IBC

1. James Outman, OF, Dodgers
Team: Triple-A Oklahoma City (Pacific Coast)
Age: 25

Why He’s Here: .571/.565/1.381 (12-for-21), 6 R, 5 2B, 3 3B, 2 HR, 14 RBIs, 1 BB, 5 SO.

The Scoop: Outman didn’t just have a good week. He had arguably the best week of any player in the minors this season. The Dodgers outfielder had 10 extra-base hits and 14 RBIs in only six games during Oklahoma City’s series against El Paso and had two separate games of six RBIs. He also authored one of the most memorable moments of the minor league season when he hit a walkoff three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to complete the cycle on Aug. 27. (KG)

19. Oscar Colas, OF, White Sox
Team: Double-A Birmingham (Southern)
Age: 23

Why He’s Here: .393/.414/.571 (11-for-28), 4 R, 0 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 4 RBIs, 0 BB, 6 SO

The Scoop: The 2022 Futures Gamer has continued his excellent season with a strong showing in Double-A after quickly proving too advanced for High-A, where he opened the season. At his best, Colas shows the potential to be a true center fielder with an offensive game that provides both contact and impact. He’s slammed 11 home runs in 34 games with Birmingham after hitting just seven in 59 games at Winston-Salem to begin the year. (JN)

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... eek-83022/

Triple-A Oklahoma City won't go another 11 years between cycles. In fact, it didn't even go one week.

James Outman saw to that ... again.

In a season that is shaping up to be magical, the No. 13 Dodgers prospect hit for the cycle for the second time in four games and drove in five runs to power Oklahoma City past Round Rock, 17-8, at Dell Diamond. Outman completed his first cycle last Friday with a walk-off homer against El Paso.

Outman's milestone on Tuesday may not have been quite as thrilling as his initial foray in the world of cycles, but it was no less historic. With the hardest parts of his endeavor out of the way, it appeared the 25-year-old might fall short after he walked in consecutive plate appearances in the seventh and eighth innings, however a rally in the ninth provided him the opportunity.

Outman didn't miss, slicing a first-pitch single to left field that brought in two runs and made him the first professional player to cycle twice in one season since the Brewers' Christian Yelich in 2018.

The Sacramento State product kicked off his night with a three-run homer, his ninth Triple-A jack and 25th across two Minor League levels. He doubled in his next at-bat and tripled -- his fifth in 32 games with Oklahoma City after tallying one in 68 Double-A contests -- two innings later.

Thanks to an offense that collected 17 hits, Outman made the most of his last chance in the ninth.

The Redwood City, Calif., native is no stranger to eye-opening performances. Outman flirted with a cycle in his Major League debut on July 31, when he homered in his first at-bat as a big leaguer. Although his stay in Los Angeles lasted only five days and four games, he made the most of it with a .462/.563/.846 slash line in 13 at-bats.

His Minor League production has been no less impressive. The 2017 Draft pick is having his best year by far. After posting a career-high .866 OPS across two Minor League levels in 2021, Outman is sporting a .996 mark this season. He's achieved personal bests across the board, slashing .298/.398/.598 with 57 extra-base hits, 25 homers, 90 RBIs and 83 runs in 100 games with Double-A Tulsa and Oklahoma City.

Tuesday's game was the fifth in which Outman collected five or more RBIs in a game, all coming since his promotion to Triple-A. Not coincidentally, the outfielder has driven in 45 runs in 32 games he's played in the Pacific Coast League, including 16 in 10 contests this month.

He's been even hotter in the past week, going 15-for-23 (.652) with 12 extra-base hits and 18 RBIs in his previous six games.

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

Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports that the Dodgers will recall Miguel Vargas when MLB rosters expand on September 1.

Vargas was pulled from the lineup at Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday night and will head to New York to join the Dodgers ahead of Thursday's series finale versus the host Mets. He showed some nice flashes in his first taste of MLB action earlier this month and boasts a .304/.402/.511 slash line with 17 home runs and 16 stolen bases in 112 games this summer at OKC. The 22-year-old can also play all over the diamond defensively.

https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/baseball/ ... uel-vargas

(22) Miguel Vargas, 1B/3B, Dodgers

Jesse Roche named Vargas a top prospect of the week just the other day. He’s held his own in the PCL all year, even if he didn’t exactly light the world on fire. That’s changed in August, with him having slashed .375/.506/.594 in 18 August contests. It’s hard to turn your eye away from any Dodger hitter at this point, so if he gets the call he could be especially useful in daily leagues where you can monitor the matchups the team is willing to let him have.

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/fant ... t-week-21/

You’re probably laughing at me. Here I am, sitting here, trying to puzzle out the decision tree of the Colorado Rockies. Such an endeavor for a team that routinely signs franchise players only to alienate them, keeps pending free agents in lost seasons only to lose them for nothing, and seemingly has a bias against statistical analysis itself isn’t an organization that lends itself particularly well to Kremlinology.

And yet: in the case of Elehuris Montero, the upside is so significant, from both an overall baseball and specifically a fantasy baseball perspective, that I found myself trodding to Citi Field, specifically the visiting clubhouse, intent upon figuring it all out: What exactly is the plan for Elehuris Montero?

Let’s start with why it should matter to the Rockies, and does matter to the fantasy baseball community writ large.

Montero was, of course, the centerpiece of the trade that sent Nolan Arenado to the St. Louis Cardinals, and essentially anointed as the eventual replacement for him. He’s done nothing but hit since, first to a .278/.360/.529 slash line between Double-A and Triple-A in 2021, and then more of the same in 2022 — .310/.392/.541 at Triple-A.

Back in December 2021, I wrote this about the potential 2022 opportunity for Montero, compared to Brett Baty:

“Montero has been selected in eight of 26 NFC drafts so far, with an average ADP of 717 and a high ADP of 535. Their situations, though, are dramatically different. For one thing, while the Mets are clearly in win-now mode, the Rockies are … let’s just leave it at not. So the chances that Colorado will add veteran talent to block Montero are incredibly small, with only the inherent Rockies-ness of the decisions made by their front office elevating that percentage north of zero.

“Then there’s the incumbent, Ryan McMahon, who is fresh off an OPS+ season of 98, about to turn 27 in December, and capable of covering multiple positions for a team with holes. There is nothing that looks like a roadblock for Montero.”

It’s worth pointing out that none of that is any less true now. The Mets were reluctant to bring up Baty in a pennant race before injuries forced their hand, and his immediate ceiling remains a platoon mate for Eduardo Escobar.

Montero, though, is playing for a Rockies team out of contention. McMahon’s OPS+ for the season is… 97. But entering Tuesday night’s games, he’s logged just 112 plate appearances this season. He’s actually started more at first base (11 times), a position he’s only played 69 games at in the minor leagues, another 10 games at DH, and just eight starts at third. So what gives?

I asked this, though more politely, of manager Bud Black on Saturday night. How is it determined when Montero plays third, or first, or DH, or isn’t in the lineup at all?

“Well, we have two really good players,” Black said, referring to McMahon and C.J. Cron. “We have an all-star at first. And we have a, maybe not this year, but a guy who played Gold Glove defense last year at third base… Montero is a young player, 100 at-bats in the big leagues, you know, learning first base and I think now adjusting to the speed of the major league game.”

There’s nothing inherently wrong with what Black is saying here, of course. Cron was Colorado’s lone all-star. He’s signed through 2023, while McMahon is inked through 2027. But the very idea that Cron is the indispensable all-star at first base, if that is the plan, makes having Montero learning a new position, the one Cron plays, hard to fathom. If not — and this is simply a question of keeping Cron in the lineup — reps for Montero at first base with Cron occupying DH are the moves that make sense developmentally.

And as previously discussed, McMahon is an obvious contributor in a utility capacity, but if the ceiling for Montero is based on McMahon’s production whether at the place or elsewhere, the Arenado trade was a huge loss for Colorado.

I asked Montero, through a translator, if he had a preferred position. “Not at all,” Montero said. He’s excited to play whichever position gets him into the lineup. In theory, a third baseman is more valuable, of course, and the managers of the Pacific Coast League sure think he has the arm to stick at third.

To me, the bat is not a question. This is a hitter with obvious plus-plus power, and anyone who ignores that from a fantasy perspective in a Rockies player is making a massive mistake. But he was not playing everyday, even with the multiple positions available to him. Only since August 2 has Montero been a regular presence in the lineup, after a few brief shuttles back and forth from Triple-A earlier this season. Since August 2, he’s been hitting, with a .280/.299/.533 line and all four of his home runs coming in that span.

Even so, Black has some concerns about him at the plate.

“I think you look at this sample of 100 [plate appearances] you can see that there’s some power in there and I think there’s more raw power to come,” Black said. “He’s 24 years old, I don’t think he’s really gotten to his true strength yet. The league has made a little bit of adjustment now in the breaking ball, and he’s got to adjust back, he’s got to lay off that breaking ball, the chase rate is a little bit high. A major-league breaking ball is much more effective than a minor-league breaking ball. So he’s learning.”

Notably, his chase rate is out of control — his 39 percent swing rate on pitches out of the strike zone is absurdly high, compared to the league average of about 27 — but he’s not showing an inability to punish breaking balls. Just an incredibly high whiff rate on them. Add in that Montero’s resulting walk rate is extremely low, but how that is an anomaly in his professional career — he was in double digits for walk percentage at both Double-A and Triple-A last and this year — and what we’re really looking at is a guy who is dealing with pitch recognition issues. The kind of thing everyday at-bats, perhaps without throwing another position at him, might solve.

I remain bullish on Montero. My live look at him reinforced my belief in this walk rate issue as purely an adjustment to major-league pitching — I saw him work a deep count and then launch a long ball in a ninth inning at-bat, in the kind of moment the lesser hitters simply give away with his team down five runs. I watched him crush Dominican Winter League pitching last winter, and he said he expects to head back there this coming offseason. So where will the Rockies ask him to play? First base? Third base? DH, so he can focus exclusively on identifying off-speed pitches?

“Right now, the focus is just finishing strong here,” Montero said. “They haven’t talked about winter ball yet, the offseason, but I’m sure that’s going to come up.”

Hopefully, it does, and it will be a tell. In another organization, Montero would be among the most valuable dynasty players out there. But with the Rockies, you simply never know.

Even as I was writing this, Colorado announced they were promoting prospect Michael Toglia, who started at first base, moving Cron to DH for the 20th time this season. This is where, say, dealing Cron at the trade deadline and going with Toglia and Montero at the corners for two months, accumulating data and letting them both learn MLB pitching, would have been the play for many other franchises. That’s not Bud Black’s fault, of course. But Black’s inability to commit to one course or another here suggests he isn’t getting anything concrete from upper management about what the plan is. Montero was at third yesterday, Tuesday night. Does this mean the gambit of Montero at first is over?

Tune in tomorrow. The Colorado Rockies are endlessly compelling. Just not for the reasons they should be.

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/fant ... o-edition/

Connor Seabold, RHP, Boston Red Sox (Triple-A Worcester): 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K.

Seabold ended the month on a positive note, rebounding from three rough outings in a row which saw him allow twelve earned runs in just ten innings. His brief mid-summer stint in Boston didn’t go much better as he was lit up by division rivals, Toronto and New York. However, with the Red Sox out of contention he might get another shot late in the year to prove himself capable of getting outs against big league hitters.

Lenyn Sosa, SS, Chicago White Sox (Triple-A Charlotte): 3-5, R, HR, 2 RBI.

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... -baumanns/

Lenyn Sosa reaches 20-homer mark
September 1, 2022 | 00:00:29

8/31/22: White Sox No. 4 prospect Lenyn Sosa reaches the 20-homer plateau with his sixth dinger of the year for Triple-A Charlotte

https://www.mlb.com/video/lenyn-sosa-re ... homer-mark

Mitch White brought a new-ish slider to Toronto when the Blue Jays acquired him at this year’s trade deadline. He also brought a nerdy approach to pitching. That should come as no surprise. The 27-year-old right-hander had pitched in the Los Angeles Dodgers system since being selected in the second round of the 2016 draft out of Santa Clara University.

White also had a big-league resume when he changed organizations. Having debuted with the Dodgers in August of 2020’s COVID-truncated campaign, he had 105-and-two-thirds innings under his belt when the four-player swap occurred. Since coming to Toronto, White has a 5.89 ERA over four starts.

White discussed his new and old sliders, and the blister issues that have dogged his career, when the Blue Jays visited Fenway Park last week.

———

On his path to the big leagues and dealing with blisters:
“A lot of it was staying healthy. I’ve had a few things go on every year, whether it was blisters or some back stuff. I had a broken toe at one point. Right now, I have this little guy [blister]. The slider really puts a lot of pressure there because I’m trying to get to the side of the ball and spin it, and for whatever reason, I guess my skin is soft. I’ve had to learn how to manage that stuff in between outings.

“I haven’t really played around with a different grip. It’s such a hard give-and-take, because I found a slider that I really like and want to stick with it. So it’s more about what I can do to manage it when I’m not throwing. It’s, ‘Let’s file it down. Let’s take care of the nails.’ I bite my nails a lot, so they become sharp and there’s that pressure point where the seam digs into the skin. It pushes it into the nail.

“The blisters do predate my new slider. That’s part of the reason I haven’t really tried to mess with the grip. It’s kind of, ‘Well, I threw the old slider and had blisters, and I still get them with the new slider.’ The blisters just come and go.”

On his slider grips:
“I learned the new grip from Connor McGuinness, the assistant pitching coach with the Dodgers. That was in the middle of last year. It’s the same pitch that Blake Treinen throws. It’s similar to Walker Buehler’s. A lot of guys throw a similar slider.

“Before, I was throwing more of a bullet slider. The idea… the movement profile was a -5 kind of thing, like a traditional hard slider. I found that I had trouble consistently making that one move. I also felt like I had to keyhole it into a spot to get swing-and-miss. This one, I feel a little more comfortable just ripping it, knowing that I’m not going to spin it out or lose it. It’s a little bigger.

“I’m shooting for zero, -10, let’s say. I’ve found through experience that I can make it bigger and maintain most of the velocity. But honestly, I feel like the sharper, harder one plays better. I think a lot of times… the Dodgers started to realize this — or at least I started to realize — that bigger isn’t always better. Holding its line is what I’m really trying to do. I’m not really worried about the movement profile so much as the late movement. I think the deception behind that plays a huge role.”

On valuing late movement:
“With the Dodgers, I’d ask our guys if we can measure when a pitch starts to break. I’ve always been curious about that. A lot of pitchers throw similar sliders, but obviously some guys have a lot better results with certain ones than others. You talk to hitters, and what tends to come up is deception. That’s whether it’s late break or something they’re doing back here to hide the ball. I’ve always wanted to quantify that.

“I can’t intuit how mine compares to other guys’ [in terms of late movement], but I can intuit my own. I can be like, ‘All right, that one came out of my hand like this,’ and then I look at the Rapsodo and it’s like, ‘Wow, that was negative whatever; that’s a great slider at 86 [mph].’ But if I’m looping it, that’s not as good as the ones I get through a lot better, and have that sharp, dart-y bite.

“This is anecdotal — I don’t necessarily know all the numbers — but my new one has been more effective than my old one. And I’d say the harder I throw it, the better it is. We talk a lot about having a threshold… like [Clayton] Kershaw. He’d be pissed if he threw a slider 86-87 [mph], whereas you knew he was going to have a good day when it was 88-89. That’s because it’s closer to his heater, and it’s so late. It’s going to carry its line, then bite. The amount of movement isn’t as important as few more miles of velocity.”

On spiking his slider, and his mechanics:
“The grip changed a lot. It’s called a soft spike — at least that’s what we started calling it — and the idea is… I mean, my fastball cuts a lot. My middle finger is very dominant, so my ball doesn’t get a lot of tail. Or then there’s a Kevin Gausman, who gets behind the ball really well and has that ride. So, the idea is to take the pointer finger out of the picture totally, because it’s not really being used. It’s kind of just there.

“I basically load up on [the middle] finger. There’s a lot of pressure there to spin the side of the baseball, and create that nine o’clock spin axis. That’s the idea behind this grip. A lot of guys have had success with it. The movement profile is zero, -10. So there’s a little bit of both [horizontal and vertical]. It’s kind of a two-plane, although I guess it is more horizontal, especially compared to what I was throwing.

“In 2017, I was actually throwing the old slider really well. In 2018… I mean, a lot of it is delivery. I think I could throw the old slider effectively now, because I’m in a better place delivery-wise. That counts for a lot, which is something I think people kind of forget about with all the emphasis on pitch design and new grips. Things often click because you’re in a good place with your delivery, not necessarily because of the grip.”

On going from the Dodgers to the Blue Jays:
“At the end of the day, the pitching side of things is very similar between the two organizations. Obviously, I haven’t totally gone into pitch design stuff here — that’s more of an offseason thing — but our pitching coach, Pete [Walker] has been great. He’s basically said, ‘Don’t think of this as a fresh new start, just think of this as a continuation of what you’ve been doing. Maintain that, and if there are things we need to work on, and address as we go, then we will.’ We’ve already started throwing more back-foot sliders. We’ve started throwing more sliders to lefties in general.”

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/torontos-mi ... ed-slider/

As scouts across the West fanned out for California League coverage this year, they quickly came to a realization.

“All eight shortstops in the league this year are prospects,” one National League scout said in May. “That’s rare to see, especially in Low-A. Every one of these guys is a real prospect.”

The bumper crop of shortstops has been the defining characteristic of the 2022 Cal League season. Visalia’s Jordan Lawlar, the No. 6 pick in last year’s draft, electrified the league before a July promotion to High-A Hillsboro. Modesto’s Edwin Arroyo, Fresno’s Adael Amador and Lake Elsinore’s Jackson Merrill all surged on to the BA’s Midseason Top 100 Prospects list with standout showings. Rancho Cucamonga’s Alex De Jesus posted an .881 OPS before earning a quick promotion to High-A Great Lakes, where he continued to hit for average and power before being traded to the Blue Jays at the trade deadline. San Jose’s Aeverson Arteaga impressed with surprising pop and plus defense at 19 years old, earning Best Defensive Shortstop and Best Infield Arm in Best Tools balloting. Even the two shortstops who struggled statistically, Stockton’s Max Muncy and Inland Empire’s Arol Vera, showed enough to remain intriguing—Muncy with his ability to hit a fastball and exceptional work ethic, Vera with his advanced defensive instincts and mature at-bats.

“It’s just been a bunch of them that are really, really good,” Fresno manager Robinson Cancel said. “They’re really talented guys. If you look around the league, every single one of them is really good.”

The biggest mover of all was Arroyo. Drafted in the second round by the Mariners last year out of Central Point Christian Academy (Kissimmee, Fla.) High, Arroyo was largely regarded as an athletic, glove-first shortstop with a light bat, even by Mariners officials internally.

Instead, he hit .302/.378/.490 with 13 home runs, 70 RBIs and 25 stolen bases as a switch-hitting 18-year old in 94 games with Modesto. Combined with plus defense and plus arm strength at shortstop, the performance vaulted Arroyo into a consensus standing as the league’s second-best prospect behind only Lawlar, with some evaluators considering the two nearly even. On the strength of that showing, the Reds acquired him as part of the four-player package for Luis Castillo at the trade deadline.

“Just staying chill at the plate,” Arroyo said was the source of his offensive breakout. “Wait for your pitch, don’t be anxious, that’s pretty much what I’ve been feeling. Now when I feel it, I know, and I just stay chillin’.”

Most remarkable was Arroyo’s power. At the time he was traded, he was tied for sixth in the Cal League with 13 home runs despite being the league’s third-youngest player and playing his home games at cavernous John Thurman Field, the league’s most home run-stifling environment.

“I think he’s stronger on that topic than a lot of people know,” Modesto manager Austin Knight said. “We pride ourselves on swing decisions and he has improved in that area. When you make good decisions plus you have skill and you start to hit the ball hard, it’s on.”

Lawlar, Arroyo and the rest of the shortstop crop still have a long way to go to reach the major leagues, but their talent is widely apparent. If nothing else, 2022 will be remembered as the year of the shortstop in the Cal League.

PROSPECT SHOWDOWN—Jordan Lawlar vs. Edwin Arroyo

Visalia’s Jordan Lawlar and Modesto’s Edwin Arroyo asserted themselves as the undisputed top two prospects in the California League this year before Lawlar was promoted to High-A and Arroyo was traded to the Reds.

The teenage shortstops each hit over .300, slugged at least .500, stole 20 bases and displayed the athleticism and aptitude to stick at shortstop. Scouts with coverage across the league were split on who they think will be the better player, with some preferring Lawlar’s explosiveness and others preferring Arroyo’s polish and switch-hitting ability. They all agree both have bright futures, and that the differences between them are small. Here is how they compare from a tools perspective.

Jordan Lawlar, SS, D-backs Tool Edwin Arroyo, SS, Reds
55 Hit 55
60 Power 55
60 Run 55
50 Field 65
55 Arm 60

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... ing-tools/

Lenyn Sosa, 2B, White Sox

Sosa flashed tools and ability in previous years, but he lacked a consistent approach and often tried to do too much at the plate. He adjusted his stance this season and immediately showed improved pitch recognition, faster bat speed and better barrel control, leading to a breakthrough season. He hit .320 with 20 home runs, 69 RBIs and a .900 OPS across Double-A and Triple-A and earned his first big league callup, appearing in 11 games over two separate stints with the White Sox.

Sosa has long been a solid defender in the infield with smooth actions, quick hands, a reliable glove and average range. He can play at shortstop and is an above-average defender at both second and third base, giving him the versatility to play wherever needed. He has added strength without losing any fluidity or athleticism and projects to age well. Sosa’s offensive adjustments have altered his outlook. Where he previously projected to be a fringy hitter with little power, he’s now at least an average hitter who handles velocity, adjusts to spin and drives the ball to the gaps with authority. His versatility and newfound offensive prowess give him a chance to play a regular role, whether it’s as an oft-used utilityman or true everyday starter.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... 2-edition/

Beck Way, RHP, Kansas City Royals (High-A Quad Cities): 8 IP, 0 H, 0 R/ER, 4 BB, 10 K.

Striking out around 30% of hitters you face is a great way to showcase you have the tools for big league success of some sort, and the powerful Way has scraped just under that mark in High-A thus far. Since coming over from the Yankees to Kansas City in the Andrew Benintendi trade, Way has continued missing bats while occasionally, perhaps too frequently, missing the zone entirely. He has the profile of a power reliever, leaning sinker-slider predominantly, though he’ll work in a four-seam as well. Command issues and two-pitch profiles are typically first-class tickets to the bullpen, but Way has just enough acumen in getting ground balls to make Kansas City think a little longer.

Dax Fulton, LHP, Marlins (Double-A Pensacola): 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R/ER, 1 BB, 8 K, 1 HBP.

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... her-buoni/

LHP: Dax Fulton, Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Double-A) Marlins No. 9
1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K, 0.33 WHIP

At just 20 years old, Fulton has reached Double-A in his second pro season and instantly proved his worth. After striking out five and allowing one earned run over five innings in his Pensacola debut, he was nearly untouchable in his start last week. Facing a Chattanooga lineup that included De La Cruz and McLain, Fulton came out on top, tossing six innings of one-hit, no-run ball with eight strikeouts. Over his last 13 starts, the southpaw has a 2.71 ERA with 77 strikeouts to 23 walks.

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

8. Steven Kwan, OF, Guardians (previous rank: T10)

Kwan keeps getting on base, and as a result, he keeps hanging around in our rankings. He’s at .320/.382/.424 since the break, defying widespread expectations that his lack of power would ultimately prevent him from being an effective big league hitter. Kwan ranks second among all qualified rookies in OBP (.369), and he’s mixed in 12 steals and solid play in left field. He may not be a star, but he’s a contributor on a first-place team.

https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-pipeline-r ... -september

Edwin Arroyo, SS, Reds:

One of the breakout prospects of the first half of the 2022 season, Arroyo was acquired by the Reds in the trade that sent Luis Castillo to Seattle. Arroyo has struggled some in the Florida State League after being one of the best hitters in the California League over the first few months. It looks like he is rounding back into form in the waning days of the summer, as he collected his second consecutive multi-hit game on Wednesday. Arroyo went 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI and a stolen base.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... n-carroll/

3. Beck Way, RHP, Royals
Team: High-A Quad Cities (Midwest)
Age: 23

Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.00, 1 GS, 8 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 HBP, 4 BB, 10 SO

The Scoop: When a team faces Way, they don’t need a particularly lengthy scouting report. 0-0? Watch out for his slider. 2-0? Slider. 0-2? Slider. Way can touch 97-98 mph with his fastball, but it’s his mid-80s plus slider that he relies on most heavily. And that slider was working particularly well against Beloit last week. He did hit a couple of batters and walked four, but only two Beloit hitters drove balls to the outfield against him—both in the first inning. After the first, Beloit didn’t get a ball into the outfield again until there were two outs in the ninth against reliever Anderson Paulino. (JC)

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... week-9722/

Royals: Beck Way, RHP (No. 10)

Way’s latest outing for High-A Quad Cities could have gotten him on this list alone. The 23-year-old right-hander fanned 10 Beloit batters over eight no-hit innings last Saturday. Only a career-high 108 pitches kept him from going for the full no-hitter. The start is just the latest in a series of quality outings for Way since his trade from the Yankees in the Andrew Benintendi deal; he has a 2.25 ERA and 35 strikeouts in his last five starts (28 innings) for the River Bandits thanks to a 93-96 mph fastball and sweeping slider.

White Sox: Sean Burke, RHP (No. 9)

Chicago has made waves for its series of callups known as Project Birmingham, but one pitcher who has been with the Barons since mid-May has been opening his fair share of eyes lately. Over his last five starts, Burke has fanned 38 of the 82 batters he’s faced for a K percentage of 46.3. He struck out at least six in each of those appearances and punched out a career-best nine over five scoreless innings in an Aug. 23 gem against Mississippi. The 2021 third-rounder uses three above-average pitches in his heater, curve and slider to generate those whiffs, and his 122 K’s on the season are fourth-most among White Sox farmhands.

Marlins: Dax Fulton, LHP (No.

Last Friday, Fulton made just his second start for Double-A Pensacola, gave up a game-opening single to Chattanooga leadoff hitter Mike Siani and then didn’t give up another knock the rest of the way in a dominant six-inning performance. The last time the 6-foot-7 southpaw allowed more than two earned runs in a start was July 8 with High-A Beloit. Since then, he has a 1.49 ERA and 46 strikeouts over eight starts (42 1/3 innings).

https://www.mlb.com/news/hottest-pitchi ... ember-2022

Elehuris Montero went 2-for-4 with a double in a victory on Saturday over the Diamondbacks.

Montero also drew a walk. The 24-year-old prospect isn't going to make anyone forget about Nolan Arenado -- who also had a big game on Thursday many miles away -- but he's shown some flashes of brilliance in his 40 games with five homers and a respectable .765 OPS. There's potential for fantasy success in Montero's bat.

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

Jack Suwinski homered and went 3-for-4 in a loss on Saturday to the Cardinals.

Suwinski hit a two-run shot off of Jack Flaherty. The 24-year-old rookie also singled twice and drew a walk in one of his better games of the season. Suwinski has mostly struggled because of contact issues, but there's no denying his power potential.

https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/baseball/ ... k-suwinski

Pedro Leon, SS/OF, Astros (440 PA, 14.8 percent walk rate, 54.5 percent pull rate)

Leon is another historically extreme profile. He’s a top-five pull hitter in Triple-A, but he’s up over 50 percent since last year. Results have been a bit of a mixed bag this year for him, however, as both his strikeout and walk rates declined by a few percentage points. Leon has definitely hit the ball with more authority over the course of the 2022 campaign, with a career-high 16 home runs and a gobsmacking .311 ISO. Our advanced metrics profile him as average as can be with a 100 DRC+, so there are certainly some holes in his hit tool. That said, we’re not detecting just how good he’s been since the beginning of a mediocre start to the season. During July, he went red hot, posting an .830 OPS where he walked more than he struck out just before being hit in the face and missing three weeks with a facial fracture.

If he can keep these gains in patience — and we can’t discount the possibility, given how good Houston is at molding plate discipline — we’re looking at another potential breakout in the club’s system. I’ll add caution by throwing a little cold water: He has an inability to hit southpaws. During the course of this season, he’s registered just a .141/.352/.218 slash line. He’s a name to circle in 12-team leagues with an MI slot and otherwise 14-teamers or deeper.

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/fant ... z-edition/

Yoelqui Céspedes, OF, White Sox (Double-A Birmingham): 2-2, HR, 3 BB, K, 2 HBP, 3 SB.

Céspedes’ uneven 2022 at the Double-A level is an exercise in extremes. He’s struck out in nearly one-third of his plate appearances and walked less than 6% of the time, yet he’s still run a respectable .263/.335/.450 line on the back of 17 big flies and 20 hit by pitches. Add in 31 steals on 42 attempts, and it’s a divisive but fascinating campaign.

Connor Seabold, RHP, Red Sox (Triple-A Worcester): 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R/ER, 0 BB, 6 K.

Reese Olson, RHP, Tigers (Double-A Erie): 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K.

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... -the-hype/

Steven Kwan went 3-for-5 with a home run and a stolen base in the victory over the Twins on Sunday.

Kwan has had an up and down season, but in the second half, he is hitting .307 with three home runs and nine stolen bases while leading off in every game he has played. There isn’t a ton of power at all, but there is great contact skills and speed and he will likely be somewhat under valued in 2023.

https://fantasy.fangraphs.com/roto-rite ... r-12-2022/

MacKenzie Gore (elbow) tossed 1 2/3 scoreless frames on Sunday in a minor league rehab start for Triple-A Rochester.

Gore threw 36 pitches (21 strikes) in his first live game action since late July when he was still a member of the Padres organization. The dynamic 23-year-old left-hander was one of the centerpieces of last month's blockbuster Juan Soto trade and is progressing towards a potential late-season cameo with the Nationals. He's been out for nearly two months due to left elbow inflammation.

https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/baseball/ ... enzie-gore

8. Michael Stefanic, 2B, Angels
Team: Triple-A Salt Lake (Pacific Coast)
Age: 26

Why He’s Here: .571/.654/1.095 (12-for-26), 8 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 8 RBIs, 4 BB, 2 SO, 0-for-0 SB

The Scoop: Stefanic’s first big league stint didn’t go well and he uncharacteristically struggled upon his return to Triple-A, but he’s clearly rediscovering his best self at the end of the season. Stefanic had five multi-hit games against Reno last week and finished on a high note, homering in two of the final three games of the series. Stefanic was batting .239 since his return to Triple-A entering the series. Now, he’s batting .303. (KG).

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... eek-91322/

Oscar Colas, OF, Chicago White Sox (Double-A Birmingham): 2-4, 2 R, HR, RBI.

There’s no doubt that Colas’ initial stateside season has been a success, as he’s posted a slash line of .314/.370/.518 through his two levels. He brings plenty of power from the left side, something the Sox were sorely lacking at the big league level this year. With the window of contention open on the South Side, it might be wise of Rick Hahn to find a way to get Colas’ bat in the lineup as soon as possible.

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

Luis Guillorme, Mets

Guillorme just returned from the IL to a Mets team badly needing a backup shortstop (it was technically Eduardo Escobar but, I mean, come on) and some oomph in the lineup. While he isn’t a candidate for the latter in the traditional sense—he has four home runs in 657 career plate appearances—Guillorme excels at reaching base and hitting for contact. He has one “excellent” offensive season: In 2020, he slashed .333/.426/.439 in 68 plate appearances. Otherwise, I suppose what you’re getting is a more diluted version of Jeff McNeil at the plate. When Guillorme plays, he’s particularly valuable in OBP leagues, but a .283 AVG this year more than helps, too.

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news ... all-kinds/

Miguel Vargas had the season the Dodgers were expecting from the 22-year-old this year. And that is saying something.

The third baseman started the season at Triple-A Oklahoma City, getting his first taste at the highest minor league level and doing what he had done at every other level—hit.

In 113 games, Vargas batted .304/.404/.511 with 17 home runs, 16 stolen bases, 71 walks and 76 strikeouts.

“I’m just doing the same,” Vargas said of handling Triple-A pitchers. “I’m lucky. I have a great staff in the Dodgers’ organization and they helped me a lot. Then I had a lot of veteran guys (as teammates).

“There’s not just playing the game. There’s playing the game the right way.”

Vargas cited Kevin Pillar, Jake Lamb, Eddy Alvarez, Andy Burns and Tony Wolters as veterans who helped him improve.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts got his first real look at Vargas when he participated in big league camp this spring. What he saw excited him and was “reaffirmed” by what he saw when Vargas finished the season in Los Angeles.

“He has a slow heartbeat. This whole third deck doesn’t bother him,” Roberts said. “He’s a student of the game. He loves watching baseball, learning. That’s something that I thought and has been validated.

“He’s special in the batter’s box because he has the hit tool. He can manipulate the barrel. He can hit to all fields. Righthanded spin doesn’t affect him. And he has a simple, sound swing . . .

"He does everything. He hunts pitches. He values the walk. He does everything a young hitter is supposed to do. He’ll be special for a long time.”

Vargas has faced questions about his ultimate position. He played third base, first base and second base in the minors. This year, he added left field and handled it well enough that it might become his primary spot.

Vargas said he has gained increasing comfort in the outfield and readily acknowledges defense is crucial at higher levels, such as the big leagues.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... -the-year/

Ian Lewis, Marlins

What We Said Then: Get ready for another prospect on the rise out of the Bahamas. Lewis was one of Miami’s top international signings from what’s shaping up to be an excellent 2019 international class, with righthander Eury Perez and shortstop Jose Salas also in the mix. A $950,000 signing, Lewis is a quick-twitch athlete with plus speed, good body control in the field and a switch-hitter who showed good hitting traits as an amateur, but he was physically behind his peers.

Update: Lewis stayed back in extended spring training when the Florida State League season opened and didn’t debut until May 10. He performed admirably in the FSL, where he produced a slash line of .265/.347/.368 with a pair of home runs and 16 stolen bases in 17 chances. He’s stymied by lefthanders, however, and might fit better at second base than shortstop.

Michael Stefanic, Angels

What We Said Then: A nondrafted free agent signing out of NAIA Westmont (Calif.) in 2018, Stefanic is following the Mike Brosseau path of an NDFA who was supposed to be an organizational roster filler but instead hits his way to the majors … He has shown exceptional barrel control, rarely swings and misses, doesn’t chase out of the strike zone and has shown growing power, impressing even in the context of his hitter-friendly environment. Stefanic needs to improve his lateral mobility to stay on the infield and have a position, but his bat alone has put him on the cusp of the majors.

Update: Stefanic continued his role as a player who reliably gets the bat on the ball and rarely strikes out. In doing so, he earned his first big league callup on July 3.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... d-in-2022/

Mason Auer, OF, Rays: The Rays outfield prospect went 3-for-5 with a home run and a stolen base from the leadoff spot in Bowling Green’s 10-1 rout of Rome to even its series with the Braves. Auer is a standout athlete with a combination of plus speed, contact, approach and impact at the plate. Auer finished the season with a .290/.372/.487 line and 48 extra-base hits across 115 games split between both levels of Class A.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... gue-debut/

2B: Adrian Placencia, Inland Empire 66ers (Single-A)
Angels No. 8
.438/.500/1.063, 4 G, 7-for-16, 3 HR, 1 2B, 5 RBI, 4 R, 1 BB, 5 K, 1 HBP

The 66ers clinched the California League South Division second-half title on Tuesday night after an extra-innings victory and Placencia was a big reason why. The 19-year-old clubbed a two-run dinger to open the scoring in the title-clinching game and later added a single. Placencia homered in three straight games from there, while posting three consecutive multihit efforts. He has found some consistency of late, posting a .259/.444/.630 slash line over eight games in September, and he will look to keep his power stroke going as Inland Empire opens the playoffs against Lake Elsinore tomorrow.

https://www.mlb.com/news/prospect-team- ... er-12-2022

Even as the season down on the farm comes to an end, some White Sox prospects continue to make waves throughout the organization.

According to Francys Romero and White Sox Daily, the White Sox have promoted OF Oscar Colas and RHP Sean Burke to AAA Charlotte for the remainder of the season. The Knights have nine more games remaining in their season, so it will be a quick cup of coffee this season for two of the top prospects in the organization.

Source: Cuban OF Oscar Colas (24) was promoted to Triple-A, Charlotte. Getting closer to MLB.

Colas has 21 HR, 76 RBI, and .309 AVG between Class-A adv and Double-A this season. pic.twitter.com/SNpUoZaX3R

— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) September 18, 2022

Sean Burke has been promoted to Charlotte per his Instagram. Big congrats to Sean. #Knights #WhiteSox pic.twitter.com/SWLBIkTAJp

— White Sox Daily (@dailywhitesox) September 19, 2022

Colas (MLB Pipeline's #2 White Sox Prospect) has had quite an incredible season. After being officially signed this offseason as an International Free Agent, Colas will reach a third level this season. Across High-A and Double-A, Colas is hitting .309/.367/.516 (.883 OPS) with 21 home runs and 75 runs batted in. Incredibly, he's been better at Double-A, which is the more difficult place to hit. Colas has a .927 OPS in 51 games at Birmingham, compared to a .844 OPS in 59 games in Winston-Salem. He's been able to play both CF and RF defensively this season, and many have billed him as someone who could make a push for the starting RF job in Chicago in 2023.

Colas has been additionally impressive because of his platoon splits. As a left-handed hitter, he has a .980 OPS this season against LHP. He has a .857 OPS against RHP this year, showcasing his abilities against all pitchers.

“This one will clear the videoboard … it may clear Madison altogether.”

No. 2 @whitesox prospect Oscar Colas CRUSHES his 21st homer, 14th for the @BhamBarons: pic.twitter.com/OIsl1mTuiS

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) September 14, 2022

#WhiteSox outfield prospect Oscar Colás turned 24 yesterday and has hit 21 homers in 109 minor league games this year. With the @BhamBarons, the Cuban has hit .307/.364/.564 with a 139 wRC+ and .401 wOBA. He will almost certainly reach Chicago in 2023.

— James Fox (@JamesFox917) September 18, 2022

Burke, on the other hand, has made a play to become the top arm in the organization this season (MLB Pipeline's #9 White Sox Prospect). The 22-year-old will also pitch at his third level this season. He is 4-8 this season with a 4.28 ERA this season and has been aggressively pushed all year as a first-year full-season player. He has appeared in 25 games (24 starts) and has thrown 101 innings on the year. He has struggled with walks with a 4.0 BB/9 on the year but has posted 11.6 K/9, which is rather impressive given the advanced level for his age. He was also named the Southern League Pitcher of the Month in August.

Barons pitcher Sean Burke has been named Southern League Pitcher of the Month

➡ Burke was recently named Southern League Pitcher of the Week for his stellar performance on August 23rd

: https://t.co/UQ0z4QkJqO pic.twitter.com/h5SRGm5JzE

— Birmingham Barons (@BhamBarons) September 7, 2022

Burke has shown incredible growth in his last six starts, throwing 25 innings and posting a 2.52 ERA. He has struck out 38 over that spanned, walked just eight, and seen a slash line of .165/.253/.318 against him. Unlike most of their minor league arms, the White Sox have been incredibly aggressive all season with Burke, and he will get a chance to show what he has at the highest level after being very impressive once he got comfortable in Birmingham.

Sean Burke put together his best Double-A start last night, tossing 5 scoreless innings with no walks and punching out 9!

Burke’s last 4 starts: 17.1 IP, 10 H, 4 ER, 31 K, 6 BB#ProTerps pic.twitter.com/w36BlpA5pS

— Connor Newcomb (@ConnorNewcomb_) August 24, 2022

While these moves were made in part to ensure Colas and Burke get to play at least another week and a half of games, it's also a testament to the work that they've put in that they were two of the members chosen to be rewarded as the season comes to an end. Look for both of these players to continue to grow throughout the rest of this season, over the offseason, and into Spring Training as the White Sox's farm system looks to impress and move up the rankings with some internal growth.

Thanks to Jordan Lazowski

Max Muncy, SS, Oakland Athletics (High-A Lansing)

The final slash line for Muncy, .229/.336/.422, might not be impressive but there are still plenty of positives to take away from his first full season of professional baseball. Promoted to the Midwest League in late July, he found himself hitting against older pitchers who featured more advanced secondaries than he had yet experienced. It showed, especially early, as Muncy struggled with spin recognition and swing decisions causing the strikeout rate to creep up to over thirty percent.

Despite the struggles, what stood out to me in my end-of-the-season live looks was the overall athleticism and ability to hit the ball with authority. Defensively, he looks more than capable of holding his own at shortstop. Blessed with lateral quickness, soft hands, and a strong throwing arm, he’ll be able to stay at the position or move anywhere in the infield if needed.

At the plate, the power showed more than expected this year. It’s generated by plus bat speed and natural leverage to the swing. I expect some development to the hit tool, especially as he gets more at-bats and experience. As the approach gets tightened up and he learns to work the count more to his favor, the power will play even more in-game. There’s still plenty of work to be done but the building blocks are there for Muncy to profile as a future everyday infielder.

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... powers-up/

Reese Olson, RHP, Detroit Tigers (Double-A Erie): 5 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K.

Olson’s nine strikeouts set a new franchise playoff record for the Seawolves last night. It’s been a trend this year as he’s generating more swing-and-miss than his previous minor league seasons. Some bad luck and an increase in giving up the long ball caused the ERA to inflate but he’s proven to be a durable arm that could earn some big league starter’s innings down the road.

Freddy Tarnok, RHP, Atlanta Braves (Triple-A Gwinnett): 5 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K.

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... s-batters/

Rays: Mason Auer, OF (No. 13)

Tampa Bay grabbed the San Jacinto Junior College product in the fifth round last year, and Auer has already made that look like a steal. The 21-year-old outfielder has been one of the toolsier prospects in a loaded Rays system with plus speed, a plus-plus arm, good outfield defense and promising power. Auer split the season between Single-A and High-A -- he just helped Bowling Green capture a South Atlantic League title -- so this AFL assignment will be his most aggressive yet.

White Sox: Adam Hackenberg, C (No. 30)

Hackenberg comes from an athletic family with brothers who were an NFL second-round pick as a quarterback (Christian), an MLS first-rounder as a defender (Brandon) and another who was Virginia Tech's best pitcher as a freshman last spring (Drue). An 18th-round pick in 2020 from Clemson, he batted .223/.317/.322 between High-A and Double-A in his first full pro season. He's one of the better defensive catchers in Chicago's system and has solid raw power.

Mariners: Adam Macko, LHP (No. 8)

Macko has both an interesting back story and stuff. He’d be the first Slovakian-born player to make the big leagues, he grew up in Ireland and went to high school in Alberta, Canada. He also has a fastball that reaches the upper 90s, but injuries last year and this have limited his mound time.

https://www.mlb.com/news/each-team-s-to ... e-coverage

James Outman, OF, Dodgers:

Before this season, Outman had never hit 20 home runs in a pro season. After his home run on Thursday, he’s oh so close to a 30-home run season this year. He now has 29 combined home runs between Double-A, Triple-A and the majors.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... -double-a/

Hitter of the Weekend

Lenyn Sosa, INF, Chicago White Sox (Triple-A Charlotte): 7-14, 2 2B, HR, BB, 2 K.
Chicago’s season spiraled away from them, but it would be reasonable to see them give Sosa a more extended shot than his sporadic opportunities earlier this season. The versatile Venezuelan 22-year-old has hit .299/.352/.479 in his first go at Triple-A. With a roster still very much built to contend immediately despite their disappointing 2022, they need breakouts from role players like Sosa to shore up depth that bent and broke this year.
Pitcher of the Weekend:

Dax Fulton, LHP, Miami Marlins (Double-A Beloit): 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R/ER, 1 BB, 13 K.
Despite a wildly disappointing 2022 season for the big league club that includes the departure of their longtime skipper Don Mattingly, the current and future rotation is extremely promising. That includes Fulton, whose big bender headlines a grounder-heavy repertoire generated by a steep downward plane for the 6-foot-7 southpaw. The 20-year-old lefty has made an impressive first impression at Double-A in this final month, with 30 strikeouts and just seven walks in 21 innings.

Oscar Colas, OF, White Sox (Triple-A Charlotte): 3-6, 2B, 2 HR, K.
No pitchers have been able to contain Colas since he began his pro career. He’s shot up three levels in his stateside debut this season, offering the ChiSox another slugger to consider hiding in the outfield.

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... he-season/

Oscar Colas is finding Triple-A to Charlotte to his liking.

The No. 2 White Sox prospect shook off his first 0-fer with the Knights by collecting his third four-hit game of the season in a 6-2 loss to visiting Durham. The four hits equaled a career high for Colas, who has hit safely in five of six games since his promotion from Double-A Birmingham.

The 24-year-old doubled and singled three times to improve his slash line with Charlotte to .407/.448/.704 with four extra-base hits in 27 at-bats. It's a continuation of what has been a breakout campaign for the first-year pro. Colas began the season with High-A Winston-Salem before moving up to Birmingham and finally Charlotte.

The Cuba native is slashing .314/.372/.526 with 23 homers, 81 runs and 78 RBIs in 116 games overall.

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

RP: Eric Torres (LAA No. 28)

AA: 2-2, 22 SV, 1.59 ERA, 51 IP, 81 K, 23 BB, .143 BAA, 0.94 WHIP
A reliever at Kansas State taken in Round 14 of the 2021 Draft by the Angels, Torres went straight to Double-A for his first full season and didn’t miss a beat. His 22 saves placed him third among Minor League closers while being young for his level. He gave up just 4.4 hits per nine while striking out an impressive 14.3 per nine for the year.

https://www.mlb.com/news/pipeline-prosp ... e-coverage

Jorge Barrosa, CF, Arizona Diamondbacks (Double-A Amarillo)

One of my favorite prospect archetypes to watch—the pesky gamer who provides value in a few different ways despite diminutive size—Jorge Barrosa stands at 5-foot-9 and as a future big leaguer for me. He’s a twitchy kid, a thinker of the game, and intense on the field. That all helps him to be hell to get out, battling on each at-bat with a strong feel for the strike zone and ability to read spin. The result is a high walk rate and low K rate. His top end exit velocity is pedestrian, but he hit the ball reasonably hard with consistency in my viewing. The offensive profile reminds me a little bit of Josh Smith, who had a tough start to his career in Arlington but also remains a prospect I believe in.

Where Barrosa surpasses Smith is his value with the glove. Whereas Smith plays a sufficient short and should be above-average elsewhere, Barrosa can be a plus center fielder. His short strides limit his range somewhat, but he showcased strong jumps and has above average speed—a combo which should allow him to not only stick in center but do so with positive value. That speed also allows him to provide an impact on the bases, where he stole 26 bases on the year.

In all likelihood, Barrosa is a fourth outfielder, notable but no superstar. He’s a real fun player to watch battle and outperform his tools, though.

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... bad2377d0f