September 9, 2016

Minor League Update

Games of Thursday, September 8th

by Christopher Crawford

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Prospect of the Day:

Brent Honeywell, RHP, Tampa Bay Rays (Double-A Montgomery): 7 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
If this is Honeywell’s last start of the year, he ended it on a positive note. For most of 2016, the right-hander has shown three plus pitches, and his screwball has flashed plus-plus. He’s also a strike-thrower whose command isn’t far behind the control, so, long story short, this is a guy who has a chance to be a third starter, maybe even a no. 2 if everything breaks right. Expect to see him in Tampa Bay at some point next summer.

Others of Note:

Manuel Margot, OF, San Diego Padres (Triple-A El Paso): 2-4, RBI. When the Padres season is over, I sure hope we get to see Margot face big-league pitching. He’s ready to make a difference with the glove right now, and the bat isn’t too far behind.

Matt Olson, 1B/OF, Oakland Athletics (Triple-A Nashville): 2-for-4, R, K. Olson has seen his stock diminish in 2016, partially because of some guys surpassing him, and partially because he just hasn’t been very good this year. That being said, there’s still massive raw power in his bat, and he does draw a ton of walks. If he can just keep the strikeouts to a dull roar, he has a chance to contribute to a big-league roster.

Patrick Weigel, RHP, Atlanta Braves (Double-A Mississippi): 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K. The Braves took Weigel in the seventh-round of last year’s draft, and he appears to be quite the steal. He’ll touch 95 with his fastball, and there’s quality sink to the offering as well. None of the secondary pitches flashes more than average, but he does a good job of separating them, and the command has made progress. It’s not the sexiest profile, but a back-end starter—or maybe a high-leverage reliever—is certainly possible.

Ryan O’Hearn 1B, Kansas City Royals (Double-A Northwest Arkansas): 3-for-4, 3 R, 2 HR. O’Hearn’s 22 homers are a bit misleading, as he hit seven with Carolina in the first 22 games and then “only” hit 15 in the next 112. The raw power is obvious, and he’s also shown a willingness to work counts. The long swing leads to a lot of swing and miss, though, and he’s not exactly a wizard with the glove. Nonetheless, if the power reaches its full potential, O’Hearn has a chance to be a regular at the cold corner.

Victor Robles, OF, Washington Nationals (High-A Potomac): 5-for-10, 2 R, 2B, K, SB. I’m gonna be honest, a year ago, I was tempted to send out some sort of tweet/article/phonograph to calm everyone down about Robles. I was wrong. He’s great.

Zack Littell, RHP, Seattle Mariners (High-A High Desert): 7 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 11 K. Seriously, where did this come from? The Mariners liked Littell and there was reason to believe he was a potential swingman type, but he’s gone from that to one of the best pitching prospects in the system. Andy McKay and the player-development staff deserve a heck of a lot of credit for what they’ve done in 2016, and Littell might be the biggest improver.

Luiz Gohara, LHP, Mariners (Low-A Clinton): 6 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 8 K. But, it’s probably this guy. I have always been higher than the industry on Gohara, but even I would have to admit the improvement is night and day.

Eloy Jimenez, OF, Chicago Cubs (Low-A South Bend): 1-for-3, BB, 2 K. You ready for a take that will be so hot that it will melt your PC/laptop/handheld device? I predict that in the year of 2018, Eloy Jimenez is the best hitting prospect in baseball. Contact your local Best Buy to replace the screen.

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