MLB Prospect Watch

Notable Prospect Performances - 6/9

Thank you, Stephen Strasburg, for reminding us again how much fun baseball can be.  You should probably, however, apologize to Mike Stanton for completely overshadowing his 3-hit debut.

In other action...

• It was a big night for Indians' prospects, as Carlos Santana hit his 12 home run of the season and Lonnie Chisenhall homered for Double-A Akron in support of Alex White, who gave up only one hit over six innings, but walked five.
• Brandon Erbe had another rough outing, reports Dean Jones, Jr. of the Baltimore Sun, but there's some good offensive news for the O's from the game, as Brandon Snyder and Josh Bell each had two hits and an RBI.
• Mike Minor has been racking up major strikeout numbers, but he's also had a couple of clunkers tossed in, like the 7 ER's he gave up Tuesday night.
• Yesterday made back-to-back 3-hit nights for Desmond Jennings.  When he gets hot, look out.
• There were some impressive strikeout totals recorded in places other than Washington on Tuesday night, including those by Dan Hudson, who punched out 10 over 7 IP, Brody Colvin who K'd 8 in 7 IP, and Chad James, who set down 9 batters in 5 innings of work.

Organizational Update - Washington Nationals

Time to get caught up...

The Nationals once barren system is now beginning to bear fruit.  For simplicity's sake here, I'll assume you already know all about Stephen Strasburg and Drew Storen.

Michael Burgess - Stats

The problem with Burgess has always been consistent contact.  His second go-round in the Carolina League seems to have solved that problem for now, but Burgess is going to have to prove he can lower his strike out numbers without repeating a level.  This year's K-rate has dipped below the 20% sign, and his OPS has risen to .814 as a result, which could result in a promotion to Double-A and the next test for Burgess.

Paul Demny - Stats

Demny is repeating the Sally League largely because of his 5.14 ERA last season, but in spite of his 3.78 FIP.  The Nationals are probably thrilled with his "improvements" this season and his 2.77 ERA, despite his FIP of 3.81.  In other words, Demny is about the same pitcher he was last year, but a lot luckier.

Danny Espinosa - Stats

After a season flashing both power and patience, and the corresponding promotion to Double-A this season, Espinosa has struggled slightly against tougher competition, but no more so than a 25-point drop in his BABIP would suggest.  He's still displaying decent plate discipline and some power, so he's far from a lost cause, and may just take some time to adjust to Double-A pitching. 

Destin Hood - Stats

Hood is creeping up on his career high in games played in a season already in 2010, which signals part of the problem.  The other is his plate discipline, as his K/BB ratio through 144 career minor is 146/37.  This season's respectable .290 batting average is a product of his unsustainable .404 BABIP and 22% line drive rate, and even with a bit of good luck, his OPS still stands at just .693.

Jeff Kobernus - Stats

More was expected out of last year's second round pick than his current .235/.260/.261 line.  He's simply not displaying any power or plate discipline (26 K's against 4 BB's).  It's a surprising performance from a college draft pick, but if improvement isn't seen by the time short season ball opens up, a demotion could be in line.

Stephen Lombardozzi - Stats

The son of a former big leaguer, Lombardozzi has been the model of consistency throughout his professional career.  This season, the 2B has maintained his plate discipline while displaying slightly more extra base power, but still no home run ability.  Still, his .384 OBP alone will be enough to keep him around.

Chris Marrero - Stats

Finally in Double-A but still just 21-years-old, Marrero hasn't developed into the complete hitter the Nationals thought they were drafting in 2006, but he does have good power that plays in games.  His free-swinging tendencies may be his demise at the higher levels of the minors, but his .274/.322/.434 line this year at Harrisburg is enough to think that he may still be able to be an everyday player in the majors at some point.

Jack McGeary - Stats

McGeary has managed to get his control back to respectability after an extremely wild 2009 season, but still isn't missing quite enough bats to be truly effective.  He is also averaging less than 5 innings per start, which is due to the Nationals restrictions on him, but is also a bad sign for a pitcher in his 4th professional season, regardless of the educational commitments that made him a part-time player his first few seasons.

Derek Norris - Stats

The best prospect the Nationals have left in the minors after Strasburg and Storen's promotions, Norris has continued to display his impeccable plate discipline this season, but has seen his power zapped due to various injuries.  Even without power, his .277/.440/.369 line is impressive, even if it is only in 20 games.

Making Moves - Stanton and More

The NL East just keeps getting better and better.

It appears that on the same day that Stephen Strasburg will make his major league debut for the Nationals, so too will Mike Stanton for the Marlins.  The team announced that they will be promoting the power-hitting outfielder in time for their series with the Phillies on Tuesday, reports Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald.

But Stanton was hardly the only prospect on the move over the weekend...

• The Phillies have demoted Phillippe Aumont, sending the struggling right-hander back down to High-A ball, reports Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer.  The team plans to keep Aumont as a starter, even if he works in some long relief stints for Clearwater at first.
• Jake Arrieta could be heading to Baltimore soon, and despite his obvious future as a part of the Orioles' rotation, he could be used to help bail out a bullpen that is desperately taking on water, report Jeff Seidel and Noah Rosenstein for MLB.com.
• The Rangers have placed pitchers Tanner Scheppers and Martin Perez on the 7-day DL with minor injuries, reports William Wilkerson of the Fort-Worth Star Telegram.  Scheppers strained a hamstring while Perez has a cracked fingernail.
• Also dealing with fingernail issues is Giants' 2009 first-round pick Zach Wheeler, who has not pitched since mid-May due to a torn fingernail, reports Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle.  The Giants have placed Wheeler on the DL and are sure to be cautious with their young power arm.
• The Pirates appear to be preparing for Brad Lincoln's promotion to the majors, and have him lined up to start for them on Wednesday, reports Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com.
• After a short stint back in the minors, Craig Kimbrel is rejoining the Braves, says Evan Drellich of MLB.com.

Prospect Potent Potables - 6/4

Today's links are in honor of the end of the Stephen Strasburg Era in minor league baseball...

• The Rockies finally have their top-two picks from last season, Tyler Matzek and Nolan Arenado, playing together in Asheville, reports Bill Ballew of MLB.com.
• Mat Gamel, still rehabbing from his spring training shoulder injury, is back in Triple-A, reports Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.
• Rudy Owens is carving out a name for himself as a legitimate prospect in the Pirates' organization, says Ron Musselman of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
• Mike Minor continues to put up remarkable strike out numbers, fanning 11 in his latest start.

Making Moves - 6/1

There was a lot of noteworthy prospect movement over the long Memorial Day Weekend...

• There's no way you could have missed it, but in case you did, the Nationals announced that the Stephen Strasburg Era will officially begin on June 8th, reports Bill Ladson of MLB.com.  He'll make his last minor league start on June 3rd.  We'll miss talking about him here at MLBPW, and something tells me he won't be back to the minors.
• Somehow, we can't say the same thing about Buster Posey with any confidence.  As Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle points out, the Giants have a decision to make once Mark DeRosa comes off the DL, and moving Posey back to the minors is still on the table.  So is having him catch more regularly.  Fellow Chronicle writer Bruce Jenkins explains just how stupid it would be to send Posey back to the minors.
• The Cubs called Andrew Cashner up to the majors and used him in their bullpen right away, reports Gordon Wittenmyer of Inside the Cubs.  Casher needed only one pitch to record his first and only major league out in his debut.
• The Pirates won't be promoting their triumvirate of prospects anytime soon, according to Chuck Finder of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.  Quoting Pirates' GM Neal Huntington, Finder offers an explanation why Brad Lincoln, Pedro Alvarez, and Jose Tabata will remain in the minors for the time being, and frankly, all three explanations make sense.  Recent call-up Neil Walker is proving he belongs, however, and appears to be taking over at second base full-time, says Gazette writer Dejan Kovacevic.
• Scott Elbert is back in the minors after an uninspiring performance out of the Dodgers' bullpen over the weekend.
• Tyler Flowers could get a promotion despite his struggles at the plate, thanks to the White Sox desire to avoid A.J. Pierzynski's approaching 10-and-5 rights, reports Scott Merkin of MLB.com.
• The Indians have promoted hard-throwing lefty Nick Hagadone to Double-A, reports Tony of Indians Prospect Insider.