Andrew Vaughn’s scouting report and fantasy impact for 2021 for the Chicago White Sox
Reds Prospects Likely to Debut in 2021
The Cincinnati Reds are next on our Players Likely to Debut series. In case you missed it, we have already rolled out over half the league.
AL East: Red Sox — Yankees — Orioles — Blue Jays — Rays
NL East: Marlins — Braves — Phillies — Mets—Nationals
AL Central: Tigers — Royals — White Sox—Twins—Cleveland
NL Central: Cardinals
Below, you will find a list of three prospects from the respective organization. Each prospect will have a number score next to their name — this number will represent the estimated amount of time we anticipate that player seeing at the big-league level. Players that have already made their big-league debut will not be included on this list.
BREAKDOWN OF TIME ON ROSTER SCORES:
1 — September call-ups / guys that are likely to see less than 20-25 games on the roster
2 — 1/4 of the season (roughly 40 games on roster)
3 — 1/2 of the season (roughly 80 games on roster)
4 — 3/4 of the season (roughly 120 games on roster)
5 — Full season on the MLB roster
Cincinnati Reds
Position — Name (Time on Roster Score)
RHP — Tony Santillan (3)
The loss of Trevor Bauer is not to be taken lightly. Coupled with the fact that Sonny Gray and Luis Castillo have heard their names in numerous trade discussions, this starting rotation could look significantly different at season’s end.
While he was once viewed as one of the best prospects in their system, Santillan has seen his stock slip over the last couple seasons. He’s likely to make a couple spot-starts on an as-needed basis with the majority of his work coming in a relief role.
LHP — Nick Lodolo (2)
This is the name that Reds fans are likely most excited to see on a big league field. Their first selection in the 2019 draft, Lodolo is the best left-hander — possibly the best pitcher overall — they have in the minors. Standing 6-foot-6 and pumping mid-90s heat from the left side can be intimidating by itself. However, there’s likely room for him to add a few pounds to his 205-pound frame.
His arsenal of fastball, slider, and changeup are enough for him to be an effective starter, but it’s his ability to throw strikes and control the zone that will truly carry him to the middle of the starting rotation. If you’re looking for something to balk at, you’ll find it by simply looking at the lack of experience — he’s only thrown 18.1 innings of professional ball. That said, they were about as impressive as you could ask for. During the 2019 campaign he faced a total of 74 batters — he struck out 30 of them. For those of you keeping score, that’s a 40% K%.
SS — Kyle Holder (1)
Players that are garnering the Time on Roster Score of ‘one’ are typically going to be guys that get a September call-up. That’s not the case with Holder as he was a recent acquisition — having been traded by the Phillies soon after they selected him from the Yankees in December’s Rule 5 Draft. The reason he is unlikely to see much time is simply because he has never played above Double-A, doesn’t possess much upside, and won’t do much to help the Reds win games. Was that too harsh?
When the calendar hits June, you should not be surprised to see someone else starting at shortstop for Cincinnati. Unfortunately for them, the free agent market has all but dried up. However, Jose Garcia has much more upside and could be a much better option without having to acquire talent through trade. If that’s not the route they want to go, Kyle Farmer is the only other option currently on the 40-man roster.
Notable
The big name that was left off here is Vladimir Gutierrez. Similar to Santillan, he’s another guy that has seen his stock drop and will likely be best served as a bullpen fixture where he can spotlight his breaking ball, potentially developing the control to serve as a spot-starter or backend rotation piece. Riley O’Brien and Jared Solomon are a pair of right-handed pitchers that are currently on the 40-man roster and could work their way into a few innings as taxi-squad regulars.
Photo Credit: Cincinnati.com
Twins Prospects Likely to Debut in 2021
The Minnesota Twins are next on our Players Likely to Debut series. In case you missed it, we have already rolled out the AL and NL East.
AL East: Red Sox — Yankees — Orioles — Blue Jays — Rays
NL East: Marlins — Braves — Phillies — Mets—Nationals
AL Central: Tigers — Royals — White Sox
Below, you will find a list of three prospects from the respective organization. Each prospect will have a number score next to their name — this number will represent the estimated amount of time we anticipate that player seeing at the big-league level. Players that have already made their big-league debut will not be included on this list.
BREAKDOWN OF TIME ON ROSTER SCORES:
1 — September call-ups / guys that are likely to see less than 20-25 games on the roster
2 — 1/4 of the season (roughly 40 games on roster)
3 — 1/2 of the season (roughly 80 games on roster)
4 — 3/4 of the season (roughly 120 games on roster)
5 — Full season on the MLB roster
Minnesota Twins
Position — Name (Time on Roster Score)
SS — Nick Gordon (1)
This is the year that we finally get a glimpse at the fifth overall pick in the 2014 MLB Draft. Unfortunately, it’s likely just that — a glimpse. Gordon is no longer a highly-regarded prospect in this organization as he’s seen his stock plummet year after year. Middle infield is a strength of this team in 2021 so there won’t be much run for him, however a late season call-up would allow the Twins to see what exactly he has at the big league level.
If the club found themselves in a position where they were out of contention, they might look to trade away players like Jorge Polanco and Andrelton Simmons, the later of which signed a one-year deal this year. If that scenario were to happen, consider Gordon a lock to be the stop-gap for the remainder of 2021.
RHP — Jhoan Duran (1)
In recent years, names like Randy Dobnak and Jordan Balazovic have been the often-discussed prospects when it comes to arms. However, Duran could turn into the best option of that bunch. Since coming over in the trade that sent Eduardo Escobar to Arizona, the 23-year-old hurler has posted a 10.71 K/9 while flashing a plus fastball and plus splitter — a combination that will also help him keep the ball on the ground.
RHP — Bailey Ober (2)
Having shown signs of development during the 2019 campaign, Ober was certainly impacted by the lack of a season last year. Over his 78.2 innings pitched two years ago, the now-25-year-old posted an 8-0 record, allowed just six earned runs, walked a half-dozen batters, and struck out 100 batters. A case could have been made that he would have been up in 2020 had there been a full season.
Currently on the 40-man roster, the Twins may call on him to provide innings out of the bullpen in 2021. He could also see a few spots starts throughout the year given his ability to command the strike-zone and keep hitters off base. A 6-foot-9 frame does not often translate into above-average command and control, however, that’s exactly what the Twins have seen so far from Ober. If he is able to continue that trend, you may see a lot of him over the next few years.
Notable
This might sound contrary to what the consensus is around baseball, but it doesn’t seem like there is much playing time available to Royce Lewis in 2021. Many outlets might provide a path for the former No. 1 overall pick, however it doesn’t seem likely given the recent moves to bolster the MLB club. Alex Kirilloff was not included on this list for one reason — technically he already made his debut, despite his playoff appearance last season not counting toward service time.
Royals Prospects Likely to Debut in 2021
Nationals Prospects Likely to Debut in 2021
The Washington Nationals are next on our Players Likely to Debut series. In case you missed it, here’s a look at all the teams that we have covered so far.
AL East: Red Sox — Yankees — Orioles — Blue Jays — Rays
NL East: Marlins — Braves — Phillies — Mets
Below, you will find a list of three prospects from the respective organization. Each prospect will have a number score next to their name — this number will represent the estimated amount of time we anticipate that player seeing at the big-league level. Players that have already made their big-league debut will not be included on this list.
BREAKDOWN OF TIME ON ROSTER SCORES:
1 — September call-ups / guys that are likely to see less than 20-25 games on the roster
2 — 1/4 of the season (roughly 40 games on roster)
3 — 1/2 of the season (roughly 80 games on roster)
4 — 3/4 of the season (roughly 120 games on roster)
5 — Full season on the MLB roster
Washington Nationals
Position — Name (Time on Roster Score)
LHP — Tim Cate (2)
While he doesn’t strike you as a Nationals “top prospect”, Cate has all the makings of a quality relief pitcher. Now, that’s not exactly what you’d like to see from a second round (2018) draft selection, but with non-roster invitee Luis Avilan listed as the only left-hander other than Brad Hand to have over one full season of service time, it seems reasonable that Cate could get chances in the bullpen this season.
Nationals Pitching Coordinator Brad Holman has gone on the record discussing Cate’s progress.
“Tim can spin a curveball well above average,” Holman said. “His changeup and two-seamer have really come along. He was able to get the ball sinking arm side where he used to have a little issue cutting the ball. He would kind of cut it on accident glove side. He learned how to make that ball go the other way now.
Seth Romero and Ben Braymer round out the lefties currently listed on the 40-man roster. While Romero is a name you may know, neither of those guys should stand in the way of Cate and his big-league debut.
OF — Nick Banks (1)
At 26 years of age, Banks isn’t much of a prospect anymore — not that he ever was. The Nationals expressed their feelings for him by choosing not to protect him from last year’s Rule 5 Draft. Ultimately, no team selected him and Banks now finds himself in position to earn a promotion if/when any health issues should arise in the outfield landscape.
Nothing more than positional depth, he could work his way into a big-league lineup since 33-year-old Yadiel Hernandez is the only minor league outfielder currently on the 40-man roster. Any absence of Josh Harrison or Andrew Stevenson could pave the way for Banks to make his debut.
RHP — Steven Fuentes (1)
A very veteran-laden bullpen — at 28 years of age Austin Voth is likely the youngest member — could ultimately make things difficult for guys like Fuentes and Cate to perform their way up. The most likely scenario comes through injuries to others. With every team certain to go through at least a handful throughout the year, the idea that Fuentes could see some innings is very reasonable.
Notable
If you haven’t noticed yet, the Nationals do not have many ready-for-the-big-leagues type prospects. Even further, with the exception of Romero (having made his debut last season), Banks (No. 19) and Fuentes (No. 20) are the only names inside the Nationals top 20 to see action above High-A. In fact, of the higher ranked names, infielder Yasel Antuna (No. 3) and right-handed -pitcher Joan Adon (No. 5) likely have the soonest ETA and neither one of them have performed above Low-A ball. In the case of Antuna, who spent 2019 recovering from Tommy John surgery, he hasn’t played competitively in three years.
The days of Juan Soto, Victor Robles, Carter Kieboom, and Luis Garcia providing excitement for the farm system are gone. You’ll have to wait until at least 2022 before any of the current top prospects make an impact.
Mets Prospects Likely to Debut in 2021
The New York Mets are next on our Players Likely to Debut series. In case you missed it, here’s a look at all the teams that we have covered so far.
AL East: Red Sox — Yankees — Orioles — Blue Jays — Rays
NL East: Marlins — Braves — Phillies
Below, you will find a list of three prospects from the respective organization. Each prospect will have a number score next to their name — this number will represent the estimated amount of time we anticipate that player seeing at the big-league level. Players that have already made their big-league debut will not be included on this list.
BREAKDOWN OF TIME ON ROSTER SCORES:
1 — September call-ups / guys that are likely to see less than 20-25 games on the roster
2 — 1/4 of the season (roughly 40 games on roster)
3 — 1/2 of the season (roughly 80 games on roster)
4 — 3/4 of the season (roughly 120 games on roster)
5 — Full season on the MLB roster
New York Mets
Position — Name (Time on Roster Score)
LHP-Thomas Szapucki (4)
Szapucki came back from Tommy John to post some solid strikeout numbers between three levels in 2019, and was healthy in 2020 at the team’s alternate camp. He features a fastball, a sweeping slurve, and a changeup that he has been working on. There’s a strong chance he could make the rotation out of camp, but if not, he would be a good arm out of the bullpen with a fastball that can touch 95mph.
3B-Brett Baty (1)
Baty, the first-round draft pick in 2019 and the first pick at third baseman by the Mets since David Wright, was added to the 60-man roster in 2020. He has a slugger’s build at 6’3, 215 lbs and based on reports, seems to be a bat-first profile. Depending on how the Mets are doing in the standings in September, and if Baty hits in his newest assignment, he could see a few at-bats in September. Now I don’t see him lighting it up but the Mets could call him for the exposure.
RHP-Sam McWilliams (3)
The Mets got into a bidding war for McWilliams when they signed him in December 2020. The 6’7 right-hander got the attention of teams by sharing his Trackman data from the Rays alternate site and it stood out. McWilliams has touched 99 MPH and features a four-seam fastball and a slider. He, more than likely, will be a bullpen arm.
Notable:
Catcher Patrick Mazeika could get a call up at some point. The 27-year-old catcher should get the opportunity to see what he can do at the major league level. Another catcher to get to know in the system is Francisco Alvarez.
Photo Credit: Mets Insider (MLBlogs.com)
Phillies Prospects Likely to Debut in 2021
Rays Prospects Likely to Debut in 2021
The Tampa Bay Rays are next on our Players Likely to Debut series. In case you missed it, we rolled out the AL East all week.
AL East: Red Sox — Yankees — Orioles — Blue Jays
Below, you will find a list of three prospects from the respective organization. Each prospect will have a number score next to their name — this number will represent the estimated amount of time we anticipate that player seeing at the big-league level. Players that have already made their big-league debut will not be included on this list.
BREAKDOWN OF TIME ON ROSTER SCORES:
1 — September call-ups / guys that are likely to see less than 20-25 games on the roster
2 — 1/4 of the season (roughly 40 games on roster)
3 — 1/2 of the season (roughly 80 games on roster)
4 — 3/4 of the season (roughly 120 games on roster)
5 — Full season on the MLB roster
Tampa Bay Rays
Position — Name (Time on Roster Score)
2B — Vidal Brujan (3)
The Rays are not afraid to give players a chance. In recent years, you’d be hard-pressed to find an organization that used as many players as they did over the course of a full season. The club now has several top prospects that are ready for their chance. Brujan is ready for the big leagues and, if the club decides to move Brandon Lowe into a more full-time outfield role, the keystone is there for the soon-to-be 23 year old. High walk rates, low strikeout rates, and a knack for stealing bases — that’s what you can expect to see when he arrives in Saint Petersburg, FL.
SS — Wander Franco (3)
You have waited long enough. The Rays have waited long enough. There is nothing left for the No. 1 prospect in baseball to do, except take the field at Tropicana Field. He participated in the LIDOM Dominican Winter League earlier this winter, before ultimately leaving his Leones del Escogido team with shoulder soreness and biceps inflammation after playing just five games.
Willy Adames is a serviceable shortstop for the club, but Franco is the future. Perhaps the best 2021 scenario comes by keeping Adames at short and lining Franco up at third base. Joey Wendle’s bat might play-up in a super-utility/depth role. Regardless of how the team handles him, the time has come for the game’s most anticipated debut.
LHP — Shane McClanahan (2)
Drafted from the nearby University of South Florida, McClanahan made his Double-A debut late in the 2019 season. His overall numbers look promising, however his 2020 Spring Training got off to a rocky start. He pitched 2.2 innings in his first three appearances, allowing seven hits and eight earned runs. His fortunes turned over his next three games as he pitched 3.1 innings of shutout ball, allowing four hits and striking out seven.
With a fastball that gets up to 98mph and a plus breaking ball from the left side, there is a lot of bullpen risk here. The Rays are decimated with injuries to key pitchers like Yonny Chirinos (Tommy John surgery), Brendan McKay (labrum surgery), Jalen Beeks (Tommy John surgery), Brent Honeywell (arthroscopic elbow surgery), and Colin Poche (Tommy John surgery) so the Rays could use McClanahan for spot starts, long relief, or he could be a rotation regular if the injuries continue to pile up.
Notable
With Nate Lowe now on the Rangers, brother Josh Lowe has aspirations of a big-league debut in 2021. The absence of a season last year was a big detriment to the 22-year-old outfielder. Lowe saw huge gains in 2019 while playing for Double-A Montgomery, belting 18 home runs and stealing 30 bases.
The Rays have put an emphasis on developing infielders in recent years and while they have several guys that are ahead of him in the rankings, former Florida State shortstop Taylor Walls has steadily built up his profile and could make his debut later this year. Awarded as the team’s 2019 minor league pitcher of the year, Joe Ryan was also included in the 60-man player pool for the 2020 season. As stated previously, the Rays utilize a lot of arms throughout the course of a season. Once he’s added to the 40-man roster, Ryan could be a useful arm for the Rays this year.
Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Times
Blue Jays Prospects Likely to Debut in 2021
Orioles Prospects Likely to Debut in 2021
The Baltimore Orioles are next on our Players Likely to Debut series. In case you missed the previous two installments, the AL East is being rolled out this week. Here’s a look back at where it all started.
Below, you will find a list of three prospects from the respective organization. Each prospect will have a number score next to their name — this number will represent the estimated amount of time we anticipate that player seeing at the big-league level. Players that have already made their big-league debut will not be included on this list.
BREAKDOWN OF TIME ON ROSTER SCORES:
1 — September call-ups / guys that are likely to see less than 20-25 games on the roster
2 — 1/4 of the season (roughly 40 games on roster)
3 — 1/2 of the season (roughly 80 games on roster)
4 — 3/4 of the season (roughly 120 games on roster)
5 — Full season on the MLB roster
Baltimore Orioles
Position — Name (Time on Roster Score)
Given their recent struggles, you could make a significant case that the Orioles should have way more than three prospects likely to make their MLB debut. However, for simplicity sake, here’s a look at three players that you should see at some point during the 2021 campaign.
RHP — Michael Baumann (3)
It should comes as no surprise to see Baumann’s name on this list. For starters, he is very highly regarded among many of us at Prospects Live and he inspired the first-ever Prospects Live Love Story, sorry Jason Kamlowsky.
Entering his age-25 season, the right-hander has proven himself throughout his time in the minors and has little left to prove. He’s pitched 297 innings in the Baltimore organization since being drafted in the third round of the 2017 MLB Draft. Unlikely to blow hitters away, much of his success can be attributed to his ability to inducing ground balls and keep the ball in the park.
Only four pitchers have thrown more minor league innings over the last three seasons (2017-2019) and allowed fewer home runs than the 15 that Baumann has surrendered. Their names? Matt Manning, Tucker Davidson, Daniel Tillo, and Nick Nelson. While Baltimore likely waits until May to call him up, Baumann should soon be reunited with his college teammate at Jacksonville, Austin Hays.
OF — Yusniel Diaz (4)
This is the moment that I admit that I was wrong about one thing. A couple of years ago we published our Bold Predictions for the 2019 season, I announced that Diaz was going to outlast Vladimir Guerrero Jr and win the AL Rookie of the Year. I was way off. Fast forward a bit and here we are again. No, he won’t win the ROY award in 2021, but he will give Orioles fans something to cheer about.
LHP — Zac Lowther (2)
Having been drafted one round ahead of Baumann in 2017, Lowther has operated well under-the-radar in the Orioles system. Coming in at No. 20 on our list of 2021 Baltimore Orioles prospects, the left-hander turns 25 years old shortly after Opening Day. He doesn’t have huge upside but the Orioles could benefit from bringing him up for a spot start or two to see what he can do against big-league bats. In 326 innings pitched he’s posted a 2.26 ERA while striking out 380 batters. Like the aforementioned Baumann, his ability to keep the ball in the park — only 17 home runs allowed — could be a boost in the rotation or in the bullpen given the hitter-friendly Camden Yards, and entire AL East for that matter.
Notable
You may have noticed that DL Hall was not mentioned above, he could have easily been included on this list. He’s currently not on the 40-man roster and with his high-upside, it may not be in the club’s best interest to get the service-time clock going just yet. I do expect to see him this season, but do’t expect it to be more than a late-season ‘let’s see what we have heading into next year’ type of situation.
Tyler Nevin and Rylan Bannon are names to keep an eye on as well. Although Rio Ruiz has shown some reverse splits, faring better against lefties than righties, but given his poor overall batted-ball profile don’t be surprised to see the left-hander lose some at-bats to either one of these right-handed hitting infielders.
Yankees Prospects Likely to Debut in 2021
In the second installment of our Players Likely to Debut series, the focus shifts to the New York Yankees. If you didn’t see Monday’s list, here’s a look at where it all started.
AL East: Red Sox
Below, you will find a list of three prospects from their organization. Each prospect will also have a number score next to their name — this number will represent the estimated amount of time we anticipate that player seeing at the big-league level. Players that have already made their big-league debut will not be included on this list.
BREAKDOWN OF TIME ON ROSTER SCORES:
1 — September call-ups / guys that are likely to see less than 20-25 games on the roster
2 — 1/4 of the season (roughly 40 games on roster)
3 — 1/2 of the season (roughly 80 games on roster)
4 — 3/4 of the season (roughly 120 games on roster)
5 — Full season on the MLB roster
NEW YORK YANKEES
Position — Name (Time on Roster Score)
The Yankees’ system is loaded with several pitching prospects we could see make their debut in 2021. In addition, the club has a few positional players with high ceilings, despite most of them being a year or two away. New York has good pitching depth in their system that could provide an impact in 2021 since they, once again, look like early favorites in the AL East.
RHP-Luis Medina (1)
The 6-foot-3 right-hander spent time at the alternate site in 2020, and there was a reason for that. He flashes three plus pitches, a fastball that touched 102mph, a power curve, and a changeup. Plus, as Kyler Peterson discussed on his live look back in April 2019, he “will not be able to get past advanced hitters until control is refined.” He is projected to start the season at the Yankees’ new Double-A affiliate in Somerset, NJ. If he can work on the control of his secondary pitchers, there’s a chance you could see him in September.
RHP-Luis Gil (1)
Another hard-throwing right-handed starter in the Yankees system, Gil made two starts in the Dominican Winter League for Tigres del Licey. Just like Medina, the primary focus is to work on control. His slider was making headlines at the Yankees’ alternate site, which is a good compliment to his plus fastball. Gil is expected to join Medina at Double-A Somerset.
RHP-Alexander Vizcaino (2)
Vizcaino got a 40-man roster spot this off-season, and rightfully so. The right-hander, who turns 24 years old in May, turned heads with 101 strikeouts in 87.2 innings at Charleston in 2019 before earning a promotion to Tampa. Traditionally a starter in the minors, he spent the spring of 2020 pitching out of the bullpen. He throws a fastball, slider, and a plus changeup. He’s one of the best athletes in the Yankees system and like the previously mentioned arms, also posses a fastball with heat. He might be the closest of the group and may earn a call up to the Yankees bullpen if he can succeed in Double-A.
Notable:
A 2020 first-round draft pick, Austin Wells could be a fast riser in the Yankees’ system. The catcher hit .308 for Yarmouth-Dennis in the Cape Cod League in 2019 so adjusting to wood bats should not be an issue. It would be a long shot for Wells to get a September call up — as he is not on the 40-man roster — but he is a player to watch.
Another name that was added to the 40-man roster this off-season, righty Roansy Contreras is also a long shot to get a September bump. Pitching at High-A for the first time, you’ll want to monitor his success as he could climb quickly.
Photo Credit: Newsday
