The Freshmen Report: Lobstein, Sanchez, Smith, Tomas

Today in The Freshmen Report we’re going to look at, among other things, the White Sox’s second base job and a potential heir apparent to Fernando Rodney in Seattle.

Previous Reports:
Freshmen May 4
Freshmen April 23

Kyle Lobstein, LHP, Tigers: If there is one thing the Rays know how to do it’s develop pitching. Lobstein is one of those lucky individuals, even though he was traded to the Tigers midway through that process. He’s not flashy but southpaws don’t have to light up the radar gun if they can command and control the ball. He averages just 86 mph but utilizes a four-pitch mix, including the trendy cutter. Despite his lack of velocity, Lobstein has a sturdy frame with a history of providing lots of innings — and he’s continued that in the Majors by averaging almost 6.0 innings a game. The big worry with this rookie right now is the lack of strikeouts. His rate sits at just 4.08 K/9 but he’s offset that by inducing ground balls at an above-average rate. Justin Verlander is getting closer to returning from the disabled list so Lobstein may have to shift to the bullpen in June, unless (or, perhaps, until) another injury crops up.

Carlos Sanchez, 2B, White Sox: In early April I wrote a piece suggesting Sanchez was a better long-term bet than Micah Johnson. The Sox, though, felt the latter was the better option, at least in the short term, and the former spent 29 games hitting well in Triple-A. Johnson didn’t embarrass himself in the Majors but he struck out too much, didn’t hit for any power and struggled to make an impact on the base paths (where his greatest strength lies). He also wasn’t that great in the field. As a result, Sanchez will now be given an opportunity to prove me right. He doesn’t have a loud, stand-out tool other than his bat. He won’t hit a ton of home runs and he doesn’t have plus speed, although he could nab 10-12 with regular playing time. Sanchez is just a good, instinctual hitter who should hit in the .270-.290 range while sprinkling in extra base hits and free passes.

Carson Smith, RHP, Mariners: Current Mariners closer Fernando Rodney has been successful in nine of 10 attempts but his ERA currently sits at 5.65 and he’s walked eight batters in 14.1 innings. He’s also 38 years old has never been the most consistent pitcher. As a result, the club is no doubt in the market for a new ninth-inning man. The ideal short-term and long-term man might be freshman hurler Carson Smith. The right-hander has shown command/control, possesses a wipeout slider and induces a plethora of ground-ball outs. He’s got a solid fastball although it averages around 93 mph — solid but not eye popping. Despite that fact, the fastball-slider combination has resulted in an 11.34 K/9 rate. Add in the ground-ball rate and the low walk rate (2.16 BB/9) and you have an arm that could pitch in any situation.

Yasmany Tomas, IF/OF: Diamondbacks: I wrote about Tomas when Jake Lamb got hurt and stated that the Cuban import would receive a shot to prove himself. Well, he hasn’t done a great job of making anyone forget Lamb. Tomas has played a pedestrian third base while hitting just two extra base hits in 21 games. In fact, he has as many doubles as stolen bases. His isolated slugging stands at .034 (Power hitters typically start around 200). The good news is that Lamb has started to ramp up his rehab efforts to return from a foot injury and could be back in late May or early June. At that point Tomas should return to Triple-A and, if the Diamondbacks are smart, he’ll shift into the outfield where he can focus on his bat (ie. rediscovering his power stroke) and worry less about his defence.