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	Friday, July 14
	The real rookies By John Sickels Special to ESPN.com
	REPORT FILED: JULY 14 Let's continue our look at some of my favorite players to watch in short-season baseball. This isn't intended to be a "top prospect" list, but rather a look at players who have something intriguing about them. For our purposes here, we are going to ignore anyone who was a first-round pick. You've probably already heard of them; we want the guys you may not be aware of yet. This week we will look at the four "Rookie" Leagues -- the Appalachian League, the Pioneer League, the Gulf Coast League, and the Arizona League. Jimmy Barrett, RHP Houston Astros (Martinsville, Appalachian League) The Astros drafted Barrett in 1999, a third-round pick from high school in Cumberland, Maryland. Projectable at 6-2, 190, Barrett is off to a 3-0, 1.88 start in four outings for Martinsville. His velocity is average right now, but should pick up as he matures. For all their troubles at Enron Field this year, the Astros do have a good group of young pitchers in the minor leagues, and Barrett should join the prospect lists quickly if he continues pitching like this. Fernando Cabrera, RHP Cleveland Indians (Burlington, Appy League) Puerto Rico doesn't seem to be producing the same level of talent it once did, but sometimes people sneak in. Cabrera was a 10th-round pick out of high school in Bayamon last year, but signed too late to pitch and is just making his debut this year. So far, so good: 2-1, 1.73 in four starts, with an outstanding 16/2 K/BB ratio. Cabrera pitches at 89-90, but has huge hands and a body that promises more size and velocity. He could end up being a major steal for the pitching-starved Indians. Angel Caraballo, RHP Chicago White Sox (Bristol, Appy League) Unlike their competitors in Cleveland, the White Sox have plenty of minor league pitching, which gives them the luxury of allowing youngsters at the lower levels time to develop. Caraballo, a Venezuelan, pitched adequately in the Appy League last year, but has returned to Bristol for an encore, where he is 2-0, 2.28 in four starts. He throws 90-92 and has a good curveball. He gets lost in the shuffle when White Sox pitching prospects are discussed, but should not be overlooked. Jeremy Johnson, OF Toronto Blue Jays (Medicine Hat, Pioneer League) College players usually rip up the Pioneer League, and Johnson is no exception. Drafted in the 26th round this year from Southeast Missouri State, Johnson is hitting .392 for Medicine Hat, with a .660 slugging percentage and excellent strike zone judgment. Drafted as a senior after an excellent collegiate career, he has real power from the left side, but it remains to be seen how his overall bat will translate to the higher levels. The fact that he knows the difference between a strike and a ball will help him, but he'll have to move quickly to avoid getting labeled as a "minor league slugger," which is what usually happens to guys like this. Ruddy Lugo, RHP Milwaukee Brewers (Ogden, Pioneer League) Drafted in the third round from high school in Brooklyn in 1999, Lugo is an exceptional athlete who was considered a top prospect as an infielder as well as on the mound. Although he is short, he throws quite hard, with a fastball at 93-94 mph. He was horrible in the Pioneer League last year (7.88 ERA), but came back to Ogden this summer and is doing much better, with a 1.85 mark in six games and solid numbers across the board due to better control. Alejandro Machado, 2B Atlanta Braves (Danville, Appy League) Every year the Braves seem to pull an infielder out of their hat at Danville: Marcus Giles in 1997, Rafael Furcal in 1998, Wilson Betemit in 1999. This year the man is Macado. From Venezuela, Machado is very fast, having stolen eight bases in his first 18 games. He's hitting .333, and while he doesn't have much power yet, he knows the strike zone and has drawn 12 walks already, giving him a .446 on-base percentage. He is also skilled with the glove at second base. The Braves have tremendous young infield depth, and Machado just adds to it. Justin Morneau, 1B Minnesota Twins (GCL Twins) The Twins drafted Morneau in the third round in 1999, out of high school in British Columbia. Being a Canadian, with little exposure to scouts, hurt his draft status. If he had grown up in Florida or California, he would have been a first-round pick, based on his tremendous raw power from the right side. Scouts compare him to Larry Walker. A broken thumb derailed him after he signed last year, but he's making up for lost time in 2000, hitting .361 in 19 games, with a .556 slugging percentage and a .447 on-base percentage. Mackeel Rodgers, 3B Kansas City Royals (GCL Royals) I'm generally suspicious of "tools" players, but for some reason I think this guy might develop. Drafted in the fourth round out of high school in Miami last year, Rodgers hit just .200 after signing and fanned 30 times in 31 games. The Royals have worked to improve his strike zone judgment, with good results so far. He's already walked 10 times in 19 games this year (compared to just three walks all last season), and is hitting .277. He still needs to polish his defense, learn how to use his speed on the bases, and turn his raw power from potential into production. But at least he has made some progress. John Sickels is the author of the STATS 2000 Minor League Scouting Notebook. You can email your questions to him at JASickels@AOL.com.		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