LOOK: Amazing Underwater Photos Of Dogs
Best In Show Winner Declared
Wondering which young players could have an impact in the majors this year? Let MLB FanHouse guide the way in Better Know a Prospect. In this edition we look at three players from the Arizona Diamondbacks, who have already promoted many of their best young players to the majors.Max Scherzer, SP: Technically speaking, Scherzer's not a prospect because he threw 56 innings for the Diamondbacks in 2008. Given the current state of Arizona's system, however, he's worth mentioning as a guy to watch in his first full season in the big leagues. Scherzer more than held his own last summer, striking out 66 in 56 innings, posting a 3.05 ERA and retiring a major league record 13 straight batters as a reliever in his debut performance. If his breaking pitches develop, Scherzer could team with Brandon Webb and Dan Haren to give the Diamondbacks one of the best rotations in all of baseball.
Cesar Valdez, SP: Signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2005, Valdez is 23 and blessed with the kind of off-speed stuff that can make life very difficult for opposing hitters, especially at the minor league level. He's struck out 327 batters in 405 minor league innings, although that rate figures to drop as he begins facing better hitters without a dominant fastball. That means he'll either wind up at the back of the rotation or pitching out of the bullpen, and Arizona could use him in either role if a need develops in 2009.
Gerardo Parra, OF: Parra's a fast rising Venezualan and the best position player in the Arizona system. He won the Midwest League batting title in 2007 and posted a .760 OPS as a 21-year-old in Double-A last season. He draws walks, runs well and has a great arm, but still needs to develop power if he's going to make it as an everyday corner outfielder. Parra will probably return to Double-A to start the season, but should reach Triple-A and could get all the way to the show if there's an injury or if GM Josh Byrnes is able to dump Eric Byrnes' contract on someone else.
For comprehensive coverage of the minor leagues, visit John Sickels at Minor League Ball and Baseball America. For minor league statistics, visit Baseball-Reference and Minor League Splits.
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