Josh Kroeger - No. 20 of Baseball's Best Minor League Players - MLN Fab50 (FAB 50) 2004 - MLN Sports Zone

Name: Josh Kroeger

Height: 6’2”

Weight: 200 lbs.

Position: Outfield [OF]er

Bats/Throws: L/L

DOB: 08/31/1982

Organization: Arizona Diamondbacks

Acquired: Selected by D-Backs in 2000 draft (4th round)

Current Team: El Paso Diablos – Texas League - AA

Josh Kroeger is the first of three promising young outfielders from the Arizona Diamondbacks organization to land on our Fab 50 list. He is the first in line for a major league promotion.

With Steve Finley turning 40-years-old next season, and both Luis Gonzales and Danny Bautista well past 30, the D-Backs have a definite need to get younger at all three positions.

Homegrown would be preferable to shopping at Free Agents R Us as the team is rumored to still be working out its binge shopping on free agents past.

When you consider that these men are the only three outfielders on Arizona’s current 40-man roster, Kroger is literally one play away from a call-up to Bank One Ballpark.

Kroger is a big left-handed hitter with above-average raw power. More refinement, and the doubles that he has been hitting lately will start sailing over the wall.

Kroger, a former football player, already has 26 two-baggers for El Paso this season, after hitting 39 between the Diablos and Single-A Lancaster last year.

At .341, Josh has shown he can also hit for average. He has a career best nine long balls and ranks near the top of the Texas League in total bases, slugging and extra base hits.

Where Kroger goes from here depends on where his bat and his glove can take him, and on injuries. He could be at the Bob for a short stint. He could impress in fall or winter ball and get a D-backs berth. More likely, he'll get a move to AAA sometime between now and 2004. Look for him to hit the show sometime in 2005.

He rounds out the top twenty at the big 2-0 in the MLN FAB50.

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