Keith Law has an updated top 25 prospect list (Insider required) and he has top Yankees prospect Jesus Montero up a spot in 3rd, even though Montero has had an odd start to the season and is currently in a bit of a slump. Here’s what Law is hearing about Montero:

I’m holding on this one, because I think he’ll hit and no one is reporting anything significantly wrong with him except over-eagerness at the plate; I imagine there’s some frustration that the Yankees are employing a guy hitting .174/.292/.348 in a spot Montero could fill.

That’s pretty much what all I’ve been able to gather from second hand information and statistics on Montero as well. There’s no real sign that he’s regressed per se, he just seems to be pressing a bit rather than exercising patience at the plate. I don’t really have any good ideas about what to do to fix that, but maybe the Yankees should be as clear as possible with him about their plans for him this season. The last thing you want him to do is develop bad habits at the plate while trying to force his way into the big leagues, especially if the team has no intention of letting him do that in 2011.

If you are looking for some minor league links after this Memorial Day Weekend, here are some interesting bits since we last checked in.

• In case you missed last week’s Baseball America Prospect Hot Sheet, it featured a slew of Yankees, as Gary Sanchez, Manuel Banuelos, Jorge Vazquez and Ramon Flores got some attention.
• Mike Ashmore notes that the Yankees released RHP Brian Anderson this week. He also had news about the Yankees picking up Kanekoa Texeira, after the Royals designated him for assignment.  Texeira pitched out of the ‘pen in Trenton in 2009 and has been sent to Scranton.
• While this post from the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees Blog is specifically about the Triple-A teams’ victory over the Indianapolis Indians (breaking a six game slide), it also reminds us how to enjoy some of the simpler aspects of baseball.
• River Ave Blues graphed Slade Heathcott’s plate discipline since he joined the professional ranks.
• The Yankee Analysts take a look at the Killer B’s. While Banuelos and Betances continue to impress in Trenton, Brackman has had a disappointing season in Scranton so far.  They also pointed out that Gary Sanchez has finally started to heat up at the plate, though the Yankees’ young backstop needs to work on his defense.
• Chad Jennings, fom the LoHud Yankees Blog also got some information on various minor leaguers in a conversation with the Yankees’ VP of Baseball Operations, Mark Newman. Most notably, he talked about Adam Warren and Andrew Brackman’s trouble with walks this season, Gary Sanchez’s slow start and Slade Heathcott and J.R. Murphy’s strong start.

Some Draft specific links:

• Baseball America has made their list of the Top 200 Draft Prospects. They also have a mock draft for the first round, for those of you interested in the draft in general and not just who the Yankees will take, as they do not have a first round pick.
• Keith Law also has a mock draft up on ESPN.
• The Yankee Analysts noted some Draft Rumors along with quick info on the players named.

Saturday night’s game in Seattle was an interesting one. The Yankees got to Felix Hernandez and, in addition to scoring some runs, were really making him work early in the game. It seemed like a fortuitous night after the way the previous game played out, but unfortunately Yankees’ starter Ivan Nova couldn’t hold down the Mariners’ offense, the offense was again shut down by an opposing bullpen, and the Yankees wound up losing the game in extra innings. Predictably, my Twitter feed had a lot to say about Nova and his future with the team during the game.

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WAR graphs are amazing. Aren’t they? For those who aren’t familiar with the concept, allow me to explain. WAR graphs, a creation of Fangraphs,* is a tool that allows you to compare up to four players at a time using the WAR metric as your basis of comparison. For example, if you wanted to see how Bobby Grich’s career stacked up against Lou Whitaker, Roberto Alomar, and Ryne Sandberg, you could. If you wanted to compare that career of Barry Bonds to that of Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, and Babe Ruth, you could do that as well. Outside of not being able to compare create WAR graphs with pitchers (an omission that will someday need to be rectified), there are few limits to whom you can compare.

One of the greatest things about WAR graphs is that it gives you three methods of comparing the players of your choice: nth best season, cumulative by age, and by age. Using the “nth best season” option, WAR graphs allows you to sort the selected player(s) WAR values, and graphs them from most to least valuable season. This method allows you to examine the manner in which your selected player(s) produced value. For instance, this method makes it easier to determine whether a player experienced a small, but productive peak, or an extended period of solid, but unspectacular run. This can be key in deciding a player’s legacy and/or worthiness for the Hall of Fame.

Using the “cumulative by age” option, you can compare your selected players based on their cumulative WAR at their respective ages. For instance, if you wanted to compare the careers of Nomar Garciaparra and Derek Jeter at age-30, you would find that they’d produced nearly identical career WAR values up to that point. Of course, we all know that soon after the injury bug derailed Nomar’s career, while Jeter continued on his Hall of Fame path. Still, this method allows you to see how the two players diverged in production as they crossed from their 20s into their 30s.

Using the “by age” option, you’re afforded the option of analyzing your selected player(s) season-by-season value, in order of age, in a non-cumulative fashion. One of the benefits of using this method is that it allows you the option of determining when a player’s true peak occurred. While most players peak between the ages of 25 and 29, this isn’t always the case. Some players, especially those with “old man skills,” tend to peak earlier in their careers. Players like Melvin Mora and Edgar Martinez, who started their major league careers in their late 20s, may have peaks in their early 30s.

The WAR graph I’ve decided to analyze today is one comparing four of the Yankees greatest catchers: Yogi Berra, Elston Howard, Thurman Munson, and Jorge Posada.

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Aside from the debate over whether collisions at the plate should be banned that sprung from Buster Posey’s season ending injury, it’s led me to give some thought to the risk-reward factor of having catchers who are also important parts of a team’s lineup.

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As the Yankees continued down the West Coast, they kicked off their series against the Oakland Athletics with a bang.  Bartolo Colon pitched a complete game shut out and the Yankees got on the board early, working their way to a 5-0 win.

Derek Jeter started the game with a single to center.  Mark Teixeira then crushed a 2-1 pitch, sending it into the right field stands and giving the Yankees the first runs of the game.  Alex Rodriguez worked a walk and Robinson Cano drove him in before getting tagged out at second.  Still, the Yankees had an early 3-0 lead, which would prove to be more than enough.

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Bartolo Colon has already done more than you thought he would this season.

No matter how optimistic you are, no matter what the chances Colon could contribute to the 2011 Yankees, he’s already out-performed your wildest dreams.

Entering play Monday afternoon, Colon had made 7 starts, logged 57.1 innings pitched in total, and boasted a 3.77 ERA, a 3.61 FIP, and a 2.91 xFIP. The last number representes the best mark amongst Yankee starters, while the FIP is second only to C.C. Sabathia. Colon has already been worth 0.9 fWAR, second only to Sabathia’s 2.2 fWAR amongst Yankees’ pitchers, and equal to the value Mariano Rivera has provided to this point.

And Colon’s not doing this with luck either, as his strikeout and walk rates are the best of any member of the starting rotation. In fact, Colon might actually be a little bit unlucky right now, as his 14.3 HR/FB rate is pretty well above average (hence the discrepancy between his FIP and xFIP).

At this point, Colon could not pitch another inning and he’d still be one of the most pleasant surprises of the 2011 season in all of baseball, let alone for the Yankees. But far from imploding or signaling that one of the more improbable runs in recent memory will be coming to a close anytime soon, Colon took the mound in Oakland and pitched a complete game shutout against the A’s, his first in 5 years. Colon struck out 6 batters in his 9 innings while allowing just 4 hits and allowing no walks. It was another in a series of masterful performances. Over his 8 starts now, Colon has gone at least 6 innings 7 times and allowed 3 runs or fewer in 6 starts. Even more impressive, he’s gone at least 7 innings 4 times and at least 8 innings 3 times now, while allowing 2 or fewer earned runs in in 5 starts.

There were a lot of snide remarks when the Yankees minor-league contract with Colon was announced this winter. The worst of them regarded the move as an embarrassment, especially in the wake of the team’s failure to sign Cliff Lee. Even the most favorable reactions regarded it as a meaningless move, a chance for Colon to get a look in Spring Training and a signing that carried no risk for the Yankees in the short term. Pretty much everyone made a fat joke at Bartolo’s expense. But now Colon has turned the joke around, because the man we all wrote off of camp-fodder, a washed up former great who fell apart and looked like a fat old scout than a Major League pitcher, is dominating the American League at the moment, baffling hitters and wowing fans with his 2-seasm fastball.

Colon may yet implode. For all we know, today may have been his last hurrah. His body may give out on him under the strain of a workload he hasn’t managed in years and the weight of itself. But even if that happens, Colon has given the Yankees more already than any of us could have hoped for. And yes, he’s proven everyone who said he couldn’t still pitch completely wrong.

In the first two matches of their west coat trip, the Yankees took losses to Seattle in aggravatingly close fashion.  They turned things around Sunday afternoon, as CC Sabathia owned the Mariners’ lineup and the Yankees’ bats did some damage, taking a 7-1 win and avoiding their first sweep in Seattle since 1996.

With one out in the second inning, Nick Swisher lined a solo homer to left, giving the Yankees the first run of the game.  Sabathia got into some trouble in the bottom of the inning, giving up a walk to Mike Wilson. Brendan Ryan lined a double to right and the Mariners had runners on second and third with one out.  Sabathia battled back to strike out Jack Wilson and then got Michael Saunders to fly out to end the threat and preserve the Yankees 1-0 lead.

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Since I’m on the humanitarian kick this weekend, I thought that I’d share this with you.

David Robertson and his wife Erin have created a fund called High Socks for Hope to help those who were victimized by the brutal string of tornadoes that ripped through David’s hometown of Tuscaloosa, AL on April 27th.  In the wake of the tragedy, more than 300 people have died, 100 survivors have been forced to live in shelters, and five are still reported missing.  The slow rebuilding process has only just begun, and there’s much left to be done.  If you’d like to make a donation, please click on the link above.  All donations will be tax deductible.  All checks should be made payable to “David and Erin Robertson’s Foundation,” and mailed to Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund; P.O. Box 770001; Cincinnati, OH 45277-0053.  Every little bit helps!

These links are brought to you by Fred Wilpon.  Sick of Frank McCourt getting all of the headlines, Fred Wilpon decides to add his own brand of crazy to steal a few for himself…

Tales from around the Yankee Blogosphere:

• It’s About the Money, Stupid – This week at IIATMS:  Larry provides a rational guide to bunting; Brien thinks it’s time to hold a blogger ethics panel; Hippeaux explores “Super Two” arbitration and this season’s potential call-ups; Mark weighs in on the discussion on home plate collisions; Tamar provides a detailed prospect profile of Adam Warren; and I try to debunk the “Too Many Home Runs” meme.
• Yankee Analysts – Larry explores Nick Swisher’s season long slump.
• Pinstriped Bible – Steven Goldman explains how the Mets trash is another team’s treasure.
• River Avenue Blues – Joe Pawlikowski explains the Yankees problems with runners in scoring position.
• Replacement Level Yankee Weblog – RLYW shares baseball’s leader in outs.  Derek Jeter is prominently listed at number ten.  For what it’s worth, Albert Pujols is number three—scary.
• Pinstripe Alley – Franky Camp appreciates David Robertson.  You should too.

Tales from around the Red Sox Blogosphere:

• Fire Brand of the American League – This week at Fire Brand:  Mike discusses Stolmy Pimental’s maturation process; Troy shares his thoughts on Papelbon’s future with the Sox; Charlie explains Ultimate Base Running and identifies his ideal trade target; and I react to the news of Dice-K’s injury and share my thoughts on the Red Sox 50 games into the season.
• Red Sox Beacon – Matt Kory explains what might have been with Jayson Werth.
• Over the Monster – Matt Sullivan wonders if Salty’s star is rising.
• Surviving Grady – Denton says the Red Sox are done playing Mr. Nice Guy.
• Red Sox Thoughts – Carl Crawford is on fire!  Matt Collins provides an excellent analysis.
• Joy of Sox – Allan explores the Red Sox most recent feat: scoring 14+ runs in consecutive games.
• The House that Dewey Built – Jimmy analyzes Clay Buchholz’s last start and Daniel Bard’s subsequent break down.

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According to Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe, there’s some great news on the Matt Hill front.

There’s no word on his reasons for disappearing, but it’s great that he’s been found alive and well; especially, since these types of situations frequently don’t have happy endings like these.  I’m sure more details will be coming out over the coming days, but it’s probably in the best interest of Hill and his family and friends that we let them sort this out in private.

While I know Daniel Bard pitches for a member of the Yankees most hated rival, there are times where we need to put our team loyalties aside for the greater good. As some of you may’ve heard, Bard’s close childhood friend Matt Hill has gone missing. He was last seen leaving the Verizon Center in Washington, DC on Tuesday, May 24th at 10:30 a.m driving a 1996 black Honda Civic LX. If anyone has any information, especially if you live in the DC metro area, please use the contact information listed below.

Family Contact: Holger Hill 704-839-9699
DC Metro Office Contact: RW Kennedy- 202-715-7300 (precinct number)
Detective McClam: 202-730-1903
Missing Persons Case # 073-157
Detective in Montgomery County: Rod Stevens

Also, there’s a Facebook fan page that’s been created. If you are a member of Facebook, please show your support by “liking” the page. Thanks guys!

I admit, I fell asleep watching last night’s game in the top of the 6th inning, so I happily missed the unfortunate case of death-by-bullpen. I’ll also admit that, while catching up on the game before my first cup of coffee this morning, my first inclination was to be irritated with Joe Girardi for the way he managed the bullpen during the 6th inning.

But beyond that knee-jerk reaction, I actually can’t think of anything he obviously should have done differently. A.J. Burnett wasn’t particularly good for the first 5 innings (only 2 runs allowed, but 5 walks and 97 pitches to the Mariners’ offense), and when Girardi removed Boone Logan for Luis Ayala, the Mariners had a runner on first and no outs in the 6th. That’s hardly the sort of high leverage situation that obviously calls for one of your top relievers.

Of course, Ayala then promptly allowed the first two men he faced to get on base, loading the bases with no outs, but at that point there’s really not much else for Girardi to do but hope Ayala could limit the damage from that point on, which he did a decent job of for that matter.

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