2022 Canadian Rookie League Stars and Disappointments
Dec 17, 2019 13:09:46 GMT -5
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Post by Commissioner Erick on Dec 17, 2019 13:09:46 GMT -5
Changes to the ball allowed home run and strikeout rates to normalize in the CRL. The players below were the ones best able to take advantage of the new environment, or were the most disappointing given the lack of production relative to draft spot.
C: Robert Mullen—Athletics
Mullen has played for Edmonton since 2017, and despite having a strong showing for Panama in the World Baseball Classic last season, still was left to linger in the Rookie Leagues for the sixth straight season. Mullen hit .406 to lead the league, his 24 home runs finished fourth, and his 1.247 OPS was second overall. Mullen is now first all-time in CRL home runs, RBIs, and WAR.
Mullen may not be a major leaguer at this point, but he absolutely should be in the upper minors, given that he's 26 and has good power and defense. Oakland has taken the step to promote him to Double A, so he most likely won't be able to build upon his record setting numbers anymore.
1B: Rafioby Urena—Athletics
Urena has been a starter for Edmonton for three seasons, and has been on the team since 2017. He's crushed the ball since 2018, and finally put on enough power to add on to his strong batting averages. The result was a massive 35 home run season that led the league. In fact, Urena's 35 home runs and 97 RBIS were the highest single-season totals all time.
Like Mullen, Urena should be in the high-minors, and Oakland has taken the step to promote him to A-Ball. Now 24, Urena has good power and a good approach that can pulverize bad pitching. With the CRL MVP award under his belt, he'll see what he can do against more advanced pitching.
LF: ONeill Manzuelta—Cardinals
Manzuelta signed with St. Louis for over $6 million dollars in 2018. He didn't hit too much in Canada until this past season when he hit .282. Known mostly for his wheels, Manzuelta was able to convert that average into 45 stolen bases in 52 attempts.
Only 21, Manzuelta combined decent pop and decent defense with major speed potential. The question is whether or not the rest of the game comes around. Bill Schmidt doesn't see more than an A-Ball type hitter, while OSA thinks Manzuelta can hack it in Double A. With the average and stolen bases numbers he just produced, it may be time to see what Manzuelta can do in Short-Season A-Ball.
SS: Kevin Vicuna—Blue Jays
Vicuna hasn't shown he can hit yet, putting up a .208 average for East St. Paul this past year, for the LeBrons. What he can do is pick it. Vicuna led the league in Zone Rating, as a wizard with the glove in his first year in the Canadian League.
Vicuna has a good eye and is an aggressive base runner, if not a base-stealer. Those traits alone may warrant a step to Short-A, though his overall hitting does need more work. Bill Schmidt doesn't see more than a defensive-oriented body in the low minors, but OSA sees his glove as enough of a weapon to warrant at least an upper-minors career.
1B: Juan Marrufo—Rockies
Despite playing in an environment that's brutal at suppressing power, Juan Marrufo found a way to lead the league in doubles with 25, and he cracked nine home runs to boot. He still needs to be better at plate disciple, but only 19, Marrufo is showing signs of what he eventually can become.
OSA sees a superstar, while Bill Schmidt has warmed, going from a minors-only evaluation to a major leaguer. Marrufo may see one more season in The Bloody River before graduation to A-Ball.
1B: Juan Gallardo—Indians:
Gallardo was demoted to Rookie Ball as punishment for too many pranks, as he was deemed too immature for professional baseball. Gallardo had an on-base percentage of .478, as the 28-year old predictably dominated the mid-minors until his punishment was up.
Gallardo's had an interesting career as he played in Japan's minors before coming stateside and being signed with Cleveland's organization. He's hit well in the mid-minors and should end up in Double A hitting for Akron if the new Cleveland GM will have him.
SP: Jaquan Chassagne—Indians:
A 2021 3rd Round pick, Chassagne dominated Blainville in his second professional season. Blessed with a pitching-generous home field, Chassagne didn't allow a home run, struck out 97 batters, and went 9-2 in 12 starts, encompassing 74.1 innings. Chassagne walked just 13 batters, and as a college graduate, was too advanced for the league.
Bill Schmidt sees a pretty decent reliever in the future, while OSA sees an excellent one. Chassagne also throws a changeup, but it's such a poor pitch, that it may not be worth it to develop it further. Each scout sees the youngster as worthy of full-season ball in the short-term, though Chasagne may be worthy of Double-A already if converted to the bullpen full time.
RP: Yerry de los Santos—Pirates:
De los Santos was converted to the bullpen this season and tripled his career win total as he went 10-1. He yielded 10 home runs, but he struck out 74 in 52 innings. He pitched to a 3.29 ERA and walked just 17.
The 24-year old still recorded a negative WAR, the third time in four years he's done that. There's still some potential for an upper-minors career, and if he ever develops his changeup, it could be as a starter. Since he's made no progress on that front yet, and hasn't conquered Lethbridge, he'll likely be working in Canada next year for the seventh consecutive year if he's re-signed.
SP: Diego Blanco—Rockies:
Blanco finally impressed St. Lawrence brass enough to warrant a starting spot, so Matt Stairs put Blanco in the rotation. All Blanco did was lead the CRL in strikeouts with 126 in a breakout campaign. Blanco walked just 22 hitters as well, and has now shown three straight seasons of success in St. Lawrence.
Both the Rockies and OSA see Blanco as a potential Major League pitcher should his control come around. With a mid-90s fastball and fantastic secondaries, opposing hitters swing and miss at everything he throws. In the future, he'll have to demonstrate he can throw strikes against more discerning hitters. After the year Blanco had, Colorado will likely bypass short-season A-Ball and send him straight to full time ball to work on that control.
RP: Ismael Vallejos—Rockies:
A 12th Round pick out of Florida last year, Vallejos established himself as a dominant closer, whiffing 61 batters in 33.2 innings, and leading the league with 20 saves. Vallejos is simply too advanced for the league at this point with a sidearm delivery that terrifies righties, and a changeup to neutralize lefties.
Bill Schmidt and OSA see Vallejos as a fringe major leaguer, which is a nice find for a 12th round pick. He'll likely be fast-tracked to full season ball to see what he can do against players 23-year-old and older.
SP: Joe Razo—Tigers:
A scouting discovery back in 2018, Razo finished his second professional year by leading the Canadian League in Innings. He did so successfully, with 113 strikeouts in 91.1 innings, a 7-8 record, and a 3.55 ERA. This comes on the heels of a 2.45 ERA in his pro debut in 2021.
Both Bill Schmidt and OSA see Razo as having a slider and curveball that could lead him to having a potential future worth talking about. Razo also pumps a fastball and sinker that don't move much but go where he wants it to. He also has a changeup that needs work. There's a lot of moving parts to his game though, as most of his pitches still need work, but he's shown he can grind on the mound and has enough potential to be a back-rotation starter.
SP: Devin Meyer—Padres:
Meyer finished fifth in Strikeouts, eighth in ERA, and second in Wins on the way to accumulating the second most WAR in the league. The former 14th Round pick in 2018, Meyer just completed his fourth straight strong season for Yukon, with his 2.81 career ERA ranking 11th in the league all-time.
An elbow injury has sapped Meyer's potential to be more than low-minor filler, as he doesn't project to have an upper minors future by any scout. That said, he has an excellent changeup and has helped Yukon win two titles in his time there. Now 26,iIt may be time to see what he can do in Short-A.
CF: Greg Kelly—Padres:
Despite Yukon's success this season, it wasn't the result of 2022 first round pick Greg Kelly. Kelly hit just .191, walked three times, struck out 77 times, stole only three bases successfully in nine attempts, and hit only two home runs. Kelly is only 17, and showed his youth during the season.
OSA sees a contact-oriented star with the speed to take advantage of the fact that he won't strike out. Bill Schmidt doesn't see quite the star upside, but he does see Kelly as a guy who can hit for a solid average. The base-stealing and defense appear worse than what you would expect, but he has time to figure it out. Still, he'll need many more reps in the low minors before advancing up the ladder.
SS: Joel McCabe—Red Sox:
A first round pick this season, McCabe didn't get any chance to really grow, playing in 12 games with seven plate appearances. It was a wasted year in that respect.
OSA sees a future superstar who can hit for a ton of average and a ton of power. Bill Schmidt doesn't see anything there, neither in the present nor the future, plus Schmidt isn't impressed with McCabe's defense. McCabe is admittedly a bit of a project coming out of Hebrew Academy in Maryland, but we didn't learn anything about him based on how little he played this year.
SP: Chris Davis—Giants:
Davis struggled in his first season with Vancouver. He struck out hitters at a good clip, fanning 67 in 52.1 innings, but he yielded a .416 BABIP on the way to a 5.68 ERA. He didn't allow many home runs, so control is something he needs to work on, as well as not getting hit as hard within the zone.
The 2021 second round pick gets good movement from a two-seam fastball and a splitter. OSA likes him to have a major league future should he work on his control. Bill Schmidt sees Davis as more fringe, but does like Davis' ability to miss the sweet spot of bats and get grounders.
RP: Juan Escoto—Red Sox:
A fifth round pick in 2021 out of Auburn, Escoto was healthy all season but didn't pitch a single game. This was a year after only appearing in 22.2 innings in 2021. Escoto is already 23 and has had wasted development opportunities his first two professional years.
Both Bill Schmidt and OSA see major league stuff, and both understand Escoto has a lot of work to do in having his pitches break if he doesn't want to give up a world of home runs at the major league level. Escoto will need opportunities to work on his changeup, something that hasn't been afforded him yet.
C: Robert Mullen—Athletics
Mullen has played for Edmonton since 2017, and despite having a strong showing for Panama in the World Baseball Classic last season, still was left to linger in the Rookie Leagues for the sixth straight season. Mullen hit .406 to lead the league, his 24 home runs finished fourth, and his 1.247 OPS was second overall. Mullen is now first all-time in CRL home runs, RBIs, and WAR.
Mullen may not be a major leaguer at this point, but he absolutely should be in the upper minors, given that he's 26 and has good power and defense. Oakland has taken the step to promote him to Double A, so he most likely won't be able to build upon his record setting numbers anymore.
1B: Rafioby Urena—Athletics
Urena has been a starter for Edmonton for three seasons, and has been on the team since 2017. He's crushed the ball since 2018, and finally put on enough power to add on to his strong batting averages. The result was a massive 35 home run season that led the league. In fact, Urena's 35 home runs and 97 RBIS were the highest single-season totals all time.
Like Mullen, Urena should be in the high-minors, and Oakland has taken the step to promote him to A-Ball. Now 24, Urena has good power and a good approach that can pulverize bad pitching. With the CRL MVP award under his belt, he'll see what he can do against more advanced pitching.
LF: ONeill Manzuelta—Cardinals
Manzuelta signed with St. Louis for over $6 million dollars in 2018. He didn't hit too much in Canada until this past season when he hit .282. Known mostly for his wheels, Manzuelta was able to convert that average into 45 stolen bases in 52 attempts.
Only 21, Manzuelta combined decent pop and decent defense with major speed potential. The question is whether or not the rest of the game comes around. Bill Schmidt doesn't see more than an A-Ball type hitter, while OSA thinks Manzuelta can hack it in Double A. With the average and stolen bases numbers he just produced, it may be time to see what Manzuelta can do in Short-Season A-Ball.
SS: Kevin Vicuna—Blue Jays
Vicuna hasn't shown he can hit yet, putting up a .208 average for East St. Paul this past year, for the LeBrons. What he can do is pick it. Vicuna led the league in Zone Rating, as a wizard with the glove in his first year in the Canadian League.
Vicuna has a good eye and is an aggressive base runner, if not a base-stealer. Those traits alone may warrant a step to Short-A, though his overall hitting does need more work. Bill Schmidt doesn't see more than a defensive-oriented body in the low minors, but OSA sees his glove as enough of a weapon to warrant at least an upper-minors career.
1B: Juan Marrufo—Rockies
Despite playing in an environment that's brutal at suppressing power, Juan Marrufo found a way to lead the league in doubles with 25, and he cracked nine home runs to boot. He still needs to be better at plate disciple, but only 19, Marrufo is showing signs of what he eventually can become.
OSA sees a superstar, while Bill Schmidt has warmed, going from a minors-only evaluation to a major leaguer. Marrufo may see one more season in The Bloody River before graduation to A-Ball.
1B: Juan Gallardo—Indians:
Gallardo was demoted to Rookie Ball as punishment for too many pranks, as he was deemed too immature for professional baseball. Gallardo had an on-base percentage of .478, as the 28-year old predictably dominated the mid-minors until his punishment was up.
Gallardo's had an interesting career as he played in Japan's minors before coming stateside and being signed with Cleveland's organization. He's hit well in the mid-minors and should end up in Double A hitting for Akron if the new Cleveland GM will have him.
SP: Jaquan Chassagne—Indians:
A 2021 3rd Round pick, Chassagne dominated Blainville in his second professional season. Blessed with a pitching-generous home field, Chassagne didn't allow a home run, struck out 97 batters, and went 9-2 in 12 starts, encompassing 74.1 innings. Chassagne walked just 13 batters, and as a college graduate, was too advanced for the league.
Bill Schmidt sees a pretty decent reliever in the future, while OSA sees an excellent one. Chassagne also throws a changeup, but it's such a poor pitch, that it may not be worth it to develop it further. Each scout sees the youngster as worthy of full-season ball in the short-term, though Chasagne may be worthy of Double-A already if converted to the bullpen full time.
RP: Yerry de los Santos—Pirates:
De los Santos was converted to the bullpen this season and tripled his career win total as he went 10-1. He yielded 10 home runs, but he struck out 74 in 52 innings. He pitched to a 3.29 ERA and walked just 17.
The 24-year old still recorded a negative WAR, the third time in four years he's done that. There's still some potential for an upper-minors career, and if he ever develops his changeup, it could be as a starter. Since he's made no progress on that front yet, and hasn't conquered Lethbridge, he'll likely be working in Canada next year for the seventh consecutive year if he's re-signed.
SP: Diego Blanco—Rockies:
Blanco finally impressed St. Lawrence brass enough to warrant a starting spot, so Matt Stairs put Blanco in the rotation. All Blanco did was lead the CRL in strikeouts with 126 in a breakout campaign. Blanco walked just 22 hitters as well, and has now shown three straight seasons of success in St. Lawrence.
Both the Rockies and OSA see Blanco as a potential Major League pitcher should his control come around. With a mid-90s fastball and fantastic secondaries, opposing hitters swing and miss at everything he throws. In the future, he'll have to demonstrate he can throw strikes against more discerning hitters. After the year Blanco had, Colorado will likely bypass short-season A-Ball and send him straight to full time ball to work on that control.
RP: Ismael Vallejos—Rockies:
A 12th Round pick out of Florida last year, Vallejos established himself as a dominant closer, whiffing 61 batters in 33.2 innings, and leading the league with 20 saves. Vallejos is simply too advanced for the league at this point with a sidearm delivery that terrifies righties, and a changeup to neutralize lefties.
Bill Schmidt and OSA see Vallejos as a fringe major leaguer, which is a nice find for a 12th round pick. He'll likely be fast-tracked to full season ball to see what he can do against players 23-year-old and older.
SP: Joe Razo—Tigers:
A scouting discovery back in 2018, Razo finished his second professional year by leading the Canadian League in Innings. He did so successfully, with 113 strikeouts in 91.1 innings, a 7-8 record, and a 3.55 ERA. This comes on the heels of a 2.45 ERA in his pro debut in 2021.
Both Bill Schmidt and OSA see Razo as having a slider and curveball that could lead him to having a potential future worth talking about. Razo also pumps a fastball and sinker that don't move much but go where he wants it to. He also has a changeup that needs work. There's a lot of moving parts to his game though, as most of his pitches still need work, but he's shown he can grind on the mound and has enough potential to be a back-rotation starter.
SP: Devin Meyer—Padres:
Meyer finished fifth in Strikeouts, eighth in ERA, and second in Wins on the way to accumulating the second most WAR in the league. The former 14th Round pick in 2018, Meyer just completed his fourth straight strong season for Yukon, with his 2.81 career ERA ranking 11th in the league all-time.
An elbow injury has sapped Meyer's potential to be more than low-minor filler, as he doesn't project to have an upper minors future by any scout. That said, he has an excellent changeup and has helped Yukon win two titles in his time there. Now 26,iIt may be time to see what he can do in Short-A.
CF: Greg Kelly—Padres:
Despite Yukon's success this season, it wasn't the result of 2022 first round pick Greg Kelly. Kelly hit just .191, walked three times, struck out 77 times, stole only three bases successfully in nine attempts, and hit only two home runs. Kelly is only 17, and showed his youth during the season.
OSA sees a contact-oriented star with the speed to take advantage of the fact that he won't strike out. Bill Schmidt doesn't see quite the star upside, but he does see Kelly as a guy who can hit for a solid average. The base-stealing and defense appear worse than what you would expect, but he has time to figure it out. Still, he'll need many more reps in the low minors before advancing up the ladder.
SS: Joel McCabe—Red Sox:
A first round pick this season, McCabe didn't get any chance to really grow, playing in 12 games with seven plate appearances. It was a wasted year in that respect.
OSA sees a future superstar who can hit for a ton of average and a ton of power. Bill Schmidt doesn't see anything there, neither in the present nor the future, plus Schmidt isn't impressed with McCabe's defense. McCabe is admittedly a bit of a project coming out of Hebrew Academy in Maryland, but we didn't learn anything about him based on how little he played this year.
SP: Chris Davis—Giants:
Davis struggled in his first season with Vancouver. He struck out hitters at a good clip, fanning 67 in 52.1 innings, but he yielded a .416 BABIP on the way to a 5.68 ERA. He didn't allow many home runs, so control is something he needs to work on, as well as not getting hit as hard within the zone.
The 2021 second round pick gets good movement from a two-seam fastball and a splitter. OSA likes him to have a major league future should he work on his control. Bill Schmidt sees Davis as more fringe, but does like Davis' ability to miss the sweet spot of bats and get grounders.
RP: Juan Escoto—Red Sox:
A fifth round pick in 2021 out of Auburn, Escoto was healthy all season but didn't pitch a single game. This was a year after only appearing in 22.2 innings in 2021. Escoto is already 23 and has had wasted development opportunities his first two professional years.
Both Bill Schmidt and OSA see major league stuff, and both understand Escoto has a lot of work to do in having his pitches break if he doesn't want to give up a world of home runs at the major league level. Escoto will need opportunities to work on his changeup, something that hasn't been afforded him yet.
