Trey Ball v2.0. Outfielder.

Plympton91

bubble burster
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Oct 19, 2008
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here’s some news on Trey and his attempt to jumpstart his career as an outfielder.

Gammons reports an NL scout who says “He has a chance!”

https://www.google.com/amp/s/nesn.com/2018/09/mlb-scout-believes-ex-red-sox-top-prospect-trey-ball-has-chance-as-hitter/amp/

Sox Prospects with an instructional league preview.

http://news.soxprospects.com/2018/09/trey-balls-outfield-conversion-to.html?m=1

The end of this article has a less than enthusiastic readout from Crockett about how he’d done in th FIL. Though given Ball was rule 5 eligible there was a reason not to be forthcoming with plaudits. It sounds like the conversion is not 100% guaranteed. Article also has news on 2 top 2018 picks and top 2 DSL prospects too.

http://wap.mlb.com/bos/news/article/20180928296353366/
 
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Rovin Romine

Johnny Rico
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He hasn't swung the bat, or, I assume, played the field in 5 years. And he's 24 years old. I wish him well, but that's a tough row to hoe.
 

Sandy Leon Trotsky

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Mar 11, 2007
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Trey Ball may be one of Ben's Biggest Blunders. I always forget that this was one of his picks... and a really rare high one at that. I'm scared to take a look at who was drafted after Ball.
 

Yelling At Clouds

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Jul 19, 2005
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It's interesting - I remember people lamenting that they didn't pick Austin Meadows in that spot, and he would have been... ok, I guess, better than Ball, of course, but thus far at least nobody to get too worked up over (surely this will change now that he's a Ray). But with him in the fold, maybe they don't take Benintendi a couple of years later, and the team would have unquestionably been weaker without him around.

Trey Ball is why they won a World Series is what I'm saying.
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

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Mar 26, 2005
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It's interesting - I remember people lamenting that they didn't pick Austin Meadows in that spot, and he would have been... ok, I guess, better than Ball, of course, but thus far at least nobody to get too worked up over (surely this will change now that he's a Ray). But with him in the fold, maybe they don't take Benintendi a couple of years later, and the team would have unquestionably been weaker without him around.

Trey Ball is why they won a World Series is what I'm saying.
Love this theory. I hope they gave him a ring.
 

Plympton91

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Oct 19, 2008
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Given the fact that it was not a slam dunk case when he was drafted, I always wondered why they didn’t develop him the way they were developing (other guy they traded for Adrian Gonzalez). The first two years in the system, they had him pitch through the end of July and then play SS in August and in the AFL. That would have at least kept Ball somewhat less rusty.
 

Cesar Crespo

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Dec 22, 2002
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Given the fact that it was not a slam dunk case when he was drafted, I always wondered why they didn’t develop him the way they were developing (other guy they traded for Adrian Gonzalez). The first two years in the system, they had him pitch through the end of July and then play SS in August and in the AFL. That would have at least kept Ball somewhat less rusty.
Casey Kelly. Still around, pitched for the Giants this year.
 

Rovin Romine

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No, but I'm guessing he was at least swinging the bat prior to getting 9 AB.
Same initial articles said he took batting practice this year.

I'd say Ankiel is something of a comp.

Ball has (with the exception of 9 AB at the close of this year) not had a pro AB from age 19 onward. He's 24 now.

Ankiel converted to OF in 2005, at pretty much the same age. But Ankiel had the benefit of at least being a NL pitcher, and had ABs in all of his years from 19-24. Ankiel had hit fairly well during those years, despite the low volume of ABs.

Wasn't there a PED issue with Ankiel though?
 

SirPsychoSquints

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Same initial articles said he took batting practice this year.

I'd say Ankiel is something of a comp.

Ball has (with the exception of 9 AB at the close of this year) not had a pro AB from age 19 onward. He's 24 now.

Ankiel converted to OF in 2005, at pretty much the same age. But Ankiel had the benefit of at least being a NL pitcher, and had ABs in all of his years from 19-24. Ankiel had hit fairly well during those years, despite the low volume of ABs.

Wasn't there a PED issue with Ankiel though?
http://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=3009688

Rick Ankiel says any drugs he received in 2004 were prescribed by a licensed physician to help him recover from
reconstructive elbow surgery.
The New York Daily News reported in Friday's editions that Ankiel received eight shipments of HGH from January to December
2004 from Signature Pharmacy, under investigation for illegally distributing prescription medications. The performance-enhancing drug was banned by Major League Baseball in 2005, but a test has yet to be developed.
 

Cesar Crespo

79
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Dec 22, 2002
21,588
Same initial articles said he took batting practice this year.

I'd say Ankiel is something of a comp.

Ball has (with the exception of 9 AB at the close of this year) not had a pro AB from age 19 onward. He's 24 now.

Ankiel converted to OF in 2005, at pretty much the same age. But Ankiel had the benefit of at least being a NL pitcher, and had ABs in all of his years from 19-24. Ankiel had hit fairly well during those years, despite the low volume of ABs.

Wasn't there a PED issue with Ankiel though?
Another comp would be David Peralta. https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/peralda01.shtml