September 2, 2016

Weekly Wrap

September 2, 2016

by Will Haines

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While the minor league season may be winding down, the Weekly Wrap isn’t. The wave of low minors promotions continues, and our 2016 draftees are on their way up. Let’s get to it!

On The Shelf

The minor league season has ended for Blake Rutherford, who suffered a hamstring injury. While he won’t miss too many games considering the few games left on the year, hamstring issues can be pesky. Rutherford might recover in time to play in instructs, but it’s likely the Yankees will allow him the full offseason to rest and recover.

A bizarre season has come to an end for Kohl Stewart, who has suffered right biceps tendinitis. Stewart has always received high praise from scouts, but hasn’t quite been able to match it with performance. Since his call-up to Double-A, he’s posted a 4.8 K/9 and a 4.4 BB/9 in 86 innings. Clearly, Stewart needs to do some tinkering to get himself back on track, and tendinitis is the last thing he needed to add to his plate.

Returning to the Disabled List for the second time this month is Domingo Acevedo, the promising Yankees pitcher on their High-A team. Details on the injury are scarce yet again, but it’s likely a re-aggravation of the lower back injury he suffered earlier. His season is likely over, but he can bank the impressive 50 innings he tossed for Tampa. This season, Acevedo has flashed his strikeout-caliber stuff while improving his control. The offseason should give him time to put this back injury behind him and bring his best to the 2017 season.

Movin’ On Up

Mitch Keller has made it to High-A Bradenton, flashing the upside he showed when he was drafted out of high school by Pittsburgh. Keller missed time due to a sore forearm but has clearly recovered swimmingly. At Low-A West Virginia, he posted incredible rate stats and compiled an impressive number of innings. He flashed a potent fastball/curveball combo in the FSL and has real potential to lock in a middle-rotation spot.

Considered one of the best pitching prospects taken in this year’s draft, Jason Groome has flexed his stuff in rookie ball and earned the call to Low-A Lowell. In his brief four-inning stint, he struck out 8 hitters and allowed a single run. Groome will likely toss a few more limited-inning stints before the end of the season, with the goal of a full workload in 2017.

The Pioneer League has gained one (1) Gavin Lux, bearer of great potential and elite name. Lux was taken 20th-overall by the Dodgers this year, and has continued to show promise at shortstop. In his stint in Arizona, he demonstrated the advanced feel for hitting and impressive glove-work that made him a top draft target. Expect him to make the jump to Low-A in 2017, if not by the end of this year.

Walker Buehler has made a speedy jump to Low-A Great Lakes, after tossing just two innings at Rookie Ball. The right-hander, who was selected by the Dodgers in the first round of last year’s draft, got the Tommy John hammer dropped on him weeks after he was drafted, but has enjoyed a relatively speedy recovery. Beuhler has plenty of time to catch up with the rest of the pack and begin building up his durability.

Speaking of speedy jumps, Mitchell White has already landed in High-A Rancho Cucamonga after being drafted earlier this year. Thus far, White has mowed down the competition at every level he’s faced, using his solid fastball and nasty secondaries to get extreme strikeout ratios. Eyeing his season-long inning count, the Dodgers have been limiting his appearances to two-inning starts, but his performance is an indicator that White has the potential to be an impact talent.

Back In Action

Oh, how we’ve missed Nick Kingham. After making the trek through the minors to Triple-A, Kingham underwent Tommy John surgery before he could make his debut appearance in the majors. Now rehabbed and recovered, he’s back to get his revenge. Now at Double-A, he’s showing all the signs of life expected, and it seems his arsenal is fully intact. At the moment, it’s unclear how aggressive Pittsburgh will be with their talented pitcher, but it’s possible he could receive a call-up by the end of the season.

Will Haines is an author of Baseball Prospectus. Follow @cubstruction
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