Friday, November 25, 2005
Betemit among Braves in winter ball
11/18/2005
Wilson Betemit made the most of his opportunity to prove himself during his rookie season in the big leagues. Now while spending the offseason in his native Dominican Republic, he's not resting on his laurels. Instead, the powerful switch-hitting infielder is seeing his stock rise even higher.
Betemit and fellow utility infielder Pete Orr headline the list of Braves prospects who are playing winter ball this offseason. While they're producing some impressive numbers, top prospect Andy Marte is struggling and giving more reason to believe he might not be ready for the Majors.
There are various reasons players choose to play in the Dominican, Venezuela, Puerto Rico or Mexico during the offseason. Veterans like Rafael Furcal and Julio Franco enjoy keeping themselves sharp while playing in front of friends and family members in the Dominican.
Younger players like Betemit and Orr simply need to get the regular playing time that they didn't receive while spending most of this past season as backups in Atlanta. Minor Leaguers like Onil Joseph are getting the opportunity to hone their skills against high-caliber talent.
Furcal and Franco haven't yet played a game this winter. But here's a look at how some of the other members of the Braves organization are faring in winter ball this year.
Betemit: When Chipper Jones was on the disabled list for six weeks this past season, Betemit provided sound defense at third base and proved his offensive skills were strong enough for him to be an everyday player. His production quieted the critics who began doubting the top prospect when he struggled at Triple-A Richmond from 2002-2004.
Betemit is currently playing for Escogido in the Dominican League. Through 17 games, he was hitting .328 (21-for-64) with five homers, 12 RBIs, a .427 on-base percentage and a .625 slugging percentage.
This, combined with the .305 batting average he produced in Atlanta this past season, shows he certainly has the ability to be a regular in the big leagues. If the Braves aren't able to keep Furcal from exiting via free agency, Betemit could possibly replace him as the club's starting shortstop.
Orr: Very few Braves fans knew much about Orr two years ago. But since taking advantage of regular opportunities at Richmond in 2004, the hard-working Canadian has established himself as a big leaguer. While serving as a utility infielder in Atlanta this past season, he hit .300 (45-for-150), was successful in seven of eight stolen base attempts and proved sound defensively.
Through his first 20 games with Zulia in the Venezuelan League this winter, Orr was hitting .365 and had a .427 on-base percentage. He should once again prove to be a valuable backup in Atlanta during the 2006 season.
Marte: Through his first 19 games with Azucareros in the Dominican League, Marte was hitting just .232 (16-for-69) with two homers and six RBIs. This may be a sign that he could use another year of seasoning at Richmond, where he hit .275 with 20 homers in 2005.
Marte's struggles during his first few weeks of winter ball aren't the only indication the Braves might not be ready to promote the top prospect. He also hit just .140 (8-for-57) in limited opportunities with Atlanta this past season. His production hasn't been enough for them to make room for him by moving Chipper Jones to another position.
Tony Pena Jr.: Pena, who hit just .249 as Richmond's shortstop this year, was hitting .246 (14-for-57) through his first 16 games with Aguillas in the Dominican League.
Brayan Pena: Pena, who spent some time as one of Atlanta's backup catchers this past season, was hitting .246 (15-for-61) through his first 16 games with Gigantes in the Dominican League.
Joseph: The speedy outfielder, who hit .249 at Double-A Mississippi this past season, had one hit in just three at-bats through his first nine games with Gigantes.
The Braves Minor League outfielder who has had the most productive winter has been Gregor Blanco, who was hitting .333 (5-for-15) through his first eight games with La Guaira in the Venezuelan League.
Source: http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/
Wilson Betemit made the most of his opportunity to prove himself during his rookie season in the big leagues. Now while spending the offseason in his native Dominican Republic, he's not resting on his laurels. Instead, the powerful switch-hitting infielder is seeing his stock rise even higher.
Betemit and fellow utility infielder Pete Orr headline the list of Braves prospects who are playing winter ball this offseason. While they're producing some impressive numbers, top prospect Andy Marte is struggling and giving more reason to believe he might not be ready for the Majors.
There are various reasons players choose to play in the Dominican, Venezuela, Puerto Rico or Mexico during the offseason. Veterans like Rafael Furcal and Julio Franco enjoy keeping themselves sharp while playing in front of friends and family members in the Dominican.
Younger players like Betemit and Orr simply need to get the regular playing time that they didn't receive while spending most of this past season as backups in Atlanta. Minor Leaguers like Onil Joseph are getting the opportunity to hone their skills against high-caliber talent.
Furcal and Franco haven't yet played a game this winter. But here's a look at how some of the other members of the Braves organization are faring in winter ball this year.
Betemit: When Chipper Jones was on the disabled list for six weeks this past season, Betemit provided sound defense at third base and proved his offensive skills were strong enough for him to be an everyday player. His production quieted the critics who began doubting the top prospect when he struggled at Triple-A Richmond from 2002-2004.
Betemit is currently playing for Escogido in the Dominican League. Through 17 games, he was hitting .328 (21-for-64) with five homers, 12 RBIs, a .427 on-base percentage and a .625 slugging percentage.
This, combined with the .305 batting average he produced in Atlanta this past season, shows he certainly has the ability to be a regular in the big leagues. If the Braves aren't able to keep Furcal from exiting via free agency, Betemit could possibly replace him as the club's starting shortstop.
Orr: Very few Braves fans knew much about Orr two years ago. But since taking advantage of regular opportunities at Richmond in 2004, the hard-working Canadian has established himself as a big leaguer. While serving as a utility infielder in Atlanta this past season, he hit .300 (45-for-150), was successful in seven of eight stolen base attempts and proved sound defensively.
Through his first 20 games with Zulia in the Venezuelan League this winter, Orr was hitting .365 and had a .427 on-base percentage. He should once again prove to be a valuable backup in Atlanta during the 2006 season.
Marte: Through his first 19 games with Azucareros in the Dominican League, Marte was hitting just .232 (16-for-69) with two homers and six RBIs. This may be a sign that he could use another year of seasoning at Richmond, where he hit .275 with 20 homers in 2005.
Marte's struggles during his first few weeks of winter ball aren't the only indication the Braves might not be ready to promote the top prospect. He also hit just .140 (8-for-57) in limited opportunities with Atlanta this past season. His production hasn't been enough for them to make room for him by moving Chipper Jones to another position.
Tony Pena Jr.: Pena, who hit just .249 as Richmond's shortstop this year, was hitting .246 (14-for-57) through his first 16 games with Aguillas in the Dominican League.
Brayan Pena: Pena, who spent some time as one of Atlanta's backup catchers this past season, was hitting .246 (15-for-61) through his first 16 games with Gigantes in the Dominican League.
Joseph: The speedy outfielder, who hit .249 at Double-A Mississippi this past season, had one hit in just three at-bats through his first nine games with Gigantes.
The Braves Minor League outfielder who has had the most productive winter has been Gregor Blanco, who was hitting .333 (5-for-15) through his first eight games with La Guaira in the Venezuelan League.
Source: http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/
