In this article, I have shifted the age ranges. This is because a quirk in the B-R average age has all the position players ages coming out as 0.5 or -1.5 or similar. So I have shifted the reference gaps a little to account for this.
Corpus Christi Hooks Roster, Age of Players, as at 29 June 2014
XX XX
XXX XXX
XXX XXX
X X XXX XXX XX XX X
Older Age Range: -5.4 | -4.4 | -3.4 | -2.4 | -1.4 | -0.4 | +0.4 | +1.4 | +2.4
(in years)
Younger Age Range: -6.4 | -5.4 | -4.4 | -3.4 | -2.4 | -1.4 | -0.4 | +0.4 | +1.4
The Hooks graph seems to indicate a young team for the Texas League, with the vast majority of players between 0.4 and 2.4 years younger than the average player. Most top-43 prospects lie in this range as well, with the exceptions being Leo Heras (who was in the Mexican League 18 months ago) and MP Cokinos, who are right on the average age. Note is made of Kyle Smith on the far left, and Delino Deshields just to the right of him. The old man/non-prospect on the right is Alex Sogard, with Jordan Jankowski and Thomas Shirley just to the left of him.
The discussion of the age of the top-43 prospects (which, incidentally, is top 41 now that Japhet Amador and Chia-Jen Lo are gone) is a little circular. Part of the thing that makes them prospects is their performance relative to age, so the fact that they are young is an advantage, thereby making them more likely to be prospects. But, regardless, we have covered two teams in the Astros system, and both (i) have a lack of older veteran players looking to rebuild value and (ii) are pretty young for their respective leagues. Probably an organisation-wide philosophy, as playing time is a valuable resource that the Astros are using the sift through their deep system.
Mobile phone version up shortly.
