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About Chris Constancio

Chris Constancio analyzes prospects and the minor leagues at FirstInning.com. He welcomes comments, questions, and suggestions via e-mail.


Note: This page displays up to 100 articles at a time. To view a subset of a writer's work, click on one of the following years:
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Chris Constancio's Articles

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The best major leaguers $50,000 can buy

December 07, 2007
The Orioles' Randor Bierd and Cardinals' Brian Barton rank as Chris' favorite Rule 5 selections this year.

The most improved minor league hitters of 2007

November 08, 2007
Nine prospects who made big strides in their game.

Rethinking MLE: The role of experience

September 12, 2007
Should hitters who are succeeding in their second or third time in Triple-A be treated differently than less experienced Triple-A hitters?

Who’s burning up the minors in the second half?

August 21, 2007
You might already know about Jay Bruce, but other guys are hot, too

Why do sinking fastballs cause groundballs?

August 03, 2007
Some digging into enhanced gameday data for 12 pitchers suggests it's not all about location, location, location.

Can these young pitchers turn it around?

July 17, 2007
Should we expect rebound performances from the Cubs' Donnie Veal and the Orioles' Brandon Erbe?

Can these young hitters turn it around?

July 05, 2007
What are the chances of big second half performances from struggling young hitters like Reid Brignac and Trevor Crowe?

Drafting high school pitchers

June 07, 2007
A look at past top high school pitching prospects with an eye towards this Thursday's draft.

Ten hitting prospects worth knowing about

May 29, 2007
Wladimir Balentien, Bryan Anderson, Desmond Jennings and others are emerging as top prospects

Ten Pitching Prospects Worth Knowing About

May 15, 2007
Ten lesser-known minor league pitchers off to hot starts, including Arizona's Brett Anderson and Cincinnati's Daryl Thompson.

The Truth About April Home Runs

May 01, 2007
Are home runs down due to weather or something else?

The Best Young Right-handed Pitchers of 2007

April 19, 2007
King Felix reigns over this list of promising young pitchers.

Eight More Prospects to Watch in 2007

April 10, 2007
The minor league season is underway, and here are eight players who could emerge as top prospects by the end of the year.

The Best Young Left-handed Pitchers of 2007

April 03, 2007
Tampa Bay's Scott Kazmir is joined by pitchers in the major leagues, minor leagues, and even the NCAA level in this summary of the game's best young southpaws.

The Best Young Corner Outfielders of 2007

March 20, 2007
The Royals' Billy Butler and the Diamondbacks' Carlos Quentin lead this list of exciting young corner outfielders.

The Best Young Center Fielders of 2007

March 12, 2007
Grady Sizemore and Chris Young lead this list of promising young center fielders.

The Best Young Shortstops of 2007

February 27, 2007
Jose Reyes and Hanley Ramirez lead this list of 15 great young shortstops in the major and minor leagues.

The Best Young Third Basemen of 2007

February 20, 2007
Miguel Cabrera, David Wright and Ryan Zimmerman lead this exciting group of young third basemen.

The Best Young Second Basemen of 2007

February 13, 2007
Robinson Cano, Howie Kendrick and Rickie Weeks lead this list of 15 promising young second basemen in the majors and the minor leagues.

The Best Young First Basemen of 2007

February 06, 2007
Daric Barton, Prince Fielder and Travis Snider lead this list of promising young first basemen.

Best Young Catchers of 2007

January 30, 2007
Chris chooses the 15 most promising catchers under the age of 25.

Pitchers Who Weathered the Wind

January 23, 2007
25 pitchers, from A-ball to the big leagues, who surrendered the most home runs with the wind blowing to the outfield.

When the Wind Blows

January 16, 2007
How do wind direction and speed affect fly balls in 28 major league ballparks?

Cal Ripken, The Early Years

January 08, 2007
We all know about his career achievements, but what kind of prospect was Cal Ripken?

Will Brandon Wood Strike Out?

December 21, 2006
Or, 149 reasons to worry - or not worry - about the Angels' top prospect.

A Closer Look at James Loney

December 11, 2006
Could the Dodgers first base prospect become a star?

A Closer Look at Elijah Dukes

December 04, 2006
One of the game's best—and most controversial—prospects could be involved in a trade this week. Here is his story.

A Closer Look at Chris Young

November 27, 2006
The Diamondbacks center fielder may be the game's most valuable prospect.

The Best Pitchers of the 2006 Arizona Fall League

November 20, 2006
Nine young pitchers who held their own in the offense-oriented Arizona Fall League.

When Will Daisuke Matsuzaka’s Arm Fall Off?

November 13, 2006
A historical look at career trajectories after heavy usage before age 26.

Eight Notable Hawaiian Winter Baseball League Performances

November 06, 2006
Reports on a handful of baseball prospects, including Braves third baseman Van Pope and Rangers outfielder John Mayberry.

Ten Notable Arizona Fall League Performances

October 30, 2006
Reports on five overachivers, including the Brewers' Ryan Braun, and five underachievers, including the Athletics' Kevin Melillo.

Temperature Effects

October 23, 2006
This World Series will be almost entirely played in cold weather. Here's an overview of how air temperature affects strikeout rates, walk rates, and batted balls.

Hughes, Bailey, and Gallardo

October 16, 2006
Introducing the next generation of exciting young pitchers.

Seven Reasons to Follow Baseball in Arizona

October 09, 2006
The Arizona Fall League features many noteworthy baseball prospects, including the Dodgers' Chin Lung Hu and the Mets' Mike Pelfrey and Fernando Martinez.

Seven Reasons to Follow Baseball in Hawaii

October 02, 2006
The inaugural Hawaii Winter Baseball League features many noteworthy baseball prospects, including the Yankees' newest young pitchers and the Braves' future third basemen.

Five Cups of Coffee

September 25, 2006
Projections for prospects who earned promotions to the big leagues this month.

Minor League Postseason in Review

September 18, 2006
Ten things I learned from following the minor league playoffs.

The Double-A and Triple-A Championships Preview

September 11, 2006
Why wait until October for playoff baseball?

Projecting the September Callups

September 04, 2006
Projections for eight new big league hitters, including Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Kouzmanoff, and Delmon Young.

Hitting Prospects on the Rebound

August 28, 2006
The Braves' Van Pope and the Mets' Carlos Gomez lead this list of young hitters who have overcome early season slumps.

Pitching Prospects on the Rebound

August 21, 2006
Four young pitchers who have rebounded from slow starts this year.

Contact: The Critical Ingredient for Heavy Hitters

August 14, 2006
Tall and heavy prospects tend to become good hitters, but that's only true if they can put the bat on the ball.

Projecting the Prospects of the Trading Deadline (Part 3)

August 07, 2006
Projections for three prospects involved in recent trades, including Tampa Bay's Joel Guzman and Minnesota's Zach Ward

Projecting the Prospects of the Trading Deadline (Part 2)

July 31, 2006
Projections for four minor leaguers on the move, including the Phillies' C.J. Henry and the Rangers' Nelson Cruz.

Projecting the Prospects of the Trading Deadline: Part One

July 24, 2006
Three-year projections for several recently traded prospects, including the Mets' Ruben Gotay and the Indians' Max Ramirez.

Can These Prospects Turn It Around?

July 17, 2006
Is there any hope for Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Mark Rogers, and other prospects in the middle of disappointing seasons?

Checking in on the Eastern and Southern Leagues

July 10, 2006
A mid-season review of minor league performances in two Double-A leagues, including the Yankees' Phillip Hughes and the Braves' Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

Checking in on the Pacific Coast and International Leagues

July 03, 2006
A mid-season review of player performances in the Triple-A leagues.

Checking in on the California and Carolina Leagues

June 26, 2006
A mid-season review of minor league performances in a pair of the Single-A Advanced leagues

Checking in on the Midwest and South Atlantic Leagues

June 20, 2006
The best players in Single-A ball will participate in a pair of All-Star games tonight.

Checking in on the Florida State and Texas Leagues

June 19, 2006
A mid-season review of minor league performances in the Florida State and Texas Leagues

Evolving Draft Strategies

June 12, 2006
Chris updates his plot of organizational draft strategies and describes how the draft has evolved over the past five years.

Visualizing Draft Strategies

June 05, 2006
One image to summarize how 18 major league organizations approach the first year player draft.

Minor Matters: Home Field Advantage in the Lower Minor Leagues

June 01, 2006
Did Class-A hitters strike out less and walk more with their local replacement umpires behind the plate?

Minor Matters: Home Field Advantage in the Upper Minor Leagues

May 29, 2006
Do minor league players enjoy a home field advantage when they get to know the local replacement umpires?

Minor Matters: Unlisted Pitching Prospects Worth Knowing

May 22, 2006
Seven young pitchers you should know about but won't find on many pre-season top prospect lists.

Minor Matters: Unlisted Hitting Prospects Worth Knowing

May 15, 2006
Here are ten names you should know about but won't find on many pre-season top prospect lists.

Are the Minor League Replacement Umpires Biased?

May 08, 2006
The statistical evidence supports minor league managers' complaints.

Minor Matters: The Pitchers’ Hot Starts

May 02, 2006
Which pitching prospects are really off to good starts?

Minor Matters: Breaking down hot starts

April 24, 2006
THT's new minor league guru takes a look at hot starts by Lastings Milledge, Brandon Wood and other top prospects in the minors.

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