Brandon Nimmo, OF, New York Mets (Triple-A Las Vegas)
Much has been made about Nimmo’s lack of bat speed, but that issue has been vastly overblown. No, it’s not elite, but he has more than enough to hang at the major-league level and square up fastballs. Additionally, while his passive approach sometimes leads to taking the best pitch in his at-bat, it also helps him get into more hitter-friendly counts, allowing him to jump on fastballs.
Nimmo’s ability to draw a walk will make up for any flaws in his hit tool, and he should get on base at a rate better than league average. The big question is what kind of power production he’s going to have. He’s built like a power hitter and shows above-average raw in batting practice, but his approach in games is more line-drive oriented. He can stick in center field for now, which limits his need to produce big time power numbers, but when he eventually shifts to a corner spot, he’ll need to hit for more power if he wants to stick as an every day player. –Jeff Moore
Richie Shaffer, 3B, Tampa Bay Rays (Triple-A Durham)
It was announced on Sunday that Shaffer was being promoted to the big leagues and is joining the Rays on Monday. He’ll add some needed pop to their lineup, which has been Shaffer’s calling card in the minors.
He has an ideal frame for a power hitter, with above-average bat speed and long limbs generating plus raw power. He gets good extension on his swing, but has a tendency to get long which leads to the expansion of the strike zone at times and some swing and miss in his game. Still, he drives the ball out of the yard with relative consistency, which is something the Rays need.
His primary position is third base, which is obviously being manned by Evan Longoria for the foreseeable future. Shaffer has been seeing some time at first base in the minors, and could see some at-bats there against left-handed pitching, but he’s also been working out in the outfield recently and would have seen some time there had he remained in the minors for longer. That’s a possibility for at-bats, as well as at designated hitter. –Jeff Moore
Myles Smith, RHP, Low-A Arizona Diamondbacks (Low-A Kane County)
The well-travelled Smith has settled in at Kane County after a dominant short-season run and a brief stint at Triple-A. His fastball is his best pitch. It sits 93-94 and he can dial it up to 95 on occasion. The offering has hard arm-side run that bores in on righties and runs away from lefties. Smith's slider flashes sharp 10-4 movement with tilt but his poor mechanics and general lack of feel for pitching hold the offering, and his overall command, back. Smith converted to pitching full time in college after starting as a position player. His delivery is unbalanced with spine tilt, an inverted foot strike and a head whack. At present, his command is poor and there isn't much reason to believe it will advance much beyond below average given his profile and mechanics. Smith throws hard and if he gains more consistency with his slider he can earn a setup role but the most likely outcome is occasional stints as a middle reliever. –Mauricio Rubio
Jimmy Cordero, RHP, Philadelphia Phillies (Double-A Reading)
This past week was my very first look at Cordero, and to be perfectly honest I wasn’t overly familiar with what to expect from the right-hander as he came out of the bullpen. So, when his first pitch was a fastball that registered 98 mph on my radar gun, I immediately dug in. Though Cordero generates his velocity with some effort in his delivery, the ball does come out of his hand on the easier side, and sat 97-98 in his two innings with little variation or drop off. The higher effort and touch of slinging-type arm action did lead to inconsistent command for Cordero, though the second inning was much better in terms of hitting his targets and offered a glimpse of how effective he can potentially be when in a groove.
Cordero isn’t just a one-trick pony either. The righty is capable of snapping off a crisp slider from 86-90 mph, with the offering showing depth, hard bite, and chase potential at 86-88 mph. Definitely worthy of a plus grade. One particular slider that he utilized in making Nationals’ prospect Wilmer Difo look rather feeble on a swinging strikeout showed the swing-and-miss potential. Now property of the Phillies after a trade right before the deadline, it’ll come down to squeezing out more consistency when it comes to Cordero’s fastball command. When the arsenal is firing on all cylinders the picture points towards an arm who can be on the nasty side in the later innings. – Chris Mellen
Michael Santos, RHP, San Francisco Giants (Low-A Augusta)
Santos recently emerged from an injury that knocked him out for the entire first half of the minor league season, and the extra rest shows in his arm strength and sharp stuff.
In his second start since returning to Augusta, Santos was 89-94 mph with plus downhill plane and slight arm-side run. The velo comes easy from a high three-quarters release and some deception by hiding the ball late. The arm is loose and follows a clean path through release, though there's slight recoil. He spots the ball well to both sides and works down in the zone, but the pitch can flatten when elevated. His fastball should reach plus with the chance for a little more if he can gain a touch of strength and maintain the upper end of his velo.
Santos' curveball is a plus-potential pitch at 75-79 mph. He has added a touch of velo to the pitch with more strength, and it flashes tight spin and bite with 11-5 break. The slower end of the velo band offers more depth, but even at 78-79 it shows a nice amount that can result in whiffs down the road. Santos also throws a harder curveball at 81-83 with a differing shape that offers more tilt, but it lacks the same bite as the upper-70s pitch, and it tends to roll. Santos appears to be experimenting with changing the speeds of his curveball to offer a harder look. It shouldn't be confused with a slider, though, because he told me it's simply a harder curve.
The changeup shows average potential with room to grow if he gains more feel. It sits 79-82 with arm-side fade. There's deception in the quick arm that makes it difficult to pick up out of the hand. His command holds back the projection some by tending to float into the zone and not always turn over. If he can more consistently spot it and turn it over for fade, the future grade could improve.
Santos has a projectable frame with room to add strength, and he's a very lengthy kid. He's soft-spoken and easy-going but shows confidence on the mound. He has what it takes to grow into a mid-rotation arm with feel for three pitches and above-average command. He has a long way to go, but there's already good feel for his craft. –David Lee
Cale Coshow, RHP, Yankees (High-A Tampa)
It’s impossible not to immediately notice Coshow’s size when he stands atop the mound, or anywhere else for that matter. Not only does his 6-foot-5 frame stand out, but his 260-pound body doesn’t look particularly athletic. He's big in every aspect, and not necessarily in a good way.
Despite his size, however, he actually repeats his delivery quite well, giving him average present command and plus control of a powerful fastball that touches the mid-to-upper 90’s. Having worked primarily as a reliever until recently, I caught him on his eighth start of the season and he maintained his velocity throughout the game, sitting 93-96 mph and touching 97 at times. The offering not only shows premium velocity but also features a hard, boring two-seam action. That pitch alone is enough to handle Low-A hitters.
What Coshow is missing is a solid secondary option. His slider is easy to identify, as it breaks far too early and at 89-90 mph, it overlaps in velocity and movement to his cutter. The cutter is his best alternative, with average command and movement and sitting in the 90-91 mph range. It’s an average offering, it’s just not all that different than his fastball. His changeup shows some arm-side fade, but he gets firm with it and doesn’t command it well.
At the moment, Coshow is primarily two-seam/cutter, which leaves him without much to keep hitters off-balance. The opposite movements of the two pitches lead to missing barrels, but if he wants to be a starter of any kind outside of A-ball, he’ll need some kind of speed-changing offering. –Jeff Moore
Miguel Del Pozo, LHP, Marlins (High-A Jupiter)
For a left-handed pitcher, really only one thing matters. Does he have a breaking ball? If the answer is yes, then it can make up for a ton of other deficiencies.
In the case of Del Pozo, those deficiencies include below-average fastball command, virtually no usable changeup to speak of, and enough effort in his mechanics to question whether or not he’ll ever be able to fix the former of the two. What he does have, however, is a potential plus curveball, giving him a chance.
Del Pozo’s curveball is a big sweeping breaking ball, with 1-7 movement and sitting in the 76-81 mph range, as he adds and subtracts to it. With two-plane movement, he’s comfortable throwing it to hitters of either hand, and while it gives him a puncher’s chance against righties, it’s an extremely uncomfortable matchup for left-handed hitters.
His ceiling is as an Antonio Bastardo-type player, but that’s still a usable guy to have in your system and use for a few years on the cheap rather than having to go and buy this skill out on the free agent market. –Jeff Moore
Yaisel Mederos, 1B, Baltimore Orioles (High-A Frederick)
Signed out of Cuba this year for $100,000, Mederos has a tall and sturdy frame, packed with a substantial amount of raw power. While Mederos' plus raw power is impressive, there are some issues with his profile that cause pause in evaluating the overall package.
First and foremost, Mederos lacks athleticism. At age 26, this isn't your typical minor leaguer. However, he is already a poor runner and only profiles at first base. His actions there are well below average, and he has poor range. At the plate, he has average bat speed but the swing is elongated through the zone. He stays balanced and can recognize spin, so there is some form of a hit tool evident. I worry about his ability to handle higher velocity, as the swing is more brawny than loose and fluid.
With an interesting case like Mederos, it is important to remember that there is rust involved. He hasn't played in a while, and it clearly shows in his reactions on the field. He's certainly a player to keep an eye on moving forward, but the positional profile and lack of athleticism are potential issues. –Tucker Blair
Jeremy Gabryszwski, RHP, Blue Jays (High-A Dunedin)
Gabryszwski has the size to handle the ridiculous amount of letters sprawling across his shoulders, as he is built like a prototypical innings-eater, though his arsenal doesn’t fit the bill. A 2011 second-rounder, Gabryszwski hasn’t progressed the way the Blue Jays had hoped.
He throws a ton of strikes, but his fastball sits in the 88-91 range and is extremely straight and hittable. His curveball has a tendency to get slurvy, sitting in the 77-80 range but without sharp movement. It’s not a big breaker, but it’s not tight either, also allowing it to be squared up without too much issue. His changeup is a usable pitch with some downward movement on it, but he telegraphs it by changing his arm-angle.
Overall, it’s not an exciting repertoire. His frame is built to start, but at best it’s a back-end profile. –Jeff Moore
Louis Voit, 1B, St. Louis Cardinals (High-A Palm Beach)
Voit has big time raw power, and he shows it off in batting practice routinely. He’s extremely strong and generates backspin, causing the ball to carry exceptionally well.
That power, however, doesn’t not translate well into game action. He still runs into a home run every now and then, when he gets a fastball on the inner half, but he struggles with pitch recognition and shows little to no plan at the plate. Despite his strength, he has just average bat speed, causing him to consistently get beat on the inner half of the plate. He struggles badly with same-side breaking balls, and can get beat on the outer half.
Right-handed hitting power is difficult to find, but despite Voit’s raw ability, it’s unlikely that he’ll ever be able to tap into it against better pitching. –Jeff Moore
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