October 27, 2016

Minor League Update

Games of October 26th

by Mauricio Rubio

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Hitter of the day

Ian Happ, 2B, Chicago Cubs (Mesa Solar Sox) 3-4, 2B. Happ had an uneven season as he was feeling out his swing in an attempt to strike a balance of average and power. He will always carry a fair amount of swing and miss in his game but he pairs the strikeouts with a solid approach at the plate and barrel ability. He doesn’t provide positive contributions in the field and he is still looking for his position, so there is pressure on the bat to perform. I’m not bullish on his profile and I see an average player here because I don’t see the bat carrying the profile to much above average.

Pitcher of the day

Jared Miller, LHP, Arizona Diamondbacks (Salt River Rafters) 2 IP, 0 H, 0 RA, 0 BB, 2 SO. Miller was an absolute mess in 2015 as he struggled with stuff that was going backwards and command that never wanted to cooperate. He was moved to a bullpen role where his velocity and breaking ball played up. The turnaround has been impressive and there’s a good shot he sees major league action in 2017.

Best of the Rest

Brian Anderson, 3B, Miami Marlins (Mesa Solar Sox) 3-4, HR. There’s not much sizzle here; his defense is pretty limited and the bat doesn’t pop out.

Anthony Alford, LF, Toronto Blue Jays (Mesa Solar Sox) 2-5, 3B. Alford is a premium athlete who shows some patience at the plate but his contact rates dipped in 2016. He was hurt a few times this year and if he can start cutting down on his strikeouts he is going to be a very exciting player.

Miguel Andujar, 3B, New York Yankees (Scottsdale Scorpions) 3-4, 2B. Andujar has plus raw power that he’s teased at production-wise at the minor-league level. He has a lot of work to do defensively.

Nick Gordon, SS, Minnesota Twins (Surprise Saguaros) 2-4, 2B. Gordon keeps showing off solid barrel skills which complements a solid overall profile very well.

Jose Trevino, C, Texas Rangers (Surprise Saguaros) 3-4, 2B, HR. Still a solid catching prospect, still lighting the AFL on fire, still an interesting name to tab.

Cody Bellinger, 1B, Los Angeles Dodgers (Glendale Desert Dogs) 2-4, 2B. An extra base hit and no strikeouts is a pretty good sign for Bellinger.

Fight another day

Chris Stratton, RHP, San Francisco Giants (Scottsdale Scorpions) 3 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO. He’s old for a prospect and I usually have an age cut-off for these but Stratton has enjoyed some success in the AFL before last night. Stratton is a righty who gets by on average stuff and average command, pairing an above-average fastball with an average slider and a change that flashes major league utility. So, pretty boring.

Hunter Cole, OF, San Francisco Giants (Scottsdale Scorpions) 1-4, 3 SO. Cole, like Stratton, has a bucket full of average skills. He’s solid but lacks a carrying tool.

Mauricio Rubio is an author of Baseball Prospectus. Follow @MRubio52
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