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August 31, 2017
Eyewitness Accounts
August 31, 2017
by BP Prospect Staff
Thomas Pannone
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Born: 04/28/1994 (Age: 23) |
Bats: Left |
Throws: Left |
Height: 6' 0" |
Weight: 195 |
Physical: Small frame, skinny waist, average athlete, lacks projection.
Delivery: Deliberate motion, hitch, below-average extension. Balanced, can fall off to 3rd-base line. Mild effort, works quickly; 1.79-1.82 to home from stretch.
Arm action: Three-quarter arm slot, clean arm action, below-average arm speed.
Control: 60/60
Command: 55/55
|
Greg Goldstein |
08/15/2017 |
Akron RubberDucks (AA, Indians) |
7/29/17 |
45/Mild |
40; Swingman/Middle Reliever |
2018 |
Yes |
Fastball |
50 |
50 |
88-91 |
92 |
Average arm-side run, plays more to weak contact vs. better hitters, unafraid to attack up in the zone. Strike-thrower, but hittable in the zone, unlikely to throw by hitters at higher levels. Kept velo/command throughout start, worked to both sides well, frequently spotted on the corners. |
Changeup |
45 |
50 |
81-82 |
|
Low usage, some fade, lacks tumble, fringy action. Consistent mechanics/arm speed, flashed feel, commanded low; workable third offering. |
Curveball |
50 |
55 |
74-76 |
|
1/7 shape, above-average bite, solid depth, bit of late break. Repeats mechanics/arm speed, gets hitters out in front, velo separation brings swing-and-miss potential. Above-average command, capable of throwing in zone even with longer break, pitched backwards with offering. |
Pannone is a craft lefty who pitches to more than the sum of his parts. He’s more control/command than pure stuff, frequently attacking hitters in the zone and showing the ability to place all of his pitches around the zone. He does show some feel for the change, but Pannone is mostly a two-pitch hurler. His FB plays up because of how he works both sides and uses a bit of deception in his delivery, but it should play as an average pitch in the big leagues. Pannone can pitch backwards with his breaking ball and fool hitters in that way. He works quickly and controls the zone, which gives him a ceiling of an innings-eating No. 5 if he can more frequently throw the change. He’s likely a swingman/potential LH reliever whose stuff will play better in short stints rather than if he has to turn a lineup over with mostly average stuff.
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Josh Ockimey
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Born: 10/18/1995 (Age: 21) |
Bats: Left |
Throws: Right |
Height: 6' 1" |
Weight: 215 |
Primary Position: 1B |
Secondary Position: |
Large man with big arms, mature frame for game, in-shape for size, athletic for a bigger guy. |
Greg Goldstein |
08/15/2017 |
4/23/17 (DH), 8/11/17-8/12/17 |
Portland Sea Dogs (AA, Red Sox) |
2019 |
High |
50 |
40; Power Bench Bat |
No |
Slammed helmet down after strikeout, shows passion and frustration when he falters. Stayed in game on rainy day, despite some of the overreaction.
|
Ockimey is a pure power hitter who’s long, leveraged power stroke can generate plus power when he squares. He only profiles at first base, but he works hard at it and should get to fringe at the position at the very least. His approach is developing, but his swing mechanics will make it tough for him to approach average contact. The power is real enough to give him a starter’s ceiling, but without much else to rely on there’s a lot of risk as well.
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Raudy Read
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Born: 10/29/1993 (Age: 23) |
Bats: Right |
Throws: Right |
Height: 6' 0" |
Weight: 170 |
Primary Position: C |
Secondary Position: |
Stockier build, but typical for a catcher. No projection left in body. More athletic than the typical catcher with his frame.
|
Greg Goldstein |
08/15/2017 |
5/31/17, 6/1/17, 8/4/17, 8/5/17 |
Harrisburg Senators (AA, Nationals) |
2018 |
Moderate |
50 |
45; Second Division Regular |
No |
Read has about a 50/50 chance of sticking behind the plate. If he does, his fringe-to-average contact/power game would make him a capable starter. If not, he’s more of a second-tier starter at first base. The risk lies in the fielding profile, but his bat should give him a role for a MLB club at the very least.
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Eloy Jimenez
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Born: 11/27/1996 (Age: 20) |
Bats: Right |
Throws: Right |
Height: 6' 4" |
Weight: 205 |
Primary Position: RF |
Secondary Position: |
Athletic, cut build. Still has room to grow into already big frame. Wide torso, large upper body, imposing force on the baseball field.
|
Greg Goldstein |
08/15/2017 |
3x in August |
Winston-Salem Dash (High A, White Sox) |
2018 |
Mild |
70 |
60; First-Division Regular |
Yes |
Easy-going personality, game comes easy to him, didn't get frustrated with poor result.
|
Jimenez is truly an elite power prospect who flashes the ability to hit for a great average as well. At just 20 years old in the Carolina League, Jimenez controls the bat head very well for a hitter who produces the kind of game power that he does. He shows a willingness/ability to work the entire field, with the ball jumping off the bat in a way that makes your head turn. His batting practice is something to behold, as you can fully see just how well he gets inside of pitches on the inner half. Pitchers will have to fool him to be successful because his bat speed won’t cause him to miss a pitch in his hittable zone all too often. He profiles well in right with a plus arm, too. Jimenez’s contact/power potential is something you don’t see everyday, and it could lead him to becoming the top prospect in the game at some point before he gets the call.
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Hudson Potts
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Born: 10/28/1998 (Age: 18) |
Bats: Right |
Throws: Right |
Height: 6' 3" |
Weight: 205 |
Primary Position: 3B |
Secondary Position: SS |
Tall and strong, sloped shoulders, athletic build with room for future mass and muscle growth. |
Nathan Graham |
08/29/2017 |
8X May-August |
Fort Wayne TinCaps (Low A, Padres) |
2020 |
High |
50 |
40 Reserve/Bench Bat |
Yes |
Drafted in the first round of the 2016 draft and signed under slot value, Potts is one of the youngest players in the Midwest League. After getting off to a slow start, the 18-year-old has begun to show his power potential. His age and the amount of swing-and-miss in his game give a high level of risk to the profile. However, the power is real and the defense is solid, giving Potts a projection of a major league regular at the hot corner.
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Michael Gettys
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Born: 10/22/1995 (Age: 21) |
Bats: Right |
Throws: Right |
Height: 6' 1" |
Weight: 203 |
Primary Position: CF |
Secondary Position: |
Elite athlete, well-proportioned, mature frame. Strength throughout, mild projection remaining, can wear additional muscle into maturity without compromising physicality. |
Wilson Karaman |
08/30/2017 |
5x 2016, 8x 2017 |
Lake Elsinore Storm (High A, Padres) |
2019 |
Moderate |
55 |
45: 4th OF |
Yes |
Gettys tantalizes with elite athleticism and big-time raw tools. He's a physical specimen with a huge arm, plus speed and raw power, and the makings of a solid-average glove in centerfield. The big question remains whether he'll ever hit enough for it to matter. He's attempted to make some adjustments to his setup and swing, but he remains oddly stiff in his setup and launch, and while he's shown improvement in his balance and stride, the barrel delivery remains below-average. If he can find himself a hitting coach who can figure out how to unlock his power and draw out more consistent contact, there remains all-star potential here. As is, he offers enough speed, defense, and nascent game power to profile as a big-leaguer even in spite of a below-average offensive trajectory.
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3 comments have been left for this article.
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What are the chances of guys like Michael Gettys unlocking that offensive potential when every report I've ever seen dings his hitting? 5%, 10%, maybe 20% if you squint? But people buy lots of lottery tickets too.
Everyone has offensive potential.