Pitching Prospect of the Day: Yordano Ventura, RHP, Royals (Double-A Northwest Arkansas): 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 10 K; elite fastball; easy plus curveball; changeup has made huge steps forward and now has solid-average potential; most scouts now believe he will stay as a starter; number-two ceiling; will be able to provide value to the Royals in 2013, either with his own skills or as the centerpiece of a trade to address a major-league need; 23.1 IP, 17 H, 6 ER, 9 BB, 33 K in five starts.
Position Prospect of the Day: Adam Walker, RF, Twins (Low-A Cedar Rapids): 3-5, 2B, HR, 2 R, 5 RBI, 2 K; plus-plus raw power; developing hit tool; solid-average runner; crude in the outfield; power makes him an interesting prospect to follow as he progresses; .288/.351/.558 with 6 2B, 2 3B, 6 HR in 104 at-bats.
Other notable prospect performances from May 6:
“The Good”
- Martin Agosta, RHP, Giants (Low-A Augusta): 5.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 10 K; 22-year-old college arm carving up Low-A; solid-average fastball; slider has average potential; changeup is plus; 31.1 IP, 22 H, 7 ER, 13 BB, 45 K in six starts.
- Tyler Anderson, LHP, Rockies (High-A Modesto): 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K; solid-average fastball; plus changeup; fringy breaking ball; plus pitchability; 39.2 IP, 33 H, 14 ER, 10 BB, 36 K in seven starts this season.
- D.J. Baxendale, RHP, Twins (High-A Fort Myers): 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 10 K; fringy fastball; plus potential curveball; changeup is a work in progress; college arm; will need to prove himself at higher levels; 36.1 IP, 24 H, 6 ER, 6 BB, 35 K in six starts.
- Clayton Blackburn, RHP, Giants (High-A San Jose): 5.0 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 9 K; plus fastball; potential plus changeup; potential solid-average curveball; good pitchability; big, filled-out frame.
- Bryan Brickhouse, RHP, Royals (Low-A Lexington): 6.2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 K; fastball works in the low 90s and can touch higher; shows feel for spinning the curveball effectively, but lacks consistency; changeup can get firm; some see him as a high-leverage reliever; 33.2 IP, 27 H, 9 ER, 7 BB, 30 K in 6 starts this season.
- Glynn Davis, CF, Orioles (High-A Frederick): 2-3, 2B, 3B, 3 RBI, 2 BB, K; plus-plus runner; potential plus center fielder; good bat speed; swing can get long versus breaking stuff; bat will need to take at least a few steps forward.
- Mike Foltynewicz, RHP, Astros (Double-A Corpus Christi): 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 K; plus fastball; potential solid-average changeup; potential solid-average curveball; big frame; profiles best as a middle-of-the-rotation starter; this was his Double-A debut.
- Michael Reed, OF, Brewers (Low-A Wisconsin): 2-3, 2B, 2 RBI, BB; plus runner; solid-average range; solid-average arm; hit tool may be average; power may be below average, at best; .282/.347/.388 with 5 2B, 2 3B, 0 HR, and 6 SB in 85 at-bats this season.
- Angel Sanchez, RHP, Dodgers (Low-A Great Lakes): 7.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K; fastball can touch plus velocity; slider with plus potential; developing changeup; command wavers; already 23 years old; 33.0 IP, 29 H, 17 ER, 13 BB, 33 K in six starts.
- Reid Scoggins, RHP, Angels (Low-A Burlington): 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K; fastball can touch plus-plus velocity; slider has solid-average potential; future reliever; delivery has considerable effort in it; 18.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 22 K in six outings this season.
- Jorge Soler, RF, Cubs, (High-A Daytona): 2-4, 3B, HR, 2 R, RBI; plus-plus raw power; plus arm; developing hit tool; solid average runner; good right-field profile.
- Tyler Smith, RHP, Rangers (Low-A Hickory): 6.0 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 8 K; upper 80s-low 90s fastball; slider and changeup are both fringy; will have to prove himself at each level; 29.1 IP, 25 H, 10 ER, 8 BB, 26 K in eight appearances.
- Andrew Toles, CF, Rays (Low-A Bowling Green): 2-3, 2B, 3B, R, RBI; solid-average hit tool; gap power; solid-average runner; will need to take steps forward with plate discipline; athletic player whose stock is on the rise; .328/.365/.538 with 10 2B, 6 3B, HR in 119 at-bats.
- Jesse Winker, LF, Reds (Low-A Dayton): 2-5, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI; potential for a plus hit tool; plus power upside; advanced baseball instincts; arm is average; may be limited to left field; bat will have to reach ceiling for him to profile in left; .284/.393/.474 with 7 2B, 3B, 3 HR in 95 at-bats this season.
“The Bad”
Donnie Joseph, LHP, Royals (Triple-A Omaha): 0.2 IP, 1 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K; acquired for Jonathan Broxton in 2012, Joseph has a setup ceiling but may fit better in middle relief.
“The Ugly”
Roman Quinn, SS, Phillies (Low-A Lakewood): 0-4, 3 K; plenty of tools, but hit tool still needs maturation; .204/.271/.287 with 31 K in 108 at-bats.
Thank you for reading
This is a free article. If you enjoyed it, consider subscribing to Baseball Prospectus. Subscriptions support ongoing public baseball research and analysis in an increasingly proprietary environment.
Subscribe now
When it comes to Cole, it is tough because I saw him at his best last year. I went so far as to saying his stuff looked like Verlander's, in a final interview I had with a team (maybe that is why I am writing here and not there lol). I have not seen him this year, but I always find it hard to believe he does not dominate every start with stuff like his.
Thanks
I understand your preferences, but I look at this first thing every day and every day I am struck by how many of these things are of virtually no use to me. Low A ball guys like Reed, Sanchez, and Smith are not interesting to me; they aren't doing anything special and they are a long way from being anything. I am a major league baseball fan and am more interested in guys who are likely to have an impact on MLB this year, or, in the case of Gose, less likely to than previously thought, which is an interesting story as well.
I don't want to discourage you from pointing out emerging players of note at whatever level,and surely we want to hear about top 101 guys who are struggling, wherever that might be. But updating us on notable performances by high-level prospects should be a part of this.
AAA Louisville: .189/.256/.270 17 SB, 2 CS