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September 17, 2012

Monday Morning Ten Pack

Down the Home Stretch

by BP Prospect Staff

Bryce Brentz, OF, Red Sox (Triple-A Pawtucket)
Brentz is always an interesting player to scout, with one word summing up a set of multiple looks: “streaky.”  The bat speed and the power he creates to all fields are key strengths, but the overly-aggressive approach and fringe-average pitch recognition are tough to dismiss.  Brentz got off to a 2-for-17 start in Triple-A after a late-season promotion, only to quickly catch fire in the first five games of the International League playoffs, and then cool down with an 0-for-7 with 5 strikeouts in the last two.  The highs and lows typically come back to whether he is staying back on the ball.  Projecting the 23-year-old outfielder is tricky.  There’s major league talent with the bat, but there are also flaws that can prove to be critical against the unforgiving pitching. I see the power to hit 20-25 home runs, but I also presently see a lot of swing-and-miss that makes it tough to maintain a respectable batting average.  Brentz’s ability to hold down a long-term starting job will come down to how much further he can adjust and learn to hit secondary offerings. —Chris Mellen    

Oscar Taveras, OF, Cardinals (Double-A Springfield)
What can be said about Oscar Taveras that hasn’t already been said about most bacon products? The Dominican offensive wizard arrived at Double-A as a teenager—fresh off a Low-A breakthrough in 2011​—facing an enormous developmental jump in 2012. With the hand speed of boxer and the strength to command those weapons, Taveras and his axe-murderer approach to hitting exploded in the Texas League, hitting a robust .321/.380/.572 during the regular season, including 67 extra base hits.  Since the start of post-season play, the violence has been tamed, as the long season in the sun has sapped some of the maniac from the monster; Taveras is struggling to make contact, and the contact he is making is soft and innocent. Fear not. Taveras has blossomed into the best pure hitter in the minors, with only roster depth stalling his eventual rise to major league glory. Catch him while you can, minor league fans; his existence in your domain is short-lived. —Jason Parks

Domingo Santana, OF, Astros (High-A Lancaster)
Santana came to Houston as the PTBNL in last summer’s Hunter Pence deal that also netted the Astros top prospects Jonathan Singleton and Jarred Cosart. After hitting .287/.362/.471 in the South Atlantic League in 2011, Santana spent much of this year as the youngest player in the California League. Santana’s slash line improved (.302/.385/.536) in the hitter-friendly Cal League and, more importantly, his walk rate increased by more than 50 percent while his strikeout-to-walk rate dropped by 35 percent. Santana is the prototypical right fielder starter kit, pre-loaded with a plus arm and plus power. Plate discipline will be the key to unlocking Santana’s power, and the strides he made against much older competition this summer could be the precursor to a 2013 breakout. —Bradley Ankrom

Leury Garcia, SS, Rangers (Double-A Frisco)
With Profar as a teammate for the majority of the season, 21-year-old infielder Leury Garcia has been overlooked or undervalued by many of those in the prospect valuation industry. Garcia is listed at a generous 5’7’’, but he’s closer to Jose Altuve than someone who is legitimately 5’7’’. Size be damned, as the diminutive shortstop has louder defensive tools than uber-prospect Profar, with more range, a slicker glove, and an arm that isn’t scared of a head-to-head comparison. At the plate, the switch-hitting Dominican has a good (but not great) hit tool to go along with 80-grade speed, which makes every ball in play an adventure for the infield. His approach can sink his ship, as the slap-hitting contact hitter often thinks he’s a Muscle Milk-drinking bomb factory, dropping his back shoulder and going for glory without the skill set to pull it off. He has a utility profile as a floor—which mutes the excitement somewhat—but the defensive chops are major league legit, and if the bat is a contact-only weapon, his wheels will help enhance the potential for batting average and the possibility that he can develop into a second-division regular. Just because he doesn’t profile as a star doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be paying attention. He’ll be a major leaguer in some form. —Jason Parks

Yadiel Rivera, SS, Brewers (Low-A Wisconsin)
Despite what the numbers say (.247/.290/.402 in 506 PA), the 20-year-old Puerto Rican remains a prospect to keep an eye on. Rivera doesn’t exactly fit the physical profile of a shortstop (listed at 6’2, 175 lbs.), but scouts think he has what it takes to be at least an average defender at the major league level, with tons of range, a good glove, and a very strong arm. If his hit tool plays at all, he’ll have the chance to be a quality major leaguer, but that’s a big “if.” The hit tool and approach have big question marks, but when the barrel can meet the ball, Rivera has a lot natural sting to his swing.—Hudson Belinsky

Nik Turley, LHP, Yankees (Double-A Trenton)
The 6’6’’ southpaw spent most of the season in the Florida State League before getting the late-season bump to get some additional innings during the stretch run.  Turley’s fastball is not overpowering—normally working in the 88-92 mph range—but he shows solid-average command of the offering and the ability to throw to both sides of the plate.  The arsenal is rounded out by a curveball and changeup, both of which can miss bats; the change is the more advanced of the two pitches, but there is room for growth with the curve if Turley can get more consistent with staying on top of it. Now making the jump to Double-A, the command and crispness of his repertoire will be pushed by the more advanced hitters of the Eastern League, and will present a developmental challenge for the 23-year-old pitcher. Turley made strides fine tuning his release point this season, gaining traction towards projecting as a potential back-end starter at the big league level. —Chris Mellen