Mariners farm report: M's '02 draft outlook fades

It may take another year or two to make a clearer evaluation of the Mariners' 2002 draft, but after just a year things are a bit muddy.

The 2002 draft class had the potential to be one of the better ones in recent years despite the M's picking 28th last summer. The Mariners took a chance on drafting high-school outfielder/first baseman John Mayberry Jr. even though he told teams he intended to play for Stanford. He followed through and the Mariners failed to sign their No. 1 choice for the first time in club history.

Mayberry started off well at Stanford, but as a freshman in the powerful Pac-10, he faded at the end. He still hit .299 in 57 games with six doubles, six triples, four home runs and 33 RBI.

The Mariners also failed to sign their No. 3 pick, high-school outfielder Eduardo Martinez-Esteve. He played for Florida State and led his team in hitting at .377 with 12 doubles, 13 triples, nine home runs and 43 RBI in 53 games.

Then last week the California League suspended Inland Empire second baseman Evel Bastida for the remainder of the season. Bastida, the No. 7 pick in 2002, was hit by a pitch in Monday's game at Lancaster and then charged the mound with his bat in his hand and hit the opposing pitcher, triggering a bench-clearing brawl that resulted in eight players from each team being ejected. Mariners officials are considering releasing Bastida at the end of the season.

Things could change, but the 2002 draft outlook looks dim.

"Two didn't sign and the future of Bastida is uncertain. So it does weaken (the 2002 top 10) by 30 percent. And some don't emerge," said Benny Looper, the Mariners vice president of player development.

A handful of other prospects will try to avoid a void year in the franchise's draft progression.

Other players taken in the top 10 of 2002 are: No. 2 2B Josh Womack (.265, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 27 games for Everett), No. 4 RHP Randall Frye (4-5, 5.82 earned-run average, 11 games for Everett), No. 5 LHP Kendall Bergdall (3-3, 4.88 in seven games in Arizona League), No. 6 LHP Troy Cate (9-10, 3.99 in 24 games for Inland Empire), No. 8 LHP Brandon Perry (0-0, 2.48 in 16 games in Arizona League), No. 9 RHP Terry Forbes (combined 4-0, 4.93) and No. 10 RHP Brian Stitt (combined 1-1, 4.50).

Frye (6 feet 5, 210 pounds) and Bergdall (6-3, 195) are both good-sized prospects who likely will get bigger and stronger. Frye is a pitcher recommended by Midwest scout Ken Madeja, who has helped clubs sign mostly Michigan prospects such as John Smoltz, Matt Thornton, Derek Lowe, Matt Mantei and Ryan Anderson.

"Bergdall is a big guy. We'll see how he comes along," Looper said. "Frye has had his ups and downs, but I think he's got a chance."

Wisconsin has three players from the 2002 draft powering its offense, including 3B Matt Hagen, the No. 12 pick, who is third in the Midwest League with 21 home runs.

"You get a lot of strikeouts, but sometimes they figure it out," Looper said. "Guys like (Rafael) Palmeiro, Juan Gonzalez, Matt Williams had trouble early in their careers with the breaking ball. But you put them out there enough, they make the adjustment. Hopefully, Hagen falls in that area."

Perhaps the best player from 2002 is one not drafted, RHP Feliz Hernandez. He was signed as a non-drafted free agent out of Venezuela. Hernandez, who is 17 years old and can throw 97 miles per hour, was 7-2 with a 2.29 ERA in 11 outings with Everett before being promoted to Wisconsin last week.

"It's really too early make call (on the draft)," Looper said. "It's hard to get real excited about it other than Hernandez. But it's too early to know."

Looper added that at this point in their careers he doesn't pay attention to numbers. "Just let them pitch and play the game. If the ability is there," he said, "it'll come out."

Records and statistics through Thursday's games.

Tacoma Rainiers

Record: 60-73, fourth place North Division, Class AAA, Pacific Coast League

What's up: The Rainiers may have had their best run of the season, which ended early last week. They beat Nashville Monday, 2-1. That completed a four-game sweep of the Sounds and gave them wins in nine of 10 games. . The Rainiers then lost two in a row before winning Thursday's game 3-2 over Salt Lake on a two-run home run by SS Carlos Guillen. ... OF Chris Snelling, who was coming back from knee surgery, had his season cut short again with meniscus surgery. In 18 games for the Rainiers, Snelling hit .269 with three home runs and 10 RBI. Snelling hit .333 with three home runs and 25 RBI in 47 games with San Antonio before being promoted. ... RHP Brian Falkenborg has been activated after five weeks on the DL with an oblique strain. He will work out of the bullpen.

Leaders

Avg: Pat Borders .321; Julio Mosquera .303; Chad Meyers .290; Luis Figueroa .282.

HR: Andy Barkett 12; Borders, Phillips 11.

RBI: Barkett 56; Borders 45; Figueroa 43; Adrian Myers 43.

SB: Meyers 35; Jamal Strong 20; Lopez 19; Myers, 18; Ruben Castillo 17.

Wins: Craig Anderson 11; Brian Sweeney 10.

ERA: Johnson 2.15; Aaron Taylor 2.45; J.J. Putz 2.53.

Strikeouts: Sweeney 110; Atchison 82; Jeff Heaverlo 69.

Saves: Taylor 16; Putz 9; Giovanni Carrara 5.

San Antonio Missions

Record: 35-25, first in West Division, Class AA Texas League

What's up: The Mariners will have six players involved with the Peoria Javelinas in the Arizona Fall League in September, and five of them have ties to the Missions. Three of them are current Missions players: 3B Justin Leone, RHP Cha Baek and LHP George Sherrill, a former independent league player. Two others played for the Missions before being promoted: LHP Matt Thornton and OF Chris Snelling. OF Jamal Strong is the other player added to the Peoria team. ... Despite a so-so record over the past couple weeks, the Missions are on the verge of clinching the second half of the West Division. Their magic number was three heading into the weekend. Once they clinch, the Missions will have an automatic spot in the championship series Sept. 7-14.

Leaders

Avg: Jim Horner .298; John Lindsey .294; Rob Gandolfo .293; A.J. Zapp .284; Justin Leone. 283.

HR: Zapp 24; Leone 20; Jose Lopez 12.

RBI: Leone, Zapp 86; Lopez 65; Jaime Bubela 60.

SB: Mike Curry 54; Elpidio Guzman 24; Luis Ugueto, Bubela 23.

Wins: Travis Blackley 16; Bobby Madritsch 12; Clint Nageotte 10.

ERA: Tim Hamulack 2.06; Josue Matos 2.33; Blackley 2.46; Nageotte 3.21; Gustavo Martinez 3.30.

Strikeouts: Nageotte 145; Madritsch 138; Blackley 136; Matos 100.

Saves: Jared Hoerman 34.

Inland Empire 66ers

Record: 34-25, first place in South Division, Class A California League

What's up: By all accounts, 2B Evel Bastida committed an unthinkable offense Monday in an ugly 15th-inning brawl with Lancaster. In the top of the 15th, John Castellano doubled with the bases loaded to give Inland Empire a 7-4 lead. Lancaster pitcher Josh Kranawetter then hit Bastida in the back with a pitch. He then charged the mound and hit Kranawetter in the back with his bat. The game was suspended and so was Bastida — for the season. The Mariners will decide after the season whether to release him. ... Inland and Lake Elsinore have been trading first and second place in the South Division for the past two weeks. The winner advances to the playoffs. The runner-up could still advance as the wild card.

Leaders

Avg: Dustin Delucchi .323; John Castellano .312; Chris Collins .292; Shin-Soo Choo .284; Luis Oliveros .277.

HR: Hunter Brown 14; Castellano 11; Choo 9.

RBI: Castellano 66; Brown 58; Choo 48.

SB: Choo 18; Delucchi 13; Castellano 11.

Wins: Ryan Ketchner 12; Troy Cate 9; Glenn Bott 7; Emiliano Fruto 6.

ERA: Bott 3.10; Ryan Rowland-Smith 3.20; Justin Blood 3.51; Ketchner 3.62; Jared Thomas 3.64.

Strikeouts: Cate 138; Ketchner 132; Bott 127.

Saves: Fruto 5.

Wisconsin TimberRattlers

Record: 25-33, seventh in Western Division, Class A Midwest League

What's up: LHP Bobby Livingston, the fourth-round draft choice in 2001, won his 14th game last Sunday to set the TimberRattlers' franchise record for wins in a season. He pitched the T-Rats to a 2-1 win over Battle Creek. ... RHP Felix Hernandez was promoted from Everett to the T-Rats for the final two weeks of the season. The idea is two-fold — one, to see how Hernandez performs on a higher level and, two, to help Wisconsin in the playoffs. The T-Rats earned the wild-card spot in the first half. Wisconsin finishes out the season playing one team — Kane County — for the next seven games.

Leaders

Avg: Gary Harris .279; Rene Rivera .275; Carlos Arroyo .266; Jon Nelson, T.J. Bohn, Corey Harrington .262.

HR: Matt Hagen 21; Nelson 16; T.J. Bohn 13.

RBI: Nelson 83; Bohn 65; Hagen 63.

SB: Harris 33; Harrington 18; Arroyo, Michael Garciaparra 14; Nelson 13.

Wins: Bobby Livingston 14; Juan Sandoval 10; T.A. Fulmer 9; Cesar Jimenez 8.

ERA: Miguel Martinez 1.00; Fulmer 2.49; Livingston 2.60; Brian Heaston 2.83; Jimenez 3.03; David Viane 3.05.

Strikeouts: Fulmer 117; Livingston 101; Tanner Watson 80.

Saves: Heaston 8; Viane 6.

Everett AquaSox

Record: 27-35, fourth in Northwest Rookie League

What's up: RHP Felix Hernandez has been moved up to Wisconsin. The hard-throwing 17-year-old from Venezuela was among the pitching leaders in the Northwest League. He was tied for first in wins with seven, had the fifth-best earned-run average at 2.29 and was fourth in strikeouts with 73. ... The AquaSox have three players averaging at least .300 — 1B Eric Blakeley at .326, 2B Nick Orlandos at .313 and C Justin Ruchti at .300. Blakeley would rank second in the league but he doesn't have enough plate appearances to qualify. Orlandos is ranked third in the league. Orlandos also is second in hits with 69, three behind the leader.

Leaders

Avg: Nick Orlandos .319; Eric Blakeley .326; Jeremy Dutton .282.

HR: Colton 5; Samuel Bradford 4; Blakeley 3.

RBI: Colton 31; Dutton 29; Oswaldo Navarro 22; Josh Ellison 21.

SB: Navarro, Colton 16; Orlandos 14; Blakeley 11.

Wins: Beau Hintz 5; Randall Frye, Thomas Oldham 4; Victor Ramirez 3.

ERA: Brandon Moorhead 1.57; Kenly Chang 3.23; Justin Ockerman 3.51; Oldham 3.53.

Strikeouts: Hintz 57; Ramirez 53; Oldham 49.

Saves: Moorhead 13.