In the Double-A Eastern League, the Valley League has an alum ranked, and two other players were mentioned in John Manuel's chat.
First of all, Daniel Murphy (Luray 05) blasted his way into a major league pennant race, and ended up playing regularly for the Mets in September. He came in at #13 on Manuel's list with this writeup:
"Scouts agree with the shorthand assessment of Murphy's Binghamton manager, Mako Oliveras: "He's a grinder who can hit." Murphy has hit at every level, a trend that continued in the EL and again after his big league promotion.
He does it with a polished gameplan and excellent two-strike approach. He has advanced offensive instincts that also translate onto the basepaths, where his average speed plays up, and his selectivity gives him average power.
He's less capable defensively, though he's decent at third base. He volunteered for left field and second-base duty, taking on extra work before games to work on the new positions. Scouts don't consider him capable of handling second base consistently, but he should continue to hit enough to fit in left field for New York long-term. He's headed to the Arizona Fall League to work on his play at second."
Sounds like a smart move to me. Imagine this:
Jerry Manuel: "Hey, Danny, wanna try out second base? Left field? We have some issues there. I can get you in the lineup that way."
Murphy: "Man, I haven't played second base much, and left field? Scary. No, thanks. I'll stick to third base and back up David Wright so I never play."
Anyway, Murphy played 3 games in the New York-Penn League, 95 in the Eastern League, 1 in the International League, and then 49 in the majors. He hit at each stop, going 315/379/493 in the minors, and 313/397/473 in the majors.
Manuel also answered a (short) question about Daniel:
"Q: Raul Rivero from Tidewater, Virginia asks: Daniel Murphy: future All-Star, solid regular or pinch hitter? Thanks!
A: John Manuel: Solid regular."
Brad Mills (Harrisonburg 05) also played at several different levels this year: the Midwest League,
Florida State League, and Eastern League. He had a banner year, going 13-5, 1.95. He didn't make the top 20, but was mentioned in the chat.
"Q: Bo Hart from St. Louis asks: Any thoughts on Brad Mills? I know he only got six starts in, but any word on him would be appreciated..
A: John Manuel: I'm a Brad Mills fan, hence I have chosen your question. Prior to the 2006 draft I pumped him up, ranked him No. 4 in Arizona and we had him No. 115 on our Top 200 prospects. That's probably a bit high in retrospect but he's an intelligent, savvy lefty who has a plus changeup and two solid-average pitches. He's got to maintain an average fastball and command it well to keep succeeding all the way up the ladder, but I think he will. I'm a believer. Might help before Cecil actually, he's more polished, but he has less of a ceiling."
The last mention is Rob Delaney (New Market 03). Delaney pitched very well out of the bullpen in the
Florida State League and Eastern League, going a combined 3-3, 1.23, with 18 saves. He struck out 72 batters in 66 innings, and allowed only 44 hits and 11 walks.
"Q: Jon from Peoria asks: Did Robert Delaney's stuff get any better over the last year and can he profile as more than a middle reliever or setup guy?
A: John Manuel: I like Delaney, heavy 90-91 mph fastball and solid slider, good command, more of a middle guy, 7th-inning guy, maybe 8th inning guy. Nice find for $500."
Indeed. Murphy obviously played in the majors this year, but I would also expect Mills and Delaney to play in the bigs sometime soon. The Valley League continues to churn out players!
I think the big league Twins are in particular need of some good relievers, so I have high hopes for Rob in the coming seasons!
Posted by: Anna Kipps | October 04, 2008 at 12:50 PM
A bullpen of Pat Neshek and Rob Delaney will be easy to root for... (Neshek signs any and all autographs for anyone who wants one- he collects himself!) JLL
Posted by: JohnLL | October 04, 2008 at 01:50 PM