October 17, 2016

Minor League Update

October 17, 2016

by Mark Anderson

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Prospect of the Weekend:

Michael Kopech, RHP, Red Sox (AFL, Surprise): 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K. On top of a sexy line, Kopech threw 32 of 40 pitches for strikes and scouts in attendance were yet again impressed with his performance. If Kopech keeps pitching like this, he could become Dave Dombrowski’s most valuable trade chip. I’m kidding of course…well, sort of given Dombrowki’s history. Regardless, Kopech is an exciting young arm that should garner serious national attention throughout the offseason.

Friday, October 14^th

Travis Demeritte, 2B, Braves (AFL, Salt River): 2-4, HR, R. Demeritte can be a bit of a divisive prospect at times, garnering praise for his athleticism and raw potential, and scorn for his raw game and inability to fully translate his tantalizing tools. No matter your stance, he is a quality addition to the Braves system and could still emerge as a big league contributor.

Grayson Greiner, C, Tigers (AFL, Salt River): 2-3, R, 2B, HR. After serving as a solid contributor to some highly competitive South Carolina teams, Greiner did little as a professional prior to a second-half promotion to Double-A in 2016. Profiling as a backup catcher with some catch-and-throw ability and pop in his bat, Friday’s performance in the AFL is intriguing, if a little misleading.

Eloy Jimenez, OF, Cubs (AFL, Mesa): 2-4, R, HR, BB. One of the biggest breakout stars of the 2016 minor league season, Jimenez just keeps on hitting, and hitting for power. Almost without a doubt the Cubs top prospect, the only real curiosity surrounding Jimenez’s offseason will be how highly he rates in the BP Top 101.

Dillon Tate, RHP, Yankees (AFL, Scottsdale): IP, 4 H, 3 ER, K, HRA. Tate’s velocity backed up this year and his stock slipped considerably as he struggled in his first full professional season. There’s reason to hold out hope that he can turn it around, but performances like this – and the accompanying reports on his stuff from Friday’s outing – aren’t going to do much to keep folks on the bandwagon.

Saturday, October 15^th

Dawel Lugo, INF, Diamondbacks (AFL, Salt River): 3-5. After struggling in High-A with the Blue Jays in 2015, Lugo rebounded to rake in the California League this season, and then proceeded to continue that trend with the Diamondbacks’ Double-A affiliate in Mobile. Despite the 17 home runs (13 in the Cal League) in 2016, Lugo is much more the singles hitter he showed on Saturday, and after getting back on track this summer he has continued hitting in the early going of the AFL.

JaCoby Jones, UT, Tigers (AFL, Salt River): 2-3, 2 R, 2B, HR, BB, K, SB. Jones went from missing time with a suspension to killing it in Double-A, then struggling in both Triple-A and the big leagues in 2016; quite the jump for a guy that was acquired in exchange for a setup reliever the previous summer. Jones’ long-term future rests in a utility role that could include both the infield and the outfield, and his offensive game should have quite a bit to offer, including power, speed, and strikeouts.

Ramon Laureano, OF, Astros (AFL, Glendale): 2-4, 3 R, 2B, 3B, BB, SB. Laureano’s all-around profile is almost as fun to discuss as the fact that he’s emerged onto the prospect scene after being a 16^th round pick out of Northeastern Oklahoma A&M Junior College. With an ability to do a little bit of everything on the field, including play all three outfield spots, make contact, and get on base, Laureano easily projects as a quality reserve outfielder with some advocates believing he can play every day.

Sunday, October 16^th

Harold Castro, INF, Tigers (VWL, Leones del Caracas): 2-4, R, K, E. Castro has been kicking around the Tigers system for quite a while, and he’s gone from former top ten prospect to forgotten organizational player. Despite kicking around for so long and seemingly stagnating as a player and prospect, Castro still shows the bat-to-ball skills and athleticism to find a job on a big league bench. His versatility and defensive consistency must continue to develop, but Castro shouldn’t be completely forgotten among inexpensive potential utility players.

Mark Anderson is an author of Baseball Prospectus. Follow @ProspectMark
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