Prospect Hot Sheet (July 22)
This installment of the Prospect Hot Sheet considers what minor league players have done from July 15-21. Remember, this feature simply recognizes what the hottest prospects in the minors did in the past week—it’s not a re-ranking of the Baseball America Top 100 Prospects.
Contributing: J.J. Cooper, Kyle Glaser, Josh Norris and Vince Lara-Cinisomo.
1. Jose De Leon, rhp, Dodgers
Team: Triple-A Oklahoma City (Pacific Coast)
Age: 23
Why He’s Here: 2-0, 1.32, 14 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 20 SO, 3 BB
The Scoop: With Julio Urias nearing an innings limit and the Dodgers’ rotation in a near-constant state of flux, might De Leon help buoy the team down the stretch? After a slow start and a lost month due to shoulder tenderness, De Leon has come on strong of late. He’s whiffed 29 in his last 20 innings, including back-to-back games with 10 punchouts. (JN)
2. Mickey Moniak, of, Phillies
Team: GCL Phillies
Age: 18
Why He’s Here: .471/.550/.529 (8-for-17), 6 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 6 RBIs, 1 BB, 3 SO, 2-for-2 SB
The Scoop: The No. 1 overall pick last month is performing exactly how the Phillies hoped he would in his first taste of pro ball. The highest-profile prospect on a stacked Gulf Coast League squad, Moniak has gone hitless in just five of 17 games as a pro, and has multiple hits in eight of those games. (JN)
3. David Dahl, of, Rockies
Team: Triple-A Albuquerque (Pacific Coast)
Age: 22
Why He’s Here: .455/.538/.773 (10-for-22), 6 R, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 8 RBIs, 1 BB, 6 SO, 1-for-2 SB
The Scoop: One of the brightest prospects in the Rockies’ system, Dahl has the potential to be a five-tool player at the highest level and showed it this week. Not only has he hit in every game since returning from the Futures Game, he’s hit in each of the 14 games he’s played in Triple-A since being promoted on July 4. (JN)
4. Ronald Guzman, 1b, Rangers
Team: Double-A Frisco (Texas)
Age: 21
Why He’s Here: .393/.452/.714 (11-for-28), 6 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 7 RBIs, 3 BB, 7 SO
The Scoop: Long a high-profile prospect, Guzman is finally getting to his power this year by being more compact in his swing, which can get long. He’s making more contact as well. (VLC)
5. Jhailyn Ortiz, of, Phillies
Team: GCL Phillies
Age: 17
Why He’s Here: .438/.526/.813 (7-for-16), 4 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 4 RBIs, 3 BB, 5 SO, 2-for-2 SB
The Scoop: The Phillies liked Jhailyn Ortiz’s power potential when they signed him last July, and he’s rewarding them so far. Ortiz went deep twice more this week, bringing his total to a GCL-best six bombs. Unsurprisingly, he’s also third in the league in slugging, behind Blue Jays prospect Bo Bichette. (JN)
6. Luis Lugo, lhp, Indians
Team: Triple-A Columbus (International)
Age: 22
Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.00, 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 10 SO, 0 BB
The Scoop: Despite his size, the 6-foot-5 Venezuelan is not overpowering, but he has great feel for the strike zone. Lugo, who was not drafted in the Rule 5 Draft last December, has a fastball around 90 mph and mixes it with a solid changeup and improving curve. (VLC)
7. Dominic Smith, 1b, Mets
Team: Double-A Binghamton (Eastern)
Age: 22
Why He’s Here: .414/.438/.655 (12-for-29), 4 R, 1 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBIs, 2 BB, 3 SO
The Scoop: Smith has been a divisive prospect because while he has a level, smooth swing, he hadn’t hit for power despite his size, and because some see him as a low-energy player. But perhaps his recent power surge has allayed some fears. Smith is also a good defender. (VLC)
8. Yandy Diaz, 3b, Indians
Team: Triple-A Columbus (International)
Age: 24
Why He’s Here: .433/.486/.633 (13-for-30), 5 R, 6 2B, 4 RBIs, 4 BB, 4 SO, 0-for-1 SB
The Scoop: Diaz is one of the better hitters in the upper minors and he’s an adept defender at third base. What’s encouraging about his first week back from the Futures Game is that he hit for some power as well with six doubles. Diaz has only 22 extra-base hits all season and has yet to show he has the kind of power that teams look for in an everyday third baseman. (JJ)
9. Willy Adames, ss, Rays
Team: Double-A Montgomery (Southern)
Age: 21
Why He’s Here: .400/.444/.680 (10-for-25), 4 R, 3 2B, 2 3B, 0 HR, 5 RBIs, 2 BB, 6 SO, 1-for-1 SB
The Scoop: One of the youngest players in the Southern League, Adames performed well enough in the first part of the season to earn a berth in the Futures Game. In the second half, he’s continued to shine. He’s gone hitless just once since returning to Montgomery and has put together three multi-hit games in that span. (JN)
10. Sean Reid-Foley, rhp, Blue Jays
Team: high Class A Dunedin (Florida State)
Age: 20
Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.00, 7 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 10 SO, 2 BB
The Scoop: Toronto’s top prospect has dominated since his promotion to high Class A. After walking more than six batters per nine innings in 2015, the 49th overall pick in 2014 has streamlined his delivery to get better command of his fastball and slider. (VLC)
11. Yadier Alvarez, rhp, Dodgers
Team: low A Great Lakes (Midwest)
Age: 20
Why He’s Here: 1-0, 1.80, 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 10 SO, 1 BB
The Scoop: While most of the Dodgers’ high-profile Cuban signees have struggled, Alvarez continues to be a bright spot for Los Angeles. The 6-foot-3, 175-pound righthander, who signed for $16 million in 2015 and has seen his velocity reach triple-digits this year, posted a 1.80 ERA in his first five professional starts in the Arizona League to earn a promotion to Great Lakes. In his first start for the Loons on Wednesday, Alvarez set a career-high with 10 strikeouts, including seven swinging. (KG)
12. Trey Mancini, 1b, Orioles
Team: Triple-A Norfolk (International)
Age: 24
Why He’s Here: .448/.484/.621 (13-for-29), 2 R, 1 2B, 2 3B, 7 RBIs, 1 BB, 7 SO
The Scoop: It’s tough to break into the big leagues as a first baseman. It’s even tougher when you’re coming up through the Orioles system when the big league team has Chris Davis, Pedro Alvarez and Mark Trumbo. But all Mancini can do is to keep hitting. Mancini has hit .314/.362/.485 for his career and he’s hitting .309/.376/.472 since his promotion to Norfolk. (JJ)
13. Luis Urias, 2b, Padres
Team: high A Lake Elsinore (California)
Age: 19
Why He’s Here: .385/.433/.654 (10-for-26), 7 R, 4 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBIs, 3 BB, 1 SO
The Scoop: The precocious teenager took over the Cal League batting lead with another huge week to raise his average to .331 on the year. The youngest player in the league on Opening Day, Urias continues to make quick work of pitchers three years his senior with an unwavering patience that forces opponents to throw the ball over the plate, and elite hand-eye coordination and feel for the barrel allows Urias to pound the ball all over the field when they do. (KG).
14. Jahmai Jones, of, Angels
Team: Rookie-level Orem (Pioneer)
Age: 18
Why He’s Here: .417/.481/.750 (10-for-24), 7 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 3 RBIs, 3 BB, 3 SO
The Scoop: The Angels’ second-round pick in 2015 continues to draw raves from evaluators both inside and outside the organization for his athleticism, explosiveness and makeup. The son of former Detroit Lions linebacker Andre Jones has turned those tools into baseball success this season, fine-tuning his righthanded stroke and pitch selection to the point he is now hitting .331 and has reached base in 29 of 31 games this season while playing a standout center field. (KG)
15. Jesse Winker, of, Reds
Team: Triple-A Louisville (International)
Age: 22
Why He’s Here: .423/.483/.538 (11-for-26), 3 R, 3 2Bs, 2 RBIs, 3 BB, 2 SO
The Scoop: Winker’s 2015 season was cut short by a wrist injury. His 2016 season was interrupted by another wrist injury. Now that he’s back, Winker has continued to make plenty of contact and show an advanced understanding of the strike zone. But the power is still missing. Winker is slugging .380 with Louisville this year. No matter how many singles he hits, a left fielder has to show more thump to get to Cincinnati. (JJ)
16. Mikey White, ss/2b, Athletics
Team: high A Stockton (California)
Age: 22
Why He’s Here: .368/.520/.789 (7-for-19), 6 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 3 RBIs, 3 BB, 6 SO
The Scoop: The A’s second-round pick in 2015 got off to a miserable start but has seen his offense tick up since moving from shortstop to second base in mid-June when Richie Martin was brought up. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Alabama product has hit .297/.388/.455 in 29 games since the making the full-time move to second, compared to a .213/.279/.297 line before while trying to balance the rigors of playing shortstop and succeeding offensively in his first full season. (KG)
17. Manuel Margot, of, Padres
Team: Triple-A El Paso
Age: 21
Why He’s Here: .421/.500/.714 (9-for-21), 7 R, 2 2B, 2 3B, 2 RBIs, 3 BB, 3 SO, 1-2 SB
The Scoop: Margot continued his push for a callup to San Diego with another huge week. The Padres’ top-ranked prospect at midseason ran his hitting streak to 13 games, including three-hit nights twice in the last three games, and is now hitting .345 with an .877 OPS in July, his best marks of any month this season. He is currently blocked with Matt Kemp, Melvin Upton Jr., and Travis Jankowski in the Padres outfield and Hunter Renfroe next in line for a promotion, but Margot is showing he is ready whenever the call comes. (KG)
18. Stephen Gonsalves, lhp, Twins
Team: Double-A Chattanooga (Southern)
Age: 21
Why He’s Here: 0-0, 1.29, 7 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 9 SO, 2 BB
The Scoop: Gonsalves isn’t overpowering, but his low-90s fastball plays up thanks to deception. He needs to mix in his slider and cutter more, but his changeup is solid thanks to good arm action. (VLC)
19. Rafael Devers, 3b, Red Sox
Team: high Class A Salem (Carolina)
Age: 19
Why He’s Here: .385/.448/.538 (10-for-26), 5 R, 4 2B, 2 RBIs, 3 BB, 3 Ks, 2-for-2 SB
The Scoop: The Red Sox’s big four prospects have become the big three now that Anderson Espinoza has been traded to the Padres. Just before the all-star break some may have wondered if Devers deserved to be considered part of that group as well, but he’s gotten put his early-season struggles behind him as he started using the opposite field again. He’s hit .397/.453/.705 in July. (JJ)
20. Randy Cesar, ss, Astros
Team: short-season Tri-City (New-York Penn)
Age: 21
Why He’s Here: .684/.739/.842 (13-for-19), 11 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 5 RBIs, 4 BB, 1 SO
The Scoop: It’s taken a while for Cesar to climb onto scouts’ radars. Signed for $100,000 in the final months of the previous regime in Houston, Cesar didn’t make it to the States until 2014 and he has spent the past three seasons spending the first-half of his summer in extended spring training before heading to a short-season league. But Cesar forced his way to full-season ball by hitting .389/.452/.500 with multi-hit games in seven of his past 10 games with Tri-City. In his first game with Quad Cities, he had another three-hit game. (JJ)
HELIUM WATCH
Chance Adams, rhp, Yankees. A fifth-round selection out of Dallas Baptist last year, Adams was a reliever in college but the Yankees saw something in him that made them believe he’d hold up in the rotation. So far, their conviction has held true. Adams throws all four pitches, and his fastball sits in the low-90s and can touch as high as 97 mph on occasion. His next best pitch is a changeup on which he maintains his arm speed and gets plenty of sink and tail. Scouts project as an average or better offering in the majors. His slider also could be average, and his curveball is a fourth pitch at this point. He’s not without concerns, however. Because he’s just 6 feet tall, his fastball can lack plane at times and it flattens out when he leaves it up and the zone. Case in point, although he’s allowed just six hits in his last 29 innings, three have been for home runs.
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