April 17, 2013

Minor League Update

Games of Tuesday, April 16

by Zach Mortimer

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Pitching Prospect of the Day: Jesse Biddle, LHP, Phillies (Double-A Reading): 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 8 K; Biddle employs a four-pitch mix that includes an average fastball, a curveball and changeup that have plus potential, and a usable slider. He profiles as a very good back-of-the-rotation starter with a number-three ceiling.

Position Prospect of the Day: Miguel Sano, 3B, Twins (High-A Fort Myers): 2-3, HR, R, 4 RBI, BB; Though he offers elite raw power, Sano has some swing and miss involved in his game. Sano will work to better control the strike zone so that he can utilize his powerful swing on the correct pitches; .413/.472/.761 in 46 at-bats this season.

Other notable prospect performances from April 16:

 “The Good”

• Jorge Alfaro, C, Rangers (Low-A Hickory): 2-5, 2 2B, R, RBI, K; “The Legend” provides an easy plus defensive profile combined with plus-plus power and a hit tool that could be major-league average. Alfaro has jaw-dropping tools and star-level potential; 14-for-44, 5 2B, 9 R thus far.
• Stetson Allie, 1B, Pirates (Low-A West Virginia): 4-5, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI; Allie keeps producing at the plate, and he looks to be nearing a promotion to the Florida State League; 23-for-56, 4 2B, 6 HR, 18 RBI thus far.
• Jeff Ames, RHP, Rays (Low-A Bowling Green): 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K; Ames throws two types of fastballs—two- and four-seam—as well as a potential plus slider, and a changeup that is still developing; 15.0 IP, 5H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 15 K thus far.
• Christian Bergman, RHP, Rockies (Double-A Tulsa): 5.1 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K; With a four-pitch mix (fastball/curveball/cutter/changeup) and the ability to eat innings, Bergman profiles best as a back-rotation starter; 16.2 IP, 10 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 16 K thus far.
• Drake Britton, LHP, Red Sox (Double-A Portland): 5.0 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 7 K; The owner of a plus-plus fastball and a fringe-average slider and changeup, Britton will look to continue developing his command of and confidence in his secondary offerings in 2013; 14 IP, 16 K, 3 BB thus far.
• Byron Buxton, CF, Twins (Low-A Cedar Rapids): 3-4, 2B, R, 2 RBI; Buxton has the tools—potential plus power and hit, elite run, easy plus glove—to become a superstar, and the second-overall selection in 2012 has not disappointed in 2013; 18-for-38, 2 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 10 R, 9 RBI, 4 SB thus far.
• Mauricio Cabrera, RHP, Braves (Low-A Rome): 6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 6 K; Cabrera wields a big-time fastball that can touch plus-plus velocities, a potential plus changeup, and the ability to spin a curve that is still a work in progress.
• Nick Delmonico, 3B, Orioles (High-A Frederick): 2-4, HR, R, 2 RBI, BB, K; With a quick bat and present pull-side power, Delmonico has the offensive ability to stay squarely on the prospect radar despite his defensive question marks; .375/.512/./688 in 32 at-bats this season.
• Cameron Garfield, C, Brewers (High-A Brevard County): 2-4, 2 HR, 3 R, 3 RBI, 2 BB; Garfield has plus raw power, but must answer questions about his ability to make contact and to stay behind the plate; 13-for-49, 4 2B, 3 HR, 12 K, 2 BB thus far.
• Sean Gilmartin, LHP, Braves (Triple-A Gwinnett): 7.0 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 1 K; Gilmartin employs a three-pitch mix (fastball/slider/changeup) but does not have swing-and-miss stuff, so he will have to rely on inducing weak contact.
• J.R. Graham, RHP, Braves (Double-A Mississippi): 6.0 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K; Graham has a fastball that can touch plus-plus velocities and boasts plus sink, a potential plus slider, and a usable changeup, but his very-small frame has some scouts questioning whether he will be able to withstand the drain of a full season.
• T.J. House, LHP, Indians (Double-A Akron) 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K; Despite a three-pitch arsenal (fastball/slider/changeup) House has limited stuff. He does, however, have good pitchability, and could eventually eat innings at the back end of a major-league rotation.
• Trevor May, RHP, Twins (Double-A New Britain): 5.1 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 8 K; May offers swing-and-miss stuff—something that the Twins have lacked for a long time; 14.1 IP with 19 strikeouts to date.
• Justin Nicolino, LHP, Marlins (High-A Jupiter): 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K; Nicolino may not offer the stuff to generate an elite volume of whiffs, but he has excellent command and pitchability.
• Jurickson Profar, SS, Rangers (Triple-A Round Rock): 3-5, 3B, HR, R, 3 RBI; With a well-rounded game, Profar will offer more value to his major-league team than (insert your fantasy team name here).
• Michael Ynoa, RHP, Athletics (Low-A Beloit): 3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K; Ynoa still has the stuff—plus fastball, potential plus curveball, work-in-progress changeup—that led the A’s to hand him a $4.25 million bonus.

 “The Bad”

• Humberto Arteaga, 2B/SS, Royals (Low-A Lexington): 0-4, 3 K; Arteaga offers an easy plus defensive profile, but still faces many questions at the plate; 7-for-46 with 11 K.
• Gary Brown, CF, Giants (Triple-A Fresno): 0-5, 2 K; Brown, once a can’t-miss prospect, now profiles best as a fourth outfielder; 9-for-42 with nine strikeouts thus far.
• Justin Bloxom, 1B, Nationals (Double-A): 0-5, 5 K; Bloxom, a fringy prospect, had a very rough night at the dish.
• Jorge Lopez, RHP, Brewers (Low-A Wisconsin): 0.1 IP, 6 H, 8 ER, 2 BB, 0 K; Not the kind of day you would ever want a pitching prospect to endure; 4.1 IP, 12 H, 14 ER, 4 HR allowed, 4 BB, 3 K thus far.
• Addison Russell, SS, Athletics (High-A Stockton): 0-4, 2 K; The 19-year-old Russell has struggled since drawing a challenge assignment from th A’s; 3-for-13 with 8 K.

“The Ugly”

Jason Adam, RHP, Royals (Double-A Northwest Arkansas): 2.2 IP, 10 H, 9 ER, 2 BB, 4 K; Adam has a fastball that is back up to 96 with a usable curveball and changeup. He profiles best as a back-end starter, but has struggled out of the gates in 2013; 8 IP, 14 H, 12 ER, 4 BB, 5 K. 

Zach Mortimer is an author of Baseball Prospectus. 
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