September 18, 2017

Minor League Update

Games of September 15th-17th

by Mark Anderson

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Prospect(s) of the Weekend:

Matt Pearce, RHP, Cardinals (Triple-A, Memphis): 6 IP, 5 H, R/ER, 2 BB, 8 K.
Pearce was a 13^th-round pick of the Cardinals that gets by on competitiveness and savvy on the mound as opposed to knockout stuff. His fastball sits 86-90 mph but he employs an above-average changeup that he will throw in any count to keep hitters off balance. Despite good size and some reasonable success throughout his minor league career, Pearce doesn’t project to be much more than a solid org arm that eats Double-A and Triple-A innings.

Friday, September 15^th

Willy Adames, SS, Rays (Triple-A, Durham): 2-5, R, 2B, RBI, 2 K.
Adames has had a strong season in Triple-A, and when combined with a glove that holds at the six, and offensive upside that could make him a contributor in the upper half of a big-league lineup, Adames should be the everyday guy in Tampa Bay as early as next season.

Saturday, September 16^th

Jacob Nix, RHP, Padres (Triple-A, El Paso): 6.2 IP, 7 H, R/ER, BB, K.
Old problems crept up for Nix this year as he struggled to locate his arsenal full of quality offerings, but that doesn’t mean he should be written off as a prospect. Scouts I have spoken with this year remain confident in his ability to chew innings at the Major League level; a view shared by Wilson Karaman back in June.

Adrian Morejon, LHP, Padres (Low-A, Fort Wayne): 1.2 IP, 5 H, 6 R/ER, 3 BB, 2 K.
We have been discussing Morejon internally over the last week as we prepare for ranking season, and it’s unfortunate his solid debut season ended on a sour note like this. Given his potential, I wouldn’t be surprised if he rips through High-A next year and puts himself squarely in the Top 101 prospect discussion.

Sunday, September 17^th

James Naile, RHP, Athletics (Double-A, Midland): 6 IP, 5 H, 0 R/ER, 2 BB, 6 K.
A 20^th-round pick out of Alabama-Birmingham in 2015, Naile has put together a solid minor league career that belies his fringe raw stuff. Armed with an upper-80s fastball that scrapes 90 mph with tons of movement, Naile stays away from the fat part of the bat and mixes a solid slider and changeup.

Mark Anderson is an author of Baseball Prospectus. Follow @ProspectMark
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