A.G. asks:

Hi John, I realize Maicer Izturis of the Expos has been up for awhile, and I don't know if he qualifies any more for these columns. I noticed he had an impressive half season in AAA, even taken into consideration for PCL. He seems like a viable leadoff candidate for the future. How is he as a prospect?

Maicer Izturis is the brother of Dodgers shortstop Cesar Izturis, and they are very similar players. Cesar has had a bit of a breakthrough this year, adding adequate offense to go with his already sharp defense, and Maicer has made similar strides, granted his improvement was in Triple-A rather than in the majors.

Maicer Izturis is a 24-year-old Venezuelan, originally in the Cleveland Indians farm system. He came to Montreal in a little-noticed spring trade, but he emerged with an excellent season at Triple-A Edmonton. In 99 games for the Trappers, he hit .338 with a .428 OBP and a .423 SLG. Now, this is the Pacific Coast League, so you have to account for statistical inflation due to thin air and hitter's parks. Izturis didn't show a lot of pop in his bat, hitting 19 doubles, two homers, and three triples for the Trappers. But he showed good contact hitting ability and some very good plate discipline, drawing 57 walks while fanning only 30 times in 376 at-bats. Scouts have always loved his glove; he has excellent range, a decent arm, soft hands, and quick infield reactions. If he can add some offense to his glove skills, you'd have a very fine player.

Despite his good numbers at Edmonton, since being promoted to the Show in August, Maicer has struggled. In 30 games for the Expos, he's hit .208/.292 OBP/.327 SLG. The good news is that he's maintained decent plate discipline, giving him a chance to hit eventually, and he continues to show very strong defensive skills. He has a chance to be Washington's starting shortstop next spring, if he can hit with even a little authority in March camp.

From seeing him play for Edmonton, I do think that Izturis made some legitimate hitting progress this season, although offense will never be superb for him. My thinking is that he'll end up rather like his brother: an excellent glove, and someone who can hit .270-.290 in a good year, although without much power. In the Age of A-Rod Style power shortstops, guys like Maicer and Cesar Izturis are throwbacks to the defense-and-batting-average infielders of the 1960s and 1970s.

Mike from New Hampshire writes:
Mr. Sickels, I have been following both Richie Gardner and Thomas Pauly in the Cincinnati Reds farm system, and they both seem to be great prospects. How do you rate them and what do you see as far as their future.

I like both of these guys. Let's take a look.

Garner was drafted in the sixth round in 2003, from the University of Arizona. He signed late, so 2004 was his first pro exposure, and he acquitted himself well. He started off by going 8-3 with a 2.50 ERA in 18 games (12 starts) for Class A Potomac in the Carolina League. His ratios were excellent: 80/13 K/BB in 86 innings, with just 77 hits and three homers allowed, all very good indeed. Promoted to Double-A Chattanooga, Gardner went 5-2 in 11 starts with a 2.56 ERA. He maintained good ratios with a 59/13 K/BB in 70 innings, 68 hits allowed.

Gardner throws a 92-mph sinking fastball. His changeup is very good, and he made big strides improving his curveball this year. He throws strikes, keeps people off balance, and was basically a big success in his first pro season. I'd rate him as a Grade B+ prospect at this point, one of the most promising RHP around and someone who is often overlooked when prospects are discussed.

Pauly is another 2003 draftee, second round out of Princeton. He spent the year in the Carolina League and did very well, going 8-7 with a 2.97 mark in 28 games, 19 starts. Like Gardner, his ratios were excellent: 135/26 K/BB in 121 innings, 96 hits allowed. Like Gardner, he throws a 92-mph sinking fastball. His changeup is less refined than Gardner's, but his slider is quite good, and he throws strikes. He didn't get the chance to show what he could do in Double-A, but his performance was overall quite impressive. I'd give him a Grade B at first glance.

The Reds have done a lot to improve their farm system, and both Gardner and Pauly should make some noise in 2005. Gardner is a little ahead at this point, given his Double-A experience, and could see the Show sometime next year.

Allen from Racine, Wisc., asks:
I'm a big Tigers fan, and I was wondering what you think about shortstop prospect Tony Giarratano. He had a good year in Class A and looks like a good sleeper to me. What do you think?

He looks like a good prospect to me, too, not just a "sleeper" but a legitimately strong player. Giarratano was drafted in '03, a third round pick out of Tulane. He was well-regarded as a defensive shortstop in college, but there were questions about his bat. He answered those by hitting .336 in college last year, then .328 in 47 games in the New York-Penn League after signing. In 2004, he went to the Midwest League and played well, hitting .285/.383/.352 in 43 games for the West Michigan Whitecaps. This earned him a promotion to the Florida State League, where he caught fire and remained enflamed for the rest of the season, hitting .376/.421/.505 with 14 steals. He needs to sharpen up his plate discipline, but I think he has the baseball aptitude to do so if he's encouraged. His batting average should always be good, but given his relative lack of power, some extra walks will keep his overall OPS boosted to strong levels.

We can't expect Giarratano to hit .376 all the time, but he certainly looks like a solid .280-.300 hitter, with enough doubles, walks, and steals to be a multi-skilled offensive contributor. He's considered a very good defensive shortstop, so impressing coaches and scouts with his glove won't be a problem for him. He should start 2005 in Double-A, and a second-half promotion to Detroit is quite possible. I think he's a solid all-around player and seriously underrated by many.

John Sickels is the author of The Baseball Prospect Book 2004, which can be ordered through his Web site, Johnsickels.com. His other book, Bob Feller: Ace of the Greatest Generation, is also out, and can be ordered through online book outlets or your local bookstore. He lives in Lawrence, Kan., with his wife, Jeri; son, Nicholas; and feline friends Toonces and Spot.