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Our best guess: AAA/Majors End of Season
OF, 24-years old
Organization: Philadelphia Phillies
Last season, there was no shortage of talent in the AA Eastern League. But, of all the elite prospects and top picks, Reading Phillies outfielder Marlon Byrd shined above all others offensively.
His
.316 batting average, along with 28 home runs, 89 RBI's, and 32 stolen
bases were nothing short of remarkable. Those numbers earned him the
league's Most Valuable Player Award.
"He has a great combination of power and speed," said Phillies
scouting director Mike Arbuckle. "He has an outstanding work ethic
and he has the instincts to play the game. A lot of times you have an
athlete with instincts who can't play the game. Marlon's not like that.
He can play."
Byrd
solidified his place among the top minor league players with a great
showing at the prospect-laden Arizona Fall League. He hit .331 with
three homers, ten doubles and two stolen bases.
Marlon
dominated the league's championship game, just missing hitting for the
cycle when his second triple of the game failed to clear the right field
fence by a few feet.
He
is a very aggressive hitter, evident by his striking out 93 times while
drawing only 52 walks last season. If he can improve his plate discipline
at the AAA level in 2002, a late-season call-up could have Marlon swinging
for Major League fences by the end of this year.
