Compared to the rest of the three-game series, the match-up on Sunday between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees was fairly unassuming. There were not 27 runs scored collectively and the game did not end in walk-off fashion in extra innings. However, two key players for both organizations’ futures squared off against one another.

Mark Melancon was called into the game for the Yankees in the seventh inning of the game, which was eventually won 4-1 by Boston. The right-handed reliever, making his MLB debut, worked two scoreless innings and allowed just one hit and one walk. He also struck out one batter and hit outfielder Jason Bay with a pitch. Melancon, 24, was originally drafted out of the University of Arizona in the ninth round of the 2006 draft, although he could have been a first-round pick if not for an elbow strain that later required Tommy John surgery. Melancon struggled a bit with his control in his debut (12 of 22 pitches were strikes) but he showed excellent velocity and life on his fastball.

From the other dugout, minor league starter Michael Bowden emerged and also pitched the seventh and eighth innings. He had been recalled from Triple-A before the game to give the relievers some much-needed relief. The right-hander did not allow a run, a walk or a hit over two innings. He stuck out two. Only 22, Bowden was able to mix his plus curveball and fastball very effectively to dominate some very good hitters. In most organizations, he would already be in the starting rotation. In Boston, though, the pitching depth affords him the luxury of polishing his repertoire and approach at the Triple-A level, while also providing valuable insurance for situations like that which occurred on Sunday. Bowden was a supplemental first round selection out of an Illinois high school during the 2005 draft.

Bowden was sent back down to Triple-A after the game on Sunday, making room for veteran shortstop Julio Lugo, who came off the disabled list. Melancon will remain with the Yankees for now, with veteran reliever Brian Bruney on the disabled list. Neither player will likely have a huge impact on their respective clubs in 2009, but both are good bets moving forward for 2010 and beyond: Bowden with the ceiling of a No. 2 or 3 starter and Melancon with closer potential.

Games: Sunday, April 26, 2009
Following the race to the American League and
National League Rookie of the Year awards.

National League:

Cameron Maybin | CF | Florida Marlins
Opponent: LHP Jamie Moyer (Philadelphia
Result: 0-for-5, 3 Ks
Trending: Maybin is three for his last 21 with 8 Ks.
Notes: Maybin started the year off with a little gusto, but the strikeouts are piling up as the average drops. His 2009 season so far is looking a lot like his debut appearance in 2007 with Detroit when he hit .143/.208/.265 in 49 at-bats.

Travis Ishikawa | 1B | San Francisco
Opponent: RHP Jon Garland (Arizona)
Result: 0-for-5, 2 K
Trending: He has one walk in 47 at-bats.
Notes: Ishikawa is being platooned and has just five at-bats against left-handers. It’s not helping him much,though, as he’s batting just .214 against right-handers.

Chris Dickerson | OF | Cincinnati
Opponent: RHP Kenshin Kawakami (Atlanta)
Result: 0-for-1 pinch hitting
Trending: He’s averaging almost one K per game.
Notes: Dickerson walked five times in his first five games and went 3-for-10. He then went seven games without a walk and went 1-for-18.

Dexter Fowler | OF | Colorado
Opponent: LHP Clayton Kershaw (Los Angeles NL)
Result: 3-for-4, 2B, run, RBI, CS
Trending: He hasn’t struck out in eight games. He’s hitting .400 at home, .207 on the road.
Notes: Still not officially playing everyday, Fowler is doing a little bit of everything (Defense, Average, Power, and Speed) and already has four multi-hit games.

Jordan Schafer | CF | Atlanta
Opponent: RHP Micah Owings (Cincinnati)
Result: 0-for-3, three strikeouts
Trending: He’s striking out a lot (37.3 K%) but he’s also walking more than the average rookie (16.9 BB%).
Notes: Schafer caught a lot of people’s attention by hitting two homers in his first 10 at-bats, but he hasn’t gone yard in the last 15 games. He has actually had just three extra base hits during that time. Schafer also has yet to steal a base after regularly nabbing double digits in steals each year in the minors.

Colby Rasmus | CF | St. Louis
Opponent: RHP Rich Harden (Chicago NL)
Result: 1-for-5, three K
Trending: Rasmus is seven for his last 17.
Notes: The left-handed hitter is just 2-for-13 against southpaws, but he’s struck out just three times and has four walks. He’s batting .342 against right-handed pitchers.

American League:

Chris Getz | 2B | Chicago
Opponent: RHP Roy Halladay (Toronto)
Result: Did Not Play (Injury)
Trending: A LH hitter, he’s 2-for-5 against southpaws
Notes: Getz has a broken bone on the tip of his finger but there is no word on how much time he might miss. He was seven for his last 13 before the injury and has been hitting at the top of the White Sox’ order.

Elvis Andrus | SS | Texas
Opponent: RHP Brad Bergesen (Orioles)
Result: 1-for-3
Trending: Andrus is two for his last 17 with no walks and just one K.
Notes: Andrus remains valuable, even with a hollow .275 average, because of his defense. It might be nice if he tried to run a bit, though.

Travis Snider | LF | Toronto
Opponent: RHP Jose Contreras (White Sox)
Result: 1-for-4, K
Trending: Snider is 2-for-10 against LHPs with four Ks.
Notes: Snider was eaten up by Contreras’ splitter, but learned from his mistakes as the game progressed. He’s been swinging at a lot of first pitches recently and needs to get into better hitter’s counts.

Brett Gardner | CF | New York
Opponent: RHP Justin Masterson (Boston)
Result: 0-for-3, K, RBI
Trending: Gardner is five for six in stolen base attempts.
Notes: He has no extra base hits in 10 games and he’s walked only twice during that time. Unfortunately, Gardner isn’t hitting for average either.

With a wrist injury sidelining No. 1 catcher Ryan Doumit for eight to 10 weeks, the backstop duties will fall to a pair of rookies: Jason Jaramillo and Robinzon Diaz. The former Phillies prospect, Jaramillo, will likely see the bulk of playing time early on due to A) The fact he was on the 25-man roster before the injury, B) His defensive reputation, and C) The manager’s familiarity with him from their time in the Phillies system.

However, don’t count out Diaz from wrestling the No. 1 gig away from Jaramillo before the first month is up. Diaz is an absolute freak as a hitter. He’s a classic bad-ball hitter in the same vein as Vlad Guerrero; he’s never met a pitch he couldn’t swing at – and make contact with. His minor league triple-slash line says it all: .304/.340/.391… Great average, few walks, almost no power. During the past three seasons, Diaz’ walk rate has hovered around 4.0 BB% (because he swings at everything) and his strikeout rate has been around 9.0 K% (because he makes contact with almost anything). The walk rate would be a little more worrisome if it were not for his consistent ability to hit .300, which compensates somewhat.

For a catcher, a .300 batting average is pretty impressive (especially if you’re running a fantasy team). Diaz also has the potential to offer some defensive flexibility. In the past, the athletic catcher has seen time at third base and second base. There was even talk of trying him in the outfield. During his prime prospect days in the Jays system, the 25-year-old catcher was 5’11” and 170-180 lbs. Some reports now have Diaz pushing over the 200 lbs mark, which would suggest his days of playing second base might be over, but he could still definitely help out at third, first and possibly a corner outfield spot.

A few years ago, there was a near riot amongst the Jays’ minor league pitching staff that was pitching to Diaz. While conversing a number of times with one specific Jays minor league pitcher, he would speak of what little effort Diaz put into the defensive side of his game – especially his game calling. But that, of course, was just one side of the story. And, to be even more fair, it was three years ago and the scouting reports are more favorable now.

Diaz has made strides in his defensive game. He even threw out about 40 percent of runners trying to steal last season. Both his range and fielding percentages have improved in the past two seasons. His game calling is still not a strong suit, but at least games can be called from the dugout, and he has a good person to learn from in the form of Pirates manager John Russell, a former catcher for parts of 10 MLB seasons. There is also room for improvements on blocking balls and receiving.

I once had a Jays official tell me that Diaz could be as successful in the game as he wanted to be. Translation: He sometimes lacks motivation, and is happy to get by on natural talent more often than not. It’s a lot harder to coast on talent alone in the Majors. There are players who do it, no doubt. But unlike the minors, the media glare is much brighter and the veteran players are vocal in most clubhouses. There are some players, like Hanley Ramirez, that post better numbers in the Majors than they did in the minors, quite possibly for that reason. Diaz could very well turn out to be one of those players if given the opportunity.

Every Thursday throughout the regular season, we’re going to take a look at the some of the players hackin’ and chuckin’ away in Minor League Baseball who have a good chance of making an impact at the MLB level in 2009. With that said, let’s get this party started.

Matt LaPorta: The Cleveland Indians might be tempted to shake things up with the club stuck in last place in the AL Central. He could fill a role at either left field, first base or designated hitter. The club is actually hitting fairly well right now and Travis Hafner is having an early-season resurgence, so he’s not going anywhere. The player most likely to lose a roster spot to LaPorta would appear to be left fielder Ben Francisco (.220/.304/.366). The former Brewers prospect is currently hitting .362/.423/.660 in 47 Triple-A at-bats.

Eric Young Jr.: Infielders Jeff Baker (.111 AVG) and Omar Quintanilla (.143) are both struggling for the Rockies and Young Jr. is continuing the hot hitting that he displayed last season. At Triple-A, the son of former Rockies’ second baseman Eric Young Sr., is hitting .298/.313/.340 with nine stolen bases in 10 attempts. His lack of walks (He has zero) hurts his overall value, but he could be a source of cheap steals (87 SB is his MiLB career high) and he would provide more defensive flexibility than Baker.

Andrew McCutchen: Nyjer Morgan is going to have to keep playing like his pants are on fire to keep this former first round draft pick in the minors. The Pirates, though, could get cute and play the center fielder out of position to make room for him. Neither Brandon Moss nor Craig Monroe are hitting that well. Delwyn Young was also brought in recently from Los Angeles, but his defense will not wow anyone. McCutchen, on the other hand, is a gifted outfielder who is currently hitting .315/.373/.630 with five triples and three steals in 54 at-bats.

Bobby Wilson: The Angels have two pretty good young catchers on the MLB roster already, but the organization also has one of the best No. 3 catchers around… and Wilson is stuck playing in Triple-A until an injury occurs. If an opportunity presents itself, though, Wilson could be a valuable addition for fantasy league managers. Along with being a solid defensive catcher (which doesn’t help in most fantasy scenarios), he’s never hit below .268 in the minors leagues and he’s currently batting .346 in 26 at-bats after managing a .312 average at the same level last season. Wilson also has three home runs.

Daniel Bard: With an already-dominating bullpen, Boston could get even more scary with the addition of Bard. Unfortunately for fantasy owners, he’s not likely to get involved in many impact scenarios (ie. saves) due to the depth in front of him in the big league pen. He could, though, earned some vulture saves while piling up Ks. So far in Triple-A, Bard has allowed just one hit and three walks in nine innings. He’s struck out more than half (16) of the 27 batters he’s retired.

David Huff: With veterans Fausto Carmona and Carl Pavano struggling, Cleveland may need to dip down into the minors yet again for some pitching help. With Aaron Laffey having already been promoted, Huff could be the next Triple-A starter to get the call. He has a 3.94 ERA through three starts and has allowed 14 hits and seven walks in 16 innings. The left-hander has also struck out 12 batters. Another player to keep an eye on is Hector Rondon, who is one of the fastest rising prospects in the game. He’s currently at Double-A with a 1.10 ERA through three starts.

Jess Todd: Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa is not know for his patience with young pitching. If Jason Motte continues to struggle into the beginning of May, Todd may get his opportunity to shine in the St. Louis bullpen. The former second round draft pick out of the University of Arkansas has had little trouble with pro hitters and he currently has 12 strikeouts in 9.1 Triple-A innings. He’s also allowed just five hits. Right-handed hitters are batting just .120 against him.

David Price: It’s not 2008 anymore and the Rays are currently stuck in last place in the AL East. The organization may live to regret not going with its best 25-man roster, which would have included Price, right from the get-go. The left-hander has been solid – but not dominating – at Triple-A with a 2.63 ERA in three starts. He’s allowed 10 hits and four walks, with 15 Ks, in 13.2 innings of work. MLB starters Jeff Niemann and Andy Sonnanstine are a combined 1-4 with ERAs above 5.40.

As the sixth overall draft pick out of Cal State Fullerton in 2005, you might think the bar for Ricky Romero would be set pretty high. However, as many of us know, the first round of the amateur draft is anything but an exact science in Major League Baseball – and Romero also had the misfortune of being taken right before a player by the name of Troy Tulowitzki, who finished second in the National League Rookie of the Year voting in 2007.

In pro ball, Romero rarely showed the form that made him the first pitcher selected in the 2005 draft, besting Tampa Bay’s Wade Townsend by two slots and New York’s Mike Pelfrey by three. Romero made it to Double-A in his first full season in 2006 but the southpaw then spent parts of three seasons at that level before tasting Triple-A for seven starts in 2008. At the time of the draft, Romero was considered the 13th-best draft prospect by Baseball America. Here is what the scouting report said on the left-hander prior to the draft:

Romero has three solid, major league-ready pitches that he can throw for strikes almost at will, including a fastball that sits at 90-91 mph and touches 93-94…. But Romero gets his highest grades for his makeup, temperament and competitive zeal. He is an excellent student of the game who understands the science of pitching, and is a master at controlling the tempo of a game. He often has one poor inning a game, gets mad at himself and responds by pitching better the rest of the way.

Considered an advanced pitcher, Romero spent far more time in the minors than was expected. His command and control also took a huge step back as he posted a 3.80 BB/9 in his pro career prior to 2009, as well as a walk rate above 4.00 BB/9 at Double-A or above. As he struggled on the mound, Romero’s “competitive zeal” also took a hit along with his confidence and he began to pitch away from contact. Last year in High-A ball, Romero allowed 139 hits 121.2 innings with rates of 4.07 BB/9 and 5.77 K/9. In Triple-A, he allowed 42 hits in 42.2 innings and had rates of 4.22 BB/9 and 8.02 K/9.

Toronto entered this spring desperately needing pitching, with serious injuries to two young starters: Shaun Marcum and Dustin McGowan. Another injured pitcher, Casey Janssen, who was expected back at the beginning of the season to help soften the blow, had a set back. Two other southpaw hurlers, Brad Mills and Brett Cecil, had seemingly passed Romero on the depth chart and one or both of them were set to win a spot with spring training winding down.

However, with Romero on the cusp of being demoted to the minor-league camp, Jays pitching coach Brad Arnsberg stepped in and asked management to rethink the decision. The pitching coach had an idea. He made some tweaks to Romero’s mechanics, moved his feet, and lessened the amount that the former No. 1 pick was throwing across his body. Miraculously, Romero’s command and control improved almost overnight. He was reborn.

The results can be seen in his young MLB season to date. In his debut, he out-dueled one of the Top 10 young pitchers in baseball in Detroit’s Rick Porcello. In his second game, he held Minnesota to just two runs in eight innings. In his third start, just yesterday against Oakland, Romero shutout the A’s over seven innings. In three games, he’s allowed 19 hits in 21 innings and posted rates of 1.71 BB/9 (!) and 5.57 K/9. As well, he’s caused 28 groundball outs compared to 19 flyball outs.

In his game against Oakland, Romero was mixing four pitches (FB, CB, SL, CH) well and commanding all four in the strike zone. As well, his fastball that was struggling to sit around 90 mph last year, was hitting 94 mph – a velocity he has not seen consistently since his college days.

You cannot look at Romero’s first three starts and make a definitive statement about his potential for 2009 or his future beyond the present, but his start to the year is definitely encouraging, especially since the improvements can be traced back to a mechanical adjustment. As well, the left-hander showed this type of potential in college and he’s still just 24 years old. It’s far too early to call Romero an ace-in-waiting, or even a guaranteed No. 3 starter, but his future definitely has a brighter shine to it.

Perhaps the left-hander will one day be able to say, “Tulo-who?”

Well this is odd. The Texas Rangers club is pitching poorly. With the fourth worst FIP and the third worst WHIP in all of Major League Baseball – and five pitchers with ERAs above 10.00 – the organization purchased the contract of one of its Top 2 pitching prospects. Left-hander Derek Holland has replaced right-handed reliever Josh Rupe, who was designated for assignment. Rupe had allowed 12 hits in 4.2 innings.

Holland was pitching in Triple-A Oklahoma, where he had made just one start this season. He allowed four runs on five hits and three walks in four innings of work. On the plus side, Holland also struck out five batters and induced four ground balls to just one fly ball. A starter in the minors, Holland is expected to begin his MLB career in the bullpen but it may not be long before he’s given a shot in the rotation considering the poor pitching performances from Kris Benson, Vicente Padilla and Matt Harrison.

Holland had a breakout season in 2007 – just his first full season in the minors after being selected in the 25th round of the 2006 draft out of Wallace State Community College. He signed with Texas the next spring. The southpaw played at three levels in 2008, seeing the most time in A-ball. He allowed 57 hits in 67 innings of work while also posting rates of 2.79 BB/9 and 8.74 K/9. Holland then started five games in High-A ball and four games in Double-A.

Holland’s repertoire is above-average for a left-handed pitcher. He can touch 98 mph with his fastball with excellent movement. His second-best pitch is a change-up, and he’s still working on the consistency of his slider.

Given his inexperience above single A-ball (five games), as well as the history of poor pitching in Texas, Holland probably will not set the world on fire right away. The club is being smart by introducing the left-hander to the Majors as a reliever. The 22-year-old hurler likely won’t have much of an impact at the big league level in 2009 but the experience should help set the foundation for a promising career… Assuming, that is, that the club doesn’t trade him away like Armando Galarraga, Edinson Volquez, and John Danks.

Pssssst…. Don’t tell Houston but it’s not 2007 anymore. You might also want to avoid telling the organization that it has officially fallen to the 31st worst minor league system in all of Major League Baseball. I’m not sure who No. 30 is now, but it’s definitely not Houston.

In a (polite edit) move, the organization sent second-base prospect Drew Sutton to the Cincinnati Reds as the player-to-be-named in the Jeff Keppinger trade. Now to be fair, I am probably one of the biggest Sutton fans around. As well, though, I have always been a big proponent for Keppinger. But come on… Really? The club’s best (only?) middle-infield prospect – whom I had ranked as the club’s second-best prospect overall – for a veteran utility infielder that hit .266/.310/.346 in 459 at-bats during the 2008 season? The Astros organization apparently thinks it’s acquiring the infielder that hit .332 in 241 at-bats during the 2007 season. With a BABIP of .335 in 2007 and .275 in 2008, Keppinger’s talent level is probably somewhere in between his two most recent seasons.

Maybe Houston just likes small sample sizes. Keppinger is scorching the ball with a .467 average this season in the Majors, while Sutton is struggling at .267 in five Triple-A games. After all, what can we learn by looking at Sutton’s 2008 season? He hit just .317/.408/.523 with 102 runs scored, 39 doubles, 20 homers, and 20 steals in 520 Double-A at-bats. Sutton, a switch-hitter, also posted rates of 12.8 BB% and 18.9 K%. Houston’s Double-A club plays in a pretty good hitter’s league, but the 25-year-old infielder then hit .315/.426/.611 with seven homers in 108 at-bats during the Arizona Fall League.

No, Sutton is probably not going to be a perennial All-Star at the Major League level. He may top out as a utility player not unlike Mr. Keppinger. However, he has the potential to be much, much more. But Houston either does not see that, or understand how that might be more valuable than a dime-a-dozen, established utility player with limited defensive skills whose value lies in hitting southpaws (.354 career vs .261). At the end of the day, it’s yet another questionable move for Houston, which has a laughable minor league system. And the Cincinnati Reds organization continues to overflow with minor league talent and depth.

Games: Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Following the race to the American League and
National League Rookie of the Year awards.

Cameron Maybin | CF | Florida
Versus Atlanta and Derek Lowe (RHP)

At-Bat 1:

Result: Walk

Pitcher: Derek Lowe (RHP)

Situation: Leading off the second inning | 3-2 count

Pitch: Fastball | Low and away (Ball) | 88 mph

At-Bat 2:

Result: Strikeout

Pitcher: Derek Lowe (RHP)

Situation: Fourth inning, one on and one out | 2-2 count

Pitch: Fastball | Middle and low (Strike) | 87 mph

At-Bat 3:

Result: Walk to load the bases

Pitcher: Derek Lowe (RHP)

Situation: Fifth inning, two on, two out, three runs in | 3-2 count

Pitch: Change-up | Low and away (Ball) | 81 mph

At-Bat 4:

Result: Strikeout (swinging)

Pitcher: Peter Moylan (RHP)

Situation: Seventh inning, bases loaded, one out | 1-2 count

Pitch: Slider | Low and away (Ball) | 77 mph

At-Bat 5:

Result: Strikeout (foul top

Pitcher: Blaine Boyer (RHP)

Situation: Ninth inning, none out, two on, one run in | 1-2 count

Pitch: Slider | Middle and away (Strike) | 87 mph

Notes: Maybin is in a bit of a swoon with his average at .214 right now. The book on him was clear in this game: work him away, which goes to show that teams feel he is a strict pull hitter right now. That will have to change if Maybin is going to have some success. He barely laid his bat on the ball in this game with three strikeouts and two walks. The center fielder has just one extra base hit this season and his two walks in this contest were his first base-on-balls for the season, to go along with 12 strikeouts in 28 at-bats (42.9 K%).

National League:

Travis Ishikawa | 1B | San Francisco
Opponent: LHP Clayton Kershaw (Los Angeles)
Result: Defensive replacement for Rich Aurilia at 1B
Trending: More strikeouts (six) than hits (five) and no walks.
Notes: Ishikawa, a LH hitter, sat against a tough lefty. He has yet to have an at-bat against a left this season.

Chris Dickerson | OF | Cincinnati
Opponent: RHP Braden Looper (Milwaukee)
Result: 1-for-4 with a two-run homer, 2 LOB
Trending: He has a hit in each of his last four games played.
Notes: The left-handed hitter is 0-for-3 against southpaws but is hitting righties to the tune of .364/.529/.727 in 11 at-bats with five walks.

Dexter Fowler | OF | Colorado
Opponent: RHP Angel Guzman (Chicago)
Result: Pinch-hit double, with an RBI
Trending: Out of his four starts, he has two multi-hit games
Notes: Despite a .333 average, the switch-hitter is still not playing everyday

Jordan Schafer | CF | Atlanta
Opponent: LHP Andrew Miller (Florida)
Result: 0-for-4, two Ks, three LOB
Trending: .286 vs LHP, .313 vs RHP
Notes: Schafer has seven strikeouts in his last 11 at-bats (three games).

Colby Rasmus | CF | St. Louis
Opponent: RHP Jon Garland (Arizona)
Result: 1-for-5, two runs, double, RBI, BB
Trending: six walks vs three strikeouts
Notes: Rasmus has scored seven runs in eight games.

American League:
Chris Getz | 2B | Chicago
Opponent: RHP Armando Galarraga (Detroit)
Result: Did not play
Trending: Getz, a LH hitter, has just three at-bats against southpaws this season.
Notes: Getz has lost some playing time at second base to Brett Lillibridge, although the former Braves prospect is just 1-for-13 (.077) on the season.

Elvis Andrus | SS | Texas
Opponent: LHP Mark Hendrickson (Baltimore)
Result: 2-for-3, four runs scored, RBI, two BB, K
Trending: He’s made two errors in six games, but Andrus is showing above-average range at SS (4.33 RF/g)
Notes: A solid start to the season: .292/.346/.542 with three extra base hits and one SB

Travis Snider | LF | Toronto
Opponent: RHP Scott Baker (Minnesota)
Result: 1-for-3, double, run, two RBI, two BB, two K
Trending: .333/.429/.944 versus RHP
Notes: An .864 slugging percentage in his first seven games is pretty impressive; six of his seven base hits have been for extra bases, including three homers.

Brett Gardner | CF | New York
Opponent: RHP Andy Sonnanstine (Tampa Bay)
Result: 0-for-4
Trending: Four strikeouts in his last nine at-bats.
Notes: Six strikeouts and just one walk for a small-ball player is not encouraging.

It’s a long season so it’s obviously too early to get worried in New York, but it’s not easy being a Yankee and expectations are much higher than in some organizations around Major League Baseball. As a result, you know that unestablished players like third baseman Cody Ransom (.083/.153/.125) and center-fielder Brett Gardner (.227/.261/.273) could spend a significant amount of time on the hot seat whenever the club struggles – like it is now.

The fourth-place Yankees have a number of interesting names currently playing just one stop away from the Major Leagues in Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Ransom will eventually be replaced by the rehabbing third-base incumbent Alex Rodriguez. However, if the club gets tired of the sub-.200 average that Ransom is providing in the meantime, Eric Duncan could receive a look. The former No. 1 draft pick is currently hitting .286/.412/.286 in 14 at-bats in Triple-A, although he’s no longer considered a ‘first-round talent.’ Angel Berroa, who received some consideration for the roster spot that Ransom currently owns, is hitting .318 in 22 at-bats.

Gardner is currently struggling a bit in the Big Apple, but top prospect Austin Jackson – who just happens to play center field – is smoking hot in Triple-A. The 22-year-old phenom is currently hitting .500/.538/.591 with six RBI in five games. If we’re nitpicking for negatives, he has just one extra base hit (a triple).

First baseman Mark Teixeira has been limited to just 16 at-bats, thanks to a bad wrist. However, Nick Swisher has stepped up and is currently hitting .450/.542/1.150 in 20 at-bats. He’s doing it all, too. Swisher is evening taking to the mound and out-performing Chien-Ming Wang! If the Yankees need more pop at first base, especially if the Teixeira injury lingers, the club can dip down to Triple-A where Juan Miranda is hitting a tidy .417/.462/.750 with 11 RBI in five games.

On the pitching side, starter Ian Kennedy struck out 11 batters and walked no one in his only start. Reliever David Robertson has appeared in two games and has yet to allow a run in five innings. He’s allowed two hits, one walk and has struck out 10. Mark Melancon has struck out seven batters in 3.2 innings and has yet to allow a hit or a walk.

Games: Sunday, April 12, 2009

Brett Gardner | CF | New York
Versus Kansas City and RHP Gil Meche

At-Bat 1:

Result: Single to center

Pitcher: Gil Meche (RHP)

Situation: Leading off the game | 3-2 count

Pitch: Slider | Inside and middle (strike) | 89 mph

At-Bat 2:

Result: Fly out to LF

Pitcher: Gil Meche (RHP)

Situation: Third inning, one out, none on | 3-1 count

Pitch: Fastball | Outside and high (strike) | 90 mph

At-Bat 3:

Result: Grounds to SS for double play

Pitcher: Gil Meche (RHP)

Situation: Sixth inning, one on, none out | 0-0 count

Pitch: Fastball | Low and away (strike) | 89 mph

At-Bat 4:

Result: Fly out to RF

Pitcher: Juan Cruz (RHP)

Situation: Eighth inning, none out, none on | 2-2 count

Pitch: Change-up | Middle and low (strike) | 83 mph

Notes: Gardner had perhaps his best at-bat of the season against KC ace Gil Meche in the first inning of this game. He did exactly what the lead-off hitter should do: See a lot of pitches and get on base. He made Meche throw seven pitches and the outfielder laced a single to center on the final toss of the match-up. That is the type of approach he needs to take each and every game if he is going to hold on to the center-field job in New York long term.

American League:
Chris Getz | 2B | Chicago
Opponent: RHP Nick Blackburn (Minnesota)
Result: 0-for-3, 2 LOB
Trending: 1-for-13 in his last four games
Notes: Switching Dewayne Wise for Getz at the top of the order has really not helped the White Sox. The club desperately needs a leadoff hitter. Getz is better as the No. 2 or No. 9 man at this point.

Elvis Andrus | SS | Texas
Opponent: RHP Edwin Jackson (Detroit)
Result: 1-for-3, run scored
Trending: His OBP is just .294.
Notes: Andrus has a hit in all but one of the five MLB games he’s appeared in.

Travis Snider | LF | Toronto
Opponent: RHP Anthony Reyes (Cleveland)
Result: 0-for-2, with a sacrifice and 1 LOB
Trending: .250 vs LHPs, .250 vs RHPs
Notes: Snider was back in the line-up on Sunday after sitting while the club faced two southpaw starters.

National League:
Travis Ishikawa | 1B | San Francisco
Opponent: RHP Chris Young (San Diego)
Result: 0-for-3, 1 LOB
Trending: No at-bats versus left-handed pitching
Notes: Ishikawa hasn’t driven in a run since plating three on opening day.

Chris Dickerson | OF | Cincinnati
Opponent: RHP Ian Snell (Pittsburgh)
Result: 1-for-2, two walks
Trending: 4 walks in 4 games
Notes: So far this season in a small sample size, Dickerson is showing an improved approach at the plate, which has led to more walks and fewer strikeouts.

Dexter Fowler | OF | Colorado
Opponent: RHP Chan Ho Park (Philadelphia)
Result: 2-for-5, solo homer, K
Trending: More HRs (2) than SB (1)
Notes: Early on, Fowler is showing a little more power (2 hrs in 13 at-bats) than expected

Jordan Schafer | CF | Atlanta
Opponent: LHP Scott Olsen (Washington)
Result: 0-for-4, three Ks
Trending: 1-for-8 in day games
Notes: Schafer was 5-for-9 in his first two games against Washington on the weekend before the three-strikeout performance on Sunday.

Colby Rasmus | CF | St. Louis
Opponent: LHP Wandy Rodriguez (Houston)
Result: 0-for-2, run, BB, K
Trending: 1-for-7 vs LHPs
Notes: His average is down, but Rasmus has walked five times with just two strikeouts in six games.

Cameron Maybin | CF | Florida
Opponent: LHP Johan Santana (New York)
Result: 1-for-4, two Ks
Trending: Four two-strikeout games in his five starts in 2009
Notes: Maybin has yet to drive in a run or take a walk this season.