Minor League Update: Games of June 1, 2015

Pitcher Of The Day: Lucas Giolito, RHP, Nationals (Potomac Nationals, A+): 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 SO. He’s only made five starts this year but this was Giolito’s second-best outing. The wunderkind had two meh starts heading into tonight, so it was good to see him tease at dominance tonight. We all know the scouting reports are extreme, so this is all about growth at this point in the game.

Hitter Of The Day: Tim Anderson, SS, White Sox (Birmingham Barons, AA): 3-5, 3 RS, 3B. Anderson is such a polarizing prospect because there are so many directions in which he could go. It’s important to keep in mind how young his baseball skills are and that it’s just going to take a while before he starts pulling the profile together. The White Sox don’t have the best track record when it comes to developing position players, so Anderson’s progress will be a very interesting one to track.

Jose Adames, RHP, Marlins (Jupiter Hammerheads, A-): 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 6 SO. Adames had a good six innings out on the mound and did it with major-league arm speed and a potential double-plus fastball. However, our CJ Wittmann has some ideas on the ultimate role: "Adames was used in a starter’s role, but ultimately I think his future is in the bullpen where he can let it rip for an inning with his 70/50 grade fastball/curveball combination."

Daniel Poncedeleon, RHP, Cardinals (Peoria Chiefs, A-): 8 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO. Poncedeleon was a ninth-round pick by the Cardinals in 2014. He displays a plus fastball, some feel for the secondaries, and strong command. It’s a good thing too, because if there’s a team out there that could use some more production from their draft picks it’s the Cardinals.

Stephen Gonsalves, LHP, Twins (Cedar Rapids Kernels, A-): 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 11 SO. The command comes and goes for the lefty, but he’s starting to put together a really impressive season and perhaps making a case for a promotion in the process. Gonsalves works in the low to mid-90s with a change that flashes plus. The breaking ball is still a work in progress at present, but if he starts to find the curve, he can be a low no. 3 starter.

Billy McKinney, OF, Cubs (Tennessee Smokies, AA): 1-2, 2B, 2 BB. McKinney wasn’t held down for very long in High-A Myrtle Beach, and he’s already making a strong impression at Double-A. Wittmann compared McKinney to Ryan Sweeney in the first episode of Raw Projection (please download, rate, and review!), and if that comes to fruition, he’s a really good tack on to Addison Russell.

Alex Verdugo, CF, Dodgers (Great Lakes Loons, A-): 2-4, HR, RS. Verdugo finally got off the schneid and slugged his first home run of the year. The offensive ability here is very much in question, even pushing some teams to put him as a pitcher on their boards during the 2014 draft, and the arm is certainly evident in the outfield. The bat hinges on the development of in-game power, which to this point has been absent. Verdugo has a long way to go developmentally.

Jacob May, OF, White Sox (Birmingham Barons, AA): 3-5, SB, 3 RS. May’s stock had some steam coming into 2014, but that train has slowed down some after a mixed slash line at Winston-Salem. May has plus-plus speed and he shows the ability to stick in center, but as it is with most White Sox prospects the question comes down to whether he’ll hit enough for any of it to matter.

Ryan McMahon, 3B, Rockies (Modesto Nuts, A+): 2-4, RS. McMahon was a quick riser in 2014 thanks to the power showing up in game for the then 19-year-old. He's now in the Cal League where power production tends to spike up aggressively. Power happens to be his carrying tool, so it's a good environment for the young third baseman.

Derek Fisher, OF, Astros (Lancaster Jethawks, A+): 2-5, 3B, 2 RS, 2 SB. Fisher’s put all his potential skills on display in a short amount of time. He’s following up a two grand slam Saturday with a two stolen base Monday. No one is questioning the raw ability and, specifically, the raw power with Fisher. What he has yet to answer fully, thought, is how well he can tap into that power in game. I personally believe same-sided pitching will get to him, but he might have a good enough approach to let the power play some in game.

Manuel Margot, CF, Red Sox (Salem Red Sox A+): 2-5, RS, SB. Speed and center-field defense are at the forefront of Margot’s profile but there’s also a sneaky ability to hit mixed in there as well. Here’s Tucker Blair on Margot: “Easy plus defender in center field with plus speed, efficient reads and routes; barrel control with plus bat speed; fast twitch athlete that could be an above-average hitter.”

Colten Brewer, RHP, Pirates (West Virginia Power, A-): 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 11 SO. Brewer has a prototypical starter body, but the stuff and command lend itself more to a reliever future. Also from Tucker Blair: “Broad-shouldered frame with a workhorse body; plus arm speed from an exerted delivery; 92-95 T96; 11-5 curveball that sits 77-78 with mild depth; the change is 82-85 with a slowed arm.”

Fight Another Day

Amed Rosario, SS, Mets (St. Lucie Mets, A+): 0-4, 2 K. Rosario is a legitimate shortstop with limited potential in the bat, as our own Jeff Moore puts it: “…aggressiveness limits his swing utility and should ultimately cause him to be a down-in-the-order hitter, unless he proves to have better contact skills than he's presently showing.”

Jeffry Fernandez, RHP, Red Sox (Greenville Drive, A-): 5 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 0 SO. Fernandez showed an upper-90s fastball and a slider that flashed plus in the past, but he has yet to pull the profile together so far this year. This outing won’t help things any.

Notable Prospect Starters

• Touki Toussaint, RHP, Diamondbacks (Kane County Cougars A-): 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 6 BB, 4 SO.
• Jen-Ho Tseng, RHP, Cubs (Myrtle Beach Pelicans A+): 5.1 IP, 10 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO.
• Zach Eflin, RHP, Phillies (Reading Fightin Phils AA): 7 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 3 SO.