Notes from the Field: May 17, 2016

Robert Stephenson, RHP, Cincinnati Reds (Triple-A Louisville)

Stephenson features a a three-pitch mix of his mid-90s fastball, plus curve, and now his splitfinger changeup. His mound presence on Monday was iffy, as he fielded the position poorly, while his pick off attempts were easily noticable as he flailed his body over to the first base side. His fastball features above-average arm-side movement, but he tended to elevate his fastballs as they got into the 95 mph range. His curve is a out-pitch that showed strong spin at 75 mph, though he struggled to command it throughout the night, a common theme for Stephenson. His changeup was tweaked and is now back to the splitfinger grip, giving it extra movement that was working well against hitters. Sitting in the mid 80s it showed glove-side tilt, and a deep dive as it approached the plate. Stephenson has the ability to be a big-league starter, but if he does not stick it will be because of consistency and command issues that were telling on Monday night. —Grant Jones

Ruddy Giron, SS, San Diego Padres (Low-A Fort Wayne)

Giron has a physically mature frame for a 19-year-old, with strength through his chest and strong legs. He combines a short swing with a flat stroke and good hand eye coordination. He sprays line drives all over the field and will be an average hitter down the line. In the field, he still makes mental errors but the tools are there to stay at short. He has a plus arm that allows him to make throws from several angles along with quick feet that he uses to get himself in proper position. He will be a bat-first shortstop with enough physical skills to stay up the middle even as he continues to mature. —James Fisher

Chris Beck, RHP, Chicago White Sox (Triple-A Charlotte)
Beck showed much of the same in a recent look, which is enough to earn major league time but maybe not enough to solidify a rotation spot. He was 92-94 mph with late sink and consistently located arm-side and down, and it came easy. He mixed in a slider at 78-83 that flashed plus with tight, downward break. He spotted it well for the most part, but the shape was inconsistent and not always tight. It profiles as an occasional bat-misser at the big-league level. He also threw a changeup at 82-85 with slight fade, but he didn’t show the same confidence seen in the fastball and slider, and his arm speed noticeably slowed. Beck’s stuff comes and goes at times depending on the day, and it’s not a deep enough arsenal to profile well in a major league rotation. The arm and two-pitch mix should get him to the highest level on a consistent basis, however, if he can stay healthy. —David Lee

Michael Gettys, CF, San Diego Padres (Low-A Fort Wayne)

Gettys has a strong, physical football body type with strength throughout, sloped shoulders and some projection remaining. He has impressive physical tools including at least plus speed and plus-plus arm in center. While he still takes some interesting routes in the field, his athleticism allows him to make plays despite them. As he continues to develop he will be a plus defender in center. At the plate, Gettys showcases premium bat speed that generates above-average raw power from a slightly leveraged swing. He hits from an even stance with his hands at his shoulder and a touch of downward movement with the hands that serves as his trigger. While he shows the ability to catch up with velocity, his pitch recognition is a work in progress with plenty of swing and miss in the zone and out. He will have to improve his plate discipline and in his second try in Fort Wayne the strikeout rate shows no signs of slowing down. —James Fisher

Jhoan Urena, 3B, New York Mets (High-A Port St. Lucie)

Urena hasn't been helping himself at the plate or in the field, as he leads the team with seven errors. He looks uncomfortable at third. Though he possesses a strong arm, he is wild and wide on throws, often depending on the first baseman to bail him out. His footwork, hands, and positioning are below average. He fails to show the ability to make plays and be in the right position on throws and plays to third. On the offensive side, he looks lost at the plate. In the four looks I had, he either struck out or hit weak grounders and fly balls. His timing seems to be off due to his leg kick and load failing to sync up, leading to consistent soft contact. —Thomas Desmidt

Marcos Diplan, RHP, Milwaukee Brewers (Low-A Wisconsin)

Diplan is a smaller, right-handed starter from the Dominican Republic that the Brewers acquired in the Yovani Gallardo deal. There is some room for added strength on his frame but he will never be referred to as "physical." He gets the delivery going from a semi-windup and a high three-quarters slot. There are no major red flags in the delivery and he features solid extension out front for his size. The fastball sits 91-92 and touches 94 mph at times. His movement consists mainly of sink but also features light run at times. He flashes the ability to locate the pitch to both sides of the plate and isn't afraid to elevate the ball for a strikeout. Diplan used to throw a curveball but has scrapped the pitch in favor of his slider which flashes plus potential. It features short, late break and generates swings and misses. He does get around the pitch at times and it can flatten out. The changeup is still a work in progress with inconsistent arm speed but he likes to throw the pitch and it features some tumble. While you may look at him and say reliever, the ability to locate his fastball combined with the above-average slider and developing changeup, Diplan has a chance to be a back end of the rotation starter. —James Fisher

Victor Reyes, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks (High-A Visalia)
Reyes shows some natural hitting ability, with a long load that features a pronounced weight transfer, a high leg kick, and a firm front side plant. He wraps his bat tight around his head, but he gets the barrel into the zone quickly thanks to strong wrists. He's an aggressive hitter, and while he shows an ability to identify spin, he attacks it anyway. Strong hand-eye coordination and a compact stroke give him above-average bat-to-ball projection, though the contact he makes isn't always the good kind, as he'll expand the zone and get himself out. Despite some separation he doesn't utilize his lower half well, relying on his arms and wrists for bat speed and limiting his ability to drive the ball. There's some projection in the tank to suggest some nascent future power, but it's unlikely to play much higher than a 40 tool in a best-case scenario. He posted 55 run times, but is likely to lose a half grade of foot speed once his body matures and the utility plays down at present on account of raw feel and over-aggresiveness on the bases. There weren't any warning signs to suggest he can't handle a corner spot respectably, though his lack of an offensive carrying tool significantly limits the ceiling. —Wilson Karaman