June 26, 2014

Minor League Update

Games of Wednesday, June 25

by Jeff Moore

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Hitter of the Night: Renato Nunez, 3B, Athletics (Stockton, A+): 4-4, 2 R, 2 HR, BB.
Nunez cares not for your questions about his hit tool or concerns about whether or not he can stay at third base. He’s just going to show off his plus power and worry about the rest later.

Pitcher of the Night: Luis Severino, RHP, Yankees (Tampa, A+): 6 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 6 K.
Severino’s powerful arsenal was too much for the South Atlantic League to handle, warranting a promotion to the Florida State League last week. His first start had its ups and downs, but this one did not. There are still some questions about him remaining a starter, but so far he’s having no problem attacking lineups multiple times through the order with his fastball/slider combination.

Best of the Rest

Aaron Sanchez, RHP, Blue Jays (Buffalo, AAA): 4 1/3 IP, 3 H, 4 BB, 7 K. Say what you will about Sanchez’s command issues; they don’t stop him from being effective. Pitching past the fifth inning, maybe, but he’s effective.

Charlie Tilson, OF, Cardinals (Palm Beach, A+): 3-5, R, 2B, 3B. This is what Tilson does. He has a plus hit tool, but virtually all of his power comes in the gaps, which keeps him from being an impact prospect but should allow him to fill a role as a table-setter.

Dan Vogelbach, 1B, Cubs (Daytona, A+): 2-4, 2 R, 2B, HR. Vogelbach’s numbers are still suffering from a rough start to the season, but his bat is still his calling card. He’s still learning to use his power, but he controls the strike zone well, which gives him a chance to be a productive player even if he hits around .260.

Kyle Schwarber, C, Cubs (Kane County, A-): 2-4, R, HR, SB. Everything is clicking for Schwarber right now, as he hasn’t stopped hitting since getting drafted. The Cubs are still using him behind the plate, but his bat may dictate a move to the outfield just to get him to the majors sooner. It is, of course, way too early for those things to realistically be considered, but it’s something we may see down the road if he continues to have success.

Kyle Crick, RHP, Giants (Richmond, AA): 5 IP, H, 0 R, 5 BB, 10 K. Is it plagiarizing if I copy my own work and paste it here? See what I said above for Sanchez and magnify it for Crick. The same theories apply: potent stuff but below-average control and command hold him back. Crick is capable of games like this and doesn’t get hit hard, but even at his best, he’s walking way too many guys and it keeps him from going deep into games.

Chance Sisco, C, Orioles (Delmarva, A-): 3-4, 2 2B, BB. The former second-rounder is still new to catching, but he’s getting the hang of it while also displaying plus bat speed and doubles power. It’s a solid skill set to work with going forward.

Jorge Alfaro, C, Rangers (Myrtle Beach, A+): 2-3,, 2 R, HR. Who leads off their catcher? Myrtle Beach does, apparently, and you might too if your catcher ran like Alfaro does. Of course, he went off and hit a home run from the leadoff spot, but the fact that his manager was willing to put him up there gives you an idea of the versatility of his skill set.

Trevor Story, SS, Rockies (Modesto, A+): 2-2, 3 R, HR, 3 BB. Not all guys with massive strikeout totals are created equal, but Story is of the variety that also hits for power and draws a lot of walks, making his strikeouts more acceptable. As long as he gets on base at a decent clip, the Rockies won’t care how he makes his outs the rest of the time.

Nick Gordon, SS, Twins (Elizabethton, R): 2-4, 2 R, HR. One of the things that made Gordon so attractive as an early first-round pick was the power profile he offered from an up-the-middle position, and he showed us the first glimpse of that on Wednesday.

Fight Another Night

Kent Emanuel, LHP, Astros (Lancaster, A+): 5 1/3 IP, 10 H, 9 R, 3 BB, 4 K. Pitching in the California League stinks. Emanuel isn’t a top prospect by any means, but he was doing just fine pounding the strike zone at Quad Cities. Things haven’t gone as well for him in Lancaster.

David Dahl, OF, Rockies (Asheville, A-): 0-5, 2 K. We’ve been blowing up Dahl all year, and his spot in the #BPTop50 will reflect his talent and tools, but he is still a relatively raw player coming off of a lost season last year and he has games that show that from time to time.

Notable Pitching Performances

• Jed Bradley, LHP, Brewers (Huntsville, AA): 7 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 4 BB, 9 K.
• Anthony Ranaudo, RHP, Red Sox (Pawtucket, AAA): 5 IP, 2 H, R, BB, 2 K.
• Kohl Stewart, RHP, Twins (Cedar Rapids, A-): 5 IP, 6 H, 2 R, BB, 4 K.