The Blockbuster Video 'Late Charge' Award
Goes to South Bend closer Matt Elliott, who didn't even debut on the PR until
week six, and yet finished at #2. How does that happen? A May record
of 0-3 with a 5.40 ERA didn't help matters, but it didn't take long for him, or
the PR, to straighten things out. Starting July 4th Elliott ran off a
series of 24 straight appearances without allowing an earned run. That got
him noticed, and performing at his best during a playoff run in September
rocketed him toward the top.
The Nowhere To Go But Down Award
Tennessee pitcher Adam Bass was our #1 in the very first Power Rankings of
the year, but four straight losses in the next two and a half weeks dropped Bass
to fourth, and then eighth, and then completely off the list. He would
resurface 'On the Cusp' in week seven, but not be heard from again. More
next season on whether the #1 in Week One is a curse.
And Our Pick For Next Year
We start from scratch, our first PR of the 2006 season will be roughly two
weeks into the season, but we've already got a pick in mind. While Stephen Drew and Carlos Quentin might be the top prospects, that also means they are the
most likely to get the call to the big show, very possibly right from the start.
No, the FutureBacks pick for the #1 Overall Power Player in the Diamondbacks
system next year is Chris Carter. After a fantastic 2005, during which he
was arguably better after the promotion than before, he'll start '06 in Double-A
again, with a year more of experience, and plenty of time to hone his skills.
That's because he likely won't be going anywhere. The Diamondbacks will
look to continue the conversion of Carter from first baseman to outfielder, and
with his arm the only outfield spot available to him will be left. That
means he's blocked by Jackson at first and Gonzo in left, so there will be no
rush, giving him a chance to rake on Southern League pitching all season.
The Top 10
We used the Modified Stableford System to calculate a Top 10 in the Power
Rankings for the season. Actually we added all the rankings up, if you
were #1, you got one point, #15 was worth 15 points. An 'On the Cusp'
appearance got you 35 point, if you spent a week off the charts, 50 points were
added to your score. The only exceptions made were for players who dropped
off the rankings due to promotions to the Major League level, which brings us
right to #1. There were 14 weeks of Power Rankings, thus the best possible
score would be 14.
| 1 |
Conor Jackson |
Total Score 18 |
Weeks On Chart: 9 |
Weeks at #1: 2 |
Top 10 Weeks: 9 |
|
Technically Jackson should have had another 250 points
added to his score, but at the beginning of the season we set the
parameters; getting promoted to the Majors could not result in a
penalty, and as long as you spent more than half the season on the Power
Rankings, you were eligible, that meant a minimum of seven weeks, and
Jackson stayed on for nine weeks. |
| 2 |
Chris Carter |
Total Score 70 |
Weeks On Chart: 14 |
Weeks at #1: 1 |
Top 10 Weeks: 14 |
|
Of those who stayed on the PR for the full 14 weeks,
clearly Carter was at the top. No wonder, after hitting .296 with
21 homers and 85 RBI in 400+ at bats in Lancaster he turned it on after
the promotion to Tennessee, hitting .297 with 10 homers and 30 RBI in
128 at bats. |
| 3 |
Carlos Gonzalez |
Total Score 79 |
Weeks On Chart: 14 |
Weeks at #1: 12 |
Top 10 Weeks: 12 |
|
Though Gonzales was only in the Top 10 for 12 of the 14
weeks, he never fell far out, dropping to a low of #14 and his two weeks
at #1 propel him into the Top 3 in final wrap up, something he did only
three times during the regular season. |
|
4 |
A. J. Shappi |
Total Score 119 |
Weeks On Chart: 14 |
Weeks at #1: 0 |
Top 10 Weeks: 9 |
|
Half way through the season Shappi might have challenged
for a Top 3 spot, but once he was promoted to Double-A he struggled,
dropping to a low of #16 in week nine. Still impressive simply
because he came back to reach #8 in week 12. |
|
5 |
Enrique Gonzalez |
Total Score 130 |
Weeks On Chart: 14 |
Weeks at #1: 0 |
Top 10 Weeks: 8 |
|
The Smokies pitcher started and finished strong, but his
#19 week 11 coupled with back to back weeks at #17, and no weeks at #1,
drop him into #5 for the season. |
|
6 |
Andy Green |
Total Score 136 |
Weeks On Chart: 14 |
Weeks at #1: 2 |
Top 10 Weeks: 8 |
|
At the beginning of the season, Andy Green was not
expected to have the type of season that he had, a season which resulted
in his winning the Pacific Coast League MVP award, and a September
callup from the Diamondbacks. His low spot on the PR was #21, but
he spent five of the last six weeks in the Top 5, and lands at #6
overall. |
|
7 |
Carlos Quentin |
Total Score 151 |
Weeks On Chart: 14 |
Weeks at #1: 0 |
Top 10 Weeks: 9 |
|
It's amazing to think that Quentin never placed higher
than #7 on the PR, but considering he spent nine weeks in the top ten,
including the final six weeks of the season, his consistency keeps him
right where he seemed to be all year, in the bottom half of the Top Ten. |
|
8 |
Jeff Cook |
Total Score 170 |
Weeks On Chart: 13 |
Weeks at #1: 2 |
Top 10 Weeks: 7 |
|
Cook wasn't even ranked in week one, and didn't crack
the Top 20 until week four. But once he did, it was all systems
go, as he carried the JetHawks in the second half, the PR noticed,
placing him #1 or #2 in four of the last five weeks of the season. |
|
9 |
Dan Uggla |
Total Score 172 |
Weeks On Chart: 14 |
Weeks at #1: 0 |
Top 10 Weeks: 6 |
|
Uggla started the season at #23 and finished at #25, but
in 11 of the other 12 weeks he was in the Top 15, and he spent five
straight in the Top 10. Uggla has been quoted as saying he loves
to play everyday, but judging by the way he fell off in the final month
of the season, perhaps he should consider taking one off every now and
again. |
|
10 |
Miguel Montero |
Total Score 181 |
Weeks On Chart: 12 |
Weeks at #1: 4 |
Top 10 Weeks: 9 |
|
Prior to his promotion, he was the only legitimate
contender to Conor Jackson's crown, but Montero suffered perhaps more
than any other promotee on the PR, but then again, he had farther to
fall. Montero spent four straight weeks at #1, and those were
book ended by a pair of #2 finishes, so even after his fall, from #6 his
first week in Tennessee to being completely off the list for the final
two weeks, he still managed to keep the score low. |