May 10, 2016

Minor League Update

Games of Monday, May 9th

by Christopher Crawford

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Prospect of the Day:

Bradley Zimmer, OF, Cleveland (Double-A Akron): 3-for-4, 2 R, HR, BB, K, SB.
If you just look at batting average, you might be under the impression Zimmer is struggling. If you are wise and look at the on-base and slugging percentages, you realize that is poppycock. There’s been more swing-and-miss here than anticipated, but he’s a smart hitter with a quality swing, and those strikeouts should drop as the season continues. He’s the rare player who can make an impact in every facet of the game, and even with Cleveland’s philosophy of having players spend significant time at each level, there’s still a great chance he’s contributing for them at some point this season.

Others of Note:

Dan Vogelbach, 1B, Chicago Cubs (Triple-A Iowa): 2-for-4, 2 R, 2 HR, K. The man who some people might call Vogey has been terrific over the first month, and maybe you see him get a chance to come off the bench during the stretch run for the Cubs. They’ll have clinched by July.

Julio Urias, LHP, Los Angeles Dodgers (Triple-A Oklahoma City): 6 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 K. I know a lot of people would like to see the Dodgers be more aggressive with Urias. To those people I say: nuh-uh.

Jorge Lopez, RHP, MIlwaukee Brewers (Triple-A Colorado Springs): 5 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 5 BB, 5 K. It’s been a horrific start for Lopez so far, and he wasn’t great tonight. His stuff is still the best of any hurler in a strong Milwaukee system, however, and the results tonight could help boost his confidence.

Jesse Winker, OF, Cincinnati Reds (Triple-A Louisville): 2-for-5, R, BB. It’d be nice to see a little more power from Winker, but for what seems like the 38th time this year, you can deal with the lack of pop when the hit tool is double-plus.

Alex Verdugo, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers (Double-A Tulsa): 3-for-4, 2 HR. Not a ton of consistency for Verdugo over his first month in Double-A, but keep in mind he won’t turn 20 for a week, so all things considered what he’s doing is darn impressive.

Lucas Giolito, RHP, Washington Nationals (Double-A Harrisburg): 6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. A nice start from the unsung right-hander.

Tyler Beede, RHP, San Francisco Giants (Double-A Richmond): 5 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. It’s never been a question of stuff for Beede, but rather a question of throwing enough quality strikes. So far in 2016, he’s done just that, and it could earn him a promotion to Triple-A soon.

Yairo Munoz, SS, Oakland Athletics (Double-A Midland): 3-for-4, 2B, 2 HR. Be it at third base or shortstop Munoz is intriguing, as the right-handed-hitting infielder has above-average raw power and above-average speed with improving feel for hitting.

Alex Bregman, SS, Houston Astros (Double-A Corpus Christi): 1-for-3, 2 R, HR. I have no idea where Bregman will play when he’s ready to go, but man is it a good problem to have.

Stephen Gonsalves, LHP, Minnesota Twins (High-A Fort Myers): 6.1 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 8 K. Another dominating start from Gonsalves, which is becoming a bit of a habit for him. The stuff says mid-rotation potental, but he’s missing bats at a level that suggests more is possible.

Amed Rosario, SS, New York Mets (High-A St. Lucie): 3-for-4, 3 R, 3B, BB, CS. Have we mentioned there are a lot of good shortstop prospects in baseball right now? Because there are a lot of good shortstop prospects in baseball right now.

Christin Stewart, OF, Detroit Tigers (High-A Lakeland): 1-for-3, HR, BB. Stewart is already hitting for power and drawing walks, and we haven’t even come close to the Twilight of his career. Please send your complaints to Craig Goldstein.

Richard Urena, SS, Toronto Blue Jays (High-A Dunedin):2-for-5, HR. Urena is a terrific athlete who frustrates the heck out of scouts with his inconsistency, but if he can hit even a little bit, his defensive prowess makes him a starter at short.

Brent Honeywell, RHP, Tampa Bay Rays (High-A Charlotte): 5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K. His ERA now sits at 1.30, and he’s posted a filthy 46-to-6 strikeout-to-walk ratio. I’m ready to see him pitch in Double-A now, please and thank you.

Brendan Rodgers, SS, Rockies (Low-A Asheville) 2-for-4, R, BB. No extra-base hits? Come on, Brendan. I vouched for you.

Kyle Tucker, OF, Astros (Single-A Quad Cities): 3-for-4, R, 2B, 3 SB. Tucker is proof that you don’t have to be a speed demon to make an impact on the bases. He’s also a pretty good hitter, too.

Mitch Keller, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates (Low-A West Virginia): 6 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K. I talked to a couple of scouts who have seen Keller this spring, and both raved about not only his stuff, but his ability to locate it for strikes.

Magneuris Sierra, OF, St. Louis Cardinals (Low-A Peoria): 3-for-5, 3 R, K. The only tool in Sierra’s bag that doesn’t have plus potential is the power, and he’s not Rafael Belliard there, either. Give it time, but he could be a star.

Jose Mujica, RHP, Rays (Low-A Bowling Green): 6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 8 K. There are questions as to whether or not he can start, but Mujica has two plus pitches in his fastball and change, and we’ve seen hurlers with worse command end up pitching every fifth day.

Christopher Crawford is an author of Baseball Prospectus. Follow @CVCrawfordBP
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