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Games of Friday, April 5

Pitching Prospect of the Day: Dakota Bacus, RHP, Athletics (Low-A Beloit): 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 K; Bacus, a ninth-round pick in 2012, has a solid fastball, plus slider, and fringy changeup; advanced polish will allow him to rack up the strikeouts in Low-A.

Position Prospect of the Day: Matt Wessinger, 2B, Rockies (Low-A Asheville): 3-4, 2 HR, 3 R, 3 RBI, 2 SB, 2 BB, K; A grinder-type out of St. Johns, Wessinger has no better than average tools, but he gets every ounce out of them.  

Other notable prospect performances from April 5.

 “The Good”

  • Martin Agosta, RHP, Giants (Low-A Augusta): 5.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K; The Giants’ second-round pick in 2012, Agosta is a small-framed right-hander with a fastball/slider/cutter arsenal; scouts question whether he will be able to stick as a starter because of his stature and lack of a changeup.
  • Nolan Arenado, 3B, Rockies (Triple-A Colorado Springs): 3-3, 2B, HR, 2 R, RBI; A plus hit tool combined with friendly hitting conditions may inflate Arenado’s power numbers; the bat is real and he will be called up at some point in 20133.
  • Archie Bradley, RHP, Diamondbacks (High-A Visalia): 5.2 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 9 K; The seventh-overall selection in 2011, Bradley has a super-athletic body with electric stuff. He uses a fastball/curveball/changeup combination, and the first two will be swing-and-miss offerings at the highest level.
  • Javier Baez, SS, Cubs (High-A Daytona):  2-5, 2B, HR, R, 2 RBI, 2 K; Major-League bat speed combined with raw power, and the swagger to make him a player fans love to hate.
  • Lewis Brinson, CF, Rangers (Low-A Hickory): 3-5, RBI, SB, K; The 18-year-old shows monster five-tool potential; he’s very raw, but displays supreme athleticism with the ability to make adjustments.
  • Zeke DeVoss, CF, Cubs (High-A Daytona): 3-5, 2B, 3B, R, 2 RBI, SB, BB;  DeVoss, a third-rounder in 2011, struggled in 2012, but has easy speed and athleticism.
  • Randal Grichuk, RF, Angels (Double-A Arkansas): 2-2, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI; Selected one pick before some guy named Mike Trout, Grichuk has plus raw power with an improving swing.
  • Angelo Gumbs, 2B, Yankees (High-A Tampa): 2-5 3B, R, 3 RBI; Gumbs, a personal favorite, has a lightning-quick bat, plus raw power, and plus running ability; he could take a significant step forward in 2013.
  • Billy Hamilton, CF, Reds (Triple-A Louisville): 2-3, 2B, R, 3 SB; Hamilton has made great strides with his contact. He continues to be the most dangerous person in professional baseball on the base paths and has extra incentive to get out of the gates hot with Ryan Ludwick’s injury leaving a potential opening in the outfield.
  • Micah Johnson, 2B, White Sox (Low-A Kannapolis): 4-5, 2 2B, R, 2 RBI, 2 SB, K; Johnson is a plus-plus runner with sneaky power; he slid all the way down to the ninth round in 2012 because of an arm injury.
  • Hak-Ju Lee, SS, Rays (Triple-A Durham): 2-3, 3B, 2 R, RBI, 2 SB, BB, K; Lee, who was acquired in the Matt Garza deal, has always had an impressive defensive pedigree. He is a slap hitter who attempts to utilize his speed; some scouts believe that taking advantage of the speed is the only way he can make an impact offensively.
  • Francisco Lindor, SS, Indians (High-A Carolina): 3-4, 3B, 2 R, BB, SB; Lindor combines tools, intangibles, and makeup—a package that will make him the next darling prospect.
  • Lance McCullers, RHP, Astros (Low-A Quad Cities): 5.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K; This was a solid professional debut for McCullers, a 2012 draft pick who uses a premium fastball/slider combination and a developing changeup.  
  • Tyler Naquin, CF, Indians (High-A Carolina): 3-4, 2B, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, BB; Naquin, a 2012 first-rounder, has an unorthodox swing, but he has shown the ability to consistently barrel balls since turning pro.
  • Kevin Plawecki, C, Mets (Low-A Savannah): 3-5, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI; Plawecki, 2012 supplemental first-round selection, is a bat-first catcher who makes consistent contact but has question marks on the defensive end.
  • James Ramsey, CF, Cardinals (High-A Palm Beach): 2-3, 2B, 3B, R. The former Seminole has great baseball instincts and a grinder mentality. Ramsey’s offers easy plus speed, but he has minimal power and there are questions surrounding his ability to make contact against quality pitching.
  • Rio Ruiz, 3B, Astros (Low-A Quad Cities): 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI; Ruiz has the potential to be a plus hitter with plus power and plenty of arm to stay at the hot corner.
  • Cory Spangenberg, 2B, Padres (High-A Lake Elsinore): 3-4, 2B, R, RBI, BB, 4 SB; after a mediocre 2012, Spangenberg heads back to the California League with his plus running ability and the potential to be a league-average hitter.
  • Brenden Webb, RF, Orioles (High-A Frederick): 4-5, 2B, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, SB; A 30th-round selection in 2009, Webb boasts solid-average power, but has a swing that can get too long. Even though Webb is entering his fourth professional season, he still has some rigidness to his game that he will need to smooth out to reach his ultimate ceiling.
  • Kyle Zimmer, RHP, Royals (High-A Wilmington): 5.0 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 8 K, 2 HR allowed; Zimmer carved up hitters in his Carolina League debut with his four-pitch mix (fastball/slider/curveball/changeup); some believe that his delivery is actually so clean that it may make him more hittable because it lacks deception.

“The Bad”

  • Dante Bichette Jr., 3B, Yankees (Low-A Charleston): 0-5, 3 K; The son of former big-leaguer Dante Bichette, Bichette Jr. was a supplemental first-round selection in 2011. He offers power potential, but there is plenty of swing-and-miss to his game.
  • Mauricio Cabrera, RHP, Braves (Low-A Rome): 2.2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, K; Cabrera is still raw and will need to improve his command to take a step forward this year.
  • Joey Gallo, 3B, Rangers (Low-A Hickory): 0-4, 3 K; Gallo boasts legit 80-grade power, but lines like this will be common because of his tendency to swing-and-miss.
  • Nomar Mazara, RF, Rangers (Low-A Hickory): 0-4, 3 K; Just 18 years old and already playing full season baseball, Mazara has abundant power, but his lengthy swing creates contact issues.
  • Mike Olt, 3B, Rangers (Triple-A Round Rock): 0-4, 3 K; Olt will always have a swing-and-miss element to his profile, but his power and defensive ability make him a top prospect nonetheless.
  • George Springer, CF, Astros (Double-A Corpus Christi): 0-4, 3 K; Lengthy swing creates massive power and massive swing and miss.
  • Trayce Thompson, CF, White Sox (Double-A Birmingham): 0-4, 3 K; Thompson has very long arms, so getting the bat around on high-velocity fastballs on the inner third will always be a problem.

“The Ugly”

Cody Buckel, RHP, Rangers (Double-A Frisco): 2.2 IP, 5 H, 7 ER, 5 BB, 2 K; Buckel has Trevor Bauer-like mechanics, but has thus far struggled to miss bats at the higher levels.

Games of Saturday, April 6

Position Prospect of the Day: Carlos Correa, SS, Astros (Low-A Quad Cities): 4-7, 2B, HR, R, 5 RBI, SB, K; The first-overall pick in 2012 has a combination of tools and makeup at the age of 18 that could allow him to move through the minors at an accelerated rate.

Pitching Prospect of the Day: Rafael De Paula, RHP, Yankees (Low-A Charleston): 4.1 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, BB, 11 K; De Paula, who was making his stateside debut at the age of 21, has a fastball that could be a 7, a curveball that could be a 7, and a changeup that could be a 6. The Yankees won’t keep him in Low-A for long.

Other notable prospect performances from April 6:

“The Good”

  • Jeremy Baltz, LF, Padres (Low-A Fort-Wayne): 3-5, 2B, 2 HR, 2 R, 6 RBI; Baltz, a second-round pick in 2012, displays good bat speed and plus raw power, but will have to really hit because of his LF/1B defensive profile.
  • Darrell Ceciliani, CF, Mets (Double-A Binghamton): 2-5, 2B, 3B, R, K; Ceciliani, a fourth-rounder in 2009, creates solid contact with a level swing and has the grinder-mentality to make his average tools play up.
  • Andrew Cisco, RHP, Reds (Low-A Dayton): 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K; Cisco, a command and control pitcher with extreme polish, uses a three pitch mix (fastball/curveball/slider) to attack hitters.
  • Adam Conley, LHP, Marlins (Double-A Jacksonville): 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K; Conley, a left-hander with a little herk and a little jerk in his deceptive delivery, has a fastball that sits in the plus range and can touch plus-plus; he is still developing his secondary offerings (slider/changeup).
  • Alen Hanson, SS, Pirates (High-A Bradenton): 2-5, 3B, 2 R, RBI, SB, K; Hanson makes loud contact and is a plus runner with an aggressive offensive mentality.
  • Cesar Hernandez, 2B, Phillies (Triple-A Lehigh Valley): 4-6, 3B, R, 2 RBI; Hernandez, a switch-hitter, has good bat-to-ball skills and is a plus runner.
  • Jeff Kobernus, 2B/LF, Nationals (Triple-A Syracuse): 3-4, HR, R, 3 RBI; Kobernus, a 2012 Rule 5 selection by the Tigers, was not able to stick on the major-league roster but shows plus-plus running ability. His offensive ceiling, though, is average at best.
  • Andrew Lambo, LF, Pirates (Double-A Altoona): 3-4, 2B, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB; Lambo, who has been stuck in neutral at the Double-Al level, shows good bat-to-ball skills but has a tough defensive profile (LF/1B) and will need more power to show up.
  • Ernesto Mejia, 1B, Braves (Triple-A Gwinnett): 2-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI; Mejia may only be a Quad-A type player, but he has plus raw power and has shown the ability to make solid contact at any level of the minors. (Side note: Freddie Freeman’s injury may get him a handful of major-league at-bats in the next few weeks)
  • Peter O’Brien, C, Yankees (Low-A Charleston): 2-5, 2 2B, R, RBI, K; O’Brien, a second-round selection in 2012, fits the mold of a Yankees bat-first catcher with plus raw power.
  • Rougned Odor, 2B, Rangers (High-A Myrtle Beach): 2-5, 2B, HR, R, RBI, K; Odor, a tough player who gets the most out of his tools, is sometimes the forgotten man in a loaded Texas system.
  • Victor Payano, LHP, Rangers (High-A Myrtle Beach): 5.1 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 8 K; Payano struggles with consistency, but when things are going well, he has a fastball that can reach 95 mph.
  • Hernan Perez, SS, Tigers (Double-A Erie): 3-5, HR, R, 2 RBI, 2 SB; Perez has above-average power and the potential for an average bat. Defensively, he has average range and profiles best as a utility man that sees time at three infield positions.
  • Drew Pomeranz, LHP, Rockies (Triple-A Colorado Springs): 5.2 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K; This was a good sign for Pomeranz, who was sent back to Triple-A to smooth out his mechanics and continue to develop his breaking ball.  
  • Jorge Soler, RF, Cubs (High-A Daytona): 2-3, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB; Soler, was signed for $30 million after defecting from Cuba, has plus-plus raw power but will need to smooth out his swing mechanics to realize his ceiling.
  • Aneury Tavarez, LF, Red Sox (Low-A Greenville): 2-3, 2 2B, 2 R, 4 RBI, BB; Taverez, a small-framed, $80,000 Dominican signee, has shown good contact skills early in the season.
  • Scott Van Slyke, 1B/OF, Dodgers (Triple-A Albuquerque): 4-5, 2B, R, 5 RBI, K; The son of Andy Van Slyke, Scott can play both corner outfield spots as well as first base. At the plate, he has a long swing that can generate plus power, but will have trouble against quality pitching. Completely blocked in Los Angeles, Van Slyke could be moved if the Dodgers need to obtain a major-league piece at the upcoming deadline.
  • Nick Williams, OF, Rangers (Low-A Hickory): 2-4, 2B, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI; Williams shows good bat speed and the ability to square balls up. He is also a good athlete with the range to cover plenty of ground in the outfield.
  • Asher Wojciechowski, RHP, Astros (Double-A Corpus Christi): 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K; Wojciechowski uses a four pitch mix (fastball/cutter/curveball/changeup) with the fastball and curveball being the most effective of the offerings.
  • Alex Wood, LHP, Braves (Double-A Mississippi): 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K; The Braves challenged Wood by skipping the 2012 draftee to Double-A. Wood relies on his fastball and uses his changeup effectively, but has yet to find any consistency with his slider. He has a wacky delivery with a lot of effort.
  • Austin Wood, RHP, Angels (High-A Inland Empire): 5.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 8 K; A great man, Kevin Goldstein, once wrote an entire Ten Pack about Austin Wood. Wood had his good stuff in this outing.
  • Mike Zunino, C, Mariners (Triple-A Tacoma): 2-4, 2B, HR, R, 5 RBI, BB, K; The third-overall selection in 2012, Zunino has plus power and is rather polished; he should not have to wait long for a taste of The Show.

“The Bad”

  • Tim Beckham, 2B, Rays (Triple-A Durham): 0-3, 3 K; Well, Rays fans, you could have had Buster Posey with the first pick in 2008.
  • Courtney Hawkins, CF, White Sox (High-A Winston-Salem): 0-4, 3 K, error; The White Sox challenged Hawkins by starting him in High-A the year after he was drafted.
  • Adrian Marin, SS, Orioles (Low-A Delmarva): 0-3, 2 K, error; One of the few Orioles position prospects with a considerable ceiling, Marin is working to smooth out his swing.
  • Angel Villalona, 1B, Giants (High-A San Jose): 0-4, 3 K; After extreme off-the-field problems, Villalona and the Giants are just happy that he was able to return to stateside baseball in 2013.

“The Ugly”

Cheslor Cuthbert, 3B, Royals (High-A Wilmington): 0-4, 3 K, GIDP, error; Cuthbert is 0-for-8 with five strikeouts to start the season. After a great 2011 season, Cuthbert took a few steps back in 2012, showing poor athleticism and disappointingly little power potential.

Games of Sunday, April 7

Pitching Prospect of the Day: Tyler Duffey, RHP, Twins (Low-A Cedar Rapids): 7.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K; Duffey, a reliever at Rice University, excelled in his first professional start, using a three-pitch mix (fastball/slider/changeup).

Position Prospect of the Day: Patrick Wisdom, 3B, Cardinals (Low-A Peoria): 3-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI; Wisdom, a supplemental first-round selection in 2012, has easy-plus raw power but a tendency to try to yank everything and not use the whole field.

Other notable prospect performances from April 7:

“The Good”

  • Michael Almanzar, 1B, Red Sox (Double-A Portland): 2-3, 2 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB; Almanzar, signed for $1.5 million in 2007, shows good bat speed and plus power potential, but an erratic arm pushed him from the hot corner to first base.
  • Gregory Bird, 1B, Yankees (Low-A Charleston): 3-4, HR, R, 2 RBI; Bird has good bat speed with easy-plus raw power, but the bat will have to be special because he looks like he is stuck at first base.
  • Jorge Bonifacio, RF, Royals (High-A Wilmington): 2-4, 2B, 3B, 2 R, 2 RBI; Jorge, the younger brother of Emilio, shows power to all fields with a physically mature body. He has a swing that can get lengthy, but uses his quick hands to consistently make solid contact.
  • Brad Boxberger, RHP, Padres (Triple-A Tucson): 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K; Boxberger, acquired in the Mat Latos trade, uses a mid-90s fastball and a changeup to keep batters off balance. He should pitch in high-pressure situations for the Padres at some point this season.
  • Glynn Davis, CF, Orioles (High-A Frederick): 2-5, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI; Davis, signed as a non-drafted free agent in 2012, has easy plus-plus speed and a short swing with plenty of bat speed.
  • Jason Martinson, SS, Nationals (High-A Potomac): 2-3, HR, R, 2 RBI, BB, K; Martinson has bat speed, power potential, and solid-average running ability; at the age of 24, it is time for Martinson to start turning this potential into production; He is 6-for-12 with two doubles, a triple, and two home runs to date.
  • Alex Meyer, RHP, Twins (Double-A New Britain): 5.0 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K; Meyer, who was acquired by Twins for Denard Span, has a plus-plus fastball, a slider with wipeout potential, an improving changeup, and a huge frame. Meyer’s length makes it hard for him to repeat his delivery and his mechanics will need to become more consistent for him to remain a starter.
  • Brad Miller, SS, Mariners (Double-A Jackson): 3-4, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB; Miller has a gamer mentality with a solid hit tool. He may not be good enough defensively to handle shortstop every day, but he profiles as a good utility man.
  • Maxwell Muncy, 1B, Athletics (High-A Stockton): 2-3, 2 HR, 3 R, 4 RBI, BB; Muncy has an advanced approach at the plate, but there are questions about his power ceiling. It may be difficult to tell what his power numbers could actually look like until he leaves the California League.
  • Brandon Nimmo, CF, Mets (Low-A Savannah): 3-4, 2B, 2 R, BB; Nimmo, a 2011 first-round selection, was considered one of the most raw first-round selections ever; he has shown solid contact to date, starting the season 8-for-17.
  • Roberto Osuna, RHP, Blue Jays (Low-A Lansing): 5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 K; Osuna features a fastball that can get up to the mid-90s, a curveball that has plus potential, and a changeup that will be usable at the highest level.
  • Joc Pederson, CF, Dodgers (Double-A Chattanooga): 2-4, 2B, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, K; Pederson may not have loud tools, but he has the potential for a plus hit tool with average power. He is a “run through a brick wall” player who would do anything to help his team win.
  • Tyler Pike, LHP, Mariners (Low-A Clinton): 5.0 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K; Pike, a supplemental third-round selection in 2012, has a low-90s fastball that can reach 94, mixed with a curveball that has plus potential. He has a repeatable delivery and good command of his pitches.
  • Stephen Piscotty, RF, Cardinals (High-A Palm Beach): 2-5,2 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI; Piscotty has always hit for average, but since he is moving from third base to right field, his power ceiling will determine his future.
  • Eddie Rosario, 2B, Twins (High-A Fort Myers): 4-6, 2B, 2 R, RBI, K; Rosario has an advanced approach at the plate and shows the ability to drive balls to all fields; .389/.421/.611 in 18 High-A at-bats.
  • Trayce Thompson, CF, White Sox (Double-A Birmingham): 2-3, 2 2B, 2 R, SB, BB; Trayce’s father, Mychal, was the first overall selection in the NBA draft in 1978, and his brother, Klay, is a sharpshooter for the Golden State Warriors. Unsurprisingly, Trayce is a supreme athlete with the potential for 65-grade game power.

“The Bad”

  • Austin Hedges, C, Padres (High-A Lake Elsinore): 0-5; In 2012, Hedges showed in 2012 that his bat had the chance to be better than originally thought, but he is just 1-for-14 to start the year.
  • Brett Marshall, RHP, Yankees (Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre): 3.2 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 4 BB, 4 K; Marshall, a classic sinkerball pitcher, can run into serious problems if he is not able to keep the sinker down.
  • Ethan Martin, RHP, Phillies (Triple-A Lehigh Valley): 4.1 IP, 3 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 3 K; Martin can lose his command, which makes most feel that he fits better in the bullpen.
  • Mike Olt, 3B, Rangers (Triple-A Round Rock): 0-4, BB, 2 K; the swing-and-miss will always be an issue, but Olt will have a hot streak that will make us forget about this rough patch; 1-for-16 with 10 strikeouts to date.
  • Trevor Story, SS, Rockies (High-A Modesto): 0-4, 2 K; Story may be a bit too anxious in the early going; 1-for-15 with nine strikeouts so far.

 “The Ugly”

Brett Eibner, CF, Royals (Double-A Northwest Arkansas): 0-4; The former second-round pick is 0-for-16 to start the season. Eibner has never made enough contact to take advantage of his plus raw power. He also was a talented pitcher at the University of Arkansas, and the rumblings about moving him back to the mound could grow louder if he continues to struggle at the plate.

Thank you for reading

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iljabetlem
4/08
Pomeranz = Rockies.
With thanks for these great updates!
bornyank1
4/08
Fixed.
isemani
4/08
Love this!! Thank you
gandriole
4/08
Great format.
michaelmcduffe
4/08
Great stuff. Can you please update the top 101 Prospect Tracker to 2013.
mort10
4/08
If anyone cares I am open to change the titles. I tend to lack #sparkle and I thought it would not be a bad idea to ask the people who actually read the article. "The good", "the bad", and "the ugly" can stay for as long as they need to, but if anyone has an idea feel free to make a suggestion.

(Looking to include a title for prospects of the day also)
Worthing
4/08
Great series is better than ever. Nice work!
rhettdb2005
4/08
Love this new format where summaries are bucketed. So helpful.
hyprvypr
4/09
Tremendous effort here just PACKED with details and information for fans and fantasy owners alike. Love the new format as well. Plus plus potential.
dtothew
4/09
Can't even begin to explain how well appreciated this is - thank you!!!