July 9, 2015

Notes from the Field

July 9, 2015

by BP Prospect Staff

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• Alex Jackson is sometimes guilty of a taking a passive approach at the plate. He’ll often watch a few pitches early in the count, passing up hittable strikes and allowing pitchers to get to their breaking stuff. The Mariners 2014 first-rounder is prone to chasing spin low and out of the zone, and he doesn’t have a great feel for the inner half of the strike zone, a combination that goes some way toward explaining a strikeout rate hovering near 30 percent in short season ball. He’s also prone to mental mistakes: I’ve seen him picked off, forgotten how many outs there were while on the bases, and allowed runners to advance an extra station by throwing to the wrong base from right field. The raw talent is undeniable but Jackson isn’t firing on all cylinders right now. –Brendan Gawlowski

• Yankees RHP Chance Adams displayed plus arm speed with short-arm action coming from his broad-shouldered, athletic body. This helped produce a fastball that sat 94-96 mph with life, though the command is below-average at present. His slider was fringe-average, at 78-82 mph with mild spin. The mechanics and arm action indicate middle relief profile, but he should be a quick-moving arm and a nice selection in the fifth round of this year’s draft. —Tucker Blair

• It was a real struggle for Nick Burdi in Double-A this year, but he looked like his old self again upon arriving back in the Florida State League, as he is back to displaying the pair of plus-plus pitches that got him drafted in the second round by the Twins. Hopefully a few strong outings will get him back on the fast-track to the big leagues where a player with his stuff belongs. –Jeff Moore

• Paul Fry turned in an impressive inning of work at the Cal League All-Star Game. His fastball sat 89-91 (T93) from the left side with good plane, and he drove it consistently to the bottom of the zone with plus arm-side run. That pitch paired well with a slider at 84-86 that showed good tilt, played well off his fastball, and missed some bats. The Mariners prospect commanded both pitches and showed an easy, repeatable delivery with good cadence. - Wilson Karaman
  

• Thairo Estrada displayed average bat speed with moderate barrel control and fringe raw power, but its in-game utility plays down due to linear swing. He’s also lessened his toe tap and leg lift from last season. Defensively, the Yankees infielder displays above-average range and an above-average arm, but his footwork is inconsistent. He can play an average SS, but he needs more repetition at 2B, where he looked rigid and raw. It’s more of a utility profile.—Tucker Blair
  
  
• The natural inclination with a 6-foot-10 pitcher is to see if he can start, given the way his size should be able to handle the workload; but Twins RHP Aaron Slegers is destined for a relief role and could excel in a bullpen if used properly. He’s not overpowering with his fastball, but his size allows for good extension and his slider could be a difference-maker against right-handed hitters. –Jeff Moore
  
  
• With broad shoulders on a skinny frame, Jordan Holloway shows plus arm speed; though he features a hard, inverted foot landing and significant arm stab to go with his stiff delivery and drive. His fastball sat 92-94, T95 with boring action and he offered a well-below average curveball and change-up, both of which need serious refinement. He projects as an up-and-down reliever who will rely heavily on his power sinker. —Tucker Blair
  
  
• Mitch Horacek (Orioles) has good length to his frame, but doesn’t utilize it, with a relatively short stride and hard landing. His delivery was halting and lacked fluidity, and the stuff was flat and inconsistent. He had trouble commanding his 79-81 mph slider from the start, leaving several hanging out over the plate with little tilt. - Wilson Karaman
  
  
• Differentiating between pitches can often be a challenge in the low minors, but no one has provided more of an identification challenge than Twins RHP Chih-Wei Hu, who threw multiple breaking balls, including a slider that moved similarly to his cutter. All told, he threw seven different pitches (or variations of pitches), but would be better off just sticking with his two-seam fastball and curveball for now. –Jeff Moore
  

• Alberto Triunfel shows smooth actions at shortstop, with good spin recognition and patience on an in-between hop with a slow-footed runner chugging to first. His swing is linear, but he showed an impressive ability to attack and drive the ball out over the plate in BP. The Rangers prospect features an aggressive in-game approach and showed a propensity to hunt first-pitch fastballs, but he also showed a solid command of the zone, refusing to expand against some quality breaking stuff. It’s an intriguing profile. –Wilson Karaman
  
  
• After struggling mightily in his first taste of the Northwest League, Mariners LHP Luiz Gohara has been impressive in his second spin through the circuit. He’s doing a much better job of pounding the zone with his fastball this season, and his curveball has also improved noticeably. The pitch has more depth than it did in prior viewings, and he’s also more consistent in his execution. He induced several whiffs with the curve in his start Wednesday, showing marked improvement from previous outings when he often left it up or spiked it in the dirt.
  
  
• Rangers right-hander Connor Sadzeck sat 93-95 in his start, hitting 97 multiple times, topping out at 98. His command of the pitch lags and he didn’t show much in the way of secondaries, occasionally working in a flat change-up in the high-80’s. Live arm. - Wilson Karaman

Quick Hits: Orioles LHP Tanner Scott sat 92-94 T 96 and is an intriguing relief profile (TB)...Yankees OF Jeff Hendrix has speed and mild hit utility (TB)...Yankees 3B/2B Brandon Wagner is extremely noisy at the plate and it hinders the hit tool significantly (TB)...Dodgers RHP Karch Kowalczyk sat 94-96 with sink and an 84-87 SL with some bite but loose command of both (WK)...Dodgers OF Jacob Scavuzzo can fly at 4.06 from the right side (WK)… Webster Rivas (Dodgers) continues to struggle mightily with his receiving. It’s been an issue all year, with balls consistently getting through to the backstop (WK)…Corey Littrell is never going to headline a rotation, but he’s going to win some games for the Cardinals and be an important guy for them to have in a year or two (JM).