There's a pretty solid argument that if a ball doesn't get inexplicably stuck in an infielders mitt (featherston), they don't make the playoffs.
Fisher's BABIP against better competition is back up near his career minor league average this fall. His batting average is still down due to an increase in strikeouts which is a little more worrisome than his BA being down due to BABIP as it appeared to be in A+. However, it appears pitchers are either nibbling against him or he is working on plate discipline as his BB% has nearly doubled. His OB% is back to about 0.400. Overall, his offensive stats are about 30% above average for the Arizona Fall League and he is young for the league. I agree he's likely borderline Top 100 right now, but I think he's got good potential to have a big jump in 2016.
I think there's a pretty solid argument that without Fiers, we aren't in position to make the playoffs when a ball gets inexplicabl stuck in an infielders mitt. (Okay, I'm done...)
Wilson Karaman of Baseball Prospectus put up a nice blurb on Tyler White yesterday: Sounds like a lesser Colin Moran type player. Potential 6 bat with below-average power. If he's truly limited to DH, he'll have an incredibly uphill battle making the roster.
He has a career minor league OPS of over .900. While his HR numbers may not be stellar, his slugging percentage is solid. I'm still optimistic about him.
I'm optimistic about his offensive upside, but he may end up being what I think Preston Tucker is, a potential average to above average bat whose defensive liabilities put huge pressure on his bat. Neither projects to more than a second division starter, which would have been perfectly fine 2 years ago, but I have higher hopes.
Maybe I'm wrong, but White seems to have a ceiling similar to Lyle Overbay. Not an over-powering 1B, but a good contact hitter, not elite, not terrible. Guess we'll sell.
People really like to get down on Tyler White. If he had been drafted where Colin Moran was drafted and produced like he has, everyone would be calling him a great prospect. Instead, he has a below average baseball body and does not have a great glove. However, he does one thing very well, the most important thing; he hits baseballs often and very hard. There are no guarantees. However White walks more than he strikes out, he is elite at measured "balls hit hard" and at line drive rate. White misses very few pitches, he has very good plate discipline. He had a career OBP of .422.
Sign me up for the year he hit .324/.423 with 37 HR. Or maybe the year he hit .356/.479 and 29 HR. I'll definitely take the career .312/.418 with .309 homers. The ceiling on White? Give him as many AB's as Gattis had last year and who knows? Maybe he hits .315/.370 with 25 HR. Maybe he hits .275/.335 with 15 HR. I don't see much lower floor than that honestly. I hope we get a chance to see.
Mostly that a lot of the same could have been said about Edgar when he was at the same point in his career, and he turned into a near HOF (I'd vote for him, though I get the feeling Edgar was a roider based on no facts).
Singleton better be ready to come play. He is running out of time if it is not too late already. White is coming up already. Reed is almost all but ready. And Valbuena showed he can play a good 3rd or 1st base (one reason he is still here and not Carter). Marwin Gonzales made Villar who was super talented expensive, as a super utility infielder. Marwin has no attitude issues. Altuve who many (including me) thought was a 2nd base warmer till, DeShield was ready, us planted DeShields to the outfield and onto the Rule 5 draft. White has a confidence, that could prove worthwhile. Now let's see what happens.
Glad I wasn't the only one that read/heard/said that. Now he's throwing heat as a minor league pitcher for the Cubs. **** the Cubs.