Notice: Trying to get property 'display_name' of non-object in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/wordpress-seo/src/generators/schema/article.php on line 52
keyboard_arrow_uptop

Pitching Prospect of the Day: Jonathan Gray, RHP, Rockies (High-A Modesto): 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 10 K. Some thought Gray deserved to be the top pick in the 2013 draft. He offers a fastball that can touch elite velocity, a potential plus-plus slider, and a developing changeup. Gray’s professional career has been a positive one so far.

Position Prospect of the Day: Mookie Betts, 2B, Red Sox (High-A Salem): 3-5, 3B, HR, R, 3 RBI. Betts has bat speed, plus running ability, and a lot of things that he has yet to figure out. Betts has an everyday-player ceiling, but he will have to work on his plate discipline and improve his hit tool if he is going to reach it. It is much more likely that he ends up a very good utility player.

Other notable prospect performances on August 20:

“The Good”

  • Gregory Bird, 1B, Yankees, (Low-A Charleston): 3-5, 2B, HR, R, 2 RBI, 2 K. Bird has been a frequent name on the Update, and he can really hit. However, as has always been the case with him, Bird will have to show scouts the ability to hit and hit a lot if he is going to fill the daunting first-base-only profile.
  • Rafael Briceno, RHP, Braves (Low-A Rome): 5.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K. In tonight’s edition of non-prospect pitchers who shoved, I bring you Briceno, a right-hander from Venezula enjoying Rome this year.
  • Joey Gallo, 3B, Rangers (Low-A Hickory): 3-5, 2B, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 K. Some have said Gallo puts on the most impressive BP of anyone at any level. He will need to continue to hone his craft and show that he is going to make enough solid contact for his power to play. Gallo has answered questions about whether he will be able to stay at third base, and should continue taking steps forward; .306/.390/.750 with 2 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, and 3 SB in last 36 at-bats
  • Brian Goodwin, CF, Nationals (Double-A Harrisburg): 2-4, 2B, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI. The 2013 season has not been what Goodwin hoped it would be. However, Goodwin has shown all the tools in past seasons, and may just need another year of seasoning to hone his craft.
  • Luke Jackson, RHP, Rangers (Double-A Frisco): 5.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 K. Jackson offers a fastball that can touch 98, and worked into the mid 90s on this night. The issue is he has a bit of effort in his delivery and his curveball and changeup never seem to work in sync. The future is most likely late-inning relief for Jackson.
  • Nathan Karns, RHP, Nationals (Double-A Harrisburg): 7.0 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K. I recently wrote up Karns here. I believe in the curveball, but I think he will be most effective in a relief role.
  • Adalberto Mejia, LHP, Giants (High-A San Jose): 5.0 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 8 K. Mejia is an intriguing young arm with a low-90s fastball, a potential solid-average slider, and a developing changeup. Mejia is improving his control this year, only issuing 19 free passes in 68 1/3 IP.
  • D.J. Peterson, 3B, Mariners (Low-A Clinton): 3-4, 2B, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB. Peterson has the potential for a plus hit tool with easy plus power. However, the future is almost solely tied to his bat and he will have to hit all the way up if he is going to stay a high-level prospect; .389/.436/.528 with 2 2B and 1 HR in last 36 at-bats.
  • Eduardo Rodriguez, LHP, Orioles (Double-A Bowie): 6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K. Rodriguez offers a fastball that can touch 95 but works in the low 90s. He mixes in a changeup and a slider, both of which should be usable major-league pitches but are currently inconsistent.
  • Cory Spangenberg, 2B, Padres (Double-A San Antonio): 2-4, 2B, HR, 2 R, RBI, K. It is good to see Spangenberg drive his second ball out of the ballpark in Double-A. Scouts feel that he has the potential to have a solid-average hit tool and is a plus runner. However, some scouts question whether he will ever make enough hard contact, because he tries to just slap-and-run at times.
  • Tyrone Taylor, CF, Brewers (Low-A Wisconsin): 5-5, 2B. Take a look at what a good friend of mine, Nick Faleris, wrote about Taylor. Ultimately, a writeup like this will put Taylor near the top of the Brewers Top 10 list this offseason.
  • Andrew Toles, CF, Rays (Low-A Bowling Green): 2-4, 2B, 3B, R, K. Toles has done an excellent job of making contact this year in Low-A. Scouts feel he has the potential to have at least a solid-average hit tool with gap power. Toles is also a solid-average runner who is not afraid to be aggressive on the base paths; .429/.432/.619 with 6 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, and 5 SB in last 42 at-bats.
  • Matt Wisler, RHP, Padres (Double-A San Antonio): 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K. Jason Cole offers a ton of information on Wisler; check out the scouting report and the video.

“The Bad”

  • Josh Bell, RF, Pirates (Low-A West Virginia): 0-5, 3 K. A rough night for Bell, but he has put up better numbers than I thought he would after seeing him this spring.
  • Michael Burgess, OF, Astros (Double-A Corpus Christi): 0-4, 3 K. This guy was a major prospect when I started getting into this.

“The Ugly”

  • Stetson Allie, 1B, Pirates (High-A Bradenton): 0-4, 3 K. Remember when Stetson Allie set the South Atlantic League on fire?

Thank you for reading

This is a free article. If you enjoyed it, consider subscribing to Baseball Prospectus. Subscriptions support ongoing public baseball research and analysis in an increasingly proprietary environment.

Subscribe now
You need to be logged in to comment. Login or Subscribe
PelotaDiSoldi
8/21
Allie set the South Atlantic on fire in a way we haven't seen since Sherman
sclem21
8/21
The link to Faleris' words on Taylor aren't loading, but maybe just me?
statsrath
8/21
This should be fixed. Thanks for the heads-up.
Drakos
8/21
Any reports on Reymond Fuentes since he was promoted to Tucson? It's only been 11 games so I'm not expecting the K/BB and BABIP to remain where they are but is it looking like he might be able to be a high average, high OBP, low power major leaguer?
ericmvan
8/22
It's interesting that you point out that Betts needs to work on his plate discipline, since ... [cough] ... he had the highest BB/K ratio of all 211 players in low-A (minimum 300 PA) before his promotion to high-A, was voted as having the best plate discipline by league managers in BA's annual survey, and has more BB than K at every level he's played at, including high-A after his promotion.

Clay Davenport's Peak (age-adjusted) Translations have him ranked as the 3rd best hitter in the SAL relative to his position, after Bird and Rosell Herrera (neither of whom have been challenged with a promotion to high-A), and, after his promotion, the 3rd best hitter in the Carolina League, after Garin Cecchini and Michael Ohlman.