by Jason Martinez
This is the first edition of the weekly 'Knocking Down the Door' feature for the 2010 season. Obviously, I can't base this on recent performance as I will do once we are further into spring training and during the regular season but I'll factor in potential, opportunity, and '09 performance. The list consists of young players who are currently not projected to make the opening day roster and not only knocking on the door to the big leagues, but 'Knocking Down the Door'. Position players are up first. The pitchers will be coming soon.
American League
- Chris Carter, 1B (OAK): The A's don't have much pop in the middle of the lineup. The 23 year-old Carter is one of the premier power hitters (28 HR, 43 2B, 115 RBI in 544 AB's between AA and AAA) in the minor leagues. Daric Barton, the projected starter at first base, has been a disappointment as a big leaguer but earned one more chance to be the A's first baseman after a strong finish to the '09 season (.820 OPS in 2nd half).
- Desmond Jennings, OF (TB): Carl Crawford and B.J. Upton are entrenched in LF and CF for 2010 while right field appears to be a platoon situation with Matt Joyce (.879 OPS in AAA vs RHP's) and Gabe Kapler (.931 OPS vs LHP). The Rays also have the option of playing 2B Ben Zobrist in the outfield if the Joyce-Kapler combo doesn't produce. So how does a potential five-tool star like Jennings knock down the door to the big leagues? A more likely scenario would be to use the Joyce-Kapler platoon at DH over Pat Burrell, who had his worst big league season in '09 (.672 OPS), and insert the 23 year-old rookie as the everyday right fielder. The Rays have one of the more talented lineups in the AL but aren't quite at the level of the Red Sox or Yankees. So it makes sense to look for a way to get Jennings, who hit .318 with 11 HR's and 52 SB's between AA and AAA in '09, into the starting lineup as soon as possible.
- Carlos Santana, C (CLE): It appears that Lou Marson, acquired from the Phillies in the Cliff Lee deal last season, will get the first crack at the starting catcher job. However, there is no question that he would just be keeping the position warm until top prospect Carlos Santana takes over. The 23 year-old switch-hitter, who has extraordinary strike-zone discipline (90 BB's, 83 K's in '09) and above-average defensive skills, posted a .943 OPS with Double-A Akron in '09. While the presence of Marson and veteran Mike Redmond will allow Santana to start the season in AAA, he could find himself in the middle of the Indians' youth movement rather early in the 2010 season.
- Jason Castro, C (HOU): The 22 year-old catcher has just 1.5 years of minor league experience and only 239 AB's in AA but he has a legitimate shot to break camp as Houston's starting catcher. While it is more likely that J.R. Towles and Humberto Quintero will handle the catching duties to start the season, the Astros might have a quick hook with Towles, who has hit just .149 (29-for-194) in the big leagues the past two seasons. Towles better convince the club that he's a better hitter than that in spring training or there's a good chance that they insert Castro, who posted an .826 OPS last season between HiA and AA, into the starting lineup on opening day.
- Jason Heyward, OF (ATL): Last season, everyone was talking about baseball's top prospect Matt Wieters and when he would arrive in the big leagues. This season, all eyes are on the 20 year-old Heyward, baseball's newly-anointed 'top prospect in baseball' for 2010. Wieters made his major league debut with the non-contending Orioles in late May at age 22. Heyward won't turn 21 until August and will likely be joining a contending team in what could be a tight NL East race. Matt Diaz is currently penciled in as the team's starting right fielder and coming off of his third .300+ season in the last four years but it doesn't matter. Heyward is an immensely talented hitter that can add some pop to the middle of a lineup that is definitely lacking in the power department.
- Logan Morrison, 1B (FLA): While Morrison is overshadowed by top prospect Mike Stanton, who will inherit the title of top prospect in baseball once Heyward and Stephen Strasburg graduate to the big leagues, the 22 year-old is not that far behind. Despite having just 278 AB's at the Double-A level (.277 BA, 8 HR, 47 RBI, 63 BB), Morrison will be competing with right-handed hitting Gaby Sanchez (.849 OPS in 318 AB's for Triple-A New Orleans) for the starting first base job with the Marlins this spring. While the 26 year-old Sanchez is the favorite, the Marlins already have a lineup dominated by right-handed hitters (Hanley Ramirez, Jorge Cantu, Dan Uggla, Cody Ross, Cameron Maybin) and could benefit from having a left-handed power hitter like Morrison to balance the middle of the order.
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