August 22, 2014

Minor League Update

Games of Thursday, August 21

by Jeff Moore

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Hitter of the Night: Joc Pederson, OF, Dodgers (Albuquerque, AAA): 2-4, 2 R, 2B, HR, BB, K.
This is a pretty standard Pederson game, with everything he has to offer: power—both gap and over the fence—walks, and strikeouts. He’s going to hit for power, draw a ton of walks, and whiff a lot, too, but the final package should be an above-average offensive player at an up-the-middle position.

Pitcher of the Night: Daniel Norris, LHP, Blue Jays (Buffalo, AAA): 5 IP, H, R, 3 BB, 9 K.
We’ve seen a little bit of everything from Norris this season. He dominated the Florida State League in the first half before a promotion to Double-A. In New Hampshire, he was less effective and threw fewer strikes yet missed more bats than ever. For the 21-year-old Norris, that would have been a fine stopping point on the season, yet the Blue Jays aggressively promoted him to Triple-A anyway. Through three starts for Buffalo, he’s allowed just two runs and has an ERA below 1.00. It’s been an incredible ascent for Norris, who could find himself in the majors by next year.

Best of the Rest

Clint Coulter, C, Brewers (Wisconsin, A-): 2-4, R, HR, 2 K. Coulter just turned 21, is going to finish with 20 home runs on the season (Thursday’s gave him 19), and has plus on-base skills. There are some flaws in the game, but that’s a strong base of skills moving forward.

Rob Kaminsky, LHP, Cardinals (Peoria, A-): 6 IP, 5 H, R, BB, 8 K. Kaminsky couldn’t have hoped for much more in his first full season, posting a sub-2.00 ERA through 16 starts. He’s not missing a ton of bats, but his plus-plus curveball should generate more strikeouts once his fastball command improves.

Kyle Schwarber, DH, Cubs (Daytona, A+): 1-2, 2 R, HR, 2 BB, SB. There was an adjustment period for Schwarber upon reaching the Florida State League—his first adjustment in pro ball—but he’s made it, and we’re seeing the kind of production that we can expect from him down the road. That means a moderate batting average, strong on-base skills, and above-average power. Put it together, and that makes for a solid everyday player.

Clint Frazier, OF, Indians (Lake County, A-): 3-4, 2 R, 2B, 3B, K. When we step back at the end of the season and take away all of the ups and downs on the rollercoaster that has been Frazier’s first full year as a professional, we’ll probably say that it wasn’t a bad season. He’s shown power potential and moderate production as a 19-year-old, but he has swing-and-miss issues that will plague him if they aren’t corrected soon.

Eduardo Rodriguez, LHP, Red Sox (Portland, AA): 7 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K. Rodriguez was unfairly lumped in with Dylan Bundy, Kevin Gausman, and Hunter Harvey among the Orioles top pitching prospects before he was traded, but he’s not that caliber of player. He is, however, a good bet to be an effective major leaguer, probably logging innings in the back end of the Red Sox rotation at some point.

Raimel Tapia, OF, Rockies (Asheville, A-): 3-5, 2 R, 2B, BB, K. Describing a good hit tool is perhaps the hardest thing for a scout/writer to do, and in the case of Tapia, you have to see the swing, and the way he reacts to pitches, to fully understand it. There is a knack for getting the barrel of the bat on the baseball that he has and other prospects simply don’t. No, the approach isn’t great, but some supremely talented hitters can get away with poorer discipline. It remains to be seen if Tapia is one of those players, but he’s at least in the discussion, which is more than we can say about the majority of prospects.

Notable Pitching Performances

• Mark Appel, RHP, Astros (Corpus Christi, AA): 6 IP, 8 H, 4 R (3 ER), BB, 7 K.
• Michael Feliz, RHP, Astros (Quad Cities, A-): 5 IP, 7 H, 2 R (1 ER), BB, 5 K.
• Taylor Jungmann, RHP, Brewers (Nashville, AAA): 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, BB, 7 K.
• Archie Bradley, RHP, Diamondbacks (Mobile, AA): 5 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 6 K.
• Zach Lee, RHP, Dodgers (Albuquerque, AAA): 5 1/3 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 0 BB, 6 K.
• Henry Owens, LHP, Red Sox (Pawtucket, AAA): 8 IP, 5 H, 2 R, BB, 6 K.
• Jose Berrios, RHP, Twins (New Britain, AA): 5 2/3 IP, 8 H, 4 R (3 ER), BB, 4 K.
• Lewis Thorpe, LHP, Twins (Cedar Rapids, A-): 4 2/3 IP, 6 H, 5 R (2 ER), BB, 7 K.