2031 Canadian Rookie League Stars and Disappointments
Dec 27, 2023 16:45:34 GMT -5
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Post by Commissioner Erick on Dec 27, 2023 16:45:34 GMT -5
Fueled by an impressive rookie crop, a minors-wide drop in defense, and the Padres never promoting their non-prospects, Canada enjoyed some terrific offensive performances. The league also saw some touted prospects struggle in their year up north. Read below for more details.
SP: Edwin Amaya—Orioles
Starting Pitcher Edwin Amaya spent a lot of the season doubling as a Designated Hitter—and led Canada in batting with a .427 mark. He didn’t walk much or hit for much power, but with such poor defense in the league, his ability to make contact led to an exceptional offensive season.
Amaya was a scouting discovery out of the Dominican Republic in 2027, but aside form a hit tool that’s good for the low minors, doesn’t have much appreciable talent as a hitter or a pitcher. The .427 league-leading average will likely be the highlight of his career.
RF: Jorge Graciano—Giants
A 2026 scouting discovery out of the DR, Graciano bounced around between the Dominican Rookie League and Vancouver his first two years with middling success. He broke out this year with 12 home runs to lead the league, pairing with 11 doubles and a .276 average.
Graciano is a hard worker with big power for the low minors, so it makes sense why he would hit enough to lead the league. He has big swing and miss in his game, which will prohibit a PBA future, but scouts suggest there’s more power in the bat. He should get a full time assignment next year and be a terror to minor league pitching.
RF: Ken Stroop—Padres
A Belgian scouting discovery in 2025, Stroop spent his first two years in the Dominican, and after a bit of tough go as a rookie in 2029, he had a strong campaign in 2030, allowing him to earn a promotion to the Yukon in 2031. He hit .333 this year with 10 homers and 10 doubles. In a high-powered Gold Mining Grey Birds offense, it was enough to knock home 56 runs to lead the league.
Stroop is developing quickly, and has good power already, plus a solid bat that’s too strong for the low minors. He’ll probably skip Short-A next year and profiles as a bat that can reach Triple-A. If the hot tool plays up, he could be a PBA backup.
SS: Victor Gonalo—Padres
A Venezuelan scouting discovery in 2025, Gonalo had 11 homers, 25 steals, and 46 runs scored as a rookie in the Dominican League in 2029. He got called up to High-A Lakeland in 2030 and struggled with such an aggressive assignment, only hitting .213 with a .592 OPS. He was demoted back down to rookie ball this year, which was too easy an assignment as Gonalo laid waste to the league. He led the league in Zone Rating at 13.1, mostly as a Second Baseman. He led the league with 34 steals and with 81 runs. He hit .362 with 27 doubles and eight homers. It was just a massive campaign. He ended up with 5.9 WAR—more than 2 ahead of second place, and in the top 5 all time.
Gonalo’s a bit choppy on defense when he needs to make long throws—why he made three errors in three games at Shortstop this year. He doesn’t have the most dynamic bat either, which is why he struggled with last year’s aggressive assignment. He’s advanced for the low minors though, especially to Eddy Rodriguez, and is an excellent base stealer. He has enough of a hit tool ad enough power to imagine a Triple-A future though. Maybe a stop at Full-Season A-ball, but not High-A, is the goldilocks zone for him next year.
CF: Bobby Ramirez—Padres
The league leader in OPS, Ramirez, a minor league veteran, started the year in the Texas League, Double-A, and struggled. He had a .480 OPS in 17 games. Instead of being sent down to A-ball, he was demoted to Rookie Ball, where he predictably dominated. He hit .365, walked nearly as much as he struck out, and had 18 doubles, seven triples, and 10 homers in just 252 plate appearances.
He’s spent time in Canada each of the last three years and dominated each season. He’s also had success in levels as high up as A-ball Fort Wayne. Not the most dynamic bat, and maybe not a high-level Center Fielder, he can do everything reasonably well and play all three outfield spots. He’s probably a player with a Triple-A future. Already 24, he should never see the Yukon Territories ever again though.
CF: Carson McCleod—Phillies
A seventh round pick out of USC this year, McCleod promptly tied for the league lead in doubles in Canada his first pro year. He cracked 31 with seven homers and a .335 average in an impressive rookie year.
McCleod’s only 21 and a bit more raw than most college bats. He makes good contact and hits the ball hard, but most of his success has come with sharp grounders down the left field line, or taking advantage of inadequate outfield defenders. The hit tool will play in the low minors, but he’s still working on doing more to make his approach more successful at higher levels. Probably not proficient enough in Center Field, probably not enough of a base stealer to be a weapon, he’s likely a Triple-A bat long term, but as a seventh round pick, that’s a win. A Triple-A bat with a little bit of development luck can easily become a productive PBA player.
SP: Edwin Marquez—Padres
Marquez was another minor league veteran who should not have been pitching in Rookie ball. He went 8-0 this year and led the league in ERA with a 1.41 mark. However, he pitched in A-ball last year and went 9-5 in 26 starts. He even started the year in the High-A Cal league and didn’t allow a run in a pair of starts and finished the year in the Northwest League with 12 strikeouts in 7.1 innings, plus 5.1 innings of one-run ball in the Northwest League playoffs.
Marquez doesn’t have a PBA future, but he does have three plus pitches and good movement. Advanced for the low minors, he should be pitching full time in High-A and will likely end up a reliever in Triple-A.
SP: Alex Riesgo—Nationals
Nicknamed Cambo, Riesgo ironically doesn’t have a great changeup yet. He does have three hard pitches though; a sinker, cutter, and four-seamer, that overwhelmed low-minors hitters. They knew something in the low 90’s was coming, but didn’t know if it would, cut, sink, or zip past. Riesgo led the league in WAR with 99 strikeouts in 88 innings, just two homers allowed, and just 10 walks issued.
The 14th pick in last year’s draft, Riesgo is another arm from Arizona’s famed pitching program. He has the hard stuff to keep hitters off balance, and could be an ace if the changeup comes around. He has the goods to be a major league arm, and both OSA and Eddy Rodriguez find him pretty advanced. He’ll be 22 next year and should warrant an aggressive promotion to the upper minors.
SP: Jon Escobedo—Padres
Escobedo has been pitching in San Diego’s system since 2026, putting up elite numbers in Yukon every year. He had a 1.41 ERA, 11-0 record, and 3.7 WAR way back in 2028. This year, he led the league in innings with 96.2, plus wins, going 9-3.
As he’s always been, Escobedo has no ceiling, but does have a changeup that befuddles PBA hitters, plus Yukon is a place that suppresses offenses. He’ll likely fail to repeat his success at higher levels, but given that he’ll age out of Yukon next year , he’ll get a chance to see if he can repeat his performances at a tougher level.
SP: Arturo Terrones—Tigers
Terrones was a terror for the Possessed Tyrannosaurs, saving 22 games for the club to lead the league. He did have a 4.50 ERA, fueled by a .400 BABIP, but 28 strikeouts in 30 innings was a solid number, and he kept the walks down.
Terrones is young, but he’s really just minor league filler with a low 90’s fastball and a number of three-run, ninth inning leads the main reasons for his success. Detroit should keep him at the level next year and see if the success is repeatable.
SP: Alex Lamar—Tigers
28th round pick Alex Lamar, doesn’t look to have a PBA future, as evidenced by his selection in the 28th round. However, a frisbee slider from a sidearm delivery freaked out enough minor league righties to lead the league in holds. He didn’t allow a single homer and whiffed 20 in 18.2 innings.
Lamar doesn’t have great command, and more advanced hitters will likely tee off against him. In the low minors though, his frisbee will play, and allow the Montreal Possessed Tyrannosaurs to send fans home happy with wins.
SP: Carlos Casas—Nationals
Casas was responsible for one of the six Canadian Complete Games pitched this year, and put up 2.3 WAR this year. He had a losing record, but the third round pick didn’t allow a single homer and had a solid 3.66 ERA. He only walked 13 in 78.2 innings and generally looked too advanced for the level.
A third round pick out of Rio Piedras, a Puerto Rican college, Casas excels at keeping the ball down, and pitches with good command. Eddy Rodriguez wonders if the stuff will play in the PBA, but scouts agree he’ll dominate the minors. He should pitch in Full Season ball next year to get a gauge on whether his stuff can do more than get teenagers to pound the ball on the ground.
CF: Lang Ying—Red Sox
A Taiwanese scouting discovery in 2028, Ying looked like a fringe PBA player when discovered. He debuted professionally this year and had an absolutely horrendous campaign. His defense was solid and he stole 13 of 20 bases successfully—not great, but not embarrassingly bad either. However, he produced -2.3 WAR. Ying hit just .203 with five doubles, two triples, and no homers. With just 14 walks and 63 strikeouts in 64 games, it led to a .498 OPS and a 23 OPS+. Ying was the worst hitter in Canada by far.
Scouts think Ying can be a solid defender in Left Field where his arm doesn’t have to be tested, and he’ll contribute on the bases. He has a selective approach, but lacks the power and bat skills to do much with it. Once a fringe PBA player, scouts now look at Ying as a future Double-A backup.
LF: Pierce Laviolette—Indians
Many of Cleveland’s recent draft picks have struggled, and Laviolette was no exception. One of their second rounders this year, the Left Fielder hit .237, but with only six doubles and two homers making it an empty average. He was also poor defensively and struck out 54 times in 221 plate appearances.
Eddy Rodriguez and OSA’s opinions on Laviolette differ. Rodriguez thinks he looks like a future patient slugger, with enough contact in his bat to be more than a three true outcomes player. A High school pick though, he’s very raw and will need considerable development time. OSA sees someone who will only contribute the odd double if he isn’t watching ball four—or strike three. Laviolette will need more time in rookie ball before he can move up the ladder.
SP: Dan Bruce—Rangers
A second round pick in 2029, Bruce looks like a total bust of a pick as scouts opinion of the pitcher have cratered since he was drafted. He only got into 23 games this year, and struck out just 10 hitters in 16.1 innings. He carried a 5.51 ERA, walked eight batters, and has carried a high BABIP his entire pro career.
Bruce looks like a low minors arm, who may develop into a respectable arm for the Weirdly Shaped Cats, but shouldn’t be asked to work in a higher level. He may go down as one of the worst picks of his draft class, especially as his fall is all development related—he hasn’t suffered a serious injury to knock him back at all.
SP: John Marmeleira—Nationals
Marmeleira hasn’t had the success some of Washington’s other recent draft picks have. A Portugese scouting discovery in 2030, the pitcher worked exclusively out of the pen this year. He ran a 5.55 ERA, walking nine and striking out just 16 in 24.1 innings. He did save three games, but went 1-3 with a negative WAR.
Only 18, Marmeleira still profiles as a fringy PBA arm who will likely make it to Triple-A. He throws in the low 90s, and should get downward action on his pitches. Extremely raw, he may need multiple years in Hudson Bay before he’s ready to ascend the minor league ladder.
SP: Edwin Amaya—Orioles
Starting Pitcher Edwin Amaya spent a lot of the season doubling as a Designated Hitter—and led Canada in batting with a .427 mark. He didn’t walk much or hit for much power, but with such poor defense in the league, his ability to make contact led to an exceptional offensive season.
Amaya was a scouting discovery out of the Dominican Republic in 2027, but aside form a hit tool that’s good for the low minors, doesn’t have much appreciable talent as a hitter or a pitcher. The .427 league-leading average will likely be the highlight of his career.
RF: Jorge Graciano—Giants
A 2026 scouting discovery out of the DR, Graciano bounced around between the Dominican Rookie League and Vancouver his first two years with middling success. He broke out this year with 12 home runs to lead the league, pairing with 11 doubles and a .276 average.
Graciano is a hard worker with big power for the low minors, so it makes sense why he would hit enough to lead the league. He has big swing and miss in his game, which will prohibit a PBA future, but scouts suggest there’s more power in the bat. He should get a full time assignment next year and be a terror to minor league pitching.
RF: Ken Stroop—Padres
A Belgian scouting discovery in 2025, Stroop spent his first two years in the Dominican, and after a bit of tough go as a rookie in 2029, he had a strong campaign in 2030, allowing him to earn a promotion to the Yukon in 2031. He hit .333 this year with 10 homers and 10 doubles. In a high-powered Gold Mining Grey Birds offense, it was enough to knock home 56 runs to lead the league.
Stroop is developing quickly, and has good power already, plus a solid bat that’s too strong for the low minors. He’ll probably skip Short-A next year and profiles as a bat that can reach Triple-A. If the hot tool plays up, he could be a PBA backup.
SS: Victor Gonalo—Padres
A Venezuelan scouting discovery in 2025, Gonalo had 11 homers, 25 steals, and 46 runs scored as a rookie in the Dominican League in 2029. He got called up to High-A Lakeland in 2030 and struggled with such an aggressive assignment, only hitting .213 with a .592 OPS. He was demoted back down to rookie ball this year, which was too easy an assignment as Gonalo laid waste to the league. He led the league in Zone Rating at 13.1, mostly as a Second Baseman. He led the league with 34 steals and with 81 runs. He hit .362 with 27 doubles and eight homers. It was just a massive campaign. He ended up with 5.9 WAR—more than 2 ahead of second place, and in the top 5 all time.
Gonalo’s a bit choppy on defense when he needs to make long throws—why he made three errors in three games at Shortstop this year. He doesn’t have the most dynamic bat either, which is why he struggled with last year’s aggressive assignment. He’s advanced for the low minors though, especially to Eddy Rodriguez, and is an excellent base stealer. He has enough of a hit tool ad enough power to imagine a Triple-A future though. Maybe a stop at Full-Season A-ball, but not High-A, is the goldilocks zone for him next year.
CF: Bobby Ramirez—Padres
The league leader in OPS, Ramirez, a minor league veteran, started the year in the Texas League, Double-A, and struggled. He had a .480 OPS in 17 games. Instead of being sent down to A-ball, he was demoted to Rookie Ball, where he predictably dominated. He hit .365, walked nearly as much as he struck out, and had 18 doubles, seven triples, and 10 homers in just 252 plate appearances.
He’s spent time in Canada each of the last three years and dominated each season. He’s also had success in levels as high up as A-ball Fort Wayne. Not the most dynamic bat, and maybe not a high-level Center Fielder, he can do everything reasonably well and play all three outfield spots. He’s probably a player with a Triple-A future. Already 24, he should never see the Yukon Territories ever again though.
CF: Carson McCleod—Phillies
A seventh round pick out of USC this year, McCleod promptly tied for the league lead in doubles in Canada his first pro year. He cracked 31 with seven homers and a .335 average in an impressive rookie year.
McCleod’s only 21 and a bit more raw than most college bats. He makes good contact and hits the ball hard, but most of his success has come with sharp grounders down the left field line, or taking advantage of inadequate outfield defenders. The hit tool will play in the low minors, but he’s still working on doing more to make his approach more successful at higher levels. Probably not proficient enough in Center Field, probably not enough of a base stealer to be a weapon, he’s likely a Triple-A bat long term, but as a seventh round pick, that’s a win. A Triple-A bat with a little bit of development luck can easily become a productive PBA player.
SP: Edwin Marquez—Padres
Marquez was another minor league veteran who should not have been pitching in Rookie ball. He went 8-0 this year and led the league in ERA with a 1.41 mark. However, he pitched in A-ball last year and went 9-5 in 26 starts. He even started the year in the High-A Cal league and didn’t allow a run in a pair of starts and finished the year in the Northwest League with 12 strikeouts in 7.1 innings, plus 5.1 innings of one-run ball in the Northwest League playoffs.
Marquez doesn’t have a PBA future, but he does have three plus pitches and good movement. Advanced for the low minors, he should be pitching full time in High-A and will likely end up a reliever in Triple-A.
SP: Alex Riesgo—Nationals
Nicknamed Cambo, Riesgo ironically doesn’t have a great changeup yet. He does have three hard pitches though; a sinker, cutter, and four-seamer, that overwhelmed low-minors hitters. They knew something in the low 90’s was coming, but didn’t know if it would, cut, sink, or zip past. Riesgo led the league in WAR with 99 strikeouts in 88 innings, just two homers allowed, and just 10 walks issued.
The 14th pick in last year’s draft, Riesgo is another arm from Arizona’s famed pitching program. He has the hard stuff to keep hitters off balance, and could be an ace if the changeup comes around. He has the goods to be a major league arm, and both OSA and Eddy Rodriguez find him pretty advanced. He’ll be 22 next year and should warrant an aggressive promotion to the upper minors.
SP: Jon Escobedo—Padres
Escobedo has been pitching in San Diego’s system since 2026, putting up elite numbers in Yukon every year. He had a 1.41 ERA, 11-0 record, and 3.7 WAR way back in 2028. This year, he led the league in innings with 96.2, plus wins, going 9-3.
As he’s always been, Escobedo has no ceiling, but does have a changeup that befuddles PBA hitters, plus Yukon is a place that suppresses offenses. He’ll likely fail to repeat his success at higher levels, but given that he’ll age out of Yukon next year , he’ll get a chance to see if he can repeat his performances at a tougher level.
SP: Arturo Terrones—Tigers
Terrones was a terror for the Possessed Tyrannosaurs, saving 22 games for the club to lead the league. He did have a 4.50 ERA, fueled by a .400 BABIP, but 28 strikeouts in 30 innings was a solid number, and he kept the walks down.
Terrones is young, but he’s really just minor league filler with a low 90’s fastball and a number of three-run, ninth inning leads the main reasons for his success. Detroit should keep him at the level next year and see if the success is repeatable.
SP: Alex Lamar—Tigers
28th round pick Alex Lamar, doesn’t look to have a PBA future, as evidenced by his selection in the 28th round. However, a frisbee slider from a sidearm delivery freaked out enough minor league righties to lead the league in holds. He didn’t allow a single homer and whiffed 20 in 18.2 innings.
Lamar doesn’t have great command, and more advanced hitters will likely tee off against him. In the low minors though, his frisbee will play, and allow the Montreal Possessed Tyrannosaurs to send fans home happy with wins.
SP: Carlos Casas—Nationals
Casas was responsible for one of the six Canadian Complete Games pitched this year, and put up 2.3 WAR this year. He had a losing record, but the third round pick didn’t allow a single homer and had a solid 3.66 ERA. He only walked 13 in 78.2 innings and generally looked too advanced for the level.
A third round pick out of Rio Piedras, a Puerto Rican college, Casas excels at keeping the ball down, and pitches with good command. Eddy Rodriguez wonders if the stuff will play in the PBA, but scouts agree he’ll dominate the minors. He should pitch in Full Season ball next year to get a gauge on whether his stuff can do more than get teenagers to pound the ball on the ground.
CF: Lang Ying—Red Sox
A Taiwanese scouting discovery in 2028, Ying looked like a fringe PBA player when discovered. He debuted professionally this year and had an absolutely horrendous campaign. His defense was solid and he stole 13 of 20 bases successfully—not great, but not embarrassingly bad either. However, he produced -2.3 WAR. Ying hit just .203 with five doubles, two triples, and no homers. With just 14 walks and 63 strikeouts in 64 games, it led to a .498 OPS and a 23 OPS+. Ying was the worst hitter in Canada by far.
Scouts think Ying can be a solid defender in Left Field where his arm doesn’t have to be tested, and he’ll contribute on the bases. He has a selective approach, but lacks the power and bat skills to do much with it. Once a fringe PBA player, scouts now look at Ying as a future Double-A backup.
LF: Pierce Laviolette—Indians
Many of Cleveland’s recent draft picks have struggled, and Laviolette was no exception. One of their second rounders this year, the Left Fielder hit .237, but with only six doubles and two homers making it an empty average. He was also poor defensively and struck out 54 times in 221 plate appearances.
Eddy Rodriguez and OSA’s opinions on Laviolette differ. Rodriguez thinks he looks like a future patient slugger, with enough contact in his bat to be more than a three true outcomes player. A High school pick though, he’s very raw and will need considerable development time. OSA sees someone who will only contribute the odd double if he isn’t watching ball four—or strike three. Laviolette will need more time in rookie ball before he can move up the ladder.
SP: Dan Bruce—Rangers
A second round pick in 2029, Bruce looks like a total bust of a pick as scouts opinion of the pitcher have cratered since he was drafted. He only got into 23 games this year, and struck out just 10 hitters in 16.1 innings. He carried a 5.51 ERA, walked eight batters, and has carried a high BABIP his entire pro career.
Bruce looks like a low minors arm, who may develop into a respectable arm for the Weirdly Shaped Cats, but shouldn’t be asked to work in a higher level. He may go down as one of the worst picks of his draft class, especially as his fall is all development related—he hasn’t suffered a serious injury to knock him back at all.
SP: John Marmeleira—Nationals
Marmeleira hasn’t had the success some of Washington’s other recent draft picks have. A Portugese scouting discovery in 2030, the pitcher worked exclusively out of the pen this year. He ran a 5.55 ERA, walking nine and striking out just 16 in 24.1 innings. He did save three games, but went 1-3 with a negative WAR.
Only 18, Marmeleira still profiles as a fringy PBA arm who will likely make it to Triple-A. He throws in the low 90s, and should get downward action on his pitches. Extremely raw, he may need multiple years in Hudson Bay before he’s ready to ascend the minor league ladder.