Founded on my research for the “Minors vs Majors” chapter in my book, “Hardball Retroactive” paired with complementary articles “Minors vs. Majors: The Top Minor League Batters in the Expansion Era” and “Minors vs. Majors: The Top Minor League Pitchers in the Expansion Era“, the ensuing series will reveal the Minor League All-Star rosters for every MLB franchise based primarily on single-season statistics in Runs Created / 140 Games (batters) and Fielding Independent Pitching (pitchers).

Selection Criteria

• individual seasons in the Expansion Era (1961 – 2017)
• levels A through AAA
• ages 24 or younger (A and A+)
• age 25 seasons (AA and AAA)
• age 26 seasons (AAA)

Terminology

RC – Runs Created – using the basic formula devised by Bill James:

((H + BB) * TB) / (AB + BB)

Note: I utilized the basic formula as opposed to the Technical Version due to

incomplete GIDP and IBB data.

RC/140 – Runs Created per 140 Games as Minor League ballplayers

RC / (G / 140)

FIP – Fielding Independent Pitching – “Fielding Independent Pitching converts a pitcher’s three true outcomes into an earned run average-like number. The formula is (13*HR+3*(HBP+BB)-2*K)/IP, plus a constant (usually around 3.2) to put it on the same scale as earned run average.

FIP is a component ERA inspired by the work of Voros McCracken on defense-independent pitching statistics, but has become more widely used because of the ease of computation – it requires only four easily-found box score stats, uses only basic arithmetic operations and has four easily-memorized constants. It was conceived of by both Tom Tango and Clay Dreslough, the latter of who called it Defense-Independent Component ERA.” (definition courtesy of Baseball Prospectus Glossary).

((13*HR+3*(HBP+BB)-2*K)/IP)+3.2)

Assessment

The Miami Marlins 

Tim Clark (.363/17/126) blistered opposing hurlers throughout 1993 while playing for the High Desert Mavericks (A+). Clark paced the circuit in batting average, RBI, base hits (185) and triples (10) while finishing runner-up with 42 doubles and 109 runs scored. After spending nearly three seasons in the Mexican League, Clark retired from pro ball following the 1998 season, deprived of a cup of coffee in the Majors. Kevin Millar drilled 30+ two-base knocks in four consecutive campaigns (2001-04) with Florida and Boston after producing a .342 BA with 32 jacks and 131 ribbies as a Portland Sea Dogs (AA) corner infielder in ’97. Giancarlo Stanton flashed light-tower power in his age-18 season with the Greensboro Grasshoppers (A), dialing long-distance 39 times and slugging .611. “Bigfoot” merited 2017 NL MVP honors as he topped the leader boards with 59 dingers, 132 RBI and a .631 SLG. Brian Daubach destroyed International League pitching over two years with the Charlotte Knights (AAA) as he averaged 43 doubles, 28 homers and 109 RBI (1997-98). The “Belleville Basher” clouted 20+ blasts in four straight seasons for the Red Sox (1999-2002). Mark Kotsay (#1, 1996) played for 7 MLB franchises over 17 seasons subsequent to recording 103 tallies and hitting at a .306 clip for Portland (AA) in 1997. The Yankees first-round selection in 1990, Carl “C-Rex” Everett earned a cup of coffee after nabbing 36 bags and combining for a .296 BA between High Desert (A+) and Edmonton (AAA) in ’93. The two-time All-Star registered 14 big-league campaigns for 8 different teams. Logan Morrison established personal-bests with 38 round-trippers and 85 ribbies as the primary first-sacker for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2017. “LoMo” claimed the Florida State League batting crown as he hit .332 BA for the Jupiter Hammerheads (A+). Preston Wilson, a former Mets’ first-round pick from 1992, promptly clubbed 25 doubles and 25 dingers at Charlotte (AAA) after joining the Marlins organization along with fellow prospects Geoff Geotz and Ed Yarnall in exchange for future Hall of Fame backstop Mike Piazza. Wilson swatted 26 big-flies and finished runner-up in the 1999 NL Rookie of the Year vote. Carolina Mudcats’ catcher Josh Willingham walloped 24 blasts in 2004. Spending the majority of the 11-year MLB career as a left fielder, Willingham set career-highs with 35 four-baggers and 110 rib-eye steaks for Minnesota in 2012. Adrian Gonzalez (#1, 2000) flourished in the Midwest League during the 2001 season as he drove in 103 runs with .312 BA and 55 extra-base hits. Shipped to Texas in July 2003 for reliever Ugueth Urbina, “El Titan” went on to appear in 5 All-Star contests and crush 30+ homers in four consecutive seasons.

A.J. Burnett (10-4, 1.97) racked up 186 strikeouts over 119 innings (14.1 SO/9) with the Kane County Cougars (A) in ’98. One decade later, the fire-balling right-hander whiffed 231 batsmen to lead the American League in 2008. Josh Beckett (#1, 1999) split the 2001 campaign between Brevard County (A+) and Portland (AA) where he triumphed in 14 of 15 decisions while posting a 1.54 ERA, 0.829 WHIP and 13.1 strikeouts per 9 innings. A three-time All-Star, Beckett placed second in the 2007 AL Cy Young race as a member of the Red Sox as he fashioned a record of 20 wins against 7 losses. Jose D. Fernandez (#1, 2011) made the leap to the big leagues in 2013 following a superb performance as a 19-year-old in the low minors. His 2012 exploits included a 14-1 mark, an ERA of 1.75 and a 0.925 WHIP in 25 starts. The enthusiastic flame-thrower featured a 2.19 ERA and a WHIP of 0.979 to capture the 2013 NL Rookie of the Year Award.

Starting Lineup	Age	Year	Teams	Levels	POS	RC140	BA	HR	RBI	OBP	SLG
Amaury Garcia	24	1999	CGY	AAA	2B	113.8	0.317	17	53	0.381	0.539
Billy McMillon*	24	1996	CHR	AAA	LF	124.4	0.352	17	70	0.418	0.602
Tim Clark*	24	1993	HDS	A+	DH	138.8	0.363	17	126	0.420	0.584
Kevin Millar	25	1997	PRT	AA	3B	133.9	0.342	32	131	0.423	0.605
Jason Stokes	20	2002	KNC	A	1B	136.1	0.341	27	75	0.421	0.645
Brian Daubach*	26	1998	CHR	AAA	RF	129.4	0.316	35	124	0.421	0.634
Giancarlo Stanton	18	2008	GBO	A	CF	118.7	0.293	39	97	0.381	0.611
Ramon Castro	25	2001	CGY	AAA	C	125.4	0.336	27	90	0.393	0.628
Josh Wilson	23	2004	CAR,ABQ	AA,AAA	SS	94	0.299	15	64	0.371	0.452
Bench	Age	Year	Teams	Levels	POS	RC140	BA	HR	RBI	OBP	SLG
Nate Rolison*	23	2000	CGY	AAA	1B	123.6	0.330	23	88	0.423	0.582
John Raynor	23	2007	GBO	A	LF	116.7	0.333	13	57	0.429	0.519
Mark Kotsay*	21	1997	PRT	AA	OF	112.6	0.306	20	77	0.405	0.514
Carl Everett#	22	1993	HDS,EDM	A+,AAA	OF	112.4	0.296	16	68	0.374	0.535
John Roskos	24	1999	CGY	AAA	OF	111.4	0.320	24	90	0.381	0.549
Jeremy Hermida*	21	2005	CAR	AA	RF	106.9	0.293	18	63	0.457	0.518
Reggie Abercrombie	26	2007	ABQ	AAA	RF	106.4	0.323	17	55	0.361	0.584
Adrian Gonzalez*	19	2001	KNC	A	1B	105.3	0.312	17	103	0.382	0.486
Ryan Jackson*	25	1997	PRT	AA	OF	105.0	0.312	26	98	0.380	0.544
Logan Morrison*	20	2008	JUP	A+	1B	104.2	0.332	13	74	0.402	0.494
Preston Wilson	23	1998	CHR	AAA	OF	104.1	0.278	25	77	0.341	0.576
Brad McCann	22	2005	GBO	A	1B	103.8	0.295	28	106	0.355	0.552
Josh Willingham	25	2004	CAR	AA	C	103.5	0.281	24	76	0.449	0.565
Gaby Sanchez	24	2008	CAR	AA	1B	103.3	0.314	17	92	0.404	0.513
Austin Barnes	22	2012	GBO	A	2B	102.9	0.318	12	65	0.401	0.481

 

Starters	Age	Year	Teams	Levels	FIP	WLSV	ERA	WHIP	BB9	SO9
A.J. Burnett	21	1998	KNC	A	1.74	10-4	1.97	1.000	3.4	14.1
Josh Beckett	21	2001	PRT,BRE	AA,A+	1.86	14-1	1.54	0.829	2.2	13.1
Jose D. Fernandez	19	2012	GBO,JUP	A,A+	1.93	14-1	1.75	0.925	2.4	10.6
Trevor Richards	24	2017	JCK,JUP	AA,A+	2.35	12-11	2.53	1.034	1.8	9.7
Scott Comer*	22	1999	BRE	A+	2.38	9-4	2.35	0.962	0.3	5.9
Relievers	Age	Year	Teams	Levels	FIP	WLSV	ERA	WHIP	BB9	SO9
Nick Wittgren	22	2013	JUP,JCK	A+,AA	1.87	26	0.77	0.895	1.5	9.8
Casey Blalock	23	2003	GBO,JUP	A,A+	1.80	19	1.67	0.900	2.1	9.8
Corey Madden	24	2008	GBO,JUP	A,A+	1.62	6-0	1.04	0.897	2.6	13.5
Jose Quijada*	20	2016	GBO,JUP	A,A+	1.68	5-2	2.34	0.798	1.8	12.4
A.J. Battisto	24	2008	GBO	A	1.75	8-1	1.55	0.900	1.2	11.2
Bench	Age	Year	Teams	Levels	FIP	WLSV	ERA	WHIP	BB9	SO9
Ben Meyer	24	2017	JUP,GBO	A+,A	2.06	6-3	2.03	0.936	1.9	10.9
Will Cunnane	20	1994	KNC	A	2.48	11-3	1.43	0.962	1.5	6.9
Adam Conley*	22	2012	GBO,JUP	A,A+	2.57	11-5	3.47	1.260	3.0	9.6
Greg Nappo*	24	2013	JUP,NOR	A+,AAA	1.81	5-1	1.11	0.912	1.4	8.8
Pete Andrelczyk	23	2009	GBO,JUP	A,A+	1.94	19	2.73	1.214	2.1	11.1
Todd Doolittle	23	2006	GBO,JUP	A,A+	2.01	7-2	1.24	0.949	3.1	11.8

Honorable Mention

Christian Yelich (#1, 2010) pilfered 32 bags in 37 tries, smacked 32 doubles and compiled a .312 BA for the Greensboro Grasshoppers (A) as a 19-year-old in 2011. “Yeli” merited 2018 NL MVP honors after slashing .326/.402/.598 with 36 bombs and 110 RBI for the Brew Crew. Dontrelle Willis’ 12-2 record, 1.83 ERA and 0.884 WHIP spanned two minor league stops in 2002, foreshadowing his 2003 NL Rookie of the Year campaign. The “D-Train” led the Senior Circuit in victories (22) and shutouts (5) to place runner-up in the 2005 NL Cy Young balloting. AJ Ramos (2.81, 40 SV) attained All-Star status in 2016, four years after locking down 21 contests with an ERA of 2.09, a 0.836 WHIP and 11.7 SO/9 with the Jacksonville Suns (AA).

Batters	Age	Year	Teams	Levels	POS	RC140	BA	HR	RBI	OBP	SLG
Justin Bour*	26	2014	NOR	AAA	1B	100.2	0.306	18	72	0.372	0.517
Brett Carroll	24	2007	ABQ,CAR	AAA,AA	RF	99.4	0.304	22	82	0.361	0.572
Mark Canha	22	2011	GBO	A	1B	98.9	0.276	25	85	0.374	0.529
Christian Yelich*	19	2011	GBO	A	LF	98.7	0.312	15	77	0.388	0.484
Pat Magness*	24	2002	JUP	A+	1B	98.6	0.292	16	73	0.412	0.487
Kyle Jensen	23	2011	JUP,JCK	A+,AA	LF	98.4	0.299	27	76	0.373	0.524
Ross Gload*	22	1998	KNC	A	1B	97.9	0.313	12	92	0.386	0.479
Nigel Wilson*	23	1993	EDM	AAA	OF	97.7	0.292	17	68	0.351	0.538
Felix Munoz*	22	2014	GBO	A	1B	97.1	0.300	16	91	0.368	0.476
Brent Keys*	21	2012	GBO	A	CF	95.6	0.335	5	51	0.394	0.449

 

Pitchers	Age	Year	Teams	Levels	FIP	WLSV	ERA	WHIP	BB9	SO9
Luis M. Castillo	23	2016	JUP,JCK	A+,AA	2.59	8-6	2.26	1.006	1.7	7.1
Dontrelle Willis*	20	2002	KNC,JUP	A,A+	2.61	12-2	1.83	0.884	1.4	7.3
Dillon Peters*	23	2016	JUP,JCK	A+,AA	2.65	14-6	2.39	1.084	1.4	7.4
Michael Brady	24	2011	GBO,JCK	A,AA	2.03	18	2.00	0.856	1.6	11.6
AJ Ramos	25	2012	JCK	AA	2.09	21	1.45	0.836	2.8	11.7
Marcus Crescentini	24	2017	GBO,JUP	A,A+	2.10	3-1	1.41	0.900	2.8	12.0

References and Resources

Baseball-Reference

Bill James Baseball Abstract

Seamheads – Baseball Gauge

About the Author 

I am a New Jersey native with a passion for baseball, statistics, computers and video games who enjoys spending quality time with his family.

“Hardball Retroactive”, published in June 2018, is available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com along with digital eBook format at GooglePlay.com.  

“Hardball Retrospective” is available in digital format on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, GooglePlay, iTunes and KoboBooks. The paperback edition is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and CreateSpace. Supplemental Statistics, Charts and Graphs along with a discussion forum are offered at TuataraSoftware.com.

Don Daglow (Intellivision World Series Major League Baseball, Earl Weaver Baseball, Tony LaRussa Baseball) contributed the foreword for Hardball Retrospective. The foreword and preview of my book are accessible here.

“Hardball Retrospective – Addendum 2014 to 2016” supplements my research for Hardball Retrospective, providing retroactive standings based on Wins Above Replacement (WAR) and Win Shares (WS) for each “original” team over the past three seasons (2014-2016). Team totals from 2010 – 2013 are included for reference purposes. “Addendum” is available in paperback and digital formats through Amazon, Barnes and Noble and CreateSpace.