Rowell is the type of draft pick that kills you emotionally. Super talented, but from what I've heard, super lazy. He's only 20, which is a hard age to really buckle down and launch a career (I guarantee you when I was 20, I didn't worry too much about long term development, but was more interested in girls and the approaching bar scene). But, I still have hope, especially since he's so young. However, to be successful, he'll need to find a new found dedication that he probably hasn't demonstrated up to this point.

It also doesn't help that he was drafted directly in front of Tim Lincecum and Max Scherzer.

Btw, way to not put Rowell on the top of this list. Although there aren't too many studs here, he hasn't shown anything to indicate that he'll ever be a mlb player.

Dean,
Nice work on the rankings....But
I have to disagree with your ranking of O's Thirdbaseman, in fact my rankings are in total reverse order from yours. Nettles in going to be 30 yrs. old, and is an organizational player. Rowell is still young and, should still blossom, after going thru minor growing pains. Rowell may also be moved to Firstbase due to the fact that he's tall and still growing. Costanzo has steadly moved up the minor league ladder the last 3 1/2 seasons. The K's are a concern, but you have to realize that he played half his games at Harbor Park in Norfolk, which is a lefty hitters nightmare....plus he hit 27 homers only a year ago in Reading. Henson & Kolodny are nice players too, but should not be ranked ahead of Rowell & Costanzo.

Those probably are the best prospects. Unfortunately the only guy on the list with fewer than 20 errors is Kolodny with 18. But he only played in 71 games at 3B.

These reviews of Orioles prospects are great to get...but MUST raise significant concerns. The MLB team has a twilight-of-his career 3b in Mora...NO shortstop...a second baseman who is likely to be traded or will leave...and a twilight of his career 1b. This team has no infield and no exciting infield prospects.

This seems like a problem.

i think that your ratings are appropriate, given the lack of progress on rowell's part and i think that the orioles should remain consistent with their policy of giving the minor leaguers time to develope proficiency at one level before promoting them to the next. therefore, rowell should remain at frederick until he has mastered that skill level.
but let me throw in another name for consideration: brandon snyder. i don't know how his experiences at third have graded out( i rely on your opinion), but , i guess that it didn't turn out too good since he's been playing most of games at first.
since the orioles may soon have an excess of outfielders( making one eligible too train at first), and salazar has such a good fielding percentage while playing first, they already have huff and they are going to make an offer to texiera( fat chance), then, why not revisit snider's ability to play third ? just something to throw out. i know that you couldn't rate him as a third baseman since he played so few games there.
love the blog.

What about Scott Moore? Where does he rank in this mix?

Given what we have in our minor league system at 3B the O's need to trade for a quality 3rd sacker.

No Scott Moore??
He has to be in the Top 5 somewhere.
Before his injury, he was the top infield prospect with O's....

Last year at Delmarva I had the chance to watch Rowell many times. He showed good fastball recognition and patience but was absolutely flummoxed by breaking balls. He was also a lousy fielder. From everything I've heard and read, he hasn't changed (which is a big problem).

Here's a story about Rowell from his time with the Shorebirds: Rowell had an expensive sportscar he'd purchased with his bonus money. When the team went on road trips, Rowell would cover the car. After one trip, he came back to discover the cover had blown off the car. He approached the locker room attendant and was reportedly angry with him for not keeping an eye on his car. Reportedly, the locker room attendant (who is at least a foot shorter) got right back in his face and let him know where he could stuff his car cover. (This makes me hope that the Shorebirds staff drove his car around that lot like the parking attendants in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off.")

Rowell was a colossal error in judgment by whoever decided to draft him, as was the Snyder pick. Come to think of it, so was Townsend.

In my opinion we have had ten plus years of bad drafting, organizational inpetness from top to bottom, lack of leadership from top to bottom, and lack of any semblance of a plan that made any sense.

I understand that Macpail has at least IDENTIFIED some of the problems that were systemic in nature (lack of pacific Rim Scouting, lack of a presence in the Dominican, etc) and is working to correct those problems, but we are 5 years away from realizing any benefits to whatever corrective action he does take.

We got lucky in 2007, plain and simple. Wieters was the best bat in the draft, and he slipped to us. Shame on those GMs who shied away from him because of his "price tag."

But in the absence of other GMs continuing to screw up, I am not comfortable in the abilities of our scouts to select the right guy. It bothers me that with the exception of guys who came via the recent trades (Sherrill, Jones, Tillman, Albers, Sarfate, etc), ALL the minor league system can truly point to as probable contributors is Wieters and Arieta. Thats a pathetic track record, and lest you believe it is getting better, consider this...by the time any of these kids reach the majors, Mora and Roberts and Huff will be gone or in a serious state of decline and Markakis and Guthrie will likely be right behind em.

If I'm not mistaken, didn't Rowell, when taking batting practice at Camden Yards after getting drafted, boast about how soon he would be playing at the Yard? So much for arrogance.

Captive Fan - "twilight of their career" 3B and 1B basemen???

While Mora's numbers had been declining since his career year (which is defined as a year well beyond anything previously done or that will not likely be duplicated in the future), he has had a very good present season. This year he has shown us his ability to hit in the clutch, drive in runs and, when healthy, to do so at a prodigious level. As well, I simply do not understand many fans' angst with his defense. He plays a solid, if not a near Gold Glove, 3B. With that said, most of the errors he does commit do seem to be of the outcome-determinative variety. Likewise, he makes some incredibly baffling base running decisions/errors, but this is straying from the point. The only real problem that I have seen with him is one that has haunted him throughout his career which involves his health. When he gets injured, he is a notoriously slow healer; as he gets older, his required healing time will only likely increase. Nonetheless, as a "late bloomer," there is a belief that he is physically younger than his age which should provide him another 2-3 productive years.

Assuming you're referring to Huff at 1B--if you're speaking of Millar, I have nothing to offer on your point other than to suggest Huff's insertion into this position. Again, his numbers, too, had been declining before this year. However, he has also enjoyed a very productive season (around his prior "career" year, but easily within a predictable range of acceptable productivity that can be envsioned for a number of future seasons.) As a new father with, presumably, a more serious outlook on his career and family, there is no reason to think that he cannot maintain the same or a reasonably similar offensive performance for another 4-5 years.

With this respective projected short-term to mid-length viability at 1B and 3B, and assuming the O's make no organizational changes to address either of these positions over the next couple of years, that should provide them with a reasonable window of time during which to fully evaluate Rowell's, Snyder's, Moore's, et al. continued progress, or lack thereof, through the minors, and, if necessary, act upon it with draft picks, trades or free agent signings to fill these positions.

I believe that the O's, with McPhail, finally have an organizational plan which includes an emphasis on restocking their minor league system. The wreck this franchise has become over the past decade and the positional holes that have been created by the decisions made over this same period cannot be reversed in a single season.

you know all you bloggers and most people talk about is how many hr's someone hits or what their batting average is. when are people going to wake up and realize how important defense is? people... it is pitching and defense that wins games. have you noticed the texas rangers offense performance over the last 10 yrs. and have you noticed how many playoffs and world series they are in. the orioles hit fine this yr but they are in last place. hitting is fine, but if you don't have pitching and defense you don't go to the world series. better to have someone hit 15-20 hr and play great then to hit 30 hr with 25 errors.

fkterp - Your point is well-taken and, to a point, largely true. However, this particular blog addressed the O's 3B prospects which would, and did, naturally lead to a discussion of the O's corner infielders as same can be and are often interchangable. And, besides, it is the rare player that makes it to and remains in the major leagues who do not or cannot hit (usually back-up catchers, shortstops and outfielders). Accordingly, I don't think the nature of the bloggers' statements ignored the importance of pitching or defense.

Defense is critical, but particularly so when your hitting is below-average. You can get away with some defensive lapses if your pitching is adequate. As I live in Texas and see a number of Rangers' games each year, it is seldom their defense and virtually always their pitching that derails them. The limit to your theory, as you indicated, requires at least a modicum of offensive proficiency for this formula to work. Otherwise, the O's would be fielding a roster full of Brandon Faheys (although in watching his late inning defensive performance on Sunday night at Yankee Stadium, one could wonder why he is even on an MLB roster) or, worse, Freddie Bynums. Frankly, I believe they already have too many of those type players suiting up. If so, then the bloggers could have all sorts of fun.

I like the young guys on the list. Rowell is young and can rebound with another season at Frederick. Review Jay Bruce's fair record in low A and being in the bigs a year and half later. The best prospect to play third for the O's in the future is B Snyder, I look for a switch next year at Bowie. Not that is matters, what happen to Adam Moore?
Thanks for your minor league review.

Another nice article on minors. I like the young guys but Nettles reaching the O's is a long shot. Probably the minor leaguer mostly likely to play 3rd for the O's is B Snyder with Blake Davis at 2nd.

I still can't believe we took Rowell in front of Tim Lincecum, just being reminded of that makes me want to hang myself.

rowell is lazy and has block hands.
he was a bad draft choice and i
do not think he will ever be in the majors...from a shorebird fan

I'm "watching" Hawaii Winter League game on MILB Gameday. Henson is off to a terrific start. Batting over 400 and has more walks than K's. Of course he just struck out as I write this.

I am also curious about why Scot Moore was omitted? Any chance of Brandon Snyder moving to 3B? As a former catcher, he may be able to develop at 3B. It's easier fo find a 1B and neither Rowell, Moore or any of the others is a "can't miss" for 3B.