Down on the Farm: Monday July 21st

Star of the Day:
Justin Jackson - SS - Lansing Lugnuts
Jackson has to be the hottest Lugnut prospect. He had another 3 for 5 game and hit his 7th homerun of the year. He was able to score twice in the game and added 5 RBIs. Over the last 10 games he has hit .475. In the month of July he is hitting .356/.413/.589.


AAA:
Michael Aubrey - 1B - Buffalo Bisons
Aubrey went 2 for 3 with a double, a run and an RBI. Over the last 10 games he is hitting .375.

High A:
Jordan Walden - SP - Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
Walden was finally promoted to High A and continued his consistently great pitching. He went 6 shutout innings, allowing only 3 hits, 3 walks and he struck out 3.

Low A:
Michael Burgess - RF - Hagerstown Suns
Burgess is hitting .269/.360/.521 after going 2 for 4 with an RBI.

Matt Dominguez - 3B - Greensboro Grasshoppers
Matt went 1 for 4 with a walk and a run batted in. On the year he is hitting .301/.368/.435.

Jason Heyward - RF - Rome Braves
After a few games where he only pinch hit, Heyward bounced back with a 2 for 5 game. He doubled once, and was able to both score a run and drive one in.

Rookie:
Isaac Galloway - CF - Florida Marlins
Galloway seems to be coming along lately as he has hit .244 over the last 10 games. Today he went 3 for 5 with a triple, a run scored and an RBI.

Aaron Hicks - CF - GCL Twins
Hicks went 0 for 3 on the day, but was able to walk twice, steal his 4th base and score a run. On the season he is hitting .304/.402/.392. He is proving he can hit for average and shows patience, but power is currently lacking behind.

Devin Shepherd - LF - GCL Cardinals
Shepherd went 2 for 3 with a walk. One of his hits went for a double and he was able to drive in a run. On the year he is hitting .325/.400/.425.

Kyle Skipworth - C - GCL Marlins
Skipworth went 2 for 5 with a double, 2 runs scored and an RBI.

Down on the Farm: Sunday July 20th

Star of the Day:
Jeff Niemann - SP - Durham Bulls
Niemann continues his hot streak as he tossed 7 innings of shutout baseball. He allowed 4 hits, 2 walks and struck out 5 batters. He could be seeing a promotion in the near future.

High A:
Hank Conger - DH - Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
Conger extended his hitting streak to eight games with a 1 for 4 game. His one hit was a double which drove in a run. He also scored a run.

Low A:
Dellin Betances - SP - Charleston RiverDogs
Dellin had a great start, going 6 shutout innings. He allowed only 2 hits, 2 walks and struck out 5. Since being moved back to Charleston he has tossed 20 innings, allowing 14 hits, 9 walks and has struck out 23.

Matt Dominguez - 3B - Greensboro Grasshoppers
Dominguez extended his hit streak to 6 games with a 2 for 4 game with 2 RBI's. He has made this list for 4 consecutive days.

Justin Jackson - SS - Lansing Lugnuts
Jackson went 2 for 4 with a walk. He was also able to score a run.

Rookie:
Aaron Hicks - CF - GCL Twins
Hicks went 2 for 4 today with a RBI and 2 stolen bases.

Down on the Farm: Friday July 18th

Star of the Day:
Yu Darvish - SP - Nippon Ham Fighters
Darvish tossed another complete game while allowing only a single run. He allowed 4 hits, walked none and struck out 10 batters.

AAA:
Michael Aubrey - 1B - Buffalo Bisons
Aubrey started to heat up just before the AAA allstar break, and he seems to have the hot bat still going. He went 3 for 5 today while scoring a single run.

High A:
Hank Conger - DH - Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
After hitting 3 dingers yesterday, Conger was able to hit two more today. He drove in 6 runs during his 2 for 4 day.

Low A:
Blake Beavan - SP - Clinton LumberKings
Not the greatest start for Beavan, but not horrible either. He tossed 5 innings and only allowed 1 run. Unfortunately, he allowed 8 baserunnners while striking out 4.

Matt Dominguez - 3B - Greensboro Grasshoppers
Dominguez extended his 4 game hittin streak by going 2 for 4 with a run, and RBI and a walk.

Justin Jackson - SS - Lansing Lugnuts
Jackson extended his multi-hit game streak to three games with anoth 3 for 5 game. This time they were all singles, but he was able to score on one of the hits.

Shortseason:
Josh Vitters - 3B - Boise Hawks
Vitter extended his hitting streak to 6 games with a 2 for 5 game. One of his hits was a double and he was able to score twice.

Down on the Farm: Tuesday July 15th

Star of the Day:
Kyle Skipworth - C - GCL Marlins
Skipworth had his best game of his young career and hit his 1st professional homerun. He went 2 for 5 with 3 runs driven in and scored 2 other runs.

Low A:
Michael Burgess - RF - Hagerstown Suns
Burgess went 3 for 5 with a double, a run scored and 2 RBI's.

Jason Heyward - RF - Rome Braves
In the second game of a double header, Heyward went 2 for 4 with 2 singles. He was able to score once in the game.

Justin Jackson - SS - Lansing Lugnuts
Jackson has been on a great streak and continued that today with a 3 for 5 game. One of his hits went for a double and he was able to also score a run and steal a base.

Jordan Walden - SP - Cedar Rapids Kernals
Walden made is final Low A start. He went 7.2 innings, allowing only 1 run on 6 hits, 1 walk and 9 strikeouts. Walden will now move to High A Rancho Cucamonga and join Posse prospect Hank Conger.

Shortseason:
Tim Beckham - SS - Princeton Devils Rays
Beckham went 2 for 5 with a double. He scored twice and also drove in 2 runners.

Rookie:
Isaac Galloway - CF - GCL Marlins
Galloway makes the list for the first time in a while. He went 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored and an RBI.

Devin Shepherd - LF - GCL Cardinals
Shepherd went 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored, a double and an RBI.

Down on the Farm : Monday July 14th

Prospect of the Day:
Hank Conger - C - Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
Conger hit his 2nd homerun of the year, a three run shot. He is now hitting .278/.321/.454 on the season.

Low A:
Justin Jackson - SS - Lansing Lugnuts
Jackson went 1 for 4 today with a 2-run homerun. The homerun was his 6th of the year and third in July. So far in July he is hitting .244/.306/.533.

Down on the Farm : Friday July 11th

Prospect of the Day:
Michael Burgess - RF - Hagerstown Suns
For the third day in a row, Michael Burgess knocked out a homerun. This time he did more then single run damage as he walked twice, scored twice and drove in 3 runs.

Low A:
Justin Jackson - SS - Lansing Lugnuts
Jackson went 1 for 3 today with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Rookie:
Aaron Hicks - CF - GCL Twins
Hicks continues his consistency in all areas of the game. Today he went 1 for 3 with 2 walks. He was able to come around and score twice and also drove in a run.

Kyle Skipworth - C - GCL Marlins
Skipworth has had a tough go of it this year with this being only his second time making the list. He went 1 for 3 on the game, with a walk, a run scored and an RBI.

Down on the Farm : Tuesday July 8th

Prospect of the Day:
Jeremy Hellickson - SP - Montgomery Biscuits
Hellickson had his best start in AA. He tossed 6 innings of 5 hit ball and only allowed a single walk and run in the game. Along the way he struck out 5 batters.

AAA:
Jeff Niemann - SP - Durham Bulls
A solid start by Niemann. He tossed 6 innings, allowing 6 hits, 3 walks and 7 strikeouts. He allowed 3 runs in the game.

AA:
Neftali Feliz - SP - Frisco RoughRiders
Neftali made his first AA start. Though not like him uber dominating Low A starts, it was pretty solid for a just turned 20 year old. Feliz tossed 5 innings, allowing 3 runs on 6 hits and 1 walk. He struck out 6 batters in the game.

Low A:
Jason Heyward - RF - Rome Braves
Heyward is one of the serious candidates for Posse prospect of the year. Today he went 2 for 4 with a run scored, 2 RBIs and a stolen base. The stolen base was his 14th of the year.

Justin Jackson - SS - Lansing Lugnuts
Jackson seems to be starting to heat up. He went 1 for 4 today with his lone hit going for a double. He scored twice in the game and walked once.

Short Season:
Neal Ramirez - SP - Spokane Indians
We are going to start calling him little Dellin. Ramirez tossed 4 innings of 1 hit ball and allowed no runs. While he struck out 4 batters he also walked 4.

Down on the Farm : Sunday July 6th

Star of the Day:
Josh Vitters - 3B - Boise Hawks
Vitters went 3 for 3 today with 2 walks. One of his hits went for a double and he drove in 2 runs. On the season Vitters is hitting .357/.395/.529 over 70 ABs.

Low A:
Justin Jackson - SS - Lansing Lugnuts
Jackson has a carbon copy game for the second time in last 4 days. He went 2 for 5 with a double and a homerun. His homerun was a solo shot this time.

Rookie:
Aaron Hicks - RF - GCL Twins
Not many games will be as good as his last one, but he added another nice multi-hit game. This time he went 3 for 5, scoring 2 runs and adding his 10th RBI of the season.

Down on the Farm : Thursday July 3rd

Star of the Day:
Jeff Niemann - SP - Durham Bulls
Niemann may have had the best start of his career. He tossed a complete game over 9 innings, allowing only 7 hits, 1 run and 1 walk. He struck out 12 batters in the process. On the season he is 6-2 in the minors allowing 74 runners over 64.2 innings and striking out 63.

AAA:
Michael Aubrey - 1B - Buffalo Bisons
Aubrey went 2 for 5, while scoring a run and adding a walk.

AA:
Jeremy Hellickson - SP - Montgomery Biscuits
After a really bad first start in AA, Jeremy was okay today. He tossed 4 innings of 5 hit ball and allowed 2 runs. He has not allowed a walk in AA (over 8.2 innings) after only allowing 5 over 76.2 High A innings.

Low A:
Justin Jackson - SS - Lansing Lugnuts
Jackson went 1 for 4 today with a walk and a run scored.

Neftali Feliz - SP - Clinton LumberKings
After the worst start of his season, Neftali bounced back by throwing 3 perfect innings while striking out 5 batters. Why did he only toss 3 innings? Well, he is being promoted to AA, skipping past High A ball. On the season he has tossed 82 innings, allowing only 55 hits, 28 walks and striking out 106 batters.

Rookie:
Aaron Hicks - RF - GCL Twins
Hicks continues to show very good patience at the plate. He walked twice today to give him seven on the season, in only 36 ABs. He also went 1 for 3 at the plate, with his hit be a run scoring triple. His first triple of his career.

Isaac Galloway - CF - GCL Marlins
Galloway went 2 for 5 today. He also scored a run.

Down on the Farm : Wednesday July 2nd

Star of the Day:
Justin Jackson - SS - Lansing Lugnuts
Here are the type of games we like to see from Justin. He went 2 for 5 with a double and a homerun. He scored 1 run, added 2 doubles and also stole a base.

AA:
Cameron Maybin - CF - Carolina Mudcats
Maybin went 2 for 5 with a run scored, an RBI and a stolen base. On the season he is hitting .265/.357/.461. He has scored 55 runs and drove in 38 runs while hitting 12 dingers, walking 43 times and stealing 17 bases.

Low A:
Jason Heyward - RF - Rome Braves
Heyward had his second game in a row where he went 3 for 4. This time they were all singles, but he scored a run and added a couple RBI's.

Michael Burgess - RF - Hagerstown Suns
Burgess played in double header today and he went 1 for 3 in both games. He scored two runs and added a triple in game 1 and a double in game 2.

Rookie:
Juan Duran - RF - DSL Reds
Duran had one of his best games of his short career. He went 2 for 3 and stole 2 bases. On the season he is hitting .316/.409/.500.

Tim Beckham - SS - Princeton Devil Rays
Beckham got his first multihit game going 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Down on the Farm : Sunday June 29th

Star of the Day:
Tim Beckham - SS - Princeton Devil Rays
It took Tim until his third professional game to make this list...but he did it. He went 1 for 4 on the day with 2 walks and 2 runs scored.

AA:
Cameron Maybin - CF - Carolina Mudcats
Another typical Maybin day. He went 1 for 4, hitting his 12th double of the season. He scored twice and walked once.

Low A:
Jordan Walden - SP - Cedar Rapids Kernals
Walden extended his scoreless inning streak to 16 by tossing 5 innings tonight. He allowed 3 hit, 4 walks and struck out 7 in the process.

Justin Jackson - SS - Lansing Lugnuts
Jackson went 1 for 3 with a walk and an RBI.

Michael Burgess - RF - Hagerstown Suns
Burgess went 1 for 4 with a double and a run scored.

Down on the Farm: Monday June 16th

Star of the Day:
Justin Jackson - SS - Lansing Lugnuts
Jackson has a rare big game going 2 for 5 on the evening. One of his hits were a double and he added a couple of runs and an RBI to the boxscore. He also walked once, his 36th on the year over only 212 ABs.

High A:
Hank Conger - DH - Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
Conger went 2 for 4, driving in 2 runs on the night.


Low A:
Michael Burgess - RF - Hagerstown Suns
Burgess has his 2nd game in a row with multiple hits, going 2 for 4 with a solo homerun


Jordan Walden - SP - Cedar Rapids Kernals
Jordan has been the most consistent pitcher for the Posse this year. Today he threw another six shutout innings, allowing 5 runners on 3 hits and 2 walks. He struck out 4 to give him 60 on the season.

Down on the Farm: Thursday June 12th

Star of the Day:
Yu Darvish - SP - Nippon Ham Fighters
Another consistent start for Darvish, though he took the loss as the Fighters were unable to score a run. Darvish went 9 innings, allowing only 5 hits while striking out 7. What is not Darvish like were the 5 baserunners that got on via the walk. The only run allowed by him was a 6th inning solo homerun. On the season, Darvish has tossed 108.2 innings, allowing 76 hits, 22 walks, and 94 strikeouts.

High A:
Hank Conger - DH - Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
Conger produced his fourth game in a row with 2 hits. He went 2 for 4 this time with a double. He is 9 for 19 over the last 5 games with 3 doubles and 9 RBI's.

Low A:
Jason Heyward - RF - Rome Braves
Heyward has just recently came back from a minor injury. He had a couple "0-fers" before going 2 for 4 today with a stolen base, his ninth on the season.

Blake Beavan - SP - Clinton LumberKings
Blake has been struggling lately. Though he only gave up 2 runs over 5.2 innings, he did give up 9 hits. Blake looks like he is a similar type of pitcher to Chris Volstad, throwing a lot of strikes and not giving up much in the way of walks. That typically means he will give up more than a hit an inning.

Justin Jackson - SS - Lansing Lugnuts
You do not see his name on this list much, but our fingers are crossed he will develop. Jackson went 1 for 2 with a double, a run scored and 2 walks. He also stole his 9th base. Jackson is only hitting .230/.360/.362 on the season...well, at least he can talk a walk!

Down on the Farm : Thursday June 5th

Star of the Day:
Tim Beckham - SS - Tampa Bay Rays
Tim did not play, but he was drafted first overall in the MLB draft and therefore gets the star of the day.

AA:
Cameron Maybin - CF - Carolina Mudcats
Still making the list, but no where near the past performances. Maybin goes 1 for 4 with his fifth triple and an RBI.

Low A:
Jason Heyward - RF - Rome Braves
Heyward took a few days off from the list, but is back after going 2 for 4 with a run and RBI.

Justin Jackson - SS - Lansing Lugnuts
Jackson got his 10th double of the year during a 2 for 5 game. He also scored a run.

Naftali Feliz - SP - Clinton LumberJacks
Another solid performance for Neftali as he goes 5.1 innings allowing 5 hits and no walks. He struck out 5 with his only blemmish being 3 runs allowed.

Looking toward tomorrow's MLB Draft

As is the case every year, one of the Posse managements favorite days of the year is the MLB draft. Each year, the Posse have a good group of prospects in the draft and this year is no different.



This year the Posse expect to have at least four players chosen in the first round, including a couple in the top ten selections. The number in the first round could reach as high as six if signability concerns decrease.


Leading the charge this year is shortstop Tim Beckham. Beckham is a probable top five pick in this draft and could go as high as first overall. He brings a complete game to the field with very strong defensive skills and a complete game with the bat. Posse management see Beckham competing with Justin Jackson as the future after Derek Jeter.


Also expected to go in the top ten selections is recently drafted Kyle Skipworth. Skipworth will be drafted as a catcher and brings a very strong bat to the field. He has the ability to hit for both average and power. He also has very good defensive abilities and the only concern with him sticking at catcher is whether he gets too big for the position. Posse management hopes he can stay at catcher and compete with Chris Snyder as the successor to Jorge Posada.


The third of the first round probables is pitching prospect Tim Melville. Melville is probably the top rated high school pitcher in this draft with both a plus curveball and plus fastball which he delivers cleanly from hit 6'5" body. Historically teams do not like to take prep pitching prospects in the first round, but that mold was shattered last year with eight selected last year and many of them are seen as top of the rotation starters.


The next four prospects will be really interesting to see where they end up, and for very different reasons. Aaron Hicks leads that group as probably a first round candidate as a toolsy outfielder or a first round candidate as a power pitcher. The question is not whether he goes in the first round but whether he is drafted as an outfielder or pitcher. Posse management is hoping as an outfielder, and that Hicks will have a future role in either centerfield or right field.

Casey Kelly could go in the first round or could go completely undrafted. Kelly brings great defensive skills at shortstop and also brings a potential power bat to the position. He is a great athlete, which is part of the problem as he is also a highly recruited quarterback and could go to Tennessee as a starting shortstop and quarterback. Posse management is hoping he could become a third shortstop prospect with Jackson and Beckham.


Alex Meyer is probably the one that will fall the most from this group. He is still a first round talent, as the 6'7" righthander has a plus fastball and nasty breaking ball. The challenge is he wants to go to college and many will waste a high draft pick on that risk. Meyer will probably either go undrafted or will be taken with a 5th-10th rounder by a team willing to spend. The only way he will not go to Kentucky is if hr is offered first round money.


Isaac Galloway has long be thought of a first round talent, but some concern over his ability to hit has decreased his stock this spring. Galloway has the tools to be a strong offensive player as he has plus bat speed and typically makes solid contact. Whichever team drafts him will probably have to adjust his swing to bring some power into his game. Defensively, Galloway is a gold glove potential centerfielder. Posse management hopes this Torii Hunter clone can make the necessary adjustments to become their Torii Hunter of the future.


Daniel Webb is a power pitching prospect that currently is a work in progress on his secondary pitches. Webb has the ability of being a top of the rotation starter if he learns to throw some secondary pitches or could end up being a closer. Posse management expect he will be drafted in the second to fifth rounds, will start of as a starter but will eventually make the majors as a reliever.


Oh how one's stock can drop...from the next ARod to the next University of Miami third baseman. That is the story of Harold Martinez. Six months ago Martinez was a first round talent that had the tools to become a top five selection. After a horrible senior season, he will most likely be drafted late and will head to Miami. The only way that path will be changed is if someone believes a few tweaks could take advantage of his raw skillset.

Down on the Farm: Wednesday May 28th

Star of the Day:
Justin Jackson - SS - Lansing Lugnuts
It was a quite day down in the farm for the Posse. Jackson has not frequented this list to often, but tonight he went 2 for 4 with three runs scored and his eighth double on the season.

AA:
Cameron Maybin - CF - Carolina Mudcats
The Posse prospect bats have not lived up to expectations this season and Maybin may be a the top of the disappointment list. Today he went 2 for 4 with two runs scored and stole his 13th season.

Posse get busy in Minor League Draft

Unlike past years, the Posse entered the MDBL minor draft with only four spots available to be filled but that did not mean they were not busy. Posse management made three selections in the draft portion and also completed two trades that brought some additional young options to the fold and some picks for the future.


"We entered this draft with specific players we wanted to acquire and we are happy to say we got many of the guys we were targeting", stated GM Luddington.


The Posse had two selections in the first round (including the 9th overall selection) and then had to wait until the compensation round to make their third selection. With their first selection they went for 17 year old Seattle shortstop Carlos Triunfel. Triunfel was signed as an internation free agent in 2006 by the Mariners and was assigned to Low A Wisconsin, which is quite rare for a young 17 year old. Baseball America currently projects Triunfel to be a 5-tool premium position player, and so far he is demonstrating many of the tools. Currently Triunfel is showing he has a very mature bat as he has demonstrated the ability to hit both fastballs and offspeed pitches and uses the whole field. He also has demonstrate very good range defensively and a great arm. What Carlos has not shown yet is the ability to take a walk, which may never come, and the ability to hit for power, which is expected to come. "We are extremely excited about Carlos. Only one other player on our list received a rating similar to Carlos. We expect he will replace Derek Jeter in a few years.", claimed GM Luddington.


To conclude the first round the Posse went the usual route they go for during the draft and that is to select the top talented "next draft" prospects. California High School junior Isaac Galloway was the first target on that list. Galloway is a 5-tool prospect that has the ability to hit for both power and steal bases. His package seems to be very similar to current Posse prospect Andrew McCutchen. Posse management then orchestrated a trade, which could not be completed until after the draft, by sending recently acquired prospects Carlos Gonzalez, Joel Guzman and CJ Henry to the Rampage for the next pick after Galloway, a compensation pick, a player acquired through the auction and the Rampage 2008 1st round minor league draft pick. With the sandwich pick just acquired they Rampage selected on behalf of the Posse, California high school junior Aaron Hicks. "To be honest, the direction of the first round really forced us to react.", stated GM Luddington. "So many high schoolers went in the first round, and when the Millers took Eric Hosmer (who we rated #3 on our 2008 high school list) we got worried that we would not get our top two 2008's. We got Galloway with one, but did not think Hicks would make it until our next pick in the compensation round. Giving up Gonzalez was difficult but with current outfield youngsters Quentin, Maybin, McCutchen and Marrero we figured we could afford to. Guzman and Henry were really throw in's to balance out the rosters to 36. In return, we got Hicks who we covet, we got what should amount to a top 3 pick in the 2008 draft and we knew we probably would get a couple solid pitching prospects late".


The Posse did not pick again until the compensation round where they made two selection. The first one was made by the Posse and they took another high school junior, but this time it was Harold Martinez from Florida. "We have been following Martinez probably longer then any prospect since we took over the reigns in Oak Ridges. In our opinion Martinez and Triunfel are very similar players, and both have the tools to be superstars. This allows us to be extremely deep at SS as both join Justin Jackson on our depth chart" With the second compensation pick, the Posse had the Rampage select Yu Darvish from Japan. This is actually the second time GM Luddington has drafted Yu Darvish, with the first time being when Darvish was a high school senior in Japan and GM Luddington was running the show for NAFTA. "There is no pitcher I wanted in this draft more then Yu, but I also knew I could get him later in the draft. I first draft Darvish because I knew he had the talent and rolled the dice that he may come to the majors instead of the Japanese league. That did not pay off, but I knew that in a few more years I would re-acquire him.", claimed FM Luddington. Darvish was draft 1st overall, and at the age of 20 is already in his third full season in Japan. So far he is the "next one" in Japan as he already has started 10 games, tossed 80 innings, allowed opponents to bat only .167 against him, walked only 19 batters, struck out 9.11 players per 9 innings and compiled a 2.03 ERA....and he is only 20! Darvish cannot become a free agent for 6 more years, but he is expected to be posted earlier then that. When asked about how long it will be until Darvish will be in a Posse uniform Luddington stated "It is worth the wait. Any high schooler is probably 4-5 years away anyways, wo there is not much of a difference. Just a more experienced and proven option."


In the midst of the compensation round, the Posse made another trade, but this one was much more surprising as they dealt top high school senior Matt Harvey to the Pioneers for Los Angeles Angels Korean youngster Young-Il Jung and the Pioneers 1st and 2nd rounders in the 2008 minor league draft. "Basically we were approached by the Pioneers about acquiring Harvey. We love Harvey's talent but also recognize that Matt's family are very close with the Pioneers management. We actually feel that Jung has as much talent as Matt and were able to acquire another 1st round pick for next year.". Sounds like a win-win trade! Jung is a 17 year old pitcher that has three above average offerings and has the ability to become a #2 or #3 starter. He currently is pitching extremely well in extended spring.


In the auction round the Posse picked up two more players, taking high school junior Casey Kelly and high school senior Neil Ramirez. Ramirez was the final player acquired in the Rampage trade and has the pure stuff to be a top of the rotation starter but so far has not shown any consistency. Casey Kelly was ranked 5th on the Rampage's high school junior draft board, but also brings a ton of doubters with him. Kelly is an incredibe athlete who can be a top notch baseball prospect as either a pitcher or as a hitter. He has a large frame and will probably outgrow shortstop, but a move to either third base or right field is an option. He has all the tools to do either. He also happens to be one of the top pitching prospects, as evidence by taking the ball in the Florida 6A finals and throwing a complete game 2 hit shutout including striking out top high school senior Michael Main 3 times. What raises questions around Kelly is that he also plays quarterback in football and may not be willing to give up that sport. The good news is he is not being recruited by many top football programs (Alabama, Duke, Ole Miss, Rutgers, South Florida, Tennessee and UCF).


"We are extremely happy with this draft. We acquired top talent at key positions which is always our goal", stated GM Luddington. The Posse also have three first round picks and two second round picks in 2008.

Posse have six prospects named to Preseason All-American first team

Baseball America announced today the 2007 Preseason All-American High School teams today and the Posse had a MDBL leading six prospects on the first team, three prospects on the second team and one prospect on the third team.

Leading the way on the first team are third base prospect Josh Vitters, shortstop prospect Justin Jackson, outfield prospects Jason Heyward and Michael Burgess and pitching prospects Blake Beavan and Matt Harvey. All six of these players are expected to be first round draft selections in June MLB draft.

On the second team are first base prospect Freddie Freeman, catching prospect Danny Rams and third base prospect Matt Dominguez.

Christian Colon is the only Posse prospect on the third team.

Josh Vitters, Cypress (Calif.) HSA treat of last summer's showcase circuit was the five days Vitters spent playing third base opposite Chatsworth (Calif.) High's Matt Dominguez at the Area Code Games. They both have outstanding bat speed and a knack for squaring balls with wood bats, but Vitters' feel for hitting is unrivaled among this year's high school hitters. He's the younger brother of Christian, who signed with the Athletics as a 10th-round pick in 2006 following three years at Fresno State. Josh could be the first high school player drafted this year.

Justin Jackson, Roberson HS, Asheville, N.C.Having played alongside Tigers prospect and 2005 first-round choice Cameron Maybin and growing up as the son of former big leaguer Chuck Jackson, Justin's pedigree is impressive. His swing is longer than Dent's, but he's a more refined player, with savvy, feel, soft hands and an extraordinary arm.

Michael Burgess, Hillsborough HS, TampaBurgess and righthander Rick Porcello were the only unanimous choices as first-teamers this year. A product of the same high school as Doc Gooden and Gary Sheffield, Burgess boasts huge raw power and a ferocious approach at the plate. He was one of three underclassmen to be named to last year's postseason All-America teams and his power will be tough to pass up during the first half of this year's first round.

Jason Heyward, Henry County HS, McDonough, Ga.Like Davis and Burgess, Heyward is a lefthanded hitter with superb athletic ability. He lacks Davis' speed and Burgess' power, but his instincts and feel for all phases of the game are valuable assets. He has never missed a high school game in three years, and led his school to a Georgia Class 4-A title in 2006.

Blake Beavan, Irving (Texas) HSUSA Baseball's junior national team fell a run short of winning a gold medal during the World Junior Championship in Cuba last September, but Beavan put Team USA in position when he dominated Cuba in a showdown in Sancti Spiritus, Cuba, in an elimination game. His delivery isn't without its flaws, but he has a nasty two-pitch mix that he delivers from a low-three-quarters arm slot and a big, durable frame.

Matt Harvey, Fitch HS, Groton, Conn.Harvey enters the spring as the top player in the prep class, but not without some debate. He's tall, lean and projectable, has flashed 96 mph heat and owns a filthy, if inconsistent curveball. He wasn't as sharp as Beavan for Team USA in Cuba, and will have fewer opportunities to acquit himself this spring in the chilly New England weather where high school seasons are abbreviated.