Aaron (Long Beach): Favorite hitting prospect yet to play full-season ball?
Jason Cole: I'll limit this to guys I just saw in extended spring training in Arizona, since they're on the top of my head. Stryker Trahan with Arizona. One prospect to watch out for – Jose Rondon, a young SS prospect with the Angels.
Following the Baby Nats...
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From the A All-Star Games:
Tyler Naquin, cf, Indians. The 2012 first-rounder chipped in with a 2-for-5 day that included two runs and two strikeouts. He leads the Carolina League with 83 hits and trails only Cecchini in the batting race (.311).
Brandon Drury, 3b, Diamondbacks. For a game that featured 19 hits, just three of them went for extra bases. Drury collected one of those three, a double, as part of a 1-for-2 day in which he scored a run and struck out once. The performance was fitting seeing that he led the MWL in isolated power during the first half (10 homers, 27 doubles, three triples).
Alen Hanson, ss, Pirates. The all-star game’s MVP delivered the biggest hit of the Southern Division’s five-run fifth inning, driving a three-run home run to right field. He went 1-for-5 with three RBIs and a run scored but also two strikeouts. Hanson recovered from a slow April to hit .299/.370/.479 with 15 extra-base hits and 12 stolen bases in 38 games since May 1.
Tyler Naquin, cf, Indians. The 2012 first-rounder chipped in with a 2-for-5 day that included two runs and two strikeouts. He leads the Carolina League with 83 hits and trails only Cecchini in the batting race (.311).
Brandon Drury, 3b, Diamondbacks. For a game that featured 19 hits, just three of them went for extra bases. Drury collected one of those three, a double, as part of a 1-for-2 day in which he scored a run and struck out once. The performance was fitting seeing that he led the MWL in isolated power during the first half (10 homers, 27 doubles, three triples).
Alen Hanson, ss, Pirates. The all-star game’s MVP delivered the biggest hit of the Southern Division’s five-run fifth inning, driving a three-run home run to right field. He went 1-for-5 with three RBIs and a run scored but also two strikeouts. Hanson recovered from a slow April to hit .299/.370/.479 with 15 extra-base hits and 12 stolen bases in 38 games since May 1.
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The Phillies are promoting one of their breakout prospects, moving third baseman Maikel Franco from high Class A Clearwater up to Double-A Reading.
Franco, a 20-year-old who signed three years ago out of the Dominican Republic, has moved surprisingly quickly through the Phillies’ system.
After ranking as the organization’s No. 8 prospect entering the season, Franco’s stock has been on the rise as he’s shown an improved approach to hit to all fields along with an uptick in power.
In 65 games in the pitcher-friendly Florida State League, Franco hit .299/.349/.576. He leads the FSL with 23 doubles and is tied with Twins third baseman Miguel Sano for the league lead in home runs with 16.
Franco, a 20-year-old who signed three years ago out of the Dominican Republic, has moved surprisingly quickly through the Phillies’ system.
After ranking as the organization’s No. 8 prospect entering the season, Franco’s stock has been on the rise as he’s shown an improved approach to hit to all fields along with an uptick in power.
In 65 games in the pitcher-friendly Florida State League, Franco hit .299/.349/.576. He leads the FSL with 23 doubles and is tied with Twins third baseman Miguel Sano for the league lead in home runs with 16.
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No. 6 Neil Ramirez, rhp, Rangers
Team: Double-A Frisco (Texas)
Age: 24
Why He’s Here: 2-0, 0.00, 2 GS, 12 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 16 SO
The Scoop: It’s hard to get a clear read on where Ramirez stands as a prospect now because he’s had a fascinating, but schizophrenic, career path. Back in 2011, he jumped to Triple-A after only one start above high Class A. He handled the jump well and seemed poised to help the Rangers at the big league level. Instead he bombed in Triple-A in 2012 and was sent back to Double-A. He returned to Frisco this year to try to regain the form he showed in 2011, and it’s working so far. He’s been very consistent for Frisco, working five or more innings in 13 of 15 starts this year while leading the Texas League with 97 strikeouts.
Team: Double-A Frisco (Texas)
Age: 24
Why He’s Here: 2-0, 0.00, 2 GS, 12 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 16 SO
The Scoop: It’s hard to get a clear read on where Ramirez stands as a prospect now because he’s had a fascinating, but schizophrenic, career path. Back in 2011, he jumped to Triple-A after only one start above high Class A. He handled the jump well and seemed poised to help the Rangers at the big league level. Instead he bombed in Triple-A in 2012 and was sent back to Double-A. He returned to Frisco this year to try to regain the form he showed in 2011, and it’s working so far. He’s been very consistent for Frisco, working five or more innings in 13 of 15 starts this year while leading the Texas League with 97 strikeouts.
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Maikel Franco, 3b, Phillies: Welcome to Double-A, Maikel Franco. Since his promotion to Reading, Franco is 8-for-17 with two home runs, including a 4-for-5 game yesterday with a triple (yes, a triple) and a home run. He also hasn’t struck out yet in his first four Double-A games. All of the arrows continue to point in the right direction for the 20-year-old Dominican third baseman, one of the breakout stories of the season.
Alen Hanson, ss, Pirates: Hanson didn’t get off to a great start at the plate or in the field, but he’s been much better in both areas recently. He’s hitting .333/.387/.580 in June with four of his five home runs on the season coming this month, including one yesterday. Gregory Polanco might be a better prospect than Hanson, but given that the Pirates have Andrew McCutchen and Starling Marte in Pittsburgh and have been sorely lacking a shortstop with basic major league competency, Hanson is arguably a more important prospect for the franchise.
Alen Hanson, ss, Pirates: Hanson didn’t get off to a great start at the plate or in the field, but he’s been much better in both areas recently. He’s hitting .333/.387/.580 in June with four of his five home runs on the season coming this month, including one yesterday. Gregory Polanco might be a better prospect than Hanson, but given that the Pirates have Andrew McCutchen and Starling Marte in Pittsburgh and have been sorely lacking a shortstop with basic major league competency, Hanson is arguably a more important prospect for the franchise.
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Niko Goodrum, SS, Twins (Low-A, Cedar Rapids)
After an up-and-down repeat campaign at Rookie Level Elizabethton in 2012, Goodrum has handled himself admirably in 2013—his first taste of full-season ball. He has spent the bulk of his time at shortstop, where his actions are adequate in spite of a deliberate lower half, and should continue to prove capable at the six spot in the short term. Long term, the question of ultimate position is one that will be answered by his physical development. Too much additional mass in the lower half, where has already filled-in a fair amount since starting his pro career, and he could be destined for third base or right field—his plus to plus-plus arm strength capable of handling either move.
An above average runner right now, Goodrum’s first step affords him good jumps on the bases, and he clocked a 4.12 home-to-first time in this weekend’s series at Wisconsin (a 60, on the 20/80 scale). At the plate, he remains a work in progress. At his best, he seeks out fastballs early in the count and shows quick hands capable of spraying the ball to all fields. At times this year, including this past weekend, he can allow himself to get too passive at the plate, leading to pitchers’ counts and fewer pitches to drive. He has done a good job not expanding the zone as often this year as he did in the Appalachian League, but he can swing too far to the other end of the spectrum, looking at close strike threes, rather than taking a more defensive approach when behind. A solid first half in the books, Goodrum will look to build on his progress at the plate while refining his actions in the field throughout the second half. –Nick Faleris
Neil Ramirez, RHP, Rangers (Double-A Frisco)
Coming off a disastrous 2012 campaign in which he posted a 6.28 ERA between the Double- and Triple-A levels, Ramirez is rebounding nicely this season in Double-A. The 24-year-old righty ranks third in the minors with 97 strikeouts in 81 innings, and he’s doing it with a dominant fastball. Ramirez, who has yielded only 48 hits but walked 36, is consistently sitting 93-96 mph in starts and reaching up to 97. His velocity ticked up while tossing six scoreless innings on June 20, as he worked at 94-95 and touched 98 in the fifth, per a scout source. He’s also mixing in an average-or-better change and slider with the occasional curveball. While his below average command may relegate him to the bullpen long term, he’s mostly throwing strikes and once again flashing the big-league stuff that led to his 2011 breakout. –Jason Cole
After an up-and-down repeat campaign at Rookie Level Elizabethton in 2012, Goodrum has handled himself admirably in 2013—his first taste of full-season ball. He has spent the bulk of his time at shortstop, where his actions are adequate in spite of a deliberate lower half, and should continue to prove capable at the six spot in the short term. Long term, the question of ultimate position is one that will be answered by his physical development. Too much additional mass in the lower half, where has already filled-in a fair amount since starting his pro career, and he could be destined for third base or right field—his plus to plus-plus arm strength capable of handling either move.
An above average runner right now, Goodrum’s first step affords him good jumps on the bases, and he clocked a 4.12 home-to-first time in this weekend’s series at Wisconsin (a 60, on the 20/80 scale). At the plate, he remains a work in progress. At his best, he seeks out fastballs early in the count and shows quick hands capable of spraying the ball to all fields. At times this year, including this past weekend, he can allow himself to get too passive at the plate, leading to pitchers’ counts and fewer pitches to drive. He has done a good job not expanding the zone as often this year as he did in the Appalachian League, but he can swing too far to the other end of the spectrum, looking at close strike threes, rather than taking a more defensive approach when behind. A solid first half in the books, Goodrum will look to build on his progress at the plate while refining his actions in the field throughout the second half. –Nick Faleris
Neil Ramirez, RHP, Rangers (Double-A Frisco)
Coming off a disastrous 2012 campaign in which he posted a 6.28 ERA between the Double- and Triple-A levels, Ramirez is rebounding nicely this season in Double-A. The 24-year-old righty ranks third in the minors with 97 strikeouts in 81 innings, and he’s doing it with a dominant fastball. Ramirez, who has yielded only 48 hits but walked 36, is consistently sitting 93-96 mph in starts and reaching up to 97. His velocity ticked up while tossing six scoreless innings on June 20, as he worked at 94-95 and touched 98 in the fifth, per a scout source. He’s also mixing in an average-or-better change and slider with the occasional curveball. While his below average command may relegate him to the bullpen long term, he’s mostly throwing strikes and once again flashing the big-league stuff that led to his 2011 breakout. –Jason Cole
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Pitching Prospect of the Day: Matt Purke, LHP, Nationals (Low-A Hagerstown): 5.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 K. Well, Purke has the stuff to dominate, especially inferior hitters, as long as he can stay healthy. I would assume he receives the promotion to High-A sooner rather than later; 23.0 IP, 24 H, 8 ER, 7 BB, 33 K in last five starts.
Position Prospect of the Day: Maikel Franco, 3B, Phillies (Double-A Reading): 4-5, 3B, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, BB. If you aren’t on Twitter than you have missed me professing my love for Franco; the tools are serious and I believe he can stay at third. He makes very loud contact, and profiles to eventually hit 25-30 home runs.
Joe Panik, 2B, Giants (Double-A Richmond): 3-3, 2 2B, R, RBI, 2 BB. In a small sample I thought Panik showed the ability to hit. The power will never be more than fringe average, but he seemed to have the ability to put the bat on the ball. The thing that makes me nervous is that Panik already had to make the move to second, and may profile much better as a utility guy.
Position Prospect of the Day: Maikel Franco, 3B, Phillies (Double-A Reading): 4-5, 3B, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, BB. If you aren’t on Twitter than you have missed me professing my love for Franco; the tools are serious and I believe he can stay at third. He makes very loud contact, and profiles to eventually hit 25-30 home runs.
Joe Panik, 2B, Giants (Double-A Richmond): 3-3, 2 2B, R, RBI, 2 BB. In a small sample I thought Panik showed the ability to hit. The power will never be more than fringe average, but he seemed to have the ability to put the bat on the ball. The thing that makes me nervous is that Panik already had to make the move to second, and may profile much better as a utility guy.
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Robert Refsnyder, 2B, Yankees (High-A Tampa): 2-4, 2B, 3B, 3 R, BB, K. Only a year ago Mr. Refsnyder was tearing it up in Omaha. It has been a pleasant transition to the pro game for him as he continues to show off the ability to hit. Refsynder may never have much over-the-fence power, but he will spray it from gap to gap. He is emerging as a very high-quality utility-type prospect; .344/.475/.531 with 4 2B and 1 3B in last 32 at-bats.
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3. Maikel Franco, 3b, Phillies
Team: Double-A Reading (Eastern)
Age: 20
Why He’s Here: .500/.516/.967 (15-for-30), 8 R, 1 2B
The Scoop: Like fellow Florida State League star third baseman Miguel Sano, Franco has earned a promotion to Double-A. Unlike Sano, Franco has had no problems adjusting to the higher level. In his first week in Reading, Franco has extended a 14-game hitting streak, averaged two hits a game and produced five extra-base hits. All of a sudden, Franco’s lack of speed is getting mentioned less, replaced by more mentions of his excellent ability to consistently make hard contact.
Team: Double-A Reading (Eastern)
Age: 20
Why He’s Here: .500/.516/.967 (15-for-30), 8 R, 1 2B
The Scoop: Like fellow Florida State League star third baseman Miguel Sano, Franco has earned a promotion to Double-A. Unlike Sano, Franco has had no problems adjusting to the higher level. In his first week in Reading, Franco has extended a 14-game hitting streak, averaged two hits a game and produced five extra-base hits. All of a sudden, Franco’s lack of speed is getting mentioned less, replaced by more mentions of his excellent ability to consistently make hard contact.
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Dorssys Paulino, ss, Indians: Signed for $1.1 million in 2011, Paulino was the second-youngest player on a low Class A Midwest League Opening Day roster, less than six months removed from his 18th birthday when the season began. Although he’s hitting just .236 on the year, there are signs of progress. Despite his youth, Paulino’s easy swing and mature approach were such that making contact hasn’t been an issue, as he’s fanned just 46 times in 69 games, and now he’s starting to square up more balls. He’s raised his average each month since hitting .208 in April. He hit .289 and slugged .467 over the last two weeks of June, and he got July started on the right foot by going 3-for-5 with two doubles Monday against Fort Wayne.
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No. 12 Dorssys Paulino, ss, Indians
Team: low Class A Lake County (Midwest)
Age: 18
Why He’s Here: .333/.357/.593 (9-for-27), 1 HR, 2 2B, 1 3B, 5 RBIs, 4 R, 1 BB, 4 SO
The Scoop: Paulino’s bat lay dormant for much of the first half, but he’s hit well for two weeks since the break, batting .304/.316/.482 with five extra-base hits in 13 games. That’s a sight better than the .222/.273/.312 line he recorded in the first half.
Max Fried, lhp, Padres: The 19-year-old Fried completed a pair of tidy five-inning starts for low Class A Fort Wayne this week, allowing two runs (one earned) on just five hits while brandishing an 11-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio. As always, he misses bats and doesn’t allow much hard contact, but the best part of Fried’s three second-half starts is a lower walk rate of 3.6 per nine innings, which compares favorably with a 4.8 rate in the first half.
Sonny Gray, rhp, Athletics: A year ago at this time, Gray was struggling to miss bats and sported a 5.11 ERA in Double-A. He started finding his old form in the second half last year and has carried that into 2013, ranking right behind Taijuan Walker with 107 strikeouts. The 23-year-old took over the PCL’s ERA lead at 2.81 after throwing seven shutout innings with nine strikeouts against Fresno on Independence Day.
Team: low Class A Lake County (Midwest)
Age: 18
Why He’s Here: .333/.357/.593 (9-for-27), 1 HR, 2 2B, 1 3B, 5 RBIs, 4 R, 1 BB, 4 SO
The Scoop: Paulino’s bat lay dormant for much of the first half, but he’s hit well for two weeks since the break, batting .304/.316/.482 with five extra-base hits in 13 games. That’s a sight better than the .222/.273/.312 line he recorded in the first half.
Max Fried, lhp, Padres: The 19-year-old Fried completed a pair of tidy five-inning starts for low Class A Fort Wayne this week, allowing two runs (one earned) on just five hits while brandishing an 11-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio. As always, he misses bats and doesn’t allow much hard contact, but the best part of Fried’s three second-half starts is a lower walk rate of 3.6 per nine innings, which compares favorably with a 4.8 rate in the first half.
Sonny Gray, rhp, Athletics: A year ago at this time, Gray was struggling to miss bats and sported a 5.11 ERA in Double-A. He started finding his old form in the second half last year and has carried that into 2013, ranking right behind Taijuan Walker with 107 strikeouts. The 23-year-old took over the PCL’s ERA lead at 2.81 after throwing seven shutout innings with nine strikeouts against Fresno on Independence Day.
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Stefen Romero, lf, Mariners: The Mariners have already brought three of their best position-player prospects to the majors in Nick Franklin, Brad Miller and Mike Zunino, and Romero may not be far off if Seattle finds an opening for him. The left fielder at Triple-A Tacoma extended his hitting streak to eight games by going 3-for-4 with a homer (a seventh-inning grand slam) and five RBIs on Monday. Romero’s pure hitting ability stands out more than his power, as last night’s homer was his sixth of the year and first since June 12 while he raised his average back above .300. A late-June slump had dropped him to .280, but he’s 15-for-33 through eight games in July.
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Henry Urrutia, rf, Orioles: Urrutia’s excellent U.S. debut got a little better on Wednesday, when he went 5-for-5 against Gwinnett for the first five-hit game this season. Since going 0-for-3 in his Triple-A Norfolk debut on June 30, Urrutia has put together a nine-game hitting streak. He now has a .365 average in the International League to go with his .365 Double-A average before his promotion. As a 26-year-old with plenty of major league experience in Cuba, Urrutia is not exactly your average first-year pro. He appears to be ready to pitch in if Baltimore needs outfield help in the second half.
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No. 4 Avisail Garcia, cf, Tigers
Team: Triple-A Toledo (International)
Age: 22
Why He’s Here: .462/.462/.885 (12-for-26), 2 HR, 3 2B, 1 3B, 6 RBIs, 6 R, 0 BB, 5 SO, 1-for-2 SB
The Scoop: With his next big league at-bat, Garcia will exhaust his prospect eligibility, but he’s ours until that time. Whether he’s a center fielder for the long term is debatable, but his burgeoning power appears legit. He’s batting .453/.468/.667 with nine extra-base hits through 17 games in the IL, a performance that must thrill the Tigers, given that Garcia figures to be one of the most heavily-scouted players in advance of this year’s trade deadline.
Team: Triple-A Toledo (International)
Age: 22
Why He’s Here: .462/.462/.885 (12-for-26), 2 HR, 3 2B, 1 3B, 6 RBIs, 6 R, 0 BB, 5 SO, 1-for-2 SB
The Scoop: With his next big league at-bat, Garcia will exhaust his prospect eligibility, but he’s ours until that time. Whether he’s a center fielder for the long term is debatable, but his burgeoning power appears legit. He’s batting .453/.468/.667 with nine extra-base hits through 17 games in the IL, a performance that must thrill the Tigers, given that Garcia figures to be one of the most heavily-scouted players in advance of this year’s trade deadline.
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Matt Wisler (AA Texas League): Howdy Baseball America. I know I am not on your midseason top 50 list, and I was wondering why? What about my talent and my performance so far keeps me from being discussed as a top 50 talent?
Matt Eddy: Personal preferences, biases, etc. Once you move past the top 20-30 prospects on any list, the gradation between prospects becomes smaller and smaller, so that the difference between No. 31 and No. 51 can be largely subjective. I don’t think Padres Double-A RHP Matt Wisler would look out of place in the top 50.
Matt Eddy: Personal preferences, biases, etc. Once you move past the top 20-30 prospects on any list, the gradation between prospects becomes smaller and smaller, so that the difference between No. 31 and No. 51 can be largely subjective. I don’t think Padres Double-A RHP Matt Wisler would look out of place in the top 50.
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Yankees OF prospect Slade Heathcott (Double-A Trenton - Yankees 1st round pick (29th overall) of the 2009 draft, Yankees no. 4 ranked pre-season prospect): "Slade Heathcott had a terrible approach when I saw him but was still arguably the most physically talented prospect I've seen this year. He is having a down year, but farm directors dream about players having tools like that, and at his age I would not give up on him."
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BillyVig (Chicago): Can Maikel Franco be a big league all star?
Ben Badler: He has that upside, sure. The swing is unusual, and that’s always going to be the knock on him, but I haven’t seen it give him any major issues yet with plate coverage even against good pitching, which alleviates concerns I would normally have over a guy with a pronounced arm-bar swing. And the power. There’s plenty of power.
Ben Badler: He has that upside, sure. The swing is unusual, and that’s always going to be the knock on him, but I haven’t seen it give him any major issues yet with plate coverage even against good pitching, which alleviates concerns I would normally have over a guy with a pronounced arm-bar swing. And the power. There’s plenty of power.
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Pitching Prospect of the Day: Clayton Blackburn, RHP, Giants (High-A San Jose): 6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 8 K. Blackburn is a strong-framed pitcher who has the potential for two plus pitches, fastball and changeup, and is having success in a hitte- friendly league. Blackburn is considered to have more polish than most his age, and he continues to develop his curveball. He profiles best as a mid-rotation starter.
Slade Heathcott, CF, Yankees (Double-A Trenton): 2-5, 2B, 3B, R, RBI, K. I saw Heathcott play on Friday night, and I finally saw “it.” Heathcott flattened himself out, and took out all of the movement in his load before the swing. I’m still not sold, but I can understand what people who like him see. Heathcott can fly—I clocked him at 4.07 on a ground ball to the second baseman—and he can provide more “punch” than his frame would suggest. Ultimately, I believe Heathcott is an excellent extra outfielder.
Slade Heathcott, CF, Yankees (Double-A Trenton): 2-5, 2B, 3B, R, RBI, K. I saw Heathcott play on Friday night, and I finally saw “it.” Heathcott flattened himself out, and took out all of the movement in his load before the swing. I’m still not sold, but I can understand what people who like him see. Heathcott can fly—I clocked him at 4.07 on a ground ball to the second baseman—and he can provide more “punch” than his frame would suggest. Ultimately, I believe Heathcott is an excellent extra outfielder.
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Slade Heathcott, CF, Yankees (Double-A Trenton): 2-3, 2B, HR, R, RBI. Heathcott has made a mechanical change in his swing. The change was to smooth out his pre-pitch movement. The change should allow him to make more contact. Heathcott displays all the tools, and if he is able to be just an average hitter, he will have an everyday spot in someone’s lineup; .314/.356/.614 with 4 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, and 2 SB in last 44 at-bats.
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Ethan Martin, rhp, Phillies (71 GSc). The lone high school righty to sign out of the 2008 draft’s first round, Martin’s methodical trek through the minors continues this season at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The 24-year-old threw six shutout innings yesterday, allowing two hits, walking three, striking out six and continuing a recent hot spell. In his past three starts for the IronPigs, Martin has gone 2-1, 2.00 with just 10 hits allowed in 18 innings and a 20-to-7 K-to-BB ratio.
Despite missing bats consistently with wicked stuff (8.1 SO/9 this season), Martin misses the strike zone too frequently (5.3 BB/9), and typically starting pitchers with walk rates in excess of four per nine innings need to be lefthanded to thrive. Think Jonathan Sanchez, Matt Moore, Gio Gonzalez or C.J. Wilson. See the complete ranking of highest walk rates among qualified major league starters since 2010, the first year of the offensive downturn.
Despite missing bats consistently with wicked stuff (8.1 SO/9 this season), Martin misses the strike zone too frequently (5.3 BB/9), and typically starting pitchers with walk rates in excess of four per nine innings need to be lefthanded to thrive. Think Jonathan Sanchez, Matt Moore, Gio Gonzalez or C.J. Wilson. See the complete ranking of highest walk rates among qualified major league starters since 2010, the first year of the offensive downturn.
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Tyler Naquin, CF, Indians (High-A Carolina): 2-5, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, K. Naquin was a guy I was really not on after the first series. He has made mechanical adjustments, and they seem to be working. I do not believe he has the range for center, but his arm could be a weapon in right. It is not a classic profile for a corner, because he doesn’t offer much power potential, but he would be a very good fourth outfielder.
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Tyler Naquin, of, Indians: After a rough month, Naquin is finishing July with a late surge. Until Tuesday, Naquin hadn’t homered in 31 games. He ended his home run drought against Wilmington, then followed it up with his second home run in two days on Wednesday.
With Francisco Lindor heading to Double-A Akron after the Futures Game, Naquin is the top prospect remaining on the high Class A Carolina club, but a July slump, which included an 0-for-20 stretch, had dropped his batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage by 20-30 points apiece. Power isn’t a large part of his game, but he does have plenty of ability to find the gaps with a sweet swing that provides plenty of line drives.
With Francisco Lindor heading to Double-A Akron after the Futures Game, Naquin is the top prospect remaining on the high Class A Carolina club, but a July slump, which included an 0-for-20 stretch, had dropped his batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage by 20-30 points apiece. Power isn’t a large part of his game, but he does have plenty of ability to find the gaps with a sweet swing that provides plenty of line drives.
