 with a .264 on base percentage and .305 slugging percentage during that time. In 145 plate appearances, Mitchell had 9 extra base hits and 16 RBI. Brian Rike batted .214/.267/.529/.796 over 75 plate appearances as he had 8 extra base hits, including 7 homeruns. However, he walked 4 times to 30 strikeouts. Mike Daniel, Bronson Kiheimahanaomauiakeo Sardinha, and James Cesario combined for 15 games in left field as well.

6. Midland Rockhounds

Statistics: .277/.357/.379/.737 37 Extra Base Hits 65 RBI 73 Runs 57 BB-97 K

Local Dallas product Matt Sulentic led the Midland Rockhounds in games played in left field with 54 and batted .292/.340/.363/.703 with 9 extra base hits over 245 plate appearances. Shane Peterson appeared in left field for 35 games as well and batted .260/.378/.389/.768 over 156 plate appearances. Adam Heether shows up for the fourth time on Midland's positions as he had 30 games and 119 plate appearances in left field. Heether batted .287/.387/.436/.823 as a left fielder. He has had 100+ plate appearances at both second base and left field. Kent Walton also saw 24 games in left field and hit .250 with a .649 OPS in 89 plate appearances. Jose Rivero had 1 game in left field to round out the Midland Rockhounds.

7. Frisco RoughRiders


Statistics: .250/.301/.415/.716 54 Extra Base Hits 74 RBI 83 Runs 29 BB-115 K

The least patient team in left field in the Texas League in 2011, the Frisco RoughRiders were led in games played by Mike Bianucci with 54 games played. Over 236 plate appearances in left field, Bianucci batted .218/.263/.473/.735 with 28 extra base hits and 42 RBI. He had just 8 walks to 56 strikeouts though. Travis Adair and Mitch Hilligoss each spent time in Myrtle Beach and each had 27 games played in left field for Frisco. Adair batted just .229/.270/.284/.554, while Hilligoss batted .257/.288/.371/.659. Jonathan Greene was the most productive left fielder for Frisco as he batted .408/.491/.612/1.103 in left field. However, he did only have 14 games and 57 plate appearances there. David Paisano, Engel Beltre, top prospect Leonys Martin, and Guilder Rodriguez combined for 20 games in left field as well.


8. Arkansas Travelers

Statistics: .227/.310/.372/.683 45 Extra Base Hits 59 RBI 69 Runs 54 BB-123 K

The least productive group of left fielders in the Texas League, the Arkansas Travelers were led by Clay Fuller, Chris Pettit, and Roberto Lopez for much of the season. Fuller led the Travelers with 54 games played (181 plate appearances) and batted .231/.294/.350/.644 in left field. He had just 9 extra base hits and 18 RBI. Pettit was the least productive of the trio as he hit just .183 with a .269 on base percentage and .303 slugging percentage over 163 plate appearances. Roberto Lopez had a productive 28 games in left field, however, as he hit .303/.395/.525/.920 over 115 plate appearances with 16 extra base hits. Blake Gailen, Ryan Mount, Chris Giovinazzo, Rian Kiniry, Marvin Lowrance, Gabe Jacobo, and #1 prospect Mike Trout combined for 29 games played in left field as well.


Previous Positions:
Catcher
First Base
Second Base
Third Base
Shortstop
Left Field
Center Field
Right Field
Designated Hitter
Starting Pitcher
Relievers

Texas League Best of the Best: Shortstop

Team Rankings

1. San Antonio Missions

Statistics: .272/.348/.459/.807 56 Extra Base Hits 93 RBI 77 Runs 55 BB-120 K

At a position where the Texas League struggled to get stellar production from, the San Antonio Missions still got good production. Beamer Weems led the team with 77 games appeared at shortstop and hit .246/.331/.415/.746 with 27 extra base hits, 46 RBI, and 38 runs scored over 309 plate appearances. He would have been there longer if not for a horrendous injury that he suffered when he was hit by a pitch in the face on July 5th. Andy Parrino played the second most games at shortstop for the Missions as he appeared in 38 games and hit .326/.413/.582/.995 over 168 plate appearances. He had 17 extra base hits, including 9 homeruns and drove in 32 runs as well. Parrino crushed Frisco pitching in particular as the switch handed hitting infielder hit .347/.484/.673/1.157 against the Riders with 4 of his 9 homeruns over 62 plate appearances. Amadeo Zazueta and Dean Anna each got over 10 games at shortstop as well, while Anthony Contreras, Pat McKenna, and Bryan Altman combined for 11 games at shortstop.

2. Springfield Cardinals

Statistics: .280/.336/.420/.756 51 Extra Base Hits 80 RBI 70 Runs 45 BB-97 K

Ryan Jackson led all shortstops in the Texas League in both games played (134) and plate appearances (599) and helped quiet concerns over his bat that have surrounded him early in his career with a very solid season at the plate. Jackson hit .278/.334/.415/.749 with 48 extra base hits, drove in 73 runs, and scored 65 runs. Jose Garcia, Domnit Bolivar, and Donovan Solano combined for sporadic playing time at shortstop with a combined 9 games played.

3. Tulsa Drillers

Statistics: .245/.299/.433/.732 60 Extra Base Hits 70 RBI 66 Runs 33 BB-126 K

The Tulsa Drillers games leader at shortstop was Hector Gomez, who appeared in 101 games for Tulsa. What the shortstop lacks in patience (just 19 walks over 452 plate appearances), he makes up with a combination of power (42 extra base hits) and speed (16 steals). He led Texas League shortstops in homeruns and triples. He came in 2nd in steals and extra base hits. Thomas Field also saw playing time at shortstop as the 24 year old hit .310/.400/.556/.956 over 34 games (145 plate appearances). Field had 18 extra base hits and 20 RBI during that time as well. Warren Schaeffer, Jeffrey Squier, and Erik Wetzel combined for 6 games at shortstop as well.

4. Corpus Christi Hooks

Statistics: .270/.341/.387/.728 40 Extra Base Hits 47 RBI 86 Runs 53 BB-123 K

Despite being one of the youngest players in the league, Jonathan Villar earned 86 games and 365 plate appearances at shortstop for the Corpus Christi Hooks in 2011. The 20 year old hit .232/.300/.387/.687 over that time with 16 doubles, 2 triples, 10 homeruns, and stole 14 bases in 20 attempts. Wladimir Sutil also saw time at shortstop early in 2011 as he appeared in 39 games at the position and batted .309/.378/.395/.773 over 183 plate appearances. Brandon Wikoff also played 20 games there and had a .422 on base percentage, while Clint Barmes played 2 games there on MLB rehab.

5. Arkansas Travelers

Statistics: .255/.363/.339/.702 27 Extra Base Hits 61 RBI 68 Runs 78 BB-117 K

What the Arkansas Traveler's shortstops lacked in power, they made up for in patience and speed. Darwin Perez saw the majority of playing time at shortstop for the Travelers as he played 117 games there and earned 501 plate appearances. Perez batted .255/.361/.332/.693 with 22 extra base hits, 22 steals in 28 attempts, and walked 65 times to 100 strikeouts. He also had 49 RBI and 59 runs. Jon Townsend was the other Traveler with over 10 games as he played 12 games at shortstop (41 plate appearances) and hit .273/.390/.394/.784. Adam Younger, Dwayne Bailey, and Jesus Campos combined for 13 plate appearances.


6. Frisco RoughRiders

Statistics: .293/.345/.373/.718 31 Extra Base Hits 70 RBI 65 Runs 45 BB-66 K

One of two teams with less than 70 strikeouts from their shortstops, Frisco got solid production from Guilder Rodriguez (75 games) and Renny Osuna (66 games) at shortstop. Don't expect any walkoff homeruns from Guilder Rodriguez, but what he lacks in power he made up for in solid play day in and day out whether it was speed (12 steals in 15 attempts), plate discipline (24 BB-34 K in 293 PA) or contact (.284 hitter). Very similar to Guilder you could expect the same from Frisco's all-time hits leader, Renny Osuna. Osuna batted .301 with a .757 OPS as a shortstop, including 20 extra base hits, 30 RBI, 13 steals in 16 attempts, and 21 BB-30 K in 300 plate appearances. Davis Stoneburner and Jimmy Swift each had a game at shortstop as well.

7. Midland Rockhounds


Statistics: .262/.333/.362/.694 36 Extra Base Hits 63 RBI 70 Runs 56 BB-110 K

Former first round pick Grant Green led the Midland Rockhounds with 79 games at shortstop before he was moved to centerfield in the middle of the season. As a shortstop, Green hit .284/.347/.395/.742 with 27 extra base hits, 41 RBI, and scored 43 runs over 366 plate appearances. Tyler Ladendorf earned playing time at shortstop once Green was moved and appeared in 57 games at shortstop in all. He batted just .228/.312/.307/.619, however, with just 8 extra base hits and 18 RBI over 218 plate appearances. Jason Christian and Wes Timmons combined for 8 games at shortstop as well.


8. Northwest Arkansas Naturals

Statistics: .262/.339/.340/.679 27 Extra Base Hits 59 RBI 78 Runs 57 BB-59 K

Like Midland, the Northwest Arkansas Naturals saw a former first round pick (Christian Colon) spend the most time at shortstop. Colon, who was a first round pick (#4 overall) in 2010 out of Rice, played 99 games at shortstop and had 436 plate appearances in his first full pro season. Colon batted .261/.338/.352/.690 with 20 extra base hits, 47 RBI, stole 15 bases in 22 attempts, and walked more (40 times) than he struck out (36 times). Jeff Bianchi also had 38 games at shortstop and hit .265/.343/.313/.656 over 173 plate appearances. Anthony Seratelli appeared in a game at shortstop as well.


Previous Positions:
Catcher
First Base
Second Base
Third Base
Shortstop
Left Field
Center Field
Right Field
Designated Hitter
Starting Pitcher
Relievers

Texas League Best of the Best: Third Base

Team Rankings

1. San Antonio Missions

Statistics: .315/.405/.522/.927 65 Extra Base Hits 103 RBI 108 Runs 81 BB-99 K

Without a doubt the strongest team from the third base position, the San Antonio Missions received outstanding production from James Darnell for the first half of the 2011 season and then received good production from Jedd Gyorko for most of the second half of the 2011 season. Darnell hit .342/.441/.615/1.056 with 40 extra base hits and 57 RBI in 313 plate appearances en route to a promotion to AAA Tuscon. Gyorko replaced Darnell as best as he could hitting .298/.368/.444/.812 with 19 extra base hits and 39 RBI over 253 plate appearances following a monster first half in high-A Lake Elsinore where the then 22 year old hit .365/.429/.638/1.067 with 55 extra base hits and 74 RBI in 81 games (382 plate appearances).


2. Midland Rockhounds

Statistics: .282/.371/.418/.789 47 Extra Base Hits 81 RBI 87 Runs 73 BB-114 K

Stephen Parker spent the majority of the 2011 season as the Midland Rockhound's primary third baseman and the patient hitter gave no reason for him not to be. Over 118 games, Parker hit .293/.383/.427/.810 as he had 38 extra base hits, 68 RBI, and walked 64 times over 514 plate appearances. Adam Heether, Jason Christian, and Mitch Canham combined to appear in 24 games at the position as well. At third base, Midland finished 2nd in the league in walks, 4th in RBI, 2nd in runs scored, Tied for 4th in extra base hits, 4th in OPS, and 3rd in batting average.


3. Northwest Arkansas Naturals

Statistics: .281/.355/.446/.801 47 Extra Base Hits 71 RBI 80 Runs 46 BB-103 K

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals had 3 players appear in at least 27 games at third base during the season. Mario Lisson led the group with 78 games and 300 plate appearances. The 27 year old hit .302/.386/.547/.933 with 35 extra base hits, 42 RBI, 55 runs, and stole 13 bases in 14 attempts as a third baseman. Rey Navarro and Kurt Mertins filled in with the other playing time, but both had an OPS below .700 at the position and combined for just 12 extra base hits over 235 plate appearances.

4. Frisco RoughRiders

Statistics: .271/.327/.472/.798 58 Extra Base Hits 92 RBI 81 Runs 38 BB-169 K

You would have a hard time finding a player that had a better comeback year in the Texas Ranger's system than Frisco RoughRider's third baseman Tommy Mendonca. After struggling in the hitter friendly California League in 2010 to a tune of (.248/.331/.391/.722 with just 10 homeruns), Mendonca broke out with a .278/.335/.492/.827 25 homerun campaign in 2011). As a third baseman, Mendonca hit .276/.335/.492/.826 with the 25 homeruns and 87 RBI, both of which were the most by a third baseman in the Texas League. The interesting thing, which I haven't mentioned on here though, is that the Rangers will be trying Tommy Mendonca out at catcher in 2012. You can read more about it here.

5. Arkansas Travelers 

Statistics: .285/.332/.433/.765 52 Extra Base Hits 88 RBI 61 Runs 30 BB-98 K

The Arkansas Travelers got good production out of Luis Jimenez, but struggled to get a lot out of the rest of the other 5 players that appeared in games at third base. Over 101 games (440 plate appearances), Jimenez hit .290/.342/.455/.797 with 44 extra base hits and 69 RBI. The 23 year old in 2011 hit especially well in the first half of the season when he was hitting .297/.341/.521/.862 at the Texas League all-star break en route to a Texas League all-star appearance. Jon Townsend, Gabe Jacobo, Adam Younger, Jay Brossman, and Jesus Campos combined for 43 games played at the position.

6. Springfield Cardinals

Statistics: .274/.343/.421/.764 47 Extra Base Hits 72 RBI 75 Runs 47 BB-104 K

Zack Cox, a first round pick in 2010, spent his first season in minor league baseball split between high-A Palm Beach and AA Springfield. Cox started slow (had as low as a .565 OPS a month into his time in Springfield), but he adjusted to AA and finished strong. As a third baseman, Cox batted .294/.357/.429/.786 with 27 extra base hits and 43 RBI in 367 plate appearances. Niko Vasquez also appeared in 38 games at third base for Springfield, but hit just .221 with a .291 OBP and .404 SLG%. Jermaine Curtis, Eric Duncan, Nick Derba, and Donovan Solano combined for 25 games played at third as well. Of those, Curtis hit the best with a .933 OPS over 19 of the games.

7. Corpus Christi Hooks

Statistics: .240/.299/.343/.642 32 Extra Base Hits 52 RBI 72 Runs 45 BB-94 K

No third baseman was as unproductive (minimum of 200 PA) in the Texas League as David Flores of the Corpus Christi Hooks. Flores spent 2011 as a 24 year old and batted just .199/.259/.280/.538 over 205 plate appearances. He had 9 extra base hits and 16 RBI in the time as well. Jimmy Paredes also received 194 plate appearances at third over 43 games and hit .269/.298/.434/.732 with 15 extra base hits, 22 RBI, 33 runs, and 9 steals in 17 attempts. As mentioned in the second base part, Paredes spent time in 2011 with the big league club, the Houston Astros and figures to be a part of their starting lineup in 2012. Brandon Wikoff appeared in 24 games at third for Corpus Christi as well and hit .278 with a .663 OPS. Andrew Simunic, Jose Altuve, Wladimir Sutil, Jose Thompson, Jose Vallejo, and Jimmy Van Ostrand all received sporadic playing time at third, combining for 29 games played.


8. Tulsa Drillers

Statistics: .240/.308/.319/.627 31 Extra Base Hits 57 RBI 53 Runs 47 BB-102 K

The Tulsa Drillers used 6 different players at third base and none of them shined too well. Darin Holcomb received the most playing time as he appeared in 60 games and had 261 plate appearances. Holcomb batted .272/.337/.384/.721 and had 19 extra base hits, 28 RBI, and 30 runs. Erik Wetzel, however, was more unproductive as he hit just .210 with a .524 OPS over 162 plate appearances (45 games). Warren Schaeffer was even worse, however, as he hit just .141 with a .403 OPS over 96 plate appearances (29 games). James Cesario, Jeffrey Squier, and Ben Paulsen combined for 15 games played as well.


Previous Positions:
Catcher
First Base
Second Base
Third Base
Shortstop
Left Field
Center Field
Right Field
Designated Hitter
Starting Pitcher
Relievers

Texas League Best of the Best: Second Base

Team Rankings

1. Corpus Christi Hooks

Statistics: .296/.349/.425/.774 42 Extra Base Hits 53 RBI 83 Runs 43 BB-86 K

The Hooks led the Texas League in batting average and stolen bases from the second base position. They finished 2nd in OPS, slugging %, runs scored, and total bases. They finished 3rd in on base percentage as well. Brandon Wikoff appeared in the most games at second base for Corpus Christi with 50. He batted .307 with a .403 on base percentage in those 50 games. The Hooks also received 312 of the team's 594 plate appearances at second base from Jimmy Paredes (.283/.315/.424/.739 with the Hooks) and Jose Altuve (.387/.409/.613/1.022 with the Hooks). Both of those players spent time with the major league club in 2011 and figure to be starters in 2012.


2. San Antonio Missions

Statistics: .270/.355/.419/.774 49 Extra Base Hits 69 RBI 86 Runs 69 BB-93 K

A staple at the top of each position so far, the San Antonio Missions received no less of top production from second base than any of their other positions. There is little doubt as to why the Missions were the top team in the Texas League in 2011. Vincent Belnome earned the most games played at second base for the Missions, despite missing time with injury. Belnome appeared in 52 games at second base, one of three infield positions that he played for San Antonio. In those 52 games, Belnome hit .314/.411/.573/.984 with 25 extra base hits (11 homeruns) over 220 plate appearances. Anthony Contreras also appeared in 48 games at second base and hit .246/.284/.339/.623 for the Missions. Late in the year, Dean Anna made an impact with 31 games (118 plate appearances) for San Antonio. He batted .250/.398/.359/.757 with 23 walks to just 8 strikeouts. Overall, Anna walked 41 times to just 19 strikeouts in 246 plate appearances in AA.

3. Springfield Cardinals

Statistics: .295/.346/.430/.776 48 Extra Base Hits 74 RBI 82 Runs 38 BB-92 K

The Springfield Cardinals led the league in OPS and RBI and ranked near the top in extra base hits and runs. They received good production from both Jose Garcia and Eric Duncan, who combined for 391 plate appearances at second base. Garcia hit .331 and reached base at a .379 clip for the Cardinals. He slugged .421 giving him an even .800 OPS for the season at second base. Former New York Yankees top prospect Eric Duncan signed with the Cardinals on April 19th and finished with his first .800 or higher OPS season since 2004. As a second baseman, Duncan hit .263/.293/.526/.819 with 7 homeruns in 123 plate appearances. Overall, he batted .274/.322/.527/.849 with 22 homeruns in 385 plate appearances. Donovan Solano, Jermaine Curtis, and Domnit Bolivar each appeared in at least 10 games as well. Curtis led the trio with a .340/.468/.500/.968 clip at second base.

4. Frisco RoughRiders

Statistics: .277/.342/.410/.752 43 Extra Base Hits 67 RBI 86 Runs 45 BB-94 K

Two players for Frisco saw nearly all of the playing time in 2011. Davis Stoneburner led the team with 96 games at second base with Renny Osuna finishing 2nd with 43 games played. Stoneburner's 406 plate appearances were the most by a second baseman in the Texas League. Only the Tulsa Driller's Thomas Field (395 PA) came close to Stoneburner. In those 406 plate appearances, Davis hit .273/.346/.425/.771 with 8 homeruns, 40 RBI, 17 steals, and 30 BB-66 K. The Frisco RoughRider's career hits leader, Renny Osuna, also had 199 plate appearances at second base in 2011. He batted .294/.343/.400/.743 as a second baseman, which was very similar to his overall line of .294/.341/.404/.745. Mitch Hilligoss, Edwin Garcia, and Erik Morrison combined for the other 15 plate appearances.


5. Arkansas Travelers

Statistics: .275/.374/.387/.761 35 Extra Base Hits 53 RBI 62 Runs 73 BB-94 K

Led by On Base machine Ryan Mount, the Arkansas Travelers second basemen got on base better than any other team in the Texas League in 2011. In 130 plate appearances, Mount batted .361/.442/.583/1.025 as a second baseman. Matt Cusick, who led Arkansas in games at second base, also got on base well as he walked 38 times to 25 strikeouts, and hit .245/.374/.342/.716. As the team excelled at getting on base, however, they struggled at hitting for power. Only two teams had fewer extra base hits from second base in the league and no team had fewer homeruns, total bases, RBI, or runs scored.

6. Tulsa Drillers

Statistics: .283/.353/.411/.764 34 Extra Base Hits 63 RBI 74 Runs 48 BB-111 K

The only team in the league to have more than 100 strikeouts from their second basemen, what the Tulsa Drillers did negatively via strikeouts and power (34 XBH were tied for the lowest in the league), they overcame with solid production elsewhere. The team's .283 batting average was the 3rd best in the league, their .353 OBP was 4th, and the 48 walks were 4th. Thomas Field led the team with 395 plate appearances. Eventually promoted to the big league club in September, Field batted .259/.342/.399/.741 for the Drillers as a second baseman. His 11 homeruns were tied for the most with Belnome among second basemen and his 41 RBI led the league at the position. James Cesario appeared in 40 games as well and hit .321/.380/.440/.820, while Erik Wetzel and Warren Schaeffer appeared in a combined 12 games.


7. Northwest Arkansas Naturals

Statistics: .272/.356/.384/.740 34 Extra Base Hits 61 RBI 79 Runs 59 BB-93 K

Five players earned playing time at second base in 2011 for the Northwest Arkansas Naturals and all five appeared in at least 15 games there making the position almost a revolving door. Only Jeff Bianchi did not have at least a .700 OPS in his time at second base, but he also led the team with 62 games there, or nearly half of the games in a Texas League season. Anthony Seratelli played 25 games at second base and batted .306/.479/.569/1.049. Like he did at first base, Seratelli walked a good amount with 22 walks, while limiting his strikeouts (13). In a breakout year, Seratelli (28 years old), had a full minor league season career best .790 OPS overall. He stole 35 bases in 40 attempts as well and showed power that had not been seen in full season ball with a career best 9 homeruns. Kurt Mertins also showed solid production at second base as he had an .817 OPS in 79 plate appearances.

8. Midland Rockhounds

Statistics: .271/.343/.392/.735 38 Extra Base Hits 57 RBI 73 Runs 43 BB-98 K

Coming in last in the league at second base, the Midland Rockhounds weren't terrible at the position, but it was so solid all-around that someone had to finish last. Amazingly, there were two teams that had sub .700 OPS's at a usual offensive position like first base, and zero with an OPS sub .730 at a usual non-offensive position like second base. Anyways, Tyler Ladendorf earned the most playing time at second base for the Midland Rockhounds with 64 games (245 plate appearances). In that time, he batted just .202/.278/.289/.567 with as many extra base hits (13) as RBI (13). Wes Timmons led the team with RBI at the position with 23. Timmons appeared in 34 games at second base and hit a ridiculous .400/.442/.533/.976. The longtime minor league player had the best season of his career to date as he hit .341/.420/.468/.888 with career bests 8 homeruns and 62 RBI between AA Midland and AAA Sacramento. Adam Heether was also productive in his short playing time at second base as the utility player hit .253/.374/.471/.845 over 107 plate appearances. Jason Christian appeared in 21 games as well and hit .273/.325/.364/.689 while Josh Horton finished up the second base position with 1 game.


Previous Positions:
Catcher
First Base
Second Base
Third Base
Shortstop
Left Field
Center Field
Right Field
Designated Hitter
Starting Pitcher
Relievers

Texas League Best of the Best: First Base

Team Rankings:

1. Springfield Cardinals

Statistics: .304/.356/.586/.942 73 Extra Base Hits 128 RBI 100 Runs 47 BB-125 K

The Springfield Cardinals received 111 games from the Texas League Player of the Year at first base in 23 year old slugger Matt Adams. As a first baseman, Adams hit .301 with 22 doubles, 32 homeruns, 99 RBI, and posted a .931 OPS. Overall he finished with a .300 average, 32 homeruns, 101 RBI, and a .923 OPS. Adams started out the season very strong as he was hitting .357/.397/.685/1.082 at the Texas League All-Star break. Steven Hill added a .309 average with 9 homeruns in 89 plate appearances at first base for the Cardinals. He had a 1.027 OPS as a first baseman.

2. San Antonio Missions

Statistics: .270/.345/.476/.821 61 Extra Base Hits 101 RBI 88 Runs 61 BB-135 K

The San Antonio Missions had an outstanding season as a team and they were no different at first base. They finished 2nd in the league in RBI, 3rd in runs, 3rd in OPS, 2nd in extra base hits, 3rd in walks, and 2nd in slugging %. They were one of two teams in the Texas League to have 8 players appear in a game at first base with the Arkansas Travelers being the other team. Kyle Blanks and Sawyer Carroll were tied with the most games played at first base on San Antonio with 33 games a piece. Vincent Belnome produced the best among the Mission's first basemen as the 23 year old hit .382/.481/.691/1.173 there with 9 extra base hits in 81 plate appearances. Cody Decker batted .260/.321/.550/.871 with 14 extra base hits (7 homeruns) over 109 plate appearances.

3. Northwest Arkansas Naturals

Statistics: .284/.372/.435/.806 39 Extra Base Hits, 79 RBI, 92 Runs, 62 BB-102 K

Northwest Arkansas saw two different styles of players get about half the playing time at first base throughout the season. They received 70 games from Anthony Seratelli, a speedy player who showed very good plate discipline and also saw time at second base, shortstop, right field, and left field. Seratelli hit .299/.396/..390/.786 as a first baseman with 13 extra base hits, 34 RBI, stole 24 bases in 27 attempts, and scored 54 runs. He walked 36 times to 42 strikeouts. Then Jamie Romak had 68 games at first base and provided the power. Romak hit .273/.356/.482/.838 with 25 extra base hits (13 homeruns), 43 RBI, and scored 36 runs. He walked 26 times to 52 strikeouts. Mario Lisson chipped in 7 games at first base of his own.

4. Corpus Christi Hooks

Statistics: .295/.364/.467/.831 49 Extra Base Hits 78 RBI 66 Runs 58 BB-98 K

The Texas League's worst team in 2011, Corpus Christi got unusually good production out of first base for a team that ranked last in the league in runs scored per game. James Van Ostrand, a 4 year Texas League veteran, led the Hooks with 87 games played at first base. He batted .300/.372/.472/.844 with 31 extra base hits in 347 plate appearances. Van Ostrand walked 36 times to 48 strikeouts. Kody Hinze added 46 games at first base and batted .278/.351/.402/.753 with 11 extra base hits over 191 plate appearances. David Flores, former Frisco RoughRider Emerson Frostad, and Jake Goebbert added in 15 games as well. The Hooks had the 2nd best team OPS in the Texas League, but finished 5th in RBI, 6th in runs, and 5th in extra base hits. They were the only team in the league to have less than 100 strikeouts from their first basemen though.

5. Midland Rockhounds

Statistics: .287/.383/.426/.810 49 Extra Base Hits 80 RBI 73 Runs 73 BB-120 K

An affiliate of the organization that is known most around baseball for relying on On Base Percentage, the Midland Rockhounds lived up to that organization's name in 2011 as they had the 2nd best OBP in the Texas League overall with a .349 OBP. At first base, in particular, the Rockhounds excelled in plate discipline. They led the league in walks with 73 and their .383 OBP was the tops among first basemen in the league. Michael Spina had nearly all of the games played at first base for Midland as he appeared in 126 games at first base. Spina produced 45 extra base hits over 555 plate appearances and walked 68 times to 107 strikeouts. The 24 year old hit .288/.386/.432/.818 for Midland. Stephen Parker, Adam Heether, and Wes Timmons combined to appear in 17 games at first base as well.

6. Frisco RoughRiders

Statistics: .274/.345/.433/.778 50 Extra Base Hits 77 RBI 64 Runs 54 BB-104 K

Frisco had a good year by most measures, although their production at first base did not live up to that. Frisco had the 6th best OPS in the league, the 7th most RBI, and the least amount of runs in the league from first base. They had tied for the 3rd most extra base hits, however, and their slugging% was the 5th best in the league. Jose Ruiz led the Riders with 101 games played before being promoted to Round Rock. He had 41 extra base hits in 429 plate appearances, including 12 homeruns. Ruiz walked 40 times to 61 strikeouts and hit .281/.352/.457/.809 as a first baseman. Jared Bolden appeared in 21 games, while Jonathan Greene appeared in 16 games as well. Mitch Hilligoss and Matt Leeds each got 1 game there.

7. Tulsa Drillers

Statistics: .236/.295/.396/.692 50 Extra Base Hits 76 RBI 69 Runs 44 BB-137 K

Tulsa Drillers received poor production from first base as the team ranked 7th in RBI, 7th in OPS, 7th in walks, 5th in runs scored, tied for 3rd in extra base hits, and had the worst stolen base percentage among first basemen. Ben Paulsen appeared in 134 games at first base for the Drillers and batted .238/.293/.404/.697 with 18 homeruns, 76 RBI, and 68 runs in 592 plate appearances. James Cesario, Mike Zuanich, and top prospect Wilin Rosario combined for 7 games appeared at first base for the Tulsa Drillers.


8. Arkansas Travelers

Statistics: .239/.298/.358/.656 32 Extra Base Hits 62 RBI 66 Runs 38 BB-114 K

The worst team in the Texas League at first base, the Arkansas Travelers ranked worst in the league in nearly every stat. They had the lowest batting average, the 2nd worst OBP, the worst slugging%, worst OPS, least amount of extra base hits, lowest amount of RBI, tied for 2nd least runs scored, and lowest walk total. Their 186 total bases were the worst amount in the league as well. Like San Antonio, the Travelers had musical chairs going at first base all season. Eight players appeared in at least one game at first base for Arkansas, with Gabe Jacobo leading the pack with 67 games played. Jacobo batted .254/.295/.417/.711 over 209 plate appearances with 20 extra base hits (9 homeruns), 33 RBI, and 31 runs scored. He led the Traveler's first basemen with 12 walks. Dillon Baird, Chris Pettit, Jay Brossman, and Roberto Lopez each appeared in at least 10 games a piece. Orlando Mercado, Jon Townsend, and Adam Younger appeared in a combined 5 games. Of the five players that played in at least 10 games at first for Arkansas, Gabe Jacobo was the only player with an OPS above .700.

Texas League Best of the Best: Catcher

For the next couple of weeks, I am going to do an article series that rates how the 2011 Texas League teams compared to each other at each position. To begin the series, I will begin with the captain of the field, the catcher position.

Team Rankings: Offense

1. Northwest Arkansas Naturals: .291/.353/.460/.813 48 Extra Base Hits, 83 RBI, 51 R, 38 BB-78 K

The best team in the Texas League North got a big boost at the catcher spot as the team's catchers were the best in the league by quite a wide margin. Salvador Perez led the Natural's catchers with 300 plate appearance as the 21 year old started in Northwest Arkansas at the beginning of 2011 and finished up in Kansas City. In AA, Perez batted .289 with 14 doubles and 9 homeruns in 280 at bats and had a .769 OPS. He batted .333 over 12 games with the Omaha Storm Chasers and hit .333 with 3 homeruns over 158 plate appearances for the Royals. Ben Theriot only had 130 plate appearances for the Naturals, but he batted .322 and had 15 extra base hits, including 5 homeruns. As a catcher, Theriot had a .940 OPS, the best among the Natural's catchers.

2. Tulsa Drillers: .250/.313/.449/.762 49 Extra Base Hits, 62 RBI, 73 R, 43 BB-121 K

The Tulsa Drillers used the fewest catchers among the Texas League teams this season, but the Drillers also got the most homeruns from their catchers, and it wasn't even close. Top prospect Wilin Rosario is a big reason why the Drillers had so many homeruns as the 22 year old catcher followed up his 19 homerun campaign for Tulsa in 2010 with 21 homeruns in 2011. Offensively, he wasn't as sharp in 2011 as 2010, but Rosario was still by far the most powerful catcher in the league. Unfortunatley for Rosario though, the power didn't translate into run production as he drove in just 48 runs. This is due to 16 of his 21 homeruns coming with the bases empty. Rosario also struggled with RISP as he hit just .173 with men in scoring position and just .236 with runners on. Lars Davis was the other catcher that Tulsa used and what Rosario lacked in patience, Davis made up for as the backup catcher hit .255 with a .380 on base percentage and .783 OPS overall. Davis walked 25 times to 37 strikeouts. Over 336 plate appearances in Tulsa the last 2 seasons, Davis has combined for a .393 on base percentage.

3. Springfield Cardinals: .255/.309/.397/.706 41 Extra Base Hits, 71 RBI, 71 R, 39 BB-95 K

The St. Louis Cardinals affiliate used 5 different catchers during the 2011 season with Audry Perez topping the team in plate appearances at the catchers spot with 215. Perez batted .262 with a low .279 OBP, but slugged .432 as he had 21 extra base hits (7 homeruns) in those 215 plate appearances. His .711 OPS was solid, but not anywhere near the team's best offensive catcher, Charles Cutler, who used 175 plate appearances at the position to garner a .327/.389/.478/.867 batting line. Cutler had 12 extra base hits, drove in 22 runs, and scored 29 as well. The 25 year old Cutler holds a career batting line of .305/.385/.412/.797 in the minor leagues. He has had productive periods at every level of the minor leagues. Still, the 22 year old Perez is considered the better prospect of the two, and his minor league line of .289/.319/.473/.792 has something to do with that. Nick Derba, Travis Tartamella, and Steven Hill also saw time at catcher for Springfield and combined for 179 plate appearances between the three of them. Hill's bat has gotten him to the majors, but his defense is a reason he saw more time away from catcher than at catcher.


4. Frisco RoughRiders: .251/.297/.369/.667 36 Extra Base Hits, 62 RBI, 65 R, 29 BB-71 K

Frisco fans watched two different catchers carry most of the weight behind the plate in the 2011 season and I'm not sure that I can put more emphasis on "different". One catcher, Jose Felix, is a 23 year old catcher who's defense is the reason that he's gotten to AA, while the other, Elio Sarmiento, is a 25 year old catcher who's bat the last three years or so has had some success and his defense is not a strong suit. Sarmiento's bat carried the Rider's catchers as the switch hitter batted .278 with 20 extra base hits in 225 plate appearances. Jose Felix hit just .220 with a .535 OPS for the season, and also did seem to take a step back defensively. Both players drove in 27 runs, despite Felix getting 44 more plate appearances. Former major league catcher Robbie Diaz also spent time with Frisco as he rode the shuttle between Frisco and Round Rock in 2011. Diaz batted .306 and had 3 homeruns (2 in one game) in 59 plate appearances.

5. San Antonio Missions: .249/.304/.361/.665 38 Extra Base Hits, 61 RBI, 62 R, 35 BB-119 K

While he didn't make the best impression in Frisco, Ali Solis did produce pretty solidly for the season. Solis batted .267 with a .402 slugging percentage (21 extra base hits in 269 plate appearances) for the league champion San Antonio Missions. The Missions led the league with 8 different catchers used, including 2 former major league catchers, one on rehab (Nick Hundley). Kyle Phillips hit .316 in 81 plate appearances with the Missions. He spent most of three months with the big league club in 2011. While the Missions weren't great at the catcher spot, this might be the last time we see the team this low on the list on offense as San Antonio led the league in runs with 801 (5.72 runs per game).


6. Arkansas Travelers: .246/.301/.332/.633 24 Extra Base Hits, 53 RBI, 45 R, 34 BB-64 K

The Arkansas Travelers used 5 catchers in 2011 and the production from most on offense was not very good. Orlando Mercado did have 13 extra base hits (4 homeruns) and drove in 25 runs, but he also only had 188 plate appearances. His .279 average and .726 OPS were by far the best on the team. Alberto Rosario led the team with 320 plate appearances and it's clear his defense was the reason he played so much, because his .577 OPS was not a reason. Carlos Ramirez, Ikku Sumi, and Jeff Bandy were the other three catchers used and combined for 17 plate appearances.

7. Midland Rockhounds: .212/.308/.297/.605 23 Extra Base Hits, 52 RBI, 59 R, 59 BB-131 K

The only team in the league to have the catchers spot have a higher on base percentage than slugging percentage, the Rockhounds also were the only team in the league to get more than 50 walks from their catchers. Of course it didn't help a lot, because the Rockhounds still got bad production from their catchers as they were the only team in the league (albeit only 8 teams are in the league) to not have a player with a .700+ OPS in 100 or more plate appearances from the catchers spot. Petey Paramore led the Rockhounds with 179 plate appearances as a catcher, while Ryan Ortiz added 173 and Texas League veteran Mitch Canham had 138. Ortiz hit .250 with a .370 on base percentage, but had just a .318 slugging percentage. He had 6 extra base hits in 173 plate appearances. Paramore also hit just .192, but got on base at a .307 clip. His .585 OPS, however, was not good. Canham's .599 was not much better, while Yusuf Carter had a .460 OPS in 68 plate appearances, and Juan Nunez added 1 more plate appearance to give the Rockhounds 559 plate appearances from 5 catchers.

8. Corpus Christi Hooks: .185/.260/.261/.521 21 Extra Base Hits, 50 RBI, 39 R, 48 BB-116 K

It's interesting how the two worst Texas League teams at the catchers spot also were 1-2 in walks, but that's how it works sometimes. The Hooks spent the early part of the season with Federico Hernandez as their starting catcher and the process did not go well. Hernandez batted just .139 with a .426 OPS in 164 plate appearances, including 7 extra base hits. Former Frisco RoughRider Emerson Frostad was second on the Hooks with 148 plate appearances as a catcher. "Frosty" hit .203 with a .311 OBP, but slugged just .234. He had just 4 extra base hits and 6 RBI as a catcher, although he walked 20 times to 25 strikeouts. Chris Wallace was the Hook's best option offensively in 2011 as the 23 year old hit .244 with a .739 OPS in 136 plate appearances. Wallace, taken in the 16th round out of the University of Houston, skipped high-A to reach Corpus Christi. He began in A ball and hit .285 with 33 extra base hits in 275 plate appearances, to bring him to a .902 OPS there. Brian Esposito and Jonathon Fixler combined for 111 plate appearances, 3 extra base hits, and 5 RBI for the Hooks.


Team Rankings: Defense

1. Frisco RoughRiders: 1,074 Putouts, 128 Assists, 14 Double Plays, 7 Passed Balls, 32.3% Thrown Out%, 6 Pickoffs

The Frisco RoughRiders catchers displayed the best defense among the 8 teams in the Texas League in the 2011 season as the Riders got solid defense from both catchers in the 2011 season. They had the 3rd best thrown out %, 2nd most putouts, double plays, and pickoffs, while having the most assists and least amount of passed balls. They were the only team in the league with less than 10 passed balls. Jose Felix had just 2 passed balls in 70 games and threw out 35.6% of the potential basestealers. He also added a pickoff on May 9th. Elio Sarmiento also provided solid protection, although he had 5 passed balls in 57 games. Sarmiento also picked off 5 players throughout the season and threw out 29.4% of potential basestealers. Frisco catchers also had the least amount of stolen base attempts on them of any team in the league, which speaks to respect.

2. Northwest Arkansas Naturals: 982 Putouts, 115 Assists, 12 Double Plays, 12 Passed Balls, 35.6% Thrown Out %, 5 Pickoffs

In the first of what is really five closely contested teams over the next five slots, the Northwest Arkansas Naturals had the best all-around catchers. The Naturals had the best thrown out % and were top 4 in every other important catchers statistic. Their starting catcher, Salvador Perez, was by far the best catcher in the Texas League in terms of shutting down a running game as the catcher threw out 43 of the 90 would be basestealers. His 47.7% thrown out% was the best in the league of those with at least 100 plate appearances. Perez also was among the leaders in pickoffs as the team had 5 total with 4 coming from Perez. With 1 in AAA and 3 in the majors, Perez finished the season with 8 pickoffs. With 115 team assists from the catchers spot, the Naturals were also 3rd in the Texas League behind Frisco and Tulsa.

3. Arkansas Travelers: 940 Putouts, 109 Assists, 10 Double Plays, 10 Passed Balls, 30% Thrown Out%, 10 Pickoffs

The other team from Arkansas, the Arkansas Travelers had five catchers combine to give them the 3rd best defensive catchers in the league. Alberto Rosario, who saw the most time on the roster, displayed very good defense behind the plate and led the league in pickoffs with 7. The Travelers as a whole led the league in pickoffs, were 2nd in passed balls allowed, and committed the second least amount of errors (11).

4. Springfield Cardinals: 1,002 Putouts, 94 Assists, 16 Double Plays, 11 Passed Balls, 31.6% Thrown Out%, 2 Pickoffs

The Springfield Cardinals didn't have one particular starter catch a lot more than any other and due to that they might have been better off. The team finished consistently solid all-around, including a league leading 16 double plays and the 4th best thrown out% with 31.6%. Among the two with the most times behind the plate, Charles Cutler was a better defender than Audry Perez. Nick Derba also provided good defense behind the plate, which is no surprise coming from a player who was listed as the "best defensive catcher" in the Cardinal's system in the 2009 Baseball America Prospect Handbook.

5. Tulsa Drillers: 931 Putouts, 116 Assists, 10 Double Plays, 21 Passed Balls, 33.3% Thrown Out%, 1 Pickoff

The Tulsa Driller's defensive marvels in 2011 were inconsistent as the team was 2nd in assists and thrown out% and had the 2nd least amount of errors, but they also had the 2nd highest total of passed balls and the least amount of pickoffs and putouts. But if you're going to look in directions for who to blame the blame would be more likely to go with Lars Davis than top prospect Wilin Rosario. Armed with a strong arm, Rosario threw out 37.8% of potential basestealers, which was actually his lowest % since 23 games in rookie ball in 2007. Rosario did have 13 passed balls, however, but also had 652 putouts and a league best 82 assists.


6. San Antonio Missions: 1,085 Putouts, 111 Assists, 9 Double Plays, 13 Passed Balls, 29.7% Thrown Out%, 4 Pickoffs

Armed with the 8 catcher brigade, the San Antonio Missions defense from the catcher position was not among the best in the league, although they led the league in putouts. The Mission's 9 double plays were the 2nd lowest total, the thrown out % of 29.7% was the 3rd lowest total, and the 13 passed balls was right in the middle. The Missions catchers also committed tied for the 2nd most errors with 16 on the season. Of those 16, 12 came from Ali Solis, who spent 72 games behind the plate.

7. Corpus Christi Hooks: 1,047 Putouts, 76 Assists, 10 Double Plays, 15 Passed Balls, 17.9% Thrown Out%, 3 Pickoffs

In a season when most went wrong for the Corpus Christi Hooks, the team couldn't get hitting or fielding from an important spot on the field in the captain of the defense. Only the Rockhounds threw out less potential basestealers. Only San Antonio had less double plays. Only Midland and Tulsa had more passed balls than the Hooks. No team had less assists from their catchers than the Hook's 76. Corpus Christi had 4 catchers appear in at least 29 games at catcher and of those 4, only Federico Hernandez threw out more than 20% of the potential basestealers and his was 26%. He also led the team with 7 passed balls which was 1 short of the amount for the rest of the catchers.

8. Midland Rockhounds: 1,006 Putouts, 77 Assists, 5 Double Plays, 27 Passed Balls, 17% Thrown Out%, 2 Pickoffs

No group of catchers was worse in the Texas League than the Midland Rockhounds in 2011. Three different catchers allowed more than 40 steals as the team gave up a league high 166 stolen bases for the season. The team also had the 2nd least amount of assists, the least amount of double plays, the most passed balls, and the most amount of errors with 21. Ryan Ortiz, in particular, was bad as he led the team in errors (9), passed balls (12), and lowest thrown out % (13.5%). Allen, Texas native Petey Paramore gave up 61 stolen bases in 45 games behind the plate. All four of the catchers that caught more than a game, gave up more stolen bases than games played.


- By Michael Damman