2021 White Sox Prospect Notes

[Padres]

6. Ian Lewis, 2B, Marlins

Age: 18. B-T: B-R. Ht.: 5-10. Wt.: 177. Signed: Bahamas, 2019.

Lewis was the top prospect from Bahamas when the Marlins signed him in what is looking like a stacked 2019 international class for Miami that also included with righthander Eury Perez and shortstop Jose Salas.

Lewis is a quick-burst athlete with explosive movements, both in the field and in the batter’s box. A wiry 5-foot-10 when he signed, Lewis has added considerable strength to his frame over the last two years with more room to fill out while staying lean and athletic. Lewis has good hand-eye coordination to make frequent contact from both sides of the plate, with the additional strength helping him drive the ball with more impact with a lot of damage against fastballs.

With Jose Salas and 2021 first-rounder Kahlil Watson on the team, Lewis primarily played second base, which is where he probably fits best, though he did get time at third and a little bit at shortstop, too. He’s a plus runner who has quick feet and good body control in the field with smooth double play turns.

Player, Pos, Team (Org) AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG
Ian Lewis, 2B, Marlins 149 24 45 10 5 3 27 11 24 9 4 .302 .354 .497

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... prospects/

[Padres]

Phillies: Bryson Stott, SS (MLB No. 97), Peoria Javelinas

Stott played a big part in Peoria’s marathon 16-13 win over Mesa. The Phillies’ No. 2 prospect tallied three hits, drove in five runs and walked once in his fourth multihit effort of the Fall League. The lefty slugger plated the first run of the game with a sacrifice fly before lacing a two-run single in the fourth to even the score. He had another RBI single in Peoria’s seven-run sixth and added his final two RBIs on a third single in the top of the ninth to extend the Javelinas’ lead to five. Stott’s 15 total RBIs are third in the AFL behind the Royals’ Seuly Matias and the Cardinals’ Juan Yepez.

https://www.mlb.com/news/arizona-fall-l ... e-coverage

• 1B-3B Elehuris Montero (No. 4)

The trade of third baseman Nolan Arenado brought lefty starter Austin Gomber, who helped the big club’s rotation, and as the season progressed Montero began justifying the prospect return.

After a poor Spring Training during which he pressed, Montero set a Double-A Hartford club record with 22 homers (in 92 games), then hit .278 with six homers in 28 games with Triple-A Albuquerque. His 230-pound body projected better at first base than third. Again, DH opportunities could help him escape positional crowding.

https://www.mlb.com/news/rockies-minor- ... 021-review

[Padres]

Guardians of the checkbook: Do you think Steven Kwan can be a good MLB starter in a similar mold to Arraez or Mardrigal? His AA and AAA numbers are excellent and 2.5% SwStr% doesn’t grow on trees

12:20
Kevin Goldstein: He’s a strange guy to wrap your head around, but that could be said for Arraez and Madrigal as well. The question becomes just how valuable that profile is as a corner OF?

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/kevin-golds ... 1-22-2021/

Kwan, 24, is one of the best contact hitters in the minor leagues with plus on-base ability and the defensive chops to handle all three outfield positions. He flashed newfound game power in 2021 after making swing adjustments, making him a must-add for the Guardians.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... e-5-draft/

Steven Kwan, OF, Indians

This season: 153 wRC+ ranks 18th in minors at 300 PA
Age next season: 24

Kwan had a reputation as more of a slap hitter at Oregon State when Cleveland drafted him in the fifth round in 2018. He hit just three home runs in his first two pro seasons and then missed 2020 to the pandemic. But Kwan muscled up heading into 2021 and focused on making impact as much as contact. He also added a slight leg kick and learned to pull the ball more often.

Kwan homered seven times with Double-A Akron and has added five more in one month with Triple-A Columbus to quadruple his career total for homers. He has managed the feat while still retaining his fine batting eye—34 walks, 31 strikeouts—and a .402 on-base percentage.

Slowed by a hamstring injury this season, Kwan is more of an above-average runner than plus, but he is instinctual enough to see time in center field and perhaps reach double-digit steals. But as a 5-foot-9 outfielder without huge power, he will need to tread the Brett Gardner or Adam Eaton path to relevancy.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... y-leagues/

Steven Kwan, OF, Guardians

The Guardians made Kwan a fifth-round pick out of Oregon State in 2018 because of his contact-hitting skills, solid speed, ability to play all three outfield spots and high baseball IQ. He boosted his prospect stock this year by displaying increased power, hitting .328/.407/.527 with 12 homers in 77 games between Double-A and Triple-A after slugging .388 in his first two pro seasons.

https://www.mlb.com/news/top-unranked-p ... e-coverage

[Padres]

Ryan Noda, INF/OF Dodgers

Acquired by Los Angeles as the player to be named later in the trade that sent Ross Stripling to Toronto, Noda has long been a name familiar to statline scouts due to his high walk rates (18.1% career walk rate) and good overall markers (153 career wRC+, .408 wOBA). The Dodgers did work on his swing coming into 2021, opening his setup and adding a leg lift timing mechanism. It paid dividends throughout 2021 as Noda’s bat stayed in the zone longer, subsequently leading to more contact and improved contact quality. A lefty hitter and thrower, Noda has split time between the outfield and first base, and has shown the ability to handle each position competently.

While his power played up in Double-A, Noda’s calling card is still his on-base ability. Arguably one of the best at drawing walks in the minor leagues the last three seasons, his low-chase approach is driven by his discerning eye at the plate and excellent swing decisions. It’s led to some of the best statistical production in the minors the past two years and provides a strong foundation for his offensive game. However, the ability to tap into more of his raw power in 2021, slugging .521 with 29 home runs, was an improvement that put him on “a few clubs' radars this winter," per sources. One analyst with an AL club described him as having “the best shot to stick (on a 26-man roster) of the sluggers available with success at or above the Double-A level.”

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... t-preview/

Left field: Ryan Noda, 25, Double-A Tulsa
.250/.383/.521, 29 HR, 78 RBI, 15 2B, 15.6 BB%

Noda is becoming more than just the other prospect the Dodgers acquired in the Ross Stripling deal. He had a strong season with the Drillers and is on the Luke Raley/Zach Reks path to the majors. I’m not sure if that last part is actually a good thing, but he has a enough power and a good enough eye to at least get a shot in the bigs.

http://dodgersdigest.com/2021/11/01/202 ... pect-team/

[Padres]

JD: I suspect this is a common question: are there any major pop-up prospects that you guys became aware of after the last 2021 update (e.g. Elly on the 100) but before you post the first 2022 lists?

Eric A Longenhagen: hmmmm, there are a bunch of guys who ended the year as 45s who I’m pretty sure I’ll 50 this offseason (Stott, Winder, probably Foscue) but I can’t think of a hueg pop-up guy off the top of my head ...

TBD: What are Pedro Leon‘s chances of reaching the bigs?

Eric A Longenhagen: pretty high, mostly because of the rare defensive flex he has as a MIF/CF. Don’t know if his swing enables him to catch topside fastballs, probably a 4 bat with good power for his size, still in the 45 FV area for me after Fall League look ...

Ray: Did either Miguel Vargas or Andy Pages FV jump with their performances in 2021?
Vargas answered the power question and Pages answered the question on plate discipline.

Eric A Longenhagen: There have been pro-Vargas 50 FV arguments from my sources in the past. IDK, max 105 exit velo (which is indicative of like 40 raw power) from a guy who projects to play 1B? Love his feel for contact, think he’s a big leaguer for sure, just maybe not a 2-3 WAR 1B every year with that kind of power.

Eric A Longenhagen: Pages i’ll just leave a 50 on, there’s still K risk there ...

Mrs Phanatic: What made Stott jump from a 45 to a 50?

Eric A Longenhagen: best shape he’s ever been in, bending and moving and throwing with a more athletic look than in college. basically looks like a slam dunk SS now ...

Thomas: Thought’s on Gabriel Moreno playing 3rd base? Does it make sense to move him there permanently, if the bat is so good you don’t want him resting 2 days a week?

Eric A Longenhagen: i never saw him do it in AFL. I’m pro catcher versatility in general ...

Kate: Everyone seemed certain Steve Kwan had no chance of developing real pop and then he went and seemed to hit for more pop last year. Is he another guy with a great hit tool who has been able to level up on power in a way that many thought he couldn’t? Or was this a fluke?

Eric A Longenhagen: hit tool driving all the power out put. Max exit velo this year was like 101mph, which is a 20 on the big league scale ...

Kate: Between Jose Rodriguez (CHW) and Tovar, who do you see as having the higher offensive upside? Tovar has the larger frame, but it sounds like most aren’t super hopeful that he can develop meaningful pop.

Eric A Longenhagen: Kate’s questions are good.

Eric A Longenhagen: Rodriguez has higher upside because of the bat speed/power but I’d take Tovar over him. Tovar’s actually slighter of frame even though his measurables don’t make it seem that way. Rodriguez more explosive rotator, bigger bat speed. Tovar is the better SS defender, has a more dynamic bat path, better feel for contact, Rodriguez’s approach is scary ...

Bort: Vargas’s max exit velo didn’t tick up this year?

Eric A Longenhagen: was 104 in 2019, 105 this year.

Eric A Longenhagen: again, he’s been young but not projectable ...

jaysfan9293: any clarifications for why gabriel moreno and orelvis martinez were left as 50 fvs? moreno projects as not only a plus catcher but one with an elite hit tool and potential 20-25 hr power (baseball america has him as their 8th overall prospect), while orelvis has at least equalled noelvi marte and marco luciano’s performances at the same levels (while being a couple of months younger than both).

Eric A Longenhagen: it’s just offseason update time, that’s all. Moreno’s hit tool isn’t “elite”, his approach dials it down ...

Roctober: Elehuris Montero recoup any of his lost prospectdum?

Eric A Longenhagen: he’s just a 40 for me, which is still a big leaguer. No idea how he fits in with Cron/McMahon entenched ...

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/eric-longen ... t-12-3-21/

[Padres]

Considered the presumptive third baseman in D.C. going into Spring Training 2021, Carter Kieboom struggled at the plate in Grapefruit League action (going 5 for 45, .133 AVG, with two doubles and a triple in 17 games) before the Washington Nationals’ brass decided they would send their 2016 1st Round pick to Triple-A to start the season.

Kieboom, 24, came back up briefly when the club was hit with a COVID outbreak before Opening Day, but he didn’t get regular at-bats in the majors until late July, right before a sell-off kicked off a reboot of the entire organization.

The club was eager to see what Kieboom had been working on.

“They said he made some changes to his swing,” Davey Martinez said when the Nats called Kieboom up to the majors again on July 24th, after he recovered from a knee injury which kept him out of action in the preceding weeks.

“I’m curious to see — other than watching video,” Martinez said, “just watching how he goes about his business up here, and how he attacks the pitchers.

“But most of all I just want him to go out there and have fun, make the plays, and just go out there and help us win.”

Kieboom struggled out of the gate back up with the Nationals, hitting just .200 (4 for 20 with no extra base hits) in the first games, before he went on a nice run in the month of August, going 20 for 74 over a 21-game stretch (.270/.368/.473 line, three doubles, four home runs, nine walks, and 21 Ks).

“I’ve been trying to get ready to hit for the last year and a half and I think I’m finally ready to hit,” Kieboom said early in that stretch.

One at-bat against the Cubs, he said, changed things for him and it clicked.

“I felt something kind of different, and then from there, just taking that same feel to every single at-bat now and I think that’s been the biggest difference.”

“I just feel like I’m in control in the batter’s box now,” he added in an August 5th Zoom call.

“I feel like I’m giving myself a huge chance to succeed at this point, versus in the past I was scuffling and I wasn’t driving the baseball. So, I’m ready to hit now, and in terms of being comfortable and slowing it down, I think just experience, being up here last year and a little bit the year before, and being around all these guys all the time in Spring Training, just gives you a sense of being comfortable. So yeah, I feel a lot better, and I think that’s just because of being ready to hit and as well as being up here for a couple years now.”

The adjustments he made which Martinez was eager to see, Kieboom said, were mental and mechanical.

“I mean, I think it’s a little combination of both. I think it’s mentally start your swing earlier and then mechanically move your body,” he said.

“So yeah, I think it’s just you get ready as early as you can and be comfortable with being uncomfortably early.”

His manager liked the changes he saw when he got a good look at Kieboom in person.

“He’s done a lot better this time around, he really has,” Martinez said. “He’s got a lot more confidence. Every day I see him he’s getting more and more confidence, so — and he’s swinging the bat well. He’s playing defense — I know he’s been working with [bench and infield coach Tim Bogar] ... but he’s playing a lot better.”

Kieboom wasn’t able to sustain that success, however, and over the final weeks of the 2021 campaign, he went just 21 for 122 at the plate (.172/.252/.246), with three doubles and two home runs over 32 games and 135 PAs down the stretch, in which he walked 12 times and struck out 34 times.

His manager talked over the final weekend of the season about where he’d seen the young infielder grow and what Kieboom still needs to work on going forward.

“His defense has definitely improved, you know, for me,” Martinez explained. “He’s only been playing that position for a short time. He has gotten better. Of course, he’s got to continue to work and get better, but I’ve seen that get better, and also, even though his numbers don’t say it, his at-bats have been a lot better, they really have. And the other day, after missing a couple of days, I thought he had a really good day at the plate. He hit three balls pretty good, got a couple hits, and for me it was more effortless, his at-bats the other day, and I’m going to talk to him today about that, just a lot more — less effort, talking about him jumping at the ball, just staying back, using your hands a little bit, and just trying to hit the ball up the middle.

“I had the same conversation with [Kyle] Schwarber when we moved him to leadoff, just try to hit singles, and I told [Kieboom] yesterday, and he had a good day, so I’m going to reiterate that to him, just go up there and just try to hit singles and get on base and good things will happen.”

Kieboom told reporters in early August that the support he’d received from the organization as he’s struggled since first coming up, and as he’s failed to take advantage of the multiple opportunities he’s received over the last few years, has meant a lot to him.

“It’s huge,” he said. “As a player, you just want the support. They all understand that this game is tough and everybody goes through struggles at times, and it’s never — it’s kind of unfortunate that it was when I was first starting to come up here that I struggled, so it made it a little more difficult, but I will always appreciate the Nationals for how they stuck with me throughout that process and gave me another opportunity, so that’s huge and I’ll be grateful for that forever.”

With the organization working to get back to contending though, the time to prove he’s part of the future in the nation’s capital is now.

“I think he’s shown flashes offensively of a power stroke, he knows the strike zone very, very well,” GM Mike Rizzo said over the final weekend of the 2021 campaign. “It’s a matter with him of making adjustments. He started off with six quick home runs, and the league made an adjustment with him, now it’s time for him to make adjustments to the league, and the great ones do it, and the average ones don’t.

“The jury is still out if he can make those adjustments, but he’s got the skill set and the tools to be a really good player in the big leagues, and again, we just have to have patience with a player who was a high school draft [pick] that takes a little bit longer to develop.”

“Adjusting to a new position,” Rizzo said of the shortstop-turned-third-baseman.

“He’s got to get better ... I’ve seen improvement in his footwork and his throwing motion so let’s see if he takes the next step.”

“We look at the Robleses and the Kiebooms and that type of thing,” Rizzo continued, “... and they’re 24 years old. If they were college draft picks they’d be in Double-A right now, so it’s kind of the way developmentally how I have to think of it, but there’s a time to be patient, and there’s a time to act, and I think that we have to have a good balance of that.”

https://www.federalbaseball.com/2021/12 ... third-base

[Padres]

Dylan Lee rode a strong season as a reliever in Triple-A to a very late call to the majors, and then found himself in the World Series record books when all was said and done.

How Acquired

Dylan Lee was drafted by the Miami Marlins in the 10th round of the 2016 draft out of California State University, Fresno (Fresno State). He was never really a prospect, and was transitioned to relief after 19 mediocre starts in A-ball in 2018. After a poor 2019 in Triple-A and what must have been a not-particularly-inspiring alternate site performance in 2020, he was released by the Marlins at the end of Spring Training in 2021 and signed with the Atlanta Braves on April 15, 2021, where he was assigned to pitch at the Triple-A level once the minor league season began.

Expectations

After sitting out the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Lee found himself out of a job as the Marlins opted to release him before Opening Day. Outside of the 2016 and 2017 seasons, Lee had been used exclusively as a reliever in the minors, including stops at Triple-A in 2018 and 2019. For the Braves, Lee was a still-young arm with enough upside to serve in a regular relief role at Gwinnett with the benefit of a full suite of options were he needed to fill in at the major league level. Still, Lee hadn’t really succeeded in relief at the Triple-A level yet, and hadn’t posted sparkling relief numbers since 2018 at Double-A, and no one was really expecting him to pitch in the majors, much less the playoffs, in 2021.

2021 Season Results

Lee’s season at Triple-A saw his strikeout rate increase over his prior two Triple-A seasons, but the big difference for him was cutting his walk rate down to below four percent. With a 2.61 FIP and 1.54 ERA in those 46 2/3 innings for Gwinnett, Lee’s strong showing led to two late-season call-ups with Atlanta, first as a replacement for Touki Toussaint when the latter was placed on the bereavement list (and Edgar Santana went on the paternity list), and then again on October 1, when Santana went on the 10-day IL and Sean Newcomb was optioned to Triple-A.

Lee made his MLB debut on the day of his second addition to the roster, striking out one and giving up a hit in meaningless, post-clinch, 4-3 loss to the Mets. His second appearance occurred the next night, pitching another inning and striking out two, but giving up a two-run homerun to Michael Conforto in the eighth inning of a meaningless 6-5 Braves victory over the Mets. He didn’t appear in the season’s final regular-season game, but nonetheless made the NLDS roster.

What went right? / What went wrong?

Lee made significant progress in reducing walks while with Gwinnett, a key to finding an organizational role in the future. Although he only pitched in two games with Atlanta in the last week of the regular season, he evidently showed enough to make three appearances in the post-season. All-in-all, it was a successful season for the 27-year-old rookie reliever.

Road to the Title

Lee was a surprising addition to the Braves NLDS roster, given that he’d only appeared in two games during the regular season. He did not, however, make it into a game as the Braves won in four. Lee was then removed from the postseason roster in favor of Chris Martin for the NLCS against the Dodgers, but ended up replacing the injured Huascar Ynoa as an option before Game 4 of the NLCS. Lee made is postseason debut pitching two innings in Game 5. He allowed one of Chris Taylor’s three home runs that night, but otherwise struck out two without walking a batter in 11-2 blowout loss.

After the Braves advanced, Lee kept his spot on the Braves’ World Series roster, first appearing in the Game 2 loss to the Astros, replacing Max Fried in the top of the six after Fried exited with two on and nobody out. He induced Kyle Tucker to ground into a forceout for the first out of the inning. The next batter, Yuri Gurriel, hit into a run-scoring fielder’s choice, although Gurriel reached base after an Ozzie Albies error. Lee then allowed a double steal before striking out Jose Siri. He was replaced by Jesse Chavez who retired Martin Maldonado to end the inning.

As the Braves headed into Game 4, up 2-1 in the series, there was uncertainty on who would start – or open – the game for the Braves. When the Braves announced Dylan Lee as the starter, he found himself in the position to make World Series history, becoming the first player in MLB history to make his first major league start in the World Series.

Although the Braves won the game – thanks in large part to the work Kyle Wright and the defense behind him provided in relief – Lee struggled in the opening frame. After giving up a single to Jose Altuve to start the game, Lee walked Michael Brantley after a 3-1 count. He was able to strike out Alex Bregman but issued another free pass, this time walking Yordan Alvarez on four straight pitches. Lee exited for Wright, who limited the damage to one run after a groundout from Carlos Correa and a strikeout of Kyle Tucker.

Although it was the shortest start for a pitcher in the World Series in 37 years, Lee retained a sense of humor in his reply to a postgame press conference question about his thoughts to Braves manager naming him the starter, sheepishly saying, “... I know I’m a reliever now.”

All in all, Lee cost the Braves WPA/cWPA in each of his three postseason appearances, so he never actually had a positive-cWPA outing for the year. But still, what a thrill for him to go from released in Spring Training, to his major league debut, to a World Series title, before which he ended up pitching three postseason innings.

2022 Outlook

Lee will likely be a fringe bullpen arm coming into Spring Training in 2022. Given that he has options, the Braves could shuttle him between Gwinnett and Atlanta throughout the season, if his performance dictates. Like with pitchers in general, and especially relievers, limiting walks will be a key for Lee’s success. If he can carry over the progress he made in Triple-A to limit free passes while retaining an above-average strikeout rate, Lee could find himself a role as a regular low-to-mid leverage reliever next season.

https://www.talkingchop.com/2021/12/5/2 ... -in-review

[Padres]

Adam Macko, 20, LHP

2021: 2-2, 4.59 ERA in 33 1/3 innings with Modesto

Macko, a native of Slovakia who grew up in Alberta, was a seventh-round pick in 2019. He accounted well for himself as an 18-year-old after the draft in 2019, posting a 3.38 ERA with 31 strikeouts in 21 innings. He got a much bigger challenge in 2021.

After the missed season of 2020, Macko threw 33 1/3 innings in Modesto, striking out 56. Macko has his season was cut short by a non-structural injury, but when he pitched, there were some good signs.

Macko, who turns 21 in December, had three consecutive 10-strikeout games in May.

“He had moments that were really wonderful,” Weiner said. “I don’t think the ERA is reflective of the year he had. He pitched much better than that suggests.”

Macko has a solid frame and delivers his fastball on an uphill plane and offers a massive curveball. He showed the ability to command a nice slider at times in 2021 and, “has all of the raw tools to do some cool things to a baseball,” Weiner said.

Macko pitched the entire season as a 20-year-old in High-A and was nearly two years younger than the average player in that league. He’s still developing, but there were signs this season that big things could be coming.

https://theathletic.com/2916726/2021/10 ... ed-article


Mariners Prospect Adam Macko Has a Quality Curveball (and an Even Better Backstory)
by David Laurila

First, a bit of history:

The major league annals include just two players born in Slovakia. One of them is Elmer Valo, an outfielder for six teams from 1940-1961 who hailed from the village of Rybnik. The other is Jack Quinn (born Johannes Pajkos), a pitcher for eight teams from 1909-1933 who drew his first breaths 333 kilometers away in Štefurov. Both came to the United States at a young age, their families settling in the Pennsylvania.

Adam Macko hopes to follow in their footsteps, albeit via pathways. A native of Bratislava, Slovakia, Macko moved to Stoney Plain, Alberta, Canada when he was 12 years old — a year in Ireland bridging the Atlantic journey — and then to the southern part of the province where he spent three years at the Vauxhall Baseball Academy before being selected by Seattle in the seventh round of the 2019 draft.

Profile-wise, Macko is more finesse than power, albeit not by a wide margin. The 20-year-old called himself “a command lefty” when offering a self scouting report, but that belies a velocity jump that saw him clocked as high as 97 mph in spring training. In his first start of the season, Macko sat 92-96 with his four-seamer while hurling four scoreless innings for the Low-A Modesto Nuts. Mixing and matching effectively, the southpaw set down seven Stockton Ports batters on strikes.

His curveball is his best pitch. Even so, it’s a work-in-progress.

“It’s a spike, and I’ll spin it up to 3,000 [rpm] every once in a while,” said Macko, who shared that he was first introduced to the nuances of pitching in 2014. “I had been spiking it with my index finger curled up on the ball, but this offseason I started taking it completely off. I’m trying to get comfortable with that. It’s hard to repeat, the less fingers you have on the ball, but the less fingers you have on the ball, the more it moves. I’ve been sacrificing some location to make sure the movement is there.”

Macko also throws a cutter-ish slider and a two-seam circle changeup that he grips with his middle and ring fingers split “just enough to take off some spin.”

That he’s playing baseball at all is, of course, the most-intriguing part of his story. Slovakia is far from a baseball hotbed — ditto the neighboring Eastern and Central European nations — yet the 6-foot, 195-pound southpaw fell in love with the sport. Being in the right place at the right time played a big role.

“Honestly, it’s crazy to me even now,” said Macko. “It was my first or second day of school, in Grade One, and we were hitting Ball-Pit balls off a tee into a mat. They told us, ‘There’s this game called baseball and you can sign up if you want to.’ It was a lot of fun for me — I enjoyed hitting balls off the tee — so I was like, ‘You know what? Why not?’”

Macko went home and told his parents that he’d signed up for baseball.

“They were like, ‘What the heck is that?’ Macko recalled. “I don’t think they had any idea that baseball even existed. It was always about soccer and hockey in Slovakia. Looking back, I think that might even have been the only school that had a baseball club connected to it. I was definitely lucky in that regard.”

He also played soccer, but not competitive hockey. Skating mostly outside on frozen ponds, Macko harbored no dreams of one day becoming the next Marián Hossa or Stan Mikita. What he wanted was to become the next David Price or Justin Verlander. Given where he grew up, that likelihood must have seemed like a million miles away.

Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia, and Macko’s family lived roughly 20 minutes away in “a village of about 30 houses.” The area is picturesque — mountains and castles dot the landscape — but with stop-watches and radar guns few and far between. Baseball exists, albeit only in the margins. As Macko noted, ‘There are some good players there, but it’s next to impossible to get any exposure. As hard as that is in Canada, it’s about 200 times as hard in Slovakia.”

The same is true in Ireland, where Macko’s family spent a year “getting a head start on being able to speak English” while waiting for their Canadian visas. It wasn’t a year without baseball. Already smitten with the sport, Macko was able to hook on with a youth team outside of Dublin. Portending his future in professional baseball, he suited up for the Greystone Mariners.

Macko is currently ranked as the 13th-best prospect in the Seattle system by Baseball America. Per Eric Longenhagen, he’ll slot in the 11-16 range when our our own list comes out in the not-too-distant future.

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/mariners-pr ... backstory/

[Padres]

Freddy Tarnok Offers Tantalizing Upside

The Braves added four players to their 40-man roster at the Nov. 19 reserve roster deadline, thus shielding them from the Rule 5 draft.

Outfielder Drew Waters was the highest profile addition, along with hard-throwing righthander William Woods. Joining them were righties Brooks Wilson and Freddy Tarnok, both of whom could make their MLB debuts in 2022.

Wilson finished last season in Triple-A Gwinnett, where he allowed one run in six innings. Purely a reliever, the 25-year-old Wilson was sensational in Double-A Mississippi, posting a 2.45 ERA in 33 relief appearances. He struck out 73 in 44 innings.

Tarnok, meanwhile, possesses intriguing upside as a player who wasn’t pitching until his sophomore year at Riverview (Fla.) High. The 2017 third-round pick finished the season with Mississippi, where he had a 2.60 ERA in nine starts.

Over two levels, the 23-year-old Tarnok fanned 109 hitters while limiting opponents to a .209 average in 73.1 innings.

There’s no doubt Tarnok has major league caliber stuff, but he has battled injuries throughout his minor league career. He could transition to the bullpen, but his base traits give hope he could eventually become a mid-rotation starter.

Tarnok’s fastball velocity sits in the mid-to-upper 90s. He has three additional pitches, including a dangerous curveball that is the system's best. While still raw, his mix makes him one of the most fascinating prospects in the farm.

Braves manager Brian Snitker commended Tarnok on several occasions during 2021 spring training.

The win-now Braves are willing to give young players opportunities. Lefthander Dylan Lee made Atlanta's postseason rosters despite just two career appearances, both of which came the last weekend of the regular season.

Righty Spencer Strider, who likewise debuted in early October, was considered for a postseason roster spot.

Expect Wilson and Tarnok to get their first big league opportunities in 2022.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... ng-upside/

[Padres]

Before getting released by the Miami Marlins at the end of spring training, Dylan Lee was living in a camper that he hauled behind his truck to save money. Now, he’s a World Series champion, newly married and about to move into a Tennessee home that has a creek where he can work on his fly-fishing.

These truly are exceptional times for the Lees of Dinuba, Calif., a town of 24,000 in the northwest corner of Tulare County, which usually tops agricultural revenue rankings among United States counties and annually hosts the World Ag Expo.

To say that Lee, 27, paid his dues to get to the major leagues would be akin to saying farming is big in Tulare County. It took Lee so long to get to the big leagues that plenty of people in his hometown were wondering if it would ever happen.

“Here back in Dinuba we’ve been huge fans of his journey,” said Dinuba High baseball coach Brent Morrelli, who is “Coach Mo” to Lee. “And we’re like, ‘Man, come on, he’s got to get a shot.’ He’s had some really good years in Triple A and Double A.”

Consider the current year Lee has had: he was released by the Marlins on March 29, signed with the Braves as a free agent April 15, spent the season in Triple A before making his major league debut Oct. 1, pitched in the NLCS at Dodger Stadium three weeks later, started Game 4 of the World Series, closed on a house near Chattanooga on Nov. 9, and got married Nov. 20 in a barn in California’s San Joaquin Valley.

Oh, and he rode on a float in the Dinuba Christmas parade Dec. 4 — accompanied by his wife, Courtney, his mother, Linda, and Miss Dinuba, no less — since he’s the first player from the town to make it to the majors.

“They wanted me on a float at the Christmas parade, and I was just like, ‘I don’t really care to be on a float,’” said Lee. “But then I was getting told by some people to just get up there, and I ended up being on it with some people from Dinuba youth baseball academy — that’s what I’m more excited about it, is trying to build back up the youth baseball program in Dinuba. Because it used to be really competitive, and now we’ve got kids going to some other cities (to play baseball). So hopefully I can help build that up.”

During the World Series, the Dinuba Chevron Quic Shop had a picture of Lee in his Braves uniform plastered on the front window, along with Braves and Dinuba High logos. That’s an honor usually reserved for the local high school football homecoming or Christmas decorations so late in the year.

On the Dinuba High baseball team’s Facebook page, they were selling Dylan Lee throwback jerseys last month, with proceeds to support youth baseball and Lee’s foundation.

“Man, our town was just going nuts” during the Braves’ World Series run, Morrelli said. “Just awesome. … And in our town, football in the last 10, 15 years has really become big; it’s been a football town. So to see that excitement for baseball — we’ve had some good runs, some really good seasons, but it just hasn’t quite gained the popularity as football.

“But during that (Braves run), it was the talk of the town. It was really cool. In the middle of football season.”
Roots in Tulare County

Country music icon Merle Haggard, raised outside Bakersfield in Kern County, one over from Tulare, once sang of the “Tulare dust in a farm boy’s nose.” Bobby Cox, longtime former Braves manager and baseball Hall of Famer, was raised about 15 miles from Dinuba in Selma, in Fresno County.

Milk, oranges, grapes, tangerines and cattle — those are the biggest commodities in Tulare County. Football — that’s the biggest sport in Dinuba.

Alas, it’s a tough road to the major leagues for most draft picks not selected in the higher rounds, guys who don’t have a lot invested in them by teams.

Lee went undrafted out of high school and again after two years of ace-caliber juco pitching at College of the Sequoias. So, he pitched two more years at Fresno State — first as a starter, then closer — before being selected by the Marlins in the 10th round in 2016.

The 6-foot-3 lefty had a solid 93-mph fastball coming out of college, but his curveball and changeup needed work. He made significant strides in his first two years of pro ball, and if he’d been a higher-regarded prospect, Lee might’ve gotten a look with the Marlins during a 2018 season, when he compiled a 1.74 ERA in 44 appearances across three levels from High A to Triple A.

He had 12 scoreless appearances that season in Double A, with 19 strikeouts and one walk in 15 innings, and a combined 63 strikeouts with 22 walks and one homer allowed in 62 innings for three affiliates. In 2019, the strikeouts-to-walks ratio slipped (56:21) and Lee allowed seven homers in 58 2/3 combined innings in the high minors, posting a 1.91 ERA in 32 appearances at Double A and a 4.71 ERA in 13 appearances in Triple A.

When the 2020 season was canceled, the Marlins opted not to include Lee among the group they sent to their alternate training site in Jacksonville, which included top young prospects and older players they could call in case of injury at the major-league level.

He was 25 and had not sniffed the big leagues, and now there was no minor league season, no place for Lee to pitch. Some in his position might have been tempted to call it a career, but Lee kept plugging. He threw into a net he rigged up at a lake house his then-fiancee’s parents had in Crescent City, Fla., and to Dinuba High players back in California.

He focused on improving his slider and changeup, despite not having any games or live batting practice where he could work on the pitches.

“When I was throwing into a net, I was throwing into an arrow target — it had different spots so I could hit it, and it was a little bit easier to locate my stuff,” he said. “I had my fiancee there too, and she even recorded a couple of (sessions from behind the target). I was kind of like, ‘Hey, how does that look?’”

Lee laughed and said, “She was kind of scared because she just didn’t trust that I’d hit my spots, I guess.”

It wasn’t an exciting way to train, but Lee did it month after month in 2020.

“Having to go pick up the balls doesn’t always feel good either,” he said. “You try to hit your spots so you don’t throw it past the net. My dad always calls it, you want to play catch, not fetch. But I had to do a lot of fetching.”

A year later, near the end of another Marlins spring training, Lee thought he might finally go to the alternate site with others for a brief stretch between the end of spring training and the start of the Triple-A season. Instead, he was told he was being released.

“It was right before they sent guys to the alternate site,” he said. “They told me, actually, the day before, that I was going to the alternate site. And then the next day they released me. I was living in my fifth-wheel trailer the whole time at spring training, so I already had it packed up and I was about to head out to Jacksonville. And then I got the news and I said to my fiancee, ‘Hey, we can unpack for a little bit; we might be here for a while.’

“I try to tell people it’s just part of the job, part of the business. I just had to learn about it a little bit earlier on than some people do in their career.”

Since the Marlins’ spring training site is in Jupiter, Lee and Courtney didn’t have to haul the camper far to her parents’ lake house in Crescent City, not far from Chipper Jones’ hometown of Pierson in Central Florida.

Though disappointed, Lee said he wasn’t shocked, not after being in the Marlins organization for several years without a call-up or even an invitation to the alternate site.

“I kind of saw it coming,” he said. “I saw what they were doing, so it wasn’t that big of a surprise. You know how you’re kind of liked but not loved? That’s how I felt. It’s just, I wasn’t part of their plan. Easy as that.

“So I was like, ‘OK, well, hopefully someone has a plan out there for me.’”
Dylan Lee’s time with the Marlins ended earlier this year. (Jim Rassol / USA Today)
New team, new plan

Two weeks after the Marlins released him, the Braves signed Lee to a minor league contract and assigned him to their Triple-A affiliate.

After not pitching in any regular-season games since 2019, Lee looked like a man with something to prove at Gwinnett. In 35 appearances for the Stripers, he had a 2.12 ERA and a career-best ratio of 54 strikeouts to six walks and four homers allowed in 46 2/3 innings.

Lee was added to the 40-man roster and called to the majors for the first time on Sept. 22 at Arizona. Some from Dinuba scrambled and made the trip to Phoenix, but Lee didn’t pitch in any games before being optioned back to Gwinnett a few days later.

“I got a text Saturday morning saying he was being reassigned back to Triple A, and I was just heartbroken, because the next day I was planning on going down to San Diego. I hadn’t seen him yet in a major league uniform,” Morrelli said.

But Morrelli wouldn’t be heartbroken for too long.

After the Braves clinched their fourth consecutive NL East title with a Sept. 30 win against Philadelphia, on the final weekend of the season they recalled Lee and also brought up hard-throwing prospect Spencer Strider, to see if either might be ready to help the bullpen during the postseason.

Each made two relief appearances in the three-game series against the Mets. Though Strider had better results, the Braves opted to include only Lee on the division series roster against Milwaukee. They liked the idea of having another left-handed breaking ball against the Brewers.

After his first weekend on a major league roster, Lee was going to the postseason. And he’d had an inkling it might happen.

“I was sitting in the trailer, and I told my fiancee that we probably need to go get a sports coat, because I didn’t have one,” said Lee, who was again living in the trailer with Courtney after the lease ran out on their apartment in Gwinnett. “And then we went to Nordstrom Rack down there near (Truist Park) and I got a call from (manager Brian) Snitker while we were there.

“He goes, ‘Hey, we just wanted to call you and let you know that you’ve been added.’ And I go, ‘Well, good thing I’m at Nordstrom Rack, because I needed to get a sports coat.’ And he started laughing.”

Lee didn’t pitch in the series against the Brewers and was left off the roster for the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers. But when Huascar Ynoa was scratched from a Game 4 start against the Dodgers with shoulder inflammation, the Braves added Lee to the roster.

One day later, he made his postseason debut with two innings of relief, throwing 30 strikes in 38 pitches, striking out two batters, walking none and giving up three hits and one run on a homer by Chris Taylor, who also homered off starter Max Fried and reliever Chris Martin that night in a three-homer, six RBI outburst.

Other than the outcome — an 11-2 Dodgers win, their last of the series — it was a satisfying and memorable way to make his postseason debut, at venerable Dodger Stadium only a few hours from Dinuba.

“My dad is a huge Dodgers fan, but I think he was rooting for the Braves that day,” Lee said. “I had my high school coaches there, and a couple of my little league coaches. My parents weren’t able to do it because of work, but they got to visit me in San Diego when I first got called up. And then when I was in Arizona they were there. So that was more important to me, because that was special. I knew that they were watching me, they were there (at Dodger Stadium) in spirit.”

Morrelli and an assistant coach went to the game, but didn’t account for Los Angeles traffic and arrived just after Freddie Freeman’s first-inning home run.

“We’ve kind of had some troubles with getting (substitute teachers) this year, and I didn’t take the morning off; I just took the afternoon off,” Morrelli said. “So I didn’t get to talk to Dylan before the game. I was hoping I’d get down and get a picture with him, give him a hug and all that good stuff. But one of our assistant coaches is pretty MLB-savvy when it comes to going to games. I was like, which side should I get my tickets on, because I want to be right there on the bullpen. And sure enough, I was above it, which was perfect.

“(Lee) came walking out, and me and my dad — he knows my dad real well, my dad was a high school baseball coach as well — we’re yelling at him and he kind of looked up and … I could tell he was real excited, but at the same time he’s like, I better not show too much emotion. It was a big-league ‘hi,’ a wave.”

In just his third MLB appearance, Lee performed well on the big stage, in front of more than 51,000 fans in the noisy cauldron that is Dodger Stadium for a playoff game.

“It let me know that I could pitch up there, that I belonged,” he said. “And if they trusted me to pitch in that game, I need to trust myself to be able to pitch against those guys. They saw some things and the coaching staff trusted me and the analytics guys saw that I could be a help, so all you’ve got to do is trust in yourself.”

The Braves clinched the NL pennant two nights later, and Lee’s next appearance came in Game 2 of the World Series at Houston in another packed, energized, loud environment. This time he entered in a tight spot, with two runners on and none out in the sixth inning.

Lee did his job, getting a fielder’s choice from Kyle Tucker before inducing a potential inning-ending double-play grounder by Yuli Gurriel, though second baseman Ozzie Albies dropped it. Lee struck out the next batter before Jesse Chavez recorded the last out of the inning.

Lee’s first two postseason appearances were so encouraging, the Braves, with their rotation thinned by injuries, turned to him as the opener for Game 4. It was his first start since Single A in 2017. He set a record for fewest MLB appearances (four) before starting a World Series game.

“Yeah, and probably the shortest amount of outs for somebody’s (World Series) start, too,” cracked Lee, who was replaced after facing just four batters, recording one out, and allowing an infield single and two walks.

Kyle Wright came in and limited the damage to one run in the inning, and the Braves’ 3-2 win gave them a 3-1 series lead. In the postgame news conference, Lee deadpanned that he knew relieving was his role.

Asked about that six weeks later, he said, “That’s something I like about being a reliever, is that you could get called on almost every day and help the team out. When you’re starting, maybe some days your arm feels better than others, and then on your start day you’re like, well, I hope my arm’s feeling good today … I was telling Max, I don’t know how you guys do it, starting that many games and pitching 200 innings.”

When the Braves clinched the second World Series of the team’s Atlanta era, Lee was in the middle of the hearty celebration in Houston and rode in the victory parade a few days later in Atlanta.

In Dinuba, Devin Lee still can hardly believe how things turned around for his younger brother, whose hard work finally paid off.

“Sometimes it still feels like a dream and I keep pinching myself,” Devin said. “I couldn’t be prouder of him. It’s kind of easy to brag about the things that he’s accomplished.”

Devin helped forge Dylan’s drive while competing with him in one sport after another “from the time we could walk,” Devin said. Season after season, year after year. Swimming, basketball, wrestling in their teens, golf later when Dylan worked at a golf course, football (Dylan was a tight end and defensive end at Dinuba High).

And of course, baseball.

“Basically if there was a sport where we could call each other a winner or loser, we’d play,” Devin said. “It wouldn’t even stop at practice. We’d come home and play nonstop until lights weren’t available, or we made our own lights just hanging construction lights and played baseball outside still, at our house. Either in the front yard or back yard, we were always playing Wiffle Ball or some sport outside.”

Lee’s parents, Linda and John, work in Dinuba schools, and they’ve instilled work ethic and zero sense of entitlement in Dylan.

“My dad’s a janitor and mom’s a special needs teacher’s aide,” he said. “And after she works (that job), she works with elderly people. My parents are just hard-working people. And my grandparents also taught me about hard work. My dad’s father was in the Navy. My grandpa (on Linda’s side) was a dairyman, an immigrant from the Azores in Portugal, and my grandma was an immigrant from Brazil. So we’re just …” Lee paused, then finished by saying simply, “Yeah.”

So this was a quintessentially American story even before Lee lived out his dream, and he’s brought along his entire family and much of a town, at least figuratively.

In addition to a World Series ring, Lee made more money in a couple of weeks than he’d made in several years in the minors — Braves players divided up their playoff pool earnings into 66 full shares worth nearly $400,000 apiece, in addition to 14.25 partial shares and 38 cash awards.

“I’m able to take my parents out to dinner and not have them pay for it, and help them out with some groceries,” he said. “It feels nice. To not just be going paycheck to paycheck, having a little bit of cushion. I’m not comfortable, but it’s nice to have a little bit of a cushion so you’re not stressing so much about the monetary stuff.”

Lee took a redeye flight back to California a few hours after the World Series victory parade in Atlanta, so he could be at a previously scheduled youth baseball clinic he operates through his foundation. He’d done it in previous years as a minor leaguer. This year, he did it as a World Series champion. The camp was free for kids aged 6-14.

Morrelli said the acclaim couldn’t have come to a more deserving guy and family. “He comes back every year and it’s, ‘Hey, Dylan, can you come talk to my class?’ And he’ll talk to the kids. He’s all about giving back.”

Knowing Lee like he does, Morrelli wasn’t surprised he made it back again for the camp, even with his frenetic schedule.

“He got into L.A. at 11:45, 12 o’clock, so he could make his camp that he put on, the first Dylan Lee Camp at our school. And it started at 10 o’clock the next morning. And he opened it up to all our kids. We had about 250 kids in the camp. It was really cool.”

After his Nov. 6 camp, Lee flew to Tennessee to close on the house outside Chattanooga. It’s a couple of hours from Atlanta — “I like being close but not too close,” he said. Then he went back to California to prepare for his Nov. 20 barn wedding in picturesque Woodlake, 25 miles from Dinuba.

Lee shouldn’t have to worry about finding a team late in spring training next year — he’s under contractual control with the Braves, and they liked what they saw in his first year with the organization.

“He been very impressive,” Snitker said during the World Series. “What we’ve seen — the ability to throw strikes, his changeup is real. … He’s shown us we can trust him and put some confidence in him.”

However, when you’ve taken the long, winding road to the majors, you don’t assume anything.

“As you know, baseball can change in seconds,” Lee said. “I could get done with this phone call right now and someone could tell me I’m going to be going somewhere else. I’m just happy that I got the chance to be able to prove myself a little bit. At least I know I played my heart out and left it on the field. Even on that start day in the World Series.”

With players currently locked out by owners and little if any progress made so far on a new MLB collective bargaining agreement, there’s a chance that spring training could start late, or that players won’t be able to report early to work out as they have in the past. Not that it matters much to Lee, who proved he could not just stay in shape but actually improve during a year spent throwing alone into a net.

“I don’t really know too much about it because this is my first year” in the majors, Lee said of the work stoppage. “And then also, one thing good about me having a little offseason is I can fish more. So if they want to keep this going as long as they want, I’ll be fishing and throwing, just being ready whenever they call.”

https://theathletic.com/3010722/2021/12 ... ed-article

[Padres]

Roger (Cleveland):

What does the future hold for Bryan Lavastida? Given the Guardians' affinity for catchers with plus framing skills, does Lavastida proficient enough behind the plate to think he could be a possible long-term answer?


Teddy Cahill: I think the jury is very much still out. Lavastida forced his way onto the 40-man with the way he played this year but he's still new to catching and is still learning. We also don't know how important some of those skills will be in the near-ish future if MLB goes to an automated strike zone. So, for now, you let him keep working on his catching and hope he makes the strides you're looking for and, if not, you have an athletic, versatile player who has a long track record for hitting who can at least be a backup catcher.

Elliot (Youngstown OH):

Does Steven Kwan have defensive skills to be a big league left fielder? Was his 2021 the real thing -- he wasn't even on the top 30 last season, how high should we expect to find him on the 2022 list?


Teddy Cahill: Defense is not the concern for Kwan. He has very good instincts in the outfield and he has enough speed for left field for sure, and probably for center field too. The bigger question has always been his impact potential offensively. Was this year real? That's the big question. He hit and he hit for surprising power - but he did it in two offensive ballparks. The Guardians are willing to bet that he can repeat it, that's why he's on the 40-man, but we'll have to wait and see what it looks like at the big league level.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... ects-chat/

[Padres]

[Ray} Kerr, 27, signed as an undrafted free agent out of junior college in 2017, put up stellar numbers in Double-A to open the 2021 campaign, striking out 37.4% of the batters he faced while walking just 8.7%. Following a late-August promotion to the Triple-A West league, he continued to rack up strikeouts but saw his walk rate jump significantly. Armed with a triple-digit fastball and a split-finger fastball that gets plenty of swings-and-misses, Kerr held opponents to a .184 across the two levels this season.

Kerr [now with the Padres] was a development success for the Mariners, who helped him add significant velocity. His breakout in 2019 at Modesto came under the tutelage of pitching coach Rob Marcello, who the Padres hired as minor league pitching coordinator earlier this month.

https://madfriars.com/2021/11/27/padres ... -ray-kerr/

Ray Kerr, LHP, Mariners

Kerr may be the best story on this list. Signed for $5,000 as an undrafted free agent from Lassen (Calif.) JC in 2017, he has blossomed into a lefty reliever with a fastball that reaches 100 mph and a low-80s slider that can be a wipeout pitch. He recorded a 3.18 ERA with a .184 opponent average and 60/16 K/BB ratio in 39 2/3 innings at Double-A and Triple-A.

https://www.mlb.com/news/top-unranked-p ... man-roster

[Padres]

Michael Stefanic, INF Angels

An undrafted free agent signed out of NAIA Westmount (Calif.) College in 2018, Stefanic hit .334/.408/.505 with 16 home runs across 104 games (458 plate appearances) at the Triple-A level in 2021. One analyst with an American League team we spoke with described the Angels middle infielder as “an easy guy to carry." While Stefanic is an older prospect, with just two full minor league seasons under his belt, he has proven to be a versatile defender, logging over 180 starts between second base and shortstop since the beginning of 2019. He's not particularly good defensively at either spot as his range is quite limited. His combination of plus bat-to-ball skills (82.9% contact rate), plate approach (22.4% chase rate) and production (.397 wOBA) could position Stefanic as the rare positional pick that sticks.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... t-preview/

8. Michael Stefanic, 2B, Angels
Age: 25

The Angels signed Stefanic as an undrafted free agent out of NAIA Westmont (Calif.) in 2018 after he sent a homemade highlight tape to all 30 teams and the Angels needed an infielder to fill out their Rookie-level rosters. He quickly proved he was more than just organizational filler, showing good instincts and a knack for contact as he steadily moved up the ranks.

After barreling balls throughout minor league spring training, Stefanic has delivered statistically one of the best seasons in the minors this year. He ranks second in the minors in batting average (.338), third in hits (142), sixth in on-base percentage (.414) and overall has a .908 OPS with 15 home runs and 58 RBIs in 108 games between Double-A Mobile and Triple-A Salt Lake. His performance stands out even in the context of the hitting-friendly environments of Salt Lake and the Triple-A West—his 136 wRC+ is third-highest in the league.

Stefanic isn’t particularly physical or athletic, but he can just plain hit. He barrels just about everything in the strike zone, rarely chases out of the zone and almost never swings and misses. His 5% swinging strike rate is the second lowest in the minors this year and his 18% chase rate at Triple-A is also an elite mark. Stefanic is an edgy competitor who puts together consistently competitive at-bats, wears pitchers down and lines the ball from gap-to-gap. He has no problem hitting velocity and has started to show more power this season, including to the opposite field.

Stefanic’s issue is he’s a well below-average defender in the infield. He’s a slow-twitch player whose lateral agility, first-step quickness and overall range are all lacking at second base, and his below-average arm strength precludes him from playing third base. Stefanic will have to put in lots of work defensively to become playable in the major leagues. If he can, there is a lot of confidence his bat will play.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... -to-watch/

Slightly undersized and massively overlooked. A late-bloomer with an improving bat and the ability to play multiple positions.

The career arc of 25-year-old second baseman Michael Stefanic is beginning to resemble that of another Angels prospect who had a notoriously low ceiling but who made good in the big leagues.

It’s natural to compare Stefanic to David Fletcher, a 2015 sixth-round pick who broke into the Angels' lineup as a utility player in 2018, but if Stefanic does follow in Fletcher’s footsteps to Anaheim, he’ll blaze an even more improbable path.

Stefanic was not drafted in 2018 despite starring at NAIA Westmont College in Santa Barbara, Calif. He batted .383/.448/.519 with five home runs and 22 stolen bases in 101 games as a junior and senior.

As disappointing as the snub was, Stefanic, a native of Boise, Idaho, did not give up on his dream of playing professional baseball. He sent his résumé and prospect video to all 30 clubs, and the Angels were impressed enough to sign him as a nondrafted free agent.

The 5-foot-10, 185-pound Stefanic showed immediate promise, batting .351 in a 14-game look in Rookie ball in 2018.

Stefanic, like Fletcher, is a high-contact righthanded hitter, but he used the down time during the pandemic in 2020 to refine his approach and swing in an effort to hit fewer ground balls and more fly balls.

As he learned to identify his hot zones, he began laying off pitches he couldn’t drive and swinging at more pitches he could hit with authority.

Stefanic began the 2021 season at Double-A Rocket City. He hit .345 in 21 games to earn a promotion to Triple-A Sale Lake, where his power began to emerge.

On the season, Stefanic hit .336/.408/.493 with 17 home runs, 26 doubles, 52 walks and 77 strikeouts in 125 games. Third base was his secondary position, but he saw time at every field position but catcher and center field.

Stefanic isn't flashy or rangy afield, but his versatility, batting potential and determination give him a chance to earn a big league role.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... -prospect/

[Padres]

Wilfred Veras 1B | ACL White Sox | 19 Years Old | Bats: R | Throws: R | 6’2″ | 180 lbs. | ETA: 2024

Future Grades
Hit Power Role
50 55 5

2021 ACL Stats:
AVG OBP SLG OPS HR SB CS K% BB%
.322 .416 .533 .949 4 3 1 23.6% 11.8%

ISO wRC+ SwStr% GB% LD% FB% Pull% Cent% Oppo%
.211 147 27.3% 48.6% 28.0% 23.4% 42.7% 23.6% 33.6%

Scouting Report:

Signed out of the Dominican Republic for $200,000 in 2019. Veras is the son of former Red Sox third baseman Wilton Veras and was one of the more exciting players in the ACL. Like so many others on this list is a super raw player but come with plenty of promise. Veras is a balanced hitter at the plate with a good bat path that displays constant flyball contact. In the video, he displays powerful wrists and barrels fastballs regularly. Pitch recognition must get better as he matures but the power potential continues to be an intriguing part of his game. The White Sox already have Jose Abreu and Gavin Sheets at first base but with how good his ability to hit, he could potentially be a designated hitter in the future but this kid is a stud and a rising prospect in the White Sox system.

https://prospectsworldwide.com/2021/12/ ... e-hitters/

ACL White Sox

Wilfred Veras
6´2´´
180 pounds
Age: 19
Bats/Throws: R/R
Other positions played: Third Base

Veras, like many players in the White Sox system, is part of an athletic family. Not only is he the son of former Red Sox corner infielder Wilton Veras, he is also the nephew of former Cardinal infielder Fernando Tatís (which of course means that he’s the cousin of both Fernando Jr. and fellow Sox farmhand Elijah). Veras’ signing was relatively unheralded on 2019’s International Signing Day, as he was overshadowed by the signings of Yolbert Sánchez, Cristian Mena and the aforementioned Elijah Tatís. Several scouts gave him a power grade of 55, and he was set to begin ball in 2020, but of course, didn’t play due to Covid-19.

Veras struggled out of the gate with the AZL Sox this year, as he slashed just .195/.377/.441 in June. However, things really clicked for him once the calendar flipped to July. How does .387/.450/.632 sound the rest of the way? For the entire year, Veras slashed .322/.416/.533 with 16 doubles, two triples, four homers, 21 walks (11.8%), 42 strikeouts (23.6%) and 147 wRC+. He actually fared better against righties (.339/.424/.556) than southpaws (.250/.382/.429).

Beginning the year at third base, which is considered his more natural position, Veras switched midseason to first base to make room for newcomer Wes Kath. In 31 combined games defensively, he did commit eight errors (five at third, three at first) but he’s expected to be more fluid with additional experience.

Expect this youngster to begin the 2022 campaign with Kannapolis. In the meantime, it wouldn’t be surprising to see some prospect lists move Veras into the team’s Top 30 prospect lists during this offseason.

https://www.southsidesox.com/2021/10/27 ... st-basemen

A big surprise came from 18-year-old Wilfred Veras, who made not only his Stateside but also his organizational debut in 2021. In 46 games, Veras slashed .322/.416/.533 with 16 doubles, four home runs, 26 RBIs, 21 walks, and 42 strikeouts. He led the team in average, runs, and RBI. His .949 OPS led all of the Arizona Complex League, and he finished tied for third in batting average.

Veras came into the 2021 season as a lesser-known prospect, with no professional experience within the organization. After his strong showing this year, he is someone to keep an eye on at the lower levels of the minors, and could be climbing the prospect rankings soon.

https://www.southsidesox.com/2021/10/29 ... -in-review

[Padres]

3. Kyren Paris | SS/2B

Born: Nov 11, 2001
Bats: R Throws: R
Ht.: 6'0" Wt.: 180
Drafted/Signed: HS--Oakley, Calif., 2019 (2nd round).
Signed By: Brian Tripp.
Minors: .267/.388/.459 | 4 HR | 22 SB | 172 AB

BA Grade: 50/High.

Track Record: Paris signed with the Angels for an overslot $1.4 million as the 55th overall pick in the 2019 draft, but he’s played just 50 games in three years. He was limited to three games by a broken hamate bone in 2019, missed the 2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic and played only 47 games in 2021 after suffering a non-displaced fracture in his fibula. Even in that limited time, he stood out as a hitter at Low-A Inland Empire and earned a late promotion to High-A Tri-City as a 19-year-old.

Scouting Report: Paris’ bat is well ahead of the glove. He has quick hands, good timing and a natural feel to hit, and his strength belies his small stature. He was more of an opposite-field, line-drive hitter when the Angels drafted him, an approach that pairs well with his plus speed, but he began to hit the ball harder to the gap and down the line in left field last season. He projects to be an above-average hitter and has enough power to project 12-16 home runs. Paris committed 12 errors in only 29 games in the field last season, mostly throwing. He has occasional lapses in footwork and a tendency to peek at runners, causing errant throws. He lacks the arm strength, range or quick release to be a shortstop, but he could be an average second baseman if he improves his reliability. In addition to his tools, Paris earns high praise for his makeup and work ethic.

The Future: Paris has the components of a big-league hitter and projects to be an offensive second baseman. He may see Double-A as a 20 year old in 2022.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 55. Power: 40. Speed: 60. Fielding: 40. Arm: 45.

8. Denzer Guzman | SS

Born: Feb 8, 2004
Bats: R Throws: R
Ht.: 6'2" Wt.: 180
Signed By: Domingo Garcia.

BA Grade: 50/Extreme

Track Record: Once the pandemic-delayed international signing period opened in Jan. 2021, the Angels snapped up Guzman, one of the best pure hitters in his class, for a $2 million bonus. The 17-year-old had a solid pro debut in the Dominican Summer League, showing good power, plate discipline and speed, with 14 extra-base hits, 20 walks and 24 strikeouts in 164 plate appearances and 11 stolen bases in 18 attempts.

Scouting Report: Guzman has a knack for barreling balls with a loose, effortless swing that he starts with a small leg kick to create a good rhythm. He has an advanced approach and knowledge of the strike zone for his age and makes hard, consistent contact on pitches in all parts of the zone. Guzman has plenty of raw power to his pull side and, because of his big-time bat speed, should tap into even more as he matures and adds more loft to his swing. He’s an average runner who probably will be less of a base-stealing threat as his body fills out physically. Guzman is a solid defender with good footwork and hands and the potential to have a plus arm that will fit on the left side of the infield. He has a chance to stick at shortstop, but his below-average speed could force the organization to move him to third base. Guzman is mature for his age and earns high marks for makeup and aptitude.

The Future: Guzman is set to make his stateside debut in the Arizona Complex League in 2022. He is many years away but has the potential to be an everyday infielder with a potent bat if everything clicks.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 55. Power: 50. Speed: 45. Fielding: 50. Arm: 55.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/teams/1 ... izational/

[Padres]

Bertram (Taiwan): Is there any reason why Nick Allen is not the full time SS in 2022? There is no way he could be any worse than Andrus and the team is in rebuild mode so why not play the kid? He should have played over Elvis in 2021 and at the very least should have been given a cup of coffee over Machin and Kozma after the Elvis injury. How does he compare to Oakland tan favorite Mike Bordick as a player?


Mark Chiarelli: It took Allen a little bit of time to adjust to Triple-A last year (39 games), so that's one plausible reason. It does seem like he'll get a shot at some point in 2022. I can't give you much on the Bordick front, but the A's internally seem to often use David Fletcher as a best-case scenario for Allen.

Tim (SLC): What's your take on Nick Allen? Pre-draft rankings had him as a first rounder (and then he got 1st round money to get drafted in the 3rd round), but it always seems like he gets profiled as some sort of scrappy underdog instead of a where a gold glove defender with an .845 OPS should be ranked (ie somewhere in the top 100)


Mark Chiarelli: I like Nick Allen and there are people within the A's organization who feel the same way you do -- that the narrative and the results don't really add up. The lack of power limits him a bit for me, but you can hide that on teams with deeper lineups. He'll get an opportunity at some point to win -- and hold onto -- the A's shortstop job.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/chat/?1641391661

[Padres]

Jairo Pomares

Born: 08/04/2000 (Age: 21)
Bats: Left Throws: Right
Height: 6′ 1″ Weight: 185
Primary Position: RF
Secondary Position: LF
Physical/Health LG 6’1 200 lb. frame w/ thickness in the lower half

Evaluator Trevor Andresen
Report Date 10/06/2021
Dates Seen Multiple

Affiliate San Jose Giants (Low A, Giants)
MLB ETA Risk Factor OFP Video
2024 Medium 50 No Report

Tool Future Grade

Hit 45 Hits from an open stance w/ low hands, weight on the back side & a big leg kick. Approach is still a work in progress & in need of refinement, but he’ll show avg bat control & an ability to handle velo/spin. There will be swing/miss & ugly looking swings, but the ability is there for a .240-.250 bat

Power 60 Plus power is the carrying tool. Gets to it to all fields w/ a 25-30 HR projection

Baserunning/Speed 45 Avg runner at present. Likely to lose a step as he ages

Glove 45 Speed limits him to a corner, where his reads/jumps/instincts make him more of a fringy to below-avg defender

Arm 50 Avg to slightly above strength. Enough to fit in either corner

Overall It will require some additional refinement, but Pomares projects as a regular in an outfield corner w/ a power > hit offensive profile.

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... -and-more/

[Padres]

Reese Olson, RHP

A 13th-round prep selection in 2018, Olson was in the midst of his best professional season when the Tigers acquired him in a deadline deal with Milwaukee. The strikeout numbers were up compared to his previous two seasons mostly due to velocity gains made during 2020 and continued development of the secondaries. It’s the offspeed stuff that will continue to give Olson the chance to remain in a starting role beginning with his power changeup. It’s a potential plus offering that shows good tumble and helps the low-90s fastball play up. The slider is inconsistent but sits in the low-80s, and when he gets it right has two-plane break. If the control, which wavers at times, can be improved upon the makings are there for a future back end rotation piece.

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... ects-list/

[Padres]

Relief pitcher -- Colby White, Charleston (11 games), Bowling Green (15 games), Montgomery (eight games), Durham (nine games): It was a year of constant movement for the 2019 sixth-rounder -- and constant domination.

White played at all four full-season Rays affiliates this summer and didn't post an ERA above 2.31 or a WHIP above 1.03 at any of them. His 1.44 ERA, 2.09 FIP, 0.66 WHIP, 45.0 strikeout percentage and .123 batting average-against were all tops among the 743 Minor Leaguers with at least 60 innings pitched. (White finished with 62 1/3 frames across the four clubs.) Thirty-five of his 43 appearances were scoreless, and he didn't allow more than two runs in any of those outings.

The 6-foot right-hander, armed with a mid-90s fastball and above-average slider, was an easy selection as the MiLBY Top Reliever, and with the way the Rays were willing to push him in 2021, he could feature in the club's Major League relief plans early next summer.

"When you watch him pitch and you watch him on the mound, he reminds me a little bit of Craig Kimbrel," Smith said. "It's similar size, similar explosiveness. The best thing I can say is he's got three good pitches and he knows how to compete and knows how to get guys out with those three pitches."

https://www.milb.com/news/2021-tampa-ba ... urtis-mead

RHP Colby White (6’0 190, 23 in 2022)

2021 statistics with Low-A Charleston, High-A Bowling Green, Double-A Montgomery, and Triple-A Durham: 62 1⁄3 IP, 1.44 ERA, 0.66 WHIP, 6.5 BB%, 45.0 K%

In retrospect, the Rays probably didn’t need 16 1⁄3 innings to know White was too good for Low A, or 23 1⁄3 innings to know he was too good for High A, or 13 innings to know he was too good for Double A. It’s rare for a player to see meaningful action at four different affiliates in a season. With a mid-90s fastball and above-average breaking ball, he could be a big league reliever.

https://www.draysbay.com/2022/1/8/22873 ... ez-vasquez

[Padres]

Interview with highly touted White Sox prospect Norge Vera

written by Jordan Lazowski December 23, 2021

In just under a month (January 15), the international free agent signing period will begin again. This will allow teams to lock up eligible international talent to help supplement their farm system. Last year, the White Sox signed eight international free agents, highlighted by Yoelquis Cespedes and – today’s interviewee – Norge Vera.

Vera signed for $1.5M in last year’s signing class out of Cuba. He’s the 6’4″ son of Norge Luis Vera, who played 17 seasons in the Cuban Serie Nacional. Marco Paddy, White Sox Special Assistant to the General Manager – International Operations, described Vera as “a right-handed pitcher with an outstanding fastball and who has shown promising secondary pitches” when Vera signed with the team.

Vera spent the 2021 season playing in the Dominican Summer League (DSL), where he dominated the competition. In 8 games (7 starts), Vera threw 19 innings, gave up 0 earned runs, struck out 34 batters (49.3% strikeout rate), and walked just 5 (7.2% walk rate).

Norge was kind enough to take the time out to answer a few of our questions to help Sox fans get to know him a bit better. Keep reading to learn about Vera, his life in Cuba, his relationship with Jose Contreras, why he was excited to sign with the White Sox, and much more!

To start, tell the readers about yourself. When did you start playing baseball, when did you decide that you wanted to make a career out of the game, and why did you decide to be a pitcher?

" I started playing baseball when I was 8 years old, but it wasn’t my first sport. I signed up [for baseball] by myself without knowing much about it. I remember going to the stadium to watch my dad pitch, but because I was very young, I didn’t pay too much attention to him playing at the time. However, as the years passed, I liked [baseball] more and more.At first, I liked hitting more, but I wasn’t very good. When I was 12 years old, I became dedicated to being a pitcher."

You grew up in Cuba. What is your favorite part about your life in Cuba? Do you have close friends and family who you spend a lot of time with?

" My favorite part [about life in Cuba] is a beach named Siboney in my province. Many of my family members are there, and I always like to stay with them. All of my family and friends that I spend time with are in Cuba."

In February 2021, you signed with the White Sox as an International Free Agent. What was that process like for you – was it exciting or stressful? When did you decide you wanted to play for the White Sox?

"My signing [with the organization] was a very wonderful and stressful process at the same time. However, I really liked signing with the Chicago White Sox organization because they already have several Cuban players, which makes me feel more comfortable."

Who were some of your idols as you were growing up? Are there certain baseball players you try to model in the way you pitch?

"When I was a kid, my idol was [Cuban Outfielder] Alexei Bell. Now, I follow several pitchers who I identify with and like the work that they do: Jacob DeGrom, Shohei Ohtani, and Gerrit Cole."

(Editor’s Note: Alexei Bell spent 14 seasons playing in the Cuban Serie Nacional. He has a career .319/.417/.547 slash line in 14 seasons there and spent one season playing for the minor league Texas Rangers.)

Your father played 17 seasons with Santiago de Cuba in the Cuban Serie Nacional. You also played one season for Santiago de Cuba. What was your experience with the team like?

" Well, I learned a lot during the season I pitched with Cuba since I was just 17 years old at the time. Pitching at that level was very exciting for me, as was playing with teammates who had already been playing for years on the Cuban team. They taught me a lot in the short time I was with them, and I am grateful for that."

Tell us about your relationship with José Contreras. How has he helped you throughout your baseball career, and what have you learned from him?

"Well, I met [José] Contreras in person recently when I was playing in the Dominican Summer League, although I had spoken with him at times before my signing. In the Dominican, he helped me make a couple of adjustments that I needed to, and when I got to the United States, I trained with him for a month to continue working and improving. Not only did he help me with baseball, but also in the environment outside of baseball and how to understand what life is like here in the United States. There is no one better to help me; he is already like a father to me in so little time."

You will likely play your first game of professional baseball in the United States next season. Are you nervous? What do you believe will be the best – and the most difficult – parts of living in the United States?

" Well, the truth is I am very excited for the time to arrive for me to display my talents here in the United States; that is what I really like to do. I think I will get used to living here in the United States. God willing, I want to have my parents with me as well, as I need them a lot in my life."

You’re only 21 years old but have a lot of experience in baseball. What is the best piece of advice you have received that has helped you as you have faced challenges? How do you stay motivated when you face challenges?

"Well, at my young age, the best advice I have received was from my father. He has always supported and cheered for me since I made the decision to join the best baseball system in the world. He told me to always remain focused on my work, not be influenced by bad vibes, and – the most important thing – to trust myself."

On behalf of the entire Sox On 35th team, I’d like to thank Norge for taking the time to answer these questions and for giving White Sox fans a chance to get to know him a bit better. I’d also like to thank good friends of the page, Fernando Rendon and Ryan Piontek, for taking the time to assist in our translation to ensure we were capturing Norge’s thoughts in the way he had intended.

As we mentioned in the interview, Vera will likely make his state-side debut sometime in 2022. At such a young age, he is displaying a lot of maturity in doing something that certainly isn’t easy. That alone makes him really easy to root for – I know we will all be watching his development closely. We wish him the best of luck.

You can follow Norge on Instagram @vera_02_sox. Give him a follow and your best wishes!

https://www.soxon35th.com/interview-wit ... orge-vera/

[Padres]

Phillies fans looking for an under-the-radar prospect to keep tabs on would be wise to view Alexeis Azuaje’s statistical page.

Though the sample size is small, the middle infielder's performance in 2021 was quite impressive.

Azuaje batted .400/.509/.867 in a 19-game run in the Florida Complex League. Of his 18 hits, 11 went for extra bases, including five home runs.

Azuaje turns 20 in April. The Phillies signed him out of Venezuela in July 2018 for $400,000. He’s a solid defender at three positions—shortstop, second base and third base—and runs well. He went 4-for-4 on stolen base attempts last year.

Azuaje has a promising hit tool, and at 5-foot-10, 185 pounds, he’s strong enough to hit for power with the realistic expectation that more could come.

Azuaje got his first taste of pro ball in the Dominican Summer League in 2019. He showed good thump for a middle infielder with a .470 slugging percentage.

After the pandemic forced the cancellation of the 2020 minor league season, Azuaje returned in 2021 and played in the FCL. The Phillies’ complex was hit hard by Covid, so Azuaje was limited to just 19 games and 45 at-bats.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Azuaje’s 2021 season was the way he cut down his strikeout rate from near 21% in 2019 to just 9% in 2021. His walk rate improved along with his strikeout rate. ...

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... an-eye-on/

Hinkie (South Jersey):

Could you share your thoughts on three of the team's younger, most exciting bats: Jordan Viars, Alexeis Azuaje, and Hao Yu Lee ?

Chris Hilburn-Trenkle: I really like Viars. Big, big power. Should be a candidate to take a leap. Lee has plus bat speed and impressed at instructs. I'm excited to see how he does in 2022. Azuaje needs to cut down on his chase, but he hits the ball hard for his size and the results were impressive this season.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... ects-chat/

[Alexeis] Azuaje was age-appropriate for the GCL and crushed it there, but he’s physically mature for any kind of prospect let alone a 19-year-old. He’s a present power flier without a clear defensive home.

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/philadelphi ... ects-2022/

[Padres]

Adam Macko, LHP, Seattle Mariners

Attempting to become the first Slovakian-born player in MLB since Elmer Valo retired in 1961 (when the country was still Czechoslovakia), Macko has a fascinating journey that pairs well with his excellent repertoire. The 6-foot-flat southpaw was drafted as a pitchability lefty in the seventh round of the 2019 draft from Vauxhall High School in Alberta, Canada. He sat in the upper-80s in high school but has improved dramatically with his physicality and arm efficiency, averaging around 94 mph on his heater in 2021. The four-seamer has good natural ride from Macko’s low 3/4 delivery, and pairs beautifully with his sharp, easy plus curveball. That breaking ball is Macko’s wipeout offering, which helped him strike out 36.1% of batters he faced as a 20 year old in Low-A Modesto and the formerly-named California League. Macko’s season was shortened for multiple stretches due to shoulder soreness, though reportedly non-structural, as Seattle eased in the young lefty cautiously. His newfound velocity came at the cost of command at times, as he walked over 13% of batters he faced, but his past faculty for strike-throwing gives optimism that as he matures Macko will be able to maintain his high-caliber stuff at a more sustainable rate. At times Macko showcased development on both his slider and changeup, and both pitches will be necessary to keep him in a rotation, but he’s already a bat-missing lefty with two plus offerings having traveled a route to pro ball with less game experience than most. — John Trupin

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... 3-top-101/

[Padres]

Cristian Mena (SP): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

15 Pitches - 11 Strikes

The pre-planned short outing for Mena ends up being very short. He sees 4 batters. K,ꓘ, E6, K. #Ballers #WhiteSox pic.twitter.com/DAHXOiLSY2

— White Sox Daily (@dailywhitesox)

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?pli=1 ... zSdTqrGMxG

Beau Brieske

Brieske was the only AL player this week who generated multiple, double-digit bids. The Tigers hurler has been great in his last three starts (0.96 ERA in 18 2/3 innings), but the strikeout rate and BABIP are both low. He gets a two-start week. If you use him, hope and pray that first game at Boston doesn’t end in disaster.

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/fant ... w-week-11/

[Padres]

Nick Allen SS, Oakland Athletics

Martín Gallegos of MLB.com reports that the Athletics are likely recalling infielder Nick Allen from Triple-A Las Vegas on Tuesday.

The Athletics have an open spot on their active roster and it sounds like Allen will be brought up prior to Tuesday's series opener against the Mariners. The 23-year-old rookie infielder has hit .286/.409/.403 with one homer and four steals in 22 games for Triple-A Las Vegas since being sent back to the minors in late May.

https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/baseball/ ... nick-allen

Rockies recalled INF Elehuris Montero from Triple-A Albuquerque.

With Kris Bryant expected to return from the injured list this weekend, it might be a short stay in the majors for Montero, but he's been tearing the cover off the ball this season at Triple-A Albuquerque, slashing .327/.395/.563 with 13 home runs and three stolen bases across 239 plate appearances. The 23-year-old middle infielder, who was acquired from the Cardinals in the Nolan Arenado trade prior to last season, has just two hits in 13 at-bats at the big-league level this year.

https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/baseball/ ... is-montero