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Loek Van Mil Stands Tall: Top Angels Prospect Performances in 2011

Please note that the rankings below DO NOT comprise a traditional "best prospect" list. I simply ranked players according to their 2011 Wins Above Replacement ("WAR"), which provides a rough estimate of total contributions to their respective teams. 

19)  Loek Van Mil, 09/15/1984-- rhrp, AA

3 wins, 5 losses. 73.1 IP, 2.09 ERA, 51 K/27 BB. 16 runs saved, 2.4 WAR

After a forgettable 2010 season that saw the Twins trade him for Brian Fuentes, Van Mil bounced back to set career bests in innings pitched, strikeouts, and ERA.  He was a workhorse for the Travelers, especially through an endless August grind when the team was down starters and needed significant help in the middle innings. He even made a spot start on August 10th, twirling five innings of shutout baseball. If you haven't heard of this guy, get ready to see a lot of ink spilled over him from now through spring training, because his career now has momentum in addition to novelty. Van Mil is the tallest professional baseball player on record, measuring in at 7'1", 220. He can therefore do things that other players cannot, delivering plus fastballs that have extreme downward angle and a point of release ridiculously close to home plate. You will see more scouting reports on this guy throughout the offseason, but the take-away here is that Van Mil resurrected his career in 2011 and appears likely to debut in the big leagues, even if just for a cameo, at some point in 2012.