July 13, 2016

Minor League Update

Games of Tuesday, July 12th

by Christopher Crawford

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Prospect of the Day: Scott Blewett, RHP, Kansas City Royals (Low-A Lexington): 7 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 10 K.
Blewett struck out seven in his first three innings of work, before “slowing” to the statline you see above. A second-round pick out of New York in 2014, Blewett has struggled to show a lick of consistency as a professional, but when you see him on days like yesterday, there’s a lot to like. The fastball is plus, the curveball isn’t far from that vicinity, and he’ll mix in a fringe-average change for good measure. There’s a long way to go, but the Royals have no reason to panic about this talented righty just yet.

Others of Note:

Sal Romano, RHP, Cincinnati Reds (Double-A Pensacola): 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 K. When Romano throws strikes, he looks like a mid-rotation starter. He just hasn’t thrown enough strikes to suggest that’s realistic, yet.

Casey Gillaspie, 1B, Tampa Bay Rays (Double- A Montgomery): 2-for-4, R, 2 K, SB. If you’re a fan of guys who work counts and feature above-average power from both sides of the plate—and you should be—you will like Gillaspie.

Stephen Gonsalves, LHP, Minnesota Twins (Double-A Chattanooga): 6 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 11 K. The first couple of starts in Double-A were less than impressive, but it was only a matter of time before he had a start like this. Gonsalves is one of the more underrated pitching prospects in baseball right now.

Tyrone Taylor, OF, Milwaukee Brewers (Double-A Biloxi): 3-for-4, 2B, 3B, K. He was once the Brewers best prospect, which is kinda hilarious to think about now, but Taylor still has a future as a fourth outfielder who can get on base and play quality defense at all three outfield positions.

Tyler O’Neill, OF, Seattle Mariners (Double-A Jackson): 1-for-3, HR, BB, 2 K. The power—and really the hit tool—aren’t big questions for me after what I saw in San Diego. The defense is another story, but the Mariners will cross that bridge when they get to it.

Lucas Giolito, RHP, Washington Nationals (Low-A Hagerstown): 7 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 4 K. Hey, what are you doing back here? Oh, right. Carry on, my man. Carry on.

Cornelius Randolph, OF, Philadelphia Phillies (Low-A Lakewood): 3-for-4, R, 2 2B. The power should come, and Randolph has flashed a plus hit tool with a strong throwing arm from the outfield. It’s all very far away, but the upside is impressive.

Justin Twine, SS, Miami Marlins (Low-A Greensboro): 3-for-3, 2 R. The 43rd pick of the 2014 Draft, Twine has struggled for most of his professional career, but he’s an excellent athlete, and we’ve seen guys with a similar profile bloom late.

Deivi Gruillon, C, Phillies (Low-A Lakewood): 1-for-4, HR, K. Grullon’s best tools are behind the plate thanks to his plus-plus arm and improving receiving skills, but he’s also shown a quality approach at the plate and potentially some pop from the right side.

Brian Gonzalez, LHP, Baltimore Orioles (Low-A Delmarva): 6 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K. Gonzalez isn’t flashy, but he shows three average pitches, and he has shown that he can throw those pitches for strikes, giving him a chance to start.

Tyler Phillips, RHP, Texas Rangers (Short-Season Spokane): 5 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K. Phillips was atrocious (statistically) in his previous efforts, but last night went well, and keep in mind this is still more projection than finished product.

Travis Bergen, LHP, Toronto Blue Jays (Short-Season GCL Blue Jays): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K. The Blue Jays might give Bergen a chance to start, but with his arm slot and two above-average pitches, he might move faster out of the bullpen.

Juan Soto, OF, Nationals (Short-Season GCL Nationals): 3-for-4, R, 2B, K. Soto was the Nationals’ “big get” from the 2015 IFA class, and there’s big-time offensive potential, which he’ll need as he’s probably going to play in a corner.

Jhoandro Alfaro, C, Chicago White Sox (Short-Season DSL): 2-for-5, R, 2B. In a system that is devoid of international talent, Alfaro stands out as a catcher who can hit from both sides of the plate with a plus throwing arm and improving receiving skills.

Jhonny Santos, OF, Marlins (Short-Season Batavia): 2-for-4, HR, K. Santos is an excellent athlete who has three plus tools in his run, speed, and glove. It’s just a matter of whether or not he’s going to be able to hit enough for those skills to matter. It’s not likely, but you can’t ignore guys with three plus tools. It’s the law and science.

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