October 31, 2012

Minor League Update

Games of October 30

by Bradley Ankrom

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The Arizona and Caribbean leagues were in action yesterday, so let’s see what kind of prospecty goodness they had to offer:

• Oswaldo Arcia, OF, Twins (21) (Aragua-VWL): 1-for-2, HR (2), 2 R, 2 BB. Four of his five tools are above average or better; Twins’ future in right field.
• Brandon Barnes, LF, Astros (26) (Caracas-VWL): 1-for-4, HR (3), 2 K. Batting .375 (6-for-16) over his last four games with two home runs; .263/.343/.421 overall.
• Lisalverto Bonilla, RHP, Phillies (22) (Escogido-DWL): 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 K. Has allowed two runs to score in three of his four appearances; skinny lefty with a plus changeup who has bounced between the rotation and the bullpen, but is likely a late-inning reliever in the big leagues.
• Kaleb Cowart, 3B, Angels (20) (Scottsdale-AFL): 1-for-3, 2 R, BB. Right-handed pitchers have given him trouble this fall (2-for-22 with 7-1 K-BB); .176/.250/.206 overall.
• Didi Gregorius, SS, Reds (22) (Peoria-AFL): 0-for-4, Didn’t strike out in any of his first 11 games, but has now whiffed in each of his last two; plus defender without a home in Cincinnati, though his future looks a little brighter with Billy Hamilton’s move to center field.
• Slade Heathcott, CF, Yankees (22) (Scottsdale-AFL): 4-for-5, 2 3B (2), 2B (1), 2 R, 5 RBI, K. It’s games like this that remind us of why Heathcott was the recipient of a $2.2 million bonus as the 29th pick of the 2009 draft; hasn’t been able to stay healthy during the regular season, playing in just 197 games over three-plus seasons. He’s a potential five-tool star if he can manage to keep himself on the field.
• Johnny Hellweg, RHP, Brewers (24) (Phoenix-AFL): 2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 3 BB, K. Long, loose righty with three pitches, including a mid-90s fastball that has reached triple digits out of the bullpen.
• Gift Ngoepe, SS, Pirates (22) (Scottsdale-AFL): 3-for-4, 2B (1), 4 R, RBI, BB. More than doubled his season hit total in this game; defensive specialist could carve out a major-league role as a utility infielder capable of playing plus defense at shortstop; batting .179/.343/.286 overall.
• Marcell Ozuna, OF, Marlins (22) (Cibao-DWL): 2-for-6, 2B (6), R, RBI. No home runs, but Ozuna notches his 11th extra-base hit in 10 games; hitting .343/.395/.914 with an 8-2 K-BB overall.
• Josh Prince, OF, Brewers (24) (Phoenix-AFL): 1-for-4, HR (1), 2 R, BB, K. Prince is a fringy prospect whose upside is that of a super utility player, but what he’s doing in Arizona is impressive. He’ll be 25 in January, so he’s going to have to keep this up if he wants a shot at a major-league job; .414/.485/.586 overall.
• Enny Romero, LHP, Rays (21) (Escogido-DWL): 1.0 IP, 2 H, R, BB, 2 K. First run (and walk) allowed in three appearances in the Dominican Republic; offers plus-plus velocity from the left side, but struggles with control (5.4 BB/9 in 126.0 IP during the regular season).
• Bruce Rondon, RHP, Tigers (21) (Magallanes-VWL): 1.0 IP, BB, K. Picks up his third save in three tries. Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski referred to him as a “rare talent” who could be in the mix for saves in Detroit next year.
• Carlos Sanchez, 2B, White Sox (20) (Salt River-AFL): 3-for-4, RBI, 2 SB. Heating up a bit, batting .462 (6-for-13) with a double, a triple, and three stolen bases over his last four games; showing more patience than he has in the past, with eight walks in 13 games.
• Adalberto Santos, LF, Pirates (25) (Scottsdale-AFL): 3-for-5, 2B (3), R, K. Seven hits in his last three games, including a pair of doubles and a triple; a 22nd round pick out of Oregon State in 2010, Santos is a slap hitter with a little bit of speed and excellent plate discipline who profiles as a nice bench bat who can handle both lefties and righties.
• Jonathan Schoop, 2B/3B, Orioles (21) (Mesa-AFL): 2-for-4, HR (2), 2 R, 2 RBI, K. Busting out of a mini-slump in which he was 1-for-10 over his previous three games; batting .316/.469/.553 with a 9-9 K-BB while playing three infield positions in Arizona.
• Oscar Taveras, OF, Cardinals (20) (Cibaenas-VWL): 2-for-5, 2 R. He’s aggressive, and sometimes it isn’t pretty, but it works. #OSCAR.
• Scott Van Slyke, OF/1B, Dodgers (26) (La Guaira-VWL): 4-for-5, 3 HR (7), 4 RBI. Wasn’t able to make much contact in a two-month big-league cameo, but has a history of getting on base and showing doubles power in the minors; batting .308/.379/.750 with a 10-6 K-BB.