http://www.projectprospect.com/mwc-first-round-checkup/ The Midweek Crisis: First Round Checkup 9/5/2007 by Adam Loberstein Project Prospect Editor Mike Moustakas, 3B, Kansas City Royals (No. 2) While that start of his professional career has not yet yielded reason for the Alex Rodriguez comparisons being thrown around by agent Scott Boras, there hasn’t been anything wrong with the debut of Mike Moustakas, either. An elite, 6-foot, 195-pound talent, Moustakas has made the most of his limited action, going .321/.406/.429 in 28 Pioneer League at-bats. The Chatsworth (Calif.) H.S. product has been seeing action at shortstop, but appears destined to show his all-star promise at the hot corner once he’s ready to take the Majors by storm. Matt LaPorta, 1B, Milwaukee Brewers (No. 7) Looking for an imposing first impression? Try 12 home runs in 30 games. Matt LaPorta has done just that, putting up a .304/.369/.696 combined vital line between the Pioneer League and Low-A. That fact that the said advancement to Low-A comes at the age of 22, however, may take away from the 6-foot-2, 212-pound slugger’s achievements a tad. While he’s going to need to continue to shred through the minors – already ticketed for the AFL – and try to find a defensive position along the way, too, there’s no question that LaPorta will bring a stacked bat with him along the journey. Casey Weathers, RHP, Colorado Rockies (No. 8) Minor League Baseball really hasn’t looked all that different than college for Casey Weathers. The 2007 Vanderbilt University closer holds a 1.02 WHIP and 35.0% strikeout clip to his credit. As if that were not impressive enough, imagine how few hitters would touch the base paths if Weathers hadn’ t walked nine in his 14.2 frames of work (.122 BAA). If he learns to control is power fastball-slider combo with regularity, Weathers will become a big league closer. Beau Mills, 1B, Cleveland Indians (No. 13) Note to Beau Mills: vital lines that read .458/.556/1.033 are to be reserved for video games only. Thank you. Sure, it was with Lewis and Clark State in NAIA play, but 38 HR in 240 at-bats is hard to overlook – especially when you go .319/.424/.699 and .355/.411/.675 in two NCAA seasons with Fresno State prior. A 6-foot-3, 220-pound beast with the bat in his hands, Mills has progressed to his third MiLB level – High-A – and has gone .261/.337/.424 in his first 245 professional at-bats. Over the course of his minor league campaign, the Visalia, Calif. product has put up a solid 42.2% XBH rate. Expect Mills to continue to develop his slugging potential in a ballpark near you. Jason Heyward, OF, Atlanta Braves (No. 14) Being 18-years-old in a 27-year-old’s body has never hurt anyone’s stock. And while he stands 6-foot-4 and weighs in at 220-pounds, a sweet lefthanded stroke certainly doesn’t hurt, either. Life is good when your name is Jason Heyward. A native of McDonough, Ga., Heyward has produced a solid .302/.354/.488 vital line in 43 at-bats across two levels thus far. A teenage kid who is already serving as a legitimate slugging threat, it’s hard not to be excited about what Jason Heyward has the potential to become over the course of his pro career. Joe Savery, LHP, Philadelphia Phillies (No. 19) Hailing from Houston, Tex., Joe Savery has left a very good taste in the mouths of the Phillies’ brass thus far. A 6-foot-3, 215-pounder, Savery split time between first base and the mound at Rice University. Pitching exclusively in pro ball, he currently holds a solid 1.28 WHIP and .208 BAA. If he can drop his walk numbers (11 BB in 24.2 IP), Savery will be able to say so long to wearing the funny, oversized glove in the future, solidifying his place as a solid starting pitching prospect. He'll be picking up where he left off next month in the AFL. Chris Withrow, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers (No. 20) Nothing quite like posting a 5.00 ERA to make a solid first impression. No, seriously. Outside of that one rather high number, Chris Withrow has done everything right. A 6-foot-3, 195-pounder from Midland, Tex., Withrow has held opponents to a .167 BAA and put up a 3.25 K/BB rate. Withrow was considered a mild reach by some at No. 20 overall – even Withrow himself – and will need to produce continued success before his stock will rise high enough to pay dividends for the Dodgers. Tim Alderson, RHP, San Francisco Giants (No. 22) It’s supposed to be hard to make a lasting impact in a meager five frames of work. Looks like someone forgot to send that memo to Tim Alderson. Of the 15 outs the 6-foot-6, 217-pounder recorded, 12 have been by way of the strikeout. Boasting a fastball as hard as the desert heat present in his native Scottsdale, Ariz., Alderson allowed just four runners to reach base – none of which came via the walk. You can’t do a whole lot with five innings, but Tim Alderson sure can. Michael Main, RHP, Texas Rangers (No. 24) Being 18-years-old with a blazing fastball and the talent to stick as outfielder never looked so good. A 6-foot-2, 170-pound natural-born athlete, Michael Main can do a little bit of everything, but is enjoying success as a fulltime pitcher. The Deland (Fla.) H.S. product has already advanced to his second MiLB bus stop, holding a 1.29 WHIP across the two levels. If he can drop his walk rates (2.62 K/BB), it will allow an already impressive strikeout ability (28.6% K rate) to truly develop Main into a high-end pitching prospect. Aaron Poreda, LHP, Chicago White Sox (No. 25) Aaron Poreda tagged his contract offer presented by the White Sox on June 16, and he has been untouchable ever since. A 6-foot-6, 240-pounder who pitches as big as his size, Poreda has posted an equally imposing 48:10 K to BB rate in his 46.1 frames of work. The University of San Francisco product features a blazing arsenal, which has yielded a 0.85 WHIP and .181 BAA. Pair those results with a stunning 68% groundball rate and Aaron Poreda has been just about as dominant a prospect as the 2007 class has produced to date. Ben Revere, OF, Minnesota Twins (No. 28) The British may not be coming, but a state of shock isn’t necessarily out of the question, either. The Minnesota Twins’ decision to tab 5-foot-9, 175-pound Ben Revere was certainly the most scrutinized decision of the first round. With a mere $750,000 bonus and .325/.388/.461 vital to boot (191 at-bats), this Revere didn’t even need to make Paul’s infamous “Midnight Ride” to become the talk of the town. A native of Lexington, Ky., Revere has speed to burn – already 21 SB in 50 contests – and has the potential to give the Twins an electrifying leadoff-type hitter. --

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