It’s Saturday, you have things to do, you don’t need to read this. We have told you this how many times? Yet you refuse to follow directions. Sheesh! Anyway, you should know the drill Geoff has Triple-A and Double-A, Rhys White has High-A, and Matt Thompson has Low-A. Proceed to the blurbs!
Greg Deichmann, OF OAK (Triple-A) 1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI
A corner outfielder with on-base ability and power. It comes with some swing and miss - he struck out twice last night - but there’s enough power and approach to make up for it.
Daniel Lynch, LHP KC (Triple-A) 4 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, BB, 4 K, HR Allowed
It really came apart for Lynch in the fourth as he gave up a two run shot to Michael Hermosillo. Command wainned and there was talk that he was possibly dealing with a blister. Cue the Tommy John Surgery. This joke does not represent the views or opinions of Prospects Live, he’s not having Tommy John Surgery.
Zach Reks, OF LAD (Triple-A) 2-for-4, RBI, 3 R, BB
He did not homer as I predicted, instead he got on base three times and crossed the plate each time. I’ve said it a bunch over the first month but I’ll repeat, Reks can hit. He gets on base, there’s more power than he’s shown and he doesn’t need to sell out to get to it. He’s a solid second division regular with a limited defensive profile.
Keibert Ruiz, C LAD (Triple-A) 2-for-5, HR, 2 RBI
It’s June and Keibert is on a burner! Came off the Temporarily Inactive list and produced consecutive multi-hit games. His season slash now sits at .308/.345/.635.
Lewin Diaz, 1B MIA (Triple-A) 2-for-4, HR, 2 R
Obviously Diaz saw my very dismissive blurb yesterday and took exception. Good to see him heating up again, as it had been a tough go for most of May.
Braxton Garrett, LHP MIA (Triple-A) 5 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 5 K
Prediction time, Garrett will be up by the middle to end of next week to take Cody Poteet’s now open spot. There’s other options but Garrett seems to lineup perfectly with Poteet making it an easy roster move. Garrett’s arsenal has evolved from what we saw in 2020, as he’s started to lean on his slider more heavily. This in turn has curbed his curveball usage, which had been his bread and butter as a prep. Still doesn’t feature much velocity and his fastball is frankly pedestrian.
Aaron Ashby, LHP MIL (Triple-A) 7 IP, 2 H, BB, 11 K
Another tremendous outing for Ashby, who was the tough luck loser in this one on an unearned run in the fourth. He mixes four pitches, and the fastball has above-average velocity with a wicked angle. I swear I write the same thing about Ashby every time he pitches.
Bailey Falter, LHP PHI (Triple-A) 5 IP, 5 H, ER, BB, 6 K, HR Allowed
An odd study as all of his pitches are below 2000 RPMs. He has two variations of his fastball with a sinker and a four-seam, his primary secondary is his slider but he goes to his changeup and curveball as well. He generates a lot of grounders and shows above average command.
Mickey Moniak, OF PHI (Triple-A) 3-for-5, 2 HR, 5 RBI
Huge game for Moniak and honestly it might be his best as a professional. His numbers are still rough on the year and there’s not much more than a fourth outfielder here in my not so humble opinion.
Deivi Garcia, RHP NYY (Triple-A) 5.1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 K
It’s been bad enough for Deivi that he might be driving the struggle bus at this point. He’s coming off two really bad starts so this was nice to see. I still believe in Deivi long term. He has good shape on all four of his pitches, as his fastball, slider, and curveball all have above-average vertical movement. While he does a good job of killing lift and generating run.
Luis Garcia, SS WAS (Triple-A) 2-for-4, HR
Over his first 14 Triple-A games in 2021 Garcia hit just .200/.274/.436, showing power and little else. However, since that time he's slashing .380/.405/.500 with a pair of homers. He needs to hit for a high average with average or so power to really be anything more than a second division regular. When you factor in age and abilities I think he can get there within the next two to three years.
Marcus Wilson, OF BOS (Triple-A) 2-for-4, HR, 2 R
Hit his third home run in the last four games as Wilson has continued to look like a potential fourth or fifth outfielder at the major league level. He’s still just 24, but I think he really has to hit to get to second division regular status.
Johan Mieses, OF BOS (Triple-A) 3-for-5, HR, 2 R
His first Triple-A home run as Mieses looks to pickup where he left off in Portland. He has a ton of power and funny enough his contact rates are above-average, and have gotten better each season. He turns 26 in a few weeks. Is it possible he figured some things out? OH BTW… he hit the train!
Tony Santillan, RHP CIN (Triple-A) 7 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 13 K, HR Allowed
He threw 111 pitches in this game and after a rough first two innings, he settled down and dominated over the next five. He’s been tremendous in 2021 as he’s shown tremendous feel for his three pitch mix, particularly his secondaries as his slider is flashing plus with consistency and he’s showing good feel for his changeup.
Khalil Lee, OF NYM (Triple-A) 2-for-3, 2 RBI, BB
He had a rough cup of coffee in the majors earlier this season but in Triple-A, Lee has done what he does best. That’s hit for average and get on base. He hasn’t run much but I would assume that comes at some point. There’s just not much power at present, though many believe he can get to fringe-average game pop at peak, I’m JT one of them.
Jo Adell, OF LAA (Triple-A) 3-for-5, 2 HR, 3 RBI
Had three extra base hits in this game as he pushed his minor league leading home run total to 14. It's double plus game power but can he hit enough at the major league level to get to it?
Oneil Cruz, SS PIT (Double-A) 2-for-4
Call him up to Triple-A you cowards! Cruz is hitting everything right now.
Mason Martin, 1B PIT (Double-A) 1-for-4, HR
The Human Bicep has been mired in a slump for a few weeks so this was a sign of momentum possibly shifting. He has plus power but it’s been a struggle to get to it of late. There’s a lot of risk with this power over hit, first base only profile, but Martin has the pop to make it work.
Sean Hjelle, RHP SF (Double-A) 6 IP, 5 H, ER, 7 K, HR Allowed
Hes 6’11” did you know that? I feel like every time he’s talked about you have to bring up his height or it breaks some internet blogger rule. He doesn’t have big stuff but he throws a ton of strikes. This in turn leads to a fair amount of hard contact. Think about it, below average stuff that’s in the zone constantly. It tends to get hit, outside of a few hard hit balls Hjelle was good last night.
Jordan Groshans, 3B TOR (Double-A) 2-for-4, HR, BB
It’s always a matter of health for Groshans, as he’s dealt with some injuries already in 2021. This home run was a good sign that he’s feeling closer to 100%. Of course Tim Elko scoffs at my assumption only healthy people can homer. On a serious note, follow Groshans over the next few games to see if this becomes a trend. The stars in New Hampshire might be starting to wake up from a quiet May.
Jake Mangum, OF NYM (Double-A) 3-for-5, RBI, 3 R
It’s Regional weekend, of course Mangum is hitting. He probably pretends he’s playing in Starkville right now. He’s likely to be a career bench outfielder but he fits that personality to a tee.
Hunter Greene, RHP CIN (Double-A) 6.2 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, BB, 10 K, HR Allowed
They left him in too long for the second week in a row as he threw 106 pitches a week after throwing 101. On one hand it’s great to see the Reds have confidence in his health and ability to go that deep. On the other they seem to be putting him into situations at the end of his starts where he has to throw under high stress.
Justin Dean, OF ATL (Double-A) 3-for-4, RBI, SB
The former 17th rounder out of Lenoir-Rhyne brings speed and on base ability to the table but little else. It’s a below average hit tool and there’s below average power. A slight bump in bat to ball ability could push him from an up and down profile to bench outfielder.
Jerar Encarnacion, 1B MIA (Double-A) 2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI
A #MassiveHuman with one of the more unusual offensive profiles. Jerar has a ton of swing and miss, and his contact rates are poor, but he hits rockets and that allows him to run a higher average than he should. It’s a three true outcome approach with big raw power, lots of strikeouts, and an acceptable amount of walks.
Brice Turang, SS MIL (Double-A) 2-for-4, RBI, SB
Batting average now up to .284 as my prediction of a .300 batting average by next Thursday takes a step forward. I’ve said it a few times this week but Brice is on a burner. He’s reached base safely in 16 of his last 17 games and is slashing .347/.388/.467 with a home run and six steals.
Jose Miranda, 3B MIN (Double-A) 2-for-6, HR, 3 RBI
Connected for his seventh homer as he hits .313/.383/.554. He’s a bit of an unsung prospect, or in other words an actual “low-hype” type with legit offensive abilities. It’s an average or better hit tool with average game power. He should see promotion to Triple-A St. Paul before long.
Jake Scheiner, 3B SEA (Double-A) 3-for-6, HR, 2 RBI
He’s currently running a .424 batting average in balls in play to buoy that .299 batting average. After slashing .381/.451/.683 the first 16 games of the season, Scheiner has slashed just .182/.234/.386 in the ten games since as he’s run a 42.6% K-rate over that time. There’s some definite game power but the bat to ball skills are below average and he’s old for the level (turns 26 in August).
Nolan Gorman, 3B STL (Double-A) 3-for-5, RBI
Hit leadoff as he further evolves into Nick Madrigal. All joking aside while his power is down, he’s hitting .297 with a much improved contact rate and the lowest swinging strike rate of his career. If he can tap into some of his raw and maintain these improvements we may get the superstar middle of the order bat we anticipated at draft time.
Nick Plummer, OF STL (Double-A) 2-for-5, HR
A first round pick out of the Michigan prep ranks way back in 2015, Plummer has been a disappointment up to this point. Over 1300+ plate appearances from 2015 though 2019, Plummer slashed .199/.345/.315. Which is about as bad of production as you’ll see from a player that has never been released. Something changed in the 18 month hiatus that 2020 provided, as Plummer, still just 24, has slashed .287/.370/.506. He now looks the part of a potential fourth or fifth outfielder with the ability to play all three positions and provide on base skills and some pop in a pinch.
Brett Baty, DH NYM (High-A) 3-for-4, 2 HR, 2B, 2 R, 4 RBI
Baty and Mauricio’s blurbs have been added because of a game that needed to be finished. Baty has been hitting well to start the season and is now starting to tap into his raw power and translate it into game power. Also sorry to anyone that fell for that fake tweet saying Baty was the PTBNL in that weird Red Sox deal that got the Mets Khalil Lee.
Ronny Mauricio, SS NYM (High-A) 3-for-5, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI
Mauricio hit well in the game that took two games to finish, grabbing himself a bomb. I don’t know if I am overrating him but I always want more from him, he’s still young and shows flashes but sometimes I leave a little whelmed when I watch him.
Francisco Alvarez, DH NYM (High-A) 1-for-2, HR, 2 R, RBI
Okay now back to games that actually started yesterday, Alvarez is the best non Adley Rutschman catching prospect in all the minors. Thanks to the power he has shown, his ability to make consistent contact. He is someone I still wonder if he catches longterm, but it’s still so early in his professional career he’s only 19 in High-A.
Liover Peguero, DH PIT (High-A) 2-for-4, 2 R, RBI, SB
Peguero hasn’t played very much after an injury took away most of his May, but when he has played the Pirates shortstop prospect has shown why he is well regarded. Playing a decent shortstop, showing some modest thump in the bat, and having good bat-to-ball skills.
Alex McKenna, OF HOU (High-A) 1-for-4, HR, R, RBI
I go back and forth on what I think McKenna’s ultimate role will be but he just continues to perform and show off a handful of tools at this level. Not sure how he will fare in AA where he will be more age appropriate but can’t complain too much with the way he has been hitting so far.
Tyreque Reed, 1B BOS (High-A) 3-for-5, RBI
He will always have to fight the dreaded R/R first-base profile, and even then he might be growing into a designated-hitter but I’ll stop being a debbie downer for the moment because he is hitting well and hitting for power a month into the season.
Kyle Stowers, OF BAL (High-A) 2-for-4, HR, R, RBI
Stowers with the power, classic power-hitting corner-outfielder with some ability to make consistent contact. The Orioles have seemed to prioritize this type of player in recent drafts.
Jahmai Jones, 2B BAL (High-A) 2-for-2, R
Rehab assignment for Jahmai Jones, collected two hits, and was promptly pulled from the game. He has some major league service time under his belt and did you know he has two brothers that played professional football.
Michael Harris II, OF ATL (High-A) 2-for-4, HR, R, 3 RBI
Harris has been making a ton of contact to start the season, I do have questions though about him because he doesn’t walk much and that significantly lowers the floor on a prospect. I mean he’s possibly Drew Waters 2.0 because of the approach concerns.
Brayan Rocchio, SS CLE (High-A) 1-for-4, HR, R, RBI
Good to see Rochio hit a homer because it’s been a less than stellar month for the Cleveland farmhand. Honestly between him and Bracho it’s been slightly on the underwhelming side, but it’s only a month into the season so not enough time to be concerned just yet.
Tanner Burns, RHP CLE (High-A) 6 IP, 4 H, 6 K
The former Auburn Tiger outside of one blow-up outing(which happens) has been good to start the season and yesterday was no different. You love to see him in the Cleveland player development system the same way Mr. Burns loves Marge’s mom.
Michael Siani, OF CIN (High-A) 2-for-4, 3B, 2B, R
Newcomer to the sheet, mostly because he hasn’t been hitting well to start the season but the younger Siani had some fanfare as a prep draftee. Brother of Sammy Siani in the Pirates org, Michael is known for his ability to defend and to be an impact base runner.
Andy Pages, DH LAD (High-A) 1-for-3, HR, 2 R, RBI, SB
Pages has been hitting really well after a slow start to the season. Showing some power and occasionally pitching in with his legs. At maturity I think there is a chance for thirty homers just with how much power he has and how easily he can tap into it. And to think he could have been an Angel if Arte Moreno wasn’t such a jack off.
Kameron Misner, OF MIA (High-A) 3-for-5, HR, 2B, R, 3 RBI
From one exciting player in the minors to another in Misner. He will have games like this where he hits the snot out of the ball, showing why he is one of the more enticing prospects in all of the minors. The problem with him stems with his approach and his inability to make consistent contact, but when he is hitting it’s fun.
Angel Zerpa, LHP KC (High-A) 5 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
On a team that has a recent top 10 draft pick Angel Zerpa has been the most impressive pitcher on his team, even if this is his “worst” outing of the season. Zerpa has struck out at least 7 in each of his appearances, and yesterday was no exception.
Brady Whalen, 1B STL (High-A) 3-for-5, 3 HR, 3 R, 6 RBI
Who? Well between friends that’s what I said but hey three dingers in a game is impressive and any sort of multi-homer game gets you a spot on this list and more importantly in my heart.
Zade Richardson, DH STL (High-A) 2-for-4, 2 HR, 3 R, 3 RBI
What I mentioned above about multi homer games applies here to the former 22nd round pick out of Wabash Valley Community College. You love to see a juco player perform well in proball even if it is for one evening.
David Hamilton, SS MIL (High-A) 1-for-2, 2 R, 3 RBI, SB
The star of some musical I unfortunately have heard the soundtrack to has been running wild on the basepaths this year, he already has TWENTY stolen bases on the year. When he gets on base he’s gonna run, that’s just what he does.
Austin Shenton, 3B SEA (High-A) 1-for-4, HR, 2 R, RBI
Shenton continues to hit in the early going of the 2021 season, he has been bouncing around the infield playing 3B and 2B showing some versatility.
Kaden Polcovich, 2B SEA (High-A) 3-for-5, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI
Currently in the midst of a 5 game hitting streak where he has hit 5 homers over that span, and has had two multi-homer games. Might be worth taking a flier on him in deeper leagues.
Slade Cecconi, RHP ARI (High-A) 2.1 IP, 7 H, 7 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
Not the outing you want to see from your highly thought of pitching prospect but blow up outings come with the territory. If you ever get bored one evening you can find some of his Tik Toks, where he shows you what it’s like pitching as a professional.
Jose Rodriguez, SS CWS (Low-A) 2-for-4 Game 1 of Doubleheader; 2-for-3, SB Game 2
A pair of singles x2, and this dude seriously might be the White Sox top prospect at this point, which says more about them than him. He’s a fine player though and there’s enough here to be a potential big league regular up the middle. He’s hitting .300/.347/.482.
Andrew Dalquist, RHP CWS (Low-A) 3 ⅓ IP, 4 H, 3 R, 4 BB, 5 K
Dalquist’s struggles continue, and his ERA is now over 7.00 in just 14 innings, which are spread over six starts. He’s walking far too many bats while also giving up too many hits. It’s not been pretty.
Shay Whitcomb, SS HOU (Low-A) 2-for-3, HR
Last year’s Mr. Irrelevant (last pick in the draft) enjoyed a nice ballgame here, hitting his fourth homer. He’s also got three steals and is hitting .287/.333/.447. He’s whiffing too much for this profile though and projects as a future utility man once he starts hitting for more contact.
J.C. Correa, 1B HOU (Low-A) 3-for-4
Did you know Carlos Correa had a brother in the Astros system? You do now. He’s not much of a prospect but can play all over the diamond and has some big league bloodlines.
Yeuris Ramirez, 3B HOU (Low-A) 2-for-2, 2B, SB 3 R Game 1; 2-for-3 HR Game 2
Nice day for Yeuris. I have zero info here but this looks to be his best game as a professional. He hasn’t hit much prior to 2021, but he’s hitting a bit now with a .257/.381/.400 line.
Freddy Zamora, SS MIL (Low-A) 2-for-3, 2 RBI, 2 SB
The Brewers are easing the former Miami Hurricane into pro ball as he’s only played in ten games so far. He’s coming off a torn ACL so this is the right move. Good to see him nab two bags in this one.
Joe Gray Jr., OF MIL (Low-A) 2-for-4, HR, 2B Game 1, 2-for-3, 3B
Joe Gray Jr. has always had the tools, and yes, he’s still striking out too much at a 28.6% clip, but he’s also walking at a double-digit rate and hitting a very nice .293/.366/.646 with eight homers and six steals. Time to add in deep leagues.
Luisangel Acuña, SS TEX (Low-A) 2-for-3, HR Game 1, 2-for-4 Game 2
Acuña with a pair of nice games in this one. He’s right on that line of utility option or second division regular for me, and it’s good to see him hitting again after quite the rough stretch.
DJ Herz, LHP CHC (Low-A) 4 IP, 1 BB, 9 K
Four scoreless and hitless frames for the southpaw while erasing nine hitters via the strikeouts and two more outs on the ground. The Cubs pitching development seemingly has taken big strides over the last few seasons and this is yet another example.
Nasim Nunez, SS MIA (Low-A) 2-for-5, SB
Nasim is seeing a beach ball right now, with nine hits in his last four games. He also picked up his 18th steal in this one.
Nick Yorke, 2B BOS (Low-A) 3-for-4
A trio of singles for Yorke, and that’s ten hits in his last five bal games.
Jhonkensy Noel, 1B CEL (Low-A) 0-for-4
Only posting this because he’s back in the lineup after what was thought to be a serious wrist/hand injury.
Edouard Julien, OF MIN (Low-A) 2-for-3, HR, BB
Two homers in as many games. Julien was doing everything but hitting for pop and now he is doing that too. He did leave the game late, so that’s something to check up on.
TT Bowens, 1B BAL (Low-A) 2-for-4, HR
They lose J.D. Mundy to a promotion and in steps TT Bowens. Milb.com says his real name is Terry Oneal Bowens but he goes by TT. He was an UDFA out of Central Connecticut State and has cranked two bombs in his first four games, hitting .400/.471/.800. Baltimore is having quite a bit of success with UDFA’s and breakouts in the early going.
Vaughn Grissom, SS ATL (Low-A) 2-for-4, 3B, 2 RBI
Grissom put his athleticism on display, legging out a triple in this one. He has shown the ability to hit and looks the part of a future utility man.
Luis Matos, OF SF (Low-A) 2-for-4, 2B, SB
I started the baseline work for my top 500 update and I just kept pushing Matos up because I love the profile. Here’s a glimpse why. He does it all offensively with the frame that gives room for more future power while maintaining his athleticism.
Alexander Canario, OF SF (Low-A) 2-for-4, 2B
It’s been a struggle thus far for AC but he’s coming off of shoulder surgery so I’m cutting him so slack.
Noelvi Marte, SS SEA (Low-A) 2-for-5
He did have three strikeouts in this one but otherwise just another multi-hit game for the talented teenager. He’s firmly inside the top 20 on my update.
Taylor Dollard, RHP SEA (Low-A) 6 ⅓ IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 5 K
Dollard stretched out to 97 pitches in this one. It goes down as one of his worst starts of the year which is still a quality outing. He’s so underrated. Just gets whiffs and keeps runs off the board.
D’Shawn Knowles, OF LAA (Low-A) 3-for-6, BB, SB
Three hits but also three strikeouts for D’Shawn “Don’t Call Me Beyonce” Knowles. Chris Berman would be proud. Chris Berman is also the worst. Knowles is not and is now hitting .278/.333/.389 with four steals.
Jeremiah Jackson, SS LAA (Low-A) 2-for-4, 2B, 4 RBI, 3 R, 2 BB
Double J with a do it all type of day, and hey he didn’t strike out! .216/.307/.454 for the season so far. He’s probably ultimately destined for the outfield but the Angels continue to move him around on the dirt to see if it will work.
Brandon Pfaadt, RHP ARI (Low-A) 6 ⅓ IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 12 K
Pfaadt is too advanced for Low-A. The Bellarmine product has a sparkling 40-to-5 strikeout to walk ratio and is ready for a new challenge.
Robert Puason, SS OAK (Low-A) 3-for-3
Three singles for Puason but he’s got that average up to .240, which over over 100 points higher than it was last week. Well done.