Anyone think this kid could have a chance to crack the big league roster within a few years? He was taken in the second round by the braves and once believed to be the follow up to Chipper Jones. Attitude problems left him with out a job but this year he seems to have his head on straight and the numbers aren't lying. 3rd base is a thin spot in the minor league system. I would like to see the kid get a look.
I've been thinking about this too ... but he better get out of A ball and prove he can do this at AA and above. I'm still not sold, but suffice to say I'm interested.Originally Posted by jnschel
I agree.. hes got a lot of ball to play and prove he's good enough but with 3rd being so thin I think he is in a good situation...
Yeah, with Soto being primarily a 1B now, there is really no other legit prospects at the 3B position in the minors. (Francisco would be if he were still at AAA of course, but he's of course technically with the Reds and is on the DL now. And who knows about him anyway. I'm sure not sold.)
Campbell definitely has a shot if he keeps his head on straight.
I would have to believe that 3rd base will be addressed in this years draft... maybe not first round but early
In the entire league--not including players on rehab assignments--only 15 players are older than Campbell. Some of them have good excuses for being so much older, but aside from a couple guys who could be average middle relievers, they're not considered legitimate prospects. Campbell could be the exception, but we already knew he could succeed in high-A. He needs to produce in AA to get anyone's attention.
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I'm more impressed with Hunt. Campbell is almost exactly the same age as Cozart.
A lefty isnt going to help the hole at third base.. Hunt is starting out hot but the sample size is also very small...
not a bad start for campbell tonight... 2-2 with a 2 run double and a grand slam.. its not even the 3rd inning yet
I'm intrigued by Campbell. He was the Braves top pick out of high school (close to Cincy), and has been described as having good all-around skills. If he can be a legit 3B (one writeup even suggested he could play 2B), and the bat is for real, this guy could be a late-arriving sleeper. There does seem to be some real talent there, beyond the gaudy numbers in a hitters league. Sounds like he has had to work out some maturity issues -- sometimes that happens.
IMO, the Reds have only themselves to blame for 3B being so thin in the minors. They messed around and juggled so many guys that they never got set positions. Frazier, Valaika, Francisco, Alonso, Dorn, etc, etc, etc. There were some 3b prospects there, but they've since turned into "super utility" guys. Frazier being the most obvious IMO.
I went to a Blaze game Tuesday when they played at Lake Elsinore. FWIW, what follows is a small sample assessment beyond what I am qualified to provide.
Campbell looked good defensively. He made four plays, two of which were more than routine, one going to his left to snag a hard grounder and the other running in on a chop. His arm is strong and very accurate. IMO, his 3B defense should not limit him. He had only one hit, a liner that short hopped the wall at the 380 sign in left center. I think he should move up now.
Hunt was impressive at the plate (he DH'd). He looks to have a quick stroke that enables him to turn on pitches. Three of his four hits were line drives, two were doubles, one of which was off the wall in right center, the other was rocket over the first base bag.
Fellhauer also looked solid, hitting the ball right on the nose. He played left. This might be because the Blaze has two other legit CF prospects in Means and LaMarre. It is not clear where he profiles best.
Grandal was impressive with a HR to right center over the 400 ft sign. I did not get a chance to see him throw as Ravin did not hold the runners on well enough to give him much of a CS chance.
Greene played SS. He made a good play up the middle on a diving stop and flip to second for the force. He also had a critical error when he dropped a grounder attempting to hurry to get a DP. He had a good day hitting. He impresses me as a max effort guy you want to have on your team. I still see him as a future ML utility infielder.
Richburg continued to struggle. He has a tendency to lunge slightly toward the pitcher, then straighten up just before the delivery. This is probably something he has always done. Still, I can't believe that it is helpful.
Means, LaMarre, and Rodriguez had unremarkable games, but then again, small sample size.
Josh Ravin was impressive. He worked in the 94-96 range if you can believe the gun. I did not see any other pitchers exceed 92. He stayed with the fastball almost exclusively for the first three innings. Then he started working in a slow curve with good sink that he seemed to keep down and control well. The curve was in the low 70's. I do not recall a single pitch in the 80's. The only real trouble came when his control faltered and he was missing high. He throws effortlessly.
Hope this is somewhat helpful to RZ'ers who don't get much chance to see the Blaze. I hope to make a trip to Bakersfield later in the season.
I'm not about this impression that 3B is thin in the minors. We just sent up Francisco, Frazier is almost ready, From what I understand, they are fairly high on Costanzo and Campbell is hitting like crazy.
Nice report, RVH. Encouraging words about Campbell's defense.
I also saw Greene, once, last year at Lynchburg, and was somewhat impressed. I recall he made an outstanding play in the hole. Maybe he's a guy we've undervalued. Meanwhile, I've become curious about Hunt. We all see what he's done with the bat in a short time, but he typically hits in the bottom half of the order. He also DHs sometimes, and the other night was kept out of the lineup. It all may amount to nothing, but it sort of seems like he hasn't impressed the organization as much as he has impressed those of us who follow the box scores. Something to watch, I suppose.
Looking over Campbell's bio...
it appears he came out looking like a lock for big times and then, on paper, disappeared for three or four years. Can anyone shed a little light on this chapter? All I know is he had "attitude problems" from another poster. How could you go from doing everything right to being an attitude problem? Anyone?
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