REPORT FILED: APRIL 14
Today we'll look at two phenom infielders with very different skill sets: Rafael Furcal of the Braves and Alfonso Soriano of the Yankees.
Rafael Furcal
Atlanta Braves
Position: SS Height: 5-10 Weight: 160 Born: 8/24/80 Bats: Switch Throws: Right
| Year |
Team |
Level |
G |
AB |
R |
H |
2B |
3B |
HR |
RBI |
BB |
K |
SB |
CS |
BA |
OBP |
SLG |
| 1998 |
Danville |
R |
68 |
268 |
56 |
86 |
15 |
4 |
0 |
23 |
36 |
29 |
60 |
15 |
.328 |
.412 |
.414 |
| 1999 |
Macon |
A |
83 |
335 |
73 |
113 |
15 |
1 |
1 |
29 |
41 |
36 |
73 |
22 |
.337 |
.417 |
.397 |
| 1999 |
Myrtle Bch |
A |
43 |
184 |
32 |
54 |
9 |
3 |
0 |
12 |
14 |
42 |
23 |
8 |
.293 |
.343 |
.375 |
| 2000 |
Atlanta |
NL |
7 |
18 |
5 |
6 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
.333 |
.400 |
.444 |
Furcal was outstanding in A-ball last year, and his blend of speed on the bases and patience at the plate excited prospective fantasy owners. It was a surprise when Braves front office people started talking about Furcal making the team when spring training began. It was an even bigger surprise when it actually happened, not that Furcal didn't deserve it over Ozzie Guillen.
Furcal was awesome at Class A Macon last year, showing excellent command of the strike zone, and a superb combination of speed and instinct on the bases. He isn't a big guy and doesn't have much power, but that's not his game, and unlike many young players, he doesn't try to do more than he is capable of. Given his exceptional command of the strike zone, more pop should be expected as he matures, though Furcal will never be a big basher.
He doesn't need to be, as long as he keeps command of the strike zone.
Scouts rave about Furcal's defensive skills, and that's a big part of the reason he earned a job as quickly as he did. He has a very strong arm, good range, and is relatively reliable, though he was a bit error-prone in the minors last year, and will make his share of miscues as the season progresses.
My main concern is this: although Furcal has done well so far, is being in the majors the best thing for him? He has no experience above Class A, and just 43 games in high-level Class A. He had trouble making contact at Myrtle Beach last year, and the pitchers of the National League should take advantage of his inexperience as they get a read on the rookie. I don't expect him to fall flat on his face, but I'd be very surprised if he hit .300 this year, or even .280.
He's still better than Guillen, but so are a lot of other guys. The Braves could have found someone to handle the job for a year or two until Furcal had more experience. It isn't necessarily in their best interest for Furcal to be in the majors, either. As it stands, the clock on arbitration and free agency is already ticking for this kid. In the long run, the Braves may regret their promotion of Furcal, purely for financial reasons, even if he plays well.
Alfonso Soriano
New York Yankees
Position: 3B-SS Height: 6-1 Weight: 160 Born: 1/7/78 Bats: Right Throws: Right
| Year |
Team |
Level |
G |
AB |
R |
H |
2B |
3B |
HR |
RBI |
BB |
K |
SB |
CS |
BA |
OBP |
SLG |
| 1999 |
Norwich |
AA |
89 |
361 |
57 |
110 |
20 |
3 |
15 |
68 |
32 |
67 |
24 |
16 |
.305 |
.363 |
.501 |
| 1999 |
Columbus |
AAA |
20 |
82 |
8 |
15 |
5 |
1 |
2 |
11 |
5 |
18 |
1 |
1 |
.183 |
.225 |
.341 |
| 1999 |
New York |
AL |
9 |
8 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
.125 |
.125 |
.500 |
| 2000 |
New York |
AL |
4 |
11 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
.182 |
.182 |
.727 |
Soriano could have earned a major league job with a strong spring, but his performance in camp was mediocre. He hit .269 in 14 games, but was erratic defensively and showed little patience. He was headed back to Columbus, but Scott Brosius got hurt, forcing the Yankees to promote Soriano to handle the third base chores in the interim. Two quick homers later, it looks like a good move, though I will be surprised if Soriano ends up having terrific numbers in the majors over a whole season at this point in his career.
Don't get me wrong; Soriano is very talented. He has excellent bat speed and above-average power to all fields. He had no trouble with Double-A pitching in his North American debut last year. But he struggled with Triple-A competition, mainly due to the old bugaboo that dogs many young hitters: weak strike zone judgment. If it's around the plate, Soriano will swing at it. That worked against Double-A pitching, but not in the International League, and I doubt it will work in the American League much longer, either.
He is very young and has plenty of time to develop his skills, but Soriano needs more Triple-A time before his bat can be considered reliable.
Although scouts like his arm and range in the field, he had no chance of forcing Derek Jeter out of a job, so the move to third base is likely to be permanent, even when Brosius is healthy. Soriano has the range and arm to handle the hot corner, though he could use more experience with situational plays. Again, that's something that should come in Triple-A.
In the long run, Soriano will have a good career, especially since the Yankees understand the importance of strike zone judgment more than most teams, and will be on him to improve his approach at the plate. But don't go betting a ton of money on Soriano to be the Rookie of the Year just yet. There are holes in his game that the American League will learn to exploit soon enough.
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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