June 24, 2015

Minor League Update

Games of Tuesday, June 23rd

by Jeff Moore

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Hitter of the Day: Erik Gonzalez, SS, Indians (Akron, AA): 3-4, 2 R, 2 2B, HR, BB.
Gonzalez is a glove-first infielder who has offered little pop over a long track record of minor-league baseball, but since he’s 6-foot-3, there are some who believe that there’s more thump in his bat. It’ll always be the glove that carries him, though, as his approach at the plate gets him in trouble more than anything else. Still, Gonzalez’s overall skill set should eventually carry him into a big-league role.

Pitcher of the Day: Kohl Stewart, RHP, Twins (Fort Myers, A+): 6 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 K.
Stewart has been highly touted since the Twins selected him fourth overall in 2013. In that context, Stewart’s season has been disappointing rather than just slightly underwhelming. For a pitcher with a power arsenal, he’s missing a frighteningly low number of bats. There’s still a lot of refinement left for Stewart, but a fastball/slider combination like his should miss more bats than he has thus far.

Best of the Rest

Dan Vogelbach, 1B, Cubs (Tennessee, AA): 1-3, R, HR (Southern League All-Star Game). We tend to get caught up on things like athleticism and positional value when we evaluate prospects, and thus we end up overlooking guys like Vogelbach who just flat-out hit. He’s not a good athlete, and if he ever manages to play the field anywhere, it will be at first base, where all of the pressure will rest squarely on his bat. Luckily, Vogelbach’s bat is really good. He has plus raw power and more than enough hit tool to allow it to play in games. He may never see Wrigley Field, thanks to Anthony Rizzo’s presence at first base, but Vogelbach is going to give some American League team one heck of a DH sometime in the next year.

Nomar Mazara, OF, Rangers (Frisco, AA): 1-3, R, HR, BB, 2 K. The jump over the Carolina League last year and into this year had zapped some of Mazara’s in-game power, as he’s been adjusting to the higher level of competition. But it’s coming. Mazara is just a good pure hitter who is handling an advanced jump at the age of 20, which is no small feat.

Colin Rea, RHP, Padres (San Antonio, AA): 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K. Rea has seen his bat-missing capabilities diminish as he’s moved up the organizational ladder and increased his level of competition, but he’s also throwing considerably more strikes. His outing on Tuesday is only the third time in 11 starts he’s walked more than one batter, which is remarkable progress for a guy who walked 6.4 batters per nine innings in 2013.

Miguel Sano, 3B, Twins (Chattanooga, AA): 2-5, R, 2B. The overall numbers this season look slightly disappointing thanks to Sano hitting .159 in April while getting his timing back from a year off, but since then Sano has gotten back to his power-hitting ways, hitting .285/.371/.538 in May and June. If not for the time missed last year, he’d already be in the big leagues at 22. As it stands now, he’s still not too far away.

Tim Anderson, SS, White Sox (Birmingham, AA): 2-3, R, 2B, 3B, K. Anderson will need to hit the gaps and run his way to extra bases if he wants to be a productive offensive player. He’s already put all the pressure on his hit tool thanks to one of the most aggressive approaches in the game, but even while hitting over .300, his overall production is lacking thanks to limited power potential and poor on-base skills. He doesn’t drive the ball, but when he can get it past the outfielders, he can run forever thanks to plus-plus speed and athleticism.

Jose Peraza, 2B, Braves (Gwinnett, AAA): 2-5, R, 2B. If Anderson has limited power, then Peraza has none. The Braves’ converted shortstop (due to organizational need, not lack of ability) doesn’t even hit for gap power the way Anderson does, leaving all of the pressure on him to hit well over .300 to be an effective offensive player. He offers much more than that as an up-the-middle defender with elite-level speed, but the bat will have to play to its absolute ceiling in order to justify everyday playing time.

Trevor Story, SS, Rockies (New Britain, AA): 4-6, 2 R, 3 2B, K. Story has re-established himself as a legitimate prospect the Rockies can plan their future around, re-breaking out in Double-A this season. He’s lowered his strikeout rate while maintaining his patience at the plate, and he’s hitting for more power than ever. It’s a well-above-average offensive profile for an up-the-middle player. Story swings with authority and looks to drive the ball, and offers a power/speed combo that isn’t found in middle-infield prospects very often.

Notable Prospect Starters

Aaron Blair, RHP, Diamondbacks (Reno, AAA): 6 2/3 IP, 2 H, R, 4 BB, 6 K.

Steven Matz, LHP, Mets (Las Vegas, AAA): 5 IP, 5 H, 3 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 8 K.

Michael Feliz, RHP, Astros (Corpus Christi, AA): 5 IP, 4 H, R, BB, 2 K.