Notes from the Field: May 24, 2016

Antonio Senzatela, RHP, Colorado Rockies (Double-A Hartford)
Senzatela was making his first start in five weeks after an outing in April where he had “trouble getting loose.” Rustiness could explain some of his struggles with fastball command early, but Senzatela has high-effort mechanics and doesn't get much out of his lower half, limiting the overall future command profile. The fastball does show some east-west life at times, and the deception in his delivery makes the 90-94 velocity appear “sneaky-fast,” but he struggled to get the pitch down in the zone and Bowie hitters seemed very comfortable taking cuts at his fastball. Even at his sharpest he will struggle to get plane on it out of his 6-foot-1 frame.

Senzatela featured a full four-pitch mix, but only his slider looked like it had a chance to get to average. The best ones sat in the low 80s, and had sharp, late tilt, but at the top end of his 79-85 velocity band the offering would flatten out. He still throws his slow curve on occasion to sneak a strike, but it is mostly a show-me or chase pitch. Senzatela started to work his changeup in more third time through the order, but the pitch is well-below-average at present. It's a major-league-quality arm, but while you can handwave some of Senzatela's struggles due to the long layoff, the mechanical quirks and lack of a clear third pitch likely point towards a future home in the bullpen. —Jeffrey Paternostro

Logan Allen, LHP, San Diego Padres (Low-A Fort Wayne)

Drafted by the Red Sox in the eighth round in 2015, Allen was promptly included in the Craig Kimbrel trade and started 2016 at Low-A. The physical left-hander pitches from a high-three-quarters slot and semi-windup. He has a small pause on the back side accompanied by a uphill shoulder angle. Both limit his command at this point with most misses coming high and arm-side. The fastball sits 91-93, topping out 95 with natural arm-side run. Coming from that slot, Allen's goal is to get the ball down in the zone and let the plane of the pitch induce ground balls. He mixes in a two-seamer with increased run that keeps hitters from barreling the ball, but it is more of an afterthought at this point. Allen's curveball is the main attraction here with 1/7 shape and above-average spin. It is a potential 60 offering sits at 71-74 and he likes to throw it. He shows the ability to work in the zone as well as out. The changeup is a work in progress at the moment sitting 80-82 with slight fade in this outing, featuring proper arm speed. Allen will need to develop to stay in the starters role long term but there is a potential third or fourth starter profile here with two at-least average offerings at present, and a changeup that shows promise. —James Fisher

Albert Almora, CF, Chicago Cubs (Triple-A Iowa)
There's a lot to like about Almora at the plate. He gets his hands in position early, and has a quick bat with a tremendous feel for contact. He gets good arm extension and he makes a lot of loud contact on pitches he can drive. This season, he's tapped into his above-average raw power more often than before, and despite pedestrian power numbers throughout his minor-league career, it's easy to imagine him regularly hitting double-digit homers as a big leaguer. Almora is still prone to expanding the zone—it's been a problem since he was drafted—and his bat-to-ball skills are almost too good: Rather than swing and miss a pitch in the dirt or a breaking ball that catches him off balance, he simply flicks his wrists and puts the ball in play. Big-league pitchers are going to exploit that, especially given his aggressiveness early in counts. Defensively, he's one of the best center fielders I've ever seen in person. His routes are seamless, his first step is always in the right direction, and he's at least an above average runner. In my viewings, he reached two balls that most center fielders simply can't get to. —Brendan Gawlowski

Austin Allen, C, San Diego Padres (Low-A Fort Wayne)
Allen is a large-bodied catcher the Padres drafted in the fourth round of the 2015 draft, with a physically mature frame that will require maintenance going forward. Offensively, Allen is off to a scorching start hitting .342 through 32 games. His swing is simple, starting from a narrow, slightly open stance with his hands above his shoulder. He starts his swing with a step to close himself off and get the shoulders level. He doesn't hit the ball with authority and the power is mainly to the gaps at the moment and the flatness of the bat path doesn't lead to much in the way of power projection.

Behind the plate his approach is unrefined. Heavy feet hinder his ability to block side-to-side and he had several balls scoot through the wickets in my viewings. There is strength in his wrists and forearms so there is hope that the receiving will improve as he continues to learn the art of catching. His arm is below-average at present with a longer stroke in back and a lack of carry through the bag. He will be an offensive-minded catcher with limitations behind the dish. —James Fisher

Austin Wilson, OF, Seattle Mariners (High-A Bakersfield)
Wilson is a physical specimen, but it doesn't translate into premium athleticism. His movements lack rhythm, they're more halting and firm. Case in point: The load, which is an aggressive one-piece trigger with a high back elbow and pointed bat. The bat speed is excellent, but the bat's not on plane for very long at all, and he's hitting down on it with a rigid, mechanical barrel delivery. There's no explosion off the back side, so the swing gets robbed blind of nearly all of the potentially solid power. He's looked overmatched at the dish in looks last year and this alike, with some patience but very poor pitch recognition and timing. —Wilson Karaman

Carl Edwards, Jr., RHP, Chicago Cubs (Triple-A Iowa)

Edwards only needed 11 pitches in his only work of the series in Tacoma, but it was enough time to make a favorable impression. He's still extremely slight for a pitcher, but he generates plus velocity with a lightning-quick arm, and he gets deception by hiding the ball and throwing with a moderate crossfire. At 6-foot-3, he's got long levers and he gets good plane on his pitches. He sat 93-95 mph with his fastball, an offering he commanded well and threw with late natural cut. He complemented the pitch with a sharp 12-6 curve in the 79-81 range. He replicates his arm speed well and throws the curve for strikes with plus movement that induced a couple of whiffs. Edwards has been wild in the past, but threw mostly strikes in my viewing; he's got good enough stuff to get people out in the zone, and if he can tighten his control a bit, he should have a bright future as a late-innings reliever. —Brendan Gawlowski

Jason Martin, OF, Houston Astros (High-A Lancaster)
Martin starts from an aggressive crouch at the plate, with some rhythm pre-pitch, hands high and away from his body. It's a quiet load, and he wraps his bat with no real coil to speak of. The front knee pigeons into a large leg kick with some deceleration and he loses his hips pretty frequently. That all leads to non-existent leverage, and coupled with below-average bat speed there isn't a ton of power here. His compact, athletic frame has some natural strength and he does show some hand-eye and bat control. But the contact quality has been below-average in my looks, with a vulnerability to pop-ups. The speed is average, with a couple run times averaging to 4.25 off a long finish from the left side. It's a borderline tool for center, though he has shown strong breaks and solid route efficiency to offset at least some of his limited closing speed. The arm strength is also more in the average range, making right field a stretch. You can squint and see a fourth outfielder profile here, but it'll require him maxing out the full set of tools. —Wilson Karaman

Rodolfo Martinez, RHP, San Francisco Giants (High-A San Jose)
Martinez is thick and barrel-chested, with very little remaining physical projection and a wildly entertaining delivery. He generates a early momentum into a big, measured leg kick, before firing his hips early and decisively, driving downhill wide open with his arm in tow to a high three-quarter slot. The foot strike is firm and he violently whips his leg across his front side. It's an extremely high-effort motion, though the resulting control is surprisingly not that bad. The fine command is…not. Still, his fastball is an explosive pitch, sitting 95-96 and topping at 98 with life and natural cutting action, and it shows swing-and-miss potential in the zone. He backed it up with a fringy low-80s slider that set an early trajectory and lacked much bite. I have no idea if the command or a competent secondary ever develops, but the gas is legit and he's got the innate mound presence of a late inning reliever. —Wilson Karaman