An Analytical Look At Minor League Free Agents
Starting pitchers with swing-and-miss stuff and passable control. Middle infielders with power. These commodities are in short supply on the minor league free agent market because teams tend to hoard them on 40-man rosters.
The outlook for teams trying to add minor league system depth in other areas—such as speed, corner power, dependable middle-infield defense, effective bullpen help—is considerably more favorable.
For many fans, even hardcore Baseball America prospect watchers, those players who hit the minor league free agent market are simply names on a computer screen. So in this piece I will attempt to add context to those names, with a focus on younger free agents. To do this I determined league percentile ranks for major component statistics—where higher is always better—for all 534 minor league free agents in this year's pool and ranked them accordingly.
In particular, I examined batting average, isolated slugging, speed score, walk rate and strikeout rate for position players. A similar process is carried out for pitchers except that home run rate per nine innings replaces ISO and groundout-to-airout ratio replaces speed score. Position players are split into two groups: catchers, second basemen and shortstops (middle) in one corner and then first basemen, third basemen and outfielders (corner) in the other. Starting pitchers and relievers also are separated into two groups—15 batters faced per game is the dividing line—though I did not compute percentile ranks for relievers.
If nothing else, I hope this piece helps answer the question: Why did my team sign that guy?
Best Hitter
While batting average fails to capture overall player value as well as other statistics, it has currency because of its transparency and simplicity. A .300 average on the 20-80 scouting scale translates to a 70 grade, while those who hit .320 on a consistent basis are 80 hitters.
The overall minor league average is about .255, with some leagues falling well south of that (Gulf Coast, .241; New York-Penn, .243) and others running much hotter (Pioneer, .286; Pacific Coast, .269).
BATTING AVERAGE (C, 2B, SS) | ||||||||
No | Batter | Org | Pos | Age | League | PA | AVG | Percentile |
1 | Iribarren, Hernan | Reds | 2b | 32 | IL | 410 | .327 | 98% |
2 | Maggi, Drew | Dodgers | ss | 27 | TL | 220 | .299 | 95% |
3 | Calixte, Orlando | Royals | ss | 24 | TL | 152 | .295 | 92% |
4 | Butler, Dan | Red Sox | c | 30 | IL | 169 | .308 | 92% |
5 | Joseph, Corban | Orioles | 2b | 28 | IL | 313 | .305 | 90% |
6 | Rosa, Garabez | Orioles | 2b | 27 | EL | 476 | .303 | 90% |
7 | Serna, K.C. | Phillies | ss | 27 | EL | 381 | .295 | 86% |
8 | Reyes, Robelys | D-backs | ss | 26 | CAL | 222 | .298 | 86% |
9 | Pinto, Josmil | Brewers | c | 27 | PCL | 315 | .308 | 84% |
10 | Freitas, David | Cubs | c | 27 | SL | 272 | .286 | 81% |
The Giants subsequently added Calixte to the 40-man roster on Nov. 18 to shield him from selection in the Rule 5 draft.
BATTING AVERAGE (1B, 3B, OF) | ||||||||
No | Batter | Org | Pos | Age | League | PA | AVG | Percentile |
1 | Montero, Jesus | Blue Jays | 1b | 26 | IL | 518 | .317 | 95% |
2 | Denker, Travis | D-backs | 3b | 31 | SL | 257 | .303 | 93% |
3 | Bernard, Wynton | Tigers | of | 26 | EL | 263 | .308 | 91% |
4 | Mitchell, Ronnie | Marlins | of | 25 | SL | 169 | .298 | 89% |
5 | LaMarre, Ryan | Red Sox | of | 27 | IL | 358 | .303 | 89% |
6 | Shuck, J.B. | White Sox | of | 29 | IL | 170 | .299 | 88% |
7 | Murton, Matt | Cubs | of | 35 | PCL | 255 | .314 | 87% |
8 | Herrera, Rosell | Rockies | of | 24 | EL | 494 | .292 | 83% |
9 | Curtis, Jermaine | Reds | 3b | 29 | IL | 346 | .291 | 81% |
10 | Huffman, Chad | Tigers | 1b | 31 | IL | 511 | .286 | 80% |
Best Power
Isolated slugging percentage measures a batter's extra bases per at-bat and is highly dependent on league context. For example, the spread of ISO values ranges from about .140 (Pioneer, Pacific Coast, California) down to about .100 (Gulf Coast, New York-Penn, Florida Sate). While ISO is not the best judge of raw power because batters are penalized for outs made, it is a simple means of determining usable power.
ISOLATED SLUGGING (C, 2B, SS) | ||||||||
No | Batter | Org | Pos | Age | League | PA | ISO | Percentile |
1 | McKenry, Michael | Brewers | c | 31 | PCL | 199 | .245 | 91% |
2 | Quiroz, Guillermo | Indians | c | 34 | IL | 297 | .183 | 87% |
3 | Arencibia, J.P. | Rays | c | 30 | IL | 372 | .179 | 85% |
4 | Sawyer, Wynston | Orioles | c | 25 | CAR | 379 | .181 | 84% |
5 | Pinto, Josmil | Brewers | c | 27 | PCL | 315 | .210 | 83% |
6 | Pena, Roberto | Astros | c | 24 | TL | 217 | .173 | 79% |
7 | Thon, Dickie Joe | Blue Jays | 2b | 25 | FSL | 429 | .142 | 78% |
8 | Brantly, Rob | Mariners | c | 27 | PCL | 315 | .188 | 78% |
9 | Bueno, Ronald | Reds | 2b | 24 | FSL | 173 | .139 | 76% |
10 | Burg, Alex | Rangers | c | 29 | TL | 219 | .168 | 76% |
ISOLATED SLUGGING (1B, 3B, OF) | ||||||||
No | Batter | Org | Pos | Age | League | PA | ISO | Percentile |
1 | Denker, Travis | D-backs | 3b | 31 | SL | 257 | .251 | 99% |
2 | Arias, Junior | Giants | of | 24 | SAL | 223 | .232 | 98% |
3 | Decker, Cody | Red Sox | 1b | 29 | EL | 257 | .249 | 98% |
4 | Dugan, Kelly | Cubs | of | 26 | SL | 322 | .204 | 97% |
5 | Fox, Jake | Phillies | 1b | 34 | EL | 471 | .231 | 97% |
6 | Glaesmann, Todd | D-backs | of | 26 | SL | 147 | .201 | 96% |
7 | Washington, David | Cardinals | of | 25 | PCL | 401 | .272 | 95% |
8 | Huffman, Chad | Tigers | 1b | 31 | IL | 511 | .219 | 93% |
9 | Quintana, Gabriel | Padres | 3b | 24 | TL | 487 | .202 | 92% |
10 | Choice, Michael | Indians | of | 27 | IL | 276 | .210 | 91% |
Best Speed
I created a simple weighted speed metric, inspired by Bill James' speed score, that places batters on a similar scale as isolated slugging. It factors stolen-base attempts, triples and runs scored (minus home runs) as a percentage of times a batter becomes a baserunner, i.e. hits (minus homers), walks and hit-by-pitches. The resulting speed metric has little absolute value because low levels of the minors feature higher rates of triples, stolen-base attempts and miscues, but it has relative value as I apply it here.
WEIGHTED SPEED (C, 2B, SS) | ||||||||
No | Batter | Org | Pos | Age | League | PA | SPD | Percentile |
1 | Calixte, Orlando | Royals | ss | 24 | TL | 152 | .286 | 99% |
2 | Tovar, Wilfredo | Twins | ss | 25 | IL | 494 | .211 | 96% |
3 | Reyes, Robelys | D-backs | ss | 26 | CAL | 222 | .240 | 94% |
4 | Negron, Kristopher | Cubs | ss | 30 | PCL | 419 | .208 | 94% |
5 | Watkins, Logan | Cubs | 2b | 27 | PCL | 378 | .207 | 94% |
6 | Coyle, Sean | Angels | 2b | 24 | TL | 176 | .200 | 93% |
7 | Vinicio, Jose | Red Sox | ss | 23 | IL | 178 | .180 | 92% |
8 | Thon, Dickie Joe | Blue Jays | 2b | 25 | FSL | 429 | .199 | 89% |
9 | Maggi, Drew | Dodgers | ss | 27 | PCL | 162 | .190 | 88% |
10 | Coleman, Dusty | Royals | ss | 29 | PCL | 207 | .182 | 85% |
WEIGHTED SPEED (1B, 3B, OF) | ||||||||
No | Batter | Org | Pos | Age | League | PA | SPD | Percentile |
1 | Perez, Eury | Astros | of | 26 | PCL | 146 | .269 | 99% |
2 | Bernard, Wynton | Tigers | of | 26 | IL | 163 | .233 | 99% |
3 | Adams, Lane | Yankees | of | 27 | EL | 332 | .259 | 98% |
4 | Wilson, Kenny | Marlins | of | 26 | PCL | 358 | .212 | 94% |
5 | Campana, Tony | White Sox | of | 30 | IL | 232 | .189 | 94% |
6 | Ford, Darren | Giants | of | 31 | PCL | 171 | .206 | 93% |
7 | Ford, Darren | Giants | of | 31 | EL | 258 | .211 | 92% |
8 | Perez, Juan | Cubs | of | 30 | PCL | 415 | .195 | 91% |
9 | den Dekker, Matt | Nationals | of | 29 | IL | 421 | .174 | 90% |
10 | Lipka, Matt | Braves | of | 24 | SL | 244 | .218 | 90% |
Campana has the most big league experience—and even stole 30 bases for the 2012 Cubs—while Ford has amassed 449 steals in the minors to easily lead all active players.
Best Patience • Batters
A batter's minor league walk rate (as a ratio of plate appearances) can be deceptive, but the following players stand far above the field for their plate patience. And a patient batter is more likely to see a pitch he can drive.
WALK RATE (C, 2B, SS) | ||||||||
No | Batter | Org | Pos | Age | League | PA | BB% | Percentile |
1 | McKenry, Michael | Brewers | c | 31 | PCL | 199 | 20.1 | 100% |
2 | Walsh, Colin | Athletics | 2b | 27 | PCL | 245 | 16.7 | 99% |
3 | Lerud, Steven | Giants | c | 32 | EL | 214 | 17.8 | 98% |
4 | Rodriguez, Josh | Athletics | ss | 31 | TL | 208 | 14.4 | 96% |
5 | Soto, Elliot | Marlins | ss | 27 | PCL | 190 | 14.7 | 96% |
6 | Sawyer, Wynston | Orioles | c | 25 | CAR | 379 | 16.6 | 96% |
7 | Diaz, Jonathan | Yankees | ss | 31 | IL | 371 | 12.7 | 93% |
8 | Wong, Joey | Rockies | ss | 28 | PCL | 312 | 13.5 | 92% |
9 | Adams, David | Blue Jays | 2b | 29 | IL | 236 | 12.3 | 92% |
10 | Lavarnway, Ryan | Blue Jays | c | 29 | EL | 272 | 12.5 | 90% |
WALK RATE (1B, 3B, OF) | ||||||||
No | Batter | Org | Pos | Age | League | PA | BB% | Percentile |
1 | Marrero, Christian | Phillies | of | 30 | EL | 244 | 18.9 | 99% |
2 | Olt, Mike | Padres | 3b | 28 | TL | 195 | 15.9 | 99% |
3 | Fernandez Jr., Alex | Tigers | of | 23 | GCL | 105 | 16.2 | 97% |
4 | Denker, Travis | D-backs | 3b | 31 | SL | 257 | 15.2 | 97% |
5 | Moncrief, Carlos | Giants | of | 28 | EL | 209 | 13.4 | 95% |
6 | Terdoslavich, Joey | Orioles | 1b | 28 | EL | 459 | 13.1 | 94% |
7 | Krauss, Marc | Mets | 1b | 29 | PCL | 272 | 14.0 | 94% |
8 | Heathcott, Slade | White Sox | of | 26 | IL | 216 | 12.5 | 93% |
9 | Curtis, Jermaine | Reds | 3b | 29 | IL | 346 | 12.1 | 91% |
10 | Puello, Cesar | Yankees | of | 25 | IL | 289 | 12.1 | 90% |
Best Contact • Batters
Strikeout rates tend to run higher in short-season leagues, but the overall full-season minor league rate hovers near 20 percent.
STRIKEOUT RATE (C, 2B, SS) | ||||||||
No | Batter | Org | Pos | Age | League | PA | SO% | Percentile |
1 | Astudillo, Willians | Braves | c | 25 | SL | 342 | 3.2 | 100% |
2 | Joseph, Corban | Orioles | 2b | 28 | IL | 313 | 10.2 | 98% |
3 | Castillo, Wilkin | Blue Jays | c | 32 | EL | 152 | 9.9 | 97% |
4 | Castro, Daniel | Braves | ss | 24 | IL | 229 | 10.9 | 96% |
5 | Lombardozzi, Steve | Nationals | 2b | 28 | IL | 246 | 11.0 | 95% |
6 | Jones, Corey | Tigers | 2b | 29 | EL | 435 | 12.0 | 94% |
7 | Tovar, Wilfredo | Twins | ss | 25 | IL | 494 | 11.9 | 93% |
8 | Torres, Kevin | Rangers | c | 26 | CAL | 181 | 12.7 | 93% |
9 | Falu, Irving | Royals | 2b | 33 | PCL | 172 | 12.2 | 91% |
10 | Valenzuela, Ricardo | Padres | c | 26 | CAL | 144 | 13.2 | 91% |
STRIKEOUT RATE (1B, 3B, OF) | ||||||||
No | Batter | Org | Pos | Age | League | PA | SO% | Percentile |
1 | Shuck, J.B. | White Sox | of | 29 | IL | 170 | 7.6 | 100% |
2 | Kotchman, Casey | Blue Jays | 1b | 33 | IL | 376 | 8.5 | 100% |
3 | Bourgeois, Jason | White Sox | of | 34 | IL | 374 | 8.6 | 99% |
4 | Rosario, Rainel | Red Sox | of | 27 | EL | 354 | 12.1 | 93% |
5 | Curtis, Jermaine | Reds | 3b | 29 | IL | 346 | 12.4 | 92% |
6 | Tejada, Luis | Padres | of | 24 | CAL | 180 | 12.8 | 92% |
7 | Campana, Tony | White Sox | of | 30 | IL | 232 | 12.5 | 92% |
8 | Hoes, L.J. | Orioles | of | 26 | IL | 443 | 13.1 | 91% |
9 | Murton, Matt | Cubs | of | 35 | PCL | 255 | 12.5 | 89% |
10 | Pena, Ismael | Mariners | of | 20 | AZL | 155 | 13.5 | 89% |
Hardest To Hit • Pitchers
The same caveats apply to pitchers as they do batters with regard to batting average. However, flyball pitchers tend to allow lower opponent averages than groundball pitchers because balls hit in the air fall for hits less frequently than ground balls.
OPPONENT AVERAGE (Starters) | ||||||||
No | Pitcher | Org | Pos | Age | League | IP | AVG | Percentile |
1 | Zeid, Josh | Mets | rhp | 29 | EL | 54 | .211 | 94% |
2 | Hall, Brooks | Brewers | rhp | 26 | SL | 75 | .231 | 83% |
3 | Betts, Palmer | D-backs | rhp | 22 | PIO | 39 | .248 | 79% |
4 | Bibens-Dirkx, Austin | Rangers | rhp | 31 | PCL | 85 | .256 | 78% |
5 | Sulbaran, J.C. | Cardinals | rhp | 27 | TL | 96 | .230 | 76% |
6 | Kelly, Casey | Braves | rhp | 27 | IL | 74 | .237 | 72% |
7 | Marks, Justin | Rays | lhp | 28 | IL | 140 | .239 | 71% |
8 | Whiting, Boone | Nationals | rhp | 27 | CAR | 107 | .249 | 70% |
9 | Copeland, Scott | Blue Jays | rhp | 28 | IL | 50 | .241 | 69% |
10 | Morales, Osmer | Mariners | rhp | 24 | CAL | 102 | .258 | 68% |
OPPONENT AVERAGE (Relievers) | ||||||||
No | Pitcher | Org | Pos | Age | League | IP | AVG | BF/Game |
1 | Schepel, Kyle | Mariners | rhp | 26 | CAL | 27 | .138 | 5.3 |
2 | Beliveau, Jeff | Orioles | lhp | 29 | CAR | 45 | .155 | 7.0 |
3 | Paredes, Edward | Angels | lhp | 30 | TL | 44 | .167 | 3.9 |
4 | Lollis, Matt | White Sox | rhp | 26 | SL | 34 | .169 | 6.2 |
5 | Ramirez, Luis | D-backs | rhp | 24 | CAL | 27 | .170 | 4.6 |
6 | Chapman, Jaye | Rays | rhp | 29 | SL | 32 | .173 | 3.4 |
7 | Schepel, Kyle | Mariners | rhp | 26 | SL | 38 | .183 | 6.8 |
8 | Claiborne, Preston | Giants | rhp | 28 | EL | 45 | .186 | 5.2 |
9 | Coleman, Casey | Mariners | rhp | 29 | PCL | 39 | .188 | 5.8 |
10 | Kolarek, Adam | Rays | lhp | 27 | IL | 41 | .194 | 5.1 |
Hardest To Take Deep • Pitchers
Because a pitcher's rate of home runs per fly ball can fluctuate wildly, a larger sample of innings is much more reliable.
HOME RUN RATE (Starters) | ||||||||
No | Pitcher | Org | Pos | Age | League | IP | HR/9 | Percentile |
1 | Alonzo, Jose | Rays | rhp | 23 | NYP | 32 | 0.00 | 100% |
2 | Betts, Palmer | D-backs | rhp | 22 | PIO | 39 | 0.23 | 97% |
3 | Valdez, Cesar | Astros | rhp | 31 | PCL | 138 | 0.52 | 91% |
4 | Vasquez, Anthony | Phillies | lhp | 30 | EL | 101 | 0.45 | 86% |
5 | Tepesch, Nick | Royals | rhp | 28 | PCL | 116 | 0.54 | 86% |
6 | Lawrence, Casey | Blue Jays | rhp | 29 | IL | 87 | 0.52 | 82% |
7 | Kehrt, Jeremy | Dodgers | rhp | 30 | PCL | 56 | 0.64 | 80% |
8 | Copeland, Scott | Blue Jays | rhp | 28 | IL | 50 | 0.54 | 80% |
9 | Richardson, David | Orioles | rhp | 25 | CAR | 81 | 0.45 | 78% |
10 | Greenwood, Nick | Twins | lhp | 29 | IL | 79 | 0.57 | 78% |
HOME RUN RATE (Relievers) | ||||||||
No | Pitcher | Org | Pos | Age | League | IP | HR/9 | BF/Game |
1 | Nina, Aroni | Royals | rhp | 26 | TL | 34 | 0.00 | 5.8 |
2 | Snow, Forrest | Mariners | rhp | 27 | SL | 38 | 0.00 | 6.2 |
3 | Hernandez, Hector | D-backs | lhp | 25 | MWL | 45 | 0.00 | 9.1 |
4 | Feliz, Gabriel | Mets | lhp | 24 | NYP | 26 | 0.00 | 5.5 |
5 | Chaffee, Ryan | Marlins | rhp | 28 | SL | 42 | 0.00 | 6.4 |
6 | Runion, Sam | Nationals | rhp | 28 | IL | 36 | 0.00 | 6.7 |
7 | Wright, Justin | Cardinals | lhp | 27 | TL | 29 | 0.00 | 5.1 |
8 | Thatcher, Joe | Cubs | lhp | 35 | PCL | 22 | 0.00 | 3.6 |
9 | Johnson, D.J. | Angels | rhp | 27 | TL | 69 | 0.13 | 6.6 |
10 | Markel, Parker | Rays | rhp | 26 | IL | 61 | 0.15 | 7.6 |
Groundball Pitchers
A well-timed ground ball with a runner on first base can extricate a pitcher from a jam, but the ground ball can be a double-edged sword. Ground balls never become home runs, but they do become safe hits more frequently than fly balls. The major league average is about .240 on ground balls, but with only rare extra-base hits, while the average on fly balls is closer to .200, but with frequent extra-base hits.
GROUNDOUT-TO-AIROUT RATIO (Starters) | ||||||||
No | Pitcher | Org | Pos | Age | League | IP | GO/AO | Percentile |
1 | Tracy, Matt | Marlins | lhp | 27 | SL | 55 | 1.98 | 99% |
2 | Copeland, Scott | Blue Jays | rhp | 28 | IL | 50 | 1.87 | 99% |
3 | Carroll, Scott | White Sox | rhp | 32 | IL | 60 | 1.70 | 96% |
4 | Jones, Chris | Angels | lhp | 28 | PCL | 118 | 1.90 | 94% |
5 | Volstad, Chris | White Sox | rhp | 30 | IL | 177 | 1.60 | 92% |
6 | Valdez, Cesar | Astros | rhp | 31 | PCL | 138 | 1.80 | 92% |
7 | Loe, Kameron | White Sox | rhp | 35 | IL | 68 | 1.54 | 91% |
8 | Lawrence, Casey | Blue Jays | rhp | 29 | EL | 75 | 1.66 | 90% |
9 | Kehrt, Jeremy | Dodgers | rhp | 30 | PCL | 56 | 1.71 | 90% |
10 | Shibuya, Tim | Dodgers | rhp | 27 | TL | 76 | 1.62 | 89% |
The Blue Jays quickly re-signed Casey Lawrence after he became a free agent this fall. A nondrafted free agent from Albright College in Reading, Pa., signed in 2010, he combines groundball tendencies with above-average control.
GROUNDOUT-TO-AIROUT RATIO (Relievers) | ||||||||
No | Pitcher | Org | Pos | Age | League | IP | GO/AO | BF/Game |
1 | Rowen, Ben | Blue Jays | rhp | 28 | IL | 47 | 3.25 | 5.2 |
2 | Huchingson, Chase | Mets | lhp | 27 | PCL | 27 | 3.15 | 6.2 |
3 | Feliz, Gabriel | Mets | lhp | 24 | NYP | 26 | 2.85 | 5.5 |
4 | Hernandez, Ivan | Orioles | rhp | 25 | CAR | 61 | 2.66 | 9.6 |
5 | Kolarek, Adam | Rays | lhp | 27 | IL | 41 | 2.48 | 5.1 |
6 | Moskos, Daniel | Padres | lhp | 30 | PCL | 61 | 2.34 | 5.1 |
7 | Walden, Marcus | Twins | rhp | 28 | IL | 46 | 2.19 | 5.3 |
8 | Casilla, Jose | Giants | rhp | 27 | EL | 48 | 2.06 | 6.4 |
9 | Marte, Kelvin | Pirates | lhp | 28 | IL | 74 | 1.96 | 8.9 |
10 | Schepel, Kyle | Mariners | rhp | 26 | CAL | 27 | 1.94 | 5.3 |
Best Control • Pitchers
WALK RATE (Starters) | ||||||||
No | Pitcher | Org | Pos | Age | League | IP | BB% | Percentile |
1 | Valdez, Cesar | Astros | rhp | 31 | PCL | 138 | 2.3 | 100% |
2 | Hernandez, Carlos | Rockies | lhp | 29 | EL | 115 | 3.1 | 100% |
3 | Whiting, Boone | Nationals | rhp | 27 | CAR | 107 | 3.7 | 100% |
4 | Lawrence, Casey | Blue Jays | rhp | 29 | EL | 75 | 4.1 | 98% |
5 | Shibuya, Tim | Dodgers | rhp | 27 | TL | 76 | 3.8 | 96% |
6 | Greenwood, Nick | Twins | lhp | 29 | IL | 79 | 3.6 | 96% |
7 | Wilk, Adam | Rays | lhp | 28 | IL | 87 | 3.7 | 95% |
8 | Brady, Michael | Nationals | rhp | 29 | EL | 74 | 4.4 | 94% |
9 | Grills, Evan | Astros | lhp | 24 | TL | 95 | 4.1 | 93% |
10 | Alonzo, Jose | Rays | rhp | 23 | NYP | 32 | 4.0 | 91% |
WALK RATE (Relievers) | ||||||||
No | Pitcher | Org | Pos | Age | League | IP | BB% | BF/Game |
1 | Lambert, Trey | Marlins | rhp | 25 | SAL | 48 | 2.5 | 8.3 |
2 | Mujica, Edward | Twins | rhp | 32 | IL | 46 | 3.1 | 4.6 |
3 | Chapman, Jaye | Rays | rhp | 29 | SL | 32 | 3.4 | 3.4 |
4 | Wooten, Rob | Braves | rhp | 31 | IL | 73 | 3.6 | 8.8 |
5 | Sitton, Kraig | Mariners | lhp | 28 | PCL | 43 | 3.9 | 5.1 |
6 | Guilmet, Preston | Tigers | rhp | 29 | IL | 68 | 4.3 | 4.3 |
7 | Villegas, Kender | Brewers | rhp | 23 | FSL | 71 | 4.3 | 9.4 |
8 | Hernandez, Hector | D-backs | lhp | 25 | MWL | 45 | 5.2 | 9.1 |
9 | Castro, Simon | Rockies | rhp | 28 | PCL | 53 | 5.3 | 4.5 |
10 | Carter, Anthony | Rangers | rhp | 30 | PCL | 21 | 5.4 | 4.4 |
Strikeout Pitchers
STRIKEOUT RATE (Starters) | ||||||||
No | Pitcher | Org | Pos | Age | League | IP | SO% | Percentile |
1 | Morales, Osmer | Mariners | rhp | 24 | CAL | 102 | 27.7 | 100% |
2 | Atkins, Mitch | Red Sox | rhp | 31 | EL | 127 | 26.4 | 97% |
3 | Brady, Michael | Nationals | rhp | 29 | EL | 74 | 21.8 | 82% |
4 | Buckner, Billy | D-backs | rhp | 33 | SL | 73 | 23.0 | 82% |
5 | Garcia, Edgar | D-backs | rhp | 29 | SL | 62 | 22.3 | 78% |
6 | Valdez, Cesar | Astros | rhp | 31 | PCL | 138 | 20.5 | 75% |
7 | Marks, Justin | Rays | lhp | 28 | IL | 140 | 21.7 | 72% |
8 | Mora, Gregor | Dodgers | rhp | 21 | PIO | 27 | 21.9 | 71% |
9 | Wilk, Adam | Rays | lhp | 28 | IL | 87 | 21.2 | 70% |
10 | Richardson, David | Orioles | rhp | 25 | CAR | 81 | 20.1 | 70% |
STRIKEOUT RATE (Relievers) | ||||||||
No | Pitcher | Org | Pos | Age | League | IP | SO% | BF/Game |
1 | Ramirez, Luis | D-backs | rhp | 24 | CAL | 27 | 35.8 | 4.6 |
2 | Chapman, Jaye | Rays | rhp | 29 | SL | 32 | 35.0 | 3.4 |
3 | Beliveau, Jeff | Orioles | lhp | 29 | CAR | 45 | 34.0 | 7.0 |
4 | Stoffel, Jason | Orioles | rhp | 28 | EL | 29 | 33.3 | 4.6 |
5 | Schepel, Kyle | Mariners | rhp | 26 | CAL | 27 | 33.0 | 5.3 |
6 | Cleto, Maikel | Braves | rhp | 27 | IL | 21 | 33.0 | 4.7 |
7 | Thatcher, Joe | Cubs | lhp | 35 | PCL | 22 | 32.7 | 3.6 |
8 | Malm, Jeff | Dodgers | lhp | 26 | CAL | 29 | 32.5 | 5.6 |
9 | Snow, Forrest | Mariners | rhp | 27 | SL | 38 | 32.4 | 6.2 |
10 | Stoffel, Jason | Orioles | rhp | 28 | IL | 30 | 31.1 | 4.3 |
The Angels signed Malm as a pitcher in February 2015 but didn't retain him after 15 games (including six starts) at Rookie-level Orem. The Dodgers signed him for 2016, and he went to spring training expecting to be a position player once again. Ultimately, he wound up back on the mound and made his first appearance in the California League on April 28. He made it back to Double-A in July, this time as a pitcher. While he got lit up in his first and last outings in the Texas League, he recorded a 0.56 ERA with 13 strikeouts and three walks in 16 innings in between. Malm will focus on preparing to pitch this offseason and could be a sleeper.