Re: 2022 White Sox Prospect Notes
Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2022 9:32 am
5. Steven Kwan, OF, Guardians (previous rank: 8)
Remember when Kwan was an April sensation? Then remember when he slumped a bit and was written off? He went on to enjoy an excellent year, the kind of season that in a normal rookie class wins you a very nice award. This is now normal rookie class though, so Kwan will have to settle for being an important part of a postseason team. He remained an OBP machine all year, stole 19 bases and scored 89 runs.
https://www.mlb.com/news/final-mlb-pipe ... e-coverage
Rays: Mason Auer, OF (No. 12), Mesa Solar Sox
Auer finished a homer shy of the cycle -- ripping a double to left-center in the fifth and a triple to center to begin the seventh, before coming up again later in the frame. He tied a knot on his outing with a two-RBI single that capped the fourth crooked number for the Solar Sox. But his most impressive contribution of the game came in the opening frame. After legging out a botched play at short to reach first successfully, the 21-year-old turned on the jets to steal second and then third. After dancing off of third with an aggressive lead, Auer scampered home on a wild pitch to score without the ball ever leaving the infield. He swiped 48 bags across two levels of the Minors during the regular season.
https://www.mlb.com/news/arizona-fall-l ... e-coverage
Mason Auer's road to the Rays has been anything but linear.
The 21-year-old speedster was a two-way prospect out of high school, and was thought of more as a pitcher than a hitter. That changed once he matriculated to college, first at Missouri State—where he spent the fraction of a season before the pandemic hit—and then a year later at San Jacinto (Texas) JC, where he posted a 1.152 OPS with 11 doubles, 11 homers and 34 stolen bases in 37 tries.
After a stint with Frederick of the MLB Draft League, Auer was set to transfer to Oregon for his 2022 season, but the Rays popped him in the fifth round of the 2021 draft and immediately began reaping the benefits of a player with the beginnings of a dynamic power-speed combination.
The native Missourian is part of the Rays' contingent in the Arizona Fall League, and on Wednesday he was part of Mesa's offensive onslaught against Salt River. In the win, which came by a 19-8 score, Auer went 3-for-6 with two stolen bases and finished a home run short of the cycle.
The teams decided to cut the game short after eight innings, which cost Auer—who was slated to lead off the ninth for the Rafters—a chance to complete the feat.
"I thought about it," Auer said, "but it was a long game."
Auer's hot start in the AFL is a continuation of a fantastic first full season as a pro. Between both Class A levels, he finished with an .859 OPS that was fueled by 21 doubles, 12 triples (tied for the minor league lead) and 15 home runs. He also swiped 48 bases in 55 attempts while helping both of his clubs win their league championship.
Auer has utilized plenty of video to identify and correct some of the flaws in his game. Specifically, he's noticed that he'll sometimes lunge during his swing, which leaves him off-balance and prone to making poor swing decisions.
To correct those tendencies, Auer has tried a variety of remedies. He's swung a shorter bat, swung a fungo bat, swung with one hand and tested himself against specialized pitching machines.
The improvement process, of course, will continue not only through the Fall League, but into next year, when Auer is likely to get his first test at the highest levels of the minor leagues.
To prepare, he'll continue getting as many reps as possible against as many different types of pitching as he can.
"I really focused on hitting a lot of offspeed stuff this offseason and really trying to hone in on that and try to see it better," he said. "The more you see pitching, the better you're going to be, so just seeing as much pitching as I can."
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... of-skills/
Remember when Kwan was an April sensation? Then remember when he slumped a bit and was written off? He went on to enjoy an excellent year, the kind of season that in a normal rookie class wins you a very nice award. This is now normal rookie class though, so Kwan will have to settle for being an important part of a postseason team. He remained an OBP machine all year, stole 19 bases and scored 89 runs.
https://www.mlb.com/news/final-mlb-pipe ... e-coverage
Rays: Mason Auer, OF (No. 12), Mesa Solar Sox
Auer finished a homer shy of the cycle -- ripping a double to left-center in the fifth and a triple to center to begin the seventh, before coming up again later in the frame. He tied a knot on his outing with a two-RBI single that capped the fourth crooked number for the Solar Sox. But his most impressive contribution of the game came in the opening frame. After legging out a botched play at short to reach first successfully, the 21-year-old turned on the jets to steal second and then third. After dancing off of third with an aggressive lead, Auer scampered home on a wild pitch to score without the ball ever leaving the infield. He swiped 48 bags across two levels of the Minors during the regular season.
https://www.mlb.com/news/arizona-fall-l ... e-coverage
Mason Auer's road to the Rays has been anything but linear.
The 21-year-old speedster was a two-way prospect out of high school, and was thought of more as a pitcher than a hitter. That changed once he matriculated to college, first at Missouri State—where he spent the fraction of a season before the pandemic hit—and then a year later at San Jacinto (Texas) JC, where he posted a 1.152 OPS with 11 doubles, 11 homers and 34 stolen bases in 37 tries.
After a stint with Frederick of the MLB Draft League, Auer was set to transfer to Oregon for his 2022 season, but the Rays popped him in the fifth round of the 2021 draft and immediately began reaping the benefits of a player with the beginnings of a dynamic power-speed combination.
The native Missourian is part of the Rays' contingent in the Arizona Fall League, and on Wednesday he was part of Mesa's offensive onslaught against Salt River. In the win, which came by a 19-8 score, Auer went 3-for-6 with two stolen bases and finished a home run short of the cycle.
The teams decided to cut the game short after eight innings, which cost Auer—who was slated to lead off the ninth for the Rafters—a chance to complete the feat.
"I thought about it," Auer said, "but it was a long game."
Auer's hot start in the AFL is a continuation of a fantastic first full season as a pro. Between both Class A levels, he finished with an .859 OPS that was fueled by 21 doubles, 12 triples (tied for the minor league lead) and 15 home runs. He also swiped 48 bases in 55 attempts while helping both of his clubs win their league championship.
Auer has utilized plenty of video to identify and correct some of the flaws in his game. Specifically, he's noticed that he'll sometimes lunge during his swing, which leaves him off-balance and prone to making poor swing decisions.
To correct those tendencies, Auer has tried a variety of remedies. He's swung a shorter bat, swung a fungo bat, swung with one hand and tested himself against specialized pitching machines.
The improvement process, of course, will continue not only through the Fall League, but into next year, when Auer is likely to get his first test at the highest levels of the minor leagues.
To prepare, he'll continue getting as many reps as possible against as many different types of pitching as he can.
"I really focused on hitting a lot of offspeed stuff this offseason and really trying to hone in on that and try to see it better," he said. "The more you see pitching, the better you're going to be, so just seeing as much pitching as I can."
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... of-skills/