Who's the #12 prospect?

[PaulBako]

I am going with Troy Patton.

[Tank]

I was thinking Bergesen, but I'll go with Patton.

[ChaosLex]

I could see it being Avery this high.

Agreed. After all, an injured Spoone was rated in the Top 10, simply because of his upside.

[PapaRick]

I went with Patton, but I am not sure that I have right yet.

[NCRaven]

Couldn't vote earlier when Erbe was left off the list and can't now without Bergesen as an option. Hoes would be my choice out of this group, but he hasn't earned it yet and all Bergesen does is get guys out. Ground balls just aren't as exciting as strikeouts.

[Big Mac]

Couldn't vote earlier when Erbe was left off the list and can't now without Bergesen as an option. Hoes would be my choice out of this group, but he hasn't earned it yet and all Bergesen does is get guys out. Ground balls just aren't as exciting as strikeouts.

All 5 guys in the poll have higher ceilings than Bergesen.

[TakebackOPACY]

Couldn't vote earlier when Erbe was left off the list and can't now without Bergesen as an option. Hoes would be my choice out of this group, but he hasn't earned it yet and all Bergesen does is get guys out. Ground balls just aren't as exciting as strikeouts.

Bradley Bergesen struck out 4.38 batters/9ip against 'AA' competition (148 ip)

Of the 269 major leaguers who pitched 60 or more innings this year, only 13 struck out fewer than 4.38/9ip.

Below are those 13 pitchers, their 2008 MLB ERA's, and their career 'AA' K's/9ip:

Name			2008 MLB ERA		K/9ip against 'AA' competitionBrad Bergesen					4.38Brian Burres		6.04			7.34Fausto Carmona		5.44			5.96Kenny Rogers		5.70			8.21Zach Duke		4.82			6.31Aaron Laffey		4.23			5.38Jon Garland		4.90			7.40Paul Byrd		4.60			6.91Aaron Cook		3.96			5.38Carlos Silva		6.46			4.97Kyle Kendrick		5.49			5.53Sidney Ponson		5.04			6.64Livan Hernandez		6.05			8.97Greg Reynolds		8.13			6.22

Either Bergesen will improve his ability to strike out batters, or he will not be successful. I don't say that because I have some infatuation with strikeouts. I say that because, statistically speaking, it's accurate. I don't know of any pitchers with Bergesen's K/9ip against 'AA' who have been successful for an extended career in the majors.

[BaltimoreTerp]

Hoes, O's and Natty Bohs.

[AlBumbry]

Going with the Hoes.

[Tony-OH]

You guys are on a roll. Patton it is...

[Ruzious]

Bradley Bergesen struck out 4.38 batters/9ip against 'AA' competition (148 ip)

Of the 269 major leaguers who pitched 60 or more innings this year, only 13 struck out fewer than 4.38/9ip.

He's got 5.7 for his career. Jamie Moyer, the only player I checked, has 5.4 for his major league career. All he needs to do to be successful in the majors is develop an off-speed pitch to get lefties out.

[TakebackOPACY]

He's got 5.7 for his career. Jamie Moyer, the only player I checked, has 5.4 for his major league career. All he needs to do to be successful in the majors is develop an off-speed pitch to get lefties out.

Moyer struck out 6.12 batters /9ip against 'AA' competition (150 innings), and 6.89 against all minor league competition. For him, that projected to a long career at 5.4 K/9ip against MLB competition.

Bergesen has struck out 4.38 /9ip against 'AA' competition, and 5.71 for his minor league career.

Now, what I said was, "either Bergesen will improve his ability to strike out batters, or he will not be successful." Moyer only struck out 4.75 /9ip in his first 96.2 'AA' innings. The next year, he improved on that tremendously.