The beginning of the 2009 season saw the release of the updated Baseball America Top 100 Prospect list.  Placed firmly at the top was a hotshot 18-year-old OF from Houston by the name of Ralph Shields.  Currently playing LF for the AAA Long Island Titans, part of the OTBL Champion Carolina Hawks organization, the young Shields wasn't always projected to be a future star and few scouts even deemed him worthy of a draft pick.  But Carolina's deep minors scout saw something in the young man and finally convinced team owner Bob Workrate to take a flyer on the youngster (then 16-years-old).

As the 216th player drafted in the 2007 Rookie Draft, Shields didn't turn many heads with his relative lack of power and speed.  A second-half season at A-level Pocono was unspectacular and failed to merit a promotion to AA Atlantic City.  The next season is where it all clicked and the young outfielder began to put it all together and catch the eyes of Pocono coaches.

In 2008, the now 17-year-old Shields shot out to a .433 average and .981 OPS with a 45.8 VORP in only 68 games.  Pocono was quickly on the phone to owner Workrate and the suddenly hot Shields was promoted to Atlantic City and thrust into the starting line-up.  Did he suffer a little culture shock at the next level?  Hardly.

In 18 games with Atlantic City, Ralph erupted with 44 hits in 81 ABs, good for a .543 AVG and a staggering 23.1 VORP.  Management didn't even hesitate this time--it was AAA Long Island or bust!

The 2008 season ended with Ralph Shields in Long Island's starting line-up, having hit .329 in 146 ABs and a respectable 8.7 VORP in that short timeframe.  Shields had rocketed from A-ball Pocono through AA Atlantic City into the starting line-up in AAA Long Island in one season.  Talk about things clicking!

2009 finds the budding superstar hitter still in Long Island already off to a satisfying .341 AVG and sitting at the top of the Baseball America Top 100 Prospect list.  While still showing a noted lack of power and speed, Shields has an uncanny knack for putting the bat on the ball and finding a gap in the defense.  Where does his future lie?  He's not your prototypical lead-off man with his lack of speed and outfield range and he's not a slugger of any sort.  But baseball is fundamentally about getting the bat on the ball and getting on base and this kid from Houston does just that.