Notes from the Field: August 29, 2017

Greg Goldstein

Anderson Tejeda, SS, Texas Rangers (Low-A Hickory)

Skinny build, small limbs, projectable frame, well conditioned, toolsy. Seemed immature/disengaged. Closed stance, high kick; lots of noise, jerking of hands negatively affects his ability to barrel consistently at present. Shows above-average bat speed. Has a loose/athletic stroke; can expect improvement of current tool. Torque in stroke gives him ability to drive to gaps, flashed ability to hit ball hard oppo. Gets under pitches due to lack of tightness in swing; natural swinger, lacks feel for zone, struggles finding ball, chases bouncers. Pulls head at times; approach needs major refinement.

Projects average hit utility at maturity. Above-average raw, should add more to the projection; leveraged swing creates high launch angles, can drive ball to all fields. Won’t release hands at times, which keeps him from living up to full natural ability; has torque to turn on pitches on the inner half. Projects to average game power at maturity. Timed 4.22. Accurate on the move, above-average arm strength, quick arm action/transfer. Inaccurate throw from deep SS, can get too loose at times. Average range, athletic at SS, charged ball well. Showed twitchiness on hard liner, didn’t make flashy play in the deep hole; loses focus frequently, inconsistent glove skills, needs work on fundamentals. Has natural athleticism/ability to stick at SS, but is a project. Potential above-average second baseman, potential MLB regular, realistic bench bat.

Josh Tobias, 2B, Boston Red Sox (Double-A Portland)

Stout build, mature body, could stand to lose some weight in order to become quicker in the field and on the basepaths. Starts open and then closes, clean swing throughout; loose through zone, limited excess movement. Covers outer half, has some difficulty turning on pitches; effective poke hitter, sprays ball well, gets barrel to ball well. Makes consistent contact, efficient bat path, tough to K; fights off pitches on the corners, advanced hitter for his age. Projects to average hit utility. Only 30 raw, linear stroke keeps ball close to the ground, doesn’t play to power; aims for singles over doubles. Limited physicality in the box; projects 0-5 home run totals. Timed 4.20, 4.28. Fringe-average arm strength, not strong enough to get an out from cutoff to 3B, liability turning double plays. Fringy range at 2B, rushes himself, hands aren’t soft. Bat carries profile, projects as below-average fielder. Likely bench bat.

Jose Marmolejos, 1B/LF, Washington Nationals (Double-A Harrisburg)

Decently projectable, more athletic than the typical first baseman, in-shape, strong core. No leg kick, mild stride, slightly above-average bat speed; compact to ball, bat stays in zone, solid bat-to-ball skills. Capable spray hitter, at his best when using middle of the field. Fairly quick to ball up in the zone; flashes above-average barrel control. Solid plate coverage, kept weight back on CB, doesn’t try to do too much. Projects to have fringe hit utility. Above-average raw; doesn’t extend arms to reach raw power in body. Mild leverage plays more for liners. Struggles driving a bit, doesn’t get body into swing, which limits raw power translation.

Projects to have below-average game power. Timed 4.25, 4.28, 4:30. Consistent below-average arm strength, flashes a bit better; short arm in LF, arm works better at 1B. Bat carries position versatility. Workable athleticism in LF; not a natural mover in the OF, choppy to line drive in LF, reads off bat need work. Athletic guy for a first baseman, should help him to become above average at the position. A little stiff, showed some soft hands on grounder. Below-average in LF, average first baseman, bat carries field profile. Potential 2nd div starter, likely bench bat.

Jameson Fisher, LF, Chicago White Sox (High-A Winston-Salem)

Skinny build, small limbs, mild projection remaining. Above-average bat speed, hitch, moderate stride, heavy hand movement during load makes him consistently long to ball. Bat can get behind swing mechanics, leads to fairly frequent weak contact. Shows a lack of consistent balance, over-swings fairly frequently; pulls head, trouble squaring, swing-and-miss in his game. Smooth swing should play to all fields, but doesn’t at the moment. Uses loose/athletic swing, wild hands limit barrel control; jumpy in the box, capable of rolling over, swing path covers plate, but not with solid contact at present. Flashed feel for zone; inconsistent patience at present, can get aggressive.

Development of raw skills projects to fringe-average utility. Average raw, gets the most out of his frame. Moderate load, mild leverage, power plays to gaps. Doesn’t have strength to consistently drive for HRs. Limited strength projection, gets body behind swing. Projects fringe-average game utility. Timed 4.26. Fringe-average arm strength, usual arm slot, efficient mechanics, mild effort, arm works best/only in LF. Didn’t charge ball well, choppy to bouncers at times; tracked ball well in deep LF corner, makes solid reads, glided to ball. Athletic enough to project fringe-average tool at maturity. Potential 2nd div starter, likely bench bat.

Nathan Graham

Marcus Wilson, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks (Low-A Kane County)

Tall, lean with an athletic build; still has projection left for strength development. Balanced stance, hands start high, minimal load with a moderate leg kick; quiet swing, above-average bat speed with mild leverage. Shows a patient approach, will take walks. Plus bat-to-ball skills. Current power is raw and primarily to the pull side, could play close to average as body develops. Did not get an accurate clock home-to-first but appears to be plus speed. Shows plus range in the field, takes efficient routes. Average arm for center, accurate with good carry. Solid hit, speed, and defense tools give profile of an every day outfielder. If the power continues to develop look for a breakout season next year.

Hudson Potts, 3B, San Diego Padres (Low-A Fort Wayne)

Young for level, tall and strong with sloped shoulders, athletic build, room for future mass and muscle growth. Upright, balanced stance; minimal load with a mild leg kick. Average bat speed with mild leverage, quiet swing, can lose balance and get out front on secondary pitches. Will expand the zone vertically against velo. Power is raw and primarily pull side, should play above-average as body develops. Upright runner, not a threat on the bases, averaged 4.35 home-to-first on multiple clocks. Plus fielder, quick hands, smooth transfers, shows good instincts and range at 3B. Arm plays above-average, strong and accurate. Power and defense give a floor of a bench role player, but continued development of the hit tool would make for a profile of a major league regular.

Wilson Karaman

Connor Justus, SS, Los Angeles Angels (High-A Inland Empire)

Filled-out, mature frame with strength throughout; square stance, high hands with some waggle. Stiff load, minor hitch; tightens grip into trigger, jabby weight transfer, quick into the zone. Hands-and-arms swing, fringy barrel control. Patient approach, works deep counts, extends at-bats; below-average hit projection can play up marginally with solid-average on-base, very little game power. Very quick on the dirt, quicker in short bursts than he is fast down the line; moves well laterally, decisive reads on hit balls. Plays low, scoots after balls with plus agility. Plenty of arm strength for left side, above-average at the six, quality carry throwing across body; true shortstop profile. Big questions about the offensive profile.

Skye Bolt, OF, Oakland Athletics (High-A Stockton)

Athletic frame, wiry strength with quality body control; above-average runner with fluid gait, quick mover on the grass, gets after balls once he gets a read on 'em. Will struggle to pick up the ball, mental error in most recent look; didn't break at all on dying quail, allowed ball with 8-second hang time to fall in. Switch-hitter, overwhelming looks have been left-handed; flat-footed setup, don't like the early rhythm/movement at all. Top-half weight pitched forward to front side; short stride with very limited weight transfer, creates steep angle into the zone. Doesn't get much at all from lower half; noisy hand load, trigger is often late. Lets ball travel, can shoot it oppo with some carry; patient approach, highly vulnerable to changeups, fooled frequently in most recent looks. Questionable hit tool with swing mechanics that limit playable pop.