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	Friday, September 8
	Jimmy Rollins By John Sickels Special to ESPN.com
	REPORT FILED: SEPTEMBER 8 First of all, I wanted to congratulate Cubs catcher Mike Mahoney for making the major leagues this week. I grew up across the street from Mike in Des Moines ... we used to play wiffle ball together. When he was 10 and I was 15, he would beat me 90 percent of the time, which shows you the difference in talent between someone destined to be a major league baseball player, and someone who stumbles into a job as a sportswriter. Mike is a solid defensive catcher who hit well in Triple-A this year, and I wish him all the best. Good luck, Mike; Central Iowa is rooting for you! Jimmy Rollins Philadelphia Phillies Position: SS Height: 5-8 Weight: 170 Born: 11/27/78 Bats: Switch Throws: Right Year Team Level G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB K SB CS BA OBP SLG 1999 Reading AA 133 532 81 145 21 8 11 56 51 47 24 12 .273 .336 .404 2000 Scranton AAA 133 470 67 129 28 11 12 69 49 55 24 7 .274 .341 .457 The Phils finally gave up on Desi Relaford this year, and while Tomas Perez is getting a chance right now and will have a shot at the shortstop job next spring, keep an eye on this guy: Jimmy Rollins. Drafted in the second round out of a California high school in 1996, Rollins has made steady if unspectacular progress through the Phillies system. He was regarded as mainly a defensive prospect when he was drafted, due to his excellent defensive range and reliable glove, but there were questions as to how much he would hit. He showed good speed in the low minors but little power, which made his 1999 season at Double-A Reading something of a surprise. Rollins has worked hard to get stronger and fill out his small body. He has always made good contact at the plate, so greater strength enabled him to show some power in the Eastern League. The question for 2000 was how much of this would carry to Triple-A, and the answer is: all of it. Rollins hits the ball with authority into the gaps, especially considering his size. He isn't likely to hit double-digit home runs in the major leagues, but he should produce a respectable amount of doubles and triples. He is very fast and has refined his skills on the bases. Rollins owns decent strike zone judgment: he makes contact and doesn't strike out much, but it would help if he were a bit more selective, to drive his on-base percentage higher and make the most of his speed. If you stuck Rollins in the majors now, I expect he would hit .250 or so with decent peripheral numbers, but with the ability to get better as he gains experience. He'll never be a star due to his hitting, but when you combine his decent offense with his glove, you get a nice package. Rollins has very good range, an adequate but accurate arm, and is considered a reliable and alert infielder. What role Rollins fills in the majors remains to be seen. His glove and speed would make him very useful as a bench player, and if his hitting continues to improve, he would make a credible starter. He doesn't turn 22 until November, meaning that he is still five or six years from his prime, giving him plenty of room for further offensive development. The Phillies like him a lot, and while no one will pencil him in as a Rookie of the Year candidate just yet, Jimmy Rollins should inhabit major league infields for years to come. Mailbag questions Chris M. writes: What happened to Baltimore catcher prospect Jason Werth this year? I think most people were expecting him to finally develop a little power this year, and it seems as though his whole offensive game has taken a step backwards. I assume he has to have fallen significantly from the list of top prospects, has he not? I thought Werth was a breakthrough candidate for this season, but it just hasn't happened. He hit just .228 in Double-A, with little power. On the other hand, I remain optimistic about his long-term chances. He draws a lot of walks, and is still just 21 years old. If he hadn't signed out of high school, he would just be coming out of college now. Werth is still a prospect, and I'll be stubborn and say he is still a good one. I gave him a Grade B in my book last year; I'll probably have to cut that to a B- or C+, but it is way too early to give up on him. Phill76 writes: I haven't seen you say much about Oakland first base prospect Jason Hart, who has been amazing this year. He can hit for average, has lots of power, gets lots of doubles, and drives in a lot of RBI. What do you think of him? Hart hit .326 with 30 homers, 44 doubles, and 121 RBI in the Texas League, obviously an impressive season, although I don't think it is "amazing" by Texas League standards. Midland is a great place to hit, remember, and lots of guys have put up huge numbers in the Texas League without having similar ability in the majors. I actually like Hart's power and I think he could hit 20-30 homers in the majors. But he is more likely to hit .250-.260 than .300. At best he could be John Jaha: a pretty good hitter, but not a superstar. Hart could help some clubs in the DH/first base role, but I'm not sure where he fits in Oakland. They have lots of hitters like him around. John Sickels is the author of the STATS 2000 Minor League Scouting Notebook. You can email your questions to him at JASickels@AOL.com.		ALSO SEE Down on the Farm archive