Scouting Notebook featuring Byron Buxton

(William DeShazer/Naples Daily News)

By Nathaniel Stoltz | @stoltz_baseball

In the September issue of Big Leagues Monthly | Magazine, I wrote up a “scouting notebook” of sorts with my thoughts about players I had seen in person in the past month. I’ve had the opportunity to see over a dozen games involving several highly-touted prospects, encapsulating the Carolina League, the South Atlantic League, and the Appalachian League. Here are my thoughts on some of the most notable names I saw—I have more to share beyond this, but that can wait until next month!

Byron Buxton, OF, Twins (Rookie-Advanced Elizabethton)

Buxton, the second overall pick in the 2012 draft, clearly boasts all sorts of tools. He’s got wiry strength, power projection, and plenty of athleticism. However, he’s just 18 and has a lot standing between himself and the majors; at times, he looked like the rawest player on the field in the Appalachian League, taking fastballs down the middle, waving at curves in the dirt ten inches off the plate, and misplaying balls in the outfield. But for every head-scratching play he makes, he’ll wow you with something you don’t expect an 18-year-old to be able to do, like pull his hands inside a fastball on the inside corner and rip it to left field, or lay down a perfect drag bunt. He clearly has first-division upside if he can refine his game, but at this stage, any number of developmental paths are possible. Just because his issues are theoretically fixable doesn’t necessarily mean they will be fixed, after all. As with former Twins first-round outfielder Aaron Hicks, it could be years before we know quite how well Buxton’s tools will translate.

One NL Wildcard Spot Left, Final Series Preview

(AP Photo)

By Stevo-sama | @yoshiki89

--Standings as of end of play 9/30/12--

Atlanta Braves (clinched Wild Card 1)

Entering their final series of the regular season, math is now on the side of the Braves as they head for Pittsburgh with sole possession of the first Wild Card slot in the National League. This will be a no-pressure series for the Braves; no offense against the Pirates intended. With their 20th record-setting consecutive losing season officially in the books, the Pirates have nothing left to play for but their pride. The Braves, however, have turned their playoff push into reality this season, where last season they fell short by one game. What’s ultimately ironic about this is that while they have certainly earned the Wild Card slot they now proudly possess, if the Cardinals continue their push they will be in the same boat they were in last year…facing the very same upstart team that previously upset their chances for an NLDS appearance, albeit this time, facing them quite literally in a one-game playoff.

Matchups:

10/1 Maholm (13-10) v Locke (0-3)

10/2 Hanson (13-9) v Correia (11-11)

10/3 Hudson (16-7) v Burnett (16-9)

Previewing this weekend's NL Wild Card Race

(Marc Serota/Getty Images)

 

By Stevo-sama | @yoshiki89

-- standings as of end of play 9/27/12 --

Atlanta Braves (Clinched Wild Card Spot, currently Wild Card 1)

With an exhilarating five-game winning streak behind them (having swept the hapless Miami Marlins), the Braves charge on to meet the visiting New York Mets in their final homestand of the season. Not only are they continuing to add a sincere exclamation point to their race for the Wild Card, they are making it rather difficult for the NL East leading Washington Nationals to clinch the division title. The Mets are mildly enjoying a two-game winning streak, also underlined by R.A. Dickey’s stellar performance yesterday. The Mets are 10-14 in September and are 36-39 on the road this season…yet they are 7-5 in their last four road series. The Braves are 10-3 in their last four home series, which isn’t saying much…they are nearly as good on the road as they are at home. A closer look at the pitching matchups reveals that the Mets are 5-6 in September with the scheduled starters on the mound, their lines are 4-3 with 19 ER and a combined 3.51 ERA. By comparison, the Braves’ starters have allowed more ER (22) but the team is 11-3 when these three guys start in September (they are 9-2 with a 2.11 ERA in those starts).

Matchups:

9/28 Niese (12-9) v Hudson (16-6)

9/29 Young (4-8) v Minor (10-10)

9/30 Mejia (1-1) v Medlen (9-1)

 

St. Louis Cardinals (Wild Card 2, currently 7 GB the Braves)

As if it couldn’t be expected, this year’s Cardinals bear some resemblance to last year’s Cardinals in their unyielding push for the playoffs. Heading into the weekend they are tentatively locked into one of the Wild Card spots opposite the Braves, which of course will result in a one-game playoff should either team stay within reach of the standings they currently possess over their next six-games. Where the Braves are providing a challenge for the Nationals’ division clinch, the Cardinals (returning to Busch after a successful 4-2 road trip) are sure to provide even more as Washington comes roaring into town on their second consecutive, and so far winning, road series. The highlight of this upcoming series is sure to be the face-off between the rebounding Jordan Zimmermann and the equally formidable Lance Lynn in game three. Zimmermann is 3-0 with a 4.45 ERA in five September starts, Lynn is 4-2 in three starts with a seismic 0.93 ERA in September (he pitched 4.2 innings out of the bullpen during four consecutive games to start the month, with a 5.79 ERA during those outings alone).

MLB Power Rankings - September 24, 2012

By Chris Carelli | @Chris_Carelli

Since last week's rankings went up three National League teams earned postseason berths with the Cincinnati Reds winning the NL Central, the San Francisco Giants winning the NL West and the Washington Nationals who are closing in on the NL East title, securing at least a wild card bid.

The Atlanta Braves are inching closer to a playoff appearance which alluded them in 2011 after a massive collapse. The St. Louis Cardinals, who overtook the Braves last season are being pursued closest by division rival Milwaukee Brewers after the Crew has staged a magnificent two month blitz and the Los Angeles Dodgers who haven't played all that well since May.

In the American League all spots are very much up in the air. In the AL East, New York and Baltimore are separated by one game with the Rays holding on. The same differential holds true in the AL Central between Chicago and Detroit. The Texas Rangers have had a hard time closing the Oakland A's and Los Angeles Angels out of the AL West race but still have a fairly big lead (4 games) with ten games remaining. The Yankees, Orioles, Rays, A's and Angels are all contenders for the wild card spots after the division races filter out.

So, here are the power rankings for this week. Please let us know what you think in the comments below.

Previewing the NL Wild Card Race

(Rob Carr/Getty Images)     

By Stevo-sama | @yoshiki89

-- standings as of end of play 9/23/12 --
 

Atlanta Braves (1st Wild Card)

The fighting Braves welcome the visiting Miami Marlins for a three-game series starting in Atlanta on Tuesday, 9/25. The Braves are 14-7 in September, their current mark of 23 games over .500 equals their greatest margin of victory so far this season. With Kris Medlen opening the series against hard-throwing Nathan Eovaldi, Medlen (the Cy Young candidate we should be talking more about) and the Braves have a clear advantage right out of the gate. Paul Maholm’s rough outings seem to be alternating through his last 10 starts, so he’s due for another strike against his sub-4.0 ERA; however, he handled the Marlins well (in Miami) in his last start on 9/18, despite that outing being a no decision with a Braves loss, so there’s at least hope that he can keep the wins moving along for Atlanta. Tommy Hanson is 2-0 against the Marlins this season, but is 0-2 in four September starts, giving up 11 ER in 21.2 IP. On the flip side, he has 25 strikeouts and an opponent BABIP of .245 during those outings.

Matchups:

9/25 Eovaldi (4-12) v Medlen (9-1)

9/26 Johnson (8-13) v Maholm (12-10)

9/27 Turner (2-4) v Hanson (12-9)

Braves Look for 21st Win in a Row with Kris Medlen on the Mound

(Daniel Shirey-US PRESSWIRE)

By Carlos Collazo | @CarlosCollazo__

Kris Medlen has been one of the most talked about pitchers recently, and for good reason. The Braves have won his past 20 starts (dating back to 2010), and he is going for his 21st tonight against Josh Johnson and the Miami Marlins.

I wrote an article a week or two ago on Tomahawk Take and you can check that out if you’d like, but he hasn’t done anything but get better since then so why not have a continued discussion on the reliever-turned ace pitcher?

If you check Fangraphs stats for over the past 30 days, you will find out that Medlen is putting up elite numbers with the best of ‘em.

·         He has the lowest ERA in the majors with .73. The closest to that mark is Cliff Lee with 1.29

·         He has the highest LOB%, with an absolutely ridiculous 95.6% mark. That pretty much means that even if you get on base against Medlen, you have less than a 5% chance of scoring. No biggy right?

·         Kris has the fourth best FIP at 1.75

·         His xFIP is ranked first at 2.08

·         A K/BB ratio of 11 is easily good for first, again topping that Lee fellow.

·         His WHIP is the third best at .81 behind James shields and Yu Darvish

MLB Power Rankings - September 10, 2012

Joey Votto is back, Stephen Strasburg is done for the season and the Baltimore Orioles are indeed for real. There were plenty of story lines this past week which played a part in the rankings and the races for playoff berths in both leagues.

The Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are streaking; winning five and six straight games respectively. The Braves' streak has them seven games ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers who are right now the first team out of the National League wild card race.

The Angels have moved within one game of the Orioles for the last spot in the American League playoffs and only 2 1/2 games behind division rival Oakland who holds the top position.

With their excellent weeks both teams made moves up the charts while the Washington Nationals swap places with the Texas Rangers mostly due to Strasburg's departure from the field. Please let us know what you think about the rankings in the comments below.

Scott Boras Says the Braves Can Re-Sign Michael Bourn

Photo Credit: Hyosub Shin

By Jim Pratt | @BigLeaguesMthly

Of all the free agents this offseason, one of the more intriguing players to watch is Michael Bourn, especially given his standing as a Scott Boras client. It’s been well publicized that the combination of the Atlanta Braves mid-level payroll restrictions and the Bourn/Boras relationship will likely dramatically decrease Atlanta’s chances of re-signing the free agent.

Well, not according to Boras.

Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo reported on August 12 that “the Braves aren’t holding out much hope that they can re-sign Bourn when he becomes a free agent. They don’t seem to do well with Scott Boras clients…”

Recently, Boras contacted Cafardo in reference to that story to “remind” him that the Boras Corporation has “an excellent relationship withFrank Wren and the Braves organization” and that the Braves will not be ruled out of negotiations because Bourn enjoys playing in Atlanta.