August 24, 2017

Minor League Update

Games of August 23

by Steve Givarz

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Hitter of the Day:

Jorge Ona, OF, San Diego Padres (Low-A, Fort Wayne): 3-7, 3 R, 2 HR, 5 RBI
Only the 2^nd biggest signing of the Padres IFA signings from 2016, Ona still commanded a $7 signing. The calling card here is massive raw power, he has plus power to all fields, and could be an average hitter. His lack of defensive skills leave his overall profile more as a bench player.

Pitcher of the Day:

Beloit Snappers Pitchers, Oakland Athletics (Low-A): 9 IP, 0 H, 2 BB, 6 K
Zack Erwin, who started the game is more a crafty lefty as he throws a lot of strikes, but nothing profiles as better than average. Joseph Camacho is an undersized righty who also throws a lot of strikes, but is more org depth than prospect. Anyway, a good day to you both, and a drink to you both.

Other Notable Performances:

Josh Staumont, RHP, Kansas City Royals (Double-A, NW Arkansas): 7 IP, 0 H, R, ER, 5 BB, 8 K
This might be the typical line for Staumont, as he is unhittable at times. Or you can just stand up there and watch him walk you and get to 1^st base just as easy.

Grayson Long, RHP, Los Angeles Angels (Double-A, Mobile): 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, BB, 7 K
An Angels prospect by default, Long still has some attributes that you like to see including a plus heater, and usable secondaries.

Ryan Lillie, RHP, Miami Marlins (Short-Season, Batavia): 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K
The Marlins 5^th rounder from this past draft, Lillie went to college as a catcher, then became a reliever, then a starter. While his stuff is still inconsistent, at best he will show a plus fastball and a whole usable secondary arsenal.

Jose Almonte, RHP, Arizona Diamondbacks (High-A, Visalia): 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K
Traded to Arizona for Brad Ziegler, Almonte has made a steady, if not unspectacular climb through the ranks. Wilson Karaman says he profiles as a swingman, and I have no reason to doubt him.

Joey Lucchesi, LHP, San Diego Padres (Double-A, San Antonio): 8 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, BB, 4 K
Have you seen Lucchesi throw before? I always wonder who taught him this delivery. If you know who, please drop me a line, @SteveGivarz

Wander Javier, SS, Minnesota Twins (Rookie, Elizabethton): 4-5, 2 R, 2B, HR, RBI
With all these other SS’s in the Twins organization, one can easily forget about Wander, until you remember that he got $4M in 2015. Javier can show you all the tools you like to see, with his plus arm profiling anywhere on the dirt.

Nick Senzel, 3B, Cincinnati Reds (Double-A, Pensacola): 3-4, 3 R, BB
This guy is also pretty good, but don’t expect to see him in Cincinnati anytime soon.

Yasel Antuna, SS, Washington Nationals (Rookie, Gulf Coast): 3-4, 2 R, 2 3B, 2 RBI
Want to read more about this $3.9M signing? Javier Barragan has the scoop.

Dawel Lugo, 3B/SS, Detroit Tigers (Double-A, Erie): 3-6, 2B
Acquired as part of the JD Martinez package, Lugo has an aggressive approach that might not play well at the higher levels. Luckily, he can play all over the diamond, giving him a chance for UTIL value.

Eric Jenkins, OF, Texas Rangers (Low-A, Hickory): 2-5, 2 R, 2 3B, RBI, K
The Rangers 2^nd rounder in 2015, Jenkins is fast, like really fast. Can he hit? Eh, but he can also go get the ball in the outfield, and is really fast.

Michael Beltre, OF, Cincinnati Reds (Low-A, Dayton): 3-3, 2 R, 3B, 2 RBI, BB
Beltre gets overlooked at times because of the other two guys he shares the outfield with in Dayton. Beltre has struggled this past year but still has plus speed and a linebacker frame.

Adam Haseley, OF, Philadelphia Phillies (Low-A, Lakewood): 3-5, 3 R, 2B, K
One thing we have been wondering on the prospect team is, “Will Haseley and Moniak spend the whole 2017 season in the same outfield?” We don’t know, this is a $6M question.

Bobby Dalbec, 3B, Boston Red Sox (Low-A, Greenville): 2-5, 2 R, 2 2B, 3 RBI, BB, 3 K
They have this 3B too. While riskier than Chavis, Dalbec has some loud tools, the loudest of which are his 70 raw power and arguably 70 arm. He just struggles to make contact and has a concerning amount of swing and miss.

Fight Another Day:

Reynaldo Rivera, OF, Detroit Tigers (Short-Season, Connecticut): 1-4, 3 K
The Tigers 2^nd rounder from this past draft, Rivera looks the part at 6’6” 250, and is a better athlete than one would think. While playing 1B primarily at Chipola, he has played more RF as a pro. The swing can get long and I also saw him struggle mightily against quality velocity.

Brendon Little, LHP, Chicago Cubs (Short-Season, Eugene): 2/3 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
Little has thrown a lot this season, so maybe I should chalk this game up to that. The stuff is still very loud and while there is significant risk here because of the short pedigree, if it all comes together…watch out Cubbies.

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