June 12, 2015

Minor League Update

Games of June 11, 2015

by Jeff Moore

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Hitter of the Day: Joe Munoz, C, Diamondbacks (Kane County, A-): 4-4, 4 R, 2 HR, BB. Before Thursday, it's been a struggle for Munoz, a 2012 second-rounder, thanks to an overly aggressive approach that gets him in trouble. His power will have to carry him, and as our own Mauricio Rubio told me, “He's got solid average raw power but he won't tap into it much in game as he climbs the ladder.” It's the aggressiveness that gets in his way, a particularly bad sign for a hitter much older than his level of competition. Still, he has some power so he’ll get his chances.

Pitcher of the Day: Amir Garrett, LHP, Reds (Daytona, A+): 5 1/3 IP, H 2 R (0 ER), 3 BB, 8 K. Garrett has always been a talent, but the further away from his basketball playing days he gets, the more he transitions from thrower to pitcher. He's taking more steps forward this season, continuing to miss bats at increasingly high rates. He's just turned 23, so he's slightly older than his level of competition, but from a baseball standpoint he's no more experienced. The next test will be how his still developing off-speed arsenal handles Double-A when he gets there, where pitchers generally need to command their breaking balls better.

Best of the Rest

Brian Goodwin, OF, Nationals (Harrisburg, AA): 2-4, 2 R, 3B, 2 K. It wasn't too long ago that Goodwin would've been the first in line to have filled in for the injured Denard Span earlier this season, but injuries last year allowed Michael Taylor to pass him on the organizational depth chart. He's struggles since to regain his prospect footing, scuffling once again this season in a repeat of Double-A. At this point, he's probably more of a fourth outfielder than the potential everyday player he once had the chance of becoming.

Alex Reyes, RHP, Cardinals (Palm Beach, A+): 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 8 K. Reyes has the best stuff of any pitcher in the minors not names Giolito, but nowhere near the polish. The upper-90s velocity is generated with ease, though he still has a tendency to overthrow, which hurts his control. We won't even touch on the command yet. Still, with the velocity and a legitimate double-plus curveball, he won't need precision to be effective.

Jeff Hoffman, RHP, Blue Jays (Dunedin, A+): 4.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 3 K. If Reyes’ stuff is second only to Giolito’s than Hoffman might be 2B. He only fell to the Blue Jays and in our offseason rankings because of his Tommy John surgery late in the college season last year. Now back on the mound, he's making the trek down the standard TJ recovery path of having his stuff return, but still regaining his command. Once back to full strength, his curveball alone will be more than enough to dominate the Florida State League, and he could be in Double-A by the fall, depending on the progress of his fastball command and how restrictive the Blue Jays want to be with his innings.

Trayce Thompson, OF, White Sox (Charlotte, AAA): 1-3, 0 K. I can't go the entire NBA Finals without mentioning Klay’s brother Trayce, though I won't go so far as to include a Y in every word in this paragraph like their father apparently would. Trayce’s developmental curve is unfortunately shaped similarly to one of his brother’s majestic three-pointers, as the excessive swing-and-miss in his game has caught up to him against Triple-A pitching. He's actually lowered his strikeout rate this season, but it's come at the expense of his walk rate, which was one of his strengths offensively. He has a chance to carve out a big-league career thanks to his defensive skill and raw power, but it will likely be in a reserve role.

Zach Eflin, RHP, Phillies (Reading, AA): 5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K. Eflin doesn't having a huge ceiling, but his high-80s/low-90s fastball and accompanying changeup are enough to handle the Eastern League effectively. He's a big, physical 21-year-old who’s built to eat innings, but his lack of a bat-missing pitch will limit his spot in a future big-league rotation. He needs to be more effective, but so do most 21-year-olds.

Fight Another Day

Adalberto Mejia, LHP, Giants (Richmond, AA): 2 2/3 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 K. Mejia has a talented left arm but is still getting back into game shape after serving a 50-game suspension for testing positive for performance enhancing drugs.

Michael Mader, LHP, Marlins (Greensboro, A-): 3 2/3 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 5 BB, 2 K. Mader is also talented, but young and raw, which leads to outings like this from time to time. His velocity potential gives him a nice, high ceiling, but there's a long way to go in the developmental process.

Notable Prospect Starters

• Manny Banuelos, LHP, Braves (Gwinnett, AAA):6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 5 K (82 pitches).
• Steven Matz, LHP, Mets (Las Vegas. AAA): 4 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 6 K (83 pitches).
• Sean Newcomb, LHP, Angels (Inland Empire): 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 7 K.