The 5'10", 180-pound Jimmy Negrych is from Buffalo, where he was born on March 2, 1985. He starred at St. Francis HS, where he hit .500 with 91 RBI, 11 home runs and 35 stolen bases before going on to have an All-America career for Pitt.
He started out by being named the Big East Rookie of the Year in 2004, earning Freshman All-America honors from both Baseball America and Louisville Slugger. Negrych finished second in the conference in batting with a .378 average and sixth in on-base percentage (.464) and slugging percentage (.592).
In 2005, Negrych hit .349 and set a Pitt record by drawing 44 walks. He led the Big East with 16 homers, was second with 59 RBI and was selected All-Conference. Baseball America christened him as an All-America as the best second baseman in NCAA Division I.
As a junior, Negrych continued raking with a .396 average, 11 homers and 60 RBI. His .515 OBP was 7th in NCAA Division I and BA picked him as an All-America for the second time. He became one of three Panthers to collect 200 hits during their Pitt careers.
The Pirates made him a fourth-round draft pick in 2006, and signed him soon afterwards for $150K.
Negrych stared out at short season Williamsport, hitting .267 while making the transition to wooden bats, heating up as the season went on. But the year ended abruptly for him in August, when he tore thumb ligaments while sliding into third base.
He was shut down for three months after surgery, and began 2007 at Class A Hickory. Negrych hit .287 in 84 games but his power dried up; many credit that to the thumb injury from the prior year. But he was hurt again, missing several weeks of action with an oblique strain. Negrych played second for the Crawdads, and did OK, committing 10 errors.
In 2008, he finally accepted the fact that he's not the long ball threat in the pros that he was in college, and quit trying to yank pitches.
Negrych cranks out line drives, and has pretty good gap power. He's patient at the dish, and his walks to K's ratio is almost 1:1. Throw in the fact that he finally had an injury-free year, and it added up to a break out season.
Negrych was named the Pirates' Minor League Player of the Year after posting a .359 batting average between Lynchburg and Altoona, fifth best in the entire minor leagues. He also ranked fifth in on-base percentage (.438), ninth in hits (170) and 12th in doubles (41).
Ah, but that glove. Not very toolsy, his speed, range, and arm are considered below-average, and the Bucs played him primarily at third, grooming him for a job as a MLB utility guy. Still, he booted 31 balls in 2008. They gave up on him being a competent hot corner guy.
The Pirates sent him to Hawaii in the Arizona Fall League to play second, his position at Pitt and one that better fits his bat (and mitt). He only hit .225 there, and the injury bug that he avoided during the season bit him again at West Oahu, as he lost a couple of weeks to a finger sprain. So that winter audition was a washout for the scouts.
He returned to Altoona last season, and they put him back at second base, where he showed some improvement. Negrych hit .272 there after an icy start, but again, he was lost in July when he had hematoma surgery after a collision in the infield with Brian Friday.
He'll be 25 next season, and should be the starting second baseman again at Altoona, although he could move to AAA, especially if Neil Walker makes the big club out of camp, he's seen as potentially blocking one of the Pirate pups as they rise in the system, or the suits figure it's put-up-or-shut-up time.
The clock's ticking on him, and Satchel Paige's old saw of "don't look back, someone may be gaining on you" is in play for him. The Pirates have a sweet collection of high pedigree draftees that they're fast-tracking, and they're quickly closing the gap. Negrych is also Rule 5 eligible this year, and presents the Pirates with a decision.
His play so far profiles him as a Delwyn Young clone, and that's a valuable commodity for any MLB bench. His organizational line is .307/.382.410, certainly nothing to sneeze at, and he has great plate discipline. But he's always hurt, and though it's nothing that's chronic, the injuries being more along the lines of bad luck (think Ryan Doumit), it's tough to make the club in a tub.
Another consideration is the status of Akinara Iwamura. The new Bucco second baseman is in his walk year contractually, and the Bucs likely will either ink him for a couple of more seasons or move him in July.
His future stay with Pittsburgh may well hinge on whether Shelby Ford can recover in 2010, or if Negrych can push him aside to provide Neal Huntington with a viable option at second in 2011 at a much cheaper price for the short term (along, of course, with the Andy LaRoche scenario).
It should make Indy a battleground for the two wanna-be second-basemen of the future with Aki as an interested observer.
The lefty is also probably ready for a bench role as an extra stick. ZiPS projects him as a .274 hitter in 2010; Chones has him hitting .267.
So the Buc suits have to decide whether to put him on the 40-man roster or risk losing him; there are several factors to weigh. Whichever way the coin toss goes, this is a make or break season for Negrych in determining if he's a major league prospect or poseur.
(Next - #18 Brett Lorin)
Showing posts with label jim negrych. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jim negrych. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Jim Negrych: Have Bat, Will Travel
Among all the hoo-hah generated by the Bucs bringing in a boatload of new blood through their deadline deals, one home grown talent has continued to shine bright as a pure hitter in the Pittsburgh organization, infielder Jim Negrych.
The 5'10", 180-pound second sacker is from Buffalo, where he was born on March 2, 1985. He starred at St. Francis HS, where he hit .500 with 91 RBI, 11 home runs and 35 stolen bases before going on to have a lights-out career for Pitt.
Negrych was the Beast of the Big East during his three years with the Panthers.
He started out by being named the Big East Rookie of the Year in 2004, earning Freshman All-America honors from both Baseball America and Louisville Slugger. Negrych finished second in the conference in batting with a .378 average and sixth in on-base percentage (.464) and slugging percentage (.592).
In 2005, Negrych hit .349 and set a Pitt record by drawing 44 walks. He led the Big East with 16 homers, was second with 59 RBI and was selected All-Conference. Baseball America christened him as an All-America as the best second baseman in NCAA Division I.
As a junior, Negrych continued raking with a .396 average, 11 homers and 60 RBI. His .515 OBP was 7th in NCAA Division I and BA picked him as an All-America for the second time. He became one of three Panthers to collect 200 hits during their Pitt careers.
The Pirates made him a fourth-round draft pick in 2006, and Negrych was off to an OK start at short season Williamsport, hitting .267 with a .711 OPS while making the transition to wooden bats, heating up as the season went on. But the year ended abruptly for him in August, when he tore thumb ligaments while sliding into third base.
He was shut down for three months after surgery, and began 2007 at Class A Hickory. Negrych hit .287 there with a .705 OPS in 84 games. But he was hurt again, missing several weeks of action with an oblique strain. Negrych played second for the Crawdads, and did OK, committing 10 errors.
This year, he finally dealt with the fact that he's not the long ball threat in the pros that he was in college, and quit trying to yank pitches.
Negrych cranks out line drives, and has pretty good gap power. He's patient at the dish, and his walks to K's ratio is almost 1:1. Throw in the fact that he finally had an injury-free year, and it added up to a break out season.
Negrych was named the Pirates' Minor League Player of the Year after posting a .359 batting average between Lynchburg and Altoona, fifth best in the entire minor leagues. He also ranked fifth in on-base percentage (.438), ninth in hits (170) and 12th in doubles (41).
Ah, but that glove. If Perry Hill needs a poster child for his infield voodoo, Negrych is it. Not very toolsy, his speed, range, and arm are considered average to below-average, and the Bucs played him primarily at third, probably trying to groom him for a job as a MLB utility guy. Still, he booted 31 balls in 2008.
The Pirates sent him to Hawaii to play second, his position at Pitt and one that better fits his bat. He's only hitting .225 there, but the injury bug that he avoided during the season bit him again at West Oahu, as he lost a couple of weeks to a finger sprain. So that winter audition is a washout for the scouts.
His good hit/mediocre field, overachiever rep could fit Freddy Sanchez's profile - or Bobby Hill's.
He'll be 24 next season, and should be the starting second baseman at Altoona, with Shelby Ford moving up to Indy. The clock's ticking on him, and the suit's eyes will be watching his performance carefully.
The Pirates are faced with a decision. Is Negrych's bat solid enough to overcome his glovework? The answer to that question will ultimately determine his future role in the bigs.
The 5'10", 180-pound second sacker is from Buffalo, where he was born on March 2, 1985. He starred at St. Francis HS, where he hit .500 with 91 RBI, 11 home runs and 35 stolen bases before going on to have a lights-out career for Pitt.
Negrych was the Beast of the Big East during his three years with the Panthers.
He started out by being named the Big East Rookie of the Year in 2004, earning Freshman All-America honors from both Baseball America and Louisville Slugger. Negrych finished second in the conference in batting with a .378 average and sixth in on-base percentage (.464) and slugging percentage (.592).
In 2005, Negrych hit .349 and set a Pitt record by drawing 44 walks. He led the Big East with 16 homers, was second with 59 RBI and was selected All-Conference. Baseball America christened him as an All-America as the best second baseman in NCAA Division I.
As a junior, Negrych continued raking with a .396 average, 11 homers and 60 RBI. His .515 OBP was 7th in NCAA Division I and BA picked him as an All-America for the second time. He became one of three Panthers to collect 200 hits during their Pitt careers.
The Pirates made him a fourth-round draft pick in 2006, and Negrych was off to an OK start at short season Williamsport, hitting .267 with a .711 OPS while making the transition to wooden bats, heating up as the season went on. But the year ended abruptly for him in August, when he tore thumb ligaments while sliding into third base.
He was shut down for three months after surgery, and began 2007 at Class A Hickory. Negrych hit .287 there with a .705 OPS in 84 games. But he was hurt again, missing several weeks of action with an oblique strain. Negrych played second for the Crawdads, and did OK, committing 10 errors.
This year, he finally dealt with the fact that he's not the long ball threat in the pros that he was in college, and quit trying to yank pitches.
Negrych cranks out line drives, and has pretty good gap power. He's patient at the dish, and his walks to K's ratio is almost 1:1. Throw in the fact that he finally had an injury-free year, and it added up to a break out season.
Negrych was named the Pirates' Minor League Player of the Year after posting a .359 batting average between Lynchburg and Altoona, fifth best in the entire minor leagues. He also ranked fifth in on-base percentage (.438), ninth in hits (170) and 12th in doubles (41).
Ah, but that glove. If Perry Hill needs a poster child for his infield voodoo, Negrych is it. Not very toolsy, his speed, range, and arm are considered average to below-average, and the Bucs played him primarily at third, probably trying to groom him for a job as a MLB utility guy. Still, he booted 31 balls in 2008.
The Pirates sent him to Hawaii to play second, his position at Pitt and one that better fits his bat. He's only hitting .225 there, but the injury bug that he avoided during the season bit him again at West Oahu, as he lost a couple of weeks to a finger sprain. So that winter audition is a washout for the scouts.
His good hit/mediocre field, overachiever rep could fit Freddy Sanchez's profile - or Bobby Hill's.
He'll be 24 next season, and should be the starting second baseman at Altoona, with Shelby Ford moving up to Indy. The clock's ticking on him, and the suit's eyes will be watching his performance carefully.
The Pirates are faced with a decision. Is Negrych's bat solid enough to overcome his glovework? The answer to that question will ultimately determine his future role in the bigs.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Farm Fresh - Minor League Second Basemen
Hey, we all know how fragile Freddy Sanchez has become in the past couple of seasons with a bum wheel, shoulder, and scratched-up eye. Does the team have anyone that can give him a blow during the upcoming year?
Heck, no. Basically the same pretenders for shortstop are also in line for second base, too. That doesn't bode real well for the Bucs in the short term if Sanchez continues his rickety ways.
Brian Bixler and Luis Cruz manned the position towards the end of Indy's year as the Pirates tried to prime the pair for utility roles. When they were out of the lineup, veterans Matt Kata and Luis Ordaz held the fort, and neither one of them is exactly a fuzzy faced prospect.
The Buc light at the end of the tunnel is Shelby Ford at Altoona. He was a third round pick out of Oklahoma State in 2006, and there's hope for him to be ready for Pittsburgh when Sanchez's contract expires after 2009, with a 2010 option.
So far he's gone a step at a time, from A to high A to AA, and done OK at every stop. He should be at Indy this year. The switch hitter will turn 24 in December, not exactly a babe but still well on course for the show if he doesn't falter.
Like Freddy, he's a steady fielder that won't make many flashy plays, and a line-drive hitter who's put together solid, but not super, years at the plate, batting in the mid-to-upper .280 range. Ford is a much better runner than Sanchez (he's hit more triples than homers the past two seasons) and a threat to steal a base or two.
Oh, another similarity - he missed a couple of months in 2007 with back issues and a couple more in 2008 with a hip flexor. Let's hope he stays in one piece. Unless the suits swing a deal, he's the cavalry at second base.
Pirate Minor League Player of the Year Jim Negrych is a second baseman in name, too, but he's all bat and no mitt. And we don't mean "work in progress" bad glove - the dude flat out cannot field at an acceptable level for an everyday major league player according to most reports.
But he can crank out line drives, and while he's not a fence buster, Negrych has good gap power and hits a ton of doubles. He's played a lot of third the last couple of seasons, and it looks like the Bucs are trying to fit him into the Bobby Hill - Chris Gomez mold as a utility man and bat off the bench.
The 23-year old was chosen in the 6th round of the 2006 draft after a sterling career at Pitt. In 2005, he led the Big East with 16 homers, was second with 59 RBI and was All-Conference. Baseball America named him as its All-America at second base in NCAA Division I.
We expect him to start at Altoona, and if he keeps mashing, to pop up at Indy before the 2009 season is done. It'll be interesting to see if the Pirates give him a steady position or continue to play musical chairs with his glove.
The other guys in A - Dan Bomback, Matt Cavagnaro and Adenson Chourio - don't appear to be MLB threats, although Chourio has hit well in Venezuela and Bradenton.
He's a speedy lil' devil with a good eye, larcenous feet, and a decent mitt. But Chourio played in the GCL at age 21 (he turned 22 in August), and has absolutely no power at all, two bad signs.
He's hit 1 home run, 4 triples, and 21 doubles in 751 minor league at bats, and that ain't much muscle flexing for the ground floor of organized baseball.
But the low levels will be filled with second sackers within a year or two, when the logjam of SS's on the A rosters are converted into 2B's and 3B's as the coaches determine their niche.
Guys like SS's Jose Luis de los Santos and Angel Gonzalez have gotten reps at both middle infield spots, and Chase d'Arnaud could make the move to second, too.
So it's in the same bind as short, with the talent still years away from bubbling up to Pittsburgh, except for Shelby Ford. Cross your fingers that Freddy can hang on another year or two.
Heck, no. Basically the same pretenders for shortstop are also in line for second base, too. That doesn't bode real well for the Bucs in the short term if Sanchez continues his rickety ways.
Brian Bixler and Luis Cruz manned the position towards the end of Indy's year as the Pirates tried to prime the pair for utility roles. When they were out of the lineup, veterans Matt Kata and Luis Ordaz held the fort, and neither one of them is exactly a fuzzy faced prospect.
The Buc light at the end of the tunnel is Shelby Ford at Altoona. He was a third round pick out of Oklahoma State in 2006, and there's hope for him to be ready for Pittsburgh when Sanchez's contract expires after 2009, with a 2010 option.
So far he's gone a step at a time, from A to high A to AA, and done OK at every stop. He should be at Indy this year. The switch hitter will turn 24 in December, not exactly a babe but still well on course for the show if he doesn't falter.
Like Freddy, he's a steady fielder that won't make many flashy plays, and a line-drive hitter who's put together solid, but not super, years at the plate, batting in the mid-to-upper .280 range. Ford is a much better runner than Sanchez (he's hit more triples than homers the past two seasons) and a threat to steal a base or two.
Oh, another similarity - he missed a couple of months in 2007 with back issues and a couple more in 2008 with a hip flexor. Let's hope he stays in one piece. Unless the suits swing a deal, he's the cavalry at second base.
Pirate Minor League Player of the Year Jim Negrych is a second baseman in name, too, but he's all bat and no mitt. And we don't mean "work in progress" bad glove - the dude flat out cannot field at an acceptable level for an everyday major league player according to most reports.
But he can crank out line drives, and while he's not a fence buster, Negrych has good gap power and hits a ton of doubles. He's played a lot of third the last couple of seasons, and it looks like the Bucs are trying to fit him into the Bobby Hill - Chris Gomez mold as a utility man and bat off the bench.
The 23-year old was chosen in the 6th round of the 2006 draft after a sterling career at Pitt. In 2005, he led the Big East with 16 homers, was second with 59 RBI and was All-Conference. Baseball America named him as its All-America at second base in NCAA Division I.
We expect him to start at Altoona, and if he keeps mashing, to pop up at Indy before the 2009 season is done. It'll be interesting to see if the Pirates give him a steady position or continue to play musical chairs with his glove.
The other guys in A - Dan Bomback, Matt Cavagnaro and Adenson Chourio - don't appear to be MLB threats, although Chourio has hit well in Venezuela and Bradenton.
He's a speedy lil' devil with a good eye, larcenous feet, and a decent mitt. But Chourio played in the GCL at age 21 (he turned 22 in August), and has absolutely no power at all, two bad signs.
He's hit 1 home run, 4 triples, and 21 doubles in 751 minor league at bats, and that ain't much muscle flexing for the ground floor of organized baseball.
But the low levels will be filled with second sackers within a year or two, when the logjam of SS's on the A rosters are converted into 2B's and 3B's as the coaches determine their niche.
Guys like SS's Jose Luis de los Santos and Angel Gonzalez have gotten reps at both middle infield spots, and Chase d'Arnaud could make the move to second, too.
So it's in the same bind as short, with the talent still years away from bubbling up to Pittsburgh, except for Shelby Ford. Cross your fingers that Freddy can hang on another year or two.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Sunday Stuff
Ten in a row. Wow.
The only suspense is whether Andy LaRoche's 45-foot dribbler, picked up and dropped by CC Sabathia, should be a hit or an error. Was it a no-hitter or one-hitter? That's what the Pirate season has come to in 2008.
> 3B Neil Walker was named the 2008 Indianapolis Indians MVP after hitting .245 with a team-high 16 homers, seven triples and 79 RBI through 130 games so far this season.
Walker, rated by Baseball America as the Pirates #2 prospect entering 2008, owns a .946 fielding percentage in 130 games in his first full season at third base. The converted catcher also ranks among the International League leaders in games played (5th, 130), triples (T-9th, 7) and RBI (T-9th, 79).
Other Tribe awards will go to Andrew McCutchen (Rookie of the Year), Steve Pearce (Slugger of the Year), Brian Bixler (Defensive Player of the Year), and Jesse Chavez (Henry Smock Relief Pitcher of the Year).
> Jim Negrych has been named to the Carolina League’s All-Star Team for his work at A Lynchburg, even though he's been at AA Altoona for a month. His current combined .359 batting average is third in Minor League Baseball, and he's still second in total hits in the Carolina League.
Negrych was selected in the 6th round of the 2006 Player Draft by the Pirates out of the University of Pittsburgh, where he was a First Team All-American second baseman. He's one of three players in Pitt history to accumulate 200 career hits.
> The Pirates will send RHPs Jimmy Barthmaier, Jared Hughes, Jeff Sues, and Mike Crotta to the Scottsdale Scorpions to play in the fall Arizona League. C Steve Lerud and 2B Shelby Ford will join them. The Pirates have yet to select an outfielder; AA and AAA players are eligible for the roster, along with one A player (Crotta).
> Add another ex-Pirate to the unemployment lines. The Phils released RHP Kris Benson, who was pitching in AAA Lehigh Valley rehabbing from right shoulder surgery. The 33-year old was 1-4 with a 5.52 ERA and 1.67 WHIP at LV. He also had tendinitis and a groin pull this year. Even Anna can't kiss away all those boo-boos.
Benson was 43-49 for Pittsburgh with a 4.26 ERA from 1999-2004, when he was traded to the Mets with Jeff Keppinger for Jose Bautista and Ty Wiggington. His overall MLB stats line is 68-73 with a 4.34 ERA. He never became the next big thing.
> The Phils picked up another old Bucco, Matt Stairs, for the stretch run. He was hitting .250 with 11 HRs and 44 RBI at Toronto. He was a fan favorite when played here in 2003, batting .292 with 20 homers and 57 RBI. Philly is his 11th MLB team.
The only suspense is whether Andy LaRoche's 45-foot dribbler, picked up and dropped by CC Sabathia, should be a hit or an error. Was it a no-hitter or one-hitter? That's what the Pirate season has come to in 2008.
> 3B Neil Walker was named the 2008 Indianapolis Indians MVP after hitting .245 with a team-high 16 homers, seven triples and 79 RBI through 130 games so far this season.
Walker, rated by Baseball America as the Pirates #2 prospect entering 2008, owns a .946 fielding percentage in 130 games in his first full season at third base. The converted catcher also ranks among the International League leaders in games played (5th, 130), triples (T-9th, 7) and RBI (T-9th, 79).
Other Tribe awards will go to Andrew McCutchen (Rookie of the Year), Steve Pearce (Slugger of the Year), Brian Bixler (Defensive Player of the Year), and Jesse Chavez (Henry Smock Relief Pitcher of the Year).
> Jim Negrych has been named to the Carolina League’s All-Star Team for his work at A Lynchburg, even though he's been at AA Altoona for a month. His current combined .359 batting average is third in Minor League Baseball, and he's still second in total hits in the Carolina League.
Negrych was selected in the 6th round of the 2006 Player Draft by the Pirates out of the University of Pittsburgh, where he was a First Team All-American second baseman. He's one of three players in Pitt history to accumulate 200 career hits.
> The Pirates will send RHPs Jimmy Barthmaier, Jared Hughes, Jeff Sues, and Mike Crotta to the Scottsdale Scorpions to play in the fall Arizona League. C Steve Lerud and 2B Shelby Ford will join them. The Pirates have yet to select an outfielder; AA and AAA players are eligible for the roster, along with one A player (Crotta).
> Add another ex-Pirate to the unemployment lines. The Phils released RHP Kris Benson, who was pitching in AAA Lehigh Valley rehabbing from right shoulder surgery. The 33-year old was 1-4 with a 5.52 ERA and 1.67 WHIP at LV. He also had tendinitis and a groin pull this year. Even Anna can't kiss away all those boo-boos.
Benson was 43-49 for Pittsburgh with a 4.26 ERA from 1999-2004, when he was traded to the Mets with Jeff Keppinger for Jose Bautista and Ty Wiggington. His overall MLB stats line is 68-73 with a 4.34 ERA. He never became the next big thing.
> The Phils picked up another old Bucco, Matt Stairs, for the stretch run. He was hitting .250 with 11 HRs and 44 RBI at Toronto. He was a fan favorite when played here in 2003, batting .292 with 20 homers and 57 RBI. Philly is his 11th MLB team.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)