Pacific Coast League builds on history as fertile farm
Before Buster Posey and Madison Bumgarner helped lead the San Francisco Giants to the World Series championship as rookies last year, they worked out some kinks against the 51s at Cashman Field.
Facing a Bumgarner-to-Posey battery — the latter went on to be National League Rookie of the Year — the 51s roughed up the Fresno Grizzlies left-hander and won 8-7 on April 14. Bumgarner went on to win his next seven Pacific Coast League decisions.
The ascension of Posey and Bumgarner from the minors to key roles for a World Series winner within the same season exemplifies the caliber of talent in the PCL, which opens its 108th season today.
The 51s start their 29th season today at Fresno, with their home opener scheduled April 15 against the Grizzlies.
"No offense to UNLV, the Wranglers or the (Locomotives), but they’re not going to have a player playing in the same calendar year that’s also going to win a championship in a major league," 51s general manager Chuck Johnson said.
The scenario involving Posey and Bumgarner, who became the first all-rookie battery since 1947 to start a World Series game last year, is admittedly rare. But the PCL has produced legions of major league stars over the decades, from Hall of Famers Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams to reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Felix Hernandez, who pitched for the Tacoma Rainiers in 2005 before rising to the Seattle Mariners.
"Every team that comes in here has got three or four guys that are major league ready," 51s executive director Don Logan said. "The competition level you see, as far as it projects to the next level, is superior to anything (Las Vegas) locals see on a daily basis anywhere."
Major leaguers produced by the 51s over the past six seasons include Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman James Loney (2006-07), outfielders Andre Ethier (2006) and Matt Kemp (2006-07), and pitchers Chad Billingsley (2006) and Jonathan Broxton (2006); New York Yankees catcher Russell Martin (2006); Giants playoff hero Cody Ross (2005); and Toronto Blue Jays catcher J.P. Arencibia (2009-10), last year’s PCL Most Valuable Player.
The PCL features plenty of top prospects again this season, led by Tacoma second baseman Dustin Ackley, who is ranked the No. 5 prospect in baseball by MLB.com.
Selected by Seattle with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2009 draft, Ackley reached Triple A last year in his first professional season and went on to be MVP of the Arizona Fall League.
Omaha, Kansas City’s Triple-A club, has two of baseball’s top 10 prospects in third baseman Mike Moustakas (No. 7) and first baseman Eric Hosmer (No. 8).
The 51s will be led by third baseman Brett Lawrie, who is ranked No. 28 and was dealt by Milwaukee to Toronto on Dec. 6 for pitcher Shaun Marcum. Lawrie, a Canadian, batted .285 with 36 doubles, 16 triples, 63 RBIs and 30 steals last season at Double-A Huntsville.
Other Toronto prospects to watch in Las Vegas include outfielder Eric Thames, who hit .288 with 27 homers and 104 RBIs last season at Double-A New Hampshire; first baseman David Cooper, 20 homers and 78 RBIs at New Hampshire; and outfielder Darin Mastroianni, .301 at New Hampshire and Toronto’s minor league leader in stolen bases with 46.
"Toronto is really going to try to get younger and they feel pretty good about what they’ve got going, the moves they’ve made and the prospects they’ve got," Logan said.
Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0354.