MLB Prospect Watch

Padres Rymer Liriano Out for 2013 Season

Rymer Liriano, the highest-ceiling prospect in the San Diego Padres farm system, will miss the entire 2013 season with after tearing his ulnar collateral ligament, reports Corey Brock of MLB.com.

Liriano wasn't a factor in the Padres plans for this season, so the injury has no short-term effect on the major league roster, but for a raw prospect who has as much potential as any prospect in the organization but also needed as much experience as any, it's a devastating injury that backs up his timetable to the major leagues.

Liriano finished the 2012 season in Double-A and was likely heading back there to begin the 2013 season in hopes of mastering it as he has done in each of his previous minor league stops.  Liriano has struggled in his first stint of every new league he's joined, a trend I examined earlier this summer, but he has also gone on to master each level in his second go-round and the same was expected out of him in Double-A in 2013.

The outfield prospect is a true five-tool player, with his power being the only tool that hasn't fully manifested itself in games.  Still, as a 21-year-old who made it to Double-A last season, the Padres were continuing with their plan of moving Liriano slowly through their minor league system in order to fully develop all of his skills.  For all of his tools, Liriano is still raw in many aspects of his game, most notably his plate discipline, and the Padres planned to give him as many minor league at-bats as possible before bringing him to the majors.

That will still likely be the plan, but it's timetable will simply be pushed back a full year.  Liriano's age works in his favor, and he should return to Double-A next season as  22-year-old, no longer young for the league, but certainly not too old for his competition.  The elbow injury shouldn't have a long-term effect on his abilities, but it will push his arrival in the majors back at least one year.

Winter League Recap: 11/20/12

Puerto Rican Winter League

• In the only Puerto Rican Winter League game not to get rained out on Tuesday, Rangers catching prospect Jorge Alfaro went 2-for-4 with a triple, and now has multiple hits in six of his ten winter league games.

Dominican Winter League

• In a prospect-laden lineup, Rangers prospects Mike Olt and Jurickson Profar, playing for the Tigres del Licey, both struggled, with Olt going 0-for-2 and Profar going 0-for-3.  Olt is hitting .250 this winter in regular playing time, but is still drawing his walks and has a .394 on-base percentage.  Profar is playing sporatically and is hitting just .211.  Padres outfield prospect Rymer Liriano wasted no time getting back into action after the Arizona Fall League season, and went 1-for-3 in his first DWL game.
• No one knows when Angel Villalona will be allowed back in the united states, but in the Domincan, the Giants first baseman is hitting .400 for the winter after a 2-for-4 game on Tuesday.

Venezuelan Winter League

• Wilmer Flores continued his hot winter, going 2-for-6 with three RBI's.  Cubs outfielder Dave Sappelt hit his first home run of the winter.
• Twins outfielder Oswaldo Arcia hit his fifth home run of the winter in a 13-6 blowout loss for his Tigres del Aragua.  Arcia is hitting just .245 this winter but has put on a decent power display.

 

Arizona Fall League Scouting Reports - AL and NL West

The following is the first of a four-part series from new MLB Prospect Watch contributor Kevin Walsh, who spent the last week taking in Arizona Fall League games and saw all six of the league's teams. This series will highlight some of the players that impressed and disappointed during the fall league.

 

AL West

George Springer, Houston Astros

A first rounder last year, Springer stood out in 2012 in the California League. He has ridiculous bat speed and uses it to generate plus-power. Pair that with easy 65 speed and Springer is a very intriguing package. I personally witnessed him hit two of the furthest home runs they have ever seen at Salt River Fields. Springer stands out because of the potential to be a solid outfielder, a plus base runner and hit above .300. He took a couple interesting routes in center field, but his speed and knowledge allow him to correct for those and make the play. He was rated as the best outfielder in the California League and long-term he should stick in center. He put up four extremely quality at-bats in the game I watched, and drew two walks and jacked two home runs.  He struggled in a short-stint in AA and his strikeout numbers could slow his ascent, but he just turned 23 at the end of the season and should arrive in Houston for good at some point in 2013. For now don’t be surprised if he spends all spring in big league camp before starting in the Texas League.

 

Chia-Jen Lo, Houston Astros

Another interesting “non-prospect” due to his age is Lo, a chunky right-hander who is coming off a couple of elbow injuries (red flags) and will be 27 as next year opens. That said, I think he could be a good bullpen arm for the Astros this coming season. Lo’s fastball ranges from 88-96 but typically sits around 92-93. He throws a tight slider (due to his ¾ arm slot this may actually be more of a short-break curve/slurve) at 84-85 that appears to be a strong strikeout offering. He has a change-up and it plays up due to his other offerings. With the Astros moving to the AL West, they will be looking to continue to shore up the bullpen. If he is healthy, I expect Lo will spend the spring looking to break camp with the team, but will likely open in Oklahoma City.

 

Hanser Alberto, Texas Rangers

The Rangers have an embarrassment of riches in the middle infield and Alberto adds to that. Despite his listed size of 5’11” 175, he is thicker than you’d expect. The ball comes off his bat loudly and he drives it to all fields well. Some of thoughts I heard on the bat were divided between, “he generates loud at-bats over and over again” and the counter of “that is because of his long-swing.” He doesn’t tend to walk but also doesn’t tend to strike out, rather favoring putting the ball in play and trying to make things happen. He just turned 20 during the fall-league and is in a good position to open 2013 as the AA shortstop for the Rangers. In the field he uses his speed to track down balls and has extremely impressive skills in the field. He earns comparisons to Elvis Andrus at a similar age, but those are unfair as they are not as similar as they appear. For one, while both can be plus fielders, Alberto is more solid with less range and Andrus at the same age displayed ridiculous range but a tendency for errors. For another, his approach isn’t very refined and long-term I think he is still at least two full seasons away from the Majors. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Texas move him as they have Luis Sardinas, Rougned Odor and Odubel Herrera behind him.

 

Nick Franklin, Seattle Mariners

I’ve seen Franklin a bunch this season and he is a great example that sometimes you have to trust evaluators and the numbers. Franklin has never enthralled me and quite frankly I am still not sure he’ll be a solid major league regular. I tend to think he profiles more as a backup middle infielder that can play an average shortstop and an above-average second base. I don’t think the power he displayed in 2010 as a 19-year-old is his true power. I think he is more of a 10-13 home run type guy who has doubles power. In my sample of him he showed some movements in the infield, though the range isn’t fantastic. He is reliable and should be a good bench piece for the Mariners. That said, he’ll be 22 next season and could truly breakout and become a really strong major league regular. He is just one player that I am not quite sold on yet.

 

NL West

Chase Anderson, Arizona Diamondbacks

Anderson has the potential to be a solid back-end of the rotation arm for the D-backs. Anderson sits 92-93 with his fastball and has a big and loopy curve ball. While the curve is a good pitch, evaluators are afraid that the big, loopy break will be a tip off to hitters and it’ll be hit hard at higher levels. He pitched extremely well in Mobile this season and with the D-backs having a ton of upper level starters, I see no reason why he’ll be rushed.

 

Rymer Liriano, San Diego Padres

Liriano is built like a linebacker, but he is fleet of foot and produces rockets with his bat. Defensively, Liriano has a very strong arm and uses it effectively. He is not particularly fast, but he is very aware and takes bases well (152 SB in 492 career games).  I think he is more likely to land in RF than CF but he is currently playing both and that may continue throughout his career. He is not quite there yet, but he shows signs of being a very solid future MLB player. He is still developing physically and while that may hamper his speed, it will likely boost his power.

 

Kevin Walsh is a life-long stat head with a penchant for analysis. He has business experience in Major League Baseball and the Media Relations in the Arena Football League. He can be found on Twitter @AltitudeSports and through his blog at altitudesports.blogspot.com.

Arizona Fall League Recap: 11/9/12

• Astros outfield prospect George Springer hit a pair of home runs as part of a 3-for-3 day at the plate to help lead his Solar Sox to a 7-5 victory. Blue Jays outfield prospect Jake Marisnick went 3-for-3 with a triple in the loss. Jarred Cosart was his typical enigmatic self on the mound on Friday, striking out six batters in four innings but allowing three runs in the process.
• Yankees struggling pitching prospect Dellin Betances gave up a run in the bottom of the eighth to lose the game for his Scorpions. Marlins outfield prospect Kyle Jensen hit his fourth home run of the fall, a two-run shot in the third inning that proved to be the difference.
• Padres outfielder Rymer Liriano and Mariners third baseman Vinnie Catricala each homered in the Javelinas 11-8 loss. The Saguaros offensive attack was led by Mets second base prospect Daniel Muno, went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles.

 

 

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Arizona Fall League Recap: 11/8/12

• Padres outfield prospect Rymer Liriano went 3-for-5, including a pair of doubles, to help lead his Javelinas to a 12-4 victory. Javelinas starter Kyle Gibson needed the run support after the rehabbing Twins right-hander allowed four runs in five innings, and has not gotten hit hard in his last two starts.  For the Scorpions, the game was lost in the top of the eighth inning, when Pirates reliever Victor Black entered the game and gave up seven runs in two-thirds of an inning, walking four batters in the process.  He's now walked 11 batters in 8 2/3 fall innings.  Indians catching prospect Alex Monsalve went 4-for-4 in the loss.
• Oakland A's second baseman Grant Green hit a game-tying three-run home run in the top of the eighth, but Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Johnny Hellweg blew the lead in the bottom of the inning to take the loss.  The Solar Sox took the lead in the first place thanks to a three-run home run by Dodgers outfield prospect Joc Pederson, who is hitting just .103 this fall.
• Ninth inning home runs by Diamondbacks prospect Matt Davidson and Blue Jays outfielder Jake Marisnick weren't enough to complete the comback for the Rafters on Thursday.  Cardinals outfielder Mike O'Neill collected three hits in the victory, raising his batting average to .346 for the fall.