https://blogs.fangraphs.com/new-york-me ... ects-2024/
6. Luisangel Acuña, CF
Signed: July 2nd Period, 2018 from Venezuela (TEX)
Age 22.2 Height 5′ 8″ Weight 181 Bat / Thr R / R FV 45
Tool Grades (Present/Future)
Hit Raw Power Game Power Run Fielding Throw
30/40 50/55 30/45 60/60 50/60 45
There was a point after he began 2023 shot out of a cannon at Double-A Frisco following an electric 2022 Fall League stint when Luisangel looked like a potential everyday shortstop. After slashing .315/.377/.453 as a Rough Rider, Acuña was part of the Max Scherzer deal, but his surface performance has tanked since he’s joined the Mets and he’s struggling at Triple-A Syracuse so far in 2024. Even when Acuña has hit well in the past, he has had issues with chase and plate coverage. Instead, it was his remarkable bat speed, which generates surprising power for a hitter his size, that made Acuña a potential impact shortstop who lived toward the back of the Top 100 list. The way his body rotates about his hips as he swings is beautiful, and he has a certain verve and power potential that few 5-foot-8 hitters possess, but Acuña has only performed for fits and starts of the last couple of seasons.
Acuña’s hands on defense can be clumsy. He’s mostly played the middle infield, but prior to the trade, the Rangers also gave him some reps in center field and the Mets have continued to develop him there some of the time. He looks like a natural center field defender, with plus closing speed and ball skills. His ceiling as a defender there might be really high because he already looks so good despite having not played the position for very long. If he can be a plus center field defender and also play a mix of second and third base, we’re talking about a very versatile utility guy whose streaky offense would be more acceptable than if he were in an everyday role.
8. Brandon Sproat, SP
Drafted: 2nd Round, 2023 from Florida (NYM)
Age 23.7 Height 6′ 2″ Weight 175 Bat / Thr R / R FV 45
Tool Grades (Present/Future)
Fastball Slider Curveball Changeup Cutter Command Sits/Tops
60/65 50/60 45/45 50/55 45/45 40/45 94-98 / 100
Sproat was the Mets’ 2022 third rounder, but he didn’t sign, instead going back for a fourth year at Florida, where he exceeded 100 innings during the regular season; he was shut down after the Mets drafted him again. A noisy, cross-bodied delivery has long driven big league relief projection for Sproat, and he’d probably move quickly if ‘penned proactively, but he also held premium velocity as a starter for his entire career at Florida and has a deep repertoire that has expanded since he joined the Mets.
Sproat tends to sit 94-98 mph, and his sinking, upper-80s changeup is easily plus. He has reshaped his breaking ball as a pro and is now throwing a sweeper-shaped slider in the 82-85 mph range. He’s not using it a ton as of yet, but it has the potential to be a separator for him. Slider consistency was Sproat’s biggest issue at Florida and it looks as though the Mets have helped him make an adjustment there. They’ve also altered his arm slot. Sproat was a cross-bodied, lower-slot guy in college, but he’s a little less cross-bodied now and is throwing from more of a three-quarters slot, giving his fastball rise/run shape rather than the sink/tail of his college days. He’s not yet comfortable locating his fastball to the parts of the zone where its new movement plays best, but this should theoretically help it miss more bats than his college version did. These attributes are still new enough that even though Sproat was already promoted to Double-A, I wouldn’t consider him on the fast track to the bigs until the dust settles on some of these tweaks. He’s given himself a better chance to start long-term and we could be talking about a Top 100 prospect next offseason if Sproat performs well at Binghamton for the rest of 2024.
Guardian Apprentices
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Blake Mitchell, C, Royals: Lefthanded power is one of the sport’s most coveted traits, and Mitchell has it to spare. The 2023 first-rounder reached a career milestone on Thursday by clocking two home runs against Kannapolis. The longballs were part of a 3-for-4 night that also included a walk. The effort was Mitchell’s first career multi-homer game and brought him into a four-way tie for second place in the Carolina League in the category.
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Fast-rising Sproat fans career-high 10 at Double-A
Mets No. 13 prospect allows just a hit and a walk in seven frames
By Kenny Van Doren @thevandalorian
The Mets’ No. 13 prospect piled up a career-best 10 strikeouts over seven innings en route to Double-A Binghamton's 3-2 extra-inning win over Harrisburg at Mirabito Stadium. Sproat allowed just two baserunners via a single and a walk while getting through seven frames for the Rumble Ponies for the third time.
The righty retired the first five batters he faced on strikeouts, touching 100 mph on his fastball, before generating a routine groundout from Major League veteran Dérmis Garcia (Nationals) to close his second frame.
"Since he's got here ... he's done a nice job of mixing pitches," Rumble Ponies pitching coach A.J. Sager said. "Even though he has the big fastball, he still finds ways to mix other pitches in so it keeps the fastball alive maybe a couple times through the order."
The Binghamton staff haven't tinkered with Sproat's arsenal, but Sager said there have been conversations with the 23-year-old about how to effectively command his 60-grade changeup against both types of hitters -- sort of an untraditional take on that pitch.
"He's done a good job of making sure that he doesn't eliminate a weapon," Sager said. "Like today, they had seven right-handed hitters. He doesn't take away one of his best weapons just because they're right-handed, so I thought he has done a nice job of mixing that pitch in."
After a pair of groundouts in the third, Sproat fanned his fifth hitter to conclude a perfect first trip through the order. Andrew Pinckney beat out an infield single with two outs in the fourth, but catcher Francisco Alvarez -- who is on a Major League rehab assignment -- caught the Nationals' No. 17 prospect stealing at second base.
"It certainly helps the guys' confidence," Sager said of Alvarez catching his pitching staff. "He didn't just come down here to catch and get his at-bats. He's actually going about it in a very professional way, and guys see that."
Sproat faced the minimum through six, then gave up only his sixth Double-A walk to Robert Hassell III (WSH No.
to start the seventh. The Florida product fielded a sacrifice bunt by J.T. Arruda for the first out, then fanned Pinckney and got MLB's No. 6 prospect Dylan Crews -- a former SEC foe from LSU -- to fly out to right field to end his 88-pitch outing.
Mets No. 13 prospect allows just a hit and a walk in seven frames
By Kenny Van Doren @thevandalorian
The Mets’ No. 13 prospect piled up a career-best 10 strikeouts over seven innings en route to Double-A Binghamton's 3-2 extra-inning win over Harrisburg at Mirabito Stadium. Sproat allowed just two baserunners via a single and a walk while getting through seven frames for the Rumble Ponies for the third time.
The righty retired the first five batters he faced on strikeouts, touching 100 mph on his fastball, before generating a routine groundout from Major League veteran Dérmis Garcia (Nationals) to close his second frame.
"Since he's got here ... he's done a nice job of mixing pitches," Rumble Ponies pitching coach A.J. Sager said. "Even though he has the big fastball, he still finds ways to mix other pitches in so it keeps the fastball alive maybe a couple times through the order."
The Binghamton staff haven't tinkered with Sproat's arsenal, but Sager said there have been conversations with the 23-year-old about how to effectively command his 60-grade changeup against both types of hitters -- sort of an untraditional take on that pitch.
"He's done a good job of making sure that he doesn't eliminate a weapon," Sager said. "Like today, they had seven right-handed hitters. He doesn't take away one of his best weapons just because they're right-handed, so I thought he has done a nice job of mixing that pitch in."
After a pair of groundouts in the third, Sproat fanned his fifth hitter to conclude a perfect first trip through the order. Andrew Pinckney beat out an infield single with two outs in the fourth, but catcher Francisco Alvarez -- who is on a Major League rehab assignment -- caught the Nationals' No. 17 prospect stealing at second base.
"It certainly helps the guys' confidence," Sager said of Alvarez catching his pitching staff. "He didn't just come down here to catch and get his at-bats. He's actually going about it in a very professional way, and guys see that."
Sproat faced the minimum through six, then gave up only his sixth Double-A walk to Robert Hassell III (WSH No.
to start the seventh. The Florida product fielded a sacrifice bunt by J.T. Arruda for the first out, then fanned Pinckney and got MLB's No. 6 prospect Dylan Crews -- a former SEC foe from LSU -- to fly out to right field to end his 88-pitch outing.-
Guardians
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Luis Perales, RHP, Red Sox: Perales held Altoona to just two hits and one unearned run in five innings while walking one and striking out seven in his Double-A debut. It was another impressive outing for the 21-year-old. He earned the promotion by striking out 46 in 26.1 innings with High-A Salem. Perales is now 2-2, 2.87 overall with a 53-to-11 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 31.1 innings.
Brandon Sproat, RHP, Mets: Sproat allowed just one hit and one walk in seven innings while striking out 10 in his best start of the season for Double-A Binghamton. Sproat earned a promotion to the Eastern League in mid-May. So far he’s been every bit as good after the promotion as he was before. Sproat is 1-0, 1.38 with a 0.77 WHIP and a .163 average against in Double-A after going 2-1, 1.07 with a 1.11 WHIP and .141 average against in High-A. Sproat’s 1.23 overall ERA is tied for third best in the minors (with Mariners prospect Logan Evans).
Brandon Sproat, RHP, Mets: Sproat allowed just one hit and one walk in seven innings while striking out 10 in his best start of the season for Double-A Binghamton. Sproat earned a promotion to the Eastern League in mid-May. So far he’s been every bit as good after the promotion as he was before. Sproat is 1-0, 1.38 with a 0.77 WHIP and a .163 average against in Double-A after going 2-1, 1.07 with a 1.11 WHIP and .141 average against in High-A. Sproat’s 1.23 overall ERA is tied for third best in the minors (with Mariners prospect Logan Evans).
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15 MLB Prospects To Watch In the Dominican Summer League
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... ts-to-know
Emil Morales, SS, Dodgers
Morales signed primarily because of his offensive upside and he has backed up the Dodgers’ belief in his bat so far with the way he has hit and hit for power in preseason games. Signed for $1,897,500, Morales is 6-foot-3, 190 pounds with a rhythmic, well-sequenced swing from the right side, a disciplined approach for his age and the mix of strength and bat speed that leads to big power for his age and what should be 25-plus home run juice. Between his approach and game power that he has shown early on, he should be one of the most dangerous hitters in the DSL right away. His defense has improved at shortstop, but a lot of scouts expect him to eventually head to third base, where he profiles well both offensively and as a defender.
https://youtu.be/T-by0mMaTC8
Robert Arias, OF, Guardians
The Guardians paid $1.9 million to sign Arias, one of the better pure contact hitters for 2024. It’s not a textbook lefthanded swing, but he has excellent hand-eye coordination that enables him to put balls in play at a high clip. He shoots line drives around the field and could come into more power as he fills out his 6-foot-1, 170-pound frame and learns which pitches to try to pull for damage. He’s an above-average runner with a plus arm in center field.
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... ts-to-know
Emil Morales, SS, Dodgers
Morales signed primarily because of his offensive upside and he has backed up the Dodgers’ belief in his bat so far with the way he has hit and hit for power in preseason games. Signed for $1,897,500, Morales is 6-foot-3, 190 pounds with a rhythmic, well-sequenced swing from the right side, a disciplined approach for his age and the mix of strength and bat speed that leads to big power for his age and what should be 25-plus home run juice. Between his approach and game power that he has shown early on, he should be one of the most dangerous hitters in the DSL right away. His defense has improved at shortstop, but a lot of scouts expect him to eventually head to third base, where he profiles well both offensively and as a defender.
https://youtu.be/T-by0mMaTC8
Robert Arias, OF, Guardians
The Guardians paid $1.9 million to sign Arias, one of the better pure contact hitters for 2024. It’s not a textbook lefthanded swing, but he has excellent hand-eye coordination that enables him to put balls in play at a high clip. He shoots line drives around the field and could come into more power as he fills out his 6-foot-1, 170-pound frame and learns which pitches to try to pull for damage. He’s an above-average runner with a plus arm in center field.
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Ranking The 20 Hottest MLB Prospects | Hot Sheet (6/4/24)
1. Brandon Sproat, RHP, Mets
Team: Double-A Binghamton (Eastern)
Age: 23
Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.64, 14 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 15 SO, 0 HR
The Scoop: Despite all the negativity around the major league team, Mets fans have reasons to be optimistic. The team’s pitching development is beginning to churn out some intriguing starting pitching prospects. Sproat is among the hottest names in the system and last week he delivered a signature performance. He made two starts, going seven in each, while allowing a single earned run over period. He struck out 15 in total, including 10 on Sunday, and allowed just eight total baserunners. Sproat mixes a deep arsenal of pitch shapes with a four-seam, two-seam, slider, curveball and changeup. He has shown the ability to generate whiffs and weak contact and projects as a rotation piece in the future. (GP)
6. Luis Perales, RHP, Red Sox
Team: Double-A Portland (Eastern)
Age: 21
Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.00, 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO, 0 HR
The Scoop: After eviscerating the competition at High-A, Perales moved to Double-A and didn’t skip a beat. The righthander—who already has a spot on the 40-man roster—can dominate with an arsenal led by a high-90s fastball and buttressed with a nasty breaking ball and splitter. After punching out seven in his first five innings, he now has 53 strikeouts in 31.1 innings across the two levels. (JN)
https://youtu.be/1XJc3Xzdr3g
1. Brandon Sproat, RHP, Mets
Team: Double-A Binghamton (Eastern)
Age: 23
Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.64, 14 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 15 SO, 0 HR
The Scoop: Despite all the negativity around the major league team, Mets fans have reasons to be optimistic. The team’s pitching development is beginning to churn out some intriguing starting pitching prospects. Sproat is among the hottest names in the system and last week he delivered a signature performance. He made two starts, going seven in each, while allowing a single earned run over period. He struck out 15 in total, including 10 on Sunday, and allowed just eight total baserunners. Sproat mixes a deep arsenal of pitch shapes with a four-seam, two-seam, slider, curveball and changeup. He has shown the ability to generate whiffs and weak contact and projects as a rotation piece in the future. (GP)
6. Luis Perales, RHP, Red Sox
Team: Double-A Portland (Eastern)
Age: 21
Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.00, 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO, 0 HR
The Scoop: After eviscerating the competition at High-A, Perales moved to Double-A and didn’t skip a beat. The righthander—who already has a spot on the 40-man roster—can dominate with an arsenal led by a high-90s fastball and buttressed with a nasty breaking ball and splitter. After punching out seven in his first five innings, he now has 53 strikeouts in 31.1 innings across the two levels. (JN)
https://youtu.be/1XJc3Xzdr3g
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Joe Rock, LHP, Rays: Over the offseason, Tampa Bay swapped speedy utilityman Greg Jones to the Rockies in exchange for Rock. So far, Rock has been a revelation. With Triple-A Durham, he’s commanded and carved his way to a solid season that has included 56 strikes against 12 walks in 53 innings. His latest outing was another gem, a six-inning effort that included nine punchouts and two walks while letting up a pair of solo home runs. If he keeps this up, the majors shouldn’t be far off.
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BA top 100 for June:
57. Luis Perales
60. Brayden Taylor
MLB top 100 for June:
70. Blake Mitchell
77. LuisAngel Acuna
84. Brayden Taylor
57. Luis Perales
60. Brayden Taylor
MLB top 100 for June:
70. Blake Mitchell
77. LuisAngel Acuna
84. Brayden Taylor
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Miguel Bleis, OF, Red Sox: Alex Speier is reporting that the Red Sox are promoting Bleis from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville. Bleis had a breakout season as a prospect in 2022, and seemed ticketed for a fast track through the minors. The 2023 season slowed that ascent. He struggled with pitch selection and a shoulder injury cost him half the season. Bleis was hitting .257/.349/.398 at the time of his promotion. while those numbers may seem modest, Bleis was doing so in a league where the average hitter hits .230/.326/.342.
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https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... et-6-11-24
10. Joe Rock, LHP, Rays
Team: Triple-A Durham (International)
Age: 23
Why He’s Here: 1-0, 2.70, 10 IP, 11 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 13 SO, 2 HR
The Scoop: The player Rock was traded for—utilityman Greg Jones—made his big league debut this past week, but the big lefthander continued to roll for his new club in Triple-A. The command-heavy southpaw racked up 13 more punchouts over two starts, bringing his season total to 60 in 57 innings. His strikeout-to-walk ratio is an even 5-to-1, and his 3.32 ERA is the fifth-best in the International League, and his 1.27 WHIP is seventh on the circuit. He could be an option for Tampa Bay later in the summer. (JN)
10. Joe Rock, LHP, Rays
Team: Triple-A Durham (International)
Age: 23
Why He’s Here: 1-0, 2.70, 10 IP, 11 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 13 SO, 2 HR
The Scoop: The player Rock was traded for—utilityman Greg Jones—made his big league debut this past week, but the big lefthander continued to roll for his new club in Triple-A. The command-heavy southpaw racked up 13 more punchouts over two starts, bringing his season total to 60 in 57 innings. His strikeout-to-walk ratio is an even 5-to-1, and his 3.32 ERA is the fifth-best in the International League, and his 1.27 WHIP is seventh on the circuit. He could be an option for Tampa Bay later in the summer. (JN)
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Luisangel Acuña, SS, Mets: Acuña, who came over from the Rangers last season in the trade that sent Max Scherzer to Texas, has had a solid season in Triple-A since the weather warmed up in the northeast. On Thursday, he tied a season-high with four hits and established a new high-water mark with four RBIs in his team’s trouncing of Lehigh Valley. The 4-for-5 effort also included a double and a walk and brought his 2024 slash line to .259/.313/.359 with three homers and 22 stolen bases.
