June 19, 2015

Minor League Update

Games of June 18, 2015

by Jeff Moore

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Hitter of the Day: Garin Cecchini, 3B, Red Sox (Pawtucket, AAA): 4-5, 3 R, 2 HR, K. The knock on Cecchini over the years has been the lack of power he provided at a position that traditionally requires such output. Thursday doesn’t change that, but it’s nice to see he has it in him. He’s currently wallowing away in Triple-A, blocked by an influx of veterans brought aboard this offseason, but as far as I know, he doesn’t Instagram while on the toilet, so there’s that.

Pitcher of the Day: Aaron Nola, RHP, Phillies (Lehigh Valley, AAA): 5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, BB, 7 K. Nola’s Triple-A debut went much along the same lines as his Double-A career, and his A-ball career, and his college career, and…well you get the point. He’s as polished as they come for a minor leaguer, and he’s really just waiting for his call up to the majors, which is likely coming up at some point in the next couple of months.

Best of the Rest

Stephen Piscotty, OF, Cardinals (Memphis, AAA): 2-4, R, 2 2B. The power is coming along nicely for Piscotty, who needs to add some of it to fit the right field profile. He’s sacrificed some of his hitting ability in order to boost that production, but he hasn’t had to sacrifice any contact in order to do so.

Justin O’Conner, C, Rays (Montgomery, AA): 2-5, R, 2B, HR, SB. Thought of as an offensive catcher, O’Conner has struggled mightily this season in a return to Double-A. The thing that holds O’Conner back the most is his extreme aggressiveness at the plate, which causes him to expand the strike zone repeatedly and limits his in-game power potential. There’s far too much swing and miss in his game and it continues to hold him back, though with some power potential, he’ll continue to get chances.

Jesus Aguilar, 1B, Indians (Columbus, AAA): 2-3, 2 R, HR. After his struggles in the majors last season, Aguilar has now carried his struggles over to the Triple-A level where he’s previously had a ton of success. He’s most likely a Quad-A guy who will be on the Columbus-to-Cleveland shuttle for the next few years, but with some of the power potential still there, he could offer something in the right role at some point.

Brandon Nimmo, OF, Mets (Binghamton, AA): 2-5, 2 R, 2 2B. Nimmo gets knocked for being too patient at the plate and for not having elite bat speed, but he’s adjusted to Double-A now and continues to put himself in hitter’s counts where he can attack his pitch rather than have to hit the pitcher’s. The power likely isn’t going to come in large quantities because of his whole field approach, but his overall offensive game is going to be more than enough to play every day, especially while he can still man center field.

Aaron Judge, OF, Yankees (Trenton, AA): 2-3, R, 2B, HR, K. Judge has backed his strong season in both levels of A-ball last season up with another strong campaign in Double-A this year. He has had some issues controlling the strike zone, with his strikeout rate spiking and his walk rate tumbling, but he’s managed to remain productive at the plate in spite of those things. Getting out of the Florida State League has allowed his raw power to play better in games.

Manuel Margot, OF, Red Sox (Salem, A+): 2-4, 2 R, 2B, BB. Margot offers perhaps the minors best combination of power, speed, and contact, and while the overall results haven’t been extraordinary this season, he’s more than holding his own as a 20-year-old in the Carolina League. He’s an elite talent with the ability to stay up the middle and be a potential impact bat, and while the journey to the majors is still long, he’s on the right path.

Notable Prospect Starters

• Jake Thompson, RHP, Rangers (Frisco, AA): 6 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 5 BB, 5 K.
• Michael Feliz, RHP, Astros (Corpus Christi, AA): 5 1/3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K.
• Daniel Norris, LHP, Blue Jays (Buffalo, AA): 5 1/3 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 7 K.
• Tyler Beede, RHP, Giants (Richmond, AA): 4 2/3 IP, 3 H, 5 R (4 ER), 3 BB, 3 K.
• Andrew Heaney, LHP, Angles (Salt Lake, AAA): 4 2/3 IP, 12 H, 8 R (5 R), BB, 2 K