Tommy

Whiteman

He is batting .412 after 10 games. Whiteman should at least be a quality utilityman in the majors. If he plays well in Triple-A next year, he might get a chance to battle Adam Everett for a starting job in 2006.

Whiteman probably would not have slipped through waivers a year ago, but he’s been a major disappointment in 2005, hitting .250/.333/.329 in 152 AB for Double-A Corpus Christi and .204/.291/.281 in 221 AB for Round Rock. He’s 26 now, so he couldn’t afford such a setback.

Whiteman can outhit Adam Everett, but he’s not quite good enough of a shortstop to be a major league regular. He should emerge as a utilityman in 2006.

Whiteman, a disappointment last year, is getting a chance to repeat Double-A. He now looks more like a potential utilityman than a regular shortstop, but he’s still one of Houston’s top non-pitching prospects.

He’s still hitting just .224/.338/.362. Whiteman has been a prospect for a long time, but he no longer looks like anything more than a utilityman.