Welcome to the annual series: ‘A Minor (League) Review of 2015.” This series is a great way to receive a quick recap of the ’15 minor league season for your favorite club(s), while also receiving a brief look toward the 2016 season and beyond. It can also be a handy feature for fantasy baseball players in keeper and Dynasty leagues.
Previous Reviews:
Baltimore Orioles
Atlanta Braves
Boston Red Sox
Welcome to the annual series: ‘A Minor (League) Review of 2015.” This series is a great way to receive a quick recap of the ’15 minor league season for your favorite club(s), while also receiving a brief look toward the 2016 season and beyond. It can also be a handy feature for fantasy baseball players in keeper and Dynasty leagues.
Previous Reviews:
Baltimore Orioles
Atlanta Braves
The Graduate: Blake Swihart, C: A swath of injuries to the big league club’s catching depth led to the earlier-than-expected arrival of Swihart in The Show. He looked overwhelmed in the early going but, after missing some time due to injury, the young catcher found his footing and showed why scouts were so high on him. He’s been a stabilizing force behind the plate as he’s become more confident and improved his game calling. He’s also been much better at the plate with improved patience and more contact. The next thing the switch-hitting catcher needs to do is to get stronger from the right side of the plate. Look for Swihart, 23, to be behind the dish for Boston for years to come.
Welcome to the annual series: ‘A Minor (League) Review of 2015.” This series is a great way to receive a quick recap of the ’15 minor league season for your favorite club(s), while also receiving a brief look toward the 2016 season and beyond. It can also be a handy feature for fantasy baseball players in keeper and Dynasty leagues.
Previous Reviews:
Baltimore Orioles
The Graduate: Mike Foltynewicz, RHP: Acquired from the Astros in the Evan Gattis deal, Foltynewicz has a chance to be a real steal for the Braves. The right-hander was probably in the Majors before he was ready and he struggled mightily with his command. However, his overpowering fastball gives him a chance to survive even without his best stuff — most specifically command and control. He has a strong frame that should allow him to provide 200+ innings and could be an excellent No. 3 starter for Atlanta. Some see him as the future closer for the Braves but I remain hopeful that he’ll stick in the starting rotation once he solves his command issues and keeps the ball in the park more consistently.
Welcome to the annual series: ‘A Minor (League) Review of 2015.” This series is a great way to receive a quick recap of the ’15 minor league season for your favorite club(s), while also receiving a brief look toward the 2016 season and beyond. It can also be a handy feature for fantasy baseball players in keeper and Dynasty leagues.
The Graduate: Chaz Roe, RHP: The Orioles featured a veteran-heavy squad in 2015 and, as of the end of August, did not field a true rookie on their roster. Now with his six organization, Roe has been a revelation in 28 relief appearances with the O’s after beginning his career as a starter. The former 32nd overall pick of the 2005 amateur draft has seen his velo tick up in the ‘pen and he’s been more consistent with his command. Look for the 28-year-old hurler to have a larger role in 2016.
Today at the Sophomore Report we look at two pitchers and two hitters experiencing varying degrees of success — and failure — in 2015.
Trevor Bauer, RHP, Indians: The third overall pick in the 2011 draft, Bauer has shown immense promise since his amateur days. He joined the Indians’ promising, young staff on a full-time basis in 2014 and he’s produced very similar numbers again in ’15 — which is actually a bit of a disappointment. Truth be told, he hasn’t improved much on his areas of weakness. His walk rate, which has been an issue in the past, has gone up a bit this year and while his hit rate has gone down, it’s mostly due to a below-average BABIP. In other words, if the rate moves back towards average then it could mean a lot of base runners for Bauer in 2016. And that’s bad news because he’s also struggled with the home run ball and continues to be an extreme fly-ball pitcher. Combine baserunners and home runs on a regular basis and it can make for some ugly outings.
It’s hard to believe the minor league regular season is less than two weeks away from winding down. The playoffs will be here before you know it, which means reviews of the 2015 season are just around the corner!
Tyler Glasnow, RHP, Pirates: With Jameson Taillon on the sideline now for two full years (Tommy John surgery, hernia operation), Glasnow is the undisputed top pitching prospect in the system. Just 22, he opened the year in Double-A but has made his last five starts at the Triple-A level where his ERA sits below 1.00 and his strikeout rate is above 26%. Kiley rates Glasnow’s fastball as a present 65 grade (on the 20-80 scale) with a future grade of 70, while his curveball has 60 potential. With a changeup that also grades as better-than-average, this Pirates prospect has a big-time ceiling and might fit in nicely behind ace Gerrit Cole. He should be ready for The Show by mid-2016 at the latest and he should help shore up a rotation that isn’t overly deep especially with the potential loss of the perennially-retiring A.J. Burnett. [Value Up]
Today at the Freshmen Report we’re taking a look at two young closers and a couple of powerful bats with contact issues.
Roberto Osuna, RHP, Blue Jays: The Jays took a huge gamble with Osuna (and the recently departed Miguel Castro) at the beginning of the year when they jumped the two young arms from A-ball directly into the big league bullpen. The 20-year-old Mexico native has flummoxed veteran hitters with his mid-90s heat, outstanding changeup and above-average command/control He’s also been unflappable — especially given his age and amount of pro experience — often looking like a veteran on the mound in high-leverage situations. Osuna slowly worked his way into the closer’s role on the club and has been one of the anchors in the new-look bullpen, which has gone from one of the worst in the Majors to one of the best. One thing to watch as the Jays fight for life in the post season is his innings count; he’s already at a career high.
Today we look at some prospects who are displaying awe-inspiring power — both at the plate and on the mound.
Bobby Bradley, 1B, Indians: First base prospects don’t tend to get a lot of attention, especially in the low minors, unless they put on ungodly power shows so I’ll forgive you if you’ve never heard of Bradley (although he does have 25 home runs in 91 games). He’s one of Cleveland’s top prospects and he’s quietly having an excellence season given his age (19) and presence in full season ball. The slugger swings and misses more than his fair share but (128 Ks), when he makes contact, he hits the ball a long way. The encouraging thing for me is that the left-handed hitter has acquitted himself quite well against southpaw hurlers. He actually has a higher OPS against them (.894 vs .864). He’s also avoided the streakiness that can hurt a lot of young hitters by having only one really bad month (July) so far this season. Carlos Santana has been a disappointment since moving out from behind the plate and is set to get expensive once his current contract expires after 2016. Bradley is a few years away but could be ready to hit the Majors in 2018 so the club might need a stopgap measure for a season. [Value Up]
Today at the Sophomore Report we look at the good and the bad of four players’ sophomore seasons in 2015.
Travis d’Arnaud, Catcher, Mets: Talented but brittle is d’Arnaud’s reputation and that’s exactly what he’s been this season for the Mets. He’s missed chunks out of the 2015 season and has appeared in just 25 games. During those stretches, though, he’s been solid behind the dish and well-above average with a bat in his hand — as witnessed by his wRC+ of 121. The good news for the Mets is that another former Top-100 prospect , Kevin Plawecki, has been able to fill the void left by d’Arnaud’s trips to the infirmary (although the rookie has been much better on defence as opposed to offence, according to advanced metrics). d’Arnaud remains a pretty big question mark moving forward for the Mets because of his fragility and everyone knows the catching position is not a job for the faint of heart. His skill set wouldn’t play nearly as well at third base but perhaps he’d be athletic enough to handle third base. It’s not an ideal solution to d’Arnaud’s woes but with Plawecki in tow, it’s at least worth consideration.
Today at the Prospect Stock Watch, we’re looking at some players that could enter The Show in 2016 or 2017 and develop into impact performers.
Matt Chapman, 3B, Athletics: Oakland has focused on drafting college hitters in the upper rounds of the draft in recent years and Chapman was the club’s first pick in 2014. In just his first full pro season, the third baseman has shown outstanding pop in the potent California League with a .587 OPS in 77 games (helped by 23 home runs); considering home run potential was a question mark for him entering pro ball this season has to be very encouraging for the A’s. With offseason trade acquisition Brett Lawrie producing modest results at the hot corner (and even spending some time at second base recently), the club may be eager to help erase memories of the Josh Donaldson trade — and Chapman could very well help do that. He might need another full season in the minors but this slugger — and above-average hitter — could make a real impact in Oakland once he’s ready for The Show. [Value Up]