August 9, 2016

Minor League Update

Games of Monday, August 8th

by Christopher Crawford

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Prospect of the Day:

Josh Lowe, 3B, Tampa Bay Rays (Short-Season Princeton): 4-for-6, 2 HR, BB, E
Full disclosure: It was a doubleheader. It’s still a very good day. Lowe has tapped into his raw power quickly, and he’s an outstanding athlete whose plus speed and arm will serve him well at third base. There’s some work to be done on the hit tool, but he’s a smart kid with excellent baseball acumen, so don’t be surprised if he ends up moving quickly through the Tampa Bay system.

Others of Note

Rio Ruiz, 3B, Atlanta Braves (Triple-A Gwinnett): 3-for-4, 2 R, 2B, HR. Ruiz hasn’t come close to reestablishing the stock he had in 2014, but he’s still got a chance to be a quality bench bat with an average hit tool and good-enough athleticism to play third and first.

Mike Mayers, RHP, St. Louis Cardinals (Triple-A Memphis): 6 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K. Ignore the disaster that was his big-league debut; Mayers has a chance to pitch in the back of a rotation with an above-average fastball and plus change. The slider is going to have to get better, though.

Kendry Flores, RHP, Miami Marlins (Triple-A New Orleans): 6.1 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K. If you have four average pitches and above-average command of them, you have a chance to start. Flores has that. Flores has a chance to start.

Brandon Woodruff, RHP, Milwaukee Brewers (Double-A Biloxi): 7 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K. Statistically, he’s been among the best pitchers in the Milwaukee system. There are plenty with better stuff, but Woodruff has a plus fastball and two usable offspeed offerings, and the command gets better each year.

Ozzie Albies, SS, Braves (Double-A Mississippi): 3-for-5, 2B, K. There are some who view Albies’ season as a slight disappointment because he struggled as a 19-year-old in Triple-A. Those people are weird.

Alex Blandino, 2B, Cincinnati Reds (Double-A Pensacola): 3-for-4. He’s been usurped by several Reds infield prospects, but Blandino still has a chance to be a utility guy if the strikeouts can drop to a dull roar.

Stephen Tarpley, LHP, Pittsburgh Pirates (High-A Bradenton): 6.2 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 6 K. Tarpley likely ends up in relief—especially if he stays in the Pittsburgh organization—but with three average secondary pitches and a fastball that gets up to 95 mph, someone might give him a chance to pitch every fifth day.

Carlos Tocci, OF, Philadelphia Phillies (High-A Clearwater): 4-for-5, 2B. The glove is what makes Tocci a potential big-leaguer, but the bat has shown some life this year, as well.

Kade Scivicque, C, Detroit Tigers (High-A Lakeland): 3-for-4, 2 R, HR. The Tigers fourth-round pick out of LSU in 2015, Scivicque has an above-average throwing arm and has improved his receiving skills, and there’s just enough offensive upside here to project a backup.

Jose Paulino, LHP, Chicago Cubs (Low-A South Bend): 7 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K. The Cubs have taken things very slowly with Paulino, and they’re starting to be rewarded with their patience. The fastball and slider flash plus, and he throws strikes with those pitches and a 45-grade change.

Jacob Nix, RHP, San Diego Padres (Low-A Fort Wayne): 5 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K. While Nix’s ERA of 4.20 may not be inspiring, his 5-to-1 strikeout ratio is reason to be optimistic. Be optimistic.

Eudor Garcia, 3B, New York Mets (Low-A Savannah): 3-for-4, R, 2 2B, K. Garcia is massive and will have to move to first base, but there’s big power potential here, and if he shows more patience at the plate, the hit tool might allow the move across the diamond.

Ali Sanchez, C, Mets (Short-Season Brooklyn): 4-for-5, 3 R, 2 2B, SB. Sanchez has some offensive ability, but the reason he’s the Mets catcher of the future is his chance to be plus behind the plate, with a strong throwing arm to boot.

A.J. Puk, LHP, Oakland Athletics (Short-Season Vermont): 4 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 7 K. Presented without comment: Puk has now spent his pitching life in Iowa, Florida, and Vermont. Huh. Oh he’s also still showing a plus-plus fastball and plus change.

Bryan Hudson, LHP, Cubs (Short-Season Eugene): 5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K. Hudson has really struggled to throw strikes, but that is a common trait for pitchers as tall as he is (6-foot-8) early in their careers, and he’ll show two plus pitches. It’s going to take some time, but a mid-rotation starter could come out of the easy bake if you’re patient.

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