June 22, 2017

Minor League Update

Games of June 21st

by Steve Givarz

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Hitter of the Day:

Jacob Scavuzzo, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers (Double-A, Tulsa): 3-5, 3 R, 3 HR, 4 RBI, K

I first, and last, saw Scavuzzo in the 2015 Arizona Fall League. I was worried about the length of his swing and how much contact he would make. He has struggled to make contact, which is a shame because he is a quality athlete with above-average raw power. But a good day to you sir, and a drink as well.

Pitcher of the Day:

Scott Barlow, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers (Double-A, Tulsa): 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 10 K

Like with Scavuzzo, I first, and last, saw Barlow in the 2015 Arizona Fall League. While the fastball velocity is pedestrian, everything cuts and he is able to avoid hitter’s barrels. Likewise, have a drink.

Other Notable Performances:

Trey Ball, LHP, Boston Red Sox (Double-A, Portland): 5 IP, 7 H, R, ER, 3 BB, 7 K
Ball has revitalized himself to a degree this season. Once left for dead, he at least looks the part and now has a major league future.

Lucas Giolito, RHP, Chicago White Sox (Triple-A, Charlotte): 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 8 K
Giolito will be in our midseason top 50. Where he will be has been a subject of debate thus far.

Andrew Vasquez, LHP, Minnesota Twins (High-A, Fort Myers): 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K
Signed out of the 32^nd round from a small California college in 2015 Vasquez makes it work without having premium stuff. His fastball is a high-80s offering, he supplements it with a future average curveball. It’s good to be left-handed.

Tom De Blok, RHP, Detroit Tigers (Short-Season, Connecticut): 3 2/3 IP, H, 0 R, BB, 5 K
A former honk-baller, De Blok was signed by the Tigers after pitching well for Team Netherlands in the WBC. He has a mid-90s fastball, which is good! But his secondary offerings are…a work in progress.

Nick Solak, 2B, New York Yankees (High-A, Tampa): 4-5, 3 R, 2B, 3 RBI, SB
I caught Solak last night at this game, I’ll have a full report on him soon but here is a tidbit: He could be a plus hitter.

Jose Miguel Medina, OF, New York Mets (Short-Season, Brooklyn): 4-5, 2 R, K, SB
While not as toolsy as some other players, Medina does show more feel to hit than some of his other teammates. His wiry body could add more strength and power down the road, which would be good because he is kind of slap and dash now.

T.J. Friedl, OF, Cincinnati Reds (High-A, Daytona): 3-5, R, RBI
As one scout told me, “It looks worse if you knew Freidl was eligible and did not turn him in than not knowing he was eligible”. A double-plus runner, Friedl uses his speed effectively but lacks much over the fence power.

Seamus Curran, 1B, Baltimore Orioles, (Short-Season, Aberdeen): 2-4, 2 R, HR, RBI, K
As one scout described to me “Seamus has all the power, just ignore everything else about his game.” He is also a real person, not just a pirate.

Casey Gillaspie, 1B, Tampa Bay Rays (Triple-A, Durham): 3-4, 3 R, 2B, RBI
Like with Scavuzzo and Barlow, I only saw Casey in the 2015 Arizona Fall League and was concerned with how much contact he would be able to make. Looks like my concerns were legitimate.

Dustin Peterson, OF, Atlanta Braves (Triple-A, Gwinnett): 2-5, R, 2 2B, 4 RBI
After missing most of the season with surgery on his left hand, Peterson has struggled thus far at Triple-A. A toolsy outfielder that shows all five tools but has struggled to show power at the highest level.

Yairo Munoz, INF, Oakland Athletics (Double-A, Midland): 1-3, R, HR, RBI, BB, K
In a system loaded with talented middle infielders, Munoz sometimes gets overlooked because he lacks the offensive upside of some other players. But he brings solid defensive skills that some of the others can’t match.

Tzu-Wei Lin, MIF, Boston Red Sox (Double-A, Portland): 5-5, 2 R, 2B, 3B
Read what Erich Rothmann has to say on Lin in our most recent 10 pack.

Fight Another Day:

Zac Shepherd, 3B, Detroit Tigers (High-A, Lakeland): 0-5, R, 3 K
Earlier in the year, Craig Goldstein suggested I take a look at how good Shepherd was hitting. I then told him he needs to lower his K rate from 40 percent before I take him seriously. I have not taken him seriously yet.

Drew Harrington, LHP, Atlanta Braves (High-A, Florida): 1 2/3 IP, 8 H, 10 R, 7 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
This was a rough game at the park. The Tampa Yankee hitters were sitting on his 89-91 heater and laid off his quality CB.

Steve Givarz is an author of Baseball Prospectus. Follow @SteveGivarz
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