About
"The Diamond Cutter" is an in-depth look at all of Major League Baseball and its prospects from columnist Matthew Whipps.
About The Author
Matthew Whipps has been a columnist covering MLB and its prospects for MVN, Baseball Digest Daily, had his work featured on Sports Illustrated and The Hardball Times, and of course right here on The Diamond Cutter.
diamondcutter[at]columnist.com
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Written by Matthew Whipps
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Friday, 22 May 2009 20:58 |
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When the Atlanta Braves called up Kris Medlen this past week it had many fans and analysts confused as to why. It's not that Medlen wasn't deserving of the promotion, after all he had been 5-0 with a 1.19 ERA in 8 games with Triple-A Gwinnett. What people were upset and confused about was where their highly touted future ace Tommy Hanson was.
Calm down everyone. It will happen.
Now Medlen had a rough major league debut on Thursday night against the Rockies with two wild pitches, a balk, a hit batter, five walks and five earned runs in only three innings. While this was hardly a true representation of his skills, it just had people scratching their heads even harder.
Truth be told, when Jo-Jo Reyes went on the DL the Braves would have loved to call up Hanson. I guarantee you that they looked at every possible scenario to bring him up but the simple fact of the matter is that it didn't make sense. You see when they finally bring up their prodigy they want it to be permanent. He's as ready as he's going to be but they don't have a rotation spot for him. It doesn't make sense to bring him up just to send him back down again after two weeks.
My prediction for all of you is that the will be up for good by mid June. When Reyes is healthy my guess is that he will head back down to Triple-A as he has been less than impressive thus far (0-2 with a 7.00 ERA). When that happens the Braves will be able to bring Hanson up and gently insert him into their rotation.
Then everyone can take a collective sigh of relief.
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Written by Matthew Whipps
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Monday, 11 May 2009 21:34 |
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I had to go with the title being that I'm a big Johnny Cash fan. Sorry for the self indulgance.
But there is relevance to it and not just my way of trying to be snazzy. I have returned from a two week hiatus from writing here as I had to give my undivided attention to my day job. A lot was going on and I had zero time to write let alone form coherant sentences.
So just to let you know I am now back and look for Diamond Cutter action coming back at you fast and furious.
Lucky you!
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Written by Matthew Whipps
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Wednesday, 22 April 2009 16:45 |
Alvarez is the future franchise player the Pirates organization has been thirsty for (Trev Stair/Flickr).
The Pittsburgh Pirates' only chance for digging out of the deep, deep hole they have dug themselves into is by growing from within like other small market clubs (Minnesota and Tampa Bay) have done over the years. The problem with that is they are a very top-heavy organization with two, possibly three, superstar calibur players at the top, but not much else lining up behind them. It is critical that they develop these players as they have shown they are not the type of organization to go out and pay for talent. So they sure better make use of the potential they have. Here are the top five prospects in the Pirates organization.
1.) Andrew McCutchen
Position: Outfield | Statistics | Video | 2008 Rank: #1
Bats: Right | Throws: Right | Height: 5-11 | Weight: 175
Scouting Report: Andrew McCutchen is an exciting player with a stellar glove in centerfield. Despite his great defensive prowess, his impact bat may be his best skill. McCutchen has quick hands and a compact swing which produces a surprising amount of power for someone of his stature. He is a line drive hitter due to his quick bat speed and is able to hit consistently to all fields. While he has had his struggles at times, the Pirates organization is hoping he will still be their shining star in center very, very soon.
2.) Pedro Alvarez
Position: Third Base | Statistics | Video | 2008 Rank: NR
Bats: Left | Throws: Right | Height: 6-2 | Weight: 212
Scouting Report: Well he had a pretty impressive college career and there’s nothing saying it won’t translate to the big leagues. Alvarez is a big, strong left-handed hitting third baseman who was very coveted in last year’s draft. He is a very polished hitter with some good power which should pick up right where he left off at Vanderbilt. While his defense and arm are nothing special (average at best) it is good enough to stay at the hot corner. Some have suggested a possible move to first base but I don’t think that’s necessary at this point. He suffered a broken hamate bone at the end of last season which has caused him a bit of a slow recovery in his power. This should hopefully not linger for too long as it is a big part to his overall game. Regardless it shouldn’t take long for him to be at the top of the Pirates prospect list as well as baseball’s in general.
3.) Jose Tabata
Position: Outfield | Statistics | Video | 2008 Rank: #3 (for Yankees)
Bats: Right | Throws: Right | Height: 5-11 | Weight: 160
Scouting Report: With seemingly little room in the big leagues for him with the constant signing of older players, Tabata was finally traded out of the Yankees system last season. The Pirates are just the type of organization where he can receive a fair chance to show what good hitting prowess he has. Tabata is an excellent hitter and hits the ball hard all over the field. Due to this and his great plate discipline, he looks to have the makeup to be a potential batting champion competitor someday. He has developing power that has been hampered by a lingering wrist injury the past couple of years so it will be interesting to see if he develops into a slugger. Is above average defensively and will round out at a corner outfield position. I’m a big fan of Tabata and think he can develop into something special.
4.) Neil Walker
Position: Third Base | Statistics | Video | 2008 Rank: #2
Bats: Both | Throws: Right | Height: 6-3 | Weight: 215
Scouting Report: The much debated move of Neil Walker from catcher to the hot corner last season appears to have paid off. Of course this isn’t too surprising given Walker’s fantastic athletic ability as well as his soft, quick hands and defensive prowess. The big fear is whether or not his bat would carry over to the hot corner and so far it has. Walker has a strong frame with muscular arms and legs which give him fabulous power potential as line drives jump off his bat. He has excellent physical make-up which is why they decided to take the risk which now that it has paid off, should get him to the pros quickly especially if Andy LaRoche continues to struggle. The problem of course is the other guy on this list who plays third and how quickly he ascends to the majors. Walker could find himself on another team very quickly.
5.) Brad Lincoln
Position: Pitcher | Statistics | Video | 2008 Rank: #5
Bats: Left | Throws: Right | Height: 5-11 | Weight: 180
Scouting Report: Now I know many Pirates fans will argue with me about this, but I think this guy deserves an opportunity to bounce back. Brad Lincoln was the Pirates top overall pick in the 2006 draft. He had a good start to his new career until the injuries started mounting up. First he was hit with an oblique injury which was followed up by a Tommy John surgery causing him to miss all of 2007. He had an up and down return last season but I believe he will start to get stronger heading into this season as it takes about a year after the surgery to regain your stuff. Before going down he had a good moving fastball which sat in the mid-90’s as well as a hard breaking curveball. He had a little trouble with the command of his pitches before the injury so it will definitely be a tougher battle now. I think if given the chance he can be a serviceable back of the rotation starter for the Pirates.
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Written by Matthew Whipps
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Sunday, 19 April 2009 11:46 |
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Watch out when walking around outside the stadium, you may get hit with a lazy flyball (Eric Beato/Flickr).
I'll be the first to admit, I hate the Yankees. I've said this numerous times on this site as well as many more across the World Wide Web. But that isn't important right now. What is important is the incredible mistake the Yankees have made with their new stadium.
Have any of you been able to catch a game there yet? Or hell, even seen a box score of a game played there? It's as if they are playing in a Little League stadium. Home runs are flying out all over the place, especially to right field. In fact, through the first five games in new Yankee Stadium (including exhibition) there have already been 25 homers hit making an average of five per game. At this rate there could be over 400 homers hit by season's end, an increase of 250% over last year. That's ridiculous.
Routine fly balls are shooting out of the park, especially to right, from strong winds blowing out. This will make it a nightmare for pitchers until the Yankees can address this in coming seasons.
Until then, good luck Yanks in signing any new free agent starters to pitch in "New Coors Field."
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Written by Matthew Whipps
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Wednesday, 15 April 2009 19:44 |
Of his High School draft peers, Bruce has had the biggest impact for his club thus far (Trev Stair/Flickr).
The first round of the 2005 first-year player draft saw an incredible crop of talent come from it. Players like Justin Upton, Troy Tulowitzki, Matt Garza and Ryan Braun have already made major contributions to their team’s success while others like Alex Gordon and Ryan Zimmerman have begun to cemented themselves as franchise players in their organizations. Not to mention 12 of the top 30 picks at one time or another were listed on my top 25 prospect list over the past couple of years. So with all this talent that exploded on to the scene in 2005, why is this article directed exclusively at the high school outfielders?
As good as the 2005 draft was, it isn’t remembered for all the talented players that came from it, but rather it is remembered for having the richest crop of high school outfielders we possibly have ever seen in one draft. We’ve had drafts that were deep at certain positions before, but none with high schoolers the caliber of the four studs in center field that came from this one. All four of them appear to be can’t miss players which is so rare to have in kids so young, at the same position, in the same draft. To give you a better understanding of the talent, here’s a look at the four center fielders that still have the baseball world talking:
10th Pick / Cameron Maybin / Florida Marlins / TC Roberson High School
Cameron Maybin has a lighting quick bat and long arms that can generate a lot of power. Because of this I project him to be a 30-plus home run hitter down the road for the Marlins. Also due to his speed and stellar base running instincts, look for this kid to steal 30-plus bases as well. Drafting a future 30/30 guy right out of high school isn’t something you come across everyday and Maybin looks to have the best chance to join the exclusive club. Maybin also has great range and powerful arm in center field. This guy is an all around superstar and will be making noise in Detroit as soon as next year.
11th Pick / Andrew McCutchen / Pittsburgh Pirates / Fort Meade High School
Andrew McCutchen is an exciting player with a stellar glove in centerfield. Despite his great defensive prowess, his impact bat may be his best skill. McCutchen has quick hands and a compact swing which produces a surprising amount of power for someone of his stature. He is a line drive hitter due to his quick bat speed and is able to hit consistently to all fields. While he has had his struggles at times, the Pirates organization is hoping he will still be their shining star in center very, very soon.
12th Pick / Jay Bruce / Cincinnati Reds / Westbrook High School
Jay Bruce is a five tool player who can impact the game with his power bat, speed, and defense. He needs to work on his plate discipline and off speed pitches, but those are adjustable. If he can learn these items the next few years and combine that with his current skills, he will be a monster. Bruce has already shown his masher capabilities in his first year last season as he pushed his way into a starting role. With his talent and power, look for him to crush 35-40 HR in the hitter friendly Great American Ballpark as soon as this season.
28th Pick / Colby Rasmus / St. Louis Cardinals / Russell County High School
Colby Rasmus is the superior, impact-type prospect the St. Louis Cardinals organization has been waiting for ever since Albert Pujols was plucked from it. Rasmus is a perfect example of a five-tool player as he can run, throw, field, hit, and hit for power. Excellent bat speed, good pitch recognition, and plus runner. The only thing is that I am not sure how much St. Louis will allow him to run once he reaches majors in fear of his safety.
As you can see, despite the great amount of talent that was available in this draft, the four center fielders who at the time were just barely old enough to buy a pack of cigarettes are the ones that people still mention when the 2005 draft is brought up.
I for one can not wait to see how these young players develop and who will rise to the top as the best of the high school center fielders in the class of ‘05.
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Written by Matthew Whipps
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Friday, 10 April 2009 21:19 |
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Thank goodness for modern medicine (Darren Hester/Flickr).
I have finally peeled myself out of my bed after three days of dealing with a horrible flu/strep throat combo platter (that my wife and child also dealt with which made it even more fun). Perfect timing too with opening week happening at the same time. So now that I am beginning to get better, I figured now would be a good time to give some thoughts, observations, ideas, questions and analysis of the first four days of the new season. This will be fairly quick and I may pass out a few times during, but darn it, it must be done.
(If this seems jumbled it's partially because I've slept about 8 hours total since Sunday night. That fact along with how out of it I've been lately, I'm not 100% sure all of these things mentioned below actually happened or if they were fever induced hallucinations. Either way they should be interesting. Thank you.)
· Is it just me or did ESPN's coverage of the Phillies' 0-2 start make it seem like they just witnessed the fall of the Roman Empire? I mean seriously, it was like they should have just stopped playing, thanked the fans for coming out and canceled the remainder of the season. Thank goodness for MLB Network's coverage.
· Brandon Inge is on pace to hit 121 homers this season. Yes, Brandon Inge.
· My long time infatuation with the incredible Harold Reynolds has been taken to a new level thanks to MLB Network. We're not quite at the point where we need to start worrying about him finding me yelling outside of his window in a rain storm, but we're getting close.
· Yankee starting pitchers failed to record a strikeout through the first two games of the season. I'd have a joke for this but, dammit, I can't stop smiling.
· If the season ended today, Marlins converted third baseman Emilio Bonifacio would be your NL MVP.
· If the season ended today, your division winners would be the Blue Jays, Royals, Rangers, Marlins, Cubs and Rockies/Giants. I'm pretty sure that is the same combination that opens up the gates of hell.
Ugh, that was too much and I'm exhausted. Time to crawl back into my dark cave I call a bedroom.
Here's to baseball. And here's to Penicillin.
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Written by Matthew Whipps
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Sunday, 05 April 2009 13:36 |
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Hanley Ramirez and the Marlins will be contenders in the NL (wallyg/Flickr).
With the 2009 season finally starting tonight, I thought now would be a perfect time to give out my 2009 predictions. I'd love to hear all of your opinions and picks as well so make sure to post them in the comments section below. I hope everyone enjoys the game tonight, I know I will!
2009 AMERICAN LEAGUE PREDICTIONS
AL East
1.) Boston Red Sox
2.) Tampa Bay Rays
3.) New York Yankees
4.) Baltimore Orioles
5.) Toronto Blue Jays
AL Central
1.) Minnesota Twins
2.) Cleveland Indians
3.) Kansas City Royals
4.) Chicago White Sox
5.) Detroit Tigers
AL West
1.) Los Angeles Angels
2.) Oakland A's
3.) Texas Rangers
4.) Seattle Mariners
AL Wild Card
1.) Tampa Bay Rays
2.) New York Yankees
3.) Cleveland Indians
4.) Kansas City Royals
5.) Oakland A's
AL Playoffs
Tampa Bay Rays vs. Boston Red Sox
Los Angeles Angels vs. Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins vs. Boston Red Sox
MVP Voting
1.) Justin Morneau, MIN
2.) Evan Longoria, TB
3.) Kevin Youkilis, BOS
Cy Young Voting
1.) Francisco Liriano, MIN
2.) Jon Lester, BOS
3.) Gil Meche, KC
Rookie of the Year Voting
1.) Matt Wieters, BAL
2.) David Price, TB
3.) Travis Snider, TOR
2009 NATIONAL LEAGUE PREDICTIONS
NL East
1.) Philadelphia Phillies
2.) Florida Marlins
3.) Atlanta Braves
4.) New York Mets
5.) Washington Nationals
NL Central
1.) Chicago Cubs
2.) Cincinnati Reds
3.) Milwaukee Brewers
4.) St. Louis Cardinals
5.) Houston Astros
6.) Pittsburgh Pirates
NL West
1.) Los Angeles Dodgers
2.) Arizona Diamondbacks
3.) Colorado Rockies
4.) San Francisco Giants
5.) San Diego Padres
NL Wild Card
1.) Florida Marlins
2.) Cincinnati Reds
3.) Arizona Diamondbacks
4.) Milwaukee Brewers
5.) Atlanta Braves
NL Playoffs
Florida Marlins vs. Chicago Cubs
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
Florida Marlins vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
MVP Voting
1.) Manny Ramirez, LAD
2.) Hanley Ramirez, FLA
3.) Joey Votto, CIN
Cy Young Voting
1.) Josh Johnson, FLA
2.) Brandon Webb, ARI
3.) Edison Volquez, CIN
Rookie of the Year Voting
1.) Cameron Maybin, FLA
2.) Dexter Fowler, COL
3.) Tommy Hanson, ATL
WORLD SERIES
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Boston Red Sox
World Champions
Los Angeles Dodgers
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Written by Matthew Whipps
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Friday, 03 April 2009 21:37 |
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Manny will dance his team to the playoffs in 2009 (pvsbond/Flickr).
Back in the beginning of January I stumbled across this article in ESPN’s fantasy baseball section where fantasy columnist Jason Grey answered a list of questions, fill in the blanks and predictions for the upcoming season (click here for his answers). I originally posted this on my old blog but wanted to revisit it again one last time before the season begins. While I do have a fantasy baseball segment on this site, I figured I would center this more on baseball predictions than fantasy predictions.
So below is my answers to the exact questions he was asked. If you have time, I’d love to see your answers to these same questions in the comments section or comments regarding mine (for those of you who posted your predictions in the comments section last time, I have brought those comments over at the bottom). Here goes…
Your name:
Matthew Whipps
But you wish to be referred to as:
“The Diamond Cutter” or “Big Daddy Cool Diesel”
You’re a shameless, unabashed fan of:
Manny Ramirez
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Written by Matthew Whipps
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Wednesday, 01 April 2009 16:22 |
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Pitchers dread seeing Theriot step up to the plate as they know he makes them work (Dinur/Flickr).
RYAN THERIOT | SS
Organization: Chicago Cubs
DOB: 12/7/79 | Height: 5-11 | Weight: 175 | Bats: R | Throws: R
Scouting Report: Theriot is just the kind of pesky hitter you want at the top of your lineup. In fact, he’s a perfect number two hitter as he not only makes pitchers work, he can also play small ball and move runners over. Theriot does a fantastic job working counts, making pitchers work to get him out and constantly draws walks (on-base machine). He is a shining example of a contact hitter and stays inside the ball very well which allows him to drive the ball to right and right center field. He has virtually no power at all but that isn’t his game so it isn’t a big deal. Very speedy on the base paths and a good base stealer. This really helps out the 3-4-5 hitters after him as the pitcher tends to become distracted with him. Then if they focus on the hitter, he’ll steal a base. Theriot is a steady glove with steady hands at shortstop with a very smooth transition to the ball. Goes up the middle to track down balls in play much better than in the hole on the left side. Has the tendency to not charge in on balls which sometimes comes back to bite him on bad hops. He doesn’t have the best arm in the world but he is accurate on his throws. Not a flashy player at all, just an overall good guy to have on your team.
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Written by Matthew Whipps
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Tuesday, 31 March 2009 17:41 |
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Sheffield's time in Detroit has come to a sudden end (Dan Cox/Flickr).
· In a surprise move today, the Detroit Tigers released designated hitter Gary Sheffield on the cusp of not only the start of the 2009 season, but also Sheffield’s 500th home run.
While this shocked many, I for one am not surprised as the Tigers needed to do this. Sheffield has really started to show his age the past few years as his bat, normally lightening fast, has really begun to slow down. So not only does this clean out the clog at the DH spot, it gives the Tigers a lot more versatility with the spot in the lineup. With youngster Marcus Thames trying to find his place the past couple of seasons, he now has a spot in the lineup. Plus the Tigers can now take Miguel Cabrera, Carlos Guillen and Magglio Ordonez out of the field to give them a rest while still keeping their bats in the lineup.
The entire transaction is a win-win for the Tigers who will miss out on his 500th homer, but when they didn’t really want him there to begin with, what’s to celebrate?
· Atlanta Braves fans may have lost one franchise player in John Smoltz, but now they don’t have to worry losing the other as Chipper Jones has agreed to a three-year contract extension worth $42 million.
Honestly with all the negative press GM Frank Wren received over the winter (from yours truly as well) with his lack of making any moves until late into the winter as well as letting Smoltz leave town, he couldn’t afford to not sign Chipper through the rest of his career. Plus considering he hit a major league best .364 as well as hitting 22 homers and driving in 75 RBI, the lineup couldn’t afford to lose him anytime soon. While he may miss quite a few games throughout the year, he is still a very valuable piece to this clubs identity.
While Detroit couldn’t afford to keep Sheffield, Atlanta couldn’t afford to lose Chipper.
· The list of candidates for the Kansas City Royals few remaining rotation spots has dwindled down one more as Luke Hochevar has been demoted to Triple-A Omaha today.
While Hochevar has had a pretty good spring (1-0, 3.86 ERA in 16.1 innings), he still has some work to do on his stuff. As disappointed as he may be, it does make sense. Plus he shouldn’t worry too much as he will be back up with the club, my guess by mid-May. Why you ask? Because the last three pitchers competing for the final two spots in the rotation are Sidney Ponson, Brian Bannister and Horacio Ramirez.
And I guarantee you none of them are going to keep those spots too securely.
· Don’t forget The Diamond Cutter top 25 prospects list is up and complete! After the start of the season the return of “Sunday Ranking Roundup” will return where I will evaluate how everyone on the list is doing and if any changes are needed. Stay tuned!
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