Two Major One Minor 041712

Here is the 2012 debut of my weekly Two Major One Minor segment where I look at a couple Major League players and one in the minors. This week the two Major League players are Denard Span and Nolan Reimold and the minor league player is Justin Christian. All three are outfielders that have come out of the gates strong.


Denard Span of the Minnesota Twins is trying to get his game back on track after suffering a concussion last season. He had been a highly touted prospect after being drafted 20th in the first round by the Twins in 2002. He has shown that he can hit for average and can steal a few bases. His best season with the Twins so far was 2009 when he hit .311/.392/.415 with 8 HR, 68 RBI, 97 R and 23 SB in 145 games. His numbers were down in 2010 and they were in the same range in 2011 even before the injury. In 2011 he hit .264/.328/.359 with 2 HR, 16 RBI, 37 R and 6  SB in 70 games with the Twins. This season he is off to a fast start hitting .366/.409/.512 with 0 HR, 2 RBI, 10 R and 1 SB in 10 games. This shows that he may have his hitting eye and swing back and will be worth watching. Then next step is whether he will attack on the base baths again and get his steal total back into the twenties.


Nolan Reimold of the Baltimore Orioles has been trying to get his career back on track after his stellar debut in 2009 was derailed with an Achilles tendon injury. He started 2009 off by tearing up Triple A hitting .394/.485/.743 with 9 HR, 27 RBI, 21 R and 6 SB in 31 games. The Orioles called him up to take advantage of his hot bat and he hit .279/.365/.466 with 15 HR, 45 RBI, 49 R and 8 SB in 104 games before he was stopped by the injury. It appears that he may be getting back into the groove this season with a good start by hitting .353/.353/.706 with 3 HR, 6 RBI, 6 R and 1 SB thru 8 games. Given a chance Reimold shold really provide a spark to the Orioles offense. He was originally drafted by the Orioles in the second round in 2005.


Justin Christian is more minor league journeyman than prospect at this point but I have kept seeing his name night after night in the box scores when I do my daily top performers segments. To say that Christian is off to a hot start is an under statement. Through 10 games he is 23 for 42 and hitting .548/.587/.786 with 1 HR, 7 RBI, 10 R and 1 SB. Christian has put up some decent numbers in the past that warranted a brief call up with the Yankees in 2008 and another with the Giants last season. Christian was originally signed by the Yankees out of an independent league in 2004. He has shown the ability to hit for average with a little power and is a pretty good base thief. He had 55 steals in 2005, 68 in 2006 and 35 in 2007. In the 2008 season he split between Triple A and the Yankees he hit .306/.357/.444 with 6 HR, 45 RBI, 48 R and 22 SB in 74 games at Triple A and hit .250/.302/.325 with 0 HR, 6 RBI, 6 R and 7 SB in 24 games with the Yankees. Last year he joined the Giants organization and split time between Double A, Triple A and the Giants. In 2011 he hit .256/.328/.359 with 4 HR, 32 RBI, 46 R and 18 SB in 73 Double A games, hit .338/.428/.574 with 10 HR, 41 RBI, 57 R and 36 SB in 64 Triple A games and hit .255/.286/.362 with 0 HR, 4 RBI. 6 R and 3 SB in 18 games with the Giants. At 32 Christian may not be seen as a prize but I think he has plenty of game left.