2011 Players to Watch - Part One

Over the next few weeks, as the minor league baseball season gets fully up and running, I will be running a feature on the 2011 Oz MLB Players to watch. Today marks Part One, with a focus on some young up-and-comers in the lower levels of minor league ball.

JAMES BERESFORD - SS - MELBOURNE ACES/MINNESOTA TWINS

In 2010, a 21-year old James Beresford backed up and played a second year of class-A ball with the Minnesota Twins affiliate Beloit Snappers. Signed by the Twins at the age of 16, Beresford had played three years of minor league baseball, and also represented Australia in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. He entered 2010 looking to develop some power - having hit just 19 extra base hits in more than 200 at bats. Through the season he did not quite hit the level of power he might have liked, but he certainly improved. 

Beresford cut his strikeouts from 70 in 2009 to 56 in 2010, and he picked up 25 extra base hits, including his first home run. He ended the year with a line of .297/.349/.363, and he was awarded the Beloit Snappers Player of the Year Award.

James Beresford at the World Baseball Classic

Beresford returned to Australia for the inaugural ABL season in 2010, and he performed well. He appeared in 12 games for the Melbourne Aces, where he struck out just four times in 52 at bats, and put up numbers of .404/.436/.519.

Like Joel Naughton for the Phillies, James Beresford played a few games with the Twins big league squad at Spring Training. Presumably he will spend a lot of time this year at high-A Fort Myers Miracle, and will look to continue to add some pop to his bat.

MITCHELL FIENEMANN - RHP - ADELAIDE BITE/PITTSBURGH PIRATES

Mitchell Fienemann has played two years in the Pirates minor league organisation, and was in Low-A ball in 2010. He has put up some respectable numbers - over two seasons he has struck out 51 hitters and walked just 10 over 77.2 innings.

Mitchell Fienemann

While Fienemann did not play in the ABL in 2010/2011, he has an affiliation in that he was signed to the Pirates by the Adelaide Bite manager Tony Harris in 2009.

Fienemann spent 2010 at the short season State College Spikes, and will this year be pushing to make the roster at West Virginia Power, in the class-A South Atlantic League.

Joel Naughton

JOEL NAUGHTON - C - BRISBANE BANDITS/PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

Joel Naughton is a guy the Phillies must be taking pretty seriously. At the age of 24, he has accumulated six years in their organisation. He has shown good progression through Rookie Ball, low class A, A, and Advanced A-ball. This culminated in a strong 2010 at Clearwater Threshers, in which he hit a career high .308 while being hampered towards the end of the season by an arm injury. 

Naughton underwent surgery before joining the Phillies in major league spring training this year. It is the second time he has joined the big league squad in the spring. He had a good run of it this time round, getting hits in two of his three at bats, including a walk off single against the Rays. Naughton should play AA ball this year, and he is definitely one to watch.

STEVE KENT - LHP - CANBERRA CAVALRY/ATLANTA BRAVES

Steve Kent

Steve Kent is a 21 year old from Canberra, who signed with the Braves at the age of sixteen. He spent a couple of reasonably successful years in Rookie ball, before a shoulder injury ended his campaign in early 2009. 

Kent spent a year away from the game and returned to A-ball Rome Braves in 2010. He appeared in 19 games (three as a starter), and put together a record of 2-0 with one save.

Kent was a member of the inaugural Canberra Cavalry roster in the 2010/2011 ABL season. He started six games for the Cavalry, and was obviously on pitching restrictions - only pitching 12 innings over six starts. His numbers were nothing to write home about, although he did not have strong offense behind him. I would expect Kent will build on his performances from the ABL season and have a strong year for the Braves again - probably starting in class-A ball.

DAVID KANDILAS - OF - SYDNEY BLUE SOX/COLORADO ROCKIES

David Kandilas

I have written quite a bit about David Kandilas over the past few months. The 20-year old Sydney outfielder had a very impressive ABL season. His defensive skills are solid - and include a cannon of an arm - and his approach at the plate appears to be developing to a professional level.

When I spoke with Kandilas in December 2010, he said he was hoping to get some time at class-A in 2011. His form through the end of the ABL season certainly did not harm his chances of that happening.

Kandilas was one of the most reliable hitters in the Blue Sox lineup, and while he did not pick up a whole bunch of extra base hits, he hit consistently and executed well - picking up ten RBIs and a .274 average. He also swiped fives bases.

David has played two seasons of rookie ball with the Rockies, and seemed to make some improvements in 2010 - he took his average from .205 to .262, and picked up more extra base hits. He will be hoping that this progression, combined with his strong ABL season, will lead to some time with the class-A Tri-City Dust Devils.