July 6, 2010

Future Shock Blog

Minor League Update: Games of July 5

by Kevin Goldstein

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Domonic Brown, OF, Phillies (Triple-A Lehigh Valley): 2-for-4, HR (4), 2 R, RBI, BB, K, SB. 

Put him on the short list of prospects that with nearly any other team would be in the big leagues.  He's blocked for now, but continuing to put the pressure on with a .405/.435/.762 line in his first 12 International League games.  The Phillies could be a better team next year with Brown in right and the team properly spending the money saved by not bringing back Jason Werth.

Chris Davis, 3B/1B, Rangers (Triple-A Oklahoma City): 3-for-4, 2B, R, RBI, BB. 

With ten hits in his last four games, Davis is now batting .349/.397/.542 for the RedHawks, but it's hard to figure out his trade value.  Yes, he's been nothing short of fantastic in the minors, and at 24, he's not exactly old, but teams will still see a player who struck his way out of the big leagues not once, but twice, and sometimes having never been given the opportunity to fail can be better for one's perceived value than a track record like that.

Mike Moustakas, 3B, Royals (Double-A Northwest Arkansas): 4-for-4, 2 HR (21), 3 R, 5 RBI, BB

After a brief slump at the end of June, Moustakas has gone all crazy again, going 12-for-20 in his last five games with three doubles and three jacks to get his line back up in the stratosphere at .358/.420/.711.  Leads the Texas League in all three Triple Crown categories, as well as on-base percentage, slugging, total bases and runs.

Miguel Sano, 3B, Twins (Rookie-level GCL Twins): 2-for-5, 2B R, RBI, 2 K

Sano was the talk of last year's international signing class, finally signing with the Twins for over $3 million, and he was the talk of the Dominican Summer League as well, batting .344/.463/.547 in 20 games while showing power, an excellent approach, and a rapidly growing frame that has already moved him off of shortstop.  He made some noise in his state side debut as well, and could be making his case for being among the top prospects in the game if he keeps it up, as while the 17-year-old still has eons to go developmental-wise, the upside is as good as anyone around.

Others of Note:

• Yonder Alonso, 1B, Reds (Triple-A Louisville): 2-for-4, 2B, HR (5), R, 2 RBI; 1-for-2, RBI, BB.  15-for-39 (.385) in last nine games; but still just at .253/.291/.387 in 53 Triple-A games.
• Alexi Amarista, 2B, Angels (Double-A Arkansas): 2-for-4, R, 2 RBI.  Tiny second baseman can really hit; 6-for-15 since move to Double-A.
• J.P. Arencibia, C, Blue Jays (Triple-A Las Vegas): 2-for-4, 2 R, RBI, BB, K.  Does this quality as an off day for him?
• Brandon Belt, 1B, Giants (Double-A Richmond): 1-for-3, HR (2), R, RBI, BB, K.  11 total bases in 11 Double-A at-bats as the hits just keep on comin'.
• Engel Beltre, OF, Rangers (Double-A Frisco): 2-for-4, 3B, R, 2 RBI. Potential explosion alert; 8-for-14 with 13 total bases and just one strike out since arriving in Texas League.
• Peter Bourjos, OF, Angels (Triple-A Salt Lake): 2-for-5, 3B, R, 2 RBI, K.  That's ten triples as hot streak continues; 11-for-18 in last four games with three triples, two home runs.
• Lonnie Chisenhall, 3B, Indians (Double-A Akron): 3-for-4, 2B, HR (8), 2 R, 3 RBI.  .278/.343/.429 overall, but the power is coming on strong, including a .508 slugging since June 1.
• Drew Cumberland, SS, Padres (Double-A San Antonio): 2-for-5, 3 RBI, K.  Hitting .325/.349/.350 since promotion; scouts thing average is real, but secondary skills mave have been left in the Cal League.
• Eduardo Escobar, SS, White Sox (High-A Winston Salem): 2-for-4, CS.  Slugging .444 since June 1 and one of the better defensive shortstops in the Carolina League with a true plus-plus arm.
• Freddie Freeman, 1B, Braves (Triple-A Gwinnett): 2-for-4, K.  Hitting .330 and slugging .560 in last 30 games; Troy Glaus could be just a one-year stop gap after all.
• Scooter Gennett, 2B, Brewers (Low-A Wisconsin): 2-for-4, 2B, K.  Still not sure what to make of a 5-9, 155 pound kid, but he sure can hit; 18-for-47 (.383) in last ten games and .337/.392/.498 overall.
• Jeremy Hellickson, RHP, Rays (Triple-A Durham): 6 IP, 5 H 0 R, 4 BB, 3 K.  A bit sloppier than most outings, but no runs is no runs.
• Aaron Hicks, OF, Twins (Low-A Beloit): 1-for-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, K, 3 SB.  Putting on a show of late amidst swirling trade rumors; up to .260/.372/.407.
• Cedric Hunter, OF, Padres (Triple-A Portland): 3-for-5, RBI.  Batting .343/.385/.457 since move to Triple-A; scouts see a big leaguer, but more of a fourth outfielder/second-division starter at best.
• Tommy Joseph, C, Giants (Low-A Augusta): 2-for-5, 2B, HR (9), R, RBI, 2 K.  Home runs in back-to-back games; despite .229/.293/.374 line, scouts have good things to say about '09 second rounder's offensive upside.
• Marc Krauss, OF, Diamondbacks (High-A Visalia): 3-for-4, 2 2B, R, 3 RBI, K.  Arguably the hottest hitter in the minors with 36 hits in last 15 games, including seven doubles and seven home runs; up to .333/.394/.551 and should be in Double-A soon.  Those that like him compare him to Adam Dunn (both positively and negatively).
• Leon Landry, OF, Dodgers (Short-season Ogden): 3-for-6, HR (1), 2 R, 3 RBI, BB, K.  Third-round pick last month is compact, athletic speedster who, as he showed last night, can surprise with occasional power.
• Ethan Martin, RHP, Dodgers (High-A Inland Empire): 8 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K.  Has allowed two or fewer earned runs in half of his starts, yet has 4.56 ERA; that's inconsistency.
• Will Middlebrooks, 3B, Red Sox (High-A Salem): 3-for-5, HR (5), 3 R, 5 RBI, K.  Real progress this year with .287/.347/.441 line; like his numbers, scouts like him, but don't love him.
• Logan Morrison, 1B, Marlins (Triple-A New Orleans): 2-for-4, HR (5), R, 3 RBI.  Kind of stuck for now; everyone (including the Marlins) know he's better than Gaby Sanchez long-term.
• Trent Mummey, OF, Orioles (Short-season Aberdeen): 2-for-5, 2B, R, K.  Fourth-round pick with both power and speed element to game is 8-for-14 in last three contests.
• Jordan Pacheco, C, Rockies (High-A Modesto): 2-for-3, 2B, 2 R RBI.  Nice catching prospect that gets little attention; batting .326/.404/.443 with more walks than strikeouts.
• Jurickson Profar, SS, Rangers (Short-season Spokane): 3-for-4, 2B, R, BB, SB.  Just 17 and holding his own in college-dominated league; gap power has been a pleasant surprise.
• Dennis Raben,1B/OF, Mariners (High-A High Desert): 3-for-5, 2 HR (9), 2 R, 4 RBI.  Hitting a whopping .450/.522/.933 in High Desert with all nine of his home runs at home and zero homers in 54 road at-bats.
• Trevor Reckling, LHP, Angels (Double-A Arkanas): 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 7 K.  First start since demotion after control problems derailed him at Triple-A; still just 21 with excellent secondary stuff.
• Aderlin Rodriguez, 3B, Mets (Rookie-level Kingsport): 3-for-5, HR (5), 2 R, 2 RBI.  18-year-old Dominican has five home runs in 53 at-bats and very real raw power.
• Blake Smith, OF, Dodgers (Low-A Great Lakes): 3-for-3, HR (9), 2 R, 3 RBI; 2-for-3, HR (10), R, 2 RBI.  '09 second-rounder is doing best Jerry Sands impression since the latter's promotion; home runs in four of last five games and overall line of .298/.372/.530, but like Sands, he's very advanced for the level.
• Chris Tillman, RHP, Orioles (Triple-A Norfolk): 9 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K.  Just 99 pitches; working on both a cutter and a two-seam fastball to keep his pitches lower in the strike zone.
• Mike Trout, OF, Angels (Low-A Cedar Rapids): 2-for-4, 2B, 3 R, RBI, BB, K, SB.  The .364/.447/.553 line doesn't look like anything new, but how many realize that he's second in the minor leagues with 41 stolen bases?
• Nick Weglarz, OF, Indians (Triple-A Columbus): 3-for-4, HR (2), R, RBI, K, CS.  Just two home runs in 115 Triple-A bats for bat-only prospect.

Kevin Goldstein is an author of Baseball Prospectus. 
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