March 27, 2013

Notes from the Field

Spring Training Scouting Reports

by Zach Mortimer

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Minor League Update author Zach Mortimer spent the past few weeks watching games in Florida and sending reports on players he saw to the rest of the BP prospect staff. The reports weren’t originally intended for publication, but we thought you’d enjoy reading Zach’s raw scouting notes as much as we did, so we’ve collected all of them in the article below. 

Baltimore Orioles

Julio Rodriguez, RHP: 8th-round pick in 2008; cutter 81-83; late action but lack of velocity makes it very hittable; curveball 67-69; slow breaker with big depth. Rodriguez, a former top-10 prospect, has gone completely backwards. Officials for his former team, the Phillies, hoped that he might have some sort of injury that would explain his struggles, because the arm is dead. Rodriguez is now an Oriole after being traded for organizational outfielder Ronnie Welty.

Houston Astros

Carlos Correa, SS: Looks the part; good frame; athletic movements; advanced swing; power potential; crazy good makeup. 1st-overall pick in 2012, displays loud tools and an advanced polish that should allow him to start the season in Low-A Quad Cities.

Nolan Fontana, IF: Physically mature; grinder; gap power; profiles as a good utility man. The former Gator should start the season with Double-A Corpus Christi.

Kenny Long, LHP: LOOGY profile; low slot; all pitches have plus action; slider can be solid average with depth. The 22nd-round pick out of Illinois State may never be a prospect, but he could put up some crazy strikeout numbers if used in the correct situation.

Philadelphia Phillies

Aaron Altherr, OF: Poor plate discipline; long swing; can run a little bit; power potential; right field profile. He has some tools, but I just don’t believe in his ability to hit enough to use them. Altherr should start 2013 in High-A Clearwater.

Cody Asche, 3B: Line drive-oriented swing; good contact hitter; not a runner; limited ceiling. I saw Asche play in the field last year and I didn’t like the arm at third. He does not profile well at all, and I’m not sure he’ll ever be more than a second-division type guy. However, the hit tool might be a 6, which will keep him around for a while. Asche will begin the 2013 season playing for Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Phillippe Aumont, RHP: Massive frame; low-3/4 arm slot; strong frame; arm can lag behind and gets whippy; fastball 90-94; loose command; slider 79-80; horizontal break; only average pitch. Aumont has not been impressive this spring. He looks much more like a middle-inning reliever than a late-inning reliever. Aumont will start the season pitching in the Phillies bullpen.

Jesse Biddle, LHP: 1st-round pick in 2010; throws slightly across his body; body looks to be in good physical condition; fastball 88-91; armside run down in the zone; will challenge in to right-handed batters; does not create many swings and misses with his fastball; curveball 69-75; good two-plane break; will throw in any count; grades out as future six; changeup 74-81; depth; obvious arm speed reduction when in the 74-77 range; when he trusts it, it has the potential to be a plus pitch; slider 80-82; threw only a few in each outing; could be a 5. The problem is that the fastball will never be a monster, so he will have to rely on secondary pitches and command to get the job done. Biddle has a developing fourth pitch with the potential for two plus pitches, and has the ceiling of a no. 3 starter. Biddle, a Philadelphia area player, will return to the northeast pitching for Double-A Reading.

Brody Colvin, RHP: High-¾ arm slot; fastball 86-89; curveball 75-77; loose spin; pronounced “hook” on the back of his delivery. Colvin is a long way removed from being the impressive prospect he once was. He will start the 2013 season in the starting rotation for Double-A Reading, but it would not surprise me if he makes an in-season move to the bullpen.

Zach Collier, OF: Open stance; short stride; obvious bat speed; profiles best in left; taking steps in the right direction. More of a wait-and-see guy than a legitimate prospect, but he’s in a much better place this spring than he was last spring. He’ll start 2013 with Double-A Reading.

Dylan Cozens, RF: Attempting to play OF; extreme raw power; pull-side power; swing can get lengthy; improving plate discipline; was committed to play defensive end at Arizona; will start the 2013 season in extended spring. The former two-sport standout is raw, but I like his development path.

Jake Diekman, LHP: Long, skinny legs; effort in the delivery; long arm action; low-¾ arm slot; fastball 93-96; slider 81-82; sharp break with tilt; loose command of all pitches. Useful guy in the bullpen to get a few outs each night. Diekman will start the season pitching in the Phillies’ ’pen.

Kelly Dugan, OF: Uppercut swing; power potential; solid-average runner; behind the age curve; long injury history; switch hitter. Dugan came on to bat .300/.387/.470 in Low-A last year at age 21. I have not seen him on defense. In a system that has become pretty thin, he’s another guy to keep an eye on. Dugan injured his left oblique in a game last week and has not appeared in a game since. Hopefully he’ll be able to get healthy and move on to High-A Clearwater, but staying healthy is not something he does well.

Maikel Franco, 3B: Plus power; plus arm; bottom-of-the-scale speed; makes the plays at third; violent swing; top-of-the-grade hand-eye coordination. He does a lot of ugly things defensively, but he gets the job done. The Phillies have quieted his swing, which has helped with his swing-and-miss rates without affecting his power production. For me, it’s a tossup with Quinn and Franco for the highest ceiling in the org. Franco profiles as a future role-6 player and will start the season in High-A Clearwater.

Perci Garner, RHP: Fastball 90-92; minimal life. Curveball 77-79; very messy; injuries have gotten the best of this guy. Stuff has really regressed since 2011. Garner will move to the pen full time at some point in 2013 and may start back in High-A Clearwater.

Larry Greene, OF: Supplemental 1st-round pick in 2011; steps in the bucket; long swing; ran 4.45; pulls way off soft stuff; collapses back side; added a considerable amount of bad weight. Greene is a former first-rounder receiving less-than-stellar reviews from scouts in this area. One scout said it best: “Man, someone find that kid a treadmill.”

Cesar Hernandez, 2B: Good contact; line-drive approach; minimal over-the-fence power; plus runner; switch hitter; second-division second-base profile. Hernandez has a knack for making solid contact, and that will go a long way. He will start 2013 back in Triple-A, with the real possibility of making the Show around the middle of the season.

Kyrell Hudson, CF: Really good athlete; easy plus runner; sloppy approach; struggled with routes to the ball in center. Hudson will start 2013 back in Low-A Lakewood.

Tommy Joseph, C: Acquired as the main piece of the Hunter Pence deal; only average receiver; power to all fields; improving with balls in dirt. The best way I can describe Joseph is that I like him but don’t love him. I believe he has the skills to on both sides of the ball to be a fringe first- or solid second-division catcher. Joseph will continue his trek toward the majors in Triple-A at Lehigh Valley.

Ethan Martin, RHP: Large, filled-out frame; high-¾ arm slot; fastball had good plane; curveball had vertical action; below-average command. Looks like a future bullpen piece because of the command problems. Martin will start the 2013 season with Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Adam Morgan, RHP: 3rd-round pick in 2011 out of Alabama; smooth, repeatable delivery; short arm action; high-¾ arm slot; Fastball 90-93 and can straighten out on him up in the zone; slider 84-86, a sharp breaker with tilt that he throws as his swing-and-miss pitch; will attack both left/right-handed batters with it; grades as a future plus pitch; curveball 75-78; power curve with a short 1-7 break; grades as potential future 55 pitch; blends breaking balls; changeup 80-82 with fade; threw only two, both of which looked like 5-plus offerings. Morgan is a lefty with a four-pitch arsenal. The slider will be his out pitch, but he pitched off the fastball. The heater is sneaky fast, but he gets into trouble when he leaves it up and loses plane. Morgan will start 2013 with Double-A Reading and has the ceiling of a low-end no. 3 starter with the floor of a useful bullpen arm.

Miguel Nunez, RHP: Big frame (6’6”, 230-ish); fastball was 90-93; good life and plane; curveball 74-77; showed the ability to spin. Coaches were raving about how he was able to pound the bottom of the zone and work quickly. The curveball is behind, but he might be an under-the-radar guy who could develop. Nunez will start the season in extended spring.

Jonathan Pettibone, RHP: Smooth delivery; FB 88-91 with good command, sink/run, and plane; 6 changeup with the confidence to use it against lefties and righties; solid slider 80-82; plan on the mound with really good pitchability; limited ceiling. Pettibone is just about big league ready and should get a look as a starter in the majors at some point this season. Ceiling of a no. 4 and floor of a no. 5.

Andrew Pullin, 2B: Contact-oriented swing; tracks the ball well; moving to second base. Sort of overlooked guy who has a chance to shoot up prospect lists in 2013 if he utilizes his contact-oriented swing. Pullin is a perfect candidate for a challenge assignment to Low-A Lakewood.

Roman Quinn, SS: Elite runner; extremely small frame; quiet swing from left side; louder load from right side; deceptively strong; excellent first-step quickness; plus arm; looks uneasy playing short. Quinn’s speed may rival Billy Hamilton’s, and his hit tool continues to improve. From the left side, Quinn does not try to do more than put the bat on the ball and letting his best tool (speed) do the work. The Phillies have worked hard on teaching Quinn how to bunt for a base hit. At some point, he will have to make the move to center field, but there is no reason to move him off short until the bat is closer, because with his athletic ability, center should be a quick and easy study. He’ll never be a slugger, but he has the ability to drive the ball to the gaps, and his right-handed swing may even allow for minimal over-the-fence power. Quinn will start the season at shortstop with Low-A Lakewood, and for me he’s in the discussion with Franco for highest ceiling in the organization.

Cameron Rupp, C: Thick frame; 3 runner; can drive ball to all fields; no more than an average receiver. Rupp provides some organizational catching depth, but he was a Longhorn, which grades him up at least one notch. He will start his 2013 season with Double-A Reading.

Juan Sosa, RHP: A lot of moving parts in the delivery; long arm action with extended stab in the back end; fastball 88-95 with life; slider 82-85; gets around it; skinny frame. Sosa had impressive arm strength, but the command and secondary stuff lags far behind. Should start the season pitching in Reading, and a move to the bullpen is imminent.

Carlos Tocci, OF: Extremely small frame (6’2, roughly 150 pounds); patient hitter; plus runner; does not get out of the box well; slight bat wrap; upright stance; starts hands high; plus overall defender who will be able to stay in center . The Phillies may challenge the 17-year-old by sending him to Low-A Lakewood to start the 2013 season.

Sebastian Valle, C: Open stance; toned leg kick way down; saw him last year, and he has made wholesale changes since then on the swing. Hopefully some of the mechanical changes will help address Valle’s swing-and-miss issue. He will look to get some time catching in Triple-A Lehigh Valley, but the depth chart is getting crowded, making Valle a potential trade candidate.

Mitch Walding, 3B: Slow reactions; bat needs polish; will start season in extended spring. Walding still has plenty of potential, but entire game needs refinement.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Stetson Allie, 1B: Raw power; big body; big bank account. The pitcher turned first baseman should start the season in Low-A West Virginia.

Barrett Barnes, OF: Solid-average runner; average power; ability to square ball up; average range; good plate discipline; fringe-average arm; will have to move to a corner. Barnes creates solid contact and has an advanced approach, but limited power and speed make me think he is more of a second-division player.

Josh Bell, OF: Average arm; below to well below-average runner; switch hitter; slow bat; trouble with tracking pitches; naturally strong; loud load from right side. Bell has not looked like a top prospect this spring and will need to regroup before beginning the 2013 season. I would not be surprised if the Pirates held Bell back in extended spring to work on hitting mechanics.

Tyler Glasnow, RHP: Delivery has deception; high leg kick; big frame; arm can get offline in back end of delivery; fastball 90-94 with good plane; curveball 75-78; sharp vertical break; flashed plus; still needs to develop consistency with CB; will have to mix in the changeup; very promising arm. Glasnow showed the polish and ability to start the season in Low-A West Virginia.

Alen Hanson, IF: Plus runner; good bat speed; crushes mistakes; sits back on balls defensively; will have to move to second; will hammer mistakes, and has no problem letting you know he did so. However, I have my concerns that he might struggle against quality pitching and profile much better as a mid- to high-5 as opposed to a role-6 player.

Dilson Herrera, 2B: Trouble squaring up quality pitching; average arm; will have to play on right side of the infield; flashes bat speed for small frame; needs to cross over skills from batting practice to the game; has mildly filled out frame. Herrera has tools, but if he does not make solid contact they have the potential to be wasted.

Clay Holmes, RHP: Huge frame; fastball 91-93; steep plane; can add cutting action; curveball 79-81; sharp break with depth; does not always finish on top; flashed plus. Holmes has a large, projectable body, but these types usually take their time figuring out their mechanics. He should be expected to start the season in Low-A West Virginia, where he will focus on improving his command.

David Jagoditsh, RHP: Huge frame completely filled out; stretch only; ¾ arm slot; 89-93 FB with plenty of sink; 76-80 slurvey breaking ball; well below-average command; poor fielder; athleticism and ability to repeat delivery a large question. A 33rd-round pick in 2011 who flashes the ability to be something in the bullpen.

Wyatt Mathisen, C: Open stance; high leg kick; quick hands; raw power; may need to tone down leg kick vs. higher-level pitching; faced no defensive challenges; made routine play; classic catcher frame. Overall, Mathison’s future looks bright, and he should move to Low-A West Virginia in 2013.

Gregory Polanco, CF: Impressive frame; plus raw power; loud contact; as one scout put it, “When he runs, he sort of just floats”; squared up a 96-mph fastball (off of Aaron Sanchez) to CF that just kept rising and stretched it to a triple; working to quiet his load. Polanco shows all the ability to be a potential five-tool outfielder.

New York Yankees

Dante Bichette Jr., 3B: Raw power; well below-average runner; swing has holes. Bichette will repeat Low-A Charleston in 2013.

Gregory Bird, 1B: Long frame; crouched stance; leveraged swing; gets really long at times; natural raw power; well below-average runner; first base only. Bird will enter full-season ball at Low-A Charleston.

Jose Campos, RHP: Big frame; smooth arm action; fastball 89-92; good plane; could easily reach back for more; spotted on both sides of plate; slider 76-80; tight spin gets depth on break; changeup 85-86; thrown too firmly. Campos’ fastball is likely his only plus pitch, and he will start 2013 back at Low-A Charleston.

Cito Culver, SS: Major hitch in his swing; below-average runner; not going to be able to stick at shortstop. Yankees fans are not going to be happy when Culver is completely off prospect radars after 2013. He’ll start the season back in Low-A Charleston.

Angelo Gumbs, 2B: Quick bat; natural strength; can spray to all fields; loud contact; improving plate discipline; makes the plays in the field. I expect Gumbs to have a big 2013. He will start the season at High-A Tampa and has the ability to jump into the Top 101 list in 2014.

Slade Heathcott, CF: Improving plate discipline; 70-grade runner; plus overall defensive profile; super high energy; constantly injured. I saw Heathcott in limited at-bats, and I’d have to see more to make a definitive statement. I liked what I saw of his plate discipline, but I question what the hit tool will eventually be. Heathcott is a player I will get many more looks at during the 2013 season, which he’ll start with Double-A Trenton.

Mark Montgomery, RHP: High effort; fastball 85-88; poor command; slider 79-81; much more of a spinner; changeup 80-82, his most effective pitch, with some fade and potential. Montgomery has raised major red flags here this spring. One scout saw him in his first big-league game and said that he was shutting hitters down with his patented 70-grade slider. The same scout also told me that he has not seen him throw a quality inning since his first outing. The stuff has become depressed at a rate that screams injury; I noticed him flexing his hand. I am not a doctor, nor do I have any inside information, but this is alarming. Montgomery is slated to start the 2013 season with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Rafael De Paula, RHP: Smooth mechanics; easy velocity; confidence on the mound; fastball 91-94; late armside run into the hands; curveball 78-81; tight downward spin; falls off the table as it enters the zone; change 83-85; good fade with depth; both secondary pitches are 6-plus; will trust fastball to a fault; can get underneath breaking ball. De Paula will start the 2013 season with Low-A Charleston and could move up the organizational ladder relatively quickly.

Austin Romine, C: Low energy; high leg kick with big load; behind velocity; defensive ability plays down because of lack of #want. Romine struggles from prospect fatigue but he does himself no favors showing #slack. Profile has diminished to a backup-catcher ceiling. Romine will return to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2013.

Gary Sanchez, C: Massive frame; leg kick; big wrist cock in load; destroys middle-in; middle-of-the-lineup talent; well below-average runner; plus-plus arm strength; needs to stay behind the plate. Sanchez was the designated hitter in every game I saw him in this spring. In warm-ups, he looks the part, showing plenty of arm, but the athleticism and #want will decide whether he can stick as a catcher. He will start the 2013 season with High-A Tampa.

Mason Williams, CF: Quick, strong hands; trouble with changeup; opens up early; makeup still a large question mark. He has the ability to get to the big leagues and be a solid major leaguer, but he still has some maturing to do in the minors. Williams will start the 2013 season in High-A Tampa.

Toronto Blue Jays:

Eric Arce, C/OF: Flashes BP power; long swing; struggles against quality stuff; not a good catcher; does not profile anywhere else defensively. Arce shows some ability at the plate, but long swing and lack of a defensive profile hurt his prospect status. Arce will hopefully start in Low-A Lansing as opposed to repeating the Appy League for the third time.

Wil Browning, RHP: Sidearm arm slot; fastball 87-89; armside run and sink; slider 77-80; sharp break; slider plays well off of fastball. If used correctly, Browning’s deceptive delivery will help him see success in the lower minors. At the upper levels Browning will be able to retire only right-handed batters, but his arm strength and breaking ball will give him a ceiling that puts him in the big leagues.

Taylor Cole, RHP: Smallish frame; Hamels-like delivery; Fastball 88-90; slider 80-83; depth; changeup had some fade to it; three-pitch mix; outclassed young hitters; kept the ball down in the zone. Cole is 22 and sort of running into the age curve; would recommend he start 2013 in High-A Dunedin.

D.J. Davis, CF: Raw as a first rounder can be; length to swing; overmatched by anything above 90; confused by spin; shows off average power in batting practice; impressive athlete. Davis had a rough couple weeks, but he has the physical tools to be a monster one day. The issue at hand is how far away he is from actualizing any of these tools, and he could have some big-time growing pains. Davis should start the season in extended spring and will go to Bluefield when short season starts.

Tucker Donahue, RHP: Fastball 92-94; sink; messy slider; no changeup shown. Moral of the story here is that he was one of the guys drafted in order to save bonus money. Donahue got only $5,000 in the fourth round, and at that cost he was a steal. He should start 2013 in Low-A Lansing.

Tyler Gonzales, RHP: Supplemental draft pick in 2012; athletic frame/build; high-¾ arm slot; can spin off early; fastball 91-94; creates plane down in the zone; slider 84-87; sharp late break with tilt; potential to be a 6-plus pitch; changeup 82-83; shows the ability to roll it over; fastball command is currently well below average; changeup can be thrown too firmly. Gonzales has tools on the mound, but for a player who was paid $750,000, he is raw and will need a lot of polish.

Justin Jackson, RHP: Converting from SS; Fastball 91-94; slider 76-77 with lazy break; changeup 74-77; obvious arm speed reduction; fastball comes out free and easy; does not maintain front side of his mechanics; super athletic. The fastball looks like it could be something, but the secondary stuff needs massive amounts of work. Jackson will stay in extended and look to improve as a pitcher.

Marcus Knecht, LF/RF: Mistake hitter; fooled by quality breaking balls; limited to a corner defensively; fringe-average runner; Quad-A profile. Knecht will return to High-A Dunedin in 2013.

Jairo Labourt, LHP: 19-year-old Dominican; large frame with long legs; ¾ arm slot; fastball 88-93; potential for more velocity; slider 85-86; breaks off a few and a few just spin up to the plate; currently below-average command; no signs of a changeup; potential. Labourt should go to extended spring to continue to smooth out mechanics, and pitch in short-season ball.

Christian Lopes, 2B: Right-side-of-the-infield player; nice contact-oriented swing; displays bat speed; gap power more than over-the-fence power; below-average runner; ability to drive ball to all fields. Lopes was a well over-slot seventh-round pick in 2011, and will try to continue his maturation through the minors as a bat-first middle infield prospect in Low-A Lansing.

Deck McGuire, RHP: 1st-round pick in 2010 out of Georgia Tech; big frame; high leg kick with a lot of moving parts in delivery; fastball 86-91; minimal life; gets punished when it’s left up in the zone; forced to nibble; slider 82-83; flashes tight spin with sharp; best pitch grades out as a 55; threw one messy curveball at 74; question marks about his athleticism; lacks necessary command of pitches. McGuire struggled mightily in 2012, and I’m sure 2013 will be more of the same. He is forced to nibble with his fastball because it just simply is not enough to make professionals swing and miss. Eventually he will move to the bullpen, where hopefully the fastball will tick up along with the slider and make him a solid middle reliever.

Mitch Nay, 3B: Supplemental 1st-round pick in 2012; Displays raw power; well below-average runner; questionable range at third. The bat has power potential, but I would be very nervous if I’d spent a million dollars on this kid.

Santiago Nessy, C: Raw power; plus arm strength; solid receiver; solid-average bat-to-ball ability; below-average runner; plus-plus or better leadership ability on the field. The one prospect who has jumped out to me this spring with his ability to lead his team from behind the plate. Nessy, who his bilingual, keeps his team involved in the games at all times. He has no problem leading by example, or calming his pitchers at any moment. To hear about all of Nessy’s intangibles, one might suspect that he’s inferior on the offensive side of the ball, but that is not the case. He shows power all the way to right-center and creates frequent loud contact. His season will start in Lansing, and he’ll be my pick for the prospect who could shoot up the Blue Jays list in 2014.  

Sean Nolin, LHP: Smooth mechanics; high-¾ arm slot; fastball was 86-89 (T91); commanded down in the zone with armside run; curveball was 74-76; sharp two-plane action; potential plus pitch; slider 80-82; average pitch; needs to command down in the zone; changeup 78-81; good fading action; potential plus pitch. Good left-handed pitching prospect who has the ceiling of a no. 3 and a no. 4 floor. Nolin should start the season in Double-A New Hampshire and is about one year removed from the Show.

Roberto Osuna, RHP: Smooth mechanics; Fastball 91-94; filled up lower quadrant of the zone; ability to spin curveball; no changeup shown. He commanded the fastball well in the lower quadrants; potential body issue; limited ceiling. Osuna is a very good arm who has the potential to be a no. 3 starter, but he has a body that could easily get away from him and hinder his ability to develop as a pitcher. Should start the season in Low-A Lansing.

Dalton Pompey, RF: Balanced short stroke from left side; gets hands into hitting position quickly; limited power potential; average speed; limited defensive profile. Pompey will be a smooth-hitting organization piece when all is said and done.

Aaron Sanchez, RHP: Fastball 94-97; life down in the zone; curveball 80-82; sharp breaker; easy plus potential; changeup 83-85; fades out of zone; solid-average potential; filling out frame. The ball comes out of his hand free and easy and explodes into the zone. The command still needs some work, as he can lose his fastball to the armside, and not stay on top of the CB every time. Sanchez, only 20, has future no. 2 starter potential and will start the season in High-A Dunedin.

Dwight Smith Jr., OF: Small frame; supplemental 1st-round pick in 2011; loud load; leg kick; average runner; needs work on routes to the ball in the outfield; pulled off breaking balls. Looks more like a bust than a prospect at this point, but he will move to full-season ball at Low-A Lansing.

Matt Smoral, LHP: Huge frame; high ceiling; has not pitched due to cracked fingernail. Scouts who saw Smoral in instructs described him as a player who was well worth the price early in the 2012 draft.

John Stilson, RHP: Rough mechanics; fastball 90-96; messy breaking ball; no changeup shown; did not maintain velocity. A relief prospect all the way, Stilson’s mechanics have a lot of moving parts. Stilson has obvious arm strength, but his inability to maintain velocity frightens me moving forward.

Marcus Stroman, RHP: Small frame; compact delivery; loose arm; fastball 92-95; excellent command low and away to right handed batters; slider 82-86; sharp break with tilt; changeup 82-85; can overthrow. Put it this way to a friend: “I would understand if the Blue Jays wanted to start Stroman, but he could be a big piece of their bullpen this season.”

Dickie Joe Thon, SS: Bat stays in zone for a long time; pull-side power potential; yet to transfer batting practice ability to the game; put on a very nice BP. Bat appeared to stay in the zone for a long time and showed power potential; struggled recognizing spin; not sure he has enough arm for short. Thon was paid $1.5 million in 2010 and should start the season in Low-A Lansing.

Alberto Tirado, RHP: Skinny frame; long legs; standard ¾ arm slot; obvious arm speed; falls off to first-base side; fastball 92-95; good life down in zone; slider 82-84; sharp break with tilt; potential plus pitch; changeup 84-84; good fade; willingness to throw in any count; can leave up in zone; potential plus pitch. Overall, Tirado is an impressive prospect who oozes potential. He needs to shore up some of the command issues, but please show me an 18-year-old with electric stuff who does not have some sort of command issue. Tirado has a no. 2 ceiling and should start the season in extended spring before moving to Bluefield.

Marcus Walden, RHP: Fastball 89-92; run and sink; pitched off fastball; changeup 81-82; good arm-speed; average offering. Walden should start the season in Double-A New Hampshire and is a good organizational arm who could eventually be an up-and-down-type guy.

Matt Wright, LHP: Fastball 81-83; armside run; curveball 69-71; sharp downward action; funky delivery; extremely crossfire; LOOGY ceiling. Wright should start the season in Double-A New Hampshire.

Zach Mortimer is an author of Baseball Prospectus. 
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