A dozen prospects rising, fading this spring

There are three weeks until the 2006 season gets underway and, like every spring, each of the 30 clubs has had young hopefuls who came into camp looking to make an impression. Some will do well enough to win a job on the parent club, others will hurt their own chances with poor performances, brought on by nerves, inexperience or simply because they are overmatched.

Here's a look at a dozen players who have made favorable impressions with their respective teams this spring and a look at a dozen who haven't fared as well. While their stock hasn't fallen, they haven't exactly had the kind of spring they were hoping for when the calendar turned to February.

A baker's dozen prospects who have lived up to the hype:

Carlos Quentin, Arizona
He's done little to dispel the notion that he's ready to play in the Major Leagues, hitting .360 through 26 at-bats. While Quentin knows he's headed back to Tucson - his path is blocked in the outfield in Phoenix - he's handled the situation with aplomb, making him that much more attractive to the Diamondback front office.

Eric Duncan, New York Yankees
Duncan is learning how to play first base this spring, but getting work in on the right side of the infield certainly hasn't bothered him much at the plate. He was hitting .409 with two homers, a team-leading eight RBIs and was second on the team with 18 total bases heading into Tuesday. The Arizona Fall League Most Valuable Player will be in Triple-A Columbus this year, but he's made a big impression on Joe Torre this spring.

Brian Bannister, New York Mets
Mike Pelfrey's fastball has produced a great deal of headlines in Port St. Lucie, but Bannister has proven that he's also the real deal. He's shown poise and confidence throughout camp and has earned the respect of pitching coach Rick Peterson. While Aaron Heilman has all but been anointed the club's fifth starter, don't be surprised if Bannister makes a run at the spot or gets a strong look should Victor Zambrano's back continue to be a problem.

Kendry Morales, Howie Kendrick, Los Angeles Angels
The Angels are giving the future right side of their infield a long look this spring, and neither player has disappointed. Morales (first base) was hitting .423 through 10 games, while Kendrick (second base) was hitting .360 over the same stretch. Kendrick has put in a great deal of work this spring on his fielding and has improved significantly from a defensive standpoint. Morales hasn't been as impressive at first and still looks uncomfortable at the position. The Angels have said he can play multiple positions but has been used almost exclusively at first this spring. But both have shown they can hit Major League pitching, leaving manager Mike Scioscia anxious for the future to arrive.

Elijah Dukes, Tampa Bay
The five-tool outfielder has stolen some of Delmon Young's thunder this spring with his impressive performance. He was hitting .438 through 16 plate appearances, with the ball seeming to explode almost every time it leaves his bat. He's beginning to display some of the patience at the plate for which the Devil Rays' front office has been looking. Tampa Bay already has a crowded outfield and Young's presence makes cracking that group even more difficult. But Dukes has demonstrated this spring that he's up to the task.

Nick Markakis, Baltimore
Baltimore's slugger of the future may be the slugger of the present if he continues to hit the way he has this spring. His batting average (25 at-bats) stood at .320 heading into Tuesday. He also has shown incredible plate discipline, collecting a team-high seven walks. A decision about his future won't be made for another week or so, but it will be tough sending him to Triple-A following this kind of effort.

Hanley Ramirez, Florida
No one in Jupiter is saying so just yet, but it appears as if Ramirez has gone into camp and won himself the starting shortstop job. And there's a very good chance that he's also going to be the Marlins' leadoff hitter. He doesn't have the speed of a Juan Pierre or Luis Castillo, but he gets on base. He was hitting .357 with a team-leading nine runs scored and an eye-popping .750 slugging percentage heading into Tuesday. He's credited a more open stance for his success. Ramirez, who has had concentration problems on the field in the past, hasn't had any worries this spring.

Andy Marte, Cleveland
Marte did more moving than United Van Lines this winter, but that doesn't seem to have affected him in the least. He's been nothing short of spectacular this spring, hitting .421 heading into Tuesday's games. Marte was tied for second on the team in hits and is proving every day that he belongs in Cleveland, not Buffalo.

Russell Martin, Dodgers
Some folks north of the border got a bit bent out of shape when Russell Martin opted to stay with the Dodgers in Vero Beach instead of playing for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic. He said his chance to impress the new brass in Los Angeles was more important, and it seems as if he's made the correct call. Martin had more at-bats than any other Dodgers catcher heading into Tuesday's action and was hitting a robust .389. There's no doubt he's made the kind of favorable impression that will leave the folks in Hollywood happy.

Nate Schierholtz, San Francisco Giants director of player development Jack Hiatt said Schierholtz is a gifted hitter. That much has been obvious. He's got five hits, including a homer, in 12 at-bats and has only struck out once. He's a year or so from calling San Francisco home, but that hasn't prevented this converted third baseman from making an impression on the Giants staff.

Justin Upton, Arizona
Who says age matters? The top pick in last year's draft hasn't looked like he's got his mind on going to the prom. He had six hits in his first 10 at-bats with six RBIs, 11 total bases and a 1.100 slugging percentage. He's still ticketed to begin the season in the Midwest or California League, but man has he been impressive.

Joey Devine, Atlanta
Devine, the first 2005 draft pick to reach the Majors, needed to forget his initiation to the bigs after he allowed a pair of grand slams in his first five Major League innings as well as Chris Burke's 18th-inning, game-winning homer in the NL Division Series. Apparently, he's done just that this spring. In seven innings of work, he has allowed just three hits and one walk to go along with an astounding 14 strikeouts.

A dozen who have been more suspect than prospect this spring:

Prince Fielder, Milwaukee
The soon-to-be Prince of Milwaukee has played more like a pauper this spring, hitting .214 with a homer through six games. Fielder heads into the season as the club's starting first baseman, so sending him back to Triple-A Nashville isn't an issue. But he hasn't shown much of the form that helped build his reputation as one of the Minor League's most-feared power hitters in recent years.

Matt Kemp, Andy LaRoche, Los Angeles Dodgers
Kemp was dominant last season in the Florida State League and was deserving of an invite to Major League camp. But he has been a bit overmatched, struggling with a .143 batting average through 28 at-bats. LaRoche, who had a homer-happy season in '05 at Vero Beach and Jacksonville, had one six-RBI game this spring but overall hasn't fared much better than Kemp, hitting just .231 heading into Tuesday's action.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Atlanta
One of the game's best catching prospects has had been more than adequate behind the plate this spring, earning praise from Atlanta's hurlers and the club's coaching staff. Aside from a pair of big home runs, though, he's been a bit overmatched at the plate, hitting .167 with a .167 on-base percentage. He's only 20, so a great deal wasn't expected of him. This spring, however, has been an eye-opener and a learning experience.

Anibal Sanchez, Florida
The hard-throwing right-hander, whom the Marlins acquired along with Ramirez, felt tightness in his shoulder during his third bullpen session of the spring and hasn't been back since. He's scheduled to throw batting practice on Thursday and, if all goes well, he may get into a game late next week. Florida won't need a fifth starter until two weeks into the season, so there's still time for him to win a spot. But this has hardly been the start Sanchez or the Marlins envisioned.

Brandon Wood, Los Angeles Angels
Spring Training with the big boys is a long way from the California League. Wood, last year's Minor League home run champ, has discovered that this month. After hitting a Minor League-leading 43 homers in '05, Wood was hitless in nine at-bats heading into Tuesday's action. He had five strikeouts and two walks, so perhaps it's not time to anoint him as the Angels' starting shortstop just yet.

Daric Barton, Oakland
The sweet-swinging first baseman has hit everywhere he's been, taking a .312 average in nearly 1,000 Minor League at-bats into camp. But he's only gotten two hits in 10 at-bats while facing a better quality of pitching than he's seen along the way in the Midwest, California and Texas Leagues. This isn't his first big-league camp and certainly won't be his last. At 20 years old, though, there's no reason to get worried about a poor showing in such a small sample.

Anthony Reyes, St. Louis
Two games does not a spring make, but two outings has been enough to see that Reyes hasn't been on, at least on the two days he took the hill for the Cards. The former 15th-rounder has given up seven earned runs in 5 1/3 innings. He's allowed a pair of homers, taken a loss, and his ERA stood at 11.81 prior to Tuesday's game.

John Hattig, Toronto
There was some talk that the Guam native would make the Jays as a bench player, but he hasn't shown much coming off an injury-plagued 2005. He's hitting .125 (2-for-16) with 10 strikeouts and only three total bases.

Frank Diaz, Ian Desmond, Kory Casto, Washington
The trio forms the core of what the Nationals hope will be an exciting future. For now, though, the threesome has seen limited duty and hasn't been impressive, combining to go 2-for-21 (.095) with two RBIs. None played above the Carolina League last season, though, so it's not a disappointment to see them struggle this spring.