little tidbit in rotoworld today about EdE

[ghettochild]

Edwin Encarnacion - 3B Reds - With Joe Randa a leading candidate to be moved next month, Encarnacion’s major league debut may not be far away. A ninth-round pick of the Rangers in 2000, Encarnacion was acquired along with Ruben Mateo in a 2001 trade that sent Rob Bell to Texas. The native of Puerto Rico established himself as a quality prospect in 2002 and then had a disappointing 2003 after being jumped from the Midwest League to Double-A. Encarnacion ended that year in the Carolina League, which is where he belonged all along, and then made a smoother adjustment to Double-A last year, hitting .281/.352/.443 for Chattanooga. The 22-year-old is batting .295/.364/.498 with 10 HR, 41 RBI and 44/25 K/BB in 227 AB for Triple-A Louisville this season.

Although he’s never put up particularly strong numbers at any level, it’s easy to see why Encarnacion is viewed as one of the game’s top third-base prospects. Very good bat speed has allowed him to hit .280-.290 at each level despite being quite young for his leagues. That he’s averaged more than 30 doubles per year promised that more home runs were on the way, and he does have 10 this season. He’s displayed better strike-zone judgment each year, although he is striking out more this year than he did last season. Defensively, the talent is certainly there for him to be above average at the hot corner. He is error-prone now, but he’ll grow out of that.

Encarnacion may not be a major league All-Star, but he should hit .280 with 20+ homers per year. Mike Lowell would seem to be the best-case scenario. Most likely, he’ll be a similar but somewhat inferior player. It’d be a big surprise if the Reds didn’t open next year with him at third base, and there’s a pretty good chance that he’ll have the job for the final two months of this season. Since Encarnacion does like to steal on occasion -- he’s been successful six times this year and he has 53 steals since the start of 2002 -- he could be a $15 fantasy third baseman right away.

[missionhockey21]

Nice writeup on our boy Ed E, but I really do think he has all-star potential. It might take him a few seasons to put it together but considering his age and still somewhat raw tools, I can just see him improving a good deal over his first few seasons.