Salty Tabbed #1 Prospect in Carolina League – Capitol Broadcasting Company

Salty Tabbed #1 Prospect in Carolina League

Jarrod “Salty” Saltalamacchia is the #1 prospect in the Carolina League.

For the second straight year a Myrtle Beach Pelican has been named the #1 prospect in the Carolina League. Last year it was Jeff Francoeur, who is currently roaming right field at Turner Field for the NL East Division Champion Atlanta Braves.

This year, Jarrod Saltalamacchia was placed at the top of the league by Baseball America. “Salty” was one of two Pelicans from the 2005 roster selected to the annual top 20 prospects in the league, as LF Josh Burrus was tabbed the 20th best prospect.

The switch-hitting catcher Saltalamacchia

was selected as the Pelicans “Most Valuable Offensive Player of the Year” after hitting .314 with 19 HR’s and 81 RBI in 129 games this season.
was selected to the Carolina League vs. California League All-Star game during the season
and was also voted to the year-end Carolina League All-Star team.

His teammate, Josh Burrus, a speedy leftfielder

spent the first 76 games of the ’05 season in Myrtle Beach where he batted .284 with 11 home runs and 53 RBI.
also swiped 25 bases, good enough for the league lead in stolen bases before he was promoted to Double-A Mississippi on July 6th.
In Mississippi Burrus hit .221 with five homers and 21 RBI in 46 games.
He later received a promotion to Triple-A Richmond where he hit .316 in five contests with the R-Braves.

Both Saltalamacchia and Burrus are scheduled to play for the Phoenix Desert Dogs of the Arizona Fall League, which begins play on October 4th.

TOP 20 PROSPECTS IN THE CAROLINA LEAGUE 2005

1. Jarrod Saltalamacchia, c, Myrtle Beach
2. Nick Markakis, of, Frederick
3. Anibal Sanchez, rhp, Wilmington
4. Adam Miller, rhp, Kinston
5. Gio Gonzalez, lhp, Winston-Salem
6. Jeremy Sowers, lhp, Kinston
7. Armando Galarraga, rhp, Potomac
8. Jeff Fiorentino, of, Frederick
9. Lance Broadway, rhp, Winston-Salem
10. Adam Loewen, lhp, Frederick
11. Robert Valido, ss, Winston-Salem
12. Tony Sipp, lhp, Kinston
13. Ray Liotta, lhp, Winston-Salem
14. J.J. Johnson, rhp, Frederick
15. Kory Casto, 3b, Potomac
16. Brad Snyder, of, Kinston
17. Frank Diaz, of, Potomac
18. Hunter Pence, of, Salem
19. Stephen Head, 1b, Kinston
20. Josh Burrus, of, Myrtle Beach

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans players, coaches, and staff would like to thank all of the fans for making the 2005 season another great one. The Pelicans next home game will be Thursday, April 6th at 7:02 pm against the Wilmington Blue Rocks. Ticket information will be made available in the near future.

Thanks to MBBC’s Ryan Ibbotson for this capcom story & Steve Terry for this capcom photo.