Minor League Update: Games of May 15-17, 2015

Friday
Miguel Sano, 3B, Twins (Chattanooga, AA): 3-5, 2 R, 2 HR, K. It’s been a slow start to the season for Sano, but this is to be expected after he missed the entire 2014 season. It takes some time for the in-game timing to return, but the positive sign is that in the meantime Sano has shown the same patience at the plate and his trademark prodigious power. Even with timing issues, Sano is still able to be an impact hitter, and once he gets back to where he was (which shouldn’t take much longer), he’ll get back to terrorizing minor-league pitchers. He’s always going to have issues with strikeouts, thanks to a big swing and deep counts, but he should do plenty of damage in between.

Kyle Schwarber, C, Cubs (Tennessee, AA): 3-4, 2 R, 2B, HR, BB. Schwarber’s success this season is an example of why the Cubs toyed around with the idea of moving him out from behind the plate—it’s not because he can’t catch as much as it’s that his bat was going to be ready long before his glove. He still has work to do at both, but the bat is close to being ready while the defense is still a work in progress. The Cubs have no pressing needs at either of his positions and have the luxury of being patient while his glove works its way to major-league adequacy behind the plate. (Schwarber also hit two home runs on Sunday).

Steven Moya, OF, Tigers (Toledo, AAA): 3-5, R, 2B, HR. Power is Moya’s calling card, but he swings and misses far too often for it to play at its full raw strength against advanced competition. The contact issues stem from two problems. One is his large frame, which leads to long swings with holes on the inner half, a common problem for tall hitters. Moya’s issues are magnified, however, due to the other issue, his propensity for expanding the strike zone. As he’s faced better competition, the strikeout tendencies have been further exploited, to the point where there are major concerns about how they will play against big-league pitching.

Francisco Lindor, SS, Indians (Columbus, AAA): 3-6, R, 3B, K. With the league-wide tendency to call up prospects earlier than ever, it feels almost like the Indians are taking too long with Lindor, especially given that he’s been ready to handle the majors defensively for a few years now. The Indians are being smart, however, knowing that penciling Lindor in at shortstop is something they’ll be able to do for the next decade if they give his offensive game the chance to catch up to his defense. His offense doesn’t have the same ceiling as some of the game’s other top prospects, but his hit tool is strong enough that, when paired with his glove and the overall lowered state of shortstops right now in the majors, it’s still enough to make him an all-star.

Albert Almora, OF, Cubs (Tennessee, AA): 2-4, 2 R, 2B, 3B, BB. Remember when Almora walked three times in his first four games of the season and everyone praised his new, patient approach? Well his walk on Saturday was just his fourth since, which means that if we take away that opening weekend he has a 4.4 percent walk rate. That would actually constitute his best rate since Low-A ball, so it’s a step in the right direction, but the progress hasn’t been as drastic as the primacy of a fresh season would have you believe. He’s hitting much better this season in his second stint in Double-A, making much more contact and lowering his strikeout rate significantly. That’s crucial for a player as aggressive as Almora, as the balls in play can help balance out the lack of walks.

Saturday
Tim Anderson, 2B, White Sox (Birmingham, AA): 4-6, 4 R, 2 2B, K, 2 SB. This is called taking over a game. It’s difficult to do in baseball, but Anderson can impact the game in so many ways that he can be dominant on certain evenings with his bat, glove and legs. He’s doing this, amazingly enough, while walking just 1.2 percent of the time this year, and less than 1 percent of the time for his Double-A career. It’s an approach that will eventually catch up with him, but he continues to have success in spite of it, thanks to impressive athleticism and a premium skill set.

Nick Williams, OF, Rangers (Frisco, AA): 3-7, 2 R, 2 HR. Unlike Almora’s smoke and mirrors plate discipline improvement, Williams appears to have made an actual improvement in his approach. His walk rate has doubled and his strikeout rate has been cut in half, allowing his plus hit tool to play at its highest level. The result has also been a spike in power. These are all huge developments for Williams, whose lack of approach at the plate was the only thing holding him back from being a fantastic pure hitter at the major-league level. Of course, we’re dealing with about a month of play here, so it’s far too soon to call him a changed hitter, but it’s an extremely positive development.

Joey Gallo, 3B, Rangers (Frisco, AA): 3-7, R, HR, 2 K. The power is coming for Gallo, as we all knew it would. The strikeouts are down slightly from his incredibly high 39 percent rate last year in Double-A, but they are still an issue. He’s been able to keep his batting average well above .300, however, thanks to a ridiculous .514 BABIP, some of which he earns by hitting the baseball ridiculously hard very often, and some of which is luck. Ultimately, the strikeouts will keep him from being a .300 hitter at the higher levels, but his power and plate discipline are going to be more than enough to make up for it.

Roman Quinn, OF, Phillies (Reading, AA): 2-3, 2 R, BB, 2 SB. Quinn has been a much better hitter this season, putting together more quality at-bats and hitting the ball harder more consistency from both sides of the plate. The result has allowed his best tool, his speed, to translate more effectively from a raw tool to one he can use to affect the game more frequently.

Tim Cooney, LHP, Cardinals (Memphis, AAA): 7 2/3 IP, H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K. Cooney has already been called upon once by the Cardinals as they patch some holes in their big-league rotation, and that will be exactly his role this year. He’ll stay ready in Triple-A for when the Cardinals need another starter, serving in that 6-8 SP role that every organization has to reach for at some point during the season. Ultimately he’ll get his chance to stick at some point in the back of the Cardinals rotation.

K.J. Woods, 1B, Marlins (Greensboro, A-): 2-4, 2 R, 2B, HR. The Marlins' fourth-round pick in 2013 is already a large, powerful man despite being just 19, but he’s slowly learning how to use that size at the plate. It hasn’t manifested in over-the-fence power just yet, but he’s controlling the strike zone better and shooting the gaps in his first taste of full-season ball, both positive signs that there could be more power to come.

Sunday
Travis Jankowski, OF, Padres (San Antonio, AA): 4-5, R, 3B, SB. Jankowski continues his re-emergence as a legitimate prospect with a strong season in the Texas League. He’s still not a power hitter, nor will he ever be, but he’s doing the things that he’ll need to be an effective leadoff hitter, like control the strike zone more effectively. His speed is his best tool, and the lack of power likely limits him to back-up outfielder status in the big leagues, but being healthy again and handling Double-A gives him a chance to get there.

J.T. Riddle, SS, Marlins (Jupiter, A+): 4-5, R, 2B. There’s not much flash in Riddle’s game, but he does offer a short stoke and moderate gap power while playing solid defense at shortstop. He has the arm to stay on the left side, which could help in landing a utility role in the future, and the range and hands to handle shortstop or second base. He’s not an everyday hitter, but there could be a role for him on a big-league roster if he can show a little more consistent production with the bat.

Aaron Blair, RHP, Diamondbacks (Mobile, AA): 7 2/3 IP, 5 H, R (0 ER), 0 BB, 9 K. The strikeout total on Sunday is a good sign, as Blair’s bat-missing rates had been diminished this season. He’s still been quite effective despite allowing more balls in play than he has in the past, a good sign for when the strikeouts ultimately come back down to Earth at higher levels. He’ll be 23 next week and won’t need too much longer in the minors, making him a depth option for this year’s Diamondbacks rotation if a need arises.

Michael Conforto, OF, Mets (St. Lucie, A+): 2-3, R, 2 2B, BB. All of the commotion to promote Conforto after a scorching hot 2-3 weeks to start the season was a little premature, but he is working his way toward a mid-season promotion, something the Mets have shown a tendency toward in recent years. He does have some issues picking up spin against lefties and will need to continue to balance his aggressiveness with the ability to stay within the strike zone as he faces better competition in both aspects. These are the final refinements of an already polished hitter.

Victor Reyes, OF, Diamondbacks (Kane County, A-): 2-4, R, 2B, 3B. In his first season in the Diamondbacks system, Reyes is handling his first full-season assignment well, showing off the plus hit tool that made the Diamondbacks target him in the first place. His game is not without kinks. He offers no power at present and swing doesn’t project for a ton in the future, and the approach could give him issues down the road against better competition. Still, a strong hit tool on a 20-year-old is a good place to start.