A great read on prospect development

[OrioleMagic]

http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.c...6003/index.htm

Even more impressive is that Arizona is producing those numbers while fielding a roster that for the most part barely remembers Ronald Reagan's presidency. Six of the team's eight every-day position players were born after 1980, and three of the five starters—including Dan Haren, 27, who went 4--1 with a 3.12 ERA in his first month in Arizona after being acquired from Oakland over the winter—are children of the '80s. That youth is partly a financial necessity. It is also partly the result of an outstanding scouting department and farm system, and a willingness to fast-track its most promising assets.

While other clubs often wait until the success of their prospects seems a sure thing before they'll promote them to the majors, the Diamondbacks have no qualms about throwing theirs into the big league waters at the first sign of readiness, even if the players might struggle at first. "We're not afraid to push," says Melvin, "as long as we feel that the player can handle some failure."

In 2005 the club promoted first baseman Conor Jackson, at the age of 23; in '06 shortstop Stephen Drew and centerfielder Chris Young were called up at 23 and 22, respectively; and, last season, third baseman Mark Reynolds, who was then 22, and rightfielder Justin Upton, who was 19, got the call. While all of those players played prominent roles in the Diamondbacks' 90--72 record and improbable run to the '07 National League Championship Series, statisticians pointed to the team's negative run differential—they scored 712 runs and allowed 732—and theorized that Arizona's success owed largely to luck.

Melvin and Byrnes thought otherwise. "Last year the criticism of us was: They don't score enough runs," says Melvin. "Are they going to score enough runs this year? Do they need to go out and get a big bat? We thought each one of our guys was going to get incrementally better, as young as they are and as high ceilings as they have."
Young believes that the experience he got last year was invaluable. "I think you learn more in one year in the big leagues than you do in four years in the minor leagues," he says. "In the minors, you look at the big leagues and think, Those guys are superhuman. When you get here for a year, by no means is it easy, but you understand that you have the ability to compete, and you learn what adjustments you have to make."

This season the members of the Diamondbacks' youthful offensive nucleus are playing with a maturity that belies their years. The leadoff-hitting Young, who slugged 32 homers and stole 27 bases but had an atrocious .295 on-base percentage in '07, has demonstrated a dramatically improved batting eye: He's on pace to draw 100 walks, after totalling 43 last season. Jackson and Reynolds both rank in the top seven in the league in RBIs. Drew is on pace to hit 47 doubles. And Upton, who was the draft's first overall pick three years ago and at 20 is the youngest player in the majors, is hitting .342. "A lot of them are off to hot starts," says leftfielder Eric Byrnes, "but I don't think this is an aberration. I think this is the type of team that we are."

It seems GMs have different opinions on pushing prospects. Some can probably list many prospects that came up early only to crash and burn, or never develop. It sure seems AZ has found some magic potion.

[Doro]

I agree. Especially with hitters. Hitting is mostly reaction time, you have it or you don't. Just a few years in the minors should be enough to fix mechanical flaws and to learn philosophies of hitting. I do believe pitchers should be brought along a little slower. Many pitchers have gotten by with just their "stuff" all through high school, college, and early minors. Its important for them to learn to pitch ahead, hit your spots, and develope that extra pitch (most of the time a chang-up) because all major league hitters can hit a 95mph fastball if they know thats all thats comming.