AZZenny said:
His upside is higher than Chris Young's,
Not sure if this is exactly true. Young has been considered a major steal for the Diamondbacks from many writers both locally and nationally. Here's one, from Dayn Perry, who is a writer from FOXSPORTS.NET, who ranks him the third rated prospect, behind Delmon Young and Brandon Wood. Here is the blurb:
3. Chris Young, OF, Diamondbacks, 22
Acquired: 16th round, 2001, Bellaire H.S. (Bellaire, Texas) (by White Sox)
Young, who came to the Snakes in the Javier Vazquez trade this past off-season, is the most underrated prospect in the game. He doesn't get the attention he should mostly because he doesn't hit for high averages, and he strikes out a bit too much. But here's what he can do: hit for power, draw walks at a nice clip, run the bases extremely well and provide excellent defense in center. Last season, Young hit .277 AVG/.377 OBP/.545 SLG at pitcher-friendly AA-Birmingham despite skipping over the High-A level entirely. At present, Young is sidelined with a wrist injury, but expect him to take over in center in Arizona at some point in the second half. In terms of upside, Young could be a healthy Eric Davis. Yeah, he's that promising.
Something to look forward to, hopefully as soon as the All star break....
Other D-Backs on the List:
12. Justin Upton, SS, Diamondbacks, 18
Acquired: 1st round, 2005, Great Bridge HS (Chesapeake, VA)
Upton, the top overall pick last year, has yet to log a professional plate appearance, but his gifts are unassailable. He has it all — speed, power, ability to hit for average, command of the strike zone, instincts, intelligence, work ethic. Upton's only 18, but he'll move through the system very quickly. At short, he has a powerful arm and good range, but his hands need softening. The Snakes will have to determine whether he or Stephen Drew sticks at short. Either way, Upton's a future star. He's got the most complete collection of tools since Alex Rodriguez, and
he'll top this list next year.
23. Stephen Drew, SS, Diamondbacks, 23
Acquired: 1st round, 2004, Florida State
Drew has a broad array of tools, the most impressive of which is his ability to hit for average and power. He runs the bases well and is a capable defender at short. In the bigs, he'll likely flash more doubles power than homer power, but he profiles as a .300 hitter who commands the strike zone. Drew struggled badly in 2005 after a late-season promotion to AA-Tennessee, but you can expect him to get back on track this year. Drew could wind up in center if Justin Upton proves to be a better defensive shortstop.
34. Carlos Quentin, OF, Diamondbacks, 23
Acquired: 1st round, 2003, Stanford
Quentin hits to all fields, a solid eye at the plate, contact-hitting skills and good defense in right. At this point, his shortcoming is that his power numbers aren't that impressive in light of Arizona's wildly hitter-friendly system. Whether he's a future All-Star or merely an adequate regular will be determined by whether his power stroke translates to the majors.
48. Dustin Nippert, RHP, Diamondbacks, 24
Acquired: 15th round, 2002, West Virginia U.
Nippert's numbers last season don't all that impressive at first blush, but it was his rebound season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in mid 2004. When healthy, Nippert pounds the zone with a mid-90s fastball, hammer curve and passable changeup. Expect better numbers from him 2006 now that he's further removed from major surgery. Nippert will likely open the year at Triple-A Tucson, but don't be surprised if he's a part of the Arizona rotation for good by the All-Star break.
56. Conor Jackson, 1B, Diamondbacks, 23
Acquired: 1st round, 2003, Cal-Berkeley
Jackson's command of the strike zone and on-base skills are beyond reproach (69 walks vs. 32 strikeouts last season at AAA-Tucson, career minor league OBP of .423). However, if there's a reason for skepticism, it's in Jackson's raw power numbers. The D-Backs have a ridiculously hitter-friendly collection of minor league parks, and Jackson's power production in that context isn't so impressive. That's especially the case now that he's a first baseman. He'll get on base at the majors, but his power may be merely average for his position. Jackson will be a good player at the highest level, but not a great one.
66. Garret Mock, RHP, Diamondbacks, 22
Acquired: 3rd round, 2004. U. of Houston
Mock suffered a broken ankle during his junior season at Houston, which caused him to fall to the third round. But he's better than that. He sports a mid-90s fastball, plus a cutter and a pair of promising breaking pitches. Mock's shown good control thus far and solid strikeout rates, and his 4.18 ERA from last season isn't bad once you consider that High-A Lancaster is one of the best hitter's parks around. Expect a big year from him in 2006 in the Texas League. Long-term, he could wind up as a strong No. 2 starter in the bigs.
Also read this article, which explains why the Diamondbacks have by far the best farm system in the league. It's amazing what Rizzo has done, with others involved of course.
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/5418188