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| Billy Hamilton http://www.milb.com/assets/images/0/8/6/44267086/ cuts/Hamilton480_3ad0a8ny_s504kwp7.jpg |
Hamilton made national news last year when he broke the record for most steals in a season. This season, however, Hamilton has struggled. He is only hitting .243 with a .301 on-base percentage and a slugging percentage .338. I would place some of his struggles on him switching positions. Hamilton has played shortstop almost exclusively during his career. Now, he has been moved to the outfield. He probably spent most of the winter focusing on his fielding in the outfield. That probably set his hitting back. He does have 46 steals in 69 games, which is not as good as last year, but is still excellent. Hamilton had a good chance of being called up before September, but due to his struggles, I wouldn't expect to see him in a full time capacity until the middle of next year.
Oscar Taveras
Taveras was a top three prospect coming into the year and still is. However, the other two high profile position players, Profar and Wil Myers, have been called up to the majors. Taveras is in a much different situation. The Cardinals outfield is not weak or injured, meaning there is not spot for him to go. He also had a right ankle injury that took him out for about a month. Taveras is playing fine in Triple-A, but a major flaw is being exposed. Taveras is having difficulty hitting left-handed pitching. Against righties, he is hitting very well with a .361 batting average and a .567 slugging percentage. It is the exact opposite against southpaws. Taveras is hitting an abysmal .197 batting average plus a .273 slugging percentage. He needs to improve drastically against lefties. Once he does, he will become a much better player. Even with his struggles against southpaws, I would expect the twenty-one year old to be up in the majors by the middle of July.
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| Byron Buxton http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site569/2013/0608/ 20130608__130608_Twins_ByronBuxton.jpg |
Buxton is playing very well for the Ceder Rapids Kernals. His performance has feature him being excellent on every part of the game. He is hitting for power and contact, is stealing bases, and is playing solid defense. The number two overall pick in the 2012 MLB Draft currently has eight homers, fifteen doubles, eight triples, forty walks, and 52 RBIs. His batting average (2nd in the Midwest League), on-base percentage (1st), and slugging percentage (2nd) are .339, .425, and .553 respectively. He also has 29 steals. His fielding percentage in center is great at .993 and including three assists. Buxton may be on his way to becoming the next great all-around star. He can bat leadoff or cleanup or anywhere in the lineup. Expect big things from him.
