Some questions have been slightly edited to be shorter and more direct. If you have a question for the next Padres Prospect Mailbag, shoot us an email: mailbag@padresprospects.com
What can we expect from Kyle Blanks moving forward? Has he reached his ceiling? – Chelsea
While I’m not 100% sure what Blanks’ future holds I think it’s safe to say that he hasn’t reached his ceiling. Blanks showed throughout his time in the minors that, if nothing else, he would offer an above average power stroke and the ability to get on base. But, what we’ve seen over three injury-riddled seasons is a player who has struggled to translate offensively while providing more than expected defensively:
| Year | G | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | BB | SO | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 54 | 172 | 148 | 24 | 37 | 9 | 0 | 10 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 18 | 55 | .250 | .355 | .514 | .868 |
| 2010 | 33 | 120 | 102 | 14 | 16 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 46 | .157 | .283 | .324 | .607 |
| 2011 | 55 | 190 | 170 | 21 | 39 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 26 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 51 | .229 | .300 | .406 | .706 |
The Padres have made it completely clear that they have all but cooled on Blanks with the acquisition of Carlos Quentin and the further diminishment of Blanks’ role with the club – not to mention Yonder Alonso and Jesus Guzman likely taking just about every at bat this season at first base.
2012 likely means a return to Tucson for Blanks where he will take over Anthony Rizzo’s vacated roster spot and hope for an opportunity with the big club or trade to a less crowded situation. In a neutral environment it’s not out of the question to think that Blanks could post a .250/.350/.475 line while playing solid defense in either left field or at first base where that line would be far less valuable.
I’m not going to ask for your top 10, because the system is so deep. What does your top 15 prospect look like after the Latos trade? – Dustin Continue reading “Padres Prospect Mailbag: January” »
