May 17, 2017

Notes from the Field

May 17, 2017

by BP Prospect Staff

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Wilson Karaman

Ibandel Isabel, 1B, Los Angeles Dodgers (High-A Rancho Cucamonga)

Big, hulking frame, heavy-footed, effort in movements; huge leg kick, loads hands low off back hip, hitch lacks barrel control, inconsistent launch point, slow-developing trigger; big separation, extension, above-average bat speed underway, effort to generate it, strength swing; struggles mightily with timing, extreme vulnerability to spin, expands up against velo, down against soft, swing-and-miss in and out of zone; massive power, 80-grade raw, loud contact when he catches one, elite exit velocities, hit balls with carry to all fields; 4.57 is fastest clock out of four, no second gear, will subtract runs on the bases; slow first step at first, lacks mobility, stiff hands, multiple boxed balls in the dirt, will pull himself off the bag, poor defensive instincts; 30 hit/glove projection, 20 runner, below-average arm...but that power stroke, man.

Jesus Tinoco, RHP, Colorado Rockies (High-A Lancaster)

Tall, well-proportioned, athletic frame, wiry musculature; medium-tempo delivery, tall posture, mildly uphill through takeaway and moderate leg kick, inconsistent timing with occasional deceleration into drive; deep hand break, big spine tilt, can get unbalanced, effort and extension to over-the-top slot; arm swing can get a little deep, but compact for length; hard drive, explodes off the rubber, foot strike gets firm, will jostle himself out of competitive pitches when unbalanced; significant recoil, violence in finish; FB 93-95 (t97), showed cut varietal at 91-93, creates plane, natural sink, quality offering with plus raw material, command questions knock it down to a 55 pitch; SL 86-90, vertical action, will flash two-plane snap and finish; trust and confidence in pitch, dropped multiple in on 3-2 counts; solid-average potential; CH 88-90, hard with sink, can get BP fastball-y, demonstrated feel, looks to steal early strikes and grounders, mild swing-miss, average potential pitch; Tinoco has three workable pitches, highlighted by a fastball that is up several ticks from reports last year.

Chaz Fiorino

Justus Sheffield, LHP, New York Yankees (Double-A Trenton)

Listed 5-foot-11, 200 pounds; opened the year as the youngest pitcher in the Double-A Eastern League; athletic, simple delivery with a quick arm and three-pitch mix (fastball, slider, changeup); threw across his body, often fell off towards the third base side disrupting his ability to stay online and command consistently; fastball 91-93 mph, topping out at 94 mph a few times; slider 83-87 with tight, late tilt, average pitch; changeup 84-87 mph with arm-side fade away from right-handed hitters, also an average grade offering; able to maintain velocity over the course of 17 outs and 101 pitches; command and control significantly began to waver towards the end, everything tended to flatten out; showed the potential for a future plus fastball with two average secondaries; undersized frame, concern about his ability to hold up over 170+ innings in a rotation and have enough control/command over the course of an outing to sustain success in a starting role.

Emmett Rosenbaum

Gavin Lux, SS, Los Angeles Dodgers (Low-A Great Lakes)

Well-balanced, projectable frame, will likely add strength in the upper body as he fills out; compact, balanced swing, mild leg kick, moderate bat wrap, above-average bat speed, linear swing path, little chance for elevation; mature approach, recognized spin early, stayed on off-speed pitches well; plus runner, clocked at 4.06 and 4.09 from the left side, showed great straight-line speed on a pop up in the field; strong defender, clean actions, crisp footwork, swift lateral movement, above-average arm, fantastic internal clock. Lux's defense means he almost certainly will have a big league future in some form, but the lack of power limits his ceiling. OFP 50/Likely 45.

Jon Duplantier, RHP, Arizona Diamondbacks (Low-A Kane County)

Large body, broad shoulders, starter's build, little projection left; clean, low-effort delivery, high-three-quarters slot, simple mechanics, repeats them well. FB 91-94 (t95), straight pitch with moderate sink, strong command of pitch, works in the lower part of his velocity band out of the stretch, came out working 93-94 early, dropped to 91-92 by 6th inning. CB 79-82, big 12-6 break, good depth, above-average pitch, best secondary offering. SL 83-84, sweeping movement, inconsistent break, located pitch well to the glove side, fringe-average projection, most used secondary pitch. CH 82-84, adequate tumble, easy delivery allows for well-replicated arm speed, kept pitch down in the zone, average projection. Despite lacking a plus pitch beyond his fastball, Duplantier offers above-average command tied with advanced pitchability. He profiles as a no. 4/5 starter, but also carries a low level of risk.

Steve Givarz

Jorge Guzman, RHP, New York Yankees (Extended Spring)

Large frame and body, lacks remaining projection, compact arm action, above-average arm speed, 3/4 slot, slight head jerk at release. FB 97-100, easy velocity, lacks true movement but has riding life and gets on hitters, lacks command, shaky control. Primarily a FB pitcher as he rarely went to SL or CH. SL 84, loopy, seemed to lack feel, not a swing/miss offering. CH 87, firm, but was not comfortable with offering, lacked movement.

Ulrich Bojarski, OF, Detroit Tigers (Extended Spring)

Large, athletic body, looks the part, already quite muscular, but still 18, South African but played past season in the Australian league, hung in well against Guzman and his heater, has bat speed and balance, but is more of a brute swinger than a refined swing, 4.4 H-1B, average arm, more of a corner OF than CF prospect. Intriguing player, like the body and has some present tools to work with.

Alexander Vargas, RHP, New York Yankees (Extended Spring)

Large, athletic body, well proportioned, still somewhat lean and can add muscle to mass, missed 2016 with back injury. Long arm action, above-average arm speed, 3/4 slot. FB 90-91, has average sink, fair control, not one to spot but can throw to both sides of the plate, CB 74-75, large break, jumps out of hand, has depth but isn't a sharp offering. CH 82, has feel but lacks movement.