Hero Ring of Honor

Roy Halladay is the first player to be named into the Hero Ring of Honor.

Hallday spent parts of 5 seasons with the Heroes and won Ace of the Year twice (2007 and 2009)
2007
2008 (3rd in NL CPL CY Young)
2009 (6th in NL CPL CY Young)
2010 (3rd in NL CPL CY Young)
2013

He also won the CPL NL Cy Young in 2011

Heroes on BP top 101

Here are the Heroes on BP 101 that hit today

12. Yordano Ventura

13. Lucas Giolito

19. Jameson Taillon

22. Robert Stephenson

38. Kyle Crick

43. Mike Foltynewicz

46. Miguel Almonte

67. Erik Johnson

76. Alberto Tirado

80.Nick Kingham

93. Matt Davidson

Heroes on the Top 100 From MILB

16 Jameson Taillon RHP (PIT)

19 Robert Stephenson, RHP (CIN)

32 Kyle Crick, RHP (SF)

35 Yordano Ventura RHP (KC)

44 Lucas Giolito, RHP (WAS)

52 Lance McCullers Jr., RHP (HOU)

54 - Mike Foltyniewicz, RHP (HOU)

80 Matt Davidson 3B (CWS)

87 Casey Kell RHP (SD)

Misses from offer list

SP James Paxton @jimcallisMLB Thoughts on #Mariners’ James Paxton? At 25, not really a true prospect, but pretty talented.

SP Miguel Almonte ‏@jimcallisMLB Love him. Unhittable fastball. @youwannasoda: High upside Miguel Almonte? #mlbpipeline @Royals

SP Nick Kingham ‏@jimcallisMLB Very close. I had him on mine Top 100. @ndbrian: See Kingham didn't make the list. Was he close? #mlbpipeline @Pirates and @Sawchik_Trib
Six Pirates ranked in http://MLB.com 's top 100 prospects and that might be light as Reese McGuire and Nick Kingham have arguments

Top 100 From Scout

Here are the Hero's that made the top 100 on Scout's list that hit there website today. With 9 player on the list the Hero's had a good showing.

#23 SP Yordano Ventura
#32 SP Jameson Tailon
#33 SP Kyle Crick
#47 SP Mike Foltynewicz
#48 SP Miguel Almonte
#56 SP James Paxton
#62 SP Lance McCullers
#79 SP Nick Kingham
#89 SP Casey Kelly
#91 SP Maurico Cabrera

TOP 20 Little Heroes

Here is the ranking of the top 20 little Hero's and there MILB top ranks as well.

1. SP Jameson Tailon  #10 on milb and #12 on Sickels
2. SP Yordano Venture #34 on milb and #25 on Sickels
3. SP Kyle Crick #42 on milb and #48 by Sickels
4. SP Lance McCullers #59 milb and #43 by Sickels
5. SP Mike Foltynewicz #61 on milb and #37 by Sickels
6. SP Miguel Almonte #55 by the Sickels
7. 3B Matt Davidson #66 on milb and ranked 76-100 on Sickel's list (only top 75 were in order the next the 25 were not)
8. SP Casey Kelly #64 on milb not huge upside but milb ready
9. SP James Paxton was #75 by Sickels
10. SP Luis Heredia #75 on milb, still very young but moving fast
11. SS Amed Rosario was the number one player in his league when BA did league breakdowns
12. 3B Matt Skole comes in at the #3 Was prospect on BA list
13. SS Franchy Cordero big upside SS prospect that ranked ahead of many 1st round picks in his league
14. OF Jose Urena, ranked 5th in his league and younger then most of the high picks he was up against
15. SP Alberto Tirado stock on the rise after making his pro debut, still long ways away but huge ceiling
16. SP Mauricio Cabrera top 5 in his league as well as top 5 on Atl, stats were not that great last year
17. C Luis Torrens, bonus baby from the 2012 summer of IFA, ranked 10th in his league, skipped DSL
18. SP Trevor May, former top 100 prospect maybe a better RP we will see, lacks game to game control
19. SP Carlos Contresas, pitched in the futures game and ranked on BP top 10 Reds at #7
20. SP Zach Petrick made his way through the minor leagues in his first season after signing as UDFA

State of the Farm- League top edition

Arizona League

#3 SS Franchy Cordero
#5 OF Jose Urena
#17 1B Samir Duenez

*these were two (Cordero and Urena) were great rankings for them. They were placed above several 1st rd picks from tha last draft as well as some huge bonus baby's from the past few international crops.


Gulf Coast League
#10 C Luis Torrens

*not bad for a deep league, 6 of the guys were 1st rd picks that ranked ahead of him, plus ranked ahead of 1st rd pick Nick Ciuffo as the 2nd best catcher in the league... and he just turned 17 years old in May.


Appalachian League
#8 SP Alberto Tirado

*Nice little write up on him from Oct 28th 2013 Tirado was one of 12 international free agents that inked six-figure deals with the Blue Jays in 2011, signing for $300,000. Since coming stateside, he's pitched extremely well, with a 2.27 ERA, 80 strikeouts, and just 37 walks in 91.1 innings in short-season ball over the past two years. When he was signed, his fastball topped out at 91-92 mph, but now he sits 91-94 and touches 96-97. The velocity looks effortless, stemming from a fast and loose right arm. For a teenager, he controls and commands his fastball well, especially down in the zone. His slider is still a work in progress, though some have called it a potential 70-grade offering. Tirado also throws a changeup, but both secondary pitches are immature right now. As they improve and become more consistent weapons, his strikeouts should increase.


There is some concern with Tirado regarding his size and durability. He's generously listed at 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds and he's hasn't even topped the 50-inning mark or pitched in a full season league yet. For that reason, it's tough to rank him higher on this list, but it's easy to understand the buzz. He should make his full season debut in 2014, and with continued development of his secondary stuff, the Jays could have a top-of-the rotation starter on their hands.


Sal League
#10 SP Mauricio Cabrera
#18 OF Carlos Tocci

*Solid ranking for both, while the stats were not that strong for either, its nice to know the scouts still liked what they saw.


Eastern League
#6 SP Jamison Tailon

*Kinda of a low rank for a prospect that just #12 in all of baseball by John Sickels and is top 20 every where.


Pacific Coast League
#10 SP Yordano Venture

*Seems low as well for someone who will be top 50 and maybe top 25 on some sites.

2013 Hero of the Year

1B Joey Votto was named Hero of the year over teammate Jay Bruce.  Joey Votto had down year in run production but set a team record for number of times on base.

Joey Votto's stats were .305 24HR, 73RBI, 103Runs, 135BB, .926OPS

Winners
2007 3B David Wright .325avg 30HR 107RBI 34SB .963OPS
2008 2B Dustin Pedrioa .325avg 17HR 20SB 83RBI 117Runs .869OPS
2009 1B Price Fielder .299Avg 46HR 141RBI 1.014OPS
2010 3B Ryan Zimmerman .307avg 25HR 85RBI 85Runs .894OPS
2011 2B Dustin Pedrioa .307avg 21HR 91RBI 102Runs 86BB 26SB .861OPS
2012 1B Prince Fielder .313avg 30HR 108RBI 83Runa 85BB .940ops
2013 1B Joey Votto .305avg 24HR 73RBI, 103Runs, 135BB, .926OPS

2013 Kelly's Ace of the Year

While pitching was not the Heroes strong area in 2013, there were a few guys that good years. Jim Johnson saved 50 games for the 2nd year in a row, Tim Lincecum struck out nearly 200 guys and posted 10 wins, Ervin Santana has a solid 3.24era 1.14whip and a 164K's.

But the winner of the award for most outstanding pitcher is James Shields who was having one of the best years of his career before being traded to the Heroes and still ended the season nicely with 228Inn, 197K's, 3.15era and 1.24whip with a 13-9 record.

Winners of this award:
2007 Roy Halladay 16-5 3.71era 225Inn 139K's
2008 Franciso Rodriguez 2-3 2.24era 68inn 77K's 62SV
2009 Roy Halladay 17-10 2.79era 246Inn 206K's
2010 Trevor Cahill 18-8 2.97 era 196.2Inn 118K's
2011 Ervin Santana 11-12 3.38 228.2inn 178k's
2012 Jim Johnson 4-2 2.49era 68.2Inn 41K's 51SV
2013 James Shields 13-9 3.15ear 228Inn 197K's

2012 Draft Grades 2 years Out

With no 1st rd or 3rd round picks this draft was one of the Heroes best ever.

2nd Round
27th SP Sonny Gray B looking like number 3 pitcher

31st SP Robert Stephenson A STUD, top 15 prospect this year and talk of being the best pitcher int he minors at some point next year.

4th Round
50th SP Jose Fernandez A++ best 20 year old pitcher since Gooden... he is good.

52nd OF Carlos Tocci C- was the youngest player to play in low A from start to finish, but stats sucked

5th Round
70th SP Drew Smyle B solid major league career going but nothing to write home about, but still solid value in the 5th rd

77th SP Kyle Crick A- top 50 propect considered by many after the 2013 season.

6th Round
81st RP Jim Johnson A MLB leader in saves over the last 2 years

86th SP Dillon Maples B-

7th Round
89th 3B B.A. Vollmuth D nothing will come of him at this point

8th Round
96th SP Brenny Paulino D What I said at the draft "could be a boom or bust pick, tons of K upside with this pick, Klaw has him as a huge sleeper and may crack top 100 next year if he can look good at a higher level." He busted got hurt missed 2 seasons now.

Sup Picks
SP Parker Bridwell D god awful 2012 and blah 2013

C AJ Ellis (-) needed a back up Catcher that is a starter in the MLB's, was a top 16 catcher in 2012 and a top 20 in 2013

SS Nikko Goodrum C still a prospect just not one on my team

2B Ryan Brett C+ is a hitter and maybe future player in the MLB

Draft Grades for 2013 Draft after one year

Kelly's Heroes
2 Courtney Hawkins C- should huge power but K rate out of control. Should have drafted Wacha.
3 Chris Stratton B- had a soild year and has a chance to a middle of the rotation starter.
3 Jesse Winker B+ Nice value in the 3rd round looking like a top 100 prospect.
3 Brandon Maurer B Made the rotation out of spring training and was traded for a 2015 1st rd pick, but bombed while in the majors this year.
3 Hiroyuki Nakajima F One of the worst picks in Hero history.
3 Mitch Brown D Still young and showed some flash but hada brutal first season
4 Amed Rosario A- #1 in the Appy league and may have star potenial
4 Lance Berkman B- Flipped for a 3rd rounder in 2014 so nive value
7 Alberto Tirado B A guy worth keeping an eye on, stock on the rise has chance to be a 100 guy in 2015
7 Jose Veras B Any time you pull a closer out of the 7th round you did ok
8 Steve Delabar B one of the better strikeout RP in the majors
8 Steven Piscotty B not a huge fan but had a good season and stock is up, was traded at the deadline
10 Matt Dominguez A Pulling a 24 year old major league player out of the 10th round who hit 24 HR is win reguardless of anything else.
10 Brandon Kline D+ Looked rough and then got hurt
10 Jimmy Nelson A- will be top 3 in Mil and maybe top 100 this year
S Steve Johnson D- did not make the team out of camp
S Tyler Greene D- did not make the team out of camp
S Luis Torrens C+ the 17 year old was one of the top 10 in his league skipped the DSL
S Tim Federowicz D- did not make the team out of camp
S Pat Light D+ still a prospect but did not make the Heroes out of camp

2013 Little Hero of the Year

The 2013 Little Hero of the Year was named today... SP Yordano Ventura KC was the winner. On the year he posted some great numbers between AA and AAA, 8-6 with a 3.14era and 155K's in 134Inn's. He also pitched great in the majors at the tail end of the year going 0-0 with a 1.59 era and logging 9k's in 11Inn.

Top 5 Vote getters this year were
1. SP Yordano Ventura KC
2. SP Julio Urias LaD
3. SS Amad Rosario NYM (just named #1 in Appy league)
4. SS Franchy Cordero SD
5. 2B Mookie Betts Bos



Here is the complete list of Little Heroes of the year

2007 1B Billy Butler KC
2008 1B Logan Morrison Fla
2009 SP Arodys Vizcaino NYY
2010 OF Mike Trout LAA
2011 1B Anthony Rizzo SD
2012 OF Adam Eaton Arz
2013 SP Yordano Ventura KC

Amed Rosario #1 player in the A

Clint Longenecker: Harry, you have a great point. Rosario's stats alone would not dictate No. 1 status. But evaluators loved his defense, athleticism and hitting potential. One evaluator even said that Rosario played better defense than a perennial All-Star shortstop that came through the league at the same age. Despite his pedestrian offensive numbers, Rosario drew rave reviews for his hitting ability and power potential. A huge factor is in statistical season was he was the only position player to qualify that played the whole year as a 17-year-old. His numbers might not be stellar for a few more years, as he will nearly always be among the youngest players in his league as he advances. He will play all of next year at a full season club at 18, which is extremely rare.

Norm Chouinard (Connecticut): Was there much debate about who should be #1 or was Rosario more of a concensus?

Clint Longenecker: Factoring in his age and upside, Rosario was the top player in many people's eyes. There was consensus on his status.

John (Chicago): Can you contrast Amed Rosario with 2008 Wilmer Flores, the #2 prospect in the league at the time?

Clint Longenecker: Given the team and age of the players when they played in the Apply League, there are some similarities between the two. The separators are the speed, athleticism and defensive profile. Even at the time, Flores was a below average runner that people thought would profile in a corner. While Rosario has a good speed and the ability to stay at shortstop for the foreseeable future.

Michael Stern (Rochester NY): Does Rosario project more as a leadoff hitter or middle of the order bat? In you write up it says he can run (although he only stole 2 out of 8 bases) or will his projected power play further down the line-up as he fills out. Thanks for the chat!

Clint Longenecker: He profiles to hit for power power, especially as he begins to fill his frame. Its unlikely he will profile as a leadoff hitter. That 2-8 in stole base attempts is a perfect example that he has developmental strides left. Its just a matter of him learning how to use his speed advantageously.

Congrats

the Kelly's Heroes sister team by the same name won the championship in there league

Semifinal
avatar Kelly's Heroes (1) 13
avatar Team Starscream (4) 8
View Matchup
Semifinal
avatar uptowndwellertribute (3) 6
avatar Ewing Oil (2) 11
View Matchup
5th Place Game
avatar Maybe Next Year Cubs (5) 9
avatar Hardcore Vikings (6) 12
View Matchup
Week 24
(Sep 16 - Sep 22)
Final
avatar Kelly's Heroes (1) 11
avatar Ewing Oil (2) 10
View Matchup
3rd Place Game
avatar Team Starscream (4) 12
avatar uptowndwellertribute (3) 7
View Matchup



Rank Team W-L-T Pct GB Last Week Waiver Moves
*1 avatar Kelly's Heroes 252-143-67 .618 - 11-10-1 6 43
*2 avatar Ewing Oil 230-167-65 .568 23 10-11-1 4 42
*3 avatar Team Starscream 217-179-66 .541 35.5 12-7-3 10 14
*4 avatar uptowndwellertribute 235-175-52 .565 24.5 7-12-3 2 26
*5 avatar Hardcore Vikings 193-210-59 .482 63 - 9 32
*6 avatar Maybe Next Year Cubs 212-188-62 .526 42.5 - 8 20
7 avatar Usual Suspects 161-241-60 .413 94.5 9-9-4 5 17
8 avatar Horny Bison 137-275-50 .351 123.5 9-9-4 3 22
9 avatar LeCenter Drunks 176-217-69 .456 75 12-6-4 7 22
10 avatar EleventhHour 191-209-62 .481 63.5 6-12-4 1 14