David Mueller

I was under the impression that BA doesn't even put together these League Top 20 lists themselves, but they compile the lists based on input from the managers of the clubs in the league. It would be interesting to know. At any rate, I don't understand how ZB could be completely left off the list. I don't really think there is much doubt about his athleticism, and I'm not sure how managers that have watched him play could say that. My guess is that comment goes back to my earlier comment about how he was drafted in the 23rd round, therefore he can't be that athletic, and his insane numbers are more likely to be an aberration.

I just think the BA folks think "if player x was that good, he would have been drafted earlier, so he must not be that good" It's a stupid philosophy - even Trout was taken in the late 1st round, and now he's looking like he might be the greatest player any of us have ever seen. The scouts and teams are smart, but there are guys that surprise everybody. Zach just has to go on surprising them, and I'm pretty sure that he'll do it.

Yeah, it is pretty ridiculous that ZB didn't make the list. He's not even old for the league, just not particularly young for it. Supposedly, this list is voted on by the managers in the league. I am not sure about that, but at any rate, I don't pay much attention to these league lists any more because the team top 10's are a lot better indicator. Not sure how the best hitter in the league BY FAR misses the list, though. He's got a very quick bat; it's not like he's going to have trouble catching up to better fastballs.

I'm just checking in here after seeing Zach B. crush the ball in his final five games. What a way to finish the season! When I see Zach, it reminds me a lot of former Twin Jason Kubel, who I followed closely in the minors (I'm a Twins fan.) Kubel has ended up having a good career, but he had a major knee injury in the AFL in 2004 and I think that he would have been even better if not for that injury. He missed a full year, and I think he really only came back 90% from that injury. Kubel was a bit better at hitting for average, and Borenstein a bit more power, but they are pretty similar. Looking forward to seeing Zach prove his mettle vs. some top pitching prospects in the AFL this fall...

Ouch. It seems like he is just being an advocate for his brother. Granted, the digs at Cron weren't necessary, but IMO he does have some good points that Borenstein is being underrated. Ultimately, we will all find out as he moves up the chain.

I don't see how Nava can be compared to Borenstein in any way, other than that they are both lefties. Nava did not even play in a minor league system until he was 25, and at that age, at one of the ultimate hitting havens in the minor leagues, he OPS'ed over 100 points lower than what Borenstein is OPS'ing right now, in his age 22 season (though he just turned 23 now, towards the end of the year) Maybe you can compare them in the sense that neither of them are high draft picks with ridiculous tools. If I were to make a comparison, I'd say something like Jason Kubel, at least when he was on the Twins. He seems to have declined since going to Arizona, though, at least this year.

Hey, Toby. No need to get defensive. If your brother keeps hitting like he is, he'll force his way into the Angels plans. He's on an unholy tear right now, the likes of which I have rarely seen. Zach got drafted later, and there's always a desire of teams to be proven right on the guys they drafted early, so those guys do get preferential treatment to some extent, in EVERY organization. However, the main desire of any team is to win games, and anyone who can help them do that will be on the field. Now, I'm not sure why Zach is getting dinged for not hitting as well at home. I'd think that a 1000+ OPS at home is still pretty good? Even though he has 15 of his HR on the road, I guess it depends on exactly how he hit those HR, and maybe you have some insight into that. It is pretty clear that Zach has nothing more to prove in Inland Empire at this point with a 1300+ OPS over the last 20 games, so I can't blame you for wanting to see him in AA. Either way, it will be next year when we'll see what Zach's timetable is. It would be nice to see him in the Arizona Fall League too. One thing that it looks like he could work on a bit is his plate discipline. 26 walks is a bit low for someone with his crazy numbers...then again, I haven't been fortunate enough to see his games so maybe there is another reason for the low walk total. (This is my first post - I'm really a Twins fan, but Trout has become my favorite player, and I like some of the guys in the Angels system like Rondon, Yarbrough, and Borenstein especially. My Twins have a pretty great farm system too!)