Three Rays In Appalachian League Top 20

It's that time again. BaseballAmerica is rolling out their league top 20 prospect reports, and the Princeton Rays had three players rank in the Appalachian League Top 20. The rankings are free to everyone, and as a "sneak-peek," the full scouting reports are free as well, but here's a snippet from each of the three:

#3 RHP Wilking Rodriguez
Rodriguez has the arsenal to pitch near the front of a big league rotation. His quick arm generates fastballs that sit at 92-93 mph and routinely reach 95-96. He imparts good spin on the ball too, allowing him to work down in the zone with a plus 78-82 mph curveball that features late bite and tilt.

#14 OF Ty Morrison
Morrison's bat slowed as the season progressed into the long summer months, but at his best he flashes pull power from the left side. He profiles as a top-of-the-order hitter, so continued refinement of his already strong batting eye and bunting ability will be a priority. With broad shoulders and a 6-foot-2 frame, he has room to fill out and add strength, which he began to do this spring.

#19 OF Cody Rogers
Though skinny at 6-foot-2 and 175 pounds, the lefthanded-hitting Rogers has strong hands and wrists that generate average power to his pull side. He has a natural feel for hitting and knows the strike zone. He bats from an open stance, which can leave him susceptible to pitches away.

I was very surprised to see Rodriguez ranked that high. There were positive reports on him throughout the year, but I didn't think he'd rank above Matt Hobgood, who was the #5 overall pick in the 2009 draft. It really is remarkable how much pitching depth there is in the system.

Morrison and Rogers are both similar players: athletic, rangy outfielders with average-at-best arms who know how to use their speed. Rogers has more current power, but if Morrison continues to fill out his lanky frame, he could generate average(or a tick above) power. Both are worth keeping an eye on as they figure to form two-thirds of Hudson Valley's outfield next year.

[Doug:] Just adding in career stats FYI.

Rodriguez:

Year Age      Team W L  ERA  G GS    IP  WHIP H/9 HR/9 BB/9 SO/9
2007  17  VSL Rays 3 2 1.95 17  0  32.1 1.144 6.4  0.3  3.9  7.8
2008  18  VSL Rays 0 1 3.71 10  8  26.2 1.200 8.8  1.0  2.0  9.8
2009  19 Princeton 1 6 3.21 13 13  56.0 1.000 7.1  0.8  1.9  8.4
3 Seasons          4 9 2.97 40 21 115.0 1.087 7.3  0.7  2.5  8.5

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 9/25/2009.

Morrison:

Year Age      Team  AB  H 2B 3B HR SB CS BB SO   BA  OBP  SLG  OPS
2008  17 Princeton  34  9  0  0  0  3  1  2 12 .265 .297 .265 .562
2009  18 Princeton 225 61  9  2  3 20  5 27 61 .271 .365 .369 .734
2 Seasons          259 70  9  2  3 23  6 29 73 .270 .357 .355 .712

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 9/25/2009.

Rogers:

Year Age      Team  AB  H 2B 3B HR SB CS BB SO   BA  OBP  SLG  OPS
2009  20 Princeton 198 60  7  6  6 14  1 20 54 .303 .364 .490 .854