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Prospect valuation

There's an excellent article at BP about prospect valuation posted here:

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=4750

Here's the thesis:

Michael Bourn is a center fielder who played in the Eastern League last year. BA offers the following scouting report:

Bourn offers the quickness, aptitude and offensive approach required of a leadoff hitter. He's the system's best defensive outfielder and also has an above-average arm.

Here too, PECOTA largely agrees with BA's assessment. Bourn's speed scores are off the charts, and he rated as a +9 in center field last year. It doesn't think Bourn's a sure thing--his strikeout rates are high for a player with his profile, and he almost certainly won't develop home run power. But it gives him about a 25% chance of getting up to an EqA in the .265/.270 range, heavy on the OBP side and coupled with good baserunning, which would in fact make him an adequate leadoff hitter.
But how does Bourn rate compared to Shane Victorino, the International League MVP who will inherit the fourth outfielder's job in Philly next year? PECOTA would seem to have reasonable enough expectations for Victorino. It thinks he was playing a little bit over his head at Scranton last year, where he put up a .282 EqA, and pegs his 2006 at an EqA of .266 with plus defense in center field. It doesn't expect Victorino to get any better from here on out, nor does it see much in the way of star potential--his 90th percentile forecast only gets him up to a .289 EqA.

So we have:

A 23-year-old center fielder who has little star potential, but about a 25% chance of developing into a solid regular.
A 25-year-old center fielder who has little star potential, but who could be a solid regular right now.

Which of these players is the more valuable commodity? The answer to that seems obvious enough, and PECOTA's various long-term valuation metrics say that Victorino is perhaps two or three times more valuable than Bourn. But BA has Bourn ranked as the #3 player in the Phillies system, whereas Victorino doesn't crack in their Top 10 (in one of the weakest systems in baseball).

The A's farm system is frequently described as barren after the advancement of so many young players over the last few years, but I'm wondering if that is really an apt evaluation. Although the A's lack any high-ceiling prospects, it does seem like that have more than a few who promise to be regular contributors that the ML level. Dan Johnson may not be a Jason Giambi, but he's highly likely to give us 5 years of very solid production for league minimum.

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What did BA rank us when...
we had Joe Blanton, Dan Johnson, Nick Swisher, and Huston Street as "prospects" ?

I think BA likes the big sexy names, the Boris Clients.

by Instant Replay Umpire on Feb 8, 2006 9:11 AM PST reply actions  

None of those guys are prospects anymore
We were 26th and deserved that ranking. Of course things could change if our young players progress. Luckly this year no one will advance to majors which will make the system stronger.
Why don't they just lick their fingers? -- http://oaklandprospects.blogspot.com/

by novaoakland on Feb 8, 2006 9:35 AM PST up reply actions  

Boris Client?
Who signed him? I thought he was holding out for a signing bonus of one million dollars and tank of sharks with lasers.
"Yay for drug adventures!" -- HollywoodOz @('.')@

by monkeyball on Feb 8, 2006 9:40 AM PST up reply actions  

26
Why don't they just lick their fingers? -- http://oaklandprospects.blogspot.com/

by novaoakland on Feb 8, 2006 11:45 AM PST up reply actions  

That's this year
I think he was talking about last year.

by Danny on Feb 8, 2006 11:51 AM PST up reply actions  

Thanx...
I still remember when they ranked the Angels better than us that year.  Good thing we showed them! =)

by Instant Replay Umpire on Feb 8, 2006 2:53 PM PST up reply actions  

WARP
I really wish they would use VORP instead of WARP for these.  Defense matters, of course, but I have just about zero faith in BPro's defensive metrics--much less their ability to measure defense from catchers (which is notoriously hard) in the minor leagues.  

by Danny on Feb 8, 2006 9:52 AM PST reply actions  

I would also
like to see valuation based on absolute and not position-adjusted production.  Both are valuable to see, of course, but baselining everything to position makes it difficult to tweak rosters by moving Crisp to CF, for instance.
Copernicus felt the same way about the geocentric crew.

by salb918 on Feb 8, 2006 10:22 AM PST up reply actions  

It would be interesting
To research how long it usually takes to build a good farm system. It seems like a few good (and lucky drafts / trades could turn it around rather quickly.

I'd bet that these internet prospect sites don't have the detailed information about prospects and get somewhat caught up in the hype like all other media outlets.

With the team set as it is it looks like we will need:

Catcher in two years (if we don't keep Kendall)
1B/DH Locked up with DJ and Barton
2B 3 / 4 years (depending on if we pick up Ellis' option)
SS 4 years (3 more Crosby)
3B 4 years
LF Swish
CF 3 years (2 more Kotsay)
RF 1 year (Bradley for 1 year only?)

We will need one SP (cmon Meyer) after this year but only for a 5th starter which has been filled easily in the past.

By the time we need replacements our farm system will look entirely different than it does now.

"If you throw at someone's head, it's very dangerous, because in the head is the brain." -- Pudge Rodriguez

by niallmack on Feb 8, 2006 11:11 AM PST reply actions  

Excellent perspective
Great insight niallmack. I have not seen our farm system evaluated in this way. Good job.

by conniemack on Feb 8, 2006 5:16 PM PST reply actions  

Just wait...
...until you see this site freak out when the section with Barton comes out.  Unless I'm just overly tired, his number comes out to 239.4...making him far from an elite prospect.

Of course he is KILLED by their defensive metrics...

by chri5 on Feb 8, 2006 7:43 PM PST reply actions  

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