July 30, 2013

Minor League Update

Games of Monday, July 29

by Zach Mortimer

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Pitching Prospect of the Day: Ismael Guillon, LHP, Reds (Low-A Dayton): 5.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 8 K. Guillon had been scuffling in 2013, but he turned it around last night. He features a plus fastball and changeup. Guillon’s command this season has been poor, to put it bluntly, and he looks destined for the bullpen.

Position Prospect of the Day: Corey Seager, SS, Dodgers (Low-A Great Lakes): 3-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 5 RBI. I recently spoke with a scout who feels that Seager has a chance to hit and hit for power, but thinks that he is a third baseman all the way. If Seager is forced to slide to third, that would put more pressure on the bat, but he should hit enough to make that irrelevant.

Other notable prospect performances on July 29:

“The Good”

• Cody Asche, 3B, Phillies (Triple-A Lehigh Valley): 2-5, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, K. Asche looks to be the next man up for the job in Philadelphia if trade rumors surrounding Michael Young come to fruition. The recent power surge is a positive sign, and hopefully Asche will provide the necessary pop for the hot corner; .381/.409/.810 with 3 2B and 5 HR in last 42 at-bats.
• Tyler Glasnow, RHP, Pirates (Low-A West Virginia): 5.0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K. The fastball works easily in the mid 90s with life, the curveball has easy plus potential, and the changeup is still developing and could be average. Glasnow uses excellent pace on the mound and profiles as a good number-three starter; 92.1 IP, 47 H, 23 ER, 50 BB, 128 K in 20 starts.
• Anthony Gose, RF, Blue Jays (Triple-A Buffalo): 3-5, 2 3B, 3 RBI. Gose has the potential to be a plus defender who has a cannon for an arm. Offensively, Gose will need to make more contact and cut down on the strikeouts, but he is an easy plus runner who can use his speed to his advantage on the bases. The numbers do not look good in Triple-A, but remember: tools don't just disappear and Triple-A can be a mental drag for many prospects.
• Mikie Mahtook, OF, Rays (Double-A Montgomery): 2-4, 2B, HR, R, RBI, 2 K. A former first-rounder, Mahtook has struggled to make consistent contact in Double-A. He still provides enough value for most scouts to label him a future fourth outfielder.
• Dalton Pompey, OF, Blue Jays (Low-A Lansing): 2-4, 2B, HR, R, RBI. Pompey will make the most out of his abilities. He utilizes his plus speed to steal bases, but I question how much he will be able to reach base against quality pitching. The over-the-fence power is well below average, and I think he is more of a solid organizational player than a prospect.
• Max Stassi, C, Astros (Double-A Corpus Christi): 4-4, 2 2B, HR, R, 2 RBI, BB. Stassi has always been lauded for his receiving ability, but he seemingly has found his swing this season in the Texas League. Somewhere, Kevin Goldstein is smiling; .400/.429/.971 with 2 2B and 6 HR in last 35 at-bats.
• Tom Windle, LHP, Dodgers (Low-A Great Lakes): 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K. Windle is a polished college pitcher carving up inferior batters. Windle utilizes a fastball that works in the low 90s with life, a potential average slider, and a potential solid-average changeup. He has the frame to log innings in the back end of a rotation.

“The Bad”

• Stetson Allie, 1B, Pirates (High-A Bradenton): 0-4, 3 K. Stetson destroyed Low-A, but he has now struck out 51 times in 135 High-A at-bats.
• Gregory Bird, 1B, Yankees (Low-A Charleston): 0-3, BB, 3 K. Bird has raw power, but I fear that he will not make enough contact against advanced pitching for it to matter.
• Robert Stephenson, RHP, Reds (High-A Bakersfield): 2.1 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K. Stephenson did not have his good fastball on this night, and things just spiraled out of control from there.

“The Hiatus”

There's a chance that the MLU could go on hiatus for the rest of the week due to my going to East Coast Pro. I will see what the schedule is like, and will submit nightly updates if time permits.

Zach Mortimer is an author of Baseball Prospectus. 
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