April 11, 2016
Who To Watch
Midwest League
by Nathan Graham and Grant Jones
With action underway (if not postponed) throughout the minor leagues, we bring you guide to the players you should be watching throughout the minor league seasons. Throughout the week the Prospect Team will bring you a league or three per day, with every team covered, and every Top 10 prospect noted. We'll also provide reports on guys who couldn't crack the Top 10s, but are well worth your time anyway.
Midwest League - West
Beloit Snappers - Oakland Athletics
No Players in Top Ten
Keep an eye on:
OF Skye Bolt
Drafted out of UNC in the fourth round of the 2015 draft, Bolt possesses plus speed that plays well in center and on the base paths. The bat will determine his future, especially with pitch recognition, but with average bat speed and some pull-side pop from both sides of the plate, there is reason for optimism. It is hard to profile him as anything but a fourth outfielder unless or until the bat takes a step forward in 2016.
Burlington Bees – Los Angeles Angels
#1 RHP Joe Gatto
Keep an eye on:
RHP Grayson Long
The former Texas A&M weekend starter with a Texas-sized frame signed after being drafted in the third round of the 2015 draft. Long possesses enough command of his four-pitch repertoire—which includes a fastball that touches 94—to stay in the rotation long term. In the end, his ability to keep the ball down in the zone will determine his future.
RHP Jaime Barria
Signed out of Panama in 2013, Barria features a repeatable delivery with quality arm speed that he uses to pound the bottom half of the zone. He possesses a quality three-pitch mix that includes a curveball and changeup with the cambio the better of the two offerings. Look for him to continue to improve his breaking ball command and if he does so, his ceiling is that of a back-end starter.
OF Brendon Sanger
While listed as an infielder on the Bees’ roster, Sanger is a corner outfielder that will go as far as his bat will carry him. While he has done nothing but hit since being drafted, his approach doesn’t lead to much power and to profile as a corner guy, he must start tapping into that raw power he flashes if you catch him on the right day.
Cedar Rapids Kernals - Minnesota Twins
No Players in Top Ten
Keep an eye on:
LHP Lewis Thorpe
The hard-throwing Australian is another product of the Twins international scouting department that has done well in recent years. Thorpe is coming off of a torn UCL so he won’t make his debut for a while, but when last healthy he pitched off a fastball that sat in the mid 90s, with a changeup that flashed at least average. While most likely a reliever, Thorpe could change that if he develops an average breaking ball.
SS Jermaine Palacios
While buried in the depth chart behind Nick Gordon and a few others, Palacios has an intriguing skill set at the plate. In the Appalachian League last year he used a simple swing and approach, leading to 47 hits in 31 games. The 20 strikeouts compared to three walks leads to some concern, but he’ll have plenty of chances in the Midwest league to prove he can change that.
Clinton LumberKings – Seattle Mariners
No Players in Top Ten
Keep an eye on:
OF Braden Bishop
Bishop’s two-sport background of football and baseball leads to an athletic skill set that should keep him in center field. While being raw overall, he does have tools that translate to the pro game, including above-average speed and defense. The question mark with him will be how the bat comes along although he did manage to have 70 hits in 56 games last year at Everett. If it all comes together, the package will be a fourth outfielder with solid defensive chops.
Kane County Cougars – Arizona Diamondbacks
#5 Alex Young, LHP
Keep an eye on:
RHP Taylor Clarke
Drafted in the third round of the 2015 draft, Clarke managed to pitch his way through Hillsboro without giving up a run, but proceeded to give one up in his first four innings of Midwest League action. That aside, he attacks hitters with a fastball that tops 97 but sits more in the 91-94 mph range as a starter. Combine that with an above-average changeup, and he has an arsenal that overwhelms hitters at times. The key for him staying as a starter long-term will be the development of his slider, which flashes average. As long as he continues to repeat his delivery and develop his slider he projects as a back of the rotation starter.
Peoria Chiefs – St. Louis Cardinals
#3 CF Magneuris Sierra
#8 SS Edmundo Sosa
#10 RHP Junior Fernandez
Keep an eye on:
RHP Sandy Alcantara
If raw arm strength is your thing, then Alcantara is a name you need to put on your list. With a fastball that sits in the mid to upper 90s and a frame that suggests there may be more in the tank, he could fit into a starter or back of the pen mold. While he doesn’t consistently throw strikes at present, the defining characteristic will be the secondary offerings. He does show some feel for the curveball, and at times the changeup will flash average. Because he is so young the Cardinals have plenty of time to be patient with him, and if the pieces come together they will have a frontline starter on their hands.
Quad Cities River Bandits – Houston Astros
#4 CF Daz Cameron
#5 OF Kyle Tucker
Keep an eye on:
RHP Albert Abreu
Abreu is another Astros arm that can shove, sitting 93-96 and touching 99 mph. While he is still a long way away from his ceiling, the makings of a no. 3 starter are there. The delivery is clean and he shows aptitude when it comes to new offerings. At present he relies on the changeup for his secondary offering and a slider that he is still tinkering with. If it all comes together, and that is a big if, he could be a force in the starting rotation.
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers – Milwaukee Brewers
#7 OF Monte Harrison
Keep an eye on:
RHP Marcos Diplan
While Diplan may be smaller in stature than some other pitchers in this preview, he possesses the fastball to hang with them by sitting 89-94 and touching 97 mph. While there is effort in the delivery, he gets good extension to the plate and generally throws strikes. The slider is his go-to pitch at present; he loves to throw it to the back foot of left-handed hitters and can also throw it for strikes. While the frame may scream reliever, he will be given every chance to start and has age on his side.
SS Isan Diaz
After being drafted in the second supplemental round in 2014, Diaz has shown the ability to hit the ball hard and often. The swing does have the leverage and bat speed to drive the ball out of the park, but it will be more of a doubles profile in the future. He profiles better as a second basemen down the line, but at present he has the first-step quickness and range to stay at short. The arm is also better suited for second. He should crack the Brewers top 10 next year if he continues to hit. - James Fisher
Midwest League - East - Grant Jones
Bowling Green Hot Rods – Tampa Bay Rays
No players in Top Ten
Keep an eye on:
RHP Cameron Varga
One of the most barren teams in the MWL, BG sports only one player BP liked in 2014 overslot signee Cameron Varga. The righty is older for the MWL, and is a high ceiling low/floor pitcher. Last year he sported a low walk rate (1.7 per nine), but also a low strikeout rate (6.1 per nine). The Rays concentrate on changeup development, especially in the low minors, so that will be the story line of the year for Varga who had primarily relied on his lively fastball and his occasionally above-average curveball.
Lake County Captains - Cleveland Indians
#9 C Francisco Mejia
West Michigan Whitecaps – Detroit Tigers
#2 OF Derek Hill
#3 RHP Beau Burrows
Great Lakes Loons – Los Angeles Dodgers
Keep an eye on:
2B Omar Estevez
Estevez is one of the Dodgers many Cuban imports over the past few years. He has an advanced bat and a compact swing, which made him a surprise to start in Great Lakes. He should be a fast riser assuming he can fit at second.
OF Jordan Paroubeck
Paroubeck can play all around the outfield with athleticism that translates well to baseball with a solid bat. He has flashed power at times and will be interesting to see how he handles the MWL after a successful 2015.
Lansing Lugnuts – Toronto Blue Jays
#4 RHP Jonathan Harris
#5 RHP Sean Reid-Foley
Dayton Dragons – Cincinnati Reds
#6 C Tyler Stephenson
Keep an eye on:
RHP Tanner Rainey
Rainey wasn’t your typical senior sign last year, featuring a mid-90s fastball and a hard slider. He projects more as a late-inning reliever than a starter due to a lack of a good third pitch, even though he is trying to develop his changeup. His command is also lacking but with the ability for his fastball to bump up into the high 90s at times, it may be better to fast-track him through the system if his fastball plays up out of the pen.
Fort Wayne Tin Caps – San Diego Padres
#5 SS Ruddy Giron
#7 RHP Austin Smith
#8 RHP Jacob Nix
Keep an eye on:
LHP Logan Allen
Allen projects as a solid mid-rotation starter with a low-90s fastball, while flashing a curve and a change that will play. His delivery is repeatable, and should help translate into more strikes as he become more comfortable with his pitches.
OF Michael Gettys
Gettys hit tool is the only thing holding him back from being a big-time prospect, unfortunately it is tough to make noise with a hit tool like his. He is a plus-plus runner with a plus-plus arm, making him a great option in center if he can hit one day. His size offers raw power that again depends on his ability to show it in games.
RHP Enyel De Los Santos
A mid-90s fastball, and above-average secondary offerings are always a good thing. He has durability issues, but also shows a starters frame that should help him hold up eventually. He has late-inning or mid-rotation potential if he can figure out his command and consistency issues.
South Bend Cubs – Chicago Cubs
#5 OF Eddy Julio Martinez
#9 OF Eloy Jimenez
Keep an eye on:
OF Donnie Dewees
Rounding out the South Bend Cubs fantastic outfield, Dewees was a nice grab for the Cubs in the second round. He profiles as a center fielder, but will likely have to settle in left while Martinez is with South Bend—which might not be long. He has a compact swing that allows him to compensate for his slightly below-average power. Dewees profiles as a potential fourth outfielder in the big leagues.
LHP Justin Steele
Reaching 95 mph as a lefty will grab anyone’s attention, but Steele flashes an above-average curveball as well. He is a raw pitcher who will spend all of 2016 in South Bend. - Grant Jones
Grant Jones is an author of Baseball Prospectus.
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Worth noting that Sanger was a SS prospect in Florida out of high school, so the move to second base could stick