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The Farm Report: Collin Cowgill & Other AAA Bats Ready to Take Center Stage

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THE FARM REPORT – WEEK 13

Collin Cowgill, RF Arizona
The 25-year old Cowgill has toyed with PCL pitching in the season's opening three months. He's batting .363 (.406 in June) with 12 HR, 52 RBI and a 1.015 OPS, in large part a result of working himself into more hitters counts (39 BB:44 K). When ahead in the count he's hitting a ridiculous .463 with a .605 OBP. On the basepaths his efficiency speaks for itself, swiping 24 bags in 26 opportunities. 

The former Kentucky product has displayed tremendous improvement at each advanced level, cultivating an all-fields approach with contact rates (specifically line drives) on the incline. Despite the absence of top end physical tools (5'9 185), Cowgill has put it all together thus far in 2011. 

In the last calendar month he has a cycle and 17-game hitting streak under his belt. His accolades are difficult to ignore, leading Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers to classify him as a potential promotion alternative in July come the All-Star Break. Arizona has been trying to ship out Gerardo Parra for quite some time. Expect to see Cowgill roaming the spacious Chase Field gaps before too long.

Jason Kipnis, 2B Cleveland
With Lonnie Chisenhall and Cord Phelps receiving big league calls, is Kipnis next in line? 

The 2009 2nd round pick is putting up his typical steady numbers in the International League, hitting .292 with nine HR and 44 RBI (.307/16/74 between High-A and AA last year). He's stolen a perfect 10/10 bases, drawn 36 BB (55 K), has posted a .302 mark against LHP and is producing with ducks on the pond at a .304 clip. 

Kipnis is a "baseball player", plain and simple. He doesn't possess a single breathtaking tool, but the statistics are always present and his teams don't win games by accident. 

His plate discipline continues to progress with experience, and he's always been a natural line drive hitter with a compact stroke and good pop for a middle infield spot. 

He's far from an elite athlete at second base, however, which could be holding back his rise to the show. With that said, Orlando Cabrera is wallowing in futility, and Cord Phelps is behind Kipnis on the Indians food chain long (and possibly short) term. 

Yonder Alonso, LF Cincinnati 
The Cuba native and Miami University alum can finally see a crack of light at the end of the tunnel. His relocation to left field means the ever-large shadow of Joey Votto no longer holds the key to his future. If he can perform adequately defensively in the outfield, his advanced bat will earn him a shot at everyday at bats. 

In 22 MLB AB's last season he hit .207, striking out ten times against zero BB. Obviously those figures are not encouraging, but that sample size is hardly worth making a fuss about. 

The 7th overall selection in 2008 is having a stellar first half in the INT, hitting .306 with nine HR and 42 RBI. Perhaps more importantly, Alonso is finally showing signs of life against left-handed pitching, batting .300 with four long balls in 90 plate appearances. 

He's a mechanically sound, smart hitter, but it would be a pleasant sign to see him turn on the baseball with authority more frequently. Standing at 6'2 240, he should be leaving the park not just accumulating doubles. His slugging percentages have left something to be desired along his MiLB journey, as it seems he's sacrificing power for BA. 

Reds Manager Dusty Baker claims the team is not interested in infusing young talent just yet, even in the face of limited LF production. If that’s the truly case, Alonso’s name will surface once again as trade bait for a premium stick. He’s not far off, that much is for certain.

Written by Adam Ganeles exclusively for TheFantasyFix.com
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(February 20, 2011 – Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images North America)


Tags: The Fantasy Fix,  2011 Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Baseball Advice, 2011 Fantasy Baseball Rankings, MiLB, The Farm Report, AA, AAA, Adam Ganeles, Collin Cowgill, Jason Kipnis, Yonder Alonso
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