June 23, 2017

Minor League Update

Games of June 22

by Wilson Karaman

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Hitter of the Day:

Kaleb Cowart, IF, Anaheim Angels (Triple-A Salt Lake City): 6-6, 5 R, 3 2B, 3B, HR, 5 RBI
Yes, the 25-year-old’s career big-league line of .176/.210/.267 has come across two more at-bats than allowed for a position player to retain technical prospect eligibility, and writing about prospects is kind of the point of this column. But…I mean, that box score’s one for the refrigerator, man.

Pitcher of the Day:

Shane Bieber, RHP, Cleveland Indians (High-A Carolina): 8 IP, 3 H, 11 K
Bieber can thrive off a fringe-average fastball in ways few in the minor leagues are capable. He was an advanced command arm in college, and he’s continued to live the profile in A ball this year, with yesterday’s effort carrying him to an 80 strikeout-5 walk ledger through 86 innings. His long stride and extension help a fastball that lounges at 90 play up to perception, and he commands the hell out of a couple average secondaries. He’s a solid arm who’ll have to prove the velocity can work at every level.

Other Prospects of Note:

Chance Adams, RHP, New York Yankees (Triple-A Scranton Wilkes/Barre): 6 IP, H, 2 BB, 8 K
Adams might be having himself the single most impressive season of any minor-league starter this year. Think about that. In the high minors he’s allowed just 47 hits in more than 80 innings, while now allowing more than three earned in any of his 14 starts. He’s whiffed a batter a frame along the way, with a four-pitch arsenal that backs up the swing-and-miss. Maybe you could pick nits about his control, but there really aren’t a ton of questions left for the 22-year-old to answer on the farm.

Willie Calhoun, 2B, Los Angeles Dodgers (Triple-A Oklahoma City): 5-8, BB, 2 R, 3 2B, HR, 3 RBI, 2 K
Calhoun did right by a doubleheader yesterday. He makes a ton of contact, and the power production has been consistent all year on the doorstep of the big leagues. You have to figure he’ll get in the door at some point in the near future.

Ryder Jones, 1B/3B/LF, San Francisco Giants (Triple-A Sacramento): 2-5, 2 R, 2 2B, 3 RBI, K
It’s probably time we started to talk a bit about this guy, as he started hitting in the AFL last fall and hasn’t stopped since. There’s always been some offensive projection in there – he was drafted 64^th overall in 2013, after all – and he has really shown some signs of putting it together this year.

Edwin Rios, CI, Los Angeles Dodgers (Double-A Tulsa): 1-3 BB, R, HR, RBI
That’s three homers in his last four, currently at .321/.361/.558. Required viewing of the day: the one he hit on Tuesday.

Thomas Hatch, RHP, Chicago Cubs (High-A Myrtle Beach): 7 IP, R (0 ER), 3 H, BB, 7 K
Todd Johnson over at BP Wrigleyville has you covered on what’s behind Hatch’s recent run of dominance.

Scott Blewett, RHP, Kansas City Royals (High-A Wilmington): 6 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, BB, 12 K
Well, hello there. That’s back-to-back double-digit stikeout games for Blewett, who’s always shown flashes of the stuff, but whose command of secondaries has kept his production inconsistent. He’s been awful consistent across his last couple turns, though.

Trent Clark, CF, Milwaukee Brewers (High-A Carolina): 2-3, BB, K, 2 SB, E
Clark snuck onto the end of the BP 101 this past winter, and given how the first half shook out that might very well count as the highlight of his 2017 to date. The wheels have worked all year, but the bat has looked, well, like the bat of a 20-year-old in High A, give the kid some time and space to develop, jeez!

Keegan Akin, LHP, Baltimore Orioles (High-A Frederick): 6 IP, 3 H, 4 BB, 9 K
Baltimore’s second-rounder a year ago has struggled a bit with his control in his first taste of full-season ball this year, but he boasts a solid, well-rounded rotation profile and has missed a lot of bats.

Forrest Whitley, RHP, Houston Astros (Low-A Quad Cities): ER, 4 H, BB, 7 K
Whitley’s been doing things to the Midwest League in 2017, and after whiffing 61 in 41 closely-guarded innings he should be ready for a second-half trial at High A soon enough.

Brandon Marsh, OF, Anaheim Angels (Rookie Orem): 3-4, BB, 3 R, 2B, HR, 4 RBI
So far, so good through three professional games for the Halos’ second-rounder last summer. There’s some intriguing raw material here, with a couple big questions about the hit tool and utility in center that’ll be fun to watch get answered.

Cole Ragans, LHP, Texas Rangers (Short-Season Spokane): 5 IP, H, BB, 9 K
Well now, that’s more like it. After walking six in his season debut last week, last year’s 30^th-overall pick dominated from the jump yesterday. He whiffed nine of the 17 batters he faced, eight on swinging strikes. The fastball moves a bunch in the low-90s, and there are two quality secondaries here to boot.

Jhailyn Ortiz, RF, Philadelphia Phillies (Short-Season Williamsport): 0-4, 4 K
A whiff-per-million pace for Philadelphia’s biggest bonus baby in 2015. Ortiz brings massive power from a massive frame to the table, though despite his size there’s actually a modicum of hope he can play in the outfield for a while thanks to surprising athleticism.

Scooter Hightower, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates (Short-Season West Virginia): 5 IP, 10 K
A big month for Scooters rolls along.

Wilson Karaman is an author of Baseball Prospectus. Follow @vocaljavelins
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