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.

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

At-Bat 1:

Nick Adenhart, the Los Angeles Angels top prospect, was killed this morning just hours after making his first start of the Major League Baseball season. Adenhart pitched six scoreless innings against the Oakland Athletics last night before the traffic accident.

It is reported that Adenhart was a passenger in a car that was passing through an intersection when a van allegedly ran a red light. Three people in the car, including the 22-year-old pitcher, were killed – two at the scene and one later at the hospital, according to a local TV station. The names of the other people killed in the accident have not been released.

Allegedly, the driver of the van fled the scene but was later captured and charged with felony hit-and-run. Major League Baseball and the Los Angeles Angels organization have yet to comment on the tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Adenhart family, the Angels organization and baseball fans everywhere.

The Prospect Watcher is already evolving and a special thank-you goes out to everyone who has shared their opinions via posting comments, as well as by sending e-mails. To make the Prospect Watcher the most effective and valuable for fantasy owners, I am going to narrow the focus to 10 rookie hitters expected to see significant at-bats over the course of the season. Now, the list of players could change slightly if one of those players is sent down to the minors. It could also be altered if a top rookie threat is promoted from the minors (Matt Wieters, I’m looking at you). As of right now, the Prospect Watcher’s ‘Follow List’ will include: Travis Snider, Elvis Andrus, Chris Getz, Brett Gardner, Chris Dickerson, Dexter Fowler, Jordan Schafer, Colby Rasmus, Cameron Maybin, and Travis Ishikawa.

American League:
Chris Getz | 2B | Chicago
Opponent: Kansas City (RHP Zack Greinke)
Result: 0-for-4, K
Trending: —
Notes: Getz is off to a modest start and is batting .250 in eight at-bats

Elvis Andrus | SS | Texas
Opponent: Cleveland (RHP Fausto Carmona)
Result: 2-for-4, home run (RHP Rafael Betancourt), 2 RBI, 2 K
Trending: —
Notes: Andrus is showing surprising pop and hit his first homer of the season after hitting just four in 482 at-bats last year.

Brett Gardner | CF | New York
Opponent: Baltimore (RHP Koji Uehara)
Result: 0-for-4, R, 5 LOB
Trending: —
Notes: Gardner is off to a slow start, hitting just .143 in seven at-bats with no walks or strikeouts.

Travis Snider | LF | Toronto
Opponent: Detroit (RHP Zach Miner)
Result: 0-for-3, 2 K
Trending: —
Notes: 0-for-6 with two strikeouts in his last two games.

National League:
Travis Ishikawa | 1B | San Francisco
Opponent: Milwaukee (RHP Yovani Gallardo)
Result: 1-for-4, R, 3 LOB
Trending: —
Notes: 3-for-9 with three RBI in two games

Chris Dickerson | OF | Cincinnati
Opponent: New York (RHP Mike Pelfrey)
Result: 0-for-3, R, RBI, BB, K
Trending: —
Notes: Two walks in two games

Dexter Fowler | OF | Colorado
Opponent: Arizona (LHP Doug Davis)
Result: 1-for-4, solo HR (Davis), 2 R, BB, K
Trending: —
Notes: Two walks and a homer in two games

Jordan Schafer | CF | Atlanta
At-Bat 1:

This season I am debuting a new feature that will hopefully catch on and also help fantasy baseball owners. The Prospect Watcher will breakdown one (or two) rookie player’s hitting performance. The format of the feature will likely evolve during the course of the season as I find out what works and doesn’t work. As well, if you have any suggestions just let me know by posting them here or by e-mailing me.

At-Bat 1:

Pitching Performance of Note: St. Louis Cardinals’ rookie Jason Motte, who earned the right to close games to begin the season with a dominating spring, blew his first save opportunity of the year, which ultimately resulted in a loss for the club. In one inning of work, Motte allowed four runs on four hits. The 4-2 game for St. Louis ended 6-4 for Pittsburgh. Freddy Sanchez, Eric Hinske and Jack Wilson all hit doubles off of Motte.

Atlanta Braves rookie Jordan Schafer got the 2009 MLB season going with a bang for his fellow rookies last night with a home run in his first Major League at-bat. One can only hope that the fireworks is a sign of good things to come from the 2009 rookie class.

Texas Rangers prospect Tommy Hunter has a good chance to see significant time in Arlington this season, even though he will begin 2009 in the minors, likely at Triple-A Oklahoma. The right-hander rocketed through the minors in 2008 after being selected in the supplemental first round of the 2007 amateur draft out of the University of Alabama.

The 22-year-old hurler threw just 17.2 innings in his pro debut in 2007 but then tossed more than 160 innings at three minor league levels in 2008. He added an additional 11 innings at the MLB level, where he was over-matched and allowed 23 hits (18.8 H/9) and 20 earned runs. In fact, Hunter was hittable at every level that he pitched, allowing 170 hits in 163.2 minor-league innings.

He did, though, show very good command with a 1.84 BB/9 rate. His strikeout rate was not as promising, as it was above 7.00 K/9 at High-A ball and in the Majors, but it was below 5.00 K/9 in Double-A and Triple-A. In total, his minor league strikeout rate was just 5.72 K/9, which is below average for a potential No. 3 starter. With experience, Hunter has room to improve his ‘K’ rate, as his repertoire includes an 89-94 mph fastball, plus curveball, slider and change-up.

Hunter will probably benefit the most if he can remain in Triple-A until at least June or July. Knowing the state of the Rangers’ pitching, though, he could very well be up by the end of April. The big league rotation currently includes Kevin Millwood, Vicente Padilla, Kris Benson, Brandon McCarthy, and Matt Harrison. If Hunter does appear in the Majors for a significant amount of time in 2009 then he could provide innings and maybe some wins (He also won’t hurt you in the walks department), but there will probably be a fair number of hits allowed, and possibly a low number of strikeouts. Hunter does not have the ceiling of Neftali Feliz or Derek Holland, but he’s probably more MLB ready and of more value to fantasy baseball managers in 2009.

In a bit of a surprising move, Jordan Schafer has been named the opening-day starter in center field for the Atlanta Braves. Now to be fair, this is not the same Atlanta Braves team that dominated during the ’90s and early 2000s. The much younger team is still struggling to find a new identity after a few years of disappointing results and has finished in either third or fourth place in each of the last three seasons. So it’s a great time to take a risk on some youth.

So, why is Schafer such a risk? Isn’t he one of the club’s top prospect? Well, yes he is one of the top young players in the organization, but Schafer also has spent just 84 regular season games above A-ball. He managed a batting average of just .269 in Double-A last year after missing 50 games thanks to an early-season suspension for the use of growth hormones. The talented player with modest home run results also struck out 89 times in 84 games last year (29.6 K%).

On the plus side, though, Schafer’s isolated power has increased each of the last three seasons and topped out at .202 last season, although he hit just 10 homers in 297 at-bats. He also showed the ability to produce 10-20 steals, after nabbing 12 in Double-A, and 19 the previous season (in 30 tries). Schafer is also an excellent defensive outfielder, who should save some runs with the glove.

One other word of caution about the youngster: The left-handed batter hit just .196/.306/.299 against southpaws in 2008 (.236 average lifetime), compared to .309/.416/.565 against right-handers. So that means he should probably be platooned – especially against the better left-handed pitchers. The bad news, though, is that the Atlanta roster is pretty much void of options, save perhaps for… Omar Infante? If Schafer has to play regularly against southpaws, it’s going to drag down his overall numbers and hurt fantasy owners.

If you have Schafer on your fantasy team entering the 2009 season, expect a .270 average, 10 homers and 15 stolen bases. It’s nothing to write home about, but it should be a solid base for a very good baseball career. In other words, at this point, he’s a better investment in keeper leagues.

Imagine being hired at an entry level position for a company. Then, imagine becoming CEO of that company six months later.

Okay, so the ultra-aggressive promotions of ’07 and ’08 bonus babies Rick Porcello and Ryan Perry aren’t quite at that level of expedition, but it’s close. Desperate to infuse the major league club with any talent capable of avoiding a Charlie Brown-like fate on the mound (or a Kenny Rogers-type fate, for that matter), Detroit has called upon its most recently sowed farm products.

Porcello, 20, created quite the buzz during the summer of 2007. A 6-5, 195 pounder with an unusually deep mix of pitches, Porcello committed to North Carolina and was considered an awfully difficult sign. The lanky right-hander was often billed as the best prep pitching prospect since Josh Beckett, and his scouting reports were positively glowing:

“He’s long, lean, athletic and projectable with a clean delivery. His fastball sits at 93-95, touching 98. He holds his velocity deep into outings. He throws a tight curveball at 74-76 and a harder, sharp-breaking slider at 80-82. He shows feel for his changeup. He can spot his fastball to both sides of the plate, and mixes his pitches effectively.” (Baseball America’s 2007 draft coverage)

The luxury price tag and strong Tar Heel ties caused 26 teams to pass on Porcello, but the Tigers stepped up and took the best available talent, price tag be damned. Detroit eventually signed him to a $7 million major league contract, including a nearly $3.6 million bonus.

Porcello made his debut at High-A Lakeland in the Florida State League in 2008. As a teenager, he posted rates of 5.18 K/9 and 2.38 BB/9, with a 3.83 FIP in 125 innings pitched. In most cases, one might be justifiably skeptical of a highly-touted hurler who misses so few bats. However, Porcello exhibited control far beyond his years while showing extreme worm-killing tendencies (64.1 GB%).

In addition, Baseball America noted in its prospect handbook that the Tigers had Porcello on a pitch count, allowing no more than 75 tosses per game. Porcello can touch the mid-to-high-90’s with his four-seam fastball and was known to rip off some nasty sliders in high school (Detroit scrapped the pitch, at least for now). But, he focused on efficiency in ’08, with a low-90’s sinker, a 12-to-6 curve and a plus changeup as his weapons of choice. BA compared Porcello’s overall package to that of Roy Halladay, the dean of controlled, groundballing productivity.

While Porcello easily ranked as Detroit’s top prospect, fireballing right-hander Ryan Perry ranks second on most lists. Popped out of Arizona with the 21st overall pick in the 2008 draft, Perry’s claim to fame is a searing, 97-100 MPH fastball that gets on hitters in a flash. Teaming with fellow ’08 first-rounder Daniel Schlereth (Diamondbacks), Perry short-circuited radar guns and supplemented the heat with an occasionally deadly high-80’s slider. He made a brief cameo last summer between rookie ball and Lakeland, posting a 16/7 K/BB in 13.2 innings.

Perry’s command is not always ideal, which BA claims kept him from developing into a consistent starter at Arizona. However, as a ‘pen arm, he could quickly claim a prominent role with the Tigers. Detroit’s bullpen is essentially a wasteland of decent middle men, an excommunicated starter (Nate Robertson) and reclamation projects (Juan Rincon is still pitching?). Brandon Lyon is a serviceable arm, but he’s a late-inning reliever in name only. Joel Zumaya is baseball’s equivalent of a busted Lamborghini. Fernando Rodney’s level of arson is matched only by former teammate-turned-ridiculously-priced Royal Kyle Farnsworth. Suffice it to say, there’s opportunity here.

It’s nearly impossible to say how quickly Detroit’s top two prospects will acclimate themselves to the major league level. After all, Porcello was getting ready for the prom this time two years ago, and Perry has all of 14 frames of pro pitching to his name. Will sending Porcello and Perry’s development clocks into turbo-drive pay off? Stay tuned.

Right-hander James McDonald earned a spot in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 2009 starting rotation with a modest showing this spring. He allowed 21 hits in and eight walks in 19.2 innings of work. McDonald also struck out 13 batters. The club has good pitching depth and the rookie will slot in behind Chad Billingsley, Hiroki Kuroda, Randy Wolf and Clayton Kershaw.

Claudio Vargas dropped out of consideration for the No. 5 spot after allowing 25 hits in 15.1 innings. He also suffered an injury to his arm and will likely begin the year on the DL. Veteran Eric Milton, working his way back from Tommy John surgery, allowed 38 hits in 19.2 innings of work and will start the season in the minors.

McDonald has much more talent than his numbers would suggest. The 24-year-old hurler spent time in Double-A, Triple-A and the Majors in 2008. He spent the majority of the year in Double-A, where he allowed 98 hits in 118.2 innings. He posted rates of 3.49 BB/9 and 8.57 K/9. In six big league innings, McDonald allowed five hits and one walk, to go along with two strikeouts. He also pitched very well in the playoffs. McDonald’s biggest problem in his regular season debut was that he induced groundballs at a clip of just 15%. Thankfully, the Dodgers team plays in a spacious park.

He’s not overpowering, but the starter-turned-hitter-turned-starter-again has a solid repertoire, which includes a fastball that sits between 89-91 mph and can touch 94 mph. McDonald also has a plus curveball and a good change-up. His control is improving, as is his command.

The right-hander is not as flashy as 2008 rookie Kershaw, but McDonald should be a little more consistent at this point. He probably shouldn’t top 170 innings pitched in 2009, after throwing fewer than 150 innings last season (not including the playoffs). McDonald has a good shot at providing 10 wins for a solid LA club, as well as 120-130 strikeouts. Last season, the club got six wins and a 6.27 ERA out of its No. 5 starter (Brad Penny).

The transactions involving minor league prospects continue to fly across the wire. A number of players received good news: That they had earned starting jobs for opening day.

James McDonald won a starting gig in Los Angeles (NL). Scott Richmond won the fifth spot in the rotation in Toronto; veterans Wade Miller and Matt Clement will continue to follow the comeback trail from serious injuries by pitching in Triple-A. Rick Porcello, who has not pitched above High-A ball, will go every fifth day in Detroit, while former starter Nate Robertson has been banished to the bullpen. Robertson can hang out with 2008 first-round pick Ryan Perry, who made the team despite questionable control.

Rookies Brett Anderson and Trevor Cahill will make up two-fifths of the rotation in Oakland. In Atlanta, Jordan Schafer won the center field job, which caused the club to trade his competition – Josh Anderson – to the Tigers. Dexter Fowler received the go-ahead to patrol center field for Colorado on opening day. An injury to Joe Mauer has allowed Jose Morales to claim the back-up catcher’s role, beating out Drew Butera.

The Florida Marlins organization has been busy. Along with picking up veteran Ross Gload from Kansas City, the club traded infielder Robert Andino to Baltimore for left-handed prospect Hayden Penn. Both players were out of options and would have had to pass through waivers if they had been demoted.

The Marlins also surprisingly released Dallas McPherson, who hit 42 homers in Triple-A last season. Gaby Sanchez, the favorite entering spring to be the club’s first baseman, was demoted to the minors after struggling all spring. The club will move Jorge Cantu across the diamond and play speedy second baseman Emilio Bonifacio (who has zero power) at third base.

The New York Yankees demoted pitcher Alfredo Aceves, who was a surprise contributor in 2008. The club also sent down Dan Giese, who saw some time in the Majors last year. The division-rival Boston Red Sox announced that Chris Carter had won a roster spot as a bench player (It’s about time he got a chance).

The Colorado Rockies finally set first baseman Joe Koshansky free on waivers but he was picked up by Texas, a club that really doesn’t need a first baseman or designated hitter, although things could clear up a bit for him if, as expected, veteran Frank Catalanotto is let go.

Despite smoking the ball and hitting more than .400, Jesus Guzman was sent to the minors by San Francisco. Cleveland reliever Edward Mujica, out of options, was dealt to San Diego.