Canadian Rookie League Stars and Disappointments
Nov 8, 2017 9:55:44 GMT -5
friscoranger and finbrewersgm like this
Post by Commissioner Erick on Nov 8, 2017 9:55:44 GMT -5
After an exciting inaugural season for a new league—The Canadian Rookie League—let's take a look at some of its bright spots and disappointments.
C Logan Ice—Indians: Ice spent time on five teams in the Cleveland organization this past season, reaching High-A for a disappointing campaign. In the CRL though, he cleaned up in a small sample. Over 56 games, Ice led the league in Average at .354, with good walk rates giving him a .423 OBP.
Ice was pretty advanced for a Rookie League player, with a very developed batting eye that allowed him to feast on low-level pitching. Scouts don't think he'll do more than reach the upper minors, but with a good eye and excellent defense, there's a chance he can get a look in the majors.
CF Michael Gigliotti—Rockies: Gigliotti had a sensational campaign for the St. Lawrence Sea Fish of Death, tallying 5.3 WAR—0.9 WAR more than second place. Gigliotti led the league in walks and was fourth in average, giving him the second best OBP in the league. He led the league in doubles helping out his fourth place finish in slugging percentage. He also played exemplary defense in center field.
Gigliotti was a second round pick of the Rockies, and their first pick of the draft since their first rounder was traded way. Gigliotti was definitely given an easy assignment as the 21-year old didn't run into many challenges in the league. Bill Schmidt thinks Gigliotti is a future star who can steal bases, track balls down, and put up a .300 average with loads of doubles. OSA is a bit more subdued, predicting a fourth outfielder with strong glove skills, base-running skills, and a solid bat, but far from the first-division player Schmidt predicts.
RF Juan Soto—Nationals: Easily the most advanced bat in the league, the Dominican Soto laid waste to Canada, leading the league in virtually all the power categories. He scored 56 runs, nine more than second place, and hit 27 home runs—10 more than the runner up. Soto also had a decent campaign in A-ball, hitting for a league average OPS despite being 18 years old. The only thing he didn't do was play the field, which cut into his WAR totals.
Bill Schmidt sees a power monster in Soto, and one who is already developing quickly. OSA sees someone who still has work to do and will be more of an average threat and less of a slugger. When OSA has a chance to rescout Soto, they may see a player ready to jump into Top 10 Prospect status.
SS Austin Martin—Rockies: The speedy Martin didn't have the best year with the bat, hitting a mostly empty .260 with little patience as pitchers could beat him with decent fastballs. However, Martin was billed as being a good defender and a great runner and that's what he was. His defense looks like it could be a plus at Shortstop, and Martin led the CRL in stolen bases.
Colorado used their fourth round pick on Martin and they'll have to hope the defense improves a bit more, to an 8 at shortstop or a 9 at second base. Without the jumps, he's a glove-first backup in the majors with no pop to speak of. If the defense jumps, he'll be able to be an asset in the field, hoping to make things happen on the base paths from the bottom of a lineup.
2B Omar Meregildo—Nationals: It isn't often a player with a .580 OPS gets complimented for his play, but Meregildo led the CRL in Zone Rating. Meregildo moved over to third base and while the bat didn't play—he had 11 extra base hits in 300 Plate Appearances—the glove was excellent.
Meregildo still needs a lot of work, but OSA likes him more than Bill Schmidt does, praising his range. It's hard to see the Dominican getting higher than Double A with his lack of present hitting tools and limited upside, but if a chance comes his way, he'll likely catch it.
LF Darryl Florentino—Nationals: It's no surprise the Hudson Bay Polar Twins had the best record in Canada with the team they assembled. Florentino helped make sure postseason baseball found its way to the Ice Box, Hudson Bay's stadium. Florentino combined the league's fourth best zone rating and second best average into a strong 3.6 WAR campaign.
Florentino's grey bear makes him look older than his 21, but he's a strong left fielder and base runner. Scouts don't see him as making it out of the low minors, though they make be biased and think Florentino is older with his beard. If the .332 average is legit though, Florentino will be playing baseball, perhaps in another league, until more of his peers start showing off their grey.
SP Andy Cruz—A's: Despite being a flyball pitcher in Bucks Stadium, Edmonton's home-run friendly stadium, Cruz managed to lead the Canadian Rookie League in ERA. He did it by allowing a .260 BABIP and just three home runs. With only 21 walks in 102.1 innings, Cruz also helped his cause by not putting on unnecessary baserunners. Still, despite a fastball that rides up on hitters quicker than they expect, there's so little that makes sense with Cruz leading the league in earned runs allowed.
OSA doesn't see a future with Cruz, and neither does Bill Schmidt. Whatever happens, Cruz will always exist in the history books as Canada's first Rookie-League ERA champion.
SP Henry Henry—Padres: Pitching up in the Yukon, Henry Henry (yes that's his name) was third in ERA and first in innings. With four pitches, he managed to hold hitters to only four home runs in 105.2 innings despite pitching in a small stadium. That led to a .249 BABIP, which was the secret to his success.
Bill Schmidt likes Henry's fastball and slider, thinking he may be able to pitch in Double A with it, or perhaps overseas. OSA, impressed with an 11-strikeout one-hit performance on Henry's ledger, likes him even more. They see just enough movement and control to earn a look at Triple-A. Just 18 years old, Henry will be fun to follow and not just for his name.
SP Brandon Murray—Marlins: The fact that Brandon Murray wasn't top five in WAR was pretty shocking. The Marlins' 11th Round pick led the CRL in strikeouts, racking up 109. He also had the best WHIP and Opponent's Average against in the league, which hints at a potential steal in the middle rounds. Murray works hard and is a smart kid, which combined with a good fastball allowed him to dominate the level.
Murray's stuff was good for the level, but scouts don't project too much for the youngster. They see him as someone whose desire to pitch up in the zone will result in a lot of fly ball damage, and a lack of command will hurt him in the upper minors. While Bill Schmidt doesn't see much, OSA imagines enough control to make it work. He has the intangibles to bet on.
SP Hansel Rodriguez—Padres: Hansel Rodriguez led the CRL in FIP. Having the second most strikeouts in the league and allowing only three home runs will do that. Rodriguez also had a miniscule walk rate, with only 17 free passes in a touch under 100 innings. His last start of the regular season was a one-hit masterpiece, where he struck out 10.
Bill Schmidt never sees a third pitch developing for Rodriguez, and doesn't see him doing much past Short-Season ball. He posits that Rodriguez is pretty close to reaching his potential and doesn't see much projection. OSA is a little rosier, with enough control of three different pitches to reach the upper minors. His changeup will be the key to his future.
RP Hector Garcia—Pirates: By keeping the ball in the park, Garcia turned in the most saves in the Canadian Rookie League with 22. The lefty struck out 49 in 41.2 innings, and allowed just one home run. That allowed him to convert 22 of his 24 save opportunities.
Bill Schmidt sees a player who will never play full season ball with questions regarding Garcia's control. OSA is banking on Garcia developing an excellent curveball, which would allow him to reach the upper minors.
SP Karl Triana—Orioles: Triana only went 6-5 for the Quebec City Happy Dude Guys, but his 95 strikeouts and 2.30 FIP were third in the league, while his 2.9 WAR topped it. While impressive, Triana did this as a 24-year old.
Triana threw four pitches with late sinking action, while allowed him to yield only three home runs. Movement and strikeout-inducing stuff are a great combination for success. However, it will be time for Triana to show that in full season ball if he wants to reach his upper-minors ceiling.
3B Ryan Vilade—Padres: Vilade had a .368 OPS in 25 Plate Appearances in the league as a very young player. Only 18, it's not apocalyptic that the young Vilade was unprepared for professional baseball. However, it is disappointing to see a development year wasted.
Very raw, Bill Schmidt doesn't see what the fuss is about. OSA sees a power hitting monster ready to work—one who may be ready for Short-A even. Next season will be pivotal in finding out exactly who Vilade is.
1B Alejando Toral—Padres: Yukon had a great team going 47-29. Their talent was a big reason why many of their 18-year olds never saw the field. Toral, a fourth round pick, saw only seven starts despite playing in 48 games. His 87 Plate Appearances were mostly as a pinch hitter. As a result, he struggled to a .574 OPS, with only one home run.
Scouts like Toral. They think his bat-to-ball skills are good for an 18 year old and wil continue throughout his career, to go with a good eye and enough power to make it work as a first baseman (or a sub-par defensive outfielder). Bill Schmidt hypothesizes his approach will lead to a lot of strikeouts, but most people agree, despite being 18, he's got a bright future. He just has to get in the batters box to show it.
SP Mackenzie Gore—Padres: Once again, an 18-year-old Yukon Gold Mining Grey Bird was drafted, assigned to Canada, and didn't play. Despite good health Gore pitched one game, working 2 innings, striking out one. That's it as he predictably failed to develop.
Gore was very raw for an 18-year old, which is why he didn't play much. Bill Schmidt thinks he'll always be raw, while OSA sees huge strikeout totals along with control problems, that can make him a back-end starter that can flash up. As is the case with so many Padres draft picks, we're going to actually have to see them.
SP Will Crowe—Phillies: Most starters in the CRL picked early on had pretty good seasons, hence why I have to look for players who simply never played. With the Yukon trio, most of them were very young 18-year-olds, so there's a decent reason they never got playing time. Will Crowe was different. He worked 8 shutout innings, allowing one hit and one walk to eight strikeouts after being the Phillies second round pick.
The frustrating thing about Crowe is that he pitched much of the season as a 22-year-old. His stuff is advanced for the league, it showed against CRL hitters, yet he never saw more playing time or a promotion. Scouts see him as a pretty safe bet to work in Triple-A if not the majors, but Bill Schmidt has been docking him for months. Crowe needs to be challenged and worked to develop, something that did not happen this season.
C Logan Ice—Indians: Ice spent time on five teams in the Cleveland organization this past season, reaching High-A for a disappointing campaign. In the CRL though, he cleaned up in a small sample. Over 56 games, Ice led the league in Average at .354, with good walk rates giving him a .423 OBP.
Ice was pretty advanced for a Rookie League player, with a very developed batting eye that allowed him to feast on low-level pitching. Scouts don't think he'll do more than reach the upper minors, but with a good eye and excellent defense, there's a chance he can get a look in the majors.
CF Michael Gigliotti—Rockies: Gigliotti had a sensational campaign for the St. Lawrence Sea Fish of Death, tallying 5.3 WAR—0.9 WAR more than second place. Gigliotti led the league in walks and was fourth in average, giving him the second best OBP in the league. He led the league in doubles helping out his fourth place finish in slugging percentage. He also played exemplary defense in center field.
Gigliotti was a second round pick of the Rockies, and their first pick of the draft since their first rounder was traded way. Gigliotti was definitely given an easy assignment as the 21-year old didn't run into many challenges in the league. Bill Schmidt thinks Gigliotti is a future star who can steal bases, track balls down, and put up a .300 average with loads of doubles. OSA is a bit more subdued, predicting a fourth outfielder with strong glove skills, base-running skills, and a solid bat, but far from the first-division player Schmidt predicts.
RF Juan Soto—Nationals: Easily the most advanced bat in the league, the Dominican Soto laid waste to Canada, leading the league in virtually all the power categories. He scored 56 runs, nine more than second place, and hit 27 home runs—10 more than the runner up. Soto also had a decent campaign in A-ball, hitting for a league average OPS despite being 18 years old. The only thing he didn't do was play the field, which cut into his WAR totals.
Bill Schmidt sees a power monster in Soto, and one who is already developing quickly. OSA sees someone who still has work to do and will be more of an average threat and less of a slugger. When OSA has a chance to rescout Soto, they may see a player ready to jump into Top 10 Prospect status.
SS Austin Martin—Rockies: The speedy Martin didn't have the best year with the bat, hitting a mostly empty .260 with little patience as pitchers could beat him with decent fastballs. However, Martin was billed as being a good defender and a great runner and that's what he was. His defense looks like it could be a plus at Shortstop, and Martin led the CRL in stolen bases.
Colorado used their fourth round pick on Martin and they'll have to hope the defense improves a bit more, to an 8 at shortstop or a 9 at second base. Without the jumps, he's a glove-first backup in the majors with no pop to speak of. If the defense jumps, he'll be able to be an asset in the field, hoping to make things happen on the base paths from the bottom of a lineup.
2B Omar Meregildo—Nationals: It isn't often a player with a .580 OPS gets complimented for his play, but Meregildo led the CRL in Zone Rating. Meregildo moved over to third base and while the bat didn't play—he had 11 extra base hits in 300 Plate Appearances—the glove was excellent.
Meregildo still needs a lot of work, but OSA likes him more than Bill Schmidt does, praising his range. It's hard to see the Dominican getting higher than Double A with his lack of present hitting tools and limited upside, but if a chance comes his way, he'll likely catch it.
LF Darryl Florentino—Nationals: It's no surprise the Hudson Bay Polar Twins had the best record in Canada with the team they assembled. Florentino helped make sure postseason baseball found its way to the Ice Box, Hudson Bay's stadium. Florentino combined the league's fourth best zone rating and second best average into a strong 3.6 WAR campaign.
Florentino's grey bear makes him look older than his 21, but he's a strong left fielder and base runner. Scouts don't see him as making it out of the low minors, though they make be biased and think Florentino is older with his beard. If the .332 average is legit though, Florentino will be playing baseball, perhaps in another league, until more of his peers start showing off their grey.
SP Andy Cruz—A's: Despite being a flyball pitcher in Bucks Stadium, Edmonton's home-run friendly stadium, Cruz managed to lead the Canadian Rookie League in ERA. He did it by allowing a .260 BABIP and just three home runs. With only 21 walks in 102.1 innings, Cruz also helped his cause by not putting on unnecessary baserunners. Still, despite a fastball that rides up on hitters quicker than they expect, there's so little that makes sense with Cruz leading the league in earned runs allowed.
OSA doesn't see a future with Cruz, and neither does Bill Schmidt. Whatever happens, Cruz will always exist in the history books as Canada's first Rookie-League ERA champion.
SP Henry Henry—Padres: Pitching up in the Yukon, Henry Henry (yes that's his name) was third in ERA and first in innings. With four pitches, he managed to hold hitters to only four home runs in 105.2 innings despite pitching in a small stadium. That led to a .249 BABIP, which was the secret to his success.
Bill Schmidt likes Henry's fastball and slider, thinking he may be able to pitch in Double A with it, or perhaps overseas. OSA, impressed with an 11-strikeout one-hit performance on Henry's ledger, likes him even more. They see just enough movement and control to earn a look at Triple-A. Just 18 years old, Henry will be fun to follow and not just for his name.
SP Brandon Murray—Marlins: The fact that Brandon Murray wasn't top five in WAR was pretty shocking. The Marlins' 11th Round pick led the CRL in strikeouts, racking up 109. He also had the best WHIP and Opponent's Average against in the league, which hints at a potential steal in the middle rounds. Murray works hard and is a smart kid, which combined with a good fastball allowed him to dominate the level.
Murray's stuff was good for the level, but scouts don't project too much for the youngster. They see him as someone whose desire to pitch up in the zone will result in a lot of fly ball damage, and a lack of command will hurt him in the upper minors. While Bill Schmidt doesn't see much, OSA imagines enough control to make it work. He has the intangibles to bet on.
SP Hansel Rodriguez—Padres: Hansel Rodriguez led the CRL in FIP. Having the second most strikeouts in the league and allowing only three home runs will do that. Rodriguez also had a miniscule walk rate, with only 17 free passes in a touch under 100 innings. His last start of the regular season was a one-hit masterpiece, where he struck out 10.
Bill Schmidt never sees a third pitch developing for Rodriguez, and doesn't see him doing much past Short-Season ball. He posits that Rodriguez is pretty close to reaching his potential and doesn't see much projection. OSA is a little rosier, with enough control of three different pitches to reach the upper minors. His changeup will be the key to his future.
RP Hector Garcia—Pirates: By keeping the ball in the park, Garcia turned in the most saves in the Canadian Rookie League with 22. The lefty struck out 49 in 41.2 innings, and allowed just one home run. That allowed him to convert 22 of his 24 save opportunities.
Bill Schmidt sees a player who will never play full season ball with questions regarding Garcia's control. OSA is banking on Garcia developing an excellent curveball, which would allow him to reach the upper minors.
SP Karl Triana—Orioles: Triana only went 6-5 for the Quebec City Happy Dude Guys, but his 95 strikeouts and 2.30 FIP were third in the league, while his 2.9 WAR topped it. While impressive, Triana did this as a 24-year old.
Triana threw four pitches with late sinking action, while allowed him to yield only three home runs. Movement and strikeout-inducing stuff are a great combination for success. However, it will be time for Triana to show that in full season ball if he wants to reach his upper-minors ceiling.
3B Ryan Vilade—Padres: Vilade had a .368 OPS in 25 Plate Appearances in the league as a very young player. Only 18, it's not apocalyptic that the young Vilade was unprepared for professional baseball. However, it is disappointing to see a development year wasted.
Very raw, Bill Schmidt doesn't see what the fuss is about. OSA sees a power hitting monster ready to work—one who may be ready for Short-A even. Next season will be pivotal in finding out exactly who Vilade is.
1B Alejando Toral—Padres: Yukon had a great team going 47-29. Their talent was a big reason why many of their 18-year olds never saw the field. Toral, a fourth round pick, saw only seven starts despite playing in 48 games. His 87 Plate Appearances were mostly as a pinch hitter. As a result, he struggled to a .574 OPS, with only one home run.
Scouts like Toral. They think his bat-to-ball skills are good for an 18 year old and wil continue throughout his career, to go with a good eye and enough power to make it work as a first baseman (or a sub-par defensive outfielder). Bill Schmidt hypothesizes his approach will lead to a lot of strikeouts, but most people agree, despite being 18, he's got a bright future. He just has to get in the batters box to show it.
SP Mackenzie Gore—Padres: Once again, an 18-year-old Yukon Gold Mining Grey Bird was drafted, assigned to Canada, and didn't play. Despite good health Gore pitched one game, working 2 innings, striking out one. That's it as he predictably failed to develop.
Gore was very raw for an 18-year old, which is why he didn't play much. Bill Schmidt thinks he'll always be raw, while OSA sees huge strikeout totals along with control problems, that can make him a back-end starter that can flash up. As is the case with so many Padres draft picks, we're going to actually have to see them.
SP Will Crowe—Phillies: Most starters in the CRL picked early on had pretty good seasons, hence why I have to look for players who simply never played. With the Yukon trio, most of them were very young 18-year-olds, so there's a decent reason they never got playing time. Will Crowe was different. He worked 8 shutout innings, allowing one hit and one walk to eight strikeouts after being the Phillies second round pick.
The frustrating thing about Crowe is that he pitched much of the season as a 22-year-old. His stuff is advanced for the league, it showed against CRL hitters, yet he never saw more playing time or a promotion. Scouts see him as a pretty safe bet to work in Triple-A if not the majors, but Bill Schmidt has been docking him for months. Crowe needs to be challenged and worked to develop, something that did not happen this season.