Die Saalfelds » What do you think? Are they both crazy?

"WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Houston Astros NewsGame ThreadsHouston Astros Minor LeaguesAstros Game DayPodcastsTheo and Chris Vote for the Hall of FameNew http://www.tigersfanproshop.com/authentic-joe-jimenez-jersey ,65commentsWhat do you think? Are they both crazy?CSTShareTweetShareShareTheo and Chris Vote for the Hall of FameRick Scuteri-USA TODAY SportsTheo:I’m just going to start by noting that I think the ballot is still stuffed with over-qualified candidates, and there are something like 15-20 candidates who’s careers would look quite normal slotted into Cooperstown. If I were a BBWAA voter, I would of course be tracking the early results to inform my decision, since there are still more deserving candidates than ballot slots. Helping the top candidates get in would probably be the first priority, since that will do the most to clear out the ballot. That means Mariano Rivera, Roy Halladay, Edgar Martinez, and Mike Mussina (who looks like he’ll be teetering right at the 75% line up to the announcement). That also means Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Curt Schilling, and Larry Walker. Getting them closer to 75% sets them up well for future years, even if likely none of them will make it this year (although Walker’s climb from 34% last year to likely over 60% this year is amazing). I’m also inclined to give a vote to Scott Rolen, who’s also seen his numbers tick up quite a bit in his second year. He could be another beneficiary of more ballot spaces next year, and some strong early-growth numbers could set him up well for down the road. My last space comes down to I think Andy Pettitte, Andruw Jones, or Todd Helton, since that’s where I think it could do the most good. I think Jones and Pettitte deserve to stay on the ballot, and both are near the 5% line. Helton isn’t in danger of falling off, but like Rolen, a strong 2019 could have him picking up even more votes down the line. Ultimately, I think Helton’s need is less urgent, since he will undoubtedly be around next year.Pettitte versus Jones is difficult, though. Jones is a little closer to hitting 5%, but I think Pettitte will do better with the voters who don’t reveal their ballots (having a lot of pitching wins, postseason success, and seasons with the Yankees). I could also leave Rivera off (since he’s still at 100%) and vote for both if I really wanted to try and game things, but instead I’ll just include Jones and hope my gut instinct on Pettitte is right. 2019 Ballot: Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Roy Halladay, Andruw Jones, Edgar Martinez, Mike Mussina, Mariano Rivera, Scott Rolen, Curt Schilling, Larry WalkerChrisA boy has to have some standards, and my standards involve whether or not a player was actually caught using PED’s under the agreed-on criteria at the time of the infraction. And so, I exclude Manny Ramirez and Miguel Tejada despite them being otherwise in the conversation.Unfortunately, due to the number of quality players remaining on the ballot, that means there will be several excluded by the 10-player limit that I absolutely believe should get enough consideration to stay on for next year. This includes two of my all-time favorite Astros, Roy Oswalt and Lance Berkman. Both have a solid, but not bulletproof, case to be at least sticking around for many years on the ballot. But neither will make it past this year, because the voting is stupid.And so my ballot starts with the greatest batter of all time, Barry Bonds, and the greatest right-handed pitcher of all time, Roger Clemens. Following them, arguably the greatest postseason pitcher of all time, Curt Schilling. To me, all three of these guys should have been no-brainer first-ballot, but we all know the issues against Bonds and Clemens. The negativity around Schilling is stupid political claptrap that has nothing to do with baseball, and the writers should be ashamed that he’s not already in the Hall.Next on my ballot is Gary Sheffield, who was the most fearsome hitter I have ever seen play. He ticks the boxes: 509 home runs, 253 stolen bases http://www.tigersfanproshop.com/authentic-joe-jimenez-jersey , a career 141 wRC+ in 21 seasons. What more does he need? Then, I’ve got Mike Mussina, who wasn’t great by an individual season measurement but needs inclusion for his tremendous longevity and total career value. Followed by Larry Walker, very underrated.My last four? It’s hard. I’ll cast one for Scott Rolen, who is criminally underappreciated in this voting class, and I’m not voting for Omar Vizquel, who is criminally overrated. Roy Halladay is right on the edge of what defines a Hall of Fame pitcher for me, only due to his “short” career, not because of his performance. I’ll vote for him.And what to do with the last two? Do I vote for the greatest Designated Hitter of all time in Edgar Martinez? Do I outrage the masses by NOT voting for Mariano Rivera, the greatest “closer” of all time? This is getting long, but I’m not voting for either. Edgar had great plate discipline for a very long time, but didn’t play the field, had merely “good” power numbers, and provided no baserunning value. He’s tops in my Hall of Very Good. I acknowledge Rivera is the best at what he does, but I personally am not voting for a pitcher based on “Saves”, or even his tremendous performance, which came in half as many innings as Oswalt. I just don’t like the idea of single-inning relievers in the Hall.So a vote is going to Andruw Jones, one of the greatest defensive Center Fielders of all time, and who blasted 434 home runs in his career. And finally, I am holding my nose and voting for Sammy Sosa, who has to be enshrined for his 609 home runs. He wasn’t caught, so he fits my criteria. No, I take it back. I’ll give Fred McGriff my last spot, who would have had a higher WAR than Edgar if he had played DH, but he played everyday in the field, and so boosts my esteem.2019 Ballot:Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Curt Schilling, Gary Sheffield, Mike Mussina, Larry Walker, Scott Rolen, Roy Halladay, Andruw Jones, Fred McGriff A look into the upper levels of arguably the system’s weakest position"WhiteFanposts FanpostsFanshotsSections AnalysisGame RecapsGamethreadsMinorsOffbeatFull ArchiveExclusives South Side Sox Hall of FameCard of the MonthDeep DiveDigitsFlashbackFranchise FactsKnow Your EnemyMost Essential White SoxRace to the BottomSix Pack of StatsSouth Side SnapSouth Side StumperSSS Literary SupplementSuper Stats PackThe Game I’ll Never ForgetTwitterpatingUnder the RadarView From the Other SideWhite Sox on SB Nation HomeStoriesScheduleRosterStatsWhite Sox on Yahoo! HomeDepth ChartTransactionsMasthead MastheadMeet the Players!Links White Sox Web LinksSouth Side Sox standardsCommunity GuidelinesOdds Shop StubHub 鉁昗hite Sox MinorsDeep DiveDeep Dive: Third Base Edition, Part 2New,3commentsA look into the upper levels of arguably the system’s weakest positionand Charlotte. Those listed here for Charlotte and Birmingham are basically journeymen, but the players at Winston-Salem seem to be the best of this bunch. The player’s age as of April 1, 2019 is listed.Charlotte KnightsBryant Flete5麓10麓麓146 poundsBats: LeftAge: 26Additional positions: second Base, shortstopFlete signed a minor league international free agent contract with the Chicago Cubs on March 2, 2012. For five years, the highest level he attained in the Cubs organization was AA Tennessee. And on July 13 of last year, Flete was traded to the White Sox, along with Eloy Jimenez, Dylan Cease and Matt Rose, for southpaw Jose Quintana. In his career, Flete has played 567 games, encompassing 1,915 at-bats, slashing .256/.345/.349 in the process with a combined 17 homers, 51 stolen bases, 233 walks (10.03%) and 381 strikeouts (17.60%). Last year was a microcosm of Flete’s career, as he split time with Birmingham and Charlotte, slashing .250/.352/.327 in 284 at-bats with two homers Jeimer Candelario Jersey , 28 RBIs, four stolen bases, 34 walks (10.27%) and 77 strikeouts (23.26%). He actually did quite quite well in an eight-game stint with Charlotte, slashing .346/.393/.423 to end the season. Flete spent 48.4% of his time last year at third base, 44.8% at second base, and 6.8% at shortstop. With his size and lack of power, he profiles far better at second base than the hot corner. He should have an opportunity to return to Charlotte, as a run-of-the-mill, no-hit, all-glove utility infielder. His main competition for that role could include Eddy Alvarez and Jake Elmore, who were detailed in my second base Deep Dive.Patrick Leonard6 225 poundsBats: RightAge: 26Additional position: first baseThe Kansas City Royals drafted Leonard in the fifth round in 2011. After a year-and-a-half in the Royals organization, Leonard was traded along with Mike Montgomery, Jake Odorizzi, and Wil Myers to the Tampa Bay Rays for James Shields, Wade Davis and the infamous player to be named later. In Leonard’s seven-year career (including 2018), he has combined for a .255/.331/.409 slash line with 78 homers, 377 RBIs, 61 stolen bases, 291 walks (8.89%) and 821 strikeouts (25.07). When Leonard signed with the White Sox as a free agent third baseman last offseason, there was some hope that he could eventually earn his way to the majors at some point in 2018. After all, he enjoyed a respectable 2017 with Durham (Tampa Bay’s AAA squad) by slashing .268/.327/.408 with 32 doubles, 12 homers, 70 RBIs and 15 stolen bases. Alas, after a difficult start, Leonard slid a bit in 2018, hitting .242/.315/.395 for Charlotte with 29 doubles, 11 homers, 53 RBIs and three stolen bases, walking 43 times (8.96%) and striking out 145 (30.21%).While the numbers weren’t Keon Barnum/Courtney Hawkins bad, they were disappointing nonetheless. Although there’s certainly a possibility that Leonard’s services may be retained for 2019, he may be on the outside looking, with the Sox more keen on playing long-time organizational prospects like Trey Michalczewski instead.Birmingham BaronsGerson Montilla 0 poundsBats: RightAge: 29Additional positions as of 2016: second base, first base, shortstop Montilla’s had just one at-bat (a strikeout, in case you’re wondering) over the last two years in the Sox organization due to injuries. Yes, he did have a decent season with Winston-Salem as a 26-year-old in 2016, when he hit .266 with 13 homers and 74 RBIs. Because Montilla was actually on Birmingham’s DL for the entire year, I feel obliged to mention him here. However, as someone who’ll be turning 29 soon without advancing beyond AA ball, no future for Montilla seems likely with the White Sox organization going forward. Winston-Salem DashTi’Quan Forbes 80 poundsBats: RightAge: 22Additional positions: second base, shortstop, first baseForbes hit .427 during his senior season in high school and verbally committed to the University of Mississippi as a 5-pound senior from Columbia, Miss. However, a $1.2 million signing bonus was too much to resist, after being picked by the Texas Rangers in the second round of the 2014 MLB Draft.Forbes, who hasn’t added much weight since his varsity days, struggled during his stint in the Rangers system (2014-17). Encompassing 1,305 at-bats (which concluded at A+ Down East), he combined to hit .246/.303/.330 with 15 home runs, 124 RBI, 23 stolen bases, 87 walks (6.1%) and 337 strikeouts (23.6%). Due to these disappointing results, Forbes was traded to the White Sox on Aug. 31 http://www.tigersfanproshop.com/authentic-joe-jimenez-jersey , 2017 for Miguel Gonzalez.In his first full season with Winston-Salem, many of Forbes’s peripherals improved. His slash line, while still unspectacular, improved to .273/.313/.391 while hitting six homers, knocking home 51 runs, 21 doubles and six triples (all but the OBP and homers were career bests). He also struck out just 74 times, which also gave him a career best 16.34 K%. However, Forbes only walked 21 times last year (4.6%) so he still needs work at accepting the free pass.While considered to have above-average speed, Forbes proved vastly ineffective swiping bases, as he was successful in only four of 13 tries in 2018. Finally, his 1.77 GO/AO rate indicates Forbes hits the ball into the ground far too many times for someone of his power. Forbes just turned 22 last month, and he was 1.4 years younger than the Carolina League average. Defensively, Forbes spent 69% of his time at the hot corner, 23.4% at second, and 7.6% at short (he also played one inning at first). He committed 21 errors altogether, but is considered a respectable gloveman, with slightly above-average range.Forbes should begin 2019 at hitter-unfriendly Birmingham. This will be a huge year for him, because while there are no real hot corner prospects ahead of him in Charlotte, there are a couple behind him with significantly more power potential (Jake Burger and Bryce Bush). Certainly, Forbes’s lack of overall game power would diminish his role in the majors if he should ever get there.Zach Remillard 6麓1麓麓200 poundsBats: RightAge: 25Additional positions: left field, first base, right field, second base, center field, shortstopRemillard was a four-year starter with Coastal Carolina and enjoyed a respectable first three seasons with the Chanticleers, combining for a .251/.317/.369 slash line with 12 homers, 95 RBIs, 48 walks (6.95%) and 120 strikeouts (17.37%) over 605 at-bats. He became an entirely different hitter his senior season, however, by sacrificing strikeouts in order to swing for the fences; in 2016, he slashed .345/.392/.617 while hitting 19 homers, 81 RBIs, 19 walks (5.96%) and 81 strikeouts (25.39%). As a result of Remillard’s defensive versatility and power boost, Remillard was selected in the 10th round of that year’s MLB Draft.Remillard has been a fairly consistent hitter in the Sox organization — hitting .248/.296/.382 over three years, with a combined 23 homers, 118 RBIs, 56 walks (5.05%) and 263 strikeouts (23.69%) over 1,016 career at-bats. He had arguably his best season last year in 380 at-bats with Winston-Salem, slashing .250/.316/.395 with 11 homers, 52 RBIs, eight stolen bases, 30 walks (7.16%) and 103 strikeouts (24.58%) in 103 at-bats. While Remillard has shown some positive traits offensively, he really shines on the defensive level. He played every position with the exception of the battery last year, and did so quite well. He committed just 14 errors despite playing myriad positions, and was recognized by Baseball America last preseason as having the best infield arm in the organization. Remillard is making the most out of his organizational-depth, utility-man status, and should be a lock to be the primary utility player for the Barons in 2019.SummaryWhile there’s not a lot to get excited about, third base isn’t entirely bare. However, it will in all likelihood be at least two to three years before any of the most significant prospects are ready for promotion to the majors. Can Burger stay injury-free, improve his defense, and reach his potential? Can Bush continue to mash against more difficult competition in the minors? Can Forbes take the next step and hit with more authority? Only time will tell.