2022 White Sox Prospect Notes

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Marlins LHP prospect Dax Fulton hurled 5 2/3 scoreless innings with nine strikeouts on Sunday for HIgh-A Beloit.

Fulton allowed four hits and issued a pair of walks. Missing bats has not been an issue for the 2020 second-round pick, as he's up to 101 strikeouts in his 77 innings with the Sky Carp. Limiting the production of those who don't whiff has been a problem, however, as he's walked 27 and registers a 4.56 ERA in his 16 starts. The ability to miss bats is legit, as Fulton has a plus fastball/curve combination and also shows the makings of a solid change. The command needs work, but that's true about most 20-year-olds, especially 6-foot-7 ones. Fulton has significant upside, but there's a wide variety of potential outcomes in his profile.

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Bryson Stott, SS, Phillies – Stott hit the game-winning three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to send the Phillies to a 6-4 comeback win over the Braves on Monday night. He finished 2-for-4 with five RBIs. After a slow start, Stott is now batting .267 over the past month.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... at-braves/

James Outman, OF, Dodgers (Triple-A Oklahoma City): 3-4, 2B, 3B, HR, BB, K.
Despite falling a single short of the cycle, Outman flashed a bit of everything that made him an enticing outfield project in spite of his advanced age.

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... ts-chance/
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Re: 2022 White Sox Prospect Notes

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(4) Bryson Stott, 2B/SS, Phillies

Sometimes the long slog of a season can hide a player making progress. Thanks to an abysmal start, Stott came into last night slashing .196/.268/.332 while driving the ball at a below-average rate. He has been better each month, though, striking out less, walking more, and hitting the ball harder each month. So far this month he’s walking more (10.3 percent) than he’s striking out (8.8 percent) and has added his hardest hit ball yet — a 108.4 mph knock of José Berríos. He also appears to have made an adjustment for when he reaches two strikes, going with no stride whatsoever. That, too, is working: He used it to smash a three-run game-winning homer off AJ Minter earlier this week.

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/fant ... t-week-16/

D-backs: Seth Beer, 1B/DH (No. 10)

Already traded in a 2019 Deadline move, Beer hasn’t quite stuck in Arizona three years later. He hit just .210/.301/.284 in 27 games earlier this season but continues to produce with a .250/.390/.469 over 54 contests at Triple-A Reno. A team already in talks with Arizona in need of a lefty bat off the bench could inquire about adding Beer to a larger deal and make him a DH option, and the expansion of the DH to both leagues only helps his case.

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The Royals ideally wanted to get one or two prospects back in any deal to part with Benintendi, and in this one, they got three: lefty T.J. Sikkema -- rated the Yankees’ No. 19 prospect and a former Missouri pitcher -- right-hander Beck Way (No. 21) and right-hander Chandler Champlain.

... Way, 22, was New York’s fourth-round pick in 2020 out of Northwest Florida State College. He’s 5-5 with a 3.73 ERA and 80 strikeouts in 72 1/3 innings and 15 starts this year in High-A. He leads the South Atlantic League with a .212 opponents' batting average and ranks third with a 1.12 WHIP.

Some scouts saw him more of a reliever because of command issues, but that evaluation has changed a bit this year with his walk rate down to 3.24, compared to 4.96 last year. Way has a four-seamer with ride and a two-seamer with sink, as well as a low-80s sweeping slider and a mid-80s changeup that has flashed potential this year with more consistency.

https://www.mlb.com/news/royals-trade-a ... r-leaguers

Royals acquired RHP Beck Way from the Yankees in the deal for Andrew Benintendi.

Way was a fourth-round pick in 2022 who has posted a slash of 3.73 in 15 starts with an 80/26 K/BB ratio in his 72 1/3 innings. He's a 22-year-old right-hander -- 23 on August 6 -- who has a plus fastball and slider with a useable change for good measure. He projects as a backend starter at the highest level, but the stuff could play up in relief.

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... 18-year-old Low-A shortstop Edwin Arroyo

... There are other exciting components to this trade, starting with Arroyo, a 40+ FV prospect. He is a hard-swinging shortstop who is off to a much more powerful offensive start than was anticipated when he signed out of high school. Back then, he was a switch-hitting, switch-throwing prepster who would pitch left-handed and play the infield, and fell behind some of the other high school infielders in his draft class due to doubts that Arroyo could stay at short and concerns about his hit tool. He has been nothing short of fantastic since entering pro ball, hitting .299/.377/.483 in just over 100 career games, with most of them coming this year at Low-A Modesto.

The Cal League has no doubt inflated Arroyo’s 2022 power production to some degree. He doesn’t have huge raw juice (his peak exit velos are in the 106-108 mph range — a bit shy of big league average, but still good for a player Arroyo’s age), but he does have more stable bat-to-ball ability than his amateur assessment (and better than he showed during his complex-level debut in 2021) and he lifts the ball with remarkable consistency. Arroyo’s left-handed swing has natural pull-side loft and he’s adept at impacting the baseball way out in front of the plate from the right side, accomplishing the same goal with a slightly different look. His open batting stance and deep pre-stride crouch are much more extreme than they were last year, and this change might have enabled him to see the ball better (similar to the way opening his stance helped unlock peak Luis Gonzalez) and improve his bat-to-ball ability.

For a relatively compact hitter, Arroyo’s swing is swift and explosive. He’s going to get to whatever raw power he ends up growing into and has a good shot to be a middle infield regular, though probably not until 2026 or so just based on his 40-man timeline. Despite his on-paper production to this point, I’ve continued to have a 40+ FV grade on Arroyo. That still puts him in an “impact” FV tier, but I do wonder if his power über alles approach and low-ball lefty swing will be toyed with by upper-level pitching, and I tend to think he will end up at second base. He’s still an exciting long-term prospect for the Reds to acquire and has the second most perceived upside in this deal.

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/reds-haul-f ... te-future/

Reds acquired INF Edwin Arroyo, INF Noelvi Marte, RHP Levi Stoudt and RHP Andrew Moore from the Mariners for Luis Castillo.

All the attention is being given to Marte -- and rightfully so -- but Arroyo is an impressive shortstop prospect in his own right. The 18-year-old was the second ranked prospect in the Mariners organization and recently checked in at 48th overall in Baseball America's most recent top 100. He has slashed a stellar .316/.385/.514 with 13 homers, 67 RBI and 21 swipes in 87 games at Single-A Modesto this season. Not bad at all for his first full season of professional ball.

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Bryan Ramos, 3B, White Sox (High-A Winston-Salem): 3-4, 2 HR, BB, K.

As Ramos has grown, so has his approach at the plate. The 20-year-old third bsaeman puts the ball in play consistently and with elevated pop.

Freddy Tarnok, RHP, Braves (Triple-A Gwinnett): 6 IP, 2 H, 1 R/ER, 0 BB, 9 K, 1 HRA.

Jared Kelley, RHP, White Sox (Low-A Kannapolis): 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R/ER, 2 BB, 8 K.

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... that-hill/

Edwin Arroyo

In contrast to Marte, Arroyo is a much better bet to stick at shortstop. The Mariners took Arroyo in the second round of the 2021 draft out of Puerto Rico as one of the youngest players in the draft. At that time he was viewed as far more advanced with the glove, with the athleticism, soft hands and arm strength to stick on the dirt up the middle. Arroyo has maintained the defensive skills into 2022, but his bat has progressed to the point where he’s now a legitimate two-way prospect, rising all the way to no. 48 on our midseason top 50. A switch-hitter, he keeps well-balanced on both sides of the plate and has made plenty of loud contact this season, particularly to pull, even if his 6-foot, 175-pound frame isn’t built for a ton of raw power right now. The development of Arroyo’s pitch selection is still in its nascent stages, and to that end he has some swing-and-miss and willingness to chase. In addition, the legitimacy of his power could be questioned as he’s spent the entire season in the Cal League. He also doesn’t turn 19 until next month and is holding his head above water with an 8.5% walk rate. While Marte is certainly the headliner here, Arroyo has the potential to eventually be an above-average-or-better, two-way shortstop. —Eli Walsh

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news ... royo-reds/

James Outman went 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored in Sunday's win over the Rockies.

What a debut for the 25-year-old outfielder. In his first taste of major-league action, Outman hit a 405-foot two-run home run towards right-center field in the top of the third, laced a 109.5-mph leadoff single to right field in the top of the seventh, and picked up his third career RBI by doubling home Gavin Lux in the top of the eighth. Don't go out of your way to pick him up in your leagues, but he's a fine watch-list candidate in NL-only formats.

Dodgers recalled OF James Outman from Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Outman will take the place of Zach McKinstry after he was traded to the Chicago Cubs. The 25-year-old was hitting .279/.381/.534 with 21 homers and 11 swipes across 404 plate appearances for Oklahoma City. He should be a great bat off the bench for the Dodgers but is not fantasy relevant at this point in time.

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Re: 2022 White Sox Prospect Notes

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RHP Norge Vera along with RHP Nick Gallagher have both been promoted to High-A Winston-Salem from the Low-A Kannapolis Cannon Ballers.

The Cannon Ballers announced this move on Twitter this afternoon.

ROSTER MOVES:

🔹RHP Norge Vera & RHP Nick Gallagher have been promoted to the @WSDashBaseball pic.twitter.com/PPNV6xAWs1

— Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (@Kcannonballers) August 2, 2022

Vera, 22, is the name most White Sox fans are familiar with, as he started this season with a lat injury and has really gotten going over the past few months. In 24 innings this season, Vera has a 1.88 ERA, striking out 35.4% of batters and allowing a .143 AVG against him. In July, Vera struck out an impressive 41.7% of batters. He has struggled with walks a bit, with his walk rate around 15%, but this is something he will likely continue to work on as he moves through the system. He still appears to be on a pitch/innings limit as he works back from his lat injury, but he is still throwing the easy 100 mph Sox fans were told about when he first signed with the team.

With some continued health, Vera will likely become a top 100 prospect in baseball sooner rather than later.

Norge Vera was pumping that triple-digit gas in last night’s outing. pic.twitter.com/dikpQ1Mw8k

— Sox On 35th (@SoxOn35th) June 18, 2022

Email from Jordan Lazowski

Jordan Wicks, LHP, Chicago Cubs (Double-A Tennessee): 5 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K.

Southern League hitters roughed up Wicks during his first two post-promotion starts, but he put together a gem on Tuesday night. He’s quietly putting together a solid first full professional season, showing flashes of the stuff that prompted the Cubs to draft him 21st overall last year. It’s not flashy, but his fastball and slider compliment his plus change giving him the floor of a future back end starter.

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... -on-track/

As he took the mound for his big league debut Wednesday afternoon before a 7-4 loss to the Guardians, Arizona left-hander Tommy Henry remembered the advice he got from several of his new teammates.

“You only get to make your debut once,” they told him. “Make sure you take a minute to look around, take a breath and soak it in before you start.”

So that's what the 25-year-old did before completing his warmup pitches.

"I have that image and that sound in my head from the first time," Henry said. "I'm glad I remember."

It must have been a nice moment for him, but in a flash, things sped up. A game that appears to move at a nice, leisurely pace when you're sitting in the stands or at home watching it on television moves a lot quicker when you're actually on the field.

With over 100 family, friends and former teachers and coaches in the stands cheering him on, Henry worked out of a first-and-third jam in the first.
Geraldo Perdomo's two-run homer


Aug 3, 2022

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0:35
Geraldo Perdomo's two-run homer

Then, in the second, the Guardians loaded the bases with no outs, and pitching coach Brent Strom went to the mound to try and settle Henry down.

"I needed it and I liked it," Henry said of the visit. "That was when I realized I needed to take a breath. It gave me a chance to take a breath, change perspective a little bit and get back to competing in the zone."

The D-backs believe that the former University of Michigan standout has a chance to be in their rotation for years to come. And while they are trying to win every game they can, the D-backs are also building for the future. So while the 7-4 loss was disappointing, it was also a chance to see what one of their pitching prospects could do.

Henry ended up allowing four runs on four hits over five innings.

Experience will certainly help Henry, and he knows there are other areas that he'll need to improve on for his next start.

For one, his slider seemed to not have its usual bite. It was a slider that Amed Rosario crushed for a three-run homer in the fifth.

"A slider that didn't slide," Henry said of the pitch to Rosario. "And it happens, and good hitters will hit mistakes. It was probably too good of a pitch in that moment. I was planning on it sliding and it didn't, and that's what happens."

Before the game, D-backs general manager Mike Hazen said that one of the reasons the D-backs didn't trade veteran starters like Madison Bumgarner and Merrill Kelly is that getting young pitchers acclimated into the big leagues is difficult, and he wanted Arizona’s young arms to have experienced veterans around them to talk to and learn from.

Henry is the beginning of a pending wave of young pitching prospects at the upper levels of the D-backs system who could see big league action sooner rather than later. Those hurlers include Brandon Pfaadt, Ryne Nelson and Drey Jameson, among others.

"Breaking in a young starting pitcher is going to have its challenges," Hazen said. "When our rookie starters are lining up against the Dodgers and the Padres, you see what those lineups are going to look like. I think having some veteran starters is of some importance until we get some innings under that group’s belt."

Henry now has five innings in the books and a few lessons already learned.

"I was probably moving too quick today," he said. "You know, reacting to things a little bit rather than finding my groove. But you know, those are things I'll learn just to and get better at moving forward."

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Re: 2022 White Sox Prospect Notes

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The Situation: With Justin Turner heading to the injured list with an abdominal strain…finally, the Dodgers turn to top third base prospect Miguel Vargas to man the hot corner.

Background: Vargas was signed for $300,000 out of Cuba as a 17-year-old in 2017. He caught the attention of our Cal League contingent in 2019 during his full-season debut, showing an impressive enough feel for hit and power potential to get him onto the 2020 101. He’s hit everywhere since, not showing any signs of rust from limited 2020 reps. He’s grown into more power, knocking 23 home runs in 2021—and bumping up to a Top 50 prospect accordingly—and 15 so far this year. After over a half season in Triple-A with a near .300/.400/.500 line, Vargas was merely biding time until there was a major league opportunity in La La Land.

Scouting Report: At the risk of repeating myself, Vargas just hits everywhere. He will punish you in the zone and is disciplined enough to make you come in against him or he will take his walks. His swing is not traditionally pretty—even by right-handed hitter standards—and has some length to it, but he’s posted above-average contact rates and can drive the ball hard from any part of the zone. The batting practice show isn’t going to wow you, but the game power may play above the raw as he is quite adept at finding the good part of the barrel.

Plus hit and solid-average power will play most spots in the diamond, but is a pretty nice combo at third base. Vargas remains playable there despite his rather sturdy frame, but you are mostly hoping he battles it to a draw most nights. His arm strength can cover for some issues elsewhere in the defensive profile, but the Dodgers have gotten him run at other positions. Being the Dodgers that includes second base more than first base, and a bit of left field as well. He’s not likely to win a gold glove—or really even rack up positive runs—at any of them, but he’s a good enough defender to get into your lineup somewhere every day, and he’s a low risk above-average bat wherever he stands.

Immediate Big-League Future: Vargas is likely to be the everyday third baseman as long as Turner is out, but he’s also seen time at three other spots this season, so he does offer some of the Dodgers preferred positional flexibility. He’s here to hit though, and I expect him to be at least above-average at the plate in the short term. —Jeffrey Paternostro

Fantasy Impact: Well, the apple of the BP prospect staff’s eye is finally all grown up. Let’s start with the positives. Vargas found himself among the best at Triple-A with a .291/.382/.497 line that was good enough for a 115 DRC+. This is after overcoming a dreadful April to start the season. The splits are solid enough too. Vargas absolutely mashes lefties putting up a .358/.458/.605 this season alone. He has enough power to put the ball over the fence 20-25 times with a handful of steals if given a full sleight of at bats over the course of a season.

Sadly, this likely won’t be a long visit and it would be wise to temper expectations on output as you race to the waiver wire. Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts said “it remains to be seen”, but maybe we can read the tea leaves. Newly acquired Joey Gallo enters the fray as Justin Turner takes a retroactive stint to the IL with a lingering injury to the abdomen. Meanwhile, Chris Taylor recently began his rehab assignment and should be back next week. Barring another injury, Vargas will likely return to Oklahoma City upon Taylor’s return.

Still, Vargas should get some looks over the next week at DH and 3B albeit at the bottom of the order. This year, when he is playing, he’s in the same vicinity as Alex Bregman, KeBryan Hayes, and Alec Bohm. For those of you keeping score at home, that is somewhere in the 10-12 range of those players who solely hold 3B eligibility. If you can add him in 12-teams or greater in an attempt to get a shot in the arm, he’s certainly worth the play, but just be fully prepared to churn the wire within the next two weeks. —Adam Lawler

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... ers-debut/

Before his Major League debut, Miguel Vargas emerged from the visiting clubhouse with a huge smile on his face and just one earring hanging from his left ear. He proceeded to chat with the media and then took some hacks on the field.

Every step of the way, Vargas oozed a level of confidence that is rare for a 22-year-old. That confidence goes up another notch when the Cuban infielder has a bat in his hands. While his future position on defense is in question, his ability at the plate certainly isn’t.

Most scouts believe Vargas, the No. 5 prospect in the Dodgers’ organization per MLB Pipeline, has one of the best hit tools in the system. On Wednesday, Vargas flashed that skill in a hurry, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs in the Dodgers’ 3-0 win over the Giants at Oracle Park.

“He’s been around the game for quite some time and when you understand the game, he’s got a good heartbeat,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “He’s always kind of looking at the field and the game and understands the game, the scoreboard, but it’s an uncanny ability to slow things down.”

With six family members in attendance, Vargas hit an RBI double to right-center field in his first Major League at-bat. It had an exit velocity of 106 mph and traveled 396 feet, according to Statcast. Had Wednesday’s game been held at Dodger Stadium, Vargas would’ve been celebrating his first big league homer.

“I was really nervous when I was on the on-deck circle,” Vargas said in Spanish. “But once I stepped into the box, I didn’t feel anything.”

On the next pitch to James Outman, Vargas wasted no time and took off for third base, sliding in safely for his first career stolen base. He joined Jose Offerman as the only Dodgers ever to record an extra-base hit and steal a base in their Major League debut.

“I just felt incredible,” Vargas laughed. “I didn’t feel like anyone could stop me.”

Vargas was not done making an impact, however. In his next at-bat, Vargas drove in the second run of the game with an infield hit that drove in Max Muncy from third base. The play was initially ruled a fielder’s choice but was later changed to an RBI single.

“He’s an impressive hitter,” said Giants right-hander Alex Cobb. “I don’t know how old he is, but he’s a big league bat.”

Some players never develop the type of feel for the game that Vargas possesses at 22. The Dodgers have tried to get him to pull the ball more in the Minors, which would lead to more power. But Vargas loves going the other way, a skill a lot of seasoned big leaguers struggle with.

Most of that baseball IQ comes from his father, Lazaro, who played 22 years in the Cuban National Series and won two gold medals while playing for the Cuban national team. The two defected to the Bahamas together in 2015. Vargas’ father wanted his son to live out his dream of playing in the Majors.

“I came here to live out [my father's] dream, which was to play in the Major Leagues,” Vargas said in Spanish. “He never got a chance to do that. For me to be up here, it feels like I’m representing him as well.”

With Chris Taylor and Justin Turner scheduled to come off the injured list within the next few weeks, the Dodgers don’t know how long Vargas will be up in the Majors. Vargas could be up for a few days, weeks, or for the remainder of the season. He said he’s not concerned about what will happen in the future.

In fact, despite his name being thrown around in essentially every potential Juan Soto trade, Vargas never doubted his ability. Neither did the Dodgers, who insisted they weren’t prepared to watch Vargas leave in any trade. It became obvious why on Wednesday.

“We know that he’s been a tremendous hitter down in the Minor Leagues and we’re hoping that he does the same thing here in the big leagues,” said Dodgers left-hander Julio Urías, who didn’t allow a run in six-plus innings on Wednesday. “He has a great heart, and he had some great at-bats tonight.”

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Football season is only barely getting underway, but that didn’t stop the Double-A Tulsa Drillers from putting up multiple touchdowns on the Northwest Arkansas Naturals on Thursday.

And at the center of it all? Who else but the Drillers’ quarterback, Andy Pages. The Dodgers’ No. 4 prospect (MLB’s No. 45 overall) was a home run shy of the cycle, going 4-for-6 with three RBIs in Tulsa’s enormous 23-7 win.

Despite a lot of early action, the game was even at six runs apiece through four innings. From that point on, the Naturals were outscored 17-1, allowing seven runs in the fifth and 10 runs in the seventh and eighth combined.

Pages began his night 0-for-2 but turned up the heat along with his Drillers teammates from there. He led off the fifth with a double down the left-field line and nearly had another in the same frame, as he smacked a fly ball off the wall but was nabbed by a strong throw from Naturals left fielder Tyler Gentry.

After a single in the seventh and 20 runs already having crossed the plate, Pages tripled to deep right-center in the eighth to bring in two more. The next batter, Justin Yurchak, singled in Pages for Tulsa’s 23rd and final tally of the night.

Only two other full season Minor League teams have reached at least 23 runs in a game this season. One of them, the Single-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, is also a Los Angeles affiliate. They posted 24 runs against the Lake Elsinore Storm on June 22.

Pages’ four-hit effort was his first of the season and third of his career. In fact, he had yet to even record three hits in a game this year, in what has been a rollercoaster of a tour through the Double-A level for the 21-year-old.

After hitting 31 home runs for the High-A Great Lakes Loons in 2021, it was notable that Pages had hit just five home runs in 44 games through the end of May this season. Since the start of June, while his batting average has taken a dip, his power has certainly returned. In just four more games over that span, Pages has hit 13 longballs.

But Thursday’s performance was more about putting the ball in play and finding the gaps in the defense, rather than pure strength. If he’s able to balance both aspects of his offensive approach, Pages might be in line for a late season promotion to Triple-A, though there certainly is no rush to push a player of his age already in the upper levels of the Minors.

Perhaps the rest of his season also involves some experience at new positions. In the ninth inning of Thursday's blowout, Tulsa moved Pages to third base, notable because he had played all 327 of his prior career games in the outfield or as the designated hitter.

https://www.mlb.com/news/dodgers-andy-p ... e-coverage

What's been a subpar year for Jose Rodriguez in terms of home runs has perked up noticeably over the past week.

The No. 3 White Sox prospect went deep for a second consecutive game and for the third time in four contests during Double-A Birmingham's 6-5 win in 11 innings over visiting Chattanooga. Rodriguez, who hit 14 homers across three Minor League levels in 2021, had one in his first 87 games this season.

Although his numbers don't measure up to his .301/.338/.469 slash line of a year ago, the 21-year-old shortstop has established career highs with 54 RBIs and 38 stolen bases. Rodriguez is batting .269 with a .702 OPS. -- Michael Avallone

https://www.mlb.com/news/chicago-white- ... e-coverage

White Sox: Norge Vera, RHP (No. 5)

The White Sox signed Vera for $1.5 million in February 2021 and handled him carefully when he came down with a lat strain this spring. He's on a roll in Single-A, allowing a run in just one of his last four starts, while recording a 1.29 ERA, .177 opponents' average and 25 strikeouts in 14 innings. The Cuban's mid-90s fastball can touch 100 mph and his curveball has the potential to become a plus pitch.

https://www.mlb.com/news/hottest-pitchi ... ugust-2022
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Re: 2022 White Sox Prospect Notes

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When Yoelqui Céspedes hits homers, he likes to do it in twos.

The White Sox No. 4 prospect had not homered in his last 13 games. Céspedes finally broke that streak with his second multihomer game of the season, going 3-for-4 with two homers in Double-A Birmingham’s 14-9 loss to Chattanooga.

The 24-year-old’s power display came early as he crushed a solo shot to left-center field in the second inning. Céspedes was not done there as he hit his second solo long ball of the night in the seventh inning.

The outfielder’s power surge has brought his homer tally to 13 on the season. -- Edwin Perez

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Re: 2022 White Sox Prospect Notes

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2. Jordan Wicks, LHP, Cubs
Team: Double-A Tennessee (Southern)
Age: 22

Why He’s Here: 0-0, 0.00, 9 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 15 SO, 0 HR

The Scoop: The Cubs 2021 first-round pick received a promotion to Double-A in mid-July and struggled in his first two starts at the level. Clearly, he got through the adjustment period just fine. Wicks pitched five scoreless innings with no walks and eight strikeouts in his first start against Rocket City last week and added four more scoreless innings with seven strikeouts to cap the six-game series. He finished off his week in style, striking out the side in his final inning of work. (KG).

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Re: 2022 White Sox Prospect Notes

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Bryan Ramos, 3B, Chicago White Sox (High-A Winston-Salem): 3-4, 3 R, 3B, HR, 3 RBI, BB, SB

Natural strength and plenty of bat speed give Ramos plus raw power, and he’s getting to it in-game this season. His 18 home runs and 70 RBI are both near the top of the leaderboards in the Sally League. He’s more than just a slugger, however, demonstrating an above-average ability to find the barrel and solid spin recognition. The glove’s not the smoothest at third and he might eventually wind up as a corner outfielder, but the bat looks to be strong enough to handle the move.
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Re: 2022 White Sox Prospect Notes

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Reese Olson, RHP, Tigers (Double-A Erie): 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R/ER, 1 BB, 10 K.

Still pumping low-90s heat with a few solid secondaries, Olson is the rare Tigers pitching prospect to have been largely unscathed in 2022. His 68 DRA- in 92 innings reflects his impressive repertoire.

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... b-wilting/

Jose Rodriguez
has been on one of the most exciting types of hit streaks, a home run streak.

The White Sox's third-ranked prospect has hit a jack in three straight contests following his performance in Double-A Birmingham's 13-12 loss to Pensacola.

The 21-year-old's first hit of the evening came on a double to right field in the fifth inning. He's tied for eighth in the Southern League with 21 doubles this year. The designated hitter launched his eighth homer of the season and third in three straight games on a go-ahead solo shot to left-center as part of a three-run sixth inning.

Although that may have been Rodriguez's last hit of the night, he still put pressure on the opposition after being hit by a pitch in the 12th and stealing second while JJ Muno stole third. He is second in the Southern League in stolen bases with 40 on the season. A single by Craig Dedelow brought home Muno and Rodriguez scored on a wild pitch, but the Blue Wahoos surged back in the bottom of the 12th to secure the win.

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RHP: Reese Olson, Erie SeaWolves (Double-A)
Tigers No. 14
1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 10 K, 0.33 WHIP

After finishing last season with five starts at Double-A, Olson pitched well enough to start this year with the SeaWolves and his early results were mostly solid. However, the 2018 13th-round Draft pick of the Brewers began to struggle towards the end of June and his previous seven starts entering last Friday did not resemble the pitcher he was at the start of the year. That changed quickly for the righty as he looked like his usual self against New Hampshire, navigating through six scoreless frames with ease while striking out 10. Olson retired the first six batters he faced before issuing a leadoff walk in the third. Still, a double play erased that runner and Olson faced the minimum over 3 1/3 frames. A one out single in the fourth was his only other blemish of the night as he set down the final eight batters he faced -- fanning five. The effort lowered Olson's ERA to 4.40 over 21 games (20 starts) this season, while amassing 130 strikeouts over 92 innings pitched.

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

Elehuris Montero: The 23-year-old has started 10 straight games while hitting .278/.297/.417 with 1 HR so far. A definite streamer when Colorado is home and possibly startable when on the road.

Dane Dunning: Dunning has been better since returning from the IL (ankle). His average fastball velocity is up over 1 mph. His groundball rate has increased from 53% to 59%. That’s about the extent of the improvements with his K%-BB% just going from 11.1% to 11.6%. He is probably worth streaming against Oakland next week.

Tommy Henry: He has only thrown 12 MLB innings but had an 8.3 K/9, 1.34 WHIP, and a 3.83 ERA. A .171 BABIP is the only reason his major league stats (3.75 ERA, 1.08 WHIP) look reasonable.

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Re: 2022 White Sox Prospect Notes

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Braves recalled RHP Freddy Tarnok from Triple-A Gwinnett.

Tarnok was added to the Braves' 40-man roster last offseason and has compiled a solid 3.63 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 101/34 K/BB ratio across 89 1/3 innings (20 starts) this season between Double-A Mississippi and Triple-A Gwinnett. The 23-year-old right-hander will give Atlanta some extra long relief depth and will be making his major-league debut when he gets into a game.

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Re: 2022 White Sox Prospect Notes

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In April, the baseball article subject of choice is often a player who has a scorching hot start to the season. We put him under scrutiny, examine his ins and outs, then ultimately shrug and say, well, maybe. Maybe it’s something! Then again, it could also be nothing. Months pass, and said player and their progress is never revisited. Instead, you’ll likely come across their remains in the dustiest corner of a box score, discovering a mere shell of a once-promising breakout candidate.

Let’s amend that. If there’s anyone who deserves a follow-up, it’s Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan, who ranked No. 57 on our 2022 Top 100 prospect list before the season and who captivated fans back in April with an endless stream of hits and a refusal to swing and miss. But a horrid May (.173/.271/.253) removed him from the community’s collective radar, consigning him to a Yermín Mercedes-like fate. Since then, however, Kwan has been outstanding: Following a productive summer, he’s brought up his slash line on the season to a respectable .295/.371/.389, for a 121 wRC+. This sport has seen countless one-month wonders; he isn’t one of them.

At the height of Kwan’s stardom, Ben Clemens authored the initial dossier on him. In it, Ben came away impressed by the bat-to-ball skills and plate discipline but noted two areas in which he could come back down to earth. The first was his zone rate, which seemed abnormally low for someone with hardly any thump in his bat. Indeed, pitchers soon discovered that they were better off challenging the rookie instead of letting his plate discipline get the best of them. As the season progressed, Kwan began to see more and more strikes:

His zone rate peaked in late June to early July; not surprisingly, he walked in just 3.1% of plate appearances in the latter month, well below his season average up to that point. But the graph shows another trend: In recent weeks, Kwan’s zone rate has plummeted back down to his early-season level, which we’ll touch more on later. The rate at which a player is thrown a strike fluctuates within a season. Based on the initial up and subsequent down, it seems like Kwan will end up at mark higher than that of the typical hitter, but not overly so.

What works in Kwan’s favor is that his eye at the plate isn’t just good — it’s absolutely stellar, possibly one of the best in the league. You might not have been convinced of that early on in the season, but it’s apparent now. The man refuses to swing at a pitch outside the zone. That helps him convert favorable counts into walks at a frequency that surpasses the average hitter at every step of the way:

Kwan’s Walk Rate Through Hitters’ Counts

Count Kwan’s BB% League BB%
Through 3-0 62.5% 59.8%
Through 3-1 47.7% 44.2%
Through 2-0 36.8% 29.5%
Through 2-1 23.9% 19.0%
Through 1-0 17.1% 14.9%

It’s possible to form a pessimistic view of Kwan. Pick out a few of his numbers, and he resembles Adam Frazier, who’s been largely incapable of running a wRC+ above 100. But Kwan’s discipline is on a whole different level: His 18.8% chase rate is far lower than Frazier’s 29.7%. It leads me to believe Kwan has a much safer floor he can rely on. Even during periods when his BABIP inexplicably craters and pitchers use that opportunity to fill up the strike zone, he seems prepared to continue drawing walks. My favorite Kwan statistic (Kwantistic?) might be his chase rate in early counts: 0–0, 0–1 or 1–0. At a mere 7.1%, it’s the second-lowest of all hitters with 200 or more early-count swings, behind only the majestic Daniel Vogelbach. Not only does Kwan fare exceptionally well in favorable counts, but he also sets himself up time and time again to reach them.

We’ve talked about Kwan’s patience, but what happens when he actually puts a ball into play? Going back to Ben’s article, the second area due for a correction was the infield positioning against him. In the minors, he pulled a majority of his grounders as a left-handed hitter, and Ben speculated that teams might begin shifting against him, thereby eating into his batting average. For a high-contact, low-power approach, the type of grounders that sneak past the shortstop are valuable pickups, and Kwan looked like he might potentially miss out on them.

Fortunately, that hasn’t been the case. Teams have shifted against Kwan in 7.3% of his plate appearances as of this writing, and when you consider that “shift against any breathing, living lefty” is the de facto strategy of several organizations, it’s extremely low. And it’s been that way for a reason: just over a third of his groundballs so far have been pulled, which is a giant red flag for potential shifters. But what truly stands out is the hidden adjustment behind it all. From April to May, he pulled 46.1% of his grounders; since June, that rate has plummeted to 31.4%. It’s a change visible to even the naked eye, via a side-by-side comparison between his early-season groundballs and mid-season ones:

Kwan has essentially made himself un-shiftable. Compared to April and May, there’s been a higher density of grounders up the middle and toward the opposite field in recent months. When he slaps a ball on the ground, it’s become impossible to predict which direction it will end up. But it’s hard to say this is why he rose from the ashes of his miserable May. Grounders sometimes find their way, sometimes they don’t, and it’s plausible that he would have had the same number of groundball hits as now even without an anti-pull adjustment.

And really, would an all-fields approach ever be the reason why pitchers start to avoid the zone? No, Kwan is probably earning more respect than before because his damage on contact has jumped. He’s hitting fewer fly balls than before, and more importantly, he’s hitting more line drives:

The two trends go hand-in-hand. Over time, Kwan’s groundball rate has barely budged. Rather, it looks as if he is trading fly balls for line drives, the latter of which are far more useful. Consider that fly balls under the hard-hit threshold of 95 mph have returned a mere .119 wOBA this season. When Kwan hits a fly ball with his modicum of power, it’s almost guaranteed to become an out. There’s a chance for a home run, but it’s about as reliable as a scratch ticket jackpot. The type of batted ball that maximizes Kwan’s consistent yet medium exit velocities is the line drive. If you can keep poking outside pitches into left field with ease, there’s no need for Stantonian strength:

As things stand, the only real concern about Kwan’s offensive profile is his abysmal exit velocities. I did just say that line drives aren’t as reliant on batted ball speed for results, but his hard-hit rate ranks 250th… out of the 251 hitters listed on Baseball Savant’s leaderboards. There’s low, and then there’s bottom-of-the-barrel low. Kwan’s complete and utter power outage is a genuine, albeit relatively minor, issue, one that makes me think he’ll wield an average rather than an above-average bat moving forward. He appears capable of hitting the ball with more authority — when he connects with a ball and drives it, the sight is awe-inspiring — but maybe it’s through exaggerated slap-hitting that he defends himself against major league pitching.

But fear not, because the entire Kwan package is still appealing. Four hundred or so plate appearances later, he’s proved that his knack for contact is impervious to the nastiest of pitches, and that his plate discipline is not just good, but elite. With how he’s recently figured out how to access the launch angle sweet spot, perhaps it’s only a matter of time before he tacks on some extra in-game power. There’s also the matter of his defensive value, which two of the three big-name defensive metrics (DRS and OAA) are on board with. But defensive metrics take a boatload of time to become reliable, and this is primarily about his achievements at the plate. At least we can relieve ourselves of the uncertainty of April, when we wondered if Kwan could be the real deal. The answer? Yes indeed.

Statistics in this article are through games of August 14.

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Re: 2022 White Sox Prospect Notes

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Elehuris Montero went 2-for-4 with two home runs in Friday's 7-4 win over the Giants.

Montero took Alex Wood deep twice in Friday's win: once in the bottom of the second, and again in the bottom of the fifth. This was the rookie's first career five-RBI game, and first career multi-home run game. Keep an eye on him if you play in an NL-only league.

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

Last weekend, Rockies rookie Elehuris Montero was bright-eyed and smiling at the prospect of playing at Busch Stadium.

A one-time Cardinals prospect before heading west to Colorado in the Nolan Arenado trade, Montero had never visited St. Louis’ ballpark. COVID-19 kept him from being included in 2020’s dystopian exercise known as the alternate training site, where socially distanced prospects slipped into empty stadiums by day but departed before Major Leaguers played in silence by night.

Montero’s trip to the Gateway City didn’t go that well, beyond celebrating his 24th birthday on Wednesday. The Rockies were swept in three games and he went 1-for-9.

But the smile never left. When Colorado returned to Coors Field on Friday night, Montero belatedly celebrated in style. His two no-doubt home runs off Giants starter Alex Wood to center field, for two runs in the second inning and three in the fifth, led the Rockies to a 7-4 victory at Coors Field that ended a losing streak at five games.

Manager Bud Black said Montero “hasn’t grown into his full man strength,” but seeing the way his first two Coors Field homers flew is incentive to keep muscling up.

“I agree -- I feel like there’s more in there,” Montero said with bullpen catcher Aaron Muñoz serving as his interpreter. “I’ve just got to continue to work hard.

“You guys are going to see the real Montero.”

The Giants (59-60) arrived in Denver 5 1/2 games out of a National League Wild Card spot, where they remained after the Padres' 6-3 loss to the Nationals. It was San Francisco's eighth game in a stretch of 12 against struggling teams on whom it hoped to feast. But Montero is in his first Major League season, and is hungry himself.

This month brought Montero’s fourth callup of the season from Triple-A Albuquerque. Black played him when he was hitting .433 over an eight-game hit streak. Montero entered Friday on a 3-for-25 skid over seven games, but Black is allowing him to overcome.

“We’re watching every pitch that goes across the plate when he’s hitting, and there’s a poise to him,” Black said. “He’s confident in his ability to hit. That hasn’t wavered.”

Unfooled by a first-pitch changeup for his first homer and ready for a 1-1 sinker the second time, Montero showed the control in the batter’s box that wasn’t seen during early Major League forrays but developed on his trips back to the Albuquerque lab.

Also, Connor Joe -- being fed playing time after a period of slumps and bruises -- parked his first home run in 169 at-bats since June 7, and righty José Ureña (6 2/3 innings, three runs, three hits) won for the first time since June 16.

Montero’s lone hit in St. Louis was a solid double, a nice treat against the team that gave him development skills in the Minor Leagues. But his biggest present is opportunity.

“I feel comfortable at the plate,” he said. “I’m getting some at-bats, and I feel confident.”

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Re: 2022 White Sox Prospect Notes

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Wilfred Veras, 1B/3B, Chicago White Sox (Single-A Kannapolis)

A low six-figure signing back in 2019, the 19-year-old Veras initially struggled following an aggressive assignment to A-ball, but has rebounded nicely as the season’s worn on. Listed at 6-foot-two and 180 pounds but looking a little more than that, Veras possesses potentially plus power and doesn’t need to sell out for it. He’s driven some prodigious homers with his short stride and easy swing, appearing especially fond of the outfield wall beyond the deep right-centerfield gap.

Taking age and experience level into consideration, Veras has acquitted himself quite well in his full-season debut, so far managing 17 homers and an OPS just under .800 over 428 plate appearances. However, the swing can get a bit stiff, leading to a strikeout rate that is a bit too high with a walk rate that is a bit too low. The positional fit is also a concern, as his somewhat limited athleticism has already pushed his primary role to the cold corner. Still, Veras has a precocious bat with some pop and is worth keeping an eye on. —Ben Spanier

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SS: Jose Rodriguez, Birmingham Barons (Double-A)
White Sox No. 7
.444/.524/.944, 5 G, 8-for-18, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 6 R, 3 BB, 1 K, 1 SB

Rodriguez rides a 10-game hitting streak into this week and had a five-game homer streak from Aug. 12-17. The shortstop drove in multiple runs in his first three games of the award period, knocking in three on Tuesday and Wednesday and another two on Thursday. He also walked in each of those games and rolled up five hits. After getting his first four starts of the week at shortstop, Rodriguez was Birmingham’s designated hitter on Saturday and went 2-for-2 with a solo homer and a pair of runs scored.

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8. Gabriel Moreno, C, Blue Jays
Team: Triple-A Buffalo (International)
Age: 22

Why He’s Here: .588/.632/.647 (10-for-17), 3 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBIs, 1 BB, 2 SO, 1-for-2 SB

The Scoop: Though he has not shown nearly the same power as he did in his breakout 2021 season, Moreno has been one of the purest hitters in the minor leagues this season. He has 17 multi-hit games—including a quartet of four-hit games—and is currently riding a streak of five games in a row with two or more hits. He had only one extra-base hit this week, but it was memorable. On Aug. 17, Moreno lined a ball so hard that it got stuck in the left-field wall at Buffalo’s Sahlen Field. After they’d initially called it a home run, the umpires got together and awarded Moreno an automatic double. (JN)

17. Mason Auer, OF, Rays
Team: High-A Bowling Green Hot Rods (South Atlantic)
Age: 21

Why He’s Here: .381/.480/.857 (8-for-21), 6 R, 2 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 4 RBIs, 3 BB, 3 SO, 3-for-3 SB

The Scoop: The 2021 fifth-rounder out of San Jacinto (Texas) JC has enjoyed a strong first full season of professional baseball across both levels of Class A. Auer is hitting .287/.364/.481 with 13 home runs and 42 stolen bases this season. His combination of average bat-to-ball and on-base ability, above-average raw power and twitch have made him one of the more intriguing athletes in the Rays system. Last week he flashed the range of his skills that has brought him success this season as he hit five extra-base hits, stole three bases and got on base 11 times over five games against Greenville. Auer had three consecutive multi-hit games on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and put eight balls into play during the series at 95-plus mph. (GP)

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Productivity at the plate and masterfulness on the mound lead to a successful outcome nearly every time, and that's what Double-A Birmingham had in its 11-7 win over Mississippi.

The White Sox had a haul of prospects handle business in the victory: No. 5 Bryan Ramos and No. 13 Yoelqui Céspedes did work in the batter's box while No. 9 Sean Burke got the Barons' pitching rotation started on the right path on the bump.

Burke set the pace with five scoreless innings, allowing just two hits while fanning a career-high nine batters.

Ramos and Céspedes highlighted their multihit games with a pair of homers in the eighth inning to seal the team's win. In his first game at Double-A, Ramos hammered a three-run homer to left-center field. Céspedes followed with a solo shot to left-center for his 14th homer of the season with the Barons.

Ramos finished 3-for-5 with four RBIs, and Céspedes was 4-for-5, with three RBIs and two steals. -- Ethan Sands

https://www.mlb.com/news/chicago-white- ... e-coverage

Another player who has seen significant benefit from this increased commitment to youth is [Nick} Allen, who has started at shortstop every day since Andrus was released. Oller, for one, is extremely grateful.

“Thank God he was playing shortstop for me today,” Oller said of Allen. “There were quite a few balls hit today where I was sitting there and I was like, ‘Ahh, that’s gonna get through.’ Then I turn around and I was like, ‘All right, maybe not.’

The bat lags considerably behind the supreme glovework for Allen, but as we saw with Matt Chapman before him, that glove isn’t irrelevant. It’s going to keep him on the field so that he gets the opportunity to keep learning at the plate. His 89 DRC+ also suggests he’s a little unfortunate to have ended up with a .563 OPS so far, and at 19.3 percent his strikeout rate portends better days ahead for his batting average. It’s very possible Allen isn’t going to be anything more than an extremely good, defense-first utilityman, but he’s going to get the opportunity to be more.

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Re: 2022 White Sox Prospect Notes

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Norge Vera

Born: 06/01/2000 (Age: 22)
Bats: Right Throws: Right
Height: 6′ 4″ Weight: 185

Mechanics: Statuesque XL frame, mostly filled out with very slight projection remaining. Archetypical pitcher’s body. Motion is languid, deliberate, methodical. Moderate leg kick, waits until last millisecond to unleash quick arm from high slot, almost directly over the top. Pitches well out of the stretch.

Evaluator Ben Spanier
Report Date 07/12/2022

Affiliate Kannapolis Intimidators (Low A, White Sox)
Dates Seen 6/9, 6/23, 7/8

OFP/Risk 55/High
MLB ETA 2024
Video No

Pitch Type Future Grade Sitting Velocity Peak Velocity Report

FB 70 94-96 97 Excellent pitch even when cruising in mid-90s. Very lively, explodes out of the hand, natural run and cutting action, explodes out of the hand and creates “rising” illusion, deception in delivery allows all of this to play up. Control over command at present and lives up/middle, would get more swing/miss and called strikes with improved precision. Delivery is not an issue here, average to above future CMD not out of the question.



CV 55 79-84 11/5, sometimes 12/6. Gets great depth, at times late and sharp with tight spin but at times sluggish. Flashes plus but not consistently enough to confidently give future 6 grade. Low-80s velo allows it to play well against the fastball. Can locate down and gloveside for swing/miss.

CH 45 78-80 Good velocity separation, has some fade. Should be usable against lefties. Seldom used at present, might get to average if he features it more.

Overall: Positive and negative variance present here. Showed much better on third look than on first, and if curve is properly optimized he can be an SP3 or closer rather than the SP4/high-lev. relief type implied by OFP. Using changeup more often is a factor here, as well. It’s also possible command issues stagnate development and he doesn’t get there, but I see this as less likely.

Jordan Wicks

Born: 09/01/1999 (Age: 22)
Bats: Left Throws: Left
Height: 0′ 0″ Weight:

Mechanics: Extra-large frame, stocky build, physically mature. Works out of a semi-windup, featuring a high 3/4 arm slot. Starts on the far 1B side of the rubber and has an easy, repeatable delivery. The crossfire action adds an element of deception but also causes trouble commanding well to the glove side.

Evaluator Nathan Graham
Report Date 07/20/2022

Affiliate South Bend Cubs (High A, Cubs)
Dates Seen 7/6/22
OFP/Risk 50/High
MLB ETA 2024
Video No

Pitch Type Future Grade Sitting Velocity Peak Velocity Report

Fastball 50 92-93 95 Fastball sits in the average velocity band but plays slightly above due to the deception in the delivery. Struggles to locate the glove side but can generate swing and miss up in the zone.

Slider 50 81-82 82 Still a work in progress but the breaking ball shows promise of becoming an average major league offering. Manipulates the shape, using primarily a cutter type to avoid barrels but will mix in one with more 1-7 shape. Did not generate much swing and miss in my look, was used to steal strikes. Should become more of a weapon as he gains feel.

Changeup 60 80-81 81 Not the elite offering that was rumored during the draft but still is his best pitch in the repertoire. Excellent arm replication and velocity separation with some fade. Confident and will throw it at any count generating awkward swings.

Overall A first-round college sign from 2021, Wicks’s professional performance has been solid but not as strong as expected from a high draft selection. He does, however, have three future major league offerings giving him a floor of a back-end starter. There’s a chance for some positive variance if the breaking stuff develops better than expected.

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... ry-lively/

(13) Elehuris Montero, 3B/1B, Rockies

After getting seriously Rockies’d with playing time earlier in the year, Montero might be on to something lately. He’s still striking out too much and not taking enough walks, but he could be finding his power stroke. He had three homers in his last three games coming into play last night, showing off the big-league pop that helped him earn his way up the ladder.

(25) Gabriel Moreno, C, Blue Jays

A 60-grade catcher whose headlining tool is his ability to make contact should always grab your attention. His .382 OBP in Triple-A this year is the eighth-best in the Eastern League and would register in the top-20 in the hitter-centric Pacific Coast League.

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Re: 2022 White Sox Prospect Notes

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The 2022 season has been nothing short of a whirlwind for James Outman. He started the year in Double-A, made his Major League debut with the Dodgers in July, homered in his first at-bat and was optioned back to Triple-A six games later.

But in a season full of firsts, Los Angeles’ No. 13 prospect still had two feats he had yet to accomplish: a cycle and a walk-off home run. With one swing of the bat on Friday, he achieved both.

“I had chills running around the bases,” Outman said after sealing his first professional cycle and Oklahoma City’s 7-4 win over El Paso with a three-run blast. “Seeing the whole team standing there, getting doused with the whole bucket of freezing water, it’s really fun. There are a lot of emotions going through your head, and it’s just really fun celebrating with the team.”

The 25-year-old was aware of the looming cycle when he stepped to the plate with two on and one out in the final frame, but he wasn’t trying to leave the yard. He only wanted to win the game.

“I was just trying to hit the ball hard. We had a guy on second there, I didn’t want to get too big or anything,” Outman said. “I was just trying to do my job.”

That. Dude. pic.twitter.com/6igHzKh1gd
— Oklahoma City Dodgers (@okc_dodgers) August 27, 2022

The outfielder had more than done his job in the eight innings prior. Outman accounted for six of the Dodgers’ seven runs in the game, finishing the contest 5-for-5 with two triples. All six of his RBIs either gave Oklahoma City the lead or tied the game.

“I just felt like my approach was working today,” Outman said. “My teammates did a really good job getting on base and making it tough for the pitchers, so thankfully I got good pitches to hit when I needed them.”

Outman started his night with a single to right on an 0-2 pitch in the second before driving a triple to center in the third to give Oklahoma City a 2-1 advantage. The Chihuahuas tied the game in the fourth, but their lead only lasted until Outman stepped to the plate again in the sixth. He doubled to left to retake the lead, and when El Paso plated two in the eighth to go up by a run, Outman laced his second triple to center of the game after a leadoff walk to immediately knot the score at 4.

El Paso threatened twice in the top of the ninth, but nothing came of it. The first two batters reached base for the Dodgers in the bottom of the frame, but Jason Martin, who had already scored twice on Outman’s hits, struck out swinging.

With the stage set for the lefty slugger to finish what he started, he didn’t disappoint.

“I think the key is to cherish these moments. They come around once in a blue moon,” Outman said. “When we can cherish those moments, we’ll be in a good spot.”

Outman certainly has a lot of things to cherish this season, but at the end of the day, he still has one goal in mind.

“Yeah, the cycle is cool,” Outman said with a laugh. “I’d love to do it in the big leagues someday.”

https://www.mlb.com/news/dodgers-james- ... e-coverage

Gabriel Moreno, C, Blue Jays (MLB No. 7)

Not only do the Blue Jays have two capable catchers in All-Star Alejandro Kirk and Danny Jansen, but they also have Moreno batting .326/.389/.423 in Triple-A. He hasn't generated much power this season, including a slash line of .276/.300/.293 during a month with Toronto earlier this season, but his hitting, on-base ability and versatility to fill in at both infield corners could be useful to a team in a tight Wild Card chase.

https://www.mlb.com/news/nine-prospects ... e-coverage

White Sox: Jose Rodriguez, SS/2B (No. 7)

Rodriguez cracks this list for the second straight month on the strength of a .278/.404/.667 batting line with 10 homers and nine steals in 23 Double-A games. Signed for just $50,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2018, he combines hitting ability with sneaky power and solid speed. He's hitting .280/.340/.430 overall with 11 homers and 40 steals in 104 games.

https://www.mlb.com/news/hottest-hittin ... e-coverage
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Re: 2022 White Sox Prospect Notes

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James Outman, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers (Triple-A Oklahoma City): 9-13, 3 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, BB, 3 K.

Nothing too fancy here from the 25-year-old depth outfielder. Just hitting for the cycle Friday night, a pair of doubles Saturday, and a big fly Sunday for a total of 18 total bases, plus the walk. It’s rare that a player performing at Outman’s level cannot genuinely find a spot on their big league club’s roster. Given his age and perfectly solid showing in the four games he did get earlier this year at the big league level, of course, it’s hardly manipulation of service time, so much as simply the unfortunate reality of being a player on the Los Angeles Dodgers. When the regular outfield is two former MVPs and a platoon of two former All-Stars, with Trayce Thompson utterly tearing the cover off the ball to boot, Outman is the odd man out.

Miguel Vargas, 3B/OF, Dodgers (Triple-A Oklahoma City): 2-3, HR, 2 BB, SB.

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... ll-coming/
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Re: 2022 White Sox Prospect Notes

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OF: James Outman, Oklahoma City Dodgers (Triple-A)
Dodgers No. 13
.571/.565/1.381, 6 G, 12-for-21, 2 HR, 3 3B, 5 2B, 14 RBI, 6 R, 1 BB, 5 K

It's a long awaited return to the Player of the Week for Outman, whose previous -- and only -- appearance came during Week 14 of last season. The 25-year-old, who was called up to the Dodgers on July 30 and did not disappoint through his first four Major League games -- going 6-for-13 with a homer in his first at-bat, two doubles, a pair of walks, six runs scored and three RBIs -- rejoined OKC on Aug. 5 and continued to rake at the plate. Outman stole the show across the Minors on Friday night when he capped off a cycle with a walk-off dinger. Yes, it was a walk-off cycle! After that game he said, "I had chills running around the bases." It was the first cycle and walk-off homer in Outman's career, and while his return to L.A. is mostly likely in the not-so-distant future, the Sacramento State product will continue to have the attention of the organization down the stretch in the PCL.

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

Gabriel Moreno
, C, Blue Jays (No. 7): Moreno played 18 uninspiring games for the Jays earlier in the season but has hit .320/.383/.416 in 57 contests with Triple-A Buffalo, a sign he’s conquered what he can at the level. His strong arm and fielding would make him a quality third catcher for Toronto too, allowing Alejandro Kirk to get more DH opportunities.

Miguel Vargas, 3B/OF, Dodgers (No. 44); Michael Busch, 2B/OF, Dodgers (No. 45): With all of their depth, the Dodgers haven’t needed rookie hitters too often in 2022. Vargas only got eight plate appearances with LA earlier in August, and Busch has yet to see the bigs. Even the non-Top-100-but-red-hot James Outman couldn’t stick. All that said, the NL West leaders will have plenty of options should the injury bug bite in September.

https://www.mlb.com/news/what-to-expect ... e-coverage
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