Post by Commissioner Erick on Feb 11, 2023 16:13:06 GMT -5
The West Indies Short League recovered from the ball change that depressed offense last year. It still wasn’t the hitters haven it was in years past, but was very balanced. Here were the best and brightest.
1B: Bobby Lieb—Royals
A 15th round pick in 2025, Lieb traditionally has started slow in a level before playing better the following year. After hitting .189 in 2028, Lieb repeated the level with a sensational performance. His .351 average led the league, and he also hit 28 homers and 75 RBIs, both lead the league. His 1.191 OPS was a lead leaguer and the 23 doubles, you guessed it, lead the league. He scored 65 runs to lead the West Indies, and even more miscellaneous stats like his four sacrifice flies, ended up leading the league.
Naturally Lieb led the league with 4.3 WAR. He doesn’t project to be more than a Double-A player, but he’s shown to be too advanced for full season ball. He’s patient, has good gap power, and hits line drives. He should be in full-season ball next year.
CF: Steve Rohr—Royals
Rohr had a great year after being taken 26th overall out of Ohio State this year. He hit six triples to lead the West Indies. He also had 15 doubles, 14 homers, and stole nine bases though he was also caught nine times.
Rohr has a bright future. He looks like he’ll be a plus Center Fielder, he runs very well, he has good power for a Center Fielder, and he should hit for a high average. He still needs to work on his plate recognition, but the swing is there. He could be a Top 50 prospect next year and he’ll likely be in regular A-ball next year.
CF: Alan Gragg—Reds
A former 17-year-old draft pick by the Reds back in the 2025 21st round, Gragg excelled in his second full season with the Cuba Libre. He hit .336 with 18 doubles, excellent numbers, and supported them with a league leading 21 steals. He had a .363 BABIP taking advantage of a ground ball approach and fantastic speed.
Gragg’s not the best defender, but his speed and hustle are fantastic and with five years of experience he has a great approach for the low minors. He’ll probably top out at A-Ball, but he deserves a look at the level next year.
SS: Bill Hall—Brewers
Hall was drafted back in 2024’s 23rd round, and he’s generally needed to repeat a level to succeed there. He struggled when drafted in the Dominican League, but played well the following year. His call up to Helena was a rude one, but he mastered it with a. 440 average in 2027. He only hit .226 his first stay in Dominica, but improved it to .260 with 11 doubles this year.
Hall’s calling card is his defense though, and he led the West Indies in Zone Rating. Both OSA and Bobby Evans like his ability to play Shortstop, and the overall versatility he provides. Both think he probably brings enough to table offensively to move up to full-season ball next year. OSA doesn’t love Hall’s upside, likely seeing someone topping out in Double-A. Evans sees a little more power, and probably a Triple-A backup when Hall matures fully.
SS: Matt Wright—Braves
A little old for the level at 24, Wright has played four seasons in Barbados. A former 17th rounder, last year was his best one yet. He hit for a 1.019 OPS in 2027, but as a poor defender who mostly played DH and the outfield. He’s worked hard to become a plus Shortstop defender since then, and hit .324 with a .618 slugging percentage.
Hall has a good approach and a line drive swing that finds gaps. He’s now a good Shortstop and he has speed to boot. There’s not a star there, but both OSA and Bobby Evans see a Triple-A player, where a little luck can take him to the PBA. Evans believes Wright is farther along in his development than OSA is, but the production supports Evans’ opinion. Wright should be in High-A next year.
C: Kevin Levinson—Brewers
A fifth rounder by the Brewers in 2025, Levinson has been in Dominica since he was drafted but primarily as a backup serving as a wasted investment. This year was the first year he started, and he produced big numbers, hitting .311 with a 1.025 OPS, second in the West Indies. He hit 19 homers and walked 49 times, the same number of times he struck out.
Both OSA and Bobby Evans see Levinson as fully developed offensively, though his lack of development time has stunted him defensively. Levinson is too old for Short-Season ball and should get a crack at starting in High-A next year.
2B: Eddy Carballo—Reds
A fifth round pick this year, Carballo played college ball at the University of South Carolina so he was aggressively promoted to Short-A, though he wasn’t ready for the level. He had a .281 on-base percentage, whiffed 93 times, struggled defensively, and had just five homers.
You can see why the Reds drafted him. He has a quick bat and a line drive swing that should lead to a lot of doubles and a lack of strikeouts. However, he still needs a lot of development work. He’ll be 22 next year and should repeat the level, maybe even seeing a demotion to Billings to get back on track.
1B: Chris Barton—Brewers
A fifth rounder by the Brewers in 2028, Barton is looking like a busted pick. Already 23 after a career at Wake Forest, Barton hit just .218 with four homers as a First Baseman this year. He had just 10 doubles, a .289 OBP, and drove in only 18 runs.
Barton has a little bit of pop, but not a significant amount for a First Baseman, and the approach and bat speed are concerning. He looks like a player who may top out in short-season ball. He once had a first-round grade in Wake Forest, but his stock has fallen precipitously.
SP: Pat Riley—Twins
Riley was the 18th overall pick in 2026 and has been on a slow trajectory in the minors, struggling through the 2027 and 2028 seasons. He had a big 2029 though, allowing one home run in 93.2 innings, striking out 95, working to a 2.50 ERA and leading the league with 3.8 WAR.
All of Riley’s pitches generate good late downward movement, the main reason he limits homers. Sometimes he too frequently pitches below the zone though, and he doesn’t project to fool hitters at higher levels. He projects to be a Triple-A pitcher, and it may be time to see if his movement will play in full-season ball.
SP: Steve Cable—Brewers
Milwaukee’s fourth round selection this year, Cable led the West Indies in ERA with a 2.08 mark and a 7-1 record in his first professional season. Cable throws in the upper 90s, allowed only three homers, and walked just 12 batters in 82.1 innings.
Cable was selected as a college junior out of Bowling Green so he’s pretty well developed. OSA sees a pitcher who can work in A-Ball next year, with Bobby Evans more favorable, thinking Cable is ready for High-A. Both scouts have similar viewpoints on Cable’s future, envisioning a Triple-A arm. Cable throws five pitches though, so if one of them ends up popping, he may have a big league career.
RP: Kevin Larsen—Brewers
Larsen was a 15th round pick in 2024 who spent five years working in the Dominican League before excelling in Dominica. Larsen had at least 1.8 WAR for Milwaukee’s Dominican team since 2025 but never got a callup until this year. He went 9-1 with 14 starts to lead the league in wins and struck out 91.
Larsen will be 24 years old next season and is reasonably well developed. He’s too good for short-season ball and should be able to handle Double-A next year. However, his ultimate future may be in Double-A as he hasn’t been challenged yet in his career.
SP: Robbie Heinichen—Reds
Heinichen was Cincinnati’s fifth round pick this year and dominated the West Indies Short Season league. He went 6-2 with a 2.75 ERA, striking out 87 in 95 innings, allowing just three long balls. The lefty didn’t allow a single homer to left-handed batters and produced 3.8 WAR as a junior after Houston didn’t sign him out of High School as a fifth rounder in 2025.
Heinichen looks like a future star. He throws in the high 90s from a tough angle with a splitter that misses bats. Both OSA and Bobby Evans see a future frontline pitcher as a result, with the intangibles to ultimately reach his high-end outcomes. After his work in short-season ball, he can be challenged at an advanced level. Expect to see the former UC Davis standout in Double-A at least, if not Triple-A next year.
CL: Travis Germani—Reds
Germani is an interesting case study as a pitcher with an elite mid-90s sinker, and no other pitch. He throws a token changeup, but it’s not effective. The one-trick lefty used his sinker to lead the league in saves as the fifth rounder finished out 19 wins with a 1.91 ERA and 1.5 WAR in just 33 innings.
The sinker is exceptional but only throwing one pitch allows for hitters to hit homers if the location is poor if they can sit on the pitch. Both OSA and Bobby Evans think the sinker is good enough to work at least as a specialist in the PBA though. It’s too good for short-season ball, so Germani should be on a similar timeline to Heinichen.
SP: Lance Milliken—Reds
A college senior out of Miami, Milliken was Cincinnati’s 2028 third rounder. He led the league in strikeouts this year with 105 in 81.2 innings. He went 3-6, but with a solid 3.64 ERA based on dominating the strike zone with only 11 walks allowed.
Milliken has an advanced changeup and splitter, allowing him to dominate low-minors hitters not used to the changing speeds. Milliken is close to fully developed with his precision location and ability to change speeds. He doesn’t throw hard though, making scouts concerned for him at the next level. Both OSA and Bobby Evans see a Double-A arm thanks to the excellent command, but the ultimately hittable stuff for hitters who time him up.
SP: Romel Velasquez—Reds
Velasquez had a disappointing season, not because of his performance, but because of injury. He tore his rotator cuff in June meaning he only pitched 0.2 innings this season. A 2023 scouting discovery from The Philippines, Velasquez had difficulty turning his ability to keep the ball in the park into ultimately preventing runs. However, he had an exceptional WBC in 2028 going 2-0 with a 0.60 ERA in three starts for The Philippines, and followed that up with a 5-1 record and a 0.89 ERA in the Arizona League.
However, this is the second time Velasquez tore his rotator cuff, nuking his potential. He’s shown he can excel in Rookie ball, but who knows who he’ll be after this injury. Velasquez will certainly need to repeat Short-A, and his ultimate future may now end up in an Asian league.
SP: Luis Enriquez—Brewers
Enriquez, nicknamed the Grandson of Wind, was Milwaukee’s first round pick last year out of Central Arizona College, a Junior College. He was 20 years old, and still may need more time developing. He walked 23 in 42.2 innings, going 2-2 with a 4.01 ERA that was basically replacement level. He did strikeout 40 hitters, but allowed six homers. His best stat was holding opposing runners to 0-6 in steal attempts, but critics expected more from him.
Enriquez keeps the ball down and OSA and Bobby Evans both expect a good mid-rotation arm. Both scouting services are on the fence on whether Enriquez should be promoted to full-season ball, which considering Luke Grimmelbein’s tendencies, should see Enriquez back in Dominica next year.
1B: Bobby Lieb—Royals
A 15th round pick in 2025, Lieb traditionally has started slow in a level before playing better the following year. After hitting .189 in 2028, Lieb repeated the level with a sensational performance. His .351 average led the league, and he also hit 28 homers and 75 RBIs, both lead the league. His 1.191 OPS was a lead leaguer and the 23 doubles, you guessed it, lead the league. He scored 65 runs to lead the West Indies, and even more miscellaneous stats like his four sacrifice flies, ended up leading the league.
Naturally Lieb led the league with 4.3 WAR. He doesn’t project to be more than a Double-A player, but he’s shown to be too advanced for full season ball. He’s patient, has good gap power, and hits line drives. He should be in full-season ball next year.
CF: Steve Rohr—Royals
Rohr had a great year after being taken 26th overall out of Ohio State this year. He hit six triples to lead the West Indies. He also had 15 doubles, 14 homers, and stole nine bases though he was also caught nine times.
Rohr has a bright future. He looks like he’ll be a plus Center Fielder, he runs very well, he has good power for a Center Fielder, and he should hit for a high average. He still needs to work on his plate recognition, but the swing is there. He could be a Top 50 prospect next year and he’ll likely be in regular A-ball next year.
CF: Alan Gragg—Reds
A former 17-year-old draft pick by the Reds back in the 2025 21st round, Gragg excelled in his second full season with the Cuba Libre. He hit .336 with 18 doubles, excellent numbers, and supported them with a league leading 21 steals. He had a .363 BABIP taking advantage of a ground ball approach and fantastic speed.
Gragg’s not the best defender, but his speed and hustle are fantastic and with five years of experience he has a great approach for the low minors. He’ll probably top out at A-Ball, but he deserves a look at the level next year.
SS: Bill Hall—Brewers
Hall was drafted back in 2024’s 23rd round, and he’s generally needed to repeat a level to succeed there. He struggled when drafted in the Dominican League, but played well the following year. His call up to Helena was a rude one, but he mastered it with a. 440 average in 2027. He only hit .226 his first stay in Dominica, but improved it to .260 with 11 doubles this year.
Hall’s calling card is his defense though, and he led the West Indies in Zone Rating. Both OSA and Bobby Evans like his ability to play Shortstop, and the overall versatility he provides. Both think he probably brings enough to table offensively to move up to full-season ball next year. OSA doesn’t love Hall’s upside, likely seeing someone topping out in Double-A. Evans sees a little more power, and probably a Triple-A backup when Hall matures fully.
SS: Matt Wright—Braves
A little old for the level at 24, Wright has played four seasons in Barbados. A former 17th rounder, last year was his best one yet. He hit for a 1.019 OPS in 2027, but as a poor defender who mostly played DH and the outfield. He’s worked hard to become a plus Shortstop defender since then, and hit .324 with a .618 slugging percentage.
Hall has a good approach and a line drive swing that finds gaps. He’s now a good Shortstop and he has speed to boot. There’s not a star there, but both OSA and Bobby Evans see a Triple-A player, where a little luck can take him to the PBA. Evans believes Wright is farther along in his development than OSA is, but the production supports Evans’ opinion. Wright should be in High-A next year.
C: Kevin Levinson—Brewers
A fifth rounder by the Brewers in 2025, Levinson has been in Dominica since he was drafted but primarily as a backup serving as a wasted investment. This year was the first year he started, and he produced big numbers, hitting .311 with a 1.025 OPS, second in the West Indies. He hit 19 homers and walked 49 times, the same number of times he struck out.
Both OSA and Bobby Evans see Levinson as fully developed offensively, though his lack of development time has stunted him defensively. Levinson is too old for Short-Season ball and should get a crack at starting in High-A next year.
2B: Eddy Carballo—Reds
A fifth round pick this year, Carballo played college ball at the University of South Carolina so he was aggressively promoted to Short-A, though he wasn’t ready for the level. He had a .281 on-base percentage, whiffed 93 times, struggled defensively, and had just five homers.
You can see why the Reds drafted him. He has a quick bat and a line drive swing that should lead to a lot of doubles and a lack of strikeouts. However, he still needs a lot of development work. He’ll be 22 next year and should repeat the level, maybe even seeing a demotion to Billings to get back on track.
1B: Chris Barton—Brewers
A fifth rounder by the Brewers in 2028, Barton is looking like a busted pick. Already 23 after a career at Wake Forest, Barton hit just .218 with four homers as a First Baseman this year. He had just 10 doubles, a .289 OBP, and drove in only 18 runs.
Barton has a little bit of pop, but not a significant amount for a First Baseman, and the approach and bat speed are concerning. He looks like a player who may top out in short-season ball. He once had a first-round grade in Wake Forest, but his stock has fallen precipitously.
SP: Pat Riley—Twins
Riley was the 18th overall pick in 2026 and has been on a slow trajectory in the minors, struggling through the 2027 and 2028 seasons. He had a big 2029 though, allowing one home run in 93.2 innings, striking out 95, working to a 2.50 ERA and leading the league with 3.8 WAR.
All of Riley’s pitches generate good late downward movement, the main reason he limits homers. Sometimes he too frequently pitches below the zone though, and he doesn’t project to fool hitters at higher levels. He projects to be a Triple-A pitcher, and it may be time to see if his movement will play in full-season ball.
SP: Steve Cable—Brewers
Milwaukee’s fourth round selection this year, Cable led the West Indies in ERA with a 2.08 mark and a 7-1 record in his first professional season. Cable throws in the upper 90s, allowed only three homers, and walked just 12 batters in 82.1 innings.
Cable was selected as a college junior out of Bowling Green so he’s pretty well developed. OSA sees a pitcher who can work in A-Ball next year, with Bobby Evans more favorable, thinking Cable is ready for High-A. Both scouts have similar viewpoints on Cable’s future, envisioning a Triple-A arm. Cable throws five pitches though, so if one of them ends up popping, he may have a big league career.
RP: Kevin Larsen—Brewers
Larsen was a 15th round pick in 2024 who spent five years working in the Dominican League before excelling in Dominica. Larsen had at least 1.8 WAR for Milwaukee’s Dominican team since 2025 but never got a callup until this year. He went 9-1 with 14 starts to lead the league in wins and struck out 91.
Larsen will be 24 years old next season and is reasonably well developed. He’s too good for short-season ball and should be able to handle Double-A next year. However, his ultimate future may be in Double-A as he hasn’t been challenged yet in his career.
SP: Robbie Heinichen—Reds
Heinichen was Cincinnati’s fifth round pick this year and dominated the West Indies Short Season league. He went 6-2 with a 2.75 ERA, striking out 87 in 95 innings, allowing just three long balls. The lefty didn’t allow a single homer to left-handed batters and produced 3.8 WAR as a junior after Houston didn’t sign him out of High School as a fifth rounder in 2025.
Heinichen looks like a future star. He throws in the high 90s from a tough angle with a splitter that misses bats. Both OSA and Bobby Evans see a future frontline pitcher as a result, with the intangibles to ultimately reach his high-end outcomes. After his work in short-season ball, he can be challenged at an advanced level. Expect to see the former UC Davis standout in Double-A at least, if not Triple-A next year.
CL: Travis Germani—Reds
Germani is an interesting case study as a pitcher with an elite mid-90s sinker, and no other pitch. He throws a token changeup, but it’s not effective. The one-trick lefty used his sinker to lead the league in saves as the fifth rounder finished out 19 wins with a 1.91 ERA and 1.5 WAR in just 33 innings.
The sinker is exceptional but only throwing one pitch allows for hitters to hit homers if the location is poor if they can sit on the pitch. Both OSA and Bobby Evans think the sinker is good enough to work at least as a specialist in the PBA though. It’s too good for short-season ball, so Germani should be on a similar timeline to Heinichen.
SP: Lance Milliken—Reds
A college senior out of Miami, Milliken was Cincinnati’s 2028 third rounder. He led the league in strikeouts this year with 105 in 81.2 innings. He went 3-6, but with a solid 3.64 ERA based on dominating the strike zone with only 11 walks allowed.
Milliken has an advanced changeup and splitter, allowing him to dominate low-minors hitters not used to the changing speeds. Milliken is close to fully developed with his precision location and ability to change speeds. He doesn’t throw hard though, making scouts concerned for him at the next level. Both OSA and Bobby Evans see a Double-A arm thanks to the excellent command, but the ultimately hittable stuff for hitters who time him up.
SP: Romel Velasquez—Reds
Velasquez had a disappointing season, not because of his performance, but because of injury. He tore his rotator cuff in June meaning he only pitched 0.2 innings this season. A 2023 scouting discovery from The Philippines, Velasquez had difficulty turning his ability to keep the ball in the park into ultimately preventing runs. However, he had an exceptional WBC in 2028 going 2-0 with a 0.60 ERA in three starts for The Philippines, and followed that up with a 5-1 record and a 0.89 ERA in the Arizona League.
However, this is the second time Velasquez tore his rotator cuff, nuking his potential. He’s shown he can excel in Rookie ball, but who knows who he’ll be after this injury. Velasquez will certainly need to repeat Short-A, and his ultimate future may now end up in an Asian league.
SP: Luis Enriquez—Brewers
Enriquez, nicknamed the Grandson of Wind, was Milwaukee’s first round pick last year out of Central Arizona College, a Junior College. He was 20 years old, and still may need more time developing. He walked 23 in 42.2 innings, going 2-2 with a 4.01 ERA that was basically replacement level. He did strikeout 40 hitters, but allowed six homers. His best stat was holding opposing runners to 0-6 in steal attempts, but critics expected more from him.
Enriquez keeps the ball down and OSA and Bobby Evans both expect a good mid-rotation arm. Both scouting services are on the fence on whether Enriquez should be promoted to full-season ball, which considering Luke Grimmelbein’s tendencies, should see Enriquez back in Dominica next year.