Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week: 2010 Topps Pro Debut #340 Casey Coleman

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2010 Topps Pro Debut #340.
• Player Name, position, team: Casey Coleman, pitcher, Iowa Cubs.
• Level-League, Team Affiliation: AAA-Pacific Coast League, Chicago Cubs.
• Minor League Stats (stats with team depicted only): 20 G, 117.1 IP, 10-7, 63 R, 61 ER, 59 SO, 35BB, 20 GS, 2 CG, 0 SHO, 0 SV, 1.202 WHIP, 4.07 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Chicago Cubs #15th, June 2008. Bats: left. Throws: right.
• Major League Debut: August 2, 2010.
• Baseball America Organizational Ranking After Season with Team: n/a
• Blurb on the back: "Coleman's grandfather and father (both Joe) were selected to the AL All-Star team during their careers, and now Casey is one step away from the Majors at Triple-A Iowa. The youngest Coleman, who was the Cubs 2009 Minor League Pitcher of the Year, is a change-up specialist with polish and poise."
• Official Topps Rookie Card: 2011 Topps Update #US307.
• Commentary: Thanks to Joseph Casey Coleman (yes, his name is also Joe) making it to the major leagues in 2010, the Colemans are now the 4th third-generation major league family, joining the likes of the Bells, the Boones, and the Hairstons. His debut was rather unauspicious, as he was sent into his debut in mop-up duty during what was then a 10-1 shellacking of the Cubs by the Brewers. In his 2.1 innings of work, he allowed 6 runs (giving him a disastrous 23.14 ERA), but did strike out a batter. Casey would make the short trip from Des Moines to Chicago for parts of three seasons, compiling a 22-16 record with the I-Cubs while earning a 7-13 record with the C-Cubs. He was released by the Cubs organization on April 14, 2014, signing with the Kansas City Royals the following day. After a three-game trial in Omaha, the now 26-year-old Coleman was called up to Kansas City on July 2.

Next week's featured card will be: 2011 Topps Pro Debut #26. Post will arrive at 9:00 AM CST. Hope you enjoyed this week's installment of Minor League Monday.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week: 2011 Topps Pro Debut #142 Eddie Rosario

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2011 Topps Pro Debut #142.
• Player Name, position, team: Eddie Rosario, outfielder, GCL Twins.
• Level-League, Team Affiliation: Rookie-Gulf Coast League, Minnesota Twins.
• Minor League Stats (stats with team depicted only): 51 G, 194 AB, 34 R, 57 H, 9 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 26 RBI, 22 SB, 16 BB, 28 SO, .438 SLG, .781 OPS, .294 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Twins #4th, June 2010. Bats: left. Throws: right.
• Major League Debut: n/a.
• Baseball America Organizational Ranking After Season with Team: Minnesota Twins #21 prospect after the 2010 season.
• Blurb on the back: "Rosario had his supporters as Puerto Rico's top pure hitter in the 2010 draft, and his performance in his pro debut reinforced that assessment. Eddie put up a .294-5-26 line in 51 Gulf Coast League games while stealing a circuit-high 22 bases in 27 tries."
• Official Topps Rookie Card: n/a.
• Commentary: Eddie M. Rosario, at 22-years-old, still has a lot of opportunity to progress up the Twins' organizational ladder. An outfielder when he first made his pro debut, he also has had opportunities at second base. Rosario spent the 2011 campaign in the Appalachian League, playing for the Twins' affiliate in Elizabethton, Tennessee. With the E-Twins, Rosario hit for a .337 average, with 21 home runs, 60 rbi's, and an OPS of 1.068. In 2012, he spent his season with the Beloit Snappers of the Midwest League, and 2013 with both the Fort Myers Miracle (A-Florida) and New Britain Rock Cats (AA-Eastern). In both years his home run totals decreased, but his batting average remained above near .300. In 2014, Rosario is back with the Rock Cats after serving a 50-game suspension for his second violation of baseball's drug policy.

Next week's featured card will be: 2010 Topps Pro Debut #340. Post will arrive at 9:00 AM CST. Hope you enjoyed this week's installment of Minor League Monday.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week: 2013 Topps Pro Debut #57 Alen Hanson

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2013 Topps Pro Debut #57.
• Player Name, position, team: Alen Hanson, shortstop, West Virginia Power.
• Level-League, Team Affiliation: Low A-South Atlantic League, Pittsburgh Pirates.
• Minor League Stats (stats with team depicted only): 124 G, 489 AB, 99 R, 151 H, 33 2B, 13 3B, 16 HR, 62 RBI, 35 SB, 55 BB, 105 SO, .528 SLG, .909 OPS, .309 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Pirates as a Free Agent before the 2009 season. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Major League Debut: n/a.
• Baseball America Organizational Ranking After Season with Team: Pittsburgh Pirates #5 prospect after the 2012 season.
• Blurb on the back: "Beginning with an April batting average of .410 as a 19-year-old for West Virginia in 2012, Hanson forced his way into the discussion of the game's most prominent shortstop prospects. Naturally athletic and unabashedly energetic, his combination of totals in the three extra-base hit categories and the stolen base column was unmatched at any level."
• Official Topps Rookie Card: n/a.
• Commentary: Alen Rery Hanson's numbers in 2012 were staggering. Regardless that it was the Sally League, the combination of speed and power he possessed makes him one of the Pirates leading prospects heading into the 2014 season. He spent his 2013 campaign between the High A Bradenton Marauders and AA-Altoona Curve, combining for a .274 average, 8 home runs, 58 rbi's, 30 stolen bases, and a .755 OPS. He starts 2014 in the Bucs' minor league camp, and will probably start in AA. He's going to be 21 this season, and if the Pirates do well in 2014, Hanson could see some action come September, if not sooner.

Next week's featured card will be: 2011 Topps Pro Debut #142. Post will arrive at 9:00 AM CST. Hope you enjoyed this week's installment of Minor League Monday.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week: 2011 Topps Pro Debut #325 Dixon Machado

After being two full schedules behind for the Random Cards of the Day (I run them in five-week segments), I have decided that instead of creating a list of all new cards to discuss, I thought that I'd use the cards that were on schedule beginning in January 13, 2013 and just begin from there. It was either that, or try and do two cards per day, one flashback and one for right now. So let's do this all over again. What would have been the Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week for January 13 is now this week's subject. Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week:

 

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2011 Topps Pro Debut #325.
• Player Name, position, team: Dixon Machado, shortstop, GCL Tigers.
• Level-League, Team Affiliation: Rookie-Gulf Coast League, Detroit Tigers.
• Minor League Stats (stats with team depicted only): 43 G, 165 AB, 22 R, 43 H, 4 2B, 3 3B, 0 HR, 11 RBI, 12 SB, 14 BB, 27 SO, .321 SLG, .636 OPS, .261 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Tigers as a Free Agent before the 2008 season. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Major League Debut: n/a.
• Baseball America Organizational Ranking After Season with Team: n/a.
• Blurb on the back: "Machado's silky defense in the Venezuelan Summer League earned him a trip to the U.S. as an 18-year-old in 2010. The shortstop made his stateside debut with 43 games in the Gulf Coast League, stealing 12 bags in 15 attempts. He joined Connecticut in August."
• Official Topps Rookie Card: n/a.
• Commentary: Dixon Javier Machado's is going on 22 this year. He is still very young and the Tigers are taking their time to make sure he progresses and becomes their shortstop of the near future. He did move up to the Tigers' NYPL team (Short Season-A) Connecticut Tigers at the end of August, 2010, and appeared in 7 games (.292, 1 rbi, 1 stolen base). He spent his 2011 season with the Tiger's Low-A West Michigan Whitecaps (Midwest), and 2012 with Lakeland Flying Tigers (Florida State). So he was climbing the ladders as all good prospects should. But a hamstring injury kept him off the field for most of 2013. And when he did play, it was to rehab with the GCL Tigers and then back with Lakeland. In 2014, Machado was assigned to the Toledo Mud Hens (International), the Tigers' Triple-A team, beginning the season one step closer to the majors. With Jose Iglesias out for the year, he might be in Detroit sooner than later.

Next week's featured card will be: 2013 Topps Pro Debut #57. Post will arrive at 9:00 AM CST. Hope you enjoyed this week's installment of Minor League Monday.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week: 2010 Topps Pro Debut #225 Arodys Vizcaino

It's the first Minor League Monday of 2014!!! Let's start it off with a bang. Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2010 Topps Pro Debut #225.
• Player Name, position, team: Arodys Vizcaino, pitcher, Rome Braves.
• Level-League, Team Affiliation: A-Southern Atlantic League, Atlanta Braves.
  
• Minor League Stats (stats with team depicted only): 14 G, 71.2 IP, 9-4, 25 R, 19 ER, 68 SO, 9 BB, 14 GS, 0 CG, 0 SHO, 0 SV, 1.005 WHIP, 2.39 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Twins as a Free Agent before the 2006 season. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Major League Debut: August 10, 2011.
• Baseball America Organizational Ranking After Season with Team: Atlanta Braves #7 prospect after the 2010 season .
• Blurb on the back: "Vizcaino wasted no time paying dividends for Atlanta, who acquired him from the Yankees in the Javier Vazquez deal after the 2009 campaign. Assigned to Rome to begin '10, he went 9-3 with a 2.34 ERA and a 7.5-1 SO/BB ratio and just one HRA in 12 starts. That earned him a June promotion to Myrtle Beach."
• Official Topps Rookie Card: n/a.
• Commentary: I'm confused. Yes, I know that this is a 2010 Topps set, and that usually tries to depict the player in the uniform of his most recent organization (Arodys Vizcaino was with the Yankees in 2009). But the blurb talks about his 2010 campaign in Rome, and it even mentions that Vizcaino was promoted to Myrtle Beach of the Carolina League before the end of the season. So now the question is, should Vizcaino have been pictured as a member of the Staten Island Yankees (the Short Season A-team of the NY-Penn League? Or was there not enough time to photoshop a Pelicans jersey onto Vizcaino? I mean two weeks ago, the subject of Minor League Mondays had spent most of his season in Altoona before a 2 game run in Indianapolis. But he (Matt Curry)is pictured in the jersey of the Indians instead of the Curve. I don't get it. What I do get is that Vizcaino did make his MLB debut in 2011, appearing in 17 games for the Braves with a 1-1 record, a 4.67 ERA, and 17 strikeouts in 17.1 innings of work. It was funny though because he had no MLB time after that, and the minor league numbers stopped in 2011 as well. It turns out that Vizcaino underwent Tommy John surgery in March of 2012, which caused him to miss the whole year. He was then traded to the Cubs in a deadline deal, with the hopes that he'd be ready for the 2013 season. But he required arthroscopic surgery on his elbow in May and needed to rehab the rest of the campaign. Despite all of this, Vizcaino was named the Cubs #4 prospect after the 2012 season, and it is hoped that he, and many of the other young prospects that the Cubs have been able to draft/sign/trade for/whatever, will lead the Cubs to the "promised land."

Next week's featured card will be: 2011 Topps Pro Debut #325. Post will arrive at 9:00 AM CST. Hope you enjoyed this week's installment of Minor League Monday.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week: 2012 Topps Pro Debut #58 Grant Buckner

It's Minor League Monday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2010 Topps Pro Debut #399.
• Player Name, position, team: Grant Buckner, first baseman, Briston White Sox.
• Level-League, Team Affiliation: Rookie-Appalachian League, Chicago White Sox.
  
• Minor League Stats (stats with team depicted only): 61 G, 235 AB, 39 R, 73 H, 20 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 36 RBI, 2 SB, 18 BB, 42 SO, .468 SLG, .852 OPS, .311 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the White Sox #26th, June 2011. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Major League Debut: n/a.
• Baseball America Organizational Ranking After Season with Team: n/a.
• Blurb on the back: "The pure-hitting Buckner made an impression in his pro debut for Bristol by swatting .311 with 20 doubles in 61 contests. The former Big East Conference batting champ also led his team with 39 runs scored, 73 hits, 110 total bases, 36 RBI and a .383 OBP."
• Official Topps Rookie Card: n/a.
• Commentary: Grant Charles Buckner has been gradually climbing the White Sox' organizational ladder. But with Jose Abreu tabbed as the Pale Hose's first baseman of the foreseeable future, it makes sense that he try to learn to play other positions if he were to make it onto the big league roster. As he is only 25 years old, he still has time to develop and possibly make an impact for the Sox or any other team. In the meantime, Buckner spent his 2012 season with the Kannapolis Intimidators, the White Sox' A-Southern Atlantic League team in North Carolina. With the Intimidators, Buckner hit .254, tallying 6 home runs and 59 rbi's while learning the ropes at third and in left field. In 2013, he was promoted to the Winston-Salem Dash, the Sox' High-A Carolina League team. He made appearances in both corner infield spots as well as in 62 games in the outfield, committing only three errors (all at first) in 539 chances (a ridiculous .994 fielding percentage). On offense, Buckner hit .254 with 10 home runs, 62 rbi's, and percentages of .331/.396/.727. He could see time in AA or AAA in 2014.

Next week's featured card will be: 2010 Topps Pro Debut #225. Post will arrive at 9:00 AM CST. Hope you enjoyed this week's installment of Minor League Monday.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week: 2013 Topps Pro Debut #101 Matt Curry

It's Minor League Monday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2013 Topps Pro Debut #101.
• Player Name, position, team: Matt Curry, first baseman, Indianapolis Indians.
• Level-League, Team Affiliation: AAA-International League, Pittsburgh Pirates.
  
• Minor League Stats (stats with team depicted only): 2 G, 5 AB, 0 R, 2 H, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 0 SB, 1 BB, 1 SO, .400 SLG, .900 OPS, .400 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Pirates #16th, June 2010. Bats: left. Throws: right.
• Major League Debut: n/a.
• Baseball America Organizational Ranking After Season with Team: Pittsburgh Pirates #23 prospect after the 2012 season.
• Blurb on the back: "In 2011, Matt was the first player since Andrew McCutchen that the Pirates allowed to skip High Single A, and last year he was nudged up to Triple-A for his final two games. In his only start, he reached base three times and knocked in two runs. The former TCU star is a "selectively aggressive" hitter with above-average pull power."
• Official Topps Rookie Card: n/a.
• Commentary: While the last line of Matthew Allen Curry's card reads that he only played 2 games with the Indians, he spent most of the 2012 season with the AA-Eastern League Altoona Curve. As the Curve's everyday first baseman, Curry hit .285 with 11 home runs, drove in 76 rbi's, stole 4 bases, and had percentages of .352/480/.832. Even though he ended the year with AAA-Indianapolis, he began his 2013 season with Curve. By May 4, Curry was hitting .248 with 4 home runs and 16 rbi's before fracturing his hamate bone in his right wrist, causing him to miss two months of the season. Curry would rehab with the Bucs' Rookie Team in the Gulf Coast League at the end of July. It is expected that Curry will land with the Indianapolis to begin the 2014 season, unless of course, he wows the Pirates managerial staff enough to make it onto their Opening Day roster.

Next week's featured card will be: 2012 Topps Pro Debut #58. Post will arrive at 9:00 AM CST. Hope you enjoyed this week's installment of Minor League Monday.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week: 2010 Topps Pro Debut #399 Anderson Hidalgo

It's Minor League Monday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2010 Topps Pro Debut #399.
• Player Name, position, team: Anderson Hidalgo, third baseman, Beloit Snappers.
• Level-League, Team Affiliation: A-Midwest League, Minnesota Twins.
  
• Minor League Stats (stats with team depicted only): 81 G, 282 AB, 38 R, 89 H, 25 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 28 RBI, 3 SB, 24 BB, 50 SO, .443 SLG, .818 OPS, .316 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Twins as a Free Agent before the 2006 season. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Major League Debut: n/a.
• Baseball America Organizational Ranking After Season with Team: n/a.
• Blurb on the back: "Standing only 5-foot-9, Hidalgo may not have the size and power associated with the classic third baseman, but that doesn't mean he can't hit. After smacking .309 in four seasons at lower levels, he made his full-season debut for the Beloit Snappers in 2010, and skirted .300 much of the year."
• Official Topps Rookie Card: n/a.
• Commentary: Maybe there is a collector out there who collects players who have two common last names as their player name. If there is (and I'm sure there has to be one...) then Anderson Jose Hidalgo would be the player for you. Since signing with the Twins, Hidalgo was taking the slow path up the majors, playing in the rookie leagues for full seasons at a time. Case in point: he spent two seasons in the foreign leagues (Venezuela in 2006 and Dominican Republic in 2007), the Gulf Coast Twins in 2008, the Elizabethtown Twins of the Appalachian League in 2009 (which should have been the team depicted on Hidalgo's jersey), and then the Beloit Snappers in 2010. With the Snappers, Hidalgo would hit a minor league career high .316. He would spend the next two seasons with the Twins' Florida State team, the Fort Myers Miracle, where he appeared in 100 games in 2011, along with six home runs and 44 rbi's. The following year was not much better as his average dipped below .240. The Twins released Hidalgo after the 2012 season. Not giving up on his dreams, however, Anderson joined the independent Lake Erie Crushers of the Frontier League in 2013, and hopes to latch onto a team for the 2014 campaign..

Next week's featured card will be: 2013 Topps Pro Debut #101. Post will arrive at 9:00 AM CST. Hope you enjoyed this week's installment of Minor League Monday.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week: 2010 Topps Pro Debut #188 Tim Wheeler

It's Minor League Monday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2010 Topps Pro Debut #188.
• Player Name, position, team: Tim Wheeler, outfielder, Tri-City Dust Devils.
• Level-League, Team Affiliation: Rookie-Northwest League, Colorado Rockies.
  
• Minor League Stats (stats with team depicted only): 68 G, 273 AB, 44 R, 70 H, 13 2B, 3 3B, 5 HR, 35 RBI, 10 SB, 29 BB, 60 SO, .381 SLG, .713 OPS, .256 AVG..
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Rockies #1st, June 2009. Bats: left. Throws: right.
• Major League Debut: n/a.
• Baseball America Organizational Ranking After Season with Team: Colorado Rockies #7 prospect after the 2009 season.
• Blurb on the back: "Nobody in Cal State Sacramento history had gone in the top three rounds of the draft before Tim was selected by the Colorado Rockies with the 32nd overall pick in 2009. A former stolen base champion of the Cape Cod League, Wheeler launched five homers and swiped 10 bags in his professional debut with Tri-City."
• Official Topps Rookie Card: n/a.
• Commentary: For sure the Tri-City that Timothy Scott Wheeler called his professional home in the 2009 season (Pasco, WA) is a lot different then what we midwesterners know as the Tri-Cities (that would be Mobile and Rock Island, IL, and Davenport, IA). Wheeler is one of the Rockies' up-and-coming prospects who, despite having an offensive hiccup in his second season with the Colorado Springs Sky Sox, the Rockies are hoping will find the form that awarded him the Best Power Prospect in the Texas League (.287-33-86-.900 OPS). With the Modesto Nuts (A-California League) in 2010, Wheeler hit for a .249 average, with 12 home runs and 63 rbi's in 129 games played. He will be competing for a spot in the outfield in Spring Training next season.

Next week's featured card will be: 2010 Topps Pro Debut #399. Post will arrive at 9:00 AM CST. Hope you enjoyed this week's installment of Minor League Monday.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week: 2011 Topps Pro Debut #129 Julio Pimentel

It's Minor League Monday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2011 Topps Pro Debut #129.
• Player Name, position, team: Julio Pimentel, pitcher, Arizona Royals.
• Level-League, Team Affiliation: Rookie-Arizona League, Kansas City Royals.
  
• Minor League Stats (stats with team depicted only): 7 G, 9.0 IP, 0-0, 7 R, 4 ER, 9 SO, 9 BB, 6 GS, 0 CG, 0 SHO, 0 SV, 1.667 WHIP, 4.00 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Dodgers as a Free Agent 07/14/2003. Traded by the Dodgers to the Royals 07/25/2006. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Major League Debut: n/a.
• Baseball America Organizational Ranking After Season with Team: n/a.
• Blurb on the back: "Pimentel, who reached Double-A in 2008, had been on the brink of the Majors before injuring his elbow in Spring Training of '09. His road back began in the '10 Arizona League, where the 24-year-old made six short starts and one relief appearance."
• Official Topps Rookie Card: n/a.
• Commentary: I know that there is no way for Topps to include EVERY minor leaguer into Pro Debut. There are what...thousands of players dotting the minor leagues from Triple A to Rookie ball? So when you get a player like Julio Cesar Pimentel into a minor league set of this caliber, you have to figure that of all the players who were active in the minors during the 2010 campaign, he was one of the 330 best that Topps could sign for their Pro Debut set. And you'd be right. Up until 2008, Pimentel had been climbing up the Royals organization, reaching as high as the #8 prospect in the Royals' organization in 2007 according to Baseball America and was on the World Team during the 2008 Futures Game. But the elbow injury he suffered took him off the proverbial track in 2009 and it looks like it has continued to affect him. He has not played in the minors (or even the independents since 2010). He is listed by Baseball America as a member of the Pirates organization, so there might still be a chance for Pimentel to play next summer. 

Next week's featured card will be: 2010 Topps Pro Debut #188. Post will arrive at 9:00 AM CST. Hope you enjoyed this week's installment of Minor League Monday.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week: 2013 Topps Pro Debut #158 Matthew Skole

It's Minor League Monday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2013 Topps Pro Debut #158.
• Player Name, position, team: Matthew Skole, third baseman, Hagerstown Suns.
• Level-League, Team Affiliation: A-South Atlantic League, Washington Nationals.
  
• Minor League Stats (stats with team depicted only): 101 G, 343 AB, 73 R, 98 H, 18 2B, 0 3B, 27 HR, 92 RBI, 10 SB, 94 BB, 116 SO, .574 SLG, 1.013 OPS, .286 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Nationals #5th, June 2011. Bats: left. Throws: right.
• Major League Debut: n/a.
• Baseball America Organizational Ranking After Season with Team: Washington Nationals #4 prospect after the 2012 season.
• Blurb on the back: "Skole's trophy cases filled up quickly in 2012, as the second-year player claimed South Atlantic League MVP and organizational Hitter of the Year honors. He made the choices easy by recording the third-most home runs and RBI ever by a Washington Nationals farmhand. The Georgia Tech's toolbox is headed by serious power and an extreme ability to draw walks."
• Official Topps Rookie Card: n/a.
• Commentary: I'll be honest. I don't keep tabs on prospects. That's nothing new. When I write the commentaries of the minor leaguers depicted on the cards, I go online to see to both baseball-reference (the good old standby) and Baseball America websites to try and get an idea of what a player is like. When I saw that Matthew Thomas Skole only appeared in two games for the Harrisburg Senators, the Nat's AA team in the Eastern League, my first thought was, oh no, he got released. But why? Even with a .200 average in five at bats (seven plate appearances), he managed two rbi's, two walks, and his lone hit was a double. So what gives? Then I read the article about him "starting over" in the Arizona Fall League. That intrigued me to read more. It turns out that on the second game of the season, he suffered an elbow ligament tear that put a kibosh on his entire season. While he'd rather forget the circumstances that caused him to sit out for the year, it's what he did during his down time that actually made me like where his story is headed. He stayed in Florida while his the season was going, working hard but not using his elbow for the first few months. He was told "You lost a season of at-bats but you also have an opportunity to do some things physically that you otherwise wouldn’t be capable of doing," by the Nat's director of player development Doug Harris. So he kept on working out, activities that were not baseball related. He learned to cook, which, if you're a minor leaguer on a fixed stipend, could be better than eating out all the time on the road. By the time September came, he was ready to participate in baseball activities, enough so that he could get some games in the instructional league. Soon he was ready for another stint in the Arizona Fall League. He made up for lost time during his month in the AFL, and was recently named the Nationals' #4 prospect by Baseball America, despite missing the entire season. Things can only look up for Skole, who could see himself back in Harrisburg or even AAA-Syracuse in 2014.

Next week's featured card will be: 2011 Topps Pro Debut #129. Post will arrive at 9:00 AM CST. Hope you enjoyed this week's installment of Minor League Monday.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week: 2010 Topps Pro Debut #404 Darin Ruf

It's Minor League Monday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2010 Topps Pro Debut #404.
• Player Name, position, team: Darin Ruf, first baseman, Gulf Coast League Phillies.
• Level-League, Team Affiliation: Rookie-Gulf Coast League, Philadelphia Phillies.
  
• Minor League Stats (stats with team depicted only): 20 G, 43 AB, 5 R, 14 H, 3 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 6 RBI, 0 SB, 3 BB, 8 SO, .395 SLG, .795 OPS, .326 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Phillies #20th, June 2009. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Major League Debut: September 14, 2012.
• Baseball America Organizational Ranking After Season with Team: n/a.
• Blurb on the back: "Ruf enjoyed a smooth transition to the pros in 2009, debuting with a .326 average in 20 Gulf Coast League games. The No. 2 RBI man in Creighton University history drove in 24 runs in 37 contests after being promoted to Williamsport. He joined Clearwater in '10 following a .330-4-17 start for Lakewood."
• Official Topps Rookie Card: 2013 Topps #83.
• Commentary: When your major league club already has a man who plays your position signed to a long term deal (signed a five-year deal through 2016 with an option for 2017), injured or not, he's not going anywhere. What are your options? Hope to be traded? Perhaps. But if you don't want to be a journeyman before making it to the majors, you do what is best for your organization...and your chances of making the majors. You learn a new position. Such was the case for Darin Cortland Ruf. A first baseman (as seen on his first and only Pro Debut card), Ruf began the transition from infielder to outfielder slowly. In 2010, Ruf played for both the Lakewood BlueClaws of the South Atlantic League and Clearwater Threshers of the Florida State League. Combined, he appeared in 129 games, hit for a .290 average, 9 home runs, 67 rbi's, and percentages of .363/.451/.814. From 2011 through 2013, Ruf climbed the ladder, spending a full year in Clearwater, then spending the following season with the AA-Reading Phillies of the Eastern League where he showed big time power on the heels of 38 home runs, 104 rbi's, a .317 average and an OPS of 1.028. Thanks to those strong numbers, the Phillies rewarded him with a September call-up. He would start the 2013 campaign with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, but it was only a matter of time before he would be called up to the big leagues for good. Many feel that he was robbed recently of earning a spot on the 2013 Topps All-Star Rookie Team. But the Phillies know that they have a guy who can give Domonic Brown, Ben Revere, and Delmon Young big-time competition for a spot on the 2014 Phillies opening day roster. 

Next week's featured card will be: 2013 Topps Pro Debut #158. Post will arrive at 9:00 AM CST. Hope you enjoyed this week's installment of Minor League Monday.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week: 2011 Topps Pro Debut #88 Keon Broxton

It's Minor League Monday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2011 Topps Pro Debut #88.
• Player Name, position, team: Keon Broxton, outfielder, South Bend Silver Hawks.
• Level-League, Team Affiliation: A-Midwest League, Arizona Diamondbacks.
  
• Minor League Stats (stats with team depicted only): 133 G, 531 AB, 74 R, 121 H, 17 2B, 19 3B, 5 HR, 32 RBI, 21 SB, 65 BB, 172 SO, .360 SLG, .675 OPS, .228 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Diamondbacks #3rd, June 2009. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Major League Debut: n/a.
• Baseball America Organizational Ranking After Season with Team: Arizona Diamondbacks #10 prospect after the 2010 season.
• Blurb on the back: "Broxton's supreme athletic ability was on full display in his Single-A debut in 2010. In mid-August, he tied a Midwest League record with his 19th triple of the season. Keon also swiped 21 bases - tops on the team and tied for 17th most in the circuit."
• Official Topps Rookie Card: n/a.
• Commentary: Keon Darrell Broxton has shown the ability to be a five-tool player for the Arizona Diamondbacks in the future. He has shown flashes of speed on the bases (when you have more triples than doubles in a season, you are a fast runner), he can hit for power (19 home runs and 62 rbi's with the Visalia Oaks in 2012), and solid fielding (a total 27 errors in 1146 chances for a .976 percentage, including 38 outfield assists. His weakness? Strikeouts. Try 689 in 566 minor league games. But he is climbing up that ladder. In 2011, he spent time with both the Silver Hawks and Visalia of the California League, hitting for a combined .248 with 7 home runs, 45 rbis, percentages of .341/.349/.690. He did strike out 172 times though. He spent all of 2013 with the AA Mobile BayBears. Understand that he will turn 24-years-old heading during the 2014 season. He could start in AAA or if he impresses Kirk Gibson and company, make it onto the Opening Day roster as a reserve.

Next week's featured card will be: 2010 Topps Pro Debut #404. Post will arrive at 9:00 AM CST. Hope you enjoyed this week's installment of Minor League Monday.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week: 2011 Topps Pro Debut #115 Cody Buckel

It's Minor League Monday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2011 Topps Pro Debut #115.
• Player Name, position, team: Cody Buckel, pitcher, Arizona League Rangers.
• Level-League, Team Affiliation: Rookie-Arizona League, Texas Rangers.
  
• Minor League Stats (stats with team depicted only): 4 G, 5.0 IP, 0-0, 0 R, 0 ER, 9 SO, 1 BB, 0 GS, 0 CG, 0 SHO, 0 SV, 0.600 WHIP, 0.00 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Brewers #2nd, June 2010. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Major League Debut: n/a.
• Baseball America Organizational Ranking After Season with Team: Texas Rangers #28 prospect after the 2010 season.
• Blurb on the back: "Buckel deferred his aspirations to become a professional actor/singer to sign with the Rangers in 2010. He looks to be entertaining fans for years to come after going unscored upon in his four Arizona League outings, fanning nine of the 17 hitters he faced."
• Official Topps Rookie Card: n/a.
• Commentary: Up until 2013, Cody James Buckel's rise up the Rangers' organizational ladder was running extremely smoothly. Stops with the Hickory Crawdads (A-South Atlantic League), the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (A-Carolina League), and Frisco Roughriders (AA-Texas League) in two seasons earned him a combined 18-11 record with a 2.54 ERA, 279 strikeouts, and a WHIP of 1.089 in 49 games, 40 of them as a starter. Heading into the 2013 campaign, he was MLB.com's #87 prospect. But something happened in 2013. Any control he had, he lost. The ability to keep hitters from getting to him disappeared. In his first 5 games with the Roughriders in 2013, he never got past the third inning. In five starts, he would only last a combined 9 innings, allow 9 hits, 18 earned runs, and 25 walks to contribute to a ridiculously high 18.00 ERA and 3.778 WHIP. In his final start, allowed one hit, three walks, and hit two batters without recording an out. He would be assigned to extended spring training to figure out where things went wrong. In August, he returned to the Arizona League Rangers. In his first game back, he pitched an inning without allowing a hit, but did draw two walks. The next one was a disaster. In 1/3rd of an inning, he allowed five walks, and four runs would eventually score. He is only 21 years old heading into the 2014 season, so he is still young yet,. It is too early to say he has "Steve Blass" disease. Rangers fans can only hope that he can regain his form and get his career back on track.

Next week's featured card will be: 2011 Topps Pro Debut #88. Post will arrive at 9:00 AM CST. Hope you enjoyed this week's installment of Minor League Monday.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week: 2011 Topps Pro Debut #311 Kentrail Davis

It's Minor League Monday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2011 Topps Pro Debut #311.
• Player Name, position, team: Kentrail Davis, outfieder, Brevard County Manatees.
• Level-League, Team Affiliation: A-Florida State League, Milwaukee Brewers.
  
• Minor League Stats (stats with team depicted only): 33 G, 123 AB, 20 R, 30 H, 2 2B, 5 3B, 0 HR, 17 RBI, 8 SB, 17 BB, 28 SO, .341 SLG, .721 OPS, .244 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Brewers #1st, June 2009. Bats: left. Throws: left.
• Major League Debut: n/a.
• Baseball America Organizational Ranking After Season with Team: Milwaukee Brewers #7 prospect after the 2010 season.
• Blurb on the back: "After signing out of the U. of Tennessee in 2009, Davis launched ihis pro career at Brevard County in '10. He legged out five triples and swiped eight bags in 10 attempts there before moving to wisconsin in June, where he batted .335 the rest of the way."
• Official Topps Rookie Card: n/a.
• Commentary: Originally drafted by the Rockies in the 14th round during the 2007 draft, Kentrail Latron Davis opted to go to college instead, attending the University of Tennessee. When looking up Davis' numbers through Baseball-Reference.com, it looked like he moved up from Low-A Wisconsin to High A Brevard County after tearing up the Midwest League. But after looking at the blurb on the back of the card, and then going back to Davis' entry in BR (where it shows the dates in which he was with each team), it turns out that it was the exact opposite. After 33 games with Brevard County, he was sent to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, and it was there that his offensive numbers picked up. With Wisconsin, he hit for an incredible .335 with 3 home runs, 46 rbi's, an OPS of .939, and 3 stolen bases. He has moved up the ladder since then, returning to the Manatees in 2011 and then spending 2012 with the AA Huntsville Stars. In 2013, he split time with both the Stars and AAA Nashville Sounds, hitting a combined .268 with 7 home runs, 47 rbi's, 26 stolen bases, and an OPS of .754. If all goes according to plan, he could start his 2014 campaign with the Sounds before what could be an inevitable call up to the bigs.

Next week's featured card will be: 2011 Topps Pro Debut #115. Post will arrive at 9:00 AM CST. Hope you enjoyed this week's installment of Minor League Monday.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week: 2011 Topps Pro Debut #260 Kendal Volz

It's Minor League Monday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2011 Topps Pro Debut #260.
• Player Name, position, team: Kendal Volz, pitcher, Greenville Drive.
• Level-League, Team Affiliation: A-South Atlantic League, Boston Red Sox.
  
• Minor League Stats (stats with team depicted only): 26 G, 116.1 IP, 6-5, 53 R, 48 ER, 94 SO, 14 BB, 24 GS, 0 CG, 0 SHO, 0 SV, 1.212 WHIP, 3.71 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Red Sox #9th, June 2009. Bats: right. Throws: left.
• Major League Debut: n/a.
• Baseball America Organizational Ranking After Season with Team: n/a.
• Blurb on the back: "A former star at Baylor and veteran of the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, Volz signed too late in 2009 to start his pro career. The 22-year-old right hander opened '10 at Single-A Greenville, where he compiled a 6.71 strikeout-to-walk ratio."
• Official Topps Rookie Card: n/a.
• Commentary: Originally drafted by the Diamondbacks in the 50th round during the 2006 draft, William Kendal Volz opted to go to college instead, attending Baylor University. He spent the first four months of the season with the Red Sox' minor league team in Salem, as a reliever (he was a starter the previous season). In 31 games, Volz went 2-3 with 2 saves, an ERA of 3.33, 56 strikeouts, and a WHIP of 1.052. He was traded at the deadline to Kansas City as one of the prospects the Royals wanted for infielder Mike Aviles, and after 6 games with the Wilmington Blue Rocks, was promoted to the Royals AA team, the Northwest Arkansas Naturals. He returned to the Naturals in 2012, pitching in 16 games, finishing 11 of them, a record of 3-1, and 16 strikeouts when a muscle tear ended his season. In a surprising move, Volz opted to retire from baseball on July 20, 2012.

Next week's featured card will be: 2011 Topps Pro Debut #311. Post will arrive at 9:00 AM CST. Hope you enjoyed this week's installment of Minor League Monday.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week: 2013 Topps Pro Debut #6 Nick Williams

It's Minor League Monday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2013 Topps Pro Debut #6.
• Player Name, position, team: Nick Williams, outfielder, Arizona League Rangers.
• Level-League, Team Affiliation: Rookie-Arizona League, Texas Rangers.
  
• Minor League Stats (stats with team depicted only): 48 G, 201 AB, 34 R, 63 H, 9 2B, 6 3B, 2 HR, 27 RBI, 15 SB, 16 BB, 50 SO, .448 SLG, .823 OPS, .313 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Rangers #2nd, June 2012. Bats: left. Throws: left.
• Major League Debut: n/a.
• Baseball America Organizational Ranking After Season with Team: Texas Rangers #25 prospect after the 2012 season .
• Blurb on the back: "Signed a way from an opportunity to play for Texas A&M, Williams is loaded with the raw toos to become a power-speed player for the Rangers. His intro to pro ball was a success at the Arizona League, where he ripped eight hits in his first three games and his .313 average, six triples, and 15 stolen bases showed up on leaderboards.."
• Official Topps Rookie Card: n/a.
• Commentary: After three years of not showing any kind of minor league stats, Topps FINALLY included at least one line of statistics on the backs of the cards for their 2013 Topps Pro Debut effort. Billy Nicholas Williams was assigned to the Hickory Crawdads of the South Atlantic League in 2013. While limited to 95 games for the Crawdads, he still wound up at or near the top of the team statistical leaderboards with a team high 110 hits (.293 average), 12 triples, 17 home runs (good for fourth) 60 rbi's (4th), along with percentages of .337/.543/.879. He will be 20 years old heading into the 2014 season, and if all goes according to plan on his way to the majors, he could start his campaign with either the Rangers' affiliates in Myrtle Beach (A-Florida State) or Frisco (AA-Texas).

Next week's featured card will be: 2011 Topps Pro Debut #260. Post will arrive at 9:00 AM CST. Hope you enjoyed this week's installment of Minor League Monday.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week: 2012 Topps Pro Debut #217 Alfredo Silverio

With the posts for the Random Topps Cards of the Day returning to this humble, little blog, it is now time for another one of the regular segments to make its triumphant return.

It's Minor League Monday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2012 Topps Pro Debut #217.
• Player Name, position, team: Alfredo Silverio, outfielder, Chattanooga Lookouts.
• Level-League, Team Affiliation: Double A-Southern League, Los Angeles Dodgers.
  
• Minor League Stats (stats with team depicted only): 132 G, 533 AB, 90 R, 163 H, 42 2B, 18 3B, 16 HR, 85 RBI, 11 SB, 30 BB, 91 SO, .542 SLG, .883 OPS, .306 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Dodgers as a Free Agent 11/13/2003. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Major League Debut: n/a.
• Baseball America Organizational Ranking After Season with Team: Los Angeles Dodgers #4 prospect after the 2011 season .
• Blurb on the back: "In a season anchored by a Topps Southern League Player of the Month Award for June, Silverio finished in the loop's top five in slugging (.542). An eight-year pro at the age of 24, he batted .306 with 42 doubles, 18 triples, and 16 homers for the Lookouts."
• Official Topps Rookie Card: n/a.
• Commentary: By the looks of things, Silverio would have had a great shot of making it to the majors during the 2012 season. But a serious car accident in his native Dominican Republic left him on the sidelines for the entire season. He was called-up to the Dodgers MLB team in September, if only just to put him on the 60-Day DL. On December 6, 2012 the Miami Marlins selected Silverio in the Rule V draft at the end of the 2012 campaign, giving him a one-way ticket onto the major league roster. But the injuries sustained in the car accident kept him off the roster and in July, it was announced that he would undergo his second Tommy John surgery in a 14-month span. While it is hoped that he can return to the Marlins for the 2014 season, his future is definitely up in the air.

Next week's featured card will be: 2013 Topps Pro Debut #6. Post will arrive at 9:00 AM CST. Hope you enjoyed this week's installment of Minor League Monday.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week: 2010 Topps Pro Debut #358 Jurickson Profar

It's Minor League Monday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2010 Topps Pro Debut #358.
• Player Name, position, team: Jurickson Profar, shortstop, Spokane Indians.
• Level-League, Team Affiliation: Low A-Northwest League, Texas Rangers.
  
• Minor League Stats (stats with team depicted only): 63 G, 252 AB, 42 R, 63 H, 19 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 23 RBI, 8 SB, 28 BB, 46 SO, .373 SLG, .696 OPS, .250 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Rangers as a Free Agent 07/02/2009. Bats: both. Throws: right.
• Major League Debut: September 2, 2012.
• Baseball America Organizational Ranking After Season with Team: Texas Rangers #2 prospect after the 2010 season .
• Blurb on the back: "Many American fans recognize Profar as a star for two tremendous Curacao teams in the Little League World Series. A BB-throwing pitcher for years, he was asked to play shortstop after signing with the Rangers in 2009. He made his pro debut in '10 for Spokane, and went 7-for-21 in his first five games."
• Official Topps Rookie Card: 2013 Topps #286.
• Commentary: Because Topps' first Pro Debut product came out in two series (the first 220 cards harder to find than the second group of 220, where this card resides), and because he made his MilB Debut in 2010, Topps was able to include the Rangers' top prospect into the 2010 set. Yes, his numbers don't look all that much extraordinary, even if it's against competition from the Northwest League, but consider that even before he took the field, according to Baseball America, Jurickson Barthelomeus Profar was already the Rangers' number 5 prospect after the 2009 season. And keep in mind that he was born on 02/20/1993. So when he made his pro debut in 2010, he was only...17 YEARS OLD!!! As he climbed the organizational ladder (playing with the A-South Atlantic League Hickory Crawdads in 2011 and the AA-Texas League Frisco Roughriders in 2012), his offensive numbers were getting better, and BA as the team's #1 prospect at the end of those two seasons. The Rangers decided to bring Profar up in September, 2012 - at the age of 19 - as one of their end-of-the-year call-ups. Now the Rangers have a very interesting dilemma. You see, Texas already has a superstar shortstop in Elvis Andrus. Presently, Profar is with the big league team and playing at second base because their all-star second baseman, Ian Kinsler, is on the DL. The main concern is that when Kinsler returns from the DL, somebody will have to be relegated to the bench. With two established All-Stars covering the middle infield in Arlington, is there room for Jurickson Profar on this team? Will he be moved the outfield? Will he go back to the minors to develop a bit more? Or will he be moved to another team???

Next week's featured card will be: 2012 Topps Pro Debut #5. Post will arrive at 9:00 AM CST. Hope you enjoyed this week's installment of Minor League Monday.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week: 2010 Topps Pro Debut #227 Todd Frazier

It's Minor League Monday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2010 Topps Pro Debut #227.
• Player Name, position, team: Todd Frazier, outfielder, Louisville Bats.
• Level-League, Team Affiliation: AAA-International League, Cincinnati Reds.
  
• Minor League Stats (stats with team depicted only): 16 G, 63 AB, 9 R, 19 H, 5 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 2 SB, 6 BB, 12 SO, .476 SLG, .839 OPS, .302 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Reds #1st, June 2007. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Major League Debut: May 23, 2011.
• Baseball America Organizational Ranking After Season with Team: Cincinnati Reds #1 prospect after the 2009 season .
• Blurb on the back: "Frazier batted .296 through his first three professional seasons, including .302 in a short Triple-A debut with Louisville in 2009. An exceptional athlete who holds his high school hoops record with 27 rebounds in one game, he has gained extensive experience not only in left field, but at every infield post."
• Official Topps Rookie Card: 2011 Topps Update #US270.
• Commentary: The reason why his 2009 numbers with the Louisville Bats are low are only because he spent most of the year with the Reds' AA team, the Southern League's Carolina Mudcats. In Zebulon, Frazier appeared in 119 games, hit for a .290 average, blasted 14 homers and drove in 68. No wonder the Reds moved him up to AAA. He spent all of 2010 with the Bats, hitting .258 with 17 homers, 66 runs batted in and 14 stolen bases in 130 games. In 2012, became the Reds' regular third baseman. He finished third in the NL Rookie of the Year voting, and was voted by the MLB managers as Topps' 2012 third baseman for their All-Star Rookie Team.

Next week's featured card will be: 2010 Topps Pro Debut #358. Post will arrive at 9:00 AM CST. Hope you enjoyed this week's installment of Minor League Monday.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama