Ex-Rattlers:
2. Adam Jones, of, Tacoma Rainiers
With one season in center field and in the PCL under his belt, Jones shone brightly in his repeat of the league. Most impressive was his increased power output--just another step in a career-long trend--as he clubbed two home runs in a game four times during the season and finished with 25 in 101 games. He also ranked third in the league with a .586 slugging percentage.11. Jeff Clement, c, Tacoma Rainiers
Opposing managers liked practically everything about Jones, from his excellent range in center to his strong arm (he recorded 12 assists) to his improved plate discipline. Once susceptible to breaking balls out of the zone, he showed he would not automatically chase this year, and his on-base percentage climbed nearly 40 points from 2006.
Clement had a chance to catch his breath this season, after being rushed from No. 3 overall pick in 2005 to Triple-A last season with just 172 at-bats in between. [Las Vegas manager Lorenzo] Bundy labeled Clement the most improved hitter in the league, noting he had abandoned the dead-pull approach he had shown the year before.14. Wladimir Balentien, of, Tacoma Rainiers
One of the few Mariners prospects who has been allowed to develop more or less at his own pace, Balentien showed improvement across the board in his first taste of Triple-A. Most strikingly, he slashed his strikeout rate from one every 3.2 at-bats in 2006 to one every 4.5 for Tacoma.
Though Balentien still will wildly chase pitches out of the zone, he did show increased selectivity in the first half, especially with regard to breaking balls off the plate. He has immense raw power to all fields and hit his first big league homer in September off Fausto Carmona.
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