No. 3 CHRIS CARTER, 1B ATHLETICS
Team: Double-A Midland (Texas) / Triple-A Sacramento (Pacific Coast)
Age: 22
Why He's Here: .329/.422/.570 (179-for-544), 28 HR, 43 2B, 2 3B, 115 RBIs, 115 R, 85 BB, 133 SO, 13-for-19 SB
The Scoop: Carter might have had a shot at winning the triple crown in the Texas League if the A's hadn't let him get his feet wet in Triple-A for the last two weeks of the season. Carter wound up finishing second in the TL in average (.337) and home runs (24) and third in RBIs (101). He made the most of his time with the River Cats though, going 3-for-5 in his first Triple-A game and slugging four home runs. Carter worked hard on shortening his swing and using the whole field more, resulting in a 70 point increase in his average from '08 (.259) to '09. He's also been the best power hitter in the A's system, and this was his third consecutive season with at least 25 home runs.