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Wednesday, July 5, 2017

A Rule That Every Prospector Should Follow

On July 4th, an Aaron Judge BGS graded 9.5 purple auto sold for $14,655. This is the highest sale I have seen for an Aaron Judge card. The one rule that I tell any prospector whether they are young or old is "all you need is one". If your budget allows you to buy multiples autos of a player, by all means proceed but if not, one auto is just fine. When 2009 Bowman Draft was released a Mike Trout auto was only $20. When Aaron Judge struggled during his first callup, prices were very affordable. All you need is one.

Saturday, June 24, 2017

Los Angeles Dodgers OF Alex Verdugo - Buy Immediately


Alex Verdugo is currently on a 13 game hit streak in AAA and 5 years younger than the league average. He is batting .455 in his last 10 games. Verdugo has a 10.4% walk rate and a 9.3% K rate to go along with 14 doubles, 3 triples and 3 home runs on the season. These stats indicate a high level of plate discipline that you want to see in a major league hitter. In my opinion, there is a strong chance that prices could reach Bellinger/Seager levels in the future. I expect a callup to the majors in 2018 (possibly 2017) and I expect Verdugo to rake. The power numbers are not a concern as home run power is the last skill to develop. As I stated on Twitter previously, Mike Trout only hit 23 home runs in his minors career and Verdugo has hit 25. What is scary is that when you compare both players minor league statistics they are very similar. Am I saying that Verdugo is the next Trout? NO. What I am saying is Verdugo is an advanced hitter with 20-30 HR potential with a 70 rated arm. Time is running out so do not wait to invest. Verdugo's cards can still be bought for decent prices.

Link to Stats via Fangraphs
                                       

MLB Prospect Alerts & Updates

As we approach the All Star break, I would like to provide some updates and thoughts on various events happening in the minor leagues. As always feel free to send me a message on the blog or on twitter if you have any questions.


New York Yankees - Dustin Fowler - Back in 2016 I recommended you invest in Fowler. If you bought at that time you are in good shape. Prices have doubled. You hope he would increase his walk rate in the future but the talent is legit.

Oakland Athletics - A.J. Puk - A.J. Puk is now a STRONG BUY. Scouts were initially skeptical but Puk has delivered. He is the lefty that Oakland needs.

Cleveland Indians - Will Benson - I will be watching Will Benson closely as short season begins. Can he cut down on the strikeouts?

Boston Red Sox - Jay Groome - If you like Groome, I strongly suggest investing now. He was a steal in the draft due to character issues but the arm is front end.

Colorado Rockies - Brendan Rodgers - I am aware that Rodgers is on fire right now but there is one issue... He plays in Colorado. If he were to ever be traded I would buy immediately. He's that good.

Short Season Leagues - Keep an eye on all short season & rookie ball leagues. Performance will be a key factor when 2017 Draft is released in September. (Obvious I know)


Stay tuned for more updates from Prospects For Cash!