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August 17, 2017
Eyewitness Accounts
August 17, 2017
by BP Prospect Staff
Thomas Hatch
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Born: 09/29/1994 (Age: 22) |
Bats: Right |
Throws: Right |
Height: 6' 1" |
Weight: 190 |
Athletic, little projection left, history of arm injuries; compact delivery, high leg kick, balanced, decent extension; low three-quarter slot, clean arm action, loose arm, above-average arm speed, mild effort, good tempo; 1.42 to home
Control: 50/55
Command: 45/50
|
Greg Goldstein |
07/20/2017 |
Myrtle Beach Pelicans (High A, Cubs) |
7/8/2017 |
50/Mild |
45: No. 5 Starter with middle-relief fallback |
2019 |
Yes |
FB |
60 |
60 |
93-94 |
96 |
4-seam shows some arm-side run and life, won’t blow by hitters on the regular; above-average control, flashed quality command, attacks hitters, worked in the middle of the plate too often, frequently barreled in the zone; 2-seam (88-89) has tight downward arm-side action, heavy usage, creates lots of grounders/weak contact, tough to barrel, rarely missed in the middle of the zone, command got away from him at times, not a swing-and-miss pitch |
CH |
45 |
50 |
83-84 |
|
Solid fade, slows arm some, hitters were out in front on occasion, potential swing-and-miss, limited by fringe-average command |
SL |
45 |
50 |
85-87 |
|
Average bite, average depth, flashed late break, others more trackable; steady arm speed and slot, command was inconsistent, flashed ability to hit the glove-side corner, threw in any count; arm slot and athleticism gives pitch some room to grow |
Hatch is a fairly advanced and safe pitching prospect (as these things go). He uses an athletic delivery and loose arm to consistently work in the zone with solid control of a plus 4-seamer. He won’t be a huge strikeout guy, and he plays more frequently for weak contact off his tight sinking two-seamer. The slider should play and projects to at least average as it continues to improve thanks to his low three-quarter arm slot. If he can stay healthy he has the stuff and control to profile in the back of a first-division rotation.
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Scott Blewett
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Born: 04/10/1996 (Age: 21) |
Bats: Right |
Throws: Right |
Height: 6' 6" |
Weight: 210 |
Very high three-quarter arm slot, borderline over-the-top, average arm speed, clean arm action; mild effort, leverages frame effectively to deliver with vertical extension, struggles to maintain consistent release point |
Victor Filoromo |
08/01/2017 |
Wilmington Blue Rocks (High A, Royals) |
6/11/17, 7/18/17 |
45/High |
40 |
2019 |
No |
FB |
50 |
60 |
90-93 |
94 |
Average command of pitch, some wiggle to miss bats, arm-side run; can show heavy and boring pitch when he's consistently on top of it; works well east-west, generally stays off barrels but will leak up in zone; better late life on pitch when seen in second outing |
CB |
50 |
60 |
74-75 |
76 |
Shape shifts between 11-5 and 12-6; average command, will flash plus with above-average bite, inconsistent present depth and arm speed, ball-to-strike will get loopy early in counts; 12-6 shows chase potential, can bury it as a put-away |
CH |
30 |
40 |
84-85 |
86 |
Only showed sporadically; flashed average command on a couple, inconsistent present; plays pretty straight, lacks tumble, moderate velo separation; below-average projection
|
Blewett is a tall, projectable right-hander, and there's potential for two plus pitches if he can consistently replicate his motion and get his release point down pat. The changeup doesn't present as a reliable third pitch right now, and is in need of significant development. Blewett could rise to the Majors as a middle reliever with two plus pitches, but for him to play out as a starter, he'll have to gain more traction with a third-pitch to keep lefties at bay.
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Ofelky Peralta
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Born: 04/20/1997 (Age: 20) |
Bats: Right |
Throws: Right |
Height: 6' 5" |
Weight: 195 |
Physical: Projectable frame, starter build, wide torso, below-average athlete
Delivery: Stiff motion, mild kick, head whack, out of sync, finish isn’t clean, high effort
Arm Action: Low-three-quarters slot, clean arm action, crossfire, inconsistent release point
|
Greg Goldstein |
08/15/2017 |
Frederick Keys (High A, Orioles) |
8/10/2017 |
40/High |
30; Up-and-down bullpen arm |
2020 |
Yes |
Fastball |
70 |
70 |
95-97 |
98 |
Big fastball w/life, heavy armside run, plays for swings-misses when near zone, high usage; high effort, crossfire, wandering release point give him little control/command, missed wide arm-side with frequency, pitch sat all over the place |
Changeup |
30 |
40 |
85 |
86 |
Below-average movement at present, shows a bit feel, throws firm, left over plate, decent velo separation can fool hitters |
Curveball |
20 |
30 |
73-75 |
|
Limited usage, inconsistent shape, bounced consistently, no feel, poor command, lots of development needed |
Peralta’s sole weapon right now is his swing-and-miss fastball, that can be very tough to put the barrel on because of its life and heavy action. He’s primarily a fastball pitcher at the moment, although he did show a willingness to give hitters a different look with his change. Still, the effort and inconsistent mechanics make it tough for Peralta to consistently throw strikes, which means that a switch to the bullpen is definitely coming. The fastball and potential “show me” change can play in a middle relief role and at just 20 years old, there’s time to grow into enough control to allow his heater to have a chance to stick in a big league bullpen, although there’s risk of just being a taxi squad member in Triple-A because he needs to have some growth in his ability to throw strikes in order for his heater to play in MLB.
|
Cedric Mullins
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Born: 10/01/1994 (Age: 22) |
Bats: Switch |
Throws: Left |
Height: 5' 8" |
Weight: 175 |
Primary Position: CF |
Secondary Position: |
Well-conditioned, smaller frame, notable quick-twitch athleticism plays on the bases and in the field
|
Greg Goldstein |
06/21/2017 |
6/4, 6/13-6/15/17 |
Bowie Baysox (AA, Orioles) |
2018 |
Moderate |
50 |
45; Second division regular |
No |
Hustle player, leaves everything on the field; not overly emotional, but plays with energy both in the field and on the bases
|
Mullins is a lighting-fast center fielder who brings more to the table offensively than his sheer size suggests. He creates hard contact and produce power thanks to a swing that is mechanically sound on both sides. He makes the most of his pure raw strength by shifting his weight efficiently and producing above-average bat speed from the left side. I’m not convinced that being a switch-hitter brings enough value to the table to justify Mullins continuing to do it, but his left-handed swing should be enough to allow his speed and fielding chops to carry him to a potential starting role.
|
Blake Rutherford
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Born: 05/02/1997 (Age: 20) |
Bats: Left |
Throws: Right |
Height: 6' 3" |
Weight: 195 |
Primary Position: CF |
Secondary Position: RF |
Skinnier build, projectable body, solid athlete |
Greg Goldstein |
07/20/2017 |
3x in July |
Charleston RiverDogs (Low A, Yankees) |
2020 |
Moderate |
55 |
50; Major League Regular |
Yes |
Shows some frustration, quality work ethic
|
Rutherford really doesn’t have a glaring weakness in his profile. The former first-round pick can hit, run, throw and field to at least average levels. His power growth as his body matures may be what puts him over the top to become an above-average regular, though his swing and approach plays more to the gaps. Rutherford is a fairly sure bet to become a capable major league corner outfielder because thanks to an all-around game, though he lacks for standout carrying tools to expect a ceiling much higher.
|
Leody Taveras
|
Born: 09/08/1998 (Age: 18) |
Bats: Switch |
Throws: Right |
Height: 6' 1" |
Weight: 170 |
Primary Position: CF |
Secondary Position: |
Exemplary athlete, lots of projection, athletic build, smooth player |
Greg Goldstein |
08/15/2017 |
7/31/17-8/1/17 |
Hickory Crawdads (Low A, Rangers) |
2020 |
High |
60 |
50; Major League Regular |
Yes |
Expected immaturity at 18 years old, plays the game like a pro at such a young age, acts like he belongs playing against older guys
|
Taveras is as toolsy as they come, showing the potential to positively affect the game in all five areas at just 18 years old. The center fielder shows an advanced ability to make contact and adjust the barrel in the zone to use the whole field. His swing obviously needs some tightening in order for his plus natural tools to play, but with so much time and his advanced approach to hitting, there’s not much doubt Taveras can reach his plus hit tool ceiling. He’ll also be more than solid option in center field because of his elite athleticism and ability to make flash plays with both his arm and glove. There's some risk investing into his tools considering that he is so young. But overall, Taveras is one of those rare five tool guys with the potential to make his fair share of all star teams in the future.
|
Zack Collins
|
Born: 02/06/1995 (Age: 22) |
Bats: Left |
Throws: Right |
Height: 6' 3" |
Weight: 220 |
Primary Position: C |
Secondary Position: |
Bit of stomach, soft body, needs to work on conditioning, below-average athlete, no projection. |
Greg Goldstein |
08/15/2017 |
2x in August |
Winston-Salem Dash (High A, White Sox) |
2018 |
Moderate |
50 |
45; Second-Division Regular |
Yes |
Nothing stood out on the negative side, didn't seem overly emotional during games either.
|
Collins profiles as a three-true-outcomes bat, who works the count very well, which should shield his weaker bat to ball skills some. There’s a lot going on with the swing as he employs a hitch and gets off balance, which makes his above-average raw ability play down. He’s likely to hit 20+ homers because he can really drive the ball when he puts the bat on it. His upside is somewhat limited because there’s a long way to go in terms of contact with his bat, playing more usual as a first baseman/DH type. He should turn into starting caliber player, but you’ll have to put up with spotty defense and high strikeout numbers.
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3 comments have been left for this article.
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"Above-average raw, likely to grow into plus", how is that 50 or in other words average?
I'm expecting his body to grow enough to reach plus raw when he's mature, but his swing plays more to the gaps despite him showing that type of power in batting practice. So his game numbers, I project, will come out to be more average
In other words, the rating is being applied to in-game power, not his raw power.