A's Prospect Notes

[Giants]

I finally have some arms in the system, let's take a look at them at the quarter pole:

After an oblique injury slowed his progress, first rounder Andrew Heaney finally debuted in A+ yesterday, throwing 4.1 scoreless innings while striking out 9 against 2 walks. Way to make an entrance.

Dark horse Jeff Ames, who came in the after draft trade that brought me Walker Weickel is making a case to be best pitcher in my system. He's 5-0 with a 2.13 ERA in A ball with a 34/4 K/BB ratio.

As I mentioned in the trade post Chris Stratton finding his way to me was justice being served. Stratton was surprisingly left in Low A for his full season debut (perhaps to take the pressure off after his scary head injury last year), and has responded well with a 3.59 ERA and 49/17 K/BB, a couple more good starts should have him on his way to San Jose soon.

Kyle Crick was the consensus top arm in the system and started out well in San Jose, but is on the shelf with a lat injury, get well soon Kyle!

Andrew Chafin is repeating A+ ball and being his same erratic but super strikeouty self. I feel like he'll be the DBacks closer some time soon, but I still haven't given up on his ability to start some day. Drake Britton is repeating AA, more or less the same story as Chafin, without quite the upside.

Finally, the Padres wonder twins Zach Eflin and the aforementioned Weickel, are both basically pitching meh in Fort Wayne, but it's too early to tell on both guys. Felix Jorge has yet to debut but might be the most intriguing guy...

[Giants]

And now for the hitters

First of all, at the top of the system is the real life future of the Boston Red Sox, Xander Bogaerts and Jackie Bradley. Bradley was a wee bit not ready for the big leagues after getting the opening day assignment (not entirely surprising considering he only had like 100 ABs above A ball), He has quite an eye (his Isolated OBP in the majors was was nearly .200), but the hit tool wasn't there yet. It's looking pretty good in AAA so far though, as he's posting a .322/.420/.458 line. I'd like to see a little more power, but there's no reason to think he won't be a nice leadoff hitter and CF of the future. Xander started brutally slow, but has recovered to a .272/.352/.424 line. He'll play the whole season at 20 and is in AA and still getting acceptable reviews for his SS defense, and is still fun to watch.

Dan Vogelbach, who may have been a reach in round 1, had a nice April but a bit of a slump in May. Perhaps he's intimidated by Rock Shoulders' bad ass name? Either way, he's 20, making his full season debut, and still getting good reviews for his hit tool and power whatever the numbers say, so I'm still optimistic. Two guys who aren't struggling are my 2 20 year old lottery ticket 3B prospects, Travis Harrison and Renato Nunez, who are posting .852 and .845 OPS's for the MWL affiliates of the Twins and A's respectively. In a perfect world Xander sticks at SS and one of these guys is a legit middle of the order 3B bat.

Speaking of lottery tickets, Jorge Alfaro sure is a lottery ticket looking dude. Repeating Low A after an injury ravaged season Alfaro is knocking the ball out of the park like no other catcher in low A, and he doesn't turn 20 for 3 weeks. Great reports about his arm and pop, obviously questions about plate discipline, but how many legit catching prospects have 40 HR power?

[Giants]

I obviously don't have enough Giants pitching prospects, but how has everyone been sleeping Ty Blach? A 5th round pick out of Creighton last year, Blach is one of those college polish lefties who made his professional debut in A+ ball for San Jose this year. He's putting up some of the most dominating numbers of any pitcher in the minor leagues right now, 6-1 with a 1.89 ERA and a 44/4 K/BB, not bad for your first try. While San Jose tends to be a pitcher's park, even in road games in the hitter friendly Cal League Blach has kept a 2.10 ERA and struck out 31 hitters vs 1 walk. Fun guy to keep an eye on.

[Guardians]

I obviously don't have enough Giants pitching prospects, but how has everyone been sleeping Ty Blach? A 5th round pick out of Creighton last year, Blach is one of those college polish lefties who made his professional debut in A+ ball for San Jose this year. He's putting up some of the most dominating numbers of any pitcher in the minor leagues right now, 6-1 with a 1.89 ERA and a 44/4 K/BB, not bad for your first try. While San Jose tends to be a pitcher's park, even in road games in the hitter friendly Cal League Blach has kept a 2.10 ERA and struck out 31 hitters vs 1 walk. Fun guy to keep an eye on.

You know what would be even more fun? Not previewing only 4 of the league's 6 divisions...

[Cardinals]

He previewed the important ones

[Athletics]

He doesn't want to jinx himself now for the AL west...still should have done the other two...lazy bum.