Lastings Milledge

Playing for his third team in three seasons, Milledge made the most of his opportunity with the Pirates. Traded for the popular Nyjer Morgan, Milledge hit .291/.333/.379 in 220 at-bats with Pittsburgh. After the season, Milledge admitted his power was sapped for most of the year because of a hand injury suffered while he was still with the Nationals. He's got the left field spot locked up heading into spring training, but the former first-round draft pick will need to produce with a number of prospects nearly ready for the majors. After lugging a questionable reputation with him to Pittsburgh, Milledge has formed a solid bond with Andrew McCutchen and acted like a model citizen. He's capable of putting together a strong season provided that he stays healthy.

Milledge finally played a full season in the majors, and while the results didn't live up to the lofty expectations that gathered around him as a Mets farmhand, he was still pretty good for a 23-year-old. He's got room to develop his plate discipline and power stroke, and the worst of his temper issues seem to be behind him (or it might just be that having Elijah Dukes next to him makes him look stable by comparison) so the only real question mark is whether he'll be able to handle center field defensively or if he will eventually shift to right. Wherever he plays, he should be a very valuable fantasy asset.

Milledge, who began the season at Triple-A New Orleans and was slowed by injury, was finally promoted after the All-Star break and put together six weeks of solid play before slumping in September. GM Omar Minaya traded him to Washington for Brian Schneider and Ryan Church, where he will be reunited with former Mets coach Manny Acta. The Mets appeared to get pennies on the dollar for Milledge, as his value dropped because of concerns about his maturity. He'll have the chance to play nearly every day without the media attention that comes with being in New York. Milledge still has a lightning-quick bat, which allows him to wait a little longer on pitches and use the whole field, though his pitch recognition needs some work. He projects as a 25-homer bat and also has above-average speed, and while Acta envisions him as a No. 2 hitter to start, he could settle into the heart of the Nats' lineup.

Milledge entered 2006 as the Mets' best prospect, and in some respects, the season was a success as he parlayed a solid spring training and first two months in Triple-A Norfolk to earn a promotion. However, that's where the fairy tale goes all wrong as several incidents, including high-fiving of fans down the right field following an extra-inning home run and being the last player to arrive before a game, showed his attitude was clearly not major-league ready. Questions about his maturity have moved him from untradeable to possible trade bait, especially if the team could get a top-of-the-line starter for him. Talent-wise, Milledge still has a lightning-quick bat, which allows him to wait a little longer on pitches and use the whole field, and his pitch recognition continued its improvement when he hit Norfolk, though he struggled in the majors. As he matures as a hitter and fills out, he projects as a 25-30 HR hitter, and he has above-average speed, but his poor success rate on steals shows he needs to work on his technique. If Milledge remains with the Mets, he will probably open the season back in the minors, though he could get a call up if Shawn Green struggles or if the team suffers an injury.

Milledge is the Mets' top prospect, and one of the best in all of baseball. He got off to a slow start at High-A St. Lucie, but exploded in May and June to earn a promotion to Double-A Binghamton, where he didn't look out of place. Milledge's overall numbers are not that impressive, but the first thing scouts mention is his lightning-quick bat, which allows him to wait a little longer on pitches and use the whole field. His pitch recognition has improved as he's moved up the ladder, which may allow him to hit anywhere from first to fifth in the batting order. As he matures as a hitter and fills out, he projects as a 25-30 HR hitter. Milledge has above-average speed, but with a success rate of 62% on steals, he needs to work on technique. That speed also helps in center field, where he has a plus arm. Milledge has been prominently mentioned in trade rumors, but if he does remain with the Mets, he should be up late in 2006 and play full-time in 2007.

After signing late and getting just 26 AB in the minors in 2003, Milledge did not get off to a great start in 2004, missing the first month of the year with a fractured fourth metacarpal bone on his right ring finger. Once he finally got on the field, he proved to be everything the Mets thought he would be when they drafted him 12th overall in 2003. He earned Mets' Minor League Rookie of the Year kudos at low Single-A Capital City and received a mid-season promotion to high Single-A Port St. Lucie, but was sent back to Capital City for its pennant run, which was not the worst thing for him, since he was overmatched at high Single-A. Like all young hitters, he needs to work on his plate discipline but has adjusted to using a wood bat and should be the Mets' center fielder of the future. He'll start 2005 in Port St. Lucie and should be promoted to Double-A Binghamton with an ETA of late-2006, early-2007 for Shea.

Milledge dropped to the Mets as the No. 12 pick of the 2003 draft due to a variety of reasons: an inconsistent history with wood bats, some signability questions, and allegations of improper sexual conduct. Milledge ultimately never was charged in the improper sexual conduct allegation, and finally signed for $2.075 million two months after the draft. He only received 26 at bats at Rookie-level Brooklyn due to the late signing, and is expected to open 2004 in low-Single-A Capital City. Milledge is a five-tool player who must get used to wood bats, but projects to be an above-average CF. He probably won't hit Shea Stadium until 2007.