2021 White Sox Prospect Notes

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2021 White Sox Prospect Notes

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Andy Pages, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers (High-A Great Lakes): 2-4, HR, 3 R, 2 RBI, BB.

We were worried about the lost year for Pages, but that makes 10 home runs on the season. And while the profile has been very Three True Outcomey so far, that’s fine given his experience level and how aggressive the assignment was.

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... anco-eats/

MiLB: https://www.milb.com/player/andy-pages-681624
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17. Bryan Ramos, 3B, White Sox
Team: Low-A Kannapolis (East)
Age: 19

Why He’s Here: .333/.385/.917 (8-for-24), 6 R, 2 2B, 4 HR, 5 RBIs, 0 BB, 2 SO

The Scoop: It’s been a miserable season so far for Kannapolis, but things are beginning to look up. After splitting against Carolina two weeks ago for their first non-losing series of the season, the Cannon Ballers picked up their first series win against Down East last week. Ramos led the charge with a pair of two-homer games and raised his OPS to .809, making him one of the few bright spots on a Kannapolis team whose record stands at 11-30 even after an improved two-week stretch. (KG)

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Seth Beer, Triple-A Reno (Diamondbacks)—The 2018 first-rounder from Clemson provided a boost off the bench with a pinch hit solo homer in a win over Albuquerque. Beer is off to an impressive start in his Triple-A debut, with a .303/.408/.559 slash line, six homers and 19 doubles in 40 games.

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Nick Allen, Double-A Midland (Athletics)—The 22-year-old shortstop had just four home runs to his name in 228 pro games coming into the season, but he's already matched that number in 32 games. Allen hit two more, a solo shot and a two-run blast, in a loss to Wichita.

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16. Nick Allen, SS, Athletics
Team: Double-A Midland (Central)
Age: 22

Why He's Here: .476/.500/.762 (10-for-21), 4 R, 2 HR, 4 RBIs, 1 BB, 1 SO, 2-for-3 SB

The Scoop: Allen generates a lot of buzz for his defense—and rightfully so—but he hasn't been a slouch with the bat either. Allen is hitting .329/.380/.469 through 34 games, and while he probably will never be a huge slugger, his four home runs already match his career total coming into the year that he hit over 228 previous games. (BB)

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Zach Thompson, Miami Marlins

Like Corbin with the Nats, 27-year-old Thompson just had his third good start in a row for the Marlins, except his outings have been even better. The long-time product of the White Sox system might have started to make notable changes in Triple-A back in 2019 that we’re only seeing now because of the absence of the minor leagues last year. That season, he enjoyed the longest stretch of his professional career with a walk rate under 11 percent.

In these last three starts, Thompson has 24 strikeouts and five walks across 15 innings. He also only gave up eight hits and two earned runs. His most recent outing was on June 26 and was easily his most dominant, as he struck out 11 batters. He finished seven of those Ks with his curveball, which looked like this:

That’s an ugly swing from Juan Soto—a consummate example from an outing in which Thompson buried the curve just below the zone and coaxed all sorts of funky hacks. But that’s just the beginning, as his cutter can get strikes, too.

Here’s a respectful take on the pitch from Gerardo Parra, as it dots the paint low and away. Both of these offerings are currently going for a called strike or whiff more than 30 percent of the time that Thompson throws them. He throws a four-seamer, too, and distributes the three pitches pretty equally. While the velocity isn’t elite (the heater is only about 93 mph), the whole package seems sharp. Add in that Miami has been able to pull productive arms seemingly out of nowhere, and Thompson is worth a flier.

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Yoelqui Cespedes, OF, Chicago White Sox
Level & Affiliate: Hi-A Winston Salem Age: 23 Org Rank: 25 FV: 35+
Line: 4-for-6, 3 2B

Notes
Cespedes has only been at an affiliate for about a week and a half but his peripherals there (28% strikeouts, 4% walks) are consistent with what my in-person looks from the spring indicated, which is that Cespedes has a an overly aggressive approach. He has big league physicality and power, and I know he’s headed to the Futures Game, but I remain skeptical of him as an actual prospect.

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Meanwhile, Andy Pages leads all of High-A with 15 home runs (the most of anyone in the Dodgers minor league system, and second-most in all of the minor leagues), and has the seventh highest wRC+ (141) for anyone in the league with at least 200 PA. His 26% strikeout rate and 11% walk rate may seem unsavory, but both are in fact right around league-average (25.7% and 10.3%, respectively). Combine the upside Pages has demonstrated in 2021 with the fact that he doesn’t turn 21 until December, and we’re looking at some very impressive numbers from a very young player who looks poised to make an impact on the Dodgers system.

Miguel Vargas started the season at High-A, where he hit seven home runs while maintaining a below league-average strikeout rate of 18.6% over 37 games (good for a 142 wRC+). He was promoted to Double-A in mid-June, where he has maintained roughly that same level of performance. He has already hit three home runs in his first 10 games, and his walk- and strikeout-rates are roughly the same as they were at High-A, for a 121 wRC post-promotion.

The impressive numbers at Low-A are not limited to offense. Hyun-il Choi has also fanned 43 batters this year (31.4% of the batters he’s faced) while only allowing five free passes (six, if you include a HBP) over 35.1 innings on the mound, mostly in relief. Choi has only given up 28 hits this season, which combines with a minuscule 3.6% walk rate for a WHIP of just 0.93.

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Cal Mitchell, OF, Pittsburgh Pirates (Double-A Altoona): 3-5, 3 R, 2 HR, 4 RBI, K.

2019 saw Mitchell post a career high in home runs—hitting 15 in the Florida State League—but his strikeout rate also jumped to nearly 30 percent. His power remains impressive this season (he’s currently slugging .535), and the strikeouts have dipped back to a more acceptable level, putting him back on track as one of the top prospects in the organization.

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... ectacular/

Pirates: Cal Mitchell, OF (No. 17), Double-A Altoona
Maybe the Curve’s game versus the Yard Goats getting suspended on Wednesday was a good thing for Mitchell. After grounding out in his first at-bat, he could hardly stop hitting the ball when play resumed Thursday. Mitchell finished the first game of the doubleheader 3-for-5 with two homers and four RBIs. The only blemish came when he struck out swinging to end the top of the fifth -- the same inning he led off with a solo shot. Mitchell also extended his on-base streak to nine straight games.

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

Calvin Mitchell, Double-A Altoona (Pirates) — It's easy to get overshadowed by Oneil Cruz and Roansy Contreras on the Altoona club, but Mitchell is certainly a prospect to watch in the robust Pirates system. In his team's romp over Hartford (which was the resumption of a rain-suspended game), Mitchell went 3-for-5 with a pair of home runs, his seventh and eighth of the season. His season slash line now stands at .306/.366/.535. The resultant .901 OPS is tied for 10th in the Double-A Northeast.

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Tylor Megill SP, New York Mets

... The 25-year-old righty has held his own in a pair of starts against an extremely talented Braves' lineup, allowing just five runs on eight hits with a 12/4 K/BB ratio across 9 1/3 innings since being promoted from Triple-A Syracuse on June 23.

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Jose Rodriguez: It’s been a gentle regression for Rodriguez, who followed up an in impressive first few weeks with a .277/.313/.415 June, followed by a 1-for-13 start to his July. That puts him at .265/.307/.422 for the year, which is fine for a guy who turned 20 last month and doesn’t have a noteworthy strikeout issue even when struggling.

Bryan Ramos: He overtook Rodriguez for the Kannapolis OPS lead among regulars, as he’s now hitting .247/.351/.443. Here’s what you like to see from a 19-year-old:

May: .233/.343/.333, 15 BB, 38 K over 108 PA
June: .250/.355/.554, 12 BB, 17 K over 107 PA

He’s also started playing second base every other game after DHing for the first month and a half of the season. He didn’t play that position at all in 2019.

Andrew Dalquist: A run of four consecutive useful outings to close out his June hit a snag with his first start of July (see below). His ERA shot up to 5.67 on the year, but he’s actively pitching, which is more than can be said of the other guys right now.

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Rockies: Elehuris Montero, 3B (No. 9), Double-A Hartford

Montero enjoyed one of the best offensive performances of his career on Sunday, establishing personal best with four hits and equaling his career high with three RBIs. The 22-year-old delivered a go-ahead two-run single in the fifth inning and added to Hartford’s lead with his ninth home run in the seventh. Batting .193 on June 12, Elehuris has gone 22-for-61 (.361) since to bring his slash line up to .245/.340/.451 with 19 extra-base hits and 34 RBIs in 52 games.

White Sox: Jose Rodriguez, SS (No. 14), Low-A Kannapolis

Rodriguez’s hot start to summer continued with his second three-hit performance in less than a week. The 20-year-old gave Kannapolis a five-run cushion when he connected on a three-run homer in the second inning, his sixth of the season and first since June 13. Rodriguez added a pair of doubles to his ledger on Sunday and is now batting .273/.314/.450 with 23 extra-base hits, 20 RBIs and 14 stolen bases.

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Cal Mitchell, OF, Pittsburgh Pirates (Double-A Altoona)

I know why we got off Mitchell as a Top 101 prospect after ranking him 97th two years ago. There’s significant pressure on the offensive profile as a corner outfield bat, and he scuffled a bit in Bradenton in 2019—admittedly a rough place to hit. You really have to believe in a plus hit/power combination to get this type of player into the OFP 60 tier. So yes, I understand why he didn’t make the last two iterations of our national list, but I’m pretty sure he’s going to make the 2022 version. Dunkin’ Donuts Park in Hartford is a lefty hitter’s paradise, but Mitchell’s power will play wherever you place a right field fence. He showed obvious plus raw power in batting practice and then crushed a couple home runs in my look last week. These were not Hartford specials, this was a thunderous sound. Mitchell has one of those sweet left-handed swings that he moves well around the zone, and is very comfortable going the other way when worked away or he finds himself behind in the count. In short, he showed everything I’d want to see for a plus hit and power projection.

You can quibble with a few aspects of the profile though. He is a corner outfielder with a fringe arm that is a better fit in left field than right, where he’s getting most of his reps at present. There are some platoon issues as well. Mitchell battles well against southpaws, stays in on breaking stuff for the most part, but doesn’t seem quite as comfortable driving pitches in the zone as he does against righties. The offensive tools will really have to play to plus for him to be a good regular, but the bat is strong enough to give him a reasonably high realistic floor as a long side platoon outfielder, and there’s legitimate first-division regular upside if he can hit .280 and knock 25 bombs with regularity. —Jeffrey Paternostro

Jairo Pomares, OF, San Francisco Giants (Low-A San Jose)

The Cuban-born outfielder was signed by the Giants in 2018 as an international free agent. Now 20 years old, the left-handed hitting Pomares has slashed .306/.377/.629 through 16 games with the San Jose Giants.

Pomares is a special offensive weapon, capable of hitting for average and power. His quick hands and impressive bat speed consistently generate hard contact and high exit velocities. A relatively flat swing may curb his home run totals, but his feel for the barrel and willingness to use the entire field have produced 12 extra-base hits in 62 at-bats. Pomares’ six percent career walk-rate alludes to his free-swinging nature, while his respectable 23 percent strikeout rate is a nod to his extraordinary bat-to-ball ability and hand-eye coordination. —Brandon Williams

Jameson Hannah, OF, Colorado Rockies (Double-A Hartford)

I work out of Hartford primarily as it’s a 20 minute drive from my house. The Rockies system this year is not great—we ranked them 29th coming into the season—and a lot of the more interesting prospect talent is in the lower levels. So I’m working out of Hartford primarily to see the rest of the Eastern League. But there’s an osmosis that occurs even when you are paying attention to the other teams. And I quickly noticed that Hannah sure seemed to make a lot of loud contact. He’s not a pop-up guy or an unknown quantity. He’s a former second-round pick who has already been traded twice. We have a fair few staff looks all of which clustered around “fourth outfielder,” and I’m not here to tell you he’s significantly more or less than that.

Hannah fits the bench outfielder mold almost perfectly. At the plate he has a noisy setup, but once he lets his hands go, he shows solid barrel feel and he hits the ball hard. Hannah will give you mostly worm-burning ground balls and laser show line drives, but that works out just fine, as at best he’s scraping 40 raw power. Even when he does get into one and lift it, you are looking at medium depth fly balls in most cases. Hannah isn’t a burner, but is fast enough to beat out some infield hits, and should shoot enough gaps to hit .260 or .270. The approach is advanced as well, although he’s very comfortable attacking early in counts if he sees a pitch he can whack. Hannah is a solid enough center fielder, although his arm is below average. Given some of the tool limitations here it’s hard to see an everyday player, but there’s value in seeing the reports continue to play out up the ladder. It’s a scouting cliche: “Yeah I like him a lot, fun player, can definitely help your ballclub. What do I think he is? Oh, he’s like a 4.” —Jeffrey Paternostro

Pomares’ athleticism and solid throwing arm make him a good defender in either corner outfield position. He runs well and is capable of stealing 10-20 bases in a season. Pomares’ true value, though, is in the batter’s box, where his special set of talents make him a fascinating, run-producing bat, who could be a key contributor in San Francisco as soon as 2023. —Brandon Williams

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... ll-report/

Jose Rodriguez, INF, White Sox (Low-A Kannapolis): 3-5, 2 2B, HR.

Just 20-years-old, Rodriguez has put together a solid offensive case based around above-average bat to ball and a bit more pop than expected for his slight frame. He may not stick at shortstop, but could fill his locker with various gloves and extend a bench with solid speed.

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... prospects/
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5. Yoelqui Cespedes, OF, White Sox
Team: High-A Winston-Salem (East)
Age: 23

Why He's Here: .360/.385/.880 (8-for-25), 8 R, 4 2B, 3 HR, 5 RBIs, 1 BB, 10 SO, 2-for-2 SB

The Scoop: Cespedes has shown power right away in his pro debut, belting four home runs in his first 14 games. That power is also coming with an aggressive approach that he will have to tighten up, as he's walked three times with 22 strikeouts as well. (BB)

10. Elehuris Montero, 3B, Rockies
Team: Double-A Hartford (Northeast)
Age: 22

Why He's Here: .571/.625/.786 (8-for-14), 3 R, 1 HR, 2 BB, 4 SO

The Scoop: Montero had to wait an extra year to put a difficult 2019 season behind him. He's repeating Double-A and while he's not dominating, the results are better and he is showing his power, hitting .245/.340/.451 with nine home runs through 52 games. (BB)

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Giants: Jairo Pomares, OF (No. 14), Low-A San Jose

The 20-year-old notched his second four-hit performance of the season and was perfect at the plate, going 4-for-4 with a homer, double and a pair of RBIs. The 14th-ranked Giants prospect opened the scoring with a two-run shot to left-center in the first inning. He led off the third with a single into left, laced a two-bagger to right in the fifth and added another leadoff base knock in the eighth. Pomares is sporting a .348/.411/.712 slash line over 17 games.

https://www.mlb.com/news/top-prospect-p ... uly-6-2021

Tylor Megill pitched five innings of one-run ball in the Mets' 4-2 victory over the Brewers on Monday.

He struck out seven, and the lone run came on an Omar Narvaez homer. Megill didn't get the win, as the Mets didn't take the lead until the bottom of the seventh. Megill has a solid 3.77 ERA in three starts since his callup, but he's yet to be involved in a decision.

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Full Vogelsong Pitcher of the Month: Zach Thompson, Miami

For the second month in a row, an overlooked Marlins starting pitcher performed well. You are excused if you’re not well-versed in Zach Thompson. He didn’t exactly come out of nowhere—he was born in Burleson, Texas, and went to the University of Texas at Arlington—but he’s never made the Annual, much less a top-anything list. He had a 4.71 ERA (5.54 RA9) in college. He had a 4.11 ERA (5.08 RA9) in the minors. And he was down there a while: six seasons in the White Sox organization after being drafted in the fifth round in 2014. The Marlins signed him as a minor league free agent last November.

He ironically earned his callup when May’s Full Vogelsong Pitcher of the Month, Cody Poteet, landed on the IL with a sprained medial collateral ligament. His first start, June 7 in Boston, didn’t go well. In three innings, he allowed two singles, two doubles, two runs, a walk, and a strikeout. But then he hit his stride:

June 12: Five innings at home against Atlanta. Three singles, a double, no walks, no runs, six strikeouts

June 20: Four innings (lifted for a pinch-hitter in the fifth) on the road against the Cubs. No hits, three walks, seven strikeouts. He allowed one unearned run on a two-out, two-base throwing error followed by a passed ball.

June 27: Six innings at home against Washington. Three singles, a double, two walks, and eleven strikeouts. He allowed two runs, one earned.

He finished the month with a 1.50 ERA and 1.72 FIP. He struck out 34 percent of the batters he faced and didn’t allow a homer. He was credited with two of the team’s ten June wins and should have gotten a third in the Cubs game, a 2-0 Chicago win. He relies primarily on his cutter, generating foul balls or whiffs on nearly three-quarters of swings, and also has a four-seam fastball and a curve, mixing in an occasional two-seamer and change.

The Marlins’ rotation is up for grabs beyond Sandy Alcantara, Pablo López, and Rookie of the Year candidate Trevor Rogers. Among the other seven pitchers to start games for Miami so far this year, Thompson’s case for staying in the rotation is, to date, the strongest. He won’t finish the year with a 1.50 ERA and no homers allowed, but his performance is backed up by a non-helium-aided .300 BABIP and 75 percent strand rate.

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news ... june-2021/

Also see: https://blogs.fangraphs.com/is-zach-tho ... g-success/

Jairo Pomares, OF, San Francisco Giants (Low-A San Jose): 4-4, 2B, HR, 2 R, RBI.
In a game where Marco Luciano, Luis Matos, and Alexander Canario went a combined 1-13, Pomares carried the San Jose offense. That’s been a recurring theme, as last night pushed the 20-year-old’s OPS over 1.200. He’s only barely gotten his feet wet in full-season ball at this point, but he’s a potential impact bat down the road.

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... -san-jose/

Giants: Jairo Pomares, OF (No. 14), Low-A San Jose

Back issues kept Pomares out to start the season, but since making his debut on June 15, he has done nothing but hit. For the second night in a row, Pomares smacked a homer and a double en route to a perfect 4-for-4 performance at the plate. Through 18 games, the 20-year-old Cuban is slashing an insane .386/.442/.786 with six home runs and 10 doubles. He’s recorded at least one hit in all but three games.

Rockies: Elehuris Montero, 3B (No. 9), Double-A Hartford

Montero has had some big games at the plate lately, but Wednesday’s was the first time this season that the 22-year-old has gone deep twice in a game, his first multihomer game since 2018. Montero finished the night 3-for-4 at the plate with two RBIs and nine total bases, good for his fourth multihit game in his past 10 contests. He’s now slashing .251/.345/.482 with 11 home runs through 54 games.

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

(1) Tylor Megill, RHP, New York Mets

Megill has burst onto the scene this season. The unheralded prospect began the year in Double-A, but cruised to the majors with 59 strikeouts in 40 1/3 innings and solid ratios. He most recently tossed five one-run innings against the Brewers on Monday. The important thing for fantasy, though, is that his lofty strikeout numbers have translated to the big leagues. Megill has a 32.2 percent strikeout rate in the majors and has a 12.3 percent swinging-strike rate. The righty is getting his whiffs with both his slider and changeup, though his slider appears to be his most effective pitch. He’s allowed just one hit off his slider in the majors, and he owns a 17.9 percent swinging-strike rate on the pitch. His upcoming matchup against the Pirates is an attractive one, too.

(4) John King, LHP, Texas Rangers

King continues to feature in a piggyback role, throwing multiple innings after Dane Dunning exits the game. The lefty had been respectable enough before coughing up four runs in two innings on Tuesday. King doesn’t throw hard, sitting in the low-90s with his fastball, but he does have an above-average changeup. The cambio is holding opposing hitters to an .070 AVG and is getting a swinging-strike rate near 20 percent—for comparison purposes, that’s a couple ticks higher than Peralta’s split-change. The Rangers continue to stretch out King to start, but he could continue to pair with Dunning after the All-Star break.

(4) Seth Beer, 1B, Arizona Diamondbacks

Beer hit .293/.404/.537 in the month of June and has collected at least one hit in four out of his five games this month. He’s ready to dip his toes into the deep end of the baseball pool. I know that Christian Walker ostensibly stands in his way, but Walker has a .223/.273/.342 slash line in 2021. If the Arizona first baseman doesn’t turn things around in the coming weeks, the organization might hand the keys to Beer and let him drive. Walker could get traded, too, if he goes on a little hot streak after the All-Star break, which could open up a door to playing time for Beer.

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Jairo Pomares, OF, San Francisco Giants (Low-A San Jose)

The 20-year-old corner outfielder continues to pummel the baseball in the Low-A West, slashing .346/.400/.728. He’s produced 17 extra-base hits through 21 games, including seven home runs. Pomares’ exceptional bat-to-ball ability makes him a good bad-ball hitter but can also cause him to be over-aggressive, portending poor pitch selection and weak contact. When at his best, the left-handed slugger drives the ball to all fields with plus hit and plus power tools. His neutral, middle-of-the-field approach provides ample time for his adept hands to react to anything thrown his direction, frequently resulting in hard contact and high exit velocities. While advanced pitching may be able to exploit his zeal for swinging, Pomares’ dynamic athleticism and supreme hand-eye coordination ensure he’ll be showcasing his talents in San Francisco by 2023. —Brandon Williams

José Rodríguez, SS, Chicago White Sox (Low-A Kannapolis)

Follow me, if you will, along a road that veers off the beaten path of our Midseason 50 discussions and takes a detour through NASCAR country; here you will find a shortstop lighting a spark that so far has failed to ignite a team with a winning percentage currently hovering around .300. This isn’t a swipe at the club, which is running a lineup featuring several talented but aggressively-assigned teens and 20-year-olds, but rather a roundabout way of introducing a dude who was born in 2001 and has passed this test with flying colors.

Somehow signed for only $50,000 in 2018 out of Valverde, D.R., Rodríguez is stout, muscular, and probably bigger (not in a bad way) than his listed 5-foot-11 and 175 pounds. There are two things about Rodríguez that will be immediately apparent to most observers. The first is his presence; his energy and confident bearing have, for some reason, earned him the local nickname of “Popeye.” The second, and more strictly relevant, is his bat. Rodríguez has performed at every level, this despite having an approach at the plate that can be described with words such as “aggressive,” or, less generously, “doesn’t really have an approach.” He takes a huge cut and his style of hitting will require refinement as he climbs the ladder, but for now he gets by with serious bat speed and excellent bat-to-ball ability.

He doesn’t have much physical projection remaining, but he really drives the ball already and there is potential above-average power output here if he makes improvements to his pitch selection. Rodríguez also possesses above-average speed, and has managed to rack up double-digit steals along with his six homers and 15 doubles thus far. The primary present (and possibly future) downside to José’s game is his defense; he’s racked up quite a few errors already, some due to poor footwork and some likely due to momentary lapses in concentration or overthinking (he’s young, remember). I actually think he has the raw tools to stick at short, though he doesn’t always make the most fluid movements in the field and if he continues to hit he may end up warranting a move to second or third in order to simplify things on the other side of the ball. On pure strength, the arm is plus, and I’ve seen him make rangy and reactive outs on fast-moving plays. There’s plenty that could go wrong here but also plenty that could, and so far has, gone right. —Ben Spanier

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Elehuris Montero, Double-A Hartford (Rockies)—Montero has impressed since arriving in his new organization in the offseason trade with the Cardinals for third baseman Nolan Arenado, and the 22-year-old corner infielder added his 13th home run, a two-run shot, as part of a 2-for-3 day with three RBIs. Montero is hitting .271/.361/.517 with 41 RBIs in 59 games and should easily surpass his previous career high of home runs (16 in 127 games in 2018).

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Los Angeles NL: Miguel Vargas, 3B
Double-A Tulsa • Age: 21

The Cuban standout added power to his game and had already nearly doubled his previous career high for home runs. Vargas hit .298/.359/.529 with 13 home runs in 59 games.

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Miguel Vargas, Double-A Tulsa (Dodgers)—Vargas has added power to his impressive tool set this season, and already has a career-high 13 home runs through 61 games. The added pop has not affected his average, either. On Wednesday, he collected three hits in five at-bats and drove in one. On the season between High-A and Double-A, the 21-year-old third baseman is hitting .306/.364/.532 with 34 RBIs.

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Pedro Leon, OF, Houston Astros (Double-A Corpus Christi): 3-5, R, 3B, HR, 2 RBI, K.

Houston has challenged their most recent high profile international signee by giving him a rather aggressive Double-A placement, and switching his defensive position to shortstop. The results so far have been mixed. The season began with a slow offensive start and a trip to the bench thanks to a lack of hustle, but the power has started to play: Léon has slugged .556 in the month of July.

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Astros: Pedro Leon, SS (No. 2), Double-A Corpus Christi

Leon put both his power and speed on display from the top of the Hooks’ lineup, finishing 3-for-5 with a triple, homer and two RBIs. The 23-year-old flashed his speed early, leading off the game with a triple and then showed his power with a line drive homer in the third. Leon is hitting .250 on the season with nine homers and 33 RBIs.

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Tylor Megill tossed six shutout innings on Saturday but was not involved in the decision during the Mets 9-7 loss versus the Pirates.

This was the first scoreless outing of the 25-year-old's major league career and the first time he has completed six innings. Megill is now one of four Mets pitchers to carry a sub-3.00 ERA with at least 25 punchouts during their first five career starts (Seaver, Gooden, Matz). The right-hander will take his 2.63 ERA and 1.21 WHIP over 24 frames into his next outing which is scheduled to be against the Blue Jays at CitiField.

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The Marlins promoted outfield prospect Griffin Conine to Double-A Pensacola on Sunday.

The 24-year-old slugger leads all of minor league baseball with 23 home runs on the season, while slashing .247/.382/.587 with 59 RBI and a 103/46 K/BB ratio at High-A Beloit. Griffin, the son of Marlins legend Jeff Conine, was acquired from the Blue Jays in September to complete the Jonathan Villar trade.

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He is Mr. Marlin’s son, but Griffin Conine is forging his own path in Marlins’ system

By Jordan McPherson
July 19, 2021 10:19 AM, Updated 8 minutes ago

Griffin Conine, son of Jeff Conine, is making his way through the Miami Marlins’ minor-league system as a power-hitting outfielder. “As far as pressure goes,” he said, “I just go out there and play.”
Griffin Conine, son of Jeff Conine, is making his way through the Miami Marlins’ minor-league system as a power-hitting outfielder. “As far as pressure goes,” he said, “I just go out there and play.” Brent Bartels Courtesy of Beloit Snappers

The play looked all too familiar, bringing some Marlins fans back to when it happened 18 years ago.

A fly ball drops into left field with two outs. A runner on second races around third base and makes his way home. The left fielder quickly corrals the ball, takes a couple steps and throws with all his might, falling forward in the process, to get the inning-ending out at home plate.

On July 9, 17 years and nine months later, it was Jeff’s son Griffin who made that run-saving throw as a member of the Marlins organization.

Like father, like son.

The stakes weren’t as high this time around. It happened in a regular-season game for the Marlins’ Class A Advanced affiliate Beloit Snappers against the South Bend Cubs.

But the nostalgia was there.

“It was really cool to see that link up,” Griffin Conine, who was 6 years old when his dad made the highlight throw all those years ago, said Saturday, a little more than a week after he replicated his dad’s play nearly stride for stride. “Similar footwork and throw. It was awesome.”

Equally awesome, in Griffin’s mind: Having the chance to potentially play for his hometown team, for the team his dad won two World Series rings with, the team he was around when his love for baseball began to flourish. It’s a chance that became possible a year ago when the Marlins acquired him from the Toronto Blue Jays at the trade deadline in exchange for Jonathan Villar.

But this much is also clear: Griffin Conine doesn’t plan to live in the shadow of his dad or put extra pressure on himself because of the last name on the back of his jersey. Right now, he doesn’t view himself as Mr. Marlin Jr. as he climbs through the Marlins’ minor-league system.

He’s Griffin Conine. Simple as that.

“It’s definitely cool to have that piece of history in my bloodlines,” the younger Conine said, “but as far as pressure goes, I just go out there and play. It’s kind of all you can do. I’m not not real big on social media because there’s just a lot of negativity out there. But yeah, I think most pressure is created in my own head, just on myself. It’s kind of just me versus me. As far as all that talk about Mr. Marlin Jr. and whatnot, if I earn that name for real eventually, then I’ll be happy about it. For now, I just go out and play.”

As of Monday, July 19, Griffin Conine has a minor league-leading 23 home runs to go along with 59 RBI and a .969 OPS. “I just want to put the barrel on the ball. That’s really what it is,” Conine said. Brent Bartels Courtesy of Beloit Snappers

A lot of home runs...

One of Conine’s biggest strengths is his power potential as a left-handed hitter.

That attribute has been on full display so far this season.

The 24-year-old slugger, ranked as the No. 17 prospect in the Marlins’ system by MLB Pipeline, has belted out a minors-leading 23 home runs over his first 66 games this season, all with Beloit, Wisconsin. He has also accrued 59 RBI along with a .587 slugging and .969 on-base-plus-slugging mark through his first 66 games this season.

Through 203 games since making his pro ball debut in 2018, Conine has 52 career home runs, 99 extra-base hits and 156 RBI.

“I just want to put the barrel on the ball. That’s really what it is,” Conine said. “I’m not gonna say I don’t love hitting homers. It’s awesome when that shows up in the game, but at the same time I’m happy if I’m barreling three, four balls a game. That’s my goal every time I step in the box is just put a good swing on it, be consistent as I can.

So no goals when it comes to a specific number of home runs this season?

“No goals there,” Conine said. “It’ll end up what it ends up at. Just gotta keep riding it.”

Griffin Conine, ranked as the No. 17 prospect in the Miami Marlins’ system by MLB Pipeline, has done most of his damage earlier in counts. 39 of his 58 hits and 18 of his 23 home runs this season have come before he gets into a two-strike count. Brent Bartels Courtesy of Beloit Snappers

... But a lot of strikeouts, too

While the home runs and the hard hits and the production are nice, there is one main area where Conine knows he needs to improve.

Conine has 103 strikeouts in 288 plate appearances this season — a 35.6 percent strikeout rate. His career strikeout rate is 33.5 percent.

“My strikeout numbers are super high,” Conine admitted, “and that’s something that I don’t want anyone to think that that’s something I’m OK with. That’s something I’m working on every day. I am.”

What exactly is Conine doing?

He’s trying to do more damage earlier in counts — 39 of his 58 hits and 18 of his 23 home runs this year have come before he gets into a two-strike count.

“Up and down the org, all they talk about is two-strike approach, two-strike hitting,” Conine said. “It’s hard once you get in a hole like that, though, because you see less strikes and pitchers know that you’re a guy that will chase and then you kind of just work yourself into a hole by getting less pitches to hit. It becomes harder on you, but also you know I created that for myself. It’s just every day coming in and working on changing speeds working on hitting offspeed [pitches] better and doing whatever I can to to be better in those counts, but it’s been a grind for sure.”

Griffin Conine has heeded the advice of his dad, 12-year MLB veteran Jeff Conine, and prioritized having a set pregame routine as he makes his way through the minor leagues. Brent Bartels Courtesy of Beloit Snappers
‘It’s the same game’

As Conine makes his way through the minor-league ranks and gets closer to making a hopeful MLB debut, he’s leaning on a few key phrases and pieces of advice that his dad, a 12-year MLB veteran, has passed on to him.

“He always talks about just keeping the game simple, as simple as you can,” Conine said, “especially more specifically as you rise through the minor-league ranks. Every rank gets harder and harder. The game speeds up slightly and that’s the purpose of all the levels in the minors, but he’s just like he always preaches it’s the same game.

“It’s a different scenery, obviously a different difficulty, but between the lines, it’s all the same.”

Having a set routine helps.

Pregame shower after batting practice. Pregame meal about two-and-a-half hours before first pitch. A workout shake about an hour after that. Listen to music to get pumped up (Conine’s playlist features a lot of rap this year, specifically Lil Baby and J. Cole). Then it’s 20 minutes or so in the cage for a few final swings before getting to the field about a half hour before first pitch.

“It’s down to a science at this point,” Conine said. “Pretty much everything is at the same exact time.”

The hope, the goal, is that it helps on his path to the big leagues.

“Baseball is kind of my life,” Conine said. “That’s the main goal with everything.”

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C: Bryan Lavastida, Lake County Captains (High-A)
(Indians No. 25)
.429/.591/.929, 5 G, 14 AB, 6 R, 6 H, 4 2B, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 6 BB, 4 SO, 1 SB

A career .321 hitter in three pro seasons, Lavastida has been red-hot since missing three weeks in May with a wrist injury and has reached base in each of his 15 games this month, including four contests with multiple RBIs last week. If he weren't a few plate appearances short of qualifying, he'd rank third in the High-A Central in hitting (.326) and on-base percentage (.413) and fourth in slugging (.518) and OPS (.931).

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White Sox: Bailey Horn, LHP (No. 23), High-A Winston-Salem

Horn turned in his best High-A start since getting called up on July 1, tossing three hitless innings with five strikeouts in Winston-Salem’s 6-0 shutout of Jersey Shore. The 2020 fifth-rounder worked around three walks to prevent any runs from scoring, setting the tone for the rest of the night. Across two levels, Horn has a 5.09 ERA with 43 strikeouts through 35 1/3 innings.

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Astros: Pedro Leon, OF/SS (No. 2), Triple-A Sugar Land

After going 1-for-3 in his Triple-A debut on Tuesday, Leon had a big night at the plate in Sugarland’s 5-4 victory over Oklahoma City on Thursday -- he went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and scored three of the Skeeters’ five runs in the game. He also added a stolen base for good measure. Prior to his promotion to Triple-A, Leon hit .249/.359/.443 with nine homers in 52 games for Double-A Corpus Christi.

Pirates: Alexander Mojica, 3B (No. 28), Low-A Bradenton

Mojica was in need of a big performance, entering play Thursday hitting just .186/.333/.327 over his first 52 games, and he got one. The 18-year-old singled five times and drove in a run as the designated hitter in Bradenton’s 6-5, 10-inning loss to St. Lucie. That performance raised his season average all the way up to .211

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