Q: Jaypers from Illinois asks:
What's happened to Balentien's swing this year? His K's were off the charts. Assuming he fixes this, when is the earliest you could see a callup in his future?

A: Will Lingo: Perhaps the most intriguing prospect for me in the league this year. One scout described Balentien as taking a "Cuban approach" at the plate, meaning he's not going to get cheated on any swing. He has massive tools but has not shown the ability to make adjustments yet, so it's hard to see him in the big leagues until something clicks with that. I think sending him back to Double-A would be the best idea. I wouldn't expect him to contribute until 08 at the earliest.

Q: Jerry from Albany, NY asks:
Bill, I was wondering if you could compare Adam Jones and Chris Young. They both seem like pretty similar players: athletic CFers with power. Both draw comps like Eric Davis and Mike Cameron. You have Young ranked above Jones. However, Jones' numbers were nearly as good, despite the fact that he is two years younger than Young (who is actually 23, not 22). The M's have been ultra agressive with their promotions, hoping that prospects can rise above adversity. Thus, I think that the fact that Jones even held his own in the PCL at age 21 is pretty impressive, especially considering his position switch. Does the M's agressive promotions (and the resulting underwhelming stats) have an effect on how these guys are rated?

A: Bill Ballew: To answer your last question first, no, Jerry, the M's aggressive promotion really didn't have anything to do with the rankings. Young is just a little more polished than Jones at this point. You're right in that they are both similar, and I really like the potential both have. In fact, I'm a huge Adam Jones fan. He has a big upside and continues to get better and better. That should continue to be the case, especially as he gets more comfortable in the middle garden.

Q: Tom from Mineola asks:
Regarding Adam Jones, I keep reading comps to Mike Cameron, but given his relative low number of walks, wouldn't Torii Hunter be a more accurate comparison? I mean, a typical Cameron season would include 70-80 BBs. I just don't see Jones having that type of patience. Would you agree?

A: Bill Ballew: I like the comparisons to Hunter better than to Cameron, too. I think Adam will draw more walks as he gets experience. He's moved so fast in the past two years all the while making a defensive position change. If he can stay in one place for a while and gain his bearings, he'll be a solid all-around player.

posted by Jay Y. @ 1:35 PM

posted by Jay Y. @ 12:00 AM