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| Born: 03/09/1998 (Age: 18) | |
| Bats: Right | Throws: Right |
| Height: 6' 0" | Weight: 160 |
| Mechanics |
| Quick, loose arm, three-quarter slot; inconsistent finishing delivery at present, occasional effort, command can wander as a result; intense competitor, advanced mound presence, particularly in third outing; physicality to suggest consistency gains with experience and reps |
| Evaluator | Grant Jones |
| Report Date | 09/02/2016 |
| Affiliate | Fort Wayne TinCaps (Low A, Padres) |
| Dates Seen | 3x Aug-Sept 2016 |
| OFP/Risk | 60/High |
| Realistic | 55: Mid-Rotation Starter |
| MLB ETA | 2019 |
| Video | Yes |
| Pitch Type | Present Grade | Future Grade | Sitting Velocity | Peak Velocity | Report |
| FB | 60 | 70 | 93-96 | 97 | Hard arm-side run, showed plus-plus velo in third start, plus in first two; likes to work it arm side, consistent command when he does; advanced ability to manipulate velocity and movement, projection as plus-plus weapon with standard command gains |
| CH | 40 | 55 | 81-83 | Above-average fade and tumble, velocity separation can be extreme; can struggle to find feel early, tendency to spike it; swing-and-miss pitch against left-handers, potential to mitigate splits; inconsistent; flashes plus but inconsistency will hold him back | |
| CB | 45 | 60 | 72-74 | Natural feel to spin it, quality shape, quality depth, flashes command into the zone and as a finishing pitch down low; swing-and-miss potential, plus projection with refinement |
| Overall |
|
Espinoza produced fittingly inconsistent results for an 18-year-old in full-season ball across my three looks. His first outing showed flashes amid difficulty stringing together quality sequences, the second was a disaster in which he showed little comfort or feel, and the third was electric. His present fastball velocity, along with late movement, gives the pitch an explosive finish. He already flashes above-average command of it to the arm side, and the frame and athleticism lend optimism that the pitch will actualize. Both secondaries flashed plus, though both are expectedly raw at present and the change likely comes up short of that grade. This is a high-risk, high-reward prospect. He has impact starter potential, though his youth and frame make it a longer shot that he gets there. If greater consistency with his pitches never quite materializes, there's still enough raw stuff and feel to project mid-rotation value. |
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|
| Born: 07/10/1994 (Age: 22) | |
| Bats: Left | Throws: Left |
| Height: 6' 3" | Weight: 185 |
| Mechanics |
| Projectable frame, particularly in lower half; full-wind, some stiffness, front shoulder stays closed, hides the ball well, deceptive motion; arm stab, mild wrist wrap, average arm speed, three-quarter slot; repeats well |
| Evaluator | Steve Givarz |
| Report Date | 09/05/2016 |
| Affiliate | Tampa Yankees (High A, Yankees) |
| Dates Seen | 4x in 2016 |
| OFP/Risk | 40/High |
| Realistic | 30: Upper-Level Starting Depth |
| MLB ETA | 2019 |
| Video | No |
| Pitch Type | Present Grade | Future Grade | Sitting Velocity | Peak Velocity | Report |
| FB | 45 | 50 | 88-90 | 91 | Mild sink down in the zone, plays fairly true overall, below-average movement; above-average control |
| CB | 30 | 40 | 78-79 | 82 | Slurvy shape at bottom of velo band; early action, trackable; higher velo band has more bite, shorter action, sharper |
| CH | 40 | 45 | 83-85 | Primary off-speed; deceptive arm speed, generates late tumbling action; poor command, frequently left it over the plate |
| Overall |
|
Rogers is a good competitor who throws strikes, but he can get predictable with his sequencing, often leaning on a formulaic fastball-early, changeup, curveball progression. He lacks a big-league out pitch, though there is some mild organizational interest on account of solid-average control and left-handedness. He profiles as an upper-level arm who offers emergency utility as an up-and-down starter. Command- 40/45 |
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| Born: 07/02/1994 (Age: 22) | |
| Bats: Right | Throws: Right |
| Height: 6' 8" | Weight: 250 |
| Mechanics |
| Extra-large frame, broad shoulders, bulky, rigid movements; moderate rock and leg kick, some backside collapse, front shoulder and head stay closed; shot, flat am path, below-average arm speed, high three-quarter slot will drift over-the-top; hips get open and downhill, very firm strike, some dead-arm to finish, cuts off; repeats well, arm action and closed front side create moderate deception, quality plane from high slot and extreme height, will lose balance points and fall off to first-base side; quick to the plate, 1.16-1.28, varies timing, tough to run on |
| Evaluator | Wilson Karaman |
| Report Date | 09/08/2016 |
| Affiliate | Lancaster JetHawks (High A, Astros) |
| Dates Seen | 5/13, 8/31/16 |
| OFP/Risk | 40/Moderate |
| Realistic | 30: Org Arm, Up-And-Down Reliever |
| MLB ETA | 2018 |
| Video | Yes |
| Pitch Type | Present Grade | Future Grade | Sitting Velocity | Peak Velocity | Report |
| FB | 50 | 55 | 89-92 | 93 | Quality plane, mild run and boring action down in the zone, plays fairly straight, deception pads perceived velocity, gets on hitters, generates ample fly ball contact; average control, fringe-average command, works it to both sides, trusts pitch, will attack in hitter's counts; potential to play above-average with another tick in shorter bursts, lack of movement gives him smaller margin for error |
| CH | 45 | 50 | 79-83 | 84 | Solid-average fade, some tumble; go-to pitch, shows some feel, will double-up, uses it to get back into counts, occasional swing-and-miss; will tip it with higher arm slot, action plays better right-on-right |
| SL | 40 | 45 | 78-80 | 81 | Sweepy pitch, horizontal breaker lacks bite, vertical action; some utility setting up righties away, trackable for lefties, struggles to bury it |
| CB | 30 | 40 | 73-74 | 74 | Used as a chase pitch, 12-5 shape, lacks bite, limited depth; occasional strike-stealer, not a feature pitch |
| Overall |
|
Dykxhoorn is a Canadian moose-man drafted in the sixth round in 2014. He lacks overpowering stuff, though his frame, arm slot, and deception all help his pitches play up. There is notable self-confidence in how he attacks hitters, and the control profile is solid-average thanks to reasonably consistent repetition of his stiff, funky mechanics. He struggles to spin the ball and generate quality bite with his breaking pitches. The arsenal is more limited against left-handed hitters, but I like the idea of him coming out of someone's bullpen as a right-on-right guy, especially if he can squeeze another tick or two out of his fastball in shorter stints. |
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| Born: 12/16/1994 (Age: 21) | |
| Bats: Right | Throws: Right |
| Height: 6' 2" | Weight: 175 |
| Primary Position: SS | |
| Secondary Position: CF | |
| Physical/Health |
| Large frame, lean and wiry; some room to fill out, not likely to build a ton of bulk; good-looking athletic body |
| Evaluator | Steve Givarz |
| Report Date | 09/05/2016 |
| Dates Seen | 7/8/2016-7/11/2016 |
| Affiliate | Palm Beach Cardinals (High A, Cardinals) |
| MLB ETA | Risk Factor | OFP | Realistic Role | Video |
| 2019 | High | 45 | 40: Pinch-Runner/Defensive Replacement | No |
| Tool | Future Grade | Report |
| Hit | 30 | Tall, even stance; short hand path to the ball, fringe-average bat speed, lacks present strength; struggled to recognize pitches, particularly vulnerable to breaking balls away; mild feel for the barrel, hit balls lack velocity and carry |
| Power | 30 | Well below-average raw; swing lacks plane and strength, not an over-the-fence power hitter; will generate some extra bases with speed, gap-to-gap appoach
|
| Baserunning/Speed | 70 | 4.11 home-to-first; takes poor jumps on the bases, better runner underway, still has enough raw speed to play on the bases |
| Glove | 50 | Plus range in the middle infield, shows good hands, elite athleticism, will make the flashy play; footwork needs to be polished, will overrun balls, raw feel for setting up the best hops |
| Arm | 55 | Above-average arm strength, plays on the left side of the infield and all three outfield positions |
| Overall |
|
While my looks were shortstop-only, Mercado played outfield as well this year and has the physical tools to profile in center. He needs to add strength to frame, though, as his contact right now is consistently weak and he struggles with a poor approach at the plate. The light bat leaves him profiling as a pinch-runner and defensive replacement off the bench. |
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|
| Born: 08/08/1992 (Age: 24) | |
| Bats: Right | Throws: Right |
| Height: 6' 4" | Weight: 215 |
| Primary Position: LF | |
| Secondary Position: RF | |
| Physical/Health |
| Tall, good athletic body, lacks remaining physical projection |
| Evaluator | Steve Givarz |
| Report Date | 09/05/2016 |
| Dates Seen | 15x April-August 2016 |
| Affiliate | Tampa Yankees (High A, Yankees) |
| MLB ETA | Risk Factor | OFP | Realistic Role | Video |
| 2018 | Medium | 40 | 30: Quality Org Depth | No |
| Tool | Future Grade | Report |
| Hit | 40 | Upright, even stance, leg lift, loose hands; below-average bat speed, shows some barrel control; commands the zone, sees pitches well, works the whole field; knack for making contact, tough out |
| Power | 40 | Below-average raw, has strength that can translate to some pull-side pop; doubles more than over-the-fence power, tool should play to full utility at maturity |
| Baserunning/Speed | 40 | Below-average runner; 4.34 home-to-first, heavy feet, not a base-stealing threat |
| Glove | 50 | Gets quality jumps, clean routes to the ball; polished defender, lacks range to run down balls in the gaps, sure on balls he can reach |
| Arm | 40 | Below-average arm strength, accurate, hits cutoff men quickly, lacks carry to cut down runners |
| Overall |
|
Zehner has a fairly fringy tool set across the board, but he's a gamer with a knack for contact and good instincts. He could see some emergency action for a club down the road, but otherwise projects as a quality organizational player. |
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| Born: 11/16/1995 (Age: 20) | |
| Bats: Right | Throws: Right |
| Height: 5' 11" | Weight: 185 |
| Primary Position: 3B | |
| Secondary Position: SS | |
| Physical/Health |
| Stocky build, developed chest and shoulders, thick backside and lower half, strong quads, quick feet; present leg strength, some spring in his step; fluid physicality, loose movements, limited physical projection for additional upper-half strength |
| Evaluator | Wilson Karaman |
| Report Date | 09/15/2016 |
| Dates Seen | 6x April-September 2016 |
| Affiliate | High Desert Mavericks (High A, Rangers) |
| MLB ETA | Risk Factor | OFP | Realistic Role | Video |
| 2018 | Moderate | 45 | 40: Quality Utility Infielder | Yes |
| Makeup |
|
Lo-fi player, quiet focus, steady, stays in his own space |
| Tool | Future Grade | Report |
| Hit | 50 | Subtle early rhythm, open with a leg kick to square, quiet setup, high back elbow; leg kick has toned down, now quick and short, sets front foot firm, some rigidity, hips fire early off strong plant, rotational; quick stroke, steep path, minimal leverage, fringe-average bat speed, arms swing; up-the-middle approach, doesn't try to do too much, adept at punching it oppo, strong bat-to-ball, some inner-third vulnerability to velocity; works counts, can get passive, advanced approach, above-average on-base profile |
| Power | 30 | 40 present raw to pull side, chance for another tick with added strength; plays down with approach, swing lacks leverage or plane to drive the ball with carry, line-drive game power with ability to hook an occasional ball to pull-side foul pole |
| Baserunning/Speed | 45 | 4.36 average on four clocks; mild effort to the stride, picks up coaches, solid instincts; passive leads, not a base-stealing threat; thicker lower half, borderline average tool at present should settle in as fringe |
| Glove | 50 | Smooth defender at third, solid-average lateral agility, first-step quickness to handle the position, soft hands, fluid fielding actions; borderline range at short, lacks explosiveness to the ball, steady with sound fundamentals on balls he can get to, some feel for the turn on both sides of second, quick transfer; average potential at second or third with fringe utility at short |
| Arm | 55 | Solid-average arm strength, plays up a bit with quick transfers and consistent mechanics when set, enough to play comfortably at third; throws hold their lines when he has time, struggles with cross-body accuracy working to his left, tendency to short-arm and spike throws |
| Overall |
|
Drafted and signed as an over-slot third-rounder in 2014, Morgan offers the potential to fill a valuable bench role with infield versatility and solid on-base skills. He's a natural hitter with simple swing mechanics and quality bat-to-ball. While his patient approach can border on passivity, he's a selective hitter who will take what he's given, and the swing plane produces frequent line-drive and hard ground-ball contact to all fields. On defense his is a steady if unspectacular glove, with quick feet and transfers that help him convert outs efficiently from all over the diamond. I liked him best at third, though he showed as capable both at second and, to a lesser extent, short. There is second-division starting potential here at his peak, with a realistic path to a long career as a quality utility asset off the bench. |
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|
| Born: 12/25/1994 (Age: 21) | |
| Bats: Right | Throws: Right |
| Height: 6' 6" | Weight: 195 |
| Primary Position: RF | |
| Secondary Position: CF | |
| Physical/Health |
| Thin frame, no ass, long straight line, wiry muscle and lots of it; won't fill out with bulk but possesses plus physical strength overall |
| Evaluator | Wilson Karaman |
| Report Date | 09/17/2016 |
| Dates Seen | 4x April-September |
| Affiliate | High Desert Mavericks (High A, Rangers) |
| MLB ETA | Risk Factor | OFP | Realistic Role | Video |
| 2019 | High | 50 | 45: Second-Division Regular | Yes |
| Makeup |
|
Well-documented signing scandal, served one-year suspension 2012-2013 |
| Tool | Future Grade | Report |
| Hit | 40 | Very wide stance, low hands, noisy load, big hitch, rhythm into short stride; can get stuck on his back foot, uphill swing, rotational, big leverage, strong wrists, plus bat speed; bat doesn't stay on plane long, lots of swing-and-miss, frequent roll-over contact; aggressive approach, offers at most anything hard and close, inner-third hole, struggles with velocity up, consistently out in front of changeups and breakers; some progress in refining attack, zones in better in hitters' counts; encouraging growth, length and holes limit to below-average projection |
| Power | 50 | 60+ raw, highly leveraged swing, generates extension, hit balls carry, power to pull-side and center; aggressive approach, swing-and-miss issues significantly limit in-game |
| Baserunning/Speed | 50 | Above-average present, suprising run times, three clocks at 4.25 average; slow start-up, long strides, chews up real estate once underway; limited base-stealing utility, long cross-over, raw reads; likely settles in as an average tool once he fills out |
| Glove | 45 | 40 present with fringe-average projection in right; slow start-up, raw reads, inconsistent route efficiency, above-average closing speed underway; deliberate field-and-gather, takes a couple steps to steady after fielding on the run |
| Arm | 60 | Arm strength pushes double-plus, very long arm action, takes him a minute to collect, set, and fire, plays at plus utility |
| Overall |
|
A big-money ($4.5 million) international signee in 2012, Beras is a physical presence with length and strength for days and surprising speed. He made some moderate approach gains between early- and late-season looks, but he's still a highly aggressive hitter with multiple coverage holes, and the combination will likely limit his impressive raw power in games. The raw tools for a capable right fielder are apparent, though his reads and routes are decidedly raw. He'll be a longer-burn prospect, but there's potential for an eventual average regular if the hit tool maxes out. |
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2 Dykxhoorn?