May 27, 2016

Minor League Update

Games of Thursday, May 26th

by Mark Anderson

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Prospect of the Day:

Lancaster JetHawks, Astros (High-A California League): 23-56, 29 R, 3 2B, 3B, 7 HR, 11 BB, 2 SB.
Yes, it is the California League. Yes, it is Lancaster. But, come on now, 29 runs on 23 hits and 11 walks is still fun. Saying nothing of prospect status, box scores with one player with five hits, one player with four hits, three players with three hits, and only one player with zero hits are fun to explore. Six players went yard in the game, including two from Bryan Muniz, while leadoff hitter Bobby Boyd drove in nine runs in the contest. While he doesn’t play for Lancaster, let’s give some props to Stockton shortstop Melvin Mercedes, who fired 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief to close it out. He was the only pitcher to enter the game and avoid giving up a run.

Others of Note:

Alex Bregman, 3B, Astros (Double-A Corpus Christi): 2-4, 2B, R, RBI. He’s done it a handful of times now, but seeing Bregman play third base in Double-A is fun. As the offense continues to show and the assuming he handles the position switch adequately (there’s no reason he shouldn’t), Bregman can help in Houston later this summer. Bregman is going to be an exciting player, regardless of his eventual position on the diamond.

Carson Kelly, C, Cardinals (Double-A Springfield): 3-4, R, HR, 3 RBI. Kelly seems to be a bit of a forgotten prospect at times, having taken a longer developmental path after switching from third base to catcher. The reviews on his defense behind the plate have consistently been solid and he has shown continued improvement, and now the bat appears to be coming alive.

Joey Wendle, 2B, Athletics (Triple-A Nashville): 4-4, 2 R, 2 2B, 3B, 3 RBI, BB. It’s been a tough first two months for Wendle in 2016 on the heels of a solid showing in the PCL in 2015, but the potential for a decent bat at second base is still there.

Dawel Lugo, 3B, Diamondbacks (High-A Visalia): 3-5, 3 R, 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI. Lugo has come up a few times in recent weeks, as he starts to put up some serious results after what many considered a disappointing career given the hype surrounding his signing by the Blue Jays. The California League forces a large grain of salt into the evaluation, but Lugo has always had the tools and they are starting to come to fruition in game situations.

Sean Reid-Foley, RHP, Blue Jays (Low-A Lansing): 7 IP, 6 H, R/ER, BB, 7 K. A bit of a divisive prospect in the draft, Reid-Foley has had ups and downs as a professional; showing extreme promise and some red flags that being his long-term role into question. Starts like this speak to the talent Reid-Foley has if he can harness the raw stuff, and more outings like this should allow him to get another crack at High-A this summer.

Touki Toussaint, RHP, Braves (Low-A Rome): 0.1 IP, 0 H, 3 R/ER, 5 BB, 0 K. Another pitcher with tremendous raw stuff who has to figure out how to harness it in games, Toussaint wore it on the chin last night.

Jairo Beras, OF, Rangers (High-A High Desert): 2-3, R, 3B, BB, K. There’s a lot of work to do here, particularly as it relates to his approach, but I’ve heard from a handful of scouts that are encouraged by some of the adjustments he’s made this year. Beras’ developmental path is still substantial, but power—Beras’ calling card—is a rare commodity and the Rangers will be patient with him.

Willy Adames, SS, Rays (Double-A Montgomery): 3-4, 2 R, 2B. I’ve seen the evolution of Adames from the time he came to the States with the Tigers right through a couple of games this season, and he’s still an enticing prospect. I tend to align more with the thought that he’s a fringe regular or strong bench player than a solid contributor, but I won’t rule out the latter.

Tim Anderson, SS, White Sox (Triple-A Charlotte): 3-5, 2B, RBI. It’s fun to see Anderson back on track and putting up strong numbers in Triple-A. There are flaws in the game, but he does a lot of things very well – including hit, drive the ball, and run – and those gifts should be enough to ensure a lengthy big league career.

Franchy Cordero, OF, Padres (High-A Lake Elsinore): 2-5, R, 3B, 2 RBI, 2 K. I still clearly recall the first game I ever saw from Cordero on the back fields in Arizona. He was impressive in the box and impressive in the way he carried himself off the field. While the bat has been slower to develop than I would have imagined, there are still obvious skills and the potential to be an impact offensive player, particularly if he can handle center field regularly.

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