Last weekend (August 7th & 8th) I made the three and a half hour trip from Pittsburgh to Charleston to see a pair of games between the Lakewood Blue Claws and West Virginia Power. I am slightly ashamed to admit that it was my first minor league baseball experience. I just never had the motivation to make the 2-4 hour trip to go to one of the minor league stadiums near me. I arrived just in time for the first pitch on Saturday, but inadvertently forgot to bring a pen. That forced me to take notes on my phone which actually worked out better than I had expected. I want to emphasize that I am not a scout and the player comments below are simply what I observed. I also took some pictures on my phone that I’ll post after the write-ups:

Aaron Baker – 1B – West Virginia Power
Baker is a big college first baseman (2009 class), and really isn’t much of a prospect. He has a solid approach at the plate and did work a couple of impressive walks after getting behind in the count on Sunday. He hit a few balls hard, but his bat did not really stand out. He was a bit quicker than I expected him to be given his size.

Will "the Thrill" Myers

Editors note-Josh, Al, Doron, Jeff and I set out to rank the top 10 prospects in the minors at each position.  We eliminated anyone with MLB experience to alleviate any eligibility issues.  We each ranked our top 10 at each position and then averaged the rankings to produce the list below.-Michael Herrick

1. Wil Myers

2. Jesus Montero

3. Devin Mesoraco

4. Derek Norris

5. Yasmani Grandal

6. Wilin Rosario

7. Tony Sanchez

8. Gary Sanchez

9. Travis d'Arnaud

10. Carlos Perez

JD Sussman- Alright, let's get the discussion rolling here.  Having Myers and Montero as 1 -2 on this list is a fantastic lesson on the importance of context. Both, have been rumored to be terrible catchers. The real question for everyone to consider, as prospect prognosticators, is how do all players project at the major league level given the information we have today? Kevin Goldstein went as far as to say Montero would be unacceptable on the major league level. For Myers, I believe there is a different storyline.  Myers is not the bulky and stiff type who the Royal threw behind the plate, as his summer league coach Andy Partin said, "He can play anywhere. He could be your best catcher, best left fielder, best shortstop." Hyperbole? Maybe. But I wouldn’t be quick to dismiss him as a right fielder, as Goldstein did in the same chat. How can we expect someone with limited catching experience to be an elite catcher already? In high school he played many positions and had limited experience behind the plate, but his above average athleticism and strong throwing arm made the Royals consider maximizing his value as a catcher. The situation reminds me of another great athlete with a strong arm who was move behind the plate as a teen, Buster Posey who was converted from SS. There would be no reason for the Royals to put Myers  behind the plate and keep him there if they didn’t have a strong feeling he would stay there. Playing catcher is too grueling, the Royals would be unwise to subject their two million dollar investment to position like that without purpose. Unless the team is attempting to satisfy ace Zach Greinke, there is no reason to rush Myers to the majors because of his bat. Say what you want about Dayton Moore, but the player development team has been first class this season.