MLB Prospect Watch

Prospect Action - 4/28/13

Triple-A

• Darin Ruf broke out at the plate on Sunday, going 4-for-5 with a pair of home runs, notes Ashley Marshall of MiLB.com.  The Phillies outfielder has gotten off to a slow start, and even with his big game is hitting just .244/.302/.462 on the season.
• Brett Oberholtzer picked up a win in five innings of work thanks to a pair of hits and a home run from fellow Astros prospect Jonathan Villar, says Tim Grubbs of The New Orleans Times-Picayune.  Jacob Turner took the loss, but the Marlins right-hander allowed only three runs in six innings, which is an improvement on his struggles this season.
• Nick Franklin homered in support of his Mariners teammate James Paxton, who struck out five in 4 2/3 innings, reports Todd Dewey of The [Tacoma] News Tribune.
• Brett Jackson hit his first home run of the year, and the Cubs outfielder didn't strike out in the game.

Double-A

• Red Sox prospect Drake Britton battled through some early trouble to strike out nine on Sunday, reports Mike Ashmore of ThunderBaseball.com.
• Jesse Biddle didn't strike out 16 batters this time out, but he did reach double-digits again, as the left-hander fanned 10 on Sunday, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
• Kevin Gausman took a hard-luck loss as the Orioles right-hander struck out eight batters over 7 2/3 innings of work, allowing just one run.

High-A

• Pirates right-hander Nick Kingham struck out a career-hith 13 batters on Sunday over six scoreless innings of work, says Jake Seiner of MiLB.com.
• The Lakeland Tigers were led to victory by a two-run single by first baseman Aaron Westlake, reports The Lakeland Ledger.
• Mets right-hander Noah Syndergaard struck out seven batters in as many innings in the longest outing of his professional career, reports Jonathan Raymond of MiLB.com.

Low-A

• Bubba Starling hit his third home run of the season, but perhaps more impressively, the Royals prospect drew a pair of walks.  The 2011 first-rounder has been painfully over-aggressive at the plate in his career and has just seven walks to 31 strikeouts on the season.
• Joey Gallo has many of the same strike out issues as does Starling, and they showed on Sunday as the Rangers prospect went 1-for-4 with three strikeouts, now giving him 35 in 24 games.

 

Pacific Coast League Preview

Albuquerque (LAD)

Yasiel Puig is the big name but keep an eye on Chris Withrow as a potential bullpen arm who could be in the majors by the end of the season.  Watch Puig's plate discipline (not just walks, but his BB/K ratio) to see how ready he is for the majors.

Colorado Springs (COL)

Just like in the majors, it's all about offense in the Rockies Triple-A affiliate, with Nolan Arenado pushing Ryan Wheeler over to first base.  Arenado was beat out in spring training by Chris Nelson, but if he returns to his 2011 form, he should force his way to the majors by mid-season, no matter what Nelson is doing.

Memphis (SF)

Gary Brown could be up for a big offensive season, much like he had in the offensively similar California League in 2011.  The center fielder struggled last season as Richmond and has one last chance to prove that he's an everyday player and not a fourth outfielder.  Left-hander Mike Kickham leads the pitching staff after a strong season in Richmond in 2012.  He skipped the Cal League on his way through the Giants system, so this will be his first test in an extreme hittter's environment.

Iowa (CHC)

Brett Jackson and Josh Vitters are the names everyone knows and this is their final chance in the minors to prove they should be a part of the Cubs rebuilding process.  Both should be in the majors at some point this season, but both need to give the Cubs some reason to believe they can be regular players at the next level.

Las Vegas (NYM)

The new Mets affiliate are headlined by pitching phenom Zack Wheeler, who won't be in the desert for too long.  He should be in the majors by June.  The 51's also feature Travis d'Arnaud and Wilmer Flores, giving them the best collection of top prospects in the PCL.

Memphis (STL)

Oscar Taveras will be the best player in the PCL and will only be there as long as the Cardinals still have him blocked in the majors.  2012 first-rounder Michael Wacha could be close behind him, and should be the PCL's best pitcher once Wheeler joins the Mets.

Huntsville (MIL)

The Brewers system isn't deep, but Johnny Hellweg, who came over in last summer's Zack Greinke trade, is a flame thrower and almost made the Brewers bullpen out of spring training.  He'll work as a starter in the minors.

New Orleans (MIA)

The Zephyrs thought they were getting Jose Fernandez at some point this season, but instead will have to settle for Jacob Turner and Kyle Skipworth, which is not a close consolation prize.  Christian Yelich will join them eventually, but not yet.

Oklahoma City (HOU)

Jarred Cosart, Rudy Owens and Paul Clemens highlight a rotation of prospects the Astros have acquired over the past two seasons, while the lineup is led by Robbie Grossman, Marc Krauss and Jonathan Villar.  None of these players were drafted by the Astros, a testament to their rebuilding process, but none are high-end prospects.

Omaha (KC)

Once a Triple-A team that could almost rival the worst big league teams, Omaha now features midling prospects like Christian Colon and Chris Dwyer.

Reno (ARI)

Tyler Skaggs didn't make the Diamondbacks roster this spring, which is a gain for the Aces rotation that will also feature Randall Delgado, Charles Brewer and Chase Anderson.

Round Rock (TEX)

The headliner is Jurickson Profar, but he'll be flanked by Mike Olt in the lineup and Justin Grimm on the mound.  Profar could also be spending the majority of his time at second base now that the Rangers have locked Elvis Andrus up long term.

Sacramento (OAK)

Sonny Gray and Grant Green give the RIver Cats a pair of first rounders still trying to gain some traction within the A's organization.  Either could move quick if they have success or they could spend the whole season in the PCL.

Salt Lake (LAA)

The least prospect-laden team in the PCL offers Kole Calhoun in the outfield, but even he could be in the majors soon.

Tacoma (SEA)

There are prospects galore on the Rainers roster, including Danny Hultzen and Erasmo Ramirez in the rotation and Nick Franklin in the middle infield.  Taijuan Walker and Mike Zunino should both be there at some point as well.

Tucson (SD)

Jaff Decker continues to try to defy expectations, but needs to bounce back from an injury-riddled 2012 season.  Brad Boxberger will stay sharp in the bullpen until he's needed in the majors.

 

 

Prospect Spring Training Notes: Joseph, Mahoney, Puig, Jackson

• Tommy Joseph, acquired from the San Francisco Giants this past summer in the Hunter Pence deal, has impressed the Phillies with his maturity in his first camp, according to Matt Gelb of The Philadelphia Inquirer, but who goes on to suggest that Joseph is likely still about two years away from the majors.  Joseph gets rave reviews for his defense and game-management behind the plate, and if his bat can develop into an average tool, he should be a regular behind the plate for the Phillies after Carlos Ruiz's days as a starter are over.
• WIth more question marks than answers on their roster this spring, the Miami Marlins have a lot of wide-open position battles going on in camp this March.  That makes them a good spot for Joe Mahoney, who came over from the Marlins this off-season from the Baltimore Orioles, and his power potential could help him make a Marlins roster, notes Manny Navarro of The Miami Herald.  With a lineup that could feature power-starved hitters such as Chone Figgins, Juan Pierre and Placido Polanco, any power production would be a welcomed addition, and the 26-year-old Mahoney hit 18 home runs between High and Double-A in 2010.
• Thanks to being both extremely raw and on a Dodgers roster with a full major league outfield, Yasiel Puig entered camp with virtually no chance to stick in the majors.  That hasn't chanced, notes Kevin Baxter of The Los Angeles Times, but Puig has impressed some people in his first spring training.
• Much has been made out of Brett Jackson's new swing, and Keith Law of ESPN.com breaks it down for us after having seen it in person this weekend.  He also has notes on fellow Cubs prospect Javier Baez and Brewers pitching prospect Johnny Hellweg.

Moving On Up - July 30-August 5

Hello Baseball fanatics, once again it is Jeffrey Snedden here to update you on the call-ups and rookie status changes of the week in Major League Baseball.  Welcome to “Moving On Up” for July 30 – August 5. 

The Toronto Blue Jays called up OF Moises Sierra from AAA-Las Vegas of the PCL on July 31.  Sierra made his major league debut against Seattle that night at Safeco Field, recording his first big league hit.  Sierra will remain on the roster to replace outfield depth that was dealt in trades over the past few weeks.

The Chicago Cubs called up P Alberto Cabrera from AAA-Iowa of the PCL on August 1.   Cabrera is working out of the bullpen, and has thus far posted a 10.80 ERA thru 1.2 IP.  The 23-year old will remain on the major league roster in a relief capacity for the remainder of the season.  He has worked as both a starter and a reliever during his minor league career.

The San Diego Padres called up C Eddy Rodriguez from A-Lake Elsinore of the California League on August 2.  The 26-year old catcher hit a home run in his first big league game against the Reds on August 2.  He will get a good amount of playing time with starting C Yasmani Grandal on the 15-day DL.

The Texas Rangers called up highly-touted 3B/1B Mike Olt from AA-Frisco of the Texas League on August 2.  The 2010 1^st round draft pick looks to be up for good, as the Rangers move toward another postseason berth.  He recorded his first major league hit on August 2 against the Angels and is hitting .286 with 3 RBI in just 11 plate appearances.  Olt was ranked as the #43 prospect in baseball prior to 2012 by Baseball America.

The Oakland Athletics called up P Daniel Straily from AAA-Sacramento of the PCL on August 3.  He made his first major league start that night against Toronto, going 6.0 IP and giving up just one earned run.  Oakland currently has four of their starting pitchers on the DL, so Straily will be in the rotation for the next few weeks.

The Houston Astros called up P Mickey Storey from AAA-Oklahoma City of the PCL on August 3.  The 26-year old right-hander was acquired from Oakland last summer and has been primarily used as a reliever in the minors.  He will do the same in Houston, and has posted a sparkling 0.00 ERA thru 1.0 IP and two appearances.

The Seattle Mariners called up P Carter Capps from AAA-Tacoma of the PCL on August 3.  The 22-year old right-hander made his major league debut against the Yankees on August 3 and will work out of the bullpen for the Mariners. 

The Colorado Rockies called up 1B/OF Matt McBride from AAA-Colorado Springs of the PCL on August 4.  McBride was part of the trade last summer that sent SP Ubaldo Jimenez to Cleveland.  The 27-year old will play primarily at 1B with Todd Helton on the DL.  He recorded his first two major league hits on August 4 against the Giants.  McBride has posted a .300 BA thru 10 plate appearances so far.

The Toronto Blue Jays called up 3B Adeiny Hechavarria from AAA-Las Vegas of the PCL on August 4.  The 23-year old former Cuban prospect will work off the bench and spot start for the Blue Jays, who are still without Jose Bautista and Adam Lind due to injuries.  Hechavarria was ranked as the 15^th best prospect in the Toronto organization prior to 2012 by Baseball America.  He made his major league debut on August 4 against Oakland.

The San Diego Padres called up P Cory Burns from AAA-Tucson of the PCL on August 4.  The 24-year old relief pitcher made his major league debut on August 4 against the Mets, pitching 1.2 scoreless innings.  He was sent back down to Tucson on August 5.

The Chicago Cubs called up 3B Josh Vitters from AAA-Iowa of the PCL on August 5.  The former top prospect made his major league debut on August 5 against the Dodgers, but has yet to collect a hit.  Vitters is considered one of the cornerstones of the rebuilding plan going on in Chicago.

The Cubs also called up top-prospect CF Brett Jackson from AAA-Iowa of the PCL on August 5.  Jackson was considered the #32 prospect in baseball prior to 2012 by Baseball America.  The former 2009 1^st round pick will immediately start in the outfield for the rebuilding Cubs.  Along with Josh Vitters and Anthony Rizzo, Jackson is the core of the next wave of Chicago Cubs players.

 

No Longer Prospects, Welcome to Your Rookie Season 

These players have reached the MLB thresholds to be considered a rookie, and thus are no longer prospects.  This is your Rookie of the Year pool for 2012:

 

WAS OF Bryce Harper has 343 at-bats on the season.

MIL OF Norichika Aoki has 313 at-bats on the season.

MIN SS Brian Dozier has 299 at-bats on the season.

NYM OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis has 282 at-bats on the season.

OAK OF Yoenis Cespedes has 281 at-bats on the season.

BOS 3B Will Middlebrooks has 256 at-bats on the season.

DET OF Quintin Berry has 219 at-bats on the season.

LAD UTIL Elian Herrera has 169 at-bats on the season.

ATL SS Tyler Pastornicky has 152 at-bats on the season.

PHL 2B Freddy Galvis has 190 at-bats on the season. *Suspended

HOU SS Marwin Gonzalez has 149 at-bats on the season.

NYM UTIL Jordany Valdespin has 131 at-bats on the season.

 

BAL SP Wei-Yin Chen has 135.1 IP on the season.

TEX SP Yu Darvish has 134.0 IP on the season.

COL SP Christian Friedrich has 84.2 IP on the season.

CWS SP Jose Quintana has 83.2 IP on the season.

DET SP Drew Smyly has 79.1 IP on the season. 

SEA RP Hisashi Iwakuma has 64.1 IP on the season.

MIN P Cole De Vries has 59.0 IP on the season.

TOR SP Drew Hutchison has 58.2 IP on the season.

STL P Joe Kelly has 57.1 IP on the season.

TEX RP Robbie Ross has 53.2 IP on the season.

NYY P David Phelps has 51.1 IP on the season.

NYM P Jeremy Hefner has 50.0 IP on the season.

 

These players are anywhere from a few days to a few weeks away from crossing over into rookie status, but appear to be en route. 

*A player needs 130 At-bats to be considered a rookie and a pitcher must accrue 50 IP.

BAL UTIL Ryan Flaherty has 117 at-bats on the season.

ATL SS Andrelton Simmons has 115 at-bats on the season.*-Injured

WAS OF Tyler Moore has 105 at-bats on the season.

OAK C Derek Norris has 93 at-bats on the season.

BAL OF Xavier Avery has 90 at-bats on the season.

MIA UTIL Donovan Solano has 90 at-bats on the season.

STL 1B Matt Adams has 86 at-bats on the season.

COL SS Josh Rutledge has 85 at-bats on the season.

SEA SS Munenori Kawasaki has 80 at-bats on the season.

SD C Yasmani Grandal has 77 at-bats on the season. *-Injured

TOR UTIL Yan Gomes has 66 at-bats on the season.

LAD OF Scott Van Slyke has 54 at-bats on the season.

ARI OF A.J. Pollack has 53 at-bats on the season.

KCR INF Irving Falu has 53 at-bats on the season.

 

BAL P Miguel Gonzalez has 47.1 IP on the season.

CWS RP Nate Jones has 46.0 IP on the season.

ARI P Patrick Corbin has 45.0 on the season.

HOU SP Dallas Keuchel has 45.0 IP on the season.

OAK SP A.J. Griffin has 44.2 IP on the season. *-Injured

KCR P Will Smith has 39.0 IP on the season.

LAA P David Carpenter has 38.2 IP on the season.

HOU RP Rhiner Cruz has 36.2 IP on the season.

SEA SP Erasmo Ramirez has 30.2 IP on the season.

SEA P Lucas Luetge has 30.1 IP on the season.

 

That’s it for the Week of July 30 – August 5.

 

A Quick note for loyal readers of “Moving On Up” – In September, we will begin adding a ranking of the Rookie Of the Year candidates for each league based on the research we have been compiling all season.  We do this with the goal of predicting the players who will take home the hardware in the postseason awards.  Stay tuned!

Get all of your prospect information right here at www.mlbprospectwatch.com. 

You can follow Jeff Snedden on Twitter @jeffsnedden

 

Cubs Promote Jackson, Vitters

The Chicago Cubs took perhaps the biggest step in their rebuilding process on Sunday, by promoting their top two remaining position player prospects, outfielder Brett Jackson and third baseman Josh Vitters, to the majors.  Both players made their major league debuts on Sunday, with Jackson starting in centerfield and going 2-for-4, and Vitters flying out in a pinch hitting appearance.

Both players are former first round picks, with Vitters third overall selection coming back in 2007 out of high school and Jackson's selection coming 31st overall out of the University of California.  Both were selected by the previous regime running the Cubs, and their development will go a long way in determining just how long the rebuilding process will be for the hapless Cubs franchise, and whether or not there will need to be as much of a focus on bringing in hitting talent as there will need to be on the mound.

We have covered Jackson's development in pretty good detail, including our in-depth comparison that was done earlier this season.  Jackson's issue has always been making enough contact at the plate, and that issue has only increased this season.  In his first extended time in Triple-A, Jackson has set a career high in strike outs (by 20) while playing in less games than either of the past two seasons.  More frighteningly, however, is the drop in walks that has accompanied the strike outs.  Jackson has always been a patient hitter, which has partly contributed to his strike out totals, but it has enabled him to keep his on-base percentage high despite batting averages in the .270 range.  This season, Jackson has walked just 47 times in 467 plate appearances after back-to-back 73 walk seasons.

Jackson did use the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League to post his best career power numbers, with 49 extra-base hits in 106 games.  The question surrounding him in the majors will be the same as it has always been - will he make enough contact?

For Vitters, the opposite has been the problem throughout his career.  Vitters is such a gifted hitter that before this season, he had never struck out more than 65 times in a minor league season.  The problem is that he often swings at pitcher's pitches, expanding the zone and being overly aggressive.  This season, Vitters has shown better discipline at the plate, which has allowed him to become the .300 hitter that everyone expected him to be for the first time in his career.

Vitters will never be a patient hitter at the plate, as evidenced by his career-high 30 walks this season, but with his increased patience this season came the power that scouts had predicted for years, setting career highs in doubles and home runs, and slugging over .500 for the first time in his career.  Some of that production will be attributed to the hitter-friendly environments found in the PCL, but much of it is also due to Vitters' development as a hitter.

How these two hitters continue to develop will help to determine the Cubs plan for the next few seasons.  The next two months will help determine whether either needs more time in the minors next seasons or whether the Cubs need a short-term solution in either center field or third base.  Their play next season will determine whether or not the Cubs have cornerstone pieces to build around, or role players with improper expectations.

Both Vitters and Jackson have their holes as prospects, but both should be contributors at the major league level.  What role they ultimately play in roster formation will become evident in the next year and a half.

 

Don't forget, you can follow us on Twitter @mlbpw or Facebook for instant updates when new posts are made.