Potomac 1B Chris Marrero was #2 on Baseball America’s weekly Prospect Hot Sheet.
From BA …
Team: high Class A Potomac (Carolina)
Age: 21
Why He’s Here: .500/.552/.808 (12-for-26), 2 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBIs, 5 R, 2 BB, 5 SO
The Scoop: Marrero’s season ended early last year after he broke his leg in a collision at home plate. That’s the biggest reason why he’s repeating the Carolina League this season. Always known for his power, Marrero was starting to put it all together after a disappointing 2008, when he batted .250/.325/.453 in 70 games. Washington noticed that Marrero was standing too far from the plate and had a tendency to step in the bucket last year. He’s made strides in correcting those flaws, and he was reaping the benefits in July by batting .388/.458/.673 with three home runs. Marrero recently turned 21 and may be in line for a second-half promotion to Double-A Harrisburg.
#1 by Marcus - July 17th, 2009 at 15:11
Thas two weeks in a room we’ve put a player on the list…first time Marero made it in awhile
#2 by Dick - July 17th, 2009 at 15:27
Interesting juxtaposition that Marrero is #2 and Cardenas, his old HS teammate, is #3.
#3 by Sec 204 Row H Seat 7 - July 17th, 2009 at 15:32
It would be good to to Marrero get some ABs at Harrisburg, particularly is N. Johnson is traded. Some time at Harrisburg this year, a good spring training next, who knows?
#4 by Mark - July 17th, 2009 at 15:59
Marrero is one of those guys who seems to meet his expectation after some time on the job. I get the sense that it will take some time with him to see the bigs (I don’t see him there regularly until 2012), but once he’s there for a while, he’ll be an everyday starter with power. But again, he needs a lot of time IMO before that happens.
#5 by Ted Leavengood - July 17th, 2009 at 16:00
How is the glove coming along at 1B. He may field the position better than Adam Dunn, but the scouting reports have never given him very high marks for his defense, regardless where he played. Since Dunn is signed for next season, he is more likely the first baseman for at least the first half of next season. That would give Marrero time to work his way through the system in 2010.
#6 by Andrew Stebbins - July 17th, 2009 at 17:18
I’m afraid good pitching will eat him alive…but I hope not.
#7 by dd - July 17th, 2009 at 18:12
As Mark pointed out, Marrero still has lots of learning to do.
#8 by BinM - July 17th, 2009 at 18:20
Ted: Marrero has 11 errors in 70+ games in the field (84 total). His glove doesn’t make the same loud clanking sound as Dunn’s does when he drops it on the bench, but he could use some more work.
#9 by Steven J. Berke - July 17th, 2009 at 18:48
Should remind us all not to give up on a prospect who doesn’t rocket through the minors a la Zimmerman and Zimmermann. Same thing with Ian Desmond, who may yet be a third Nat organization player on the BA Hot Sheet.
#10 by Sue Dinem - July 18th, 2009 at 08:01
BinM, Ted — Marrero catches what he gets to but his decisionmaking is still suspect, as he looks like schoolboy on the high hops to his right and on bunts. With less than 200 games there, the cure is simply as much playing time there as possible.
At the plate, Chris has begun to drive the ball to RF after weeks of pulling everything. He’s starting to lay off the high-hard-and-away stuff, much the way Burgess has finally begun to stop flailing at the low-soft-and-away stuff.
#11 by Ted Leavengood - July 18th, 2009 at 11:25
Thanks for the feedback, Sue. A lot of great players taught themselves to play first base with repetition and hard work, but Marrero is not left-handed and frankly I cannot believe he thinks his glove work will get him the big paydays. Will he do the hard work to become a better defensive player?? Can Burgess teach himself just a modicum of discipline at the plate? Time will tell.
I am not drinking the kool aid again, though. Still, I cannot help but hope that Marrero and Burgess are still capable of sitting atop the BA Prospect List for 2010 along with D Norris and have it really mean something. But if you put Desmond in the same grouping, there is not a one of them that is really strong defensively.
#12 by Rich - July 18th, 2009 at 20:43
So who are the Nats going to bring up? If Martis pitched yesterday and Balester today. Who pitches Monday? JD Martin? Who comes off the 40 man? I don’t think they’ll pull D. Young off the 40 man because they might bring him up when they drop Nick Johnson. Any thoughts?
#13 by Rich - July 18th, 2009 at 20:43
I mean for Olsen’s start on Monday. Sorry if I wasn’t clear.
#14 by natteringnabob - July 18th, 2009 at 21:27
It could be Detwiler on Monday. That requires no 40-man roster move.
#15 by natteringnabob - July 18th, 2009 at 21:34
on second thought, does Ross D. have to be in the minor leagues for 10 days prior to a recall?
#16 by Andrew Stebbins - July 19th, 2009 at 00:41
Yes, except in the case of an injury. So…he could come up, plus, his day is Monday. But a source told Nationals.com that it’s probably Martin.
#17 by souldrummer - July 19th, 2009 at 04:48
I hope its Martin. He’s pitched well enough in the IL to deserve a shot, and you might as well see what you have there. Sad to see Martis getting shelled in AAA and Bally getting shelled today. On the flip side, Dukes is no AAAA player and I hope they either trade him or play him at the major league level sooner rather than later. Nice dinger today for Dukes.
#18 by Ted Leavengood - July 19th, 2009 at 13:23
Similar to JD Martin, Erik Arnesen has put together a really nice run this year. He looked a little too too old to be struggling at Potomac last season, but his numbers at Harrisburg are really solid this year. Is he doing something different?
#19 by souldrummer - July 19th, 2009 at 15:02
Martin is the guy. He’s earned it, and I hope he earns a demotion for Tavarez or some other knucklehead and can stay with the big club for the rest of the year.
#20 by Andrew Stebbins - July 19th, 2009 at 15:23
Storen to Potomac.
#21 by RD - July 19th, 2009 at 18:00
Anyone know what the deal with Hood is?
He missed two straight games, and they had a day off in between. He was just a pinch hitter in today’s game.
#22 by Andrew F. - July 19th, 2009 at 20:22
Hood started in LF today and had 4 AB.
#23 by Jeff E. - July 20th, 2009 at 01:52
Some hunch tells me that Chris would make a nice replacement for Konerko in CHISox in future. We need a LH bat @ 1b in NL. especially if nats get the NATURAL out of Vegas. good luck JD martin, who has earned his MLB debut for Nats.