Farm Futures — Live from Surprise (3/20)

I’m going to have to dedicate this edition of Farm Futures to our good friends at Lone Star Ball because their community-favorite prospect was The Man on the back 40 today.

All eyes were on 2008 first rounder Justin Smoak who manned first base for the Double-A Frisco roster in today’s game against the White Sox farmhands, but it was the Rangers fourth rounder from the 2006 draft who stole the show. That’s right LSBers, today it was all about Marcus Lemonwho led off the game with a no-doubt homer to right and added a frozen rope double to right-center in a 2-for-3 performance while getting time at both second base and shortstop as his father, the great Chet Lemon, looked on.

I’ve got a little more Lemon and a small harvest of equally delicious, nutritious notes from the morning workouts and afternoon Double-A and Triple-A games for you after the jump.

Lemon is small — certainly no better than his listed 5’11″, 173 lbs., and has never hit for much power but he gave a strong signal this afternoon that he’s got a lot more juice in his bat than most might have thought. Much like Elvis Andrus, Lemon also has a very mature, professional demeanor and enthusiasm for the game. He lacks the physical tools of guys like Andrus and Jose Vallejo, but the kid knows how to play. He figures to start the season with Frisco.

Every year I come down here and every year I see Jose Vallejo doing something exceptional every time I turn around. Vallejo had a major growth spurt before last season and this year he’s even bigger and stronger, but he’s just as fast and as quick as ever. He almost looks like he could be a tailback at Ohio State. The best defender in the system, Vallejo’s bat keeps making progress and given his increased size and strength, he may even add power to his arsenal this year. He drilled a triple and came up with the day’s Web Gem on a diving catch of a White Sox line drive in the Triple-A game.

Third baseman Johnny Whittleman is tearing the cover off the ball. All morning and all afternoon, he made the most consistent hard contact of anyone I saw in camp. I’ve predicted a breakout for Whittleman this season in Frisco and I’m standing on that prediction. I know that a lot of folks find my continuing support of Whittleman somewhat curious (and I’m looking squarely at you LSBers), but other than Justin Smoak, he probably has more potential to be an impact power bat than any other player in the Rangers minor league system.

Lefty Zach Phillips had a strong outing in the Frisco game, dealing two no-hit frames. After a 1-2-3 first (all ground ball outs), Phillips walked one in the second and then promptly induced yet another grounder to get a double play (Whittleman-to-Lemon-to-Smoak).

Phillips had one difficult at-bat where his lack of a strikeout pitch became evident as the White Sox hitter fouled off pitch after pitch (before finally grounding out). His fastball is hard to explain: he doesn’t have great velocity and he doesn’t have tremendous sink. But nobody hits him hard. His curveball — which can be an above-average pitch at times — was average at best today. He flashed one plus change. Phillips will see Frisco at some point this year and could break with them.

I’m going to recommend that you put this kid on your watch list. Nineteen year old outfielder Guillermo Pimentel is a thoroughbred with a good-sized, athletic body, plus speed and a plus arm. Physically, he’s a clear standout. Seeing time with both Domincan Summer League teams last year, Pimentel (no relation to pitcher Carlos) hit .311 / .395 / .415 for the DSL 1 club and had drew 13 walks while fanning just 16 times in 106 at-bats.

NOTABLE ABSENCE: I did not see catching prospect Cristian Santana in camp today and fear that he may be one of the five Dominican players caught up in this year’s age-gate.