By J.J. Cooper/Baseball America
For the eighth year, Baseball America is ranking the top unsigned players in the independent leagues.听Several American Association players are among the list of top players:
1. K.C. Serna (pictured), ss, Amarillo (American Assoc.)
Born:听Oct. 15, 1989.听B-T:听搁-搁.听Ht.:听6-0.听Wt.:听185.
True shortstops don鈥檛 end up in indy ball. A shortstop in the independent leagues is usually a second baseman or third baseman in affiliated ball at best, because major league organizations simply don鈥檛 release legitimate defenders at short.
Serna is the exception, but with good reason. A three-year starter at Oregon, Serna鈥檚 junior year was clouded by a suspension for violating team rules. He fell in the 2011 draft, getting picked by the Indians in the 42nd round. They released him in the spring of 2012 because of makeup issues. Serna bounced around to the Freedom League before landing in Amarillo this spring.
Amarillo manager Bobby Brown told Serna that he was joining the club with two strikes against him because of his previous problems. Brown said he鈥檚 now convinced that the shortstop has matured.
鈥淚 tell everyone I鈥檓 not standing at the table, I鈥檓 standing on top of the table for this kid. He doesn鈥檛 drink, doesn鈥檛 smoke. He gave me no problems. He鈥檚 been a model citizen,鈥� Brown said.
Serna hit over .300 while playing the best defense in the league.
鈥淗is range, arm strength and instincts are second to none,鈥� Brown said.
5. Nathan Kilcrease, rhp, Fargo-Moorhead (American Assoc.)
Born:听Aug. 17, 1989.听B-T:听搁-搁.听Ht.:听5-6.听Wt.:听170.
If Kilcrease were 6-foot-1 instead of 5-foot-6, it鈥檚 likely that he would have never ended up in independent ball. Kilcrease was released twice despite never really getting roughed up in two affiliated seasons. Released by the A鈥檚 during a season where he was posting a 1.46 ERA, Kilcrease was picked up, then released by the Pirates after going 0-2, 1.22 with low Class A West Virginia. He was then released by Wichita coming out of spring training this year.
The short righthander who goes by the nickname Peanut responded by posting 4-2, 1.67 numbers with Fargo-Moorhead while striking out a batter an inning. Kilcrease has a 90-92 mph fastball and an excellent breaking ball.
听8. C.J. Ziegler, 1b, Wichita (American Association)
Born:听Nov. 27, 1985.听B-T:听搁-搁.听Ht.:听6-5.听Wt.:听245.
A few years ago, Ziegler wouldn鈥檛 have qualified for this list because he鈥檒l play next season as a 28-year-old. But Chris Colabello鈥檚 quick jump from Independent Leagues Player of the Year in 2011 to the big leagues after signing his first affiliated deal as a 28-year-old is a reminder that even some older hitters can be worthy of a look.
Ziegler was drafted by the Giants in the 16th round of the 2008 draft and made it to high Class A in 2009 before being released. He survived being part of the disastrous North American League team in Lake County that folded, and found his line-drive stroke along the way. Since 2011, he鈥檚 belted 74 home runs in three seasons while hitting for average (.297 as an indy leaguer) with fewer strikeouts than you would expect from a slugger (18 percent of plate appearances this year).
鈥淗is pitch recognition is now outstanding,鈥� Gary manager Greg Tagert said. 鈥淗e picks his spots to be aggressive, he works his counts. When I first saw him, with that big swing you wonder if he can catch up to a plus fastball. Over the past few years we鈥檝e tried to beat him with it and he鈥檒l hit that fastball out to center field or right field.鈥�
9. Junior Guerra, rhp, Wichita (American Association)
Born:听Jan. 15, 1985.听B-T:听R-R.听Ht.:听5-11.听Wt.:听215.
A former catcher in the Braves system who moved to the mound because of his excellent arm, Guerra made it to high Class A with the Mets, but was released in 2009 after he was suspended 50 games after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs.
Guerra spent the next two years pitching in Italy before coming back to the States in 2011. He was Wichita鈥檚 ace this year while showing some of the best stuff of any independent league starter.
鈥淗e鈥檚 got the best stuff in the league hands down,鈥� Wichita manager Kevin Hooper said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 flat out electric.鈥�
Guerra鈥檚 fastball sat 92-95 mph, touching 97, and he showed he could maintain that velocity even when he pitched on short rest, as he did in the playoffs. When he gets ahead of hitters, he turns to a split-finger fastball to put them away. He also throws a biting slider, although he sometimes struggles to stay on top of it, and an improved changeup he tweaked this year.
Guerra鈥檚 age and previous suspension works against him, but his kind of stuff could get him another shot at affiliated ball either as a starter or a power reliever.
10. Lucas Irvine, rhp, Kansas City (American Assoc.)
Born:听Dec. 1, 1988.听B-T:听R:R.听Ht.:听6-1.听Wt.:听200.
A 27th-round pick of the Rays in 2011 who was released after 16 appearances with Rookie-level Princeton that year, Irvine has put in two years of solid work as a starter in the independent leagues. He went 6-5, 2.96 with 94 strikeouts and 21 walks allowed in 122 innings this year.
Irvine works with a 90-93 mph fastball, a solid breaking ball and a good changeup. Manager after manager raved about his ability to use all three pitches, his composure on the mound, his ability to limit the running game, field his position, hit his spots and generally keep hitters off balance.
Best Of The Rest
| 11. Brian Ernst, rhp, Fargo-Moorhead (American Assoc.). | Short RHP with good velocity (91-93) and changeup |
| 14. Joe Weik, of/1b, Amarillo (American Assoc.). | Can really hit, but lack of plus power or speed hinders him as corner bat |
| 15. Patrick Mincey, rhp, Grand Prairie (American Assoc.). | Dominated indy ball with deceptive 87-89 mph fastball, breaking ball |
| 16. Eric Draxton, rhp, Amarillo (American Assoc.). | Dominant velocity (94-95) for successful closer |
| 22. Joe Harris, lhp, Fargo-Moorhead (American Assoc.). | Deceptive 88-90 lhp lefty with good changeup |
| 听23. Taylor Stanton, rhp, Fargo-Moorhead (American Assoc.). | 听Sinker, slider, changeup righty with good deception |
| 听24. Marshall Schuler, rhp, El Paso | 听Stuff took a step back this year, but still has solid velocity |
For Baseball America’s complete list of independent baseball’s top prospects, .
