July 20, 2017
Minor League Update
Games of July 19
by Steve Givarz
Hitter of the Day:
Ronnie Dawson, OF, Houston Astros (Low-A, Quad Cities): 3-4, 3 R, 3B, 2 HR, 5 RBI
With the build of an NFL linebacker, Dawson also has the power one would think an NFL linebacker would have if he played baseball. Dawson’s power is plus to better and is his primary carrying tool. He is an average runner, which is surprising given his size, but struggles defensively, and his swing has lots of holes to exploit.
Pitcher of the Day:
Mike Soroka, RHP, Atlanta Braves (Double-A, Mississippi): 7 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 12 K
This Canadian has done nothing but advance and dominate since being a 1st rounder in 2015. Pitching in Double-A at the age of 19, Soroka has done well on the heels of his plus fastball and above-average secondary offerings to rank 32nd on our midseason top 50.
Other Notable Performances:
Brian Anderson, 3B, Miami Marlins (Triple-A, New Orleans): 1-3, R, HR, 3 RBI, BB
The Marlins best position player prospect, with the big league team looking less and less likely to compete for a playoff spot. Anderson could find himself in the fold if the team looks to move on from either Martin Prado or Derek Dietrich.
Willy Adames, SS, Tampa Bay Rays (Triple-A, Durham): 2-2, 3 R, 2 BB
It looked like Adames was going to see some playing time with the big league club, then Adeiny Hechavarria came on the scene and Tim Beckham ran out of minor league options. In theory, Adames is better than both of them, but has less leverage than the two, so Adames stays in Triple-A.
Matt Olson, OF/1B, Oakland Athletics (Triple-A, Nashville): 1-2, 3 R, HR, 4 RBI, 4 BB
After some brief time in the majors, Olson is back to doing what he does best, hit for power, get on base, and strikeout, all in that order.
LaMonte Wade, OF, Minnesota Twins (Double-A, Chattanooga): 4-5, 2 R, HR, 4 RBI, SB
I keep labeling Wade as a potential extra outfielder, and each time I do he wants to prove me wrong. So if I mention him twenty more times what does he become?
Andres Gimenez, SS, New York Mets (Low-A, Columbia): 3-5, 2 R, 2B, 2 RBI, BB
Boss man Jeffrey Paternostro has a lot of words here on Gimenez.
Alex Blandino, 2B, Cincinnati Reds (Triple-A, Louisville): 3-5, 2 R, HR, RBI, K
To say Blandino has been disappointing since signing in the 1st round in 2014 is an understatement. He has showed some more ability to get on base then before, but might profile at best as a UTIL player.
Mauricio Dubon, SS, Milwaukee Brewers (Triple-A, Colorado Springs): 2-5, 2 2B, 2 K
If you like toolsy, power hitting short-stops, then Dubon isn’t your guy. If you like quality defenders with a knack for hitting, then Dubon is your guy. While he lacks much power to be a quality everyday regular, Dubon should still carve out a long career.
Anderson Tejeda, SS, Texas Rangers (Low-A, Hickory): 3-4, 2 R, 2B, 3B
Surprisingly, Tejeda did not sign for a lot of money with Texas, just 100K. Tejada has surprising pop given his size, as well as the defensive chops to stay on the dirt. While he can be prone to chase, he is still just 19 and has a long path in front of him.
Luis Ortiz, RHP, Milwaukee Brewers (Double-A, Biloxi): 6 IP, H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K
Acquired as part of the Jonathan Lucroy deal, Ortiz has had another up and down season in Double-A. At his best, Ortiz has a plus fastball/slider combination, with enough of a changeup and strike throwing to be a mid-rotation starter. At his worst he keeps getting hurt and ends up being a solid bullpen piece.
Tyler Beede, RHP, San Francisco Giants (Triple-A, Sacramento): 7 IP, 6 H, R, ER, BB, 5 K
A polished starter from Vanderbilt, Beede has struggled at Triple-A; relative to what he was doing before. While he has a plus fastball, and a litany of usable offspeed pitches, none of those are swing and miss offerings.
Chris Flexen, RHP, New York Mets (Double-A, Binghamton): 7 IP, 4 H, R, ER, 3 BB, 7 K
Flexen is a big boy, he looks larger than the listed 235, but makes it work regardless. His plus fastball and slider combination have been giving hitters fits thus far. Flexen has a long injury history, including Tommy John surgery and knee operations, so his overall durability is a question mark.
Fight Another Day:
Jason Garcia, RHP, Baltimore Orioles (Double-A, Bowie): 2 IP, 3 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 2 HRA
By service time allotted, he is technically not a prospect as he has a full year of service time. But he pitched under 50 innings, so technically he still is. Garcia’s below-average control though has doomed him since the beginning.
Jairo Beras, RHP?, Texas Rangers (Low-A, Hickory): IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, K, HRA
So this is happening. In an attempt to get value out of their $4.5M signing, Beras is moving to the mound. He does have premium arm strength, earning 70 or better grades from most scouts. But is now facing a long-trek to significance.
Tom Murphy, C, Colorado Rockies (Triple-A, Albuquerque): 0-3, 3 K
In college, during a regular-season matchup between our respective colleges, I pissed off Tom Murphy during the game. He responded by hitting a massive 3-run homer over our scoreboard in CF the next inning and stared me down as he trekked the bases. Never doing that again.
Steve Givarz is an author of Baseball Prospectus.
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