July 26, 2017

Minor League Update

Games of July 25

by Steve Givarz

the archives are now free. All Baseball Prospectus Premium and Fantasy articles more than a year old are now free as a thank you to the entire Internet for making our work possible. Not a subscriber? Get exclusive content like this delivered hot to your inbox every weekday. Click here for more information on Baseball Prospectus subscriptions or use the buttons to the right to subscribe and get instant access to the best baseball content on the web.

Subscribe for $4.95 per month Recurring subscription - cancel anytime. Subscribe for $39.95 for one year a 33% savings over the monthly price! Purchase a $39.95 gift subscription a 33% savings over the monthly price! Already a subscriber? Click here and use the blue login bar to log in.

Hitter of the Day:

J.D. Davis, 3B, Houston Astros (Triple-A, Fresno): 2-5, 2 R, 2 HR, 5 RBI
With the glut of talented position players at the big league level, especially those playing 3B, there doesn’t seem to be room for Davis. Hence why he has been floated as a trade chip. The calling cards are plus in game power, and a 70 arm. Unfortunately I can’t add hit tool or 3B glove to that hand.

Pitcher of the Day:

Marcos Molina, RHP, New York Mets (Double-A, Binghamton): 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 9 K
You could probably take a guess as to who, but one of our prospect team members does not like Marcos Molina. He NP’ed him. According to him (or her), the velocity has not come back, and the secondary offerings are just not there.

Other Notable Performances:

Joey Wentz, LHP, Atlanta Braves (Low-A, Rome): 5 IP, 3 H, R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 7 K
You know who really likes Joey Wentz? Jarrett Seidler, so much so that he wrote this whole article on him.

Breiling Eusebio, LHP, Colorado Rockies (Low-A, Asheville): 5 IP, 5 H, R, ER, BB, 6 K
Eusebio has blown up this year and was quickly sent out of Boise to Asheville to face stiffer competition. The fastball is plus or better, the curve can look that way too, but like with all young latin arms, consistency and strikethrowing will be the key.

Mitch Keller, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates (High-A, Bradenton): 7 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K
*heart-emoji* Don’t leave Florida just yet…I want to see you pitch again.

Luis Ortiz, RHP, Milwaukee Brewers (Double-A, Biloxi): 7 IP, 4 H, R, ER, 0 BB, 7 K
Speaking of being floated as a trade chip (this will be a theme through this MLU today), Ortiz had already been a trade chip at this time last season. The stuff is never in question (plus heater/slider, quality control), just his overall health and consistency.

Willie Calhoun, 2B, Los Angeles Dodgers (Triple-A, Oklahoma City): 3-5, R, HR, RBI
Calhoun has been frequently brought up in trade discussions since he has no obvious path to playing time in Hollywood. While his 2B defense is…hey see how many home runs he has hit and how much contact he can make?

Estevan Florial, OF, New York Yankees (Low-A, Charleston): 3-5, R, 2B, RBI, BB, K
Another trade chip being floated around, since signing for 200K, Florial has become one of the premier players in the system. He showcases plus speed, a plus (or better) arm, plus raw power, and the ability to be a plus hitter (if he makes more contact)

Blake Drake, OF, St. Louis Cardinals (High-A, Palm Beach): 2-4, 3 R, 2 HR, 3 RBI, BB
Coincidentally, there are actually TWO Blake Drakes to have played professional baseball. I’m sure the parents thought they were being cunning and cloy when they named their sons Blake. Anyway, all I could think about while watching him play was this old ESPY’s skit

Stone Garrett, OF, Miami Marlins (High-A, Jupiter): 4-5, 4 RBI, K
His hand seems to be good now, but he still has issues swinging the bat with said hands.

Franklin Barreto, SS, Oakland Athletics (Triple-A, Nashville): 3-5, R, RBI
While his initial major league showcase did not go well, Barreto still has a lot to like. He could be a 6 hit, 5 power, 6 run, short-stop, but will most likely have to move to 2B or CF.

Christin Stewart, OF, Detroit Tigers (Double-A, Erie): 2-4, 2 2B, RBI, K
The power is still there, the on-base ability is still there, the hit? Well one could make a case for it not ever being there all the time.

Abraham Toro-Hernandez, C/3B, Houston Astros (Short-Season, Tri-City): 1-3, R, HR, RBI, BB
How many languages do you speak? Abraham speaks three, four if we are including hitting long home runs as a language.

Brendon Davis, 3B, Los Angeles Dodgers (High-A, Rancho Cucamonga): 2-3, R, 2 2B, 5 RBI, BB
A risky prospect, Davis has filled out since high school, but still looks lean and wiry at 6-foot-4, 185 pounds. The power started to show up more in Low-A, but the defense doesn’t look good at SS, and he might not have enough hit tool to project at 3B.

Gabriel Maciel, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks (Rookie, Missoula): 3-4, 2 R, HR, 4 RBI
While an un-heralded signing out of Brazil, Maciel has hit at every level and seems to be ready for another challenge. His carrying tool is his 70-speed, which also translates to plus defensive skills.

Fight Another Day:

Austin Beck, OF, Oakland Athletics (Rookie, Arizona): 0-4, 3 K
Oakland knew this was going to be a long project with such a raw toolsy player who didn’t play in many major showcases. While the initial start has been concerning, the raw tools are still there, highlighted by plus speed, double-plus raw, and a plus throwing arm.

Jose Azocar, OF, Detroit Tigers (High-A, Lakeland): 1-4, BB, 2 K, 2 CS
Sometimes, when you read all the rumors about which Tigers players are going to be traded, you lose a step on the basepaths.

Steve Givarz is an author of Baseball Prospectus. Follow @SteveGivarz
Click here to see Steve's other articles. You can contact Steve by clicking here