Its happening folks - JRod is what we have been waiting for

[Juliooooo]

Let's compare our current prospects to former prospects.

Sheffield, closest to Paxton. Strong armed lefty with control issues.

Dunn, probably Walker? Strong armed right, project as a starter. Maybe a high leverage reliever?

Gilbert and Hultzen. College pitcher that mowed through the minors pretty quickly. Just stay healthy Gilbert!!!

Raleigh and Zunino. Powerful bat, can they hit MLB pitching? Zunino a better defender, but Raleigh supposedly showing above average already.

Kelenic, a poor man's Griffey. 5 tool CF that can hit and has power.

Julio, not a good comparison for him, but the bat is probably closest to Arod. Mowed through the minors as a teenager.

[D-train]

Let's compare our current prospects to former prospects.

Sheffield, closest to Paxton. Strong armed lefty with control issues.

Dunn, probably Walker? Strong armed right, project as a starter. Maybe a high leverage reliever?

Gilbert and Hultzen. College pitcher that mowed through the minors pretty quickly. Just stay healthy Gilbert!!!

Raleigh and Zunino. Powerful bat, can they hit MLB pitching? Zunino a better defender, but Raleigh supposedly showing above average already.

Kelenic, a poor man's Griffey. 5 tool CF that can hit and has power.

Julio, not a good comparison for him, but the bat is probably closest to Arod. Mowed through the minors as a teenager.

I would compare Julio to Griffey minus the HOF defensive. I was try to think of a good MLB comparison to JK. How about Jim Edmonds. 45 WAR. .280/.386/.546

dt

[Captain 97]

Let's compare our current prospects to former prospects.

Sheffield, closest to Paxton. Strong armed lefty with control issues.

Dunn, probably Walker? Strong armed right, project as a starter. Maybe a high leverage reliever?

Gilbert and Hultzen. College pitcher that mowed through the minors pretty quickly. Just stay healthy Gilbert!!!

Raleigh and Zunino. Powerful bat, can they hit MLB pitching? Zunino a better defender, but Raleigh supposedly showing above average already.

Kelenic, a poor man's Griffey. 5 tool CF that can hit and has power.

Julio, not a good comparison for him, but the bat is probably closest to Arod. Mowed through the minors as a teenager.

I can honsetly say I was more excited about the older prospects in all of those comparisons. Maybe with the exception of sheffield when we first got him. After this season though I have tempered my enthusiasm for him.

[Juliooooo]

Let's compare our current prospects to former prospects.

Sheffield, closest to Paxton. Strong armed lefty with control issues.

Dunn, probably Walker? Strong armed right, project as a starter. Maybe a high leverage reliever?

Gilbert and Hultzen. College pitcher that mowed through the minors pretty quickly. Just stay healthy Gilbert!!!

Raleigh and Zunino. Powerful bat, can they hit MLB pitching? Zunino a better defender, but Raleigh supposedly showing above average already.

Kelenic, a poor man's Griffey. 5 tool CF that can hit and has power.

Julio, not a good comparison for him, but the bat is probably closest to Arod. Mowed through the minors as a teenager.

I can honsetly say I was more excited about the older prospects in all of those comparisons. Maybe with the exception of sheffield when we first got him. After this season though I have tempered my enthusiasm for him.

I didn't follow the minors much back then. Probably started watching it more around DJ Peterson time.

[D-train]

Let's compare our current prospects to former prospects.

Sheffield, closest to Paxton. Strong armed lefty with control issues.

Dunn, probably Walker? Strong armed right, project as a starter. Maybe a high leverage reliever?

Gilbert and Hultzen. College pitcher that mowed through the minors pretty quickly. Just stay healthy Gilbert!!!

Raleigh and Zunino. Powerful bat, can they hit MLB pitching? Zunino a better defender, but Raleigh supposedly showing above average already.

Kelenic, a poor man's Griffey. 5 tool CF that can hit and has power.

Julio, not a good comparison for him, but the bat is probably closest to Arod. Mowed through the minors as a teenager.

I can honsetly say I was more excited about the older prospects in all of those comparisons. Maybe with the exception of sheffield when we first got him. After this season though I have tempered my enthusiasm for him.

On a skale of 1-10 my excitement level just before they hit the big leagues for the first crop and now for the second crop:

Sheffield 6 Paxton 5.

Dunn 6 Walker 7

Gilbert 9 Hultzen 6

Raleigh 5 Zunino 6

Kelenic 9 Griffey 10

Julio 10 ARod 8

White 5 Smoak 5

Ackley 5 Fraley 6

[Donn Beach]

I wasn't sure what was meant by being more excited, if it means more confident in these guys as opposed to those ones I don't see a reason to be really. In terms of Holtzen, Walker and Paxton, that was mostly health wasn't it? Which is often the case with pitchers. I hope these guys stay healthier but its probably going to be an issue at some point, it generally is. And with Smoak, Zunino and Ackley, there was no reason at all not to believe they couldn't hit ML pitching. I wasn't as excited about them in some ways, none of them stuck me as glamorous, another Jr or something, but i certainly expected them to be solid ML contributors...Could toss in Montero, now that was the guy that was supposed to be a star...

I would say an 18 yo hitting over .500 in over 50 ABs in High A is pretty exciting. If that doesn't get someone excited they should have their pulse checked. He has every ingredient required to be a star.

it is, your question was about being excited about those other guys

[Donn Beach]

thing about Zunino...I never really considered him as going to be a great offensive contributor, I always envisioned him the complete catcher type, tough hard nosed backbone to a club. My vision of him from when he was first drafted was Jason Varitek. Funny thing is he seems to be that guy in spades, except for the fact he can't hit ML pitching for a lick!

[Bil522]

Let's compare our current prospects to former prospects.

Sheffield, closest to Paxton. Strong armed lefty with control issues.

Dunn, probably Walker? Strong armed right, project as a starter. Maybe a high leverage reliever?

Gilbert and Hultzen. College pitcher that mowed through the minors pretty quickly. Just stay healthy Gilbert!!!

Raleigh and Zunino. Powerful bat, can they hit MLB pitching? Zunino a better defender, but Raleigh supposedly showing above average already.

Kelenic, a poor man's Griffey. 5 tool CF that can hit and has power.

Julio, not a good comparison for him, but the bat is probably closest to Arod. Mowed through the minors as a teenager.

I saw Kelenic play 2 weeks ago and he is not a poor man's Griffey....his name and Griffey's should never be linked other than they played the OF in Seattle. Kelenic is much more of an Andy Van Slyke type of player....hard nosed gritty..,solid All star type player....but not an elite All Star.

[Donn Beach]

Junior?...thought he was a poor mans Mike Trout

[D-train]

Let's compare our current prospects to former prospects.

Sheffield, closest to Paxton. Strong armed lefty with control issues.

Dunn, probably Walker? Strong armed right, project as a starter. Maybe a high leverage reliever?

Gilbert and Hultzen. College pitcher that mowed through the minors pretty quickly. Just stay healthy Gilbert!!!

Raleigh and Zunino. Powerful bat, can they hit MLB pitching? Zunino a better defender, but Raleigh supposedly showing above average already.

Kelenic, a poor man's Griffey. 5 tool CF that can hit and has power.

Julio, not a good comparison for him, but the bat is probably closest to Arod. Mowed through the minors as a teenager.

I saw Kelenic play 2 weeks ago and he is not a poor man's Griffey....his name and Griffey's should never be linked other than they played the OF in Seattle. Kelenic is much more of an Andy Van Slyke type of player....hard nosed gritty..,solid All star type player....but not an elite All Star.

Yeah, he will definitely never have Griffey's power but good chance he will hit for a higher average. He isn't a big dude as the photo of him and Julio together shows.