Top 20 in the MWL — October 1, 2014

Keep your eyes on this link to Baseball America. They should be announcing the Top 20 Prospects in the Midwest League soon. Since the team has a subscription to the print magazine, I can see the list before it’s on the web…which is so….odd.

Only one Timber Rattler made the list:

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Clint Coulter #7 on BA list. Photo Credit: Ann Mollica[/caption]

#7 Clint Coulter. The partial scouting report from the magazine.

While Coulter does have a great batting-eye, his swing isn’t picture-perfect, as it involves a large load and a powerful cut that makes it hard to always control the barrel. That leads to swings and misses on pitches in the zone, but when he does connect, Coulter drives the ball.

Peoria pitcher Alex Reyes was #1 in the MWL. The full list and capsules on each of the players on the list should be at the link later.

I would have thought that Taylor Williams might have made the list, but it’s tough in a 16-team league.

In last night’s AL Wild Card game, the Kansas City Royals defeated the Oakland Athletics 9–8 in 12 innings. Former Timber Rattler Lorenzo Cain drove in a pair of runs last night, including the first run of Kansas City’s comeback in the eighth inning:
[mlbvideo id=”36714473" width=”400" height=”224" /]

Today is the first day of the season review of Timber Rattlers in MLB during the 2014 season. Here’s a quick look at the former Rattlers….and one former Fox who spent time in the AL West this year:

Angels:
Raul Ibanez (‘94): 57 games, .157/.258/.265, 3HR, 21RBI
[mlbvideo id=”32044489" width=”400" height=”224" /]
That was hit number 2,000 for Ibanez in his MLB career.

Mariners:
Michael Saunders (‘06): 78 games, .273/.341/.450, 8HR, 34RBI
[mlbvideo id=”34180345" width=”400" height=”224" /]

Rangers:
Shin-Soo Choo (’01, ‘02): 123 games, .242/.340/.374, 13HR, 40RBI
One of his hits this season was #1,000 in his career:
[mlbvideo id=”35230533" width=”400" height=”224" /]

Rangers:
Nate Adcock (’07, ‘08): 7 games, 0–0, 4.50ERA, 10.0IP, 5BB, 9K

Rangers:
Ryan Feierabend (‘02): 6 games, 0–0, 6.14ERA, 7.1IP, 2BB, 4K
[mlbvideo id=”34624037" width=”400" height=”224" /]

Athletics:
Eric O’Flaherty (’04, ‘05): 21 games, 1–0, 1 save, 2.25ERA, 20IP, 4BB, 15K
The save was the first of his MLB career.
[mlbvideo id=”35731163" width=”400" height=”224" /]

Mariners:
Felix Hernandez (‘03): 34 games, 34 starts, 15–6, 2.14ERA, 236IP, 46BB, 248K.

Take a bow, King Felix!
[mlbvideo id=”36704349" width=”400" height=”224" /]

Alumni Birthdays:
Erik Komatsu (’09) — 27
Tom Johnson (’87) — 49

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Erik Komatsu as a Timber Rattler in 2009. Photo Credit: Wm. Glasheen[/caption]