13. Greg Halman ('07)
The Mariners have brought Halman along slowly since signing him out of the Netherlands in 2004, and he showed signs this season of translating his considerable tools into production. His .892 OPS would have ranked fifth in the Cal League if he had enough at-bats to qualify, but he moved up to Double-A after just 67 games.15. Carlos Triunfel ('07)
Halman has strong tools, but what stood out the most was the way he improved as the season went on and performed at his best in important game situations. He has unbelievable bat speed and drove the ball as well as anybody in the league. He closed up some holes in his swing and improved his strikeout rate marginally, but he still needs to make more contact.
The outlook couldn't have been rosier for Triunfel coming into the season, after he reached high Class A at age 17 in his pro debut in 2007 and more than held his own. His return engagement in the Cal League, however, didn't go as well. He battled an abdominal strain early in the year, drew a 10-day suspension in May for violating team rules and earned generally bad reviews for his attitude and immaturity.
Triunfel has a good swing but isn't an effective situational hitter—part of general questions about his instincts—and while he can sting the ball it doesn't look like he'll be able to elevate it for over-the-fence power. On defense, he shows first-step quickness but not great range, and his body could get too big for shortstop. In fact, his only consensus plus tool this season was his throwing arm.
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