July 27, 2016

Minor League Update

Games of Tuesday, July 26th

by Mark Anderson

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Prospect of the Day: Ranger Suarez, LHP, Phillies (Short-Season Williamsport): 7 IP, 0 H, 0 R/ER, BB, 5 K
After two years in the now-defunct Venezuelan Summer League, followed by a dominating showing with a 0.65 ERA in 15 appearances in the GCL in 2015, Suarez has continued pitching well as a 20-year old in the NYPL. A quick-armed lefty with an average fastball, two secondary pitches with potential, and a strong command profile, Suarez fired this seven-inning no-hitter while flashing all of these traits. Most scouts view Suarez as a potential back-end starter or lefty reliever down the line.

Others of Note:

Wilson Amador, OF, Astros (Rookie GCL Astros): 3-5, 2 R, 2B, BB, K. Originally signed for $400,000 as a shortstop in 2013, Amador missed time with an elbow injury at the outset of his career and has been slow to develop through his first two seasons in the DSL. Now healthy, and now in the outfield, Amador is flashing the tools that earned him a six-figure bonus, including plus speed and a strong arm.

Franklin Barreto, SS, Athletics (Double-A Midland): 2-3, R, 2B. Fun with arbitrary endpoints has Barreto hitting .311/.392/.474 since June 2^nd. Barreto’s second season in Oakland didn’t really go as planned through the first two months, but he’s picked up the pace since and is again looking the part of an exceptional prospect.

Conner Greene, RHP, Blue Jays (Double-A New Hampshire): 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R/ER, 2 BB, 7 K. I was excited about Greene entering the 2016 season, and I still am, but he definitely showed that he needed some polish early in the year. Greene has strong potential as a no. 2-3 starter if can harness his athletic ability and raw stuff.

Wilfri Aleton, LHP, Blue Jays (Rookie GCL Blue Jays): 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R/ER, BB, 7 K. The Blue Jays signed Aleton for just $100,000 in the same international class that brought them Franklin Barreto. Aleton has added two inches and at least 10-15 pounds since signing, and his fastball has started to bump into the 92-93 range from the left side. He remains light years from the big leagues and would be hard pressed to be considered a real prospect at this point, but he could be a name to watch.

Ian Happ, 2B, Cubs (Double-A Tennessee): 2-5, R, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 2 K. Hitters just keep on hitting. If the Cubs decide they need to do more at the deadline, I’ll be curious if they’re willing to move Happ to get what they need for a World Series push.

Christian Arroyo, INF, Giants (Double-A Richmond): 3-5, 4 R, 2B, RBI. Another one of those quiet performers that just seems to plod along in the Giants system and then emerge as a big-league regular, Arroyo has shown more ability with the bat than expected in Double-A this year.

Jeffrey Rosa, RFP, Nationals (Rookie GCL Nationals): 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R/ER, BB, 6 K. Signed for next to nothing at an older age than most Latin American prospects, it didn’t take Rosa long to make an impression in 2015, and again in 2016. Thanks to a fastball that touches 100 mph and sits comfortably at 97-98 for extended stretches, Rosa has promise as a high-octane reliever with a potential average slider.

Reese McGuire, C, Pirates (Double-A Altoona): 4-5, 3 R, 3B, RBI. McGuire is putting together a nice season for the Pirates, cementing himself as one of the up and coming catching prospects in baseball. The best part, he hasn’t lost anything with the glove as his bat has started to come alive.

Willy Adames, SS, Rays (Double-A Montgomery): 2-4, 2 R, HR, 3 RBI, BB, K, CS. Some would say Adames already experienced his “breakout” season, possibly even before he was traded to the Rays, but the 2016 campaign has truly been a breakout for the young shortstop. His ability to begin translating raw power to game situations has been impressive.

Scott Schebler, OF, Reds (Triple-A Lousiville): 5-5, 2 R, 2B, 3B, HR, 2 RBI. Schebler has bounced back nicely in 2016 with a monster showing in the International League, capped most recently by this five-hit cycle. For the season he’s picked up 38 extra-base hits in 71 games with a solid approach and good batting average.

Jeff Hoffman, RHP, Rockies (Triple-A Albuquerque): 5 IP, 3 H, R, 0 ER, BB, 7 K. It’s looking more and more like Hoffman is big-league ready at this point. If the Rockies were actually in the playoff hunt, you might see him in Colorado in the second half. Instead, I would guess we will all have to wait until next summer to see his electric stuff in the majors.

Meibrys Viloria, C, Royals (Rookie Idaho Falls): 2-4. While this certainly doesn’t represent Viloria’s most impressive game of the season, his two singles last night pushed his average to .455 in 27 games in the Rookie-level Pioneer League. Viloria has an advanced bat for a catcher his age and enough catch-and-throw ability to stick behind the plate, making him a rising prospect in the Royals system.

JaCoby Jones, UT, Tigers (Triple-A Toledo): 3-5, R, HR, 2 RBI, BB, K, SB. Everything Jones can do lives in this one stat line. He flashed some power, some swing-and-miss, and a stolen base, while playing center field (one of his many positions). Jones is an intriguing utility option, but likely won’t be ready to help until sometime next year.

Gary Sanchez, C, Yankees (Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre): 4-7, 3 R, 2 2B, RBI, CS (Doubleheader). There’s no doubt Sanchez has re-emerged as a top-flight hitting prospect this season, which is fun to see given his natural ability and the state of the Yankees big league club.

Spencer Mahoney, RHP, Yankees (Rookie Pulaski): 3.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R/ER, 0 BB, 8 K. When you look at the profile, Mahoney doesn’t stand out; college shortstop, undrafted out of Valparaiso, signed out of independent ball in January. Then you hear scouts saying he’s been flashing 97-99 mph heat, and you suddenly understand why you might pay attention to him. He’s raw—that’s an understatement—but he’s worth some attention.

Mitchell Hansen, OF, Dodgers (Rookie Ogden): 3-4, 2 R, 3B, HR, RBI. After passing on Stanford to sign with the Dodgers last summer, the athletic Hansen struggled mightily, hitting just .201 in 44 games. He has bounced back this year, flashing his above-average raw power and speed.

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