Top 30 Prospects: #22 Sergio Pedroza

#22 - Sergio Pedroza, OF, 23 years old, spent 2007 at high-A Vero Beach
#23 - Reid Fronk, OF
#24 - Alex Cobb, RHP
#25 - Elliot Johnson, 2B
#26 - Nevin Ashley, C
#27 - Rhyne Hughes, 1B
#28 - Jon Barratt, LHP
#29 - Chris Nowak, 1B
#30 - Wade Townsend, RHP

Pedroza's 2007 was wildly inconsistent. He tore up the high-A Cal League in 2006, but the Rays held him back in an attempt to ease the burden of learning to play catcher. But instead of continuing to rake, his bat seemed to take a step back while his defense behind the plate wasn't cutting it.

He got off to a horrifically slow start, hitting .176 out of the gate in April. He rebounded some in May before going back in the tank in June. The Rays moved him off catcher and back to the more familiar OF/DH role. And then, as the story goes, he got contact lenses and never looked back.

Even after the catcher experiment ended, the Rays kept Pedroza in Vero Beach and watched him take off. He hit over .330 and hit 15 of his 22 HRs in July and August and got his OPS over .900, which was a minor miracle considering how he started the year. He was promoted to Montgomery for the playoffs, and it was Pedroza who hit the 9th inning HR in game 5 that gave the Biscuits the win and the title. Had it not been for a sensational series from Chris Nowak, Pedroza probably would've been named SL Championship Series MVP.

Even though it ended well, Pedroza's 2007 was a step back in some ways. His walk rate fell from over 16% in 2006 to 9.5% this year. Pedroza's pretty much a two-trick pony as it is, as power and a disciplined eye are his only two plus assets. His prospect status is already fringy, and he can't afford to let his walk rate continue to fall. Age relative to league is another issue with Pedroza, as he'll be 24 on Opening Day next season.

Still, his bat's been doing a lot to silence some of those doubts. He's hit nearly every step of the way, so I'm going to look at him as a legitimate prospect until that stops. He's a below-average fielder, so he's likely looking at a future in the DH role. He'll start 2007 the same place he left it, Montgomery, and 2008 should be a very telling year for Pedroza. Armed with contact lenses and a position he can play, it's time to see if Pedroza can continue to rake at the upper levels.

'07 Stats:
Batting Average: .286..........At Bats: 399.....Triples: 4.................Walks: 43
On-Base Percentage: .368.....Hits: 27..........Home Runs: 22..........Strikeouts: 95
Slugging Percentage: .907.....Doubles: 27.....Runs Batted In: 70.....Stolen Bases: 1