As a Follow Up: Who's Our Most Overrated Prospect?

[furryburres]

I'm suspecting that half the answers will be Spoone, but Rowell may slip in there.

[Frobby]

It depends who is rating them. If you are going by the OH top 10 from last fall, at this point you'd easily say it's Rowell. But if you are going by comments that appear on the board on a daily basis, I fear it might be Reimold. A lot of folks think this guy could put on an Oriole uniform tomorrow and play as well or better than Jay Payton, but I have my doubts.

[NCRaven]

I don't know about over-rated, but Rowell and Penn have certainly been my two most disappointing, although for different reasons. Rowell, quite simply, has never performed up to his draft position and I doubt he ever will, at this point. Just my opinion. Penn has absolutely dominated at times during his minor league career, but has ultimately failed, usually due to freakish injury, every time the Orioles have tried to use him at the Major League level. He's still young, and yet, it seems like he's been hovering in the near ML ready zone forever. I give Snyder a pass due to injury and the fact he's having a solid year in Frederick.

[Stotle]

Based solely on what I've read around here, I think many are expecting more out of Arrieta (or at least more, sooner) than we're likely to ultimately see.

[IamtheSkip]

This poll should have had more options. It's pretty stacked against Rowell, because everyone is down on him at the moment.

I'd agree with Reimold. I just don't see this guy turning into anything more than a slightly (but distinctively) below average major leaguer.

[bird watcher]

In retrospect Loewen would qualify. He never proved anything to me even before the injury. I know he technically isn't a prospect but I believe that is mostly because he signed that major league contract, not because he proved his worth as a minor leaguer.

[Lucky Jim]

How is Spoone over-rated?

[BoysofArbutus]

Quite a loaded poll here. How can you have a "most over rated" poll with only two players, one being generally a very highly regarded prospect on this site and then a pseudo third option.

Is Rowell a Top 50 prospect in baseball like we hoped he was going to be at this point of his career: No. Has he produced at the rate we hoped: No. He is not a bust. He is still VERY young for his level. I thought it was a mistake moving him to Frederick this season when he didn't dominate in Delmarva. But this time last year people were ready to toss Brandon Erbe aside when he was the same age as Rowell is this year at the same level. Erbe repeated Frederick and is having a good season, enough to put him back on the elite prospect radar. If Rowell does nothing next year in Frederick, then go ahead and pile on, but let the kid play.

Anyway, go through every first round pick in that class and find how many of them are major impact players. Do that with any draft. First round picks are hardly a sure thing and if you are the type that is going to get upset every time one doesn't work out, then you may as well stop following the farm system.

[furryburres]

The nearly weekly negative posting on Rowell is kind of annoying..

People do not want to hear about his age, but it can not be ignored….

Does not turn 20 until September, and is in High A ball….. All of these scouts that are down on him right now, were the same guys hyping him as 1st round pick in 2006.

His OPS is 652….. Not strong, nothing to write home about…… but if you compare that OPS to the league avg OPS of the Carolina league, it is not as abysmal as a 652 OPS in the bigs.

He has 21 XBH's in 218 ab's.. = 1 xbh per 10.38 ab's… not bad at all, and certainly not for a 19 year-old.

He had a 761 OPS in the Sally League last year, which is down right impressive for an 18 year-old to have achieved…

Has 760 professional at-bats…. He will get another 250 the remainder of this year… maybe 100 more in the Hawaiian League… another 500 next year between Frederick and Bowie…

By the end of 2009, he will have DOUBLED his current level of professional experience, and just be turning 21…..

Go back and look at the top college bats selected in the recent Draft….. Watch how they developed from their Frosh years, to their Junior and Senior seasons… if those players go through a growing process, where the competition stays relatively flat…. Why in the world would people be down on a kid from HS, that is moving up in the professional ranks?

He will be a far different player by the end of next season.

I happen to love Rowell. I think he will turn into our #4 hitter. I think he'll get less cocky as he matures, but still have confidence. But this poll wasn't made for my MY opinion; It was for everyone else, and the common consensus on the OH is that he's overrated.

[Big Mac]

Well it can't be Rowell because the majority of people on here think he will be nothing.

I don't see how in the world Spoone is overrated.

Beato and Tripp come to mind, but they really aren't rated that highly.

I might go with Tripp. A 23 year old who is barely putting up a .700 OPS in A ball, who strikes out a ton, is nothing more than Minor League filler to me.

[AVencill]

I'm honestly appalled that you put Spoone in the same company with Rowell in this poll. Why not Penn? Liz? McCrory? Even Loewen? It certainly caught me off guard when I saw just the two options.

[ScottieBaseball]

I'm suspecting that half the answers will be Spoone, but Rowell may slip in there.

Spoone?!?! Seriously?!?! Worst. Poll. Ever.

[ScottieBaseball]

Well it can't be Rowell because the majority of people on here think he will be nothing.

I don't see how in the world Spoone is overrated.

Beato and Tripp come to mind, but they really aren't rated that highly.

I might go with Tripp. A 23 year old who is barely putting up a .700 OPS in A ball, who strikes out a ton, is nothing more than Minor League filler to me.

Ding ding ding!!!

[furryburres]

Spoone?!?! Seriously?!?! Worst. Poll. Ever.

Actually, many people have, in one way or another, said that Spoone is overrated by the O's fans.

Oh, and if it's such a bad poll, you don't have to participate.

[ScottieBaseball]

Actually, many people have, in one way or another, said that Spoone is overrated by the O's fans.

Oh, and if it's such a bad poll, you don't have to participate.

I'd prefer to point and ridicule. Thanks, though.

Actually, I meant it lightheartedly but forgot to add a smiley.

For the record...Rowell.