Here is the minor league report for the 2010 Salt Lake Bees, the Triple-A affiliate for the Los Angeles Angels.
The key name to note on the roster is catcher Hank Conger, a first round pick from the 2006 draft. Last year was the first season he was able to collect more than 400 at bats in a season as he suffered through a string of injuries since he was drafted. He turned 22 in January and has a .296 career minor league batting average with developing power.
Another name to keep an eye on is center fielder Peter Bourjos. A solid defensive player with tons of speed, Bourjos will likely open 2011 in center with Torii Hunter shifting to a corner spot and Bobby Abreu or Juan Rivera moving to designated hitter. Bourjos has a career minor league average of .287 and stole 32 bases in 44 attempts last season.
Starting pitcher Trevor Reckling gets the opening day start for the Bees despite being just 20-years-old. Pitching at two levels in 2009, Reckling had a 2.68 ERA with a 1.328 WHIP and 122 strikeouts in 154 1/3 innings. He still has some work to do on his control after walking 4.5 batters per nine innings last season.
How they rank:
Baseball America: Conger (1), Bourjos (2), Reckling (4)
Keith Law: Conger (2), Reckling (3), Bourjos (4)
John Sickels: Conger (2), Reckling (3), Bourjos (5)
Here is a look at 2010 Salt Lake Bees roster by position:
Catchers:
Hank Conger
Ryan Budde
Infielders:
1B Mark Trumbo
2B Nate Sutton
SS Hainley Statia
3B Freddy Sandoval
Gary Patchett
Outfielders:
Cory Aldridge
Peter Bourjos
Bradley Coon
Nick Gorneault
Michael Ryan
Starting Pitchers:
Marco Albano
Tommy Mendoza
Sean O’Sullivan
Trevor Reckling
Relief Pitchers:
Bobby Cassevah
Daniel Davidson
Gabe DeHoyos
Jeremy Hill
Fernando Rodriguez
Francisco Rodriguez
Rafael Rodriguez
Rich Thompson
