August 17, 2017
Minor League Update
Games of August 16
by Steve Givarz
Hitter of the Day:
Patrick Mazeika, C/1B, New York Mets (Double-A, Binghamton): 3-6, 2 R, 3 2B, 3 RBI, K
Mazeika has shown an ability to hit, it could be a plus tool for him. But the rest of the profile is tough; he has a below-average arm and doesn’t catch well, limiting him behind the plate. He doesn’t have a lot of over-the-fence power either, which makes first base a tougher profile than catcher. Hitters find a way, though.
Pitcher of the Day:
Alec Hansen, RHP, Chicago White Sox (High-A, Winston-Salem): 7 IP, 3 H, R, ER, BB, 11 K
Who wants to redo the 2016 draft? Hansen had a lot of helium heading into the draft, then fell off, landing in the laps of Chicago in the second round. The stuff is coming together. Watch out Double-A, Alec is coming.
Other Notable Performances:
Luis Martinez, RHP, Chicago White Sox (Low-A, Kannapolis): 6 IP, 4 H, R, ER, 0 BB, 10 K
There is a lot to like about Martinez, and while he is relatively old for the league, you can’t dismiss the current results. Lean and wiry, he can still add weight to his body, which could improve his fastball, making it more than a plus offering.
Jose Albertos, RHP, Chicago Cubs (Short-Season, Eugene): 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K
Have faith Cubs fans, you still have prospects in the organization. Albertos, who was signed out of Mexico for $1.5 million, has as much intrigue as that Cease guy who was traded away. His changeup is getting 70 grades and his fastball could be a 70 grade offering as well.
Joey Wentz, LHP, Atlanta Braves (Low-A, Rome): 6 IP, H, R, 0 ER, BB, 5 K
There’s a lot to say about Wentz, so I will let Jarrett Seidler do it for me here.
Erling Moreno, RHP, Chicago Cubs (Low-A, South Bend): 5 IP, H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K
Moreno has dealt with a litany of injuries, including Tommy John surgery in his first season of pro ball. When healthy he shows a heavy power fastball that generates a lot of weak contact, a usable slider, and a change that is more than usable.
Johan Oviedo, RHP, St. Louis Cardinals (Short-Season, State College): 7 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 2 HRA
Called a “right-handed man child” by some, Oviedo is massive, standing 6-foot-6 and 210 pounds at 19 years old. He has a big fastball to back it up as well, while the secondary offerings are still in refinement.
Anton Kuznetsov, LHP, Philadelphia Phillies (Rookie, Gulf Coast): 2 2/3 IP, 2 H, ER, BB, K
An argument could have been made that Anton was a physical machine. This was his 12th appearance in GCL, and this was the first earned run he has given up thus far. While he has a mid-80s fastball, he has exceptional command given his background.
Jackson Tetreault, RHP, Washington Nationals (Short-Season, Auburn): 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K
Taken in the seventh round from SCF-Manatee, Tetreault excites and frustrates at the same time. I talked about him here in my pre-draft notes.
Scooter Hightower, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates (Short-Season, West Virginia): 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Scooter Hotz would be proud.
Scott Heineman, OF, Texas Rangers (Double-A, Frisco): 4-4, 3 R, 2 2B, RBI, BB
When healthy, Heineman shows the tools of a usable starting outfielder. When healthy. He has had surgery on his left labrum, surgery on his left foot, and has missed time the past few years with nagging injuries.
Yordan Alvarez, 1B/OF, Houston Astros (High-A, Buies Creek): 2-5, 2 R, 3B, RBI
Interestingly, Yordan has been playing more outfield than first this year. He is a below-average runner, so who knows how that will look once he keeps growing.
Will Toffey, 3B, Oakland Athletics (Short-Season, Vermont): 1-2, 2 R, 3 BB
Taken in the fourth round in this past draft from Vanderbilt, this Vandy boy is more a jack-of-all-trades guy than a toolshed. But he has played well these past few years, and has earned plus defensive grades at third base from some evaluators.
Gavin Lux, SS, Los Angeles Dodgers (Low-A, Great Lakes): 3-5, 2 SB
Speaking of plus defensive grades, Lux has that at shortstop, as well as a plus arm, and plus speed. Depending on who you talk to, he could also have plus raw power as well.
Braden Bishop, OF, Seattle Mariners (Double-A, Arkansas): 3-6, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI, K
Hey a Mariners prospect who hasn’t been traded away! Is that good or bad? It could be good because he is valued highly by Jerry Dipoto and they don't want to part with him. Or it could be bad that nobody asked for him in any trades.
Raudy Read, C, Washington Nationals (Double-A, Harrisburg): 3-4, R, HR, 2 RBI, BB
While he might not stand out right away, if you watch him enough, you’ll come away impressed. Raudy can control the strike zone, and while he will still strike out some, he can use the whole field at the plate. Defensively he has a plus arm, but is a fringe-average defender at present.
Fight Another Day:
Melvin Adon, RHP, San Francisco Giants (Low-A, Augusta): 2/3 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, BB, K
While you may throw hard Melvin, you need to start trying something else. Otherwise you’ll just be Ray Black again (not that he wasn’t fun, but you know what I mean).
Sean Reynolds, OF, Miami Marlins (Short-Season, Batavia): 0-4, R, BB, 2 K, 2 E
Standing 6-foot-7 and 205 pounds, Reynolds has loads of potential to add power. He also had a plus arm, with more teams considering him as a pitcher in the draft rather than as a hitter. But with long levers and an inconsistent approach, Reynolds needs to cut down on the strikeouts.
Steve Givarz is an author of Baseball Prospectus.
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Hunter Harvey-Any reports on how he looks?
3 IP 1 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 7 K at short A