2014 Regular Season Divisional Prospect News

[TheCrew07]

Tyrone Taylor!... and a bunch of other scrubs no one cares about...

 

Prospect Hot Sheet (Aug. 1): Trea Turner Stays Hot

August 1, 2014 by Staff Report

 

8. Aristides Aquino, rf, Reds

Team: Rookie-level Billings (Pioneer)

Age: 20

Why He’s Here: .370/.433/.815 (10-for-27), 7 R, 3 2B, 3 HR, 10 RBIs, 3 BB, 3 SO, 5-for-5 SB

 

The Scoop: A second straight Hot Sheet appearance for the Dominican Aquino, who’s power potential has shown itself this season. He’s hit 10 homers in 28 games this month and despite being an average runner, he has shown stolen-base efficiency as well with 12 successes in 14 tries. He’s battered lefthanders (.381/.395/.667) but has also shown great power against same-side pitchers with 10 homers in 125 at-bats. Signed for $110,000 in 2011, he’s still just 20.

 

In The Team Photo

 

Addison Russell, ss, Cubs: The Cubs struck early and landed the prize of the trade deadline by plucking Russell from the Athletics as part of the package for righties Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel. At 20 years old in Double-A, Russell is off to a fine start, already stringing together a seven-game hitting streak that included five multi-hit games. Combine his offensive prowess with his defensive chops and you’ve got one of the best prospects in the game and yet another contender for the shortstop of the future in Wrigley.

Tyrone Taylor, cf, Brewers. Here’s an example of a talented player who might be in the process of taking that next step. Taylor went 11-for-24 (.458) with two extra-base hits, three walks and four stolen bases at high Class A Brevard County this week, but in the bigger picture the 20-year-old is trending upward in the second half, batting .343/.383/.476 with 13 extra-base hits and 11 steals in 36 games. He ranks first in the Florida State League with 43 extra-base hits.

Gleyber Torres, ss, Cubs: With a Triple-A lineup that sends Kris Bryant, Javier Baez and Jorge Soler up back-to-back-to-back, and Addison Russell and Albert Almora at Double-A, it’s easy to forget that the Cubs signed the No. 1 and No. 2 prospects on the international amateur market last year. Torres, 17, ranked No. 2, and he’s lived up to every expectation so far. He’s hitting .280/.383/.400 as a one of the youngest players in the Rookie-level Arizona League, showing bat speed and a knowledge of the strike zone.

Nick Travieso, rhp, Reds: The 2012 first-rounder’s stuff took a step back across the board in 2013, but his numbers in his second year at low Class A Dayton are much more impressive. This week, the 6-foot-2 Travieso went 2-0 in 11 innings with just one unearned run allowed. He did walk more batters than he struck out in those starts (9-8), but on the season he is striking out 7.3 batters per nine innings and walking 2.6.

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Baseball America Prospect Hot Sheet Chat (Aug. 1)

 

Ben (Indiana): Cubs 2016.... By then will they move a MI or OF for stud pitching prospect?? C WCastillo 1B A.Rizzo 2B A.Alcantara SS S.Castro 3B KBryant RF Soler CF ARussell LF Baez Bench: Vogelbach / Almora / Schwarber

 

Vincent Lara-Cinisomo: Not sure I see Addison Russell in the outfield. I would imagine they will leverage their middle-infield gut—and outfield surplus for that matter—into a pitcher or catcher.

Shannon S. (Shea's): Hey there. Big Cardinals fan here. What do you make of the Redbirds' trades? What player in the system can give them a BOOST to the PLAYOFFS?

 

Vincent Lara-Cinisomo: They did well, I believe. They took their outfield surplus and added two reliable righthanders who should do well in St. Louis. I would expect Oscar Taveras will move into their lineup and could give them a boost.

Ken (Raleigh, NC): What major league team got the best haul in prospects for their trades?

 

Vincent Lara-Cinisomo: Just based on Russell, it’s the Cubs. Russell and McKinney and personal cheeseball/strikeout king Dan Straily? That’s pretty good for Samardzija and a guy they signed on a one-year deal.

Brad Pitt (Chicago): Is Javier Baez going to get a September call up

 

Vincent Lara-Cinisomo: Funny you should ask because we’ll have a “What To Expect” on Baez on Monday. In my opinion, he will. It behooves the Cubs to give him a shot before they embark on an important offseason. He’s playing second base at Triple-A to see if it’s a viable position going forward.

Paul (DC): What about the C the Cubs got from ATL? What is his ETA? Late 2017?

 

Vincent Lara-Cinisomo: Really tough to say; he was a second-rounder just last year. He’s an athletic-enough guy to play a different position and he brings an advanced approach to his at-bats. But again, 2017? Maybe.

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Here’s The Catch For Cards’ Kelly

July 31, 2014 by Derrick Goold

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Pirates’ Bell Making Noise

July 31, 2014 by John Perrotto

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Cubs Open The Gates For Rebuilding

July 31, 2014 by Gordon Wittenmyer

[TheCrew07]

Wow an actual article centered on a prospect and not MLB related in some way. Thank you Tom.

 

Brewers Spill Over For Dominican Shortstop

July 31, 2014 by Tom Haudricourt

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Who doesn't like a well thought out article written by Callis? Much more at the link.

 

Pipeline Perspectives: Taveras has leg up on Baez

Cards outfielder is more disciplined hitter, has better lineup support than Cubs infielder

By Jim Callis

 

The longtime rivals do share at least one thing in common, however. Both the Cardinals and Cubs have added one of the game's elite young hitting prospects to their lineups. St. Louis promoted outfielder Oscar Taveras to the big leagues for the first time at the end of May and for good a month later, while infielder Javier Baez will join Chicago's roster today.

 

Regarded the best pure hitting prospect in baseball, the 22-year-old Taveras has barreled balls since turning pro for $145,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2008. He batted .320/.376/.516 in the Minors, winning batting titles in the low Class A Midwest League in 2011 and the Double-A Texas League in 2012. St. Louis sent the slumping Allen Craig to the Red Sox in a July 31 trade for John Lackey to clear space for Taveras to play regularly.

 

The 21-year-old Baez, a native of Puerto Rico, has destroyed baseballs since the Cubs signed him for $2.625 million as the ninth overall pick in the loaded 2011 Draft. His electric bat speed is reminiscent of Gary Sheffield's and has produced 76 homers in 319 Minor League games. He led the Minors with 75 extra-base hits and 111 RBIs in 2013 and recovered from a slow start in Triple-A this year to bash 12 homers in his last 32 games, not to mention one off the Nationals' Lucas Giolito in the Futures Game.

 

The question for today's Pipeline Perspectives is which phenom will be the more productive big leaguer for the remainder of the season? Jonathan Mayo believes more in Baez, but Taveras is the better bet for a variety of reasons.

 

The most obvious is Taveras' ability to repeatedly make hard contact, the product of his quick left-handed swing and mature approach at the plate. He struck out just 243 times in 1,860 plate appearances in the Minors. Though he hasn't been tearing up Major League pitching, batting .220/.259/.321, he has fanned just 15 times in 116 trips to the plate.

 

Baez is supremely talented but also wildly undisciplined. He'll swing at just about anything, and while he can crush balls out of the strike zone, he also can look foolish. He has 350 strikeouts and just 88 walks in 1,350 pro plate appearances, and he has the second-worst swing-and-miss percentage (37 percent) and third-worst strikeout percentage (30 percent) in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League this year (according to minorleaguecentral.com).

 

It took Baez nearly two months to get his batting average above the Mendoza Line in the PCL, and while he did make some adjustments, he'll likely face a steep learning curve against big league pitchers. Even patient hitters usually need time to adapt to the Majors. Taveras has, and he has the advantage of already having two months under his belt at the game's highest level.

 

Taveras also has the advantage of being surrounded by more talent. When pitchers face St. Louis, they have to devote much of their attention to Matt Adams, Matt Carpenter, Matt Holliday, Jhonny Peralta and rapidly improving rookie Kolten Wong. Taveras isn't the focal point of any opponent's game plan.

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Heredia goes long in West Virginia defeat

Pittsburgh's No. 14 prospect allows three hits over career-high seven

[TheCrew07]

This is an article definitely worth digging into... I was wondering where the heck this guy came from after he pitched against WI at the end of July. I just looked him up on Baseball-reference.com, I didn't realize his entire story so didn't know what to say about him at the time. Obviously now it all makes sense...

 

Reds’ Garrett Decides To Become A Full-Time Baseball Player

August 12, 2014 by J.J. Cooper

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Glasnow makes most of one-pitch night

Pittsburgh's top prospect frustrates Jupiter again with 10-K outing

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MWL notes: Reyes takes different road

Peoria righty finding success after charting unique course to the pros

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Prospect Hot Sheet (Aug. 15): Good As Gold For Garrett

 

1. Amir Garrett, lhp, Reds

Team: low Class A Dayton (Midwest)

Age: 22

Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.00, 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 12 SO

 

The Scoop: That $1 million the Reds spent to sign Garrett as a high-risk, high-reward late-round pick in 2011 sure looks a lot better now. A year ago, Garrett was an extremely raw lefty. And as long as baseball was his side job around his college basketball career, that wasn’t going to change. But Garrett has given up basketball, and baseball is paying him back with the best stretch of his career. Garrett hasn’t given up a run in his past three starts, and he has 76 strikeouts to 19 walks since June 1. With a 92-95 mph fastball and a slider that has developed into an average pitch that flashes plus according to scouts (albeit more as a chase pitch than one he can throw for strikes so far), Garrett appears to have the makings of being at least a power lefty reliever with the athleticism to be much more.

 

3. JaCoby Jones, ss, Pirates

Team: low Class A West Virginia (South Atlantic)

Age: 22

Why He’s Here: .400/.464/1.000 (10-for-25), 8 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 7 RBIs, 3 BB, 5 SO, 1-for-1 SB.

 

The Scoop: Quietly, Jones is having a remarkable season in the South Atlantic League. With 13 home runs since July 1, he now has 21 home runs this season, second-most in the league. It’s a pretty impressive accomplishment for a shortstop. Jones never got to focus on playing shortstop in college, but scouts who have seen him this year give him at least a chance at staying at the position.

 

8. Alex Reyes, lhp, Cardinals

Team: Low Class A Peoria (Midwest)

Age: 19

Why He’s Here: 0-0, 0.00, 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 11 SO

 

The Scoop: In an up-and-down season of lost-and-found command, Reyes turned in a gem this week and once again reminded people why he’ll continue to rate highly among prospect rankings. Reyes harnessed his arsenal of three potential plus pitches—fastball, curveball and changeup—and tied a career-high with 11 strikeouts against Burlington. He’ll need to iron out his delivery to gain consistency, but explosive potential is there.

 

12. Pierce Johnson, rhp, Cubs

Team: Double-A Tennessee (Southern)

Age: 23

Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.00, 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 SO,

 

The Scoop: Johnson, who had hamstring and calf injuries that cost him two months of the season, is fully healthy and performing as expected. The Cubs’ No. 8 prospect is 5-5, 2.48 overall, but has not allowed more than three runs in a start in his past 10 outings and is striking out more than a batter per inning since the all-star break. The lanky Colorado product has a fastball that sits in the 90-94 mph range, touching 96.

[TheCrew07]

Baseball America Prospect Hot Sheet Chat (Aug. 15) With J.J. Cooper

 

AJ (Chicago): If you were Theo/Jedd and Washington proposed trading you Harper for Baez, Soler, and a few more prospects would you do it?

 

J.J. Cooper: Hey everyone. Thanks for coming out. We talked about this a little on the podcast yesterday, although in the podcast variant it was Bryant and Baez, which i said I wouldn’t do as a trade if I was the Cubs. Baez and Soler + some other prospects? Depends on the prospects. Baez, Soler and Addison Russell? No. Baez, Soler and Arodys Vizcaino? I’d have to seriously consider if I was the Cubs. That being said, I don’t think you’ll see Harper traded or even floated as a serious possibility. There’s too much downside for the Nationals. Harper was a relatively dominant player just last year. He’s not arbitration eligible until after next season and he won’t hit free agency until 2019. Harper had a thumb injury this year, so there is a logical explanation for his drop-off. I’d be surprised if he isn’t a star again next year.

 

MJ (Chicago): Seems like this is the 2nd straight disappointing season for Oscar Taveras. I know he is still very young, but what can we expect from him next season and beyond?

 

J.J. Cooper: You can find scouts who think Taveras is never going to be as good as we (Baseball America) and the consensus of the industry have believed. The knocks are that he’s a middling defender whose value is all tied to the bat, and the scouts who are “down” on him think he’ll hit .270-.290 with average power, but nothing more than that. Taveras has to have much more power than that to be a star, as there aren’t enough other positives to his game to make him valuable without significant offensive production. Call me a middle-grounder. I think his early MLB struggles are not the full picture of what he’ll end up being by any stretch, but that he’s a little less likely to be a star than we once projected. Going forward, I’d expect .275-.285 with 20 home runs, probably a .275/.335/.460 overall line with years he’ll hit closer to .300 which would bump up everything else. That’s not a star, but it’s a pretty valuable corner outfielder in today’s depressed offensive environment.

 

pat (okla. city, ok.): Which minor league club has the best rating Houston or Chicago Cubs??

 

J.J. Cooper: Cubs are the top farm system in baseball right now and I think there is a pretty significant gap from them to No. 2.

 

Roger (Greenville, SC): For a player from the SEC to come into low A and K more than once per game every month but April, how concerned should we be about Jacoby Jones' bat playing at higher levels?

 

J.J. Cooper: He’s going to have some swing and miss, but it comes with rare power for an up-the-middle player. He’s not an elite prospect because of those concerns, but he’s a lot better prospect than he looked like when the Pirates took him in the third round. Jones hit only 14 home runs in three seasons at LSU, so this year is a big step forward for him. So yes, it’s a concern, but he’s made big strides this year. Next year, he’ll have to make more.

 

Joel (Washington, DC): JaCoby Jones skeptics say he's too old for the league and he strikes out too much. What do you make of these concerns?

 

J.J. Cooper: The too old for the league comments are from people who may not fully understand how player development works. Jones started ZERO games at shortstop in three years at LSU. So if the Pirates are going to make a serious go at developing him a shortstop, it makes sense to keep him in a league where he can handle the job defensively. The alternative is to push him to a level where the game will be too fast for him defensively at this time, and which will likely bleed over into his hitting as well. Yes, there are concerns, but looked at with some understanding of where Jones was as a prospect coming into the year, this is a breakthrough season for him. Now he has to come back and be even better next year.

 

Shannon S. (Shea's): Hey! How good can Alex Reyes be in the MLB, in time?

 

J.J. Cooper: If it all comes together, he could dominate, but man there is a lot that still has to happen for it to all come together. Pure stuff-wise, Reyes is one of the filthiest pitchers in the minors. But his delivery isn’t clean yet and he struggles to stay in line to the plate. He’ll have to throw a lot more strikes if he’s ever going to reach that potential. ++ stuff with currently –command.

 

J. Paul Starkey LLP (Exploding Woody): Since being sent to Chicago, billy McKinney has been lighting it up. When can we see a AA promotion?

 

J.J. Cooper: SSS, but yes, he’s been excellent in Daytona. We’re late enough in the season where promotions are often made around helping a minor league club in a pennant race. The Cubs’ AA club is in a pennant race, but so is Daytona, so there’s a good reason to keep him in HiA for now.

 

Ben (Miamisburg, OH): Given his progression this year and his new commitment to baseball alone, do you see a good probability of Amir Garrett making it to the bigs so a starter, or is his future most likely in the bullpen?

 

J.J. Cooper: Anytime you’re talking about a pitcher in LoA, especially a non-first rounder, you’re talking a pretty low probability of being a big league starter. But Garrett has a lot going for him. He’s an outstanding athlete, which makes is easier for him to repeat his delivery and make adjustments than a pitcher who’s stiffer.

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Bryant gifts send Iowa fans home happy

Cubs' top prospect hits walk-off homer on his jersey giveaway night

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Scruggs homers twice, plates six in rout

Cards outfielder leads Redbirds, while Pederson goes yard for 'Topes

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Lively dominates before Pensacola wins late

Cincinnati's No. 6 prospect allows three hits over six scoreless innings

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Smokies' Edwards back in early-season form

Cubs' No. 7 prospect delivers six innings for first time since April 20

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SAL notes: Jones' skills shining through

Power shortstop starting to meet high expectations in second half

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Garrett's gem a slam dunk for Dragons

Reds' No. 18 prospect fans career-high 12, tosses three-hit shutout

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Cubs' Burks reaches base 11 straight times

Outfielder sees streak end before delivering walk-off single for Hawks

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Chiefs' Reyes fans 11 in six shutout frames

Cardinals' No. 4 prospect matches career high, holds Bees to two hits

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Cubs' Bryant exits with pain in left foot

Minor League homer leader has X-rays, will undergo MRI on Sunday

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Power's Jones plates career-high five runs

Pirates' No. 12 prospect slugs third grand slam of season in 13-3 rout

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Kingham Enjoying Matching Wits With Hitters

August 19, 2014 by John Perrotto

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Pirates' Clemens suspended 68 games

Bristol right-hander tested positive for human Growth Hormone