Notes from the Field: April 18, 2017

Josh Turner
Cole Tucker, SS, Pittsburgh Pirates (High-A Bradenton)
Relaxed, squared stance; quiet pre-pitch motions from both sides of the plate; appropriate angle for explosion to zone; does a great job of getting his work done early to be on time; quick and short into zone; high contact rate as a RHH; aggressive approach as a LHH with some holes in the swing; looks middle-in regularly; gap to gap approach; weak contact on the outside half because his hips fly out; smart hitter with a plan of attack each time; shows above-average plate discipline; capable of making adjustments on the fly. On the base paths, he is a quick-twitch baserunner with big, aggressive leads, reads pitchers well; has the ability to steal bags at an above-average rate for years to come. Defensively, his glove is his best tool with the most upside; advanced ability to read hops early; matured ability to create a hop for himself; above average first step quickness with a quick release as well; gets around the ball well and creates great angles for himself; makes the routine play; above-average arm strength from all spots (deep, glove side, on the run). Future MLB regular with potential for more.

Ke’Bryan Hayes, 3B, Pittsburgh Pirates (High-A Bradenton)
The upside of Hayes is his athleticism and versatility; toned frame that will fill out and add 7-10 pounds in 3-4 years. Projects to be a versatile utility infielder; extremely quiet approach and presence; load causes a slight delay in his timing; hands cast out on swing; high contact rate as a RHH; power will develop; overly aggressive approach at times; has the ability to use all fields; oppo power will be a question mark in his game. Defensively, average range at 3B; below-average understanding of ground ball angles; moves well to his left, struggles on backhands; arm strength is average with some carry. Second-division regular/utility profile.

Chaz Fiorino
Roman Quinn, OF, Philadelphia Phillies (Triple-A Lehigh Valley)
Listed 5-foot-10, 170 pounds, Quinn is an extremly athletic, switch-hitting center fielder with elite speed and can absolutely fly. Might be one the fastest in all of MiLB, Quinn hit leadoff and played center in back-to-back games of the doubleheader. In 8 plate appearances from the left-side, Quinn was very aggressive first-pitch swinging and early in counts. From the left side, Quinn choked up on the bat with a quick, short and smooth line-drive stroke. An example of Quinn displaying game-changing ability came during his second at-bat of the double-header where he drove a first pitch 93-mph fastball back up the middle for a base hit. He then immediately stole second on the next pitch. He's a threat to steal every time he gets on; will have a large number of infield hits as a result of his speed and really makes the defense rush. In his final at bat he got a 1-1 changeup that he stayed right on and drove right back up the middle for his second hit of Game 2. It was an impressive adjustment after having struck out and rolled over on changeups in previous at-bats in Game 1.

Wilson Karaman
Drew Jackson, SS, Los Angeles Dodgers (High-A Rancho Cucamonga)

Significant swing overhaul since last summer: closer to square pre-pitch, had been wide open, now mildly open; added a toe tap mid stride for balance/pace, shortened stride, less rigid to front side, load isn't as deep now, less of an arm bar; new team is getting him away from the Stanford swing; still stiff into the zone, but shorter to the ball; growing pains evident, showed a looser command of the zone than looks last year, expanded up vs. velo, struggled with rocking-chair sequencing; better timing on stolen base attempts, looked more fluid into break, plus run gaining utility.

Dennis Santana, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers (High-A Rancho Cucamonga)

Projectable frame, athletic; full wind, fluid delivery, shallow arm path, quick, sling action to lower three-quarters slot; stays well closed-off, inverted foot strike a foot short of online, huge crossfire, hides it, late pickup; will deadarm the finish, rapid deceleration; tough release point to repeat, struggles to get all the way around that front side pitch-to-pitch, ball strays to the arm side; control ahead of command, fringe-average control projection, below-average command. FB 92-96 (t97), worked 93-96 early, 92-94 in the 4th; easy velocity, heavy sink, late movement, riding pitch, buries it to the arm-side corner, tough pitch to square and lift, fringe-average control/command, plus pitch with projection to plus-plus (velo, movement, deception) if command tightens; SL 81-85, sweeping pitch with above-average horizontal movement, will roll it, can set an early trajectory; flashed some bite at higher velo, inconsistent; flashed above-average projection; CH 87-89, hard with moderate drop, limited fade, groundball/contact pitch, can play as a BP fastball, lacks velo separation, doesn't have the same oomph to the movement as two-seam, 40 pitch; FB/SL/funk combination gives him a really interesting relief profile.

Caleb Ferguson, LHP, Los Angeles Dodgers (High-A Rancho Cucamonga)

Durable frame; some junk in the trunk, lacks physical projection, controls his body well; delivery has quality pacing, mild spine tilt, mild wrist wrap, clean arm action, average arm speed, three-quarters slot migrates higher; consistently online, clean finish; repeats well, solid-average control, average command profile. FB 89-93 (t94), 91-93 out of the gate, dipped to 89-91 by the 4th; natural tail, commands it to glove side, attacks hands of RHH, occasional cut, struggled to spot out of stretch; CB 73-77 (t79), changes speeds with it, solid-average depth, will flash two-plane movement, mild bite at higher velo, shows the hook a bit, some arm deceleration and raised slot, hitters tracked it second time thru, loose feel; CH 82-86, commanded it down, consistent execution, below-average velo separation, mild tumble, straight CH, thin margin with it, will tip it with quicker delivery; 2014 38^th-rounder with a fluid delivery and solid command profile that helps fringe-average stuff play up; will need to tighten up execution to consistent slot on off-speed pitches, shows baseline for back-end starter's size, command profile, and arsenal.