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July 21, 2016
Eyewitness Accounts
July 21, 2016
by BP Prospect Staff
Rogelio Armenteros
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Born: 06/30/1994 (Age: 21) |
Bats: Right |
Throws: Right |
Height: 6' 1" |
Weight: 215 |
Thick, compact frame, sturdy base, full maturity, round mid-section, soft, high-maintenance body; relatively agile, quick feet, fluid movement, moves well for his body type, moderate athleticism; deep rock, generates early momentum, fluid leg kick with some elasticity, holds upright posture; inconsistent hand break, early arm path wanders, clean arm action, will get long, arm path can be inefficient, above-average arm speed, over-the-top slot takes some work to get to; hard downhill drive, hips open early, firm strike, stiff landing, aggressive over front side, some violence in the finish, significant recoil; 1.38 - 1.47, varies timing in the stretch, repeats well, maintains rhythm; quick worker, up-tempo pace, will slow it down, feel for game flow |
Wilson Karaman |
06/09/2016 |
Lancaster JetHawks (High A, Astros) |
4/28, 5/10, 6/7/16 |
55/High |
45/durable back-end starter |
2018 |
Yes |
FB |
50 |
55 |
87-94 |
95 |
Solid plane, four- and two-seam variants, both relatively straight, mild sink, really yanks it down to the lower quadrants, four-seam plays as a chaser above the zone, can generate in-zone whiffs; velo has fluctuated, 87-91 in one start, 90-92 (t94) in another, 91-94 (t95) in most recent; inconsistent finish, fringe-average command projection, inconsistent north-south, below-average movement, half-grade additional projection if velo stabilizes at higher end |
CB |
45 |
55 |
73-78 |
79 |
12-6 yakker, above-average vertical movement, excellent depth, snaps off with plane; below-average command, misses down, lacks horizontal movement; ground ball pitch, moderate swing-and-miss potential |
CH |
50 |
55 |
80-82 |
83 |
Consistent arm speed, heavy tumble, mild fade, demonstrated feel, keeps it out of danger; confidence in pitch, will double-up, work it right-on-right, throws it in any count; tunnels well, swing-and-miss potential |
Cuban IFA signed by Houston in September of 2014. Armenteros is a physical righty with command of his body and good rhythm on the mound. He generates outsized plane from a high arm slot, with a hard drive creating extension and a difficult pick-up for hitters. He'll struggle to harness the ample momentum he generates through the drive and keep on time to slot, leading to some bouts with his command. There's some durability required to repeat the motion, which Armenteros has shown, though his velocity has fluctuated between starts. He'll deploy three potentially above-average pitches that play well off one another, and he shows advanced pitchability and confidence in all three. It's a starter's profile, and a potentially solid one if the command progresses.
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Felix Jorge
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Born: 01/02/1994 (Age: 22) |
Bats: Right |
Throws: Right |
Height: 6' 2" |
Weight: 170 |
Tall, lean frame, moderate physical projection remaining; full windup, low-effort delivery, gets good downhill plane on pitches, quick finish; easy arm action with some stiffness, above-average arm speed, three-quarter slot; 1.33-1.41 stretch |
Steve Givarz |
06/17/2016 |
Fort Myers Miracle (High A, Twins) |
6/15/2016 |
55/Medium |
50/No. 4 Starter |
2018 |
No |
Fastball |
50 |
60 |
90-94 |
95 |
Two-seam action in the lower velocity band, plays more firm and straight at upper end, average command
Movement- 45/45 |
Curveball |
40 |
50 |
76-77 |
80 |
11/5 shape, inconsistent action, runs into slider; solid depth, flashes average potential |
Slider |
45 |
50 |
81-85 |
85 |
Average action, moderate tilt, good depth, more advanced than curve, flashes average |
Changeup |
50 |
55 |
81-84 |
84 |
Maintains arm speed with fade, good action; turns it over well, average control |
Jorge shows intriguing potential with fastball velocity and present utility of secondary pitches. Potential to take a step forward with the arsenal and become a solid mid-rotation starter, with back-end present projection.
Control- 55/60
Command-50/55
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Franklin Perez
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Born: 12/06/1997 (Age: 18) |
Bats: Right |
Throws: Right |
Height: 6' 3" |
Weight: 197 |
Physical: Lean upper body with room for added strength; thick lower half, higher maintenance body type, durable frame
Semi-wind with mild effort; high three-quarter slot with slight pause at max leg lift; inconsistent hand separation, quick in the back with inconsistent arm circle; foot strike wanders, lands flexed and stiff at times; poor balance, falls off to first-base side, head follows
|
James Fisher |
06/30/2016 |
Quad Cities River Bandits (Low A, Astros) |
5/24/16 |
55/High |
50/No. 4 Starter |
2019 |
No |
Fastball |
50 |
65 |
88-93 |
95 |
Four-seam fastball 91-93, mild arm-side run, shows command potential, locates to both sides; three-way action, shows two-seam variant at 88-90, can cut it, advanced pitch |
Curveball |
30 |
50 |
78 |
81 |
11/5 but inconsistent shape; shows ability to spin it with downer rotation; mainly in-zone at present, did bury several down low |
Changeup |
40 |
60 |
83 |
83 |
Consistent arm speed; quality deception; flashes above average fade |
Signed out of Venezuela, Perez is almost four years younger than most of his counterparts in the Midwest League. He's been bouncing back an forth between starting and relieving, but he shows the ingredients of a future starting pitcher. He already touches 95 with a fastball that jumps out of his hand with some arm-side run, and he shows an advanced ability to manipulate it with two-seam and cut variants. The curve is inconsistent at present, but when he stays on top it features 11/5 shape with depth. His changeup is an advanced pitch that he throws with proper arm speed to generate deception with late fade down in the zone. The command is spotty at times but throws enough strikes when the mechanics are right to project a future filling up the zone. All told, Perez has the frame to be an innings eater with a quality fastball and two at-least-average secondaries.
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Jesse Winker
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Born: 08/17/1993 (Age: 22) |
Bats: Left |
Throws: Left |
Height: 6' 3" |
Weight: 215 |
Primary Position: RF |
Secondary Position: LF |
Lean, athletic build, solid base with some width to the hips; upper body not yet maxed out, narrow shoulders with slope, some projection remaining |
Adam Hayes |
06/26/2016 |
5/27, 5/28 |
Louisville Bats (AAA, Reds) |
2017 |
Medium |
50 |
45/Second-Division Corner OF |
Yes |
A former first-round supplemental pick, Winker is a corner outfielder with a plus hit tool and average defensive projection. There's some swing-and-miss, but he possesses quality bat speed and contact skills. Average raw power plays down a tick in-game; he generates loft, but lacks the finishing strength for the tool to be an asset. Steady glove in a corner that won't create problems, and his accurate arm shows average strength. Winker has struggled with wrist injuries, which has very possibly sapped his ability to tap into the raw power he has. Projection for a solid starting outfielder with bottom-half lineup contributions.
|
Travis Demeritte
|
Born: 09/30/1994 (Age: 21) |
Bats: Right |
Throws: Right |
Height: 6' 0" |
Weight: 180 |
Primary Position: 2B |
Secondary Position: |
Premium athleticism, quick-twitch, thin frame, filled out with lean muscle, sneaky upper-body strength, minimal projection remaining |
Wilson Karaman |
06/26/2016 |
4/17, 4/30, 6/21, 6/26/16 |
High Desert Mavericks (High A, Rangers) |
2018 |
Extreme |
50 |
40/Utility Infielder |
Yes |
2013 1st rounder (#30 overall) out of high school, extreme risk profile due to raw bat and an 80-game PED suspension served in 2015. Demeritte shows premium athleticism and quick-twitch movement, and he projects to boast four average-or-better game tools. The raw power is true plus, as he has a swing built to drive the baseball. The loud contact he manages to make comes at the high price of extreme swing-and-miss tendencies heightened by an aggressive approach that frequently migrates out of the zone. Between empty swings and those that produce weak pop-up or rolled-over contact I'm not convinced he ever hits .240 in the big leagues, but there's enough patience and power that I think he can make it work enough to drive a second-division starting profile at the keystone, with the physicality for utility reps around the dirt if the hit tool holds him back.
|
J.P. Crawford
|
Born: 01/11/1995 (Age: 21) |
Bats: Left |
Throws: Right |
Height: 6' 2" |
Weight: 180 |
Primary Position: SS |
Secondary Position: |
Lean, spindly frame, long limbs with muscle tone, fairly broad shoulders, tapered torso, loose athleticism |
Adam Hayes |
07/04/2016 |
9x April-June 2016 |
Lehigh Valley IronPigs (AAA, Phillies) |
2017 |
Low |
60 |
55; Above-Average SS |
Yes |
Former first-round pick is a steady, true shortstop with four average-or-better tools. The hit tool projects plus with a patient approach as the standout attribute. He is rarely aggressive early in the count and will work pitchers for long at bats and walks. There is ample bat speed with a line-drive stroke that produces sound contact skills, though it's a pull-heavy approach. The frame suggests more speed utility than he shows, and it is more impactful in the field than on the bases. The glove and arm are carrying tools, with both rating as easy plus. Crawford should be a quality contributor offensively and defensively. Future well-rounded, starting SS with first-division potential.
|
Nick Zammarelli
|
Born: 07/30/1994 (Age: 21) |
Bats: Left |
Throws: Right |
Height: 6' 1" |
Weight: 195 |
Primary Position: 3B |
Secondary Position: 1B |
Average height, wiry build, room to add strength without compromising mobility |
Brendan Gawlowski |
07/07/2016 |
6x June-July 2016 |
Everett AquaSox (Short Season, Mariners) |
Keeps head in the game, stays focused throughout
|
Seattle's 8th round pick in the 2016 draft, Zammarelli lacks a standout tool, but he can do a bit of everything and he could provide adequate defense at third and enough bat to stick in a reserve role at full maturation. While a lack of strength and tendency to swing and miss will probably prevent him from enjoying a significant big league career, he has the tools to succeed in the upper minors. In an era of three- or four-man benches, he will need to add defensive versatility to his game to enhance big-league viability.
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3 comments have been left for this article.
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Wasn't this report for Kevin Newman published a few weeks ago?
I didn't comb it word for word, but it looks to be the same one posted for him on 06/23/2016.