Post by Commissioner Erick on Sept 1, 2018 16:20:58 GMT -5
2019 was the year without a strikeout in the Canadian Rookie League. Let's look at its best performers and biggest disappointments.
1B: Hector G. Guerrero—Blue Jays: Hector G. Guerrero led the CRL in batting average with a .360 mark, adding in more walks than strikeouts in an impressive offensive campaign. It was a repeat attempt at the level for him, but since he barely played in 2017, and wasn't very effective last season, it was the first time he proved he could handle it.
Guerrero has good gap power and patience, but is by no means a prospect. He's earned a trip west to play with Toronto's short-A team in Vancouver, but it's doubtful he'll carve out a career in the majors.
LF: Luis Barerra—Athletics: Barrera finished his third season at the level with 16 home runs, after 17 last year. He walked as often as he did last year, while slashing his strikeout numbers in half. He's one of the low minors' feared sluggers, and is second all time in home runs at the level.
At 23 years old, and coming off a good season, Barrera should have moved out of the level by now. Scouts see enough in his bat to envision him making it to the upper minors. It's time for him to take the training wheels off and see if he can get there.
2B: Luis Terrero—Rangers: Terrero continues the trend of successful 23 year olds who should not have had the chance to dominate the Canadian Rookie League. Terrero was awful in Short-A in 2017, but hit over .300 with five home runs and 17 doubles in Brossard last year. This year—he hit over .300, with five home runs and 17 doubles. Terrero walked 58 times to 10 strikeouts, had a .447 OBP, and played adequate defense.
Terrero has a shot at a major league career, with a good swing, excellent vision, and a terrific approach. Even right now, Bill Schmidt believes he should at least be in Double-A, instead of being the best offensive player in Rookie Ball.
LF: Dawill Aponte—Red Sox: After beginning his third season with Boston's Dominican Rookie League squad, Aponte was promoted and led the league in stolen bases. He was successful in all 15 of his stolen base attempts, highlighting his excellent speed. He also produced 24 doubles in 244 plate appearances, third in the league, indicating he's not just a one-dimensional runner.
A plus runner and defender, with a good line drive swing, Aponte can be taken advantage of with velocity inside. The defense and wheels will play anywhere, and it may be best to give him a new level every year to see how he takes to it.
SS: Ronald Concepcion—Blue Jays: The hard working Concepcion has put in the work at shortstop the past few years, now grading as the best defender by zone rating in the entire league. Blessed with good wheels, he's a conservative base stealer who is more successful going first to third on a hit than first to second on a pitch. After two seasons with an OPS in the low .600s, he cranked 14 doubles and five triples for a .726 OPS, right around league average.
Still 22, Concepcion's best asset is his glove and his eye, with wildly differing scouting reports about his potential power. Scouts don't see too much with the bat, but he has the work ethic to try to prove them wrong. As a batter who likes to hit the ball in the air the other way, the strength better come around.
CF: Ernesto Adams—Tigers: An international prospect finally brought continental, Adams enjoyed his first taste of Canada, striking nine triples to finish second in the league in slugging and OPS. With 22 doubles and a 25:26 walk-to-strikeout ratio, Adams is an advanced teenager with a terrific feel for the game.
Adams has the tools to make it to the upper majors at least, and is a promising player to add to Detroit's system. Only 19, and without a fully formed swing, it wouldn't be the strangest thing if Detroit takes their time developing him.
SP: Drew Carlton—Rockies: A victim of a crowded Rockies low-minors, Carlton led the CRL in ERA, not allowing a home run on the way to a 2.25 ERA. He only struck out 39 batters after fanning 98 last year, but that may have been a result of working on fastball command as opposed to a reduction in stuff.
Carlton has the stuff, the control, and the smarts to pitch for a big league roster, and has developed nicely in Canada. With a minor league logjam unfurling, Carlton should be pitching in Lancaster next year.
SP: Jose F. Dominguez—Blue Jays: Somehow, Dominguez led the league in wins, coasting off the backs of an excellent LeBrons offense. He struck out 29 batters in 97.2 innings, walked 42, and needed a .212 BABIP—helped out by Concepcion's defense—to produce a 3.04 ERA and an 8-3 record.
Dominguez has no real potential in full season ball, but he'll join the Cardinals' Jose Geronimo as unlikely single season wins leaders.
RP: Yonathan Ramirez—Nationals: Ramirez nearly made this list in 2017 when he finished one short of the league's wins list, but he makes it this time for leading the league in strikeouts. Like the rest of the league, his strikeout totals disintegrated, but he still fanned 44 to top the CRL. He deserves credit for really improving in the offseason to cut his ERA from 5.79 to 3.94, and his walk rate from 4.5 walks per nine, to 3.0.
Ramirez has the potential to probably top out at Triple A. With his profile seeing a boost, it's time for him to work in more challenging environments. His 258.1 career innings in Rookie ball are probably enough.
SP: Joe Gunkel—Orioles: Gunkel led the lead in WAR, but at 27 years old, he should not have been in the league to begin with. He broke off 92.1 innings, walking only 16, and allowing only four home runs to produce a 2.3 WAR.
Gunkel had a 2.0 WAR in Triple in 2017 though, and despite a rough 2018 in Norfolk where he went 2-8 with a 5.60 ERA, he had no business being demoted to rookie ball. Not good enough to pitch in the upper minors, but too old to serve much use in Baltimore, Gunkel should find a home in Double-A or the free agent list.
RP: Nick Hutchings—Indians: Hutchings, a member of Australia's National Team, was signed by Cleveland to a minor league deal in 2018. Due to Cleveland's strategy of flooding their minors with veterans, Hutchings was left in Rookie Ball, where he led the league in WHIP. Possessed with great control, he walked only 11 in 65.2 innings.
Hutchings will be 24 next year, and has a level of command that's too good for the level. Incapable of pitching deep, he should be working as a reliever in Short-Season A ball next year, if Cleveland's veteran minor leaguer machinations don't stymie him again. Expect to see him for the World Baseball Classic next winter.
RP: Ramon A. Pena—Padres: Pena didn't yield a single home run last season, working his way to a 1.85 ERA and a league-leading 23 saves. Pena had solid 2017 and 2018 seasons, but this campaign was spectacular. He struck out over a batter an inning in the league in 2018 and has little left to prove.
Pena has big league potential. OSA sees potential with his curveball, hinting at a potential strikeout artist with control issues in his future. Bill Schmidt sees a man with more balance, but who is closer to reaching his potential. Either way, Pena should be in Double-A next year.
LF: Nick O' Day—Nationals: O' Day was a second round pick in 2018 and has been awful in two seasons in Hudson Bay. He couldn't muster 100 plate appearances this year, and has walked just 11 times in 225 career plate appearances in the level. He didn't homer this year either, hitting a mostly empty .253.
O' Day still flashes the power potential for the upper minors at least. However, he was incredibly raw when drafted and remains so. There may still be something there, but O' Day will have to return to Canada and start showing something before he can move up.
SP: James Marinan—Rangers: A third round pick of Texas, Marinan had a disturbing 2018 that saw him walk 48 batters in 81 innings leading to a 6.33 ERA. Despite winning a title, Marinan didn't do much right aside from prevent home runs.
After being drafted and not signing in 2017, Marinan has fallen apart. Bill Schmidt doesn't see any future for him, and OSA doesn't either. Maybe James Wilson, the Brossard coach, didn't take to developing Marinan, but whatever the reason for his struggles, the Rangers third round pick looks like a whiff.
SS: Tommy Hamilton—Athletics: A fifth round pick out of Antioch Christian this year, Hamilton had a rough go north of the border. In 55 games, he hit .182 with no home runs, for a .477 OPS. He was a poor defender at short, and was worth -1.1 wins.
Only 19, Hamilton will try again next year. Extremely raw, Hamilton needs reps on defense and better recognition to have a successful career. Perhaps not much more than a career mid-minor leaguer, he's miles away from fulfilling that.
SP: Gijsbert De Vries—Red Sox: A raw rookie, De Vries walked 37 in 43.2 innings, plus suffered from a .355 BABIP. He didn't know where the ball was going and got smacked around to a 7.83 ERA.
A second round pick in this year's draft, De Vries still has major league upside. OSA really likes his slider and downward plane, while Bill Schmidt doesn't see a player who will get past A-ball. There's a wide range of outcomes for De Vries, but the 18 year old from Curacao has a lot of time to figure things out.
1B: Hector G. Guerrero—Blue Jays: Hector G. Guerrero led the CRL in batting average with a .360 mark, adding in more walks than strikeouts in an impressive offensive campaign. It was a repeat attempt at the level for him, but since he barely played in 2017, and wasn't very effective last season, it was the first time he proved he could handle it.
Guerrero has good gap power and patience, but is by no means a prospect. He's earned a trip west to play with Toronto's short-A team in Vancouver, but it's doubtful he'll carve out a career in the majors.
LF: Luis Barerra—Athletics: Barrera finished his third season at the level with 16 home runs, after 17 last year. He walked as often as he did last year, while slashing his strikeout numbers in half. He's one of the low minors' feared sluggers, and is second all time in home runs at the level.
At 23 years old, and coming off a good season, Barrera should have moved out of the level by now. Scouts see enough in his bat to envision him making it to the upper minors. It's time for him to take the training wheels off and see if he can get there.
2B: Luis Terrero—Rangers: Terrero continues the trend of successful 23 year olds who should not have had the chance to dominate the Canadian Rookie League. Terrero was awful in Short-A in 2017, but hit over .300 with five home runs and 17 doubles in Brossard last year. This year—he hit over .300, with five home runs and 17 doubles. Terrero walked 58 times to 10 strikeouts, had a .447 OBP, and played adequate defense.
Terrero has a shot at a major league career, with a good swing, excellent vision, and a terrific approach. Even right now, Bill Schmidt believes he should at least be in Double-A, instead of being the best offensive player in Rookie Ball.
LF: Dawill Aponte—Red Sox: After beginning his third season with Boston's Dominican Rookie League squad, Aponte was promoted and led the league in stolen bases. He was successful in all 15 of his stolen base attempts, highlighting his excellent speed. He also produced 24 doubles in 244 plate appearances, third in the league, indicating he's not just a one-dimensional runner.
A plus runner and defender, with a good line drive swing, Aponte can be taken advantage of with velocity inside. The defense and wheels will play anywhere, and it may be best to give him a new level every year to see how he takes to it.
SS: Ronald Concepcion—Blue Jays: The hard working Concepcion has put in the work at shortstop the past few years, now grading as the best defender by zone rating in the entire league. Blessed with good wheels, he's a conservative base stealer who is more successful going first to third on a hit than first to second on a pitch. After two seasons with an OPS in the low .600s, he cranked 14 doubles and five triples for a .726 OPS, right around league average.
Still 22, Concepcion's best asset is his glove and his eye, with wildly differing scouting reports about his potential power. Scouts don't see too much with the bat, but he has the work ethic to try to prove them wrong. As a batter who likes to hit the ball in the air the other way, the strength better come around.
CF: Ernesto Adams—Tigers: An international prospect finally brought continental, Adams enjoyed his first taste of Canada, striking nine triples to finish second in the league in slugging and OPS. With 22 doubles and a 25:26 walk-to-strikeout ratio, Adams is an advanced teenager with a terrific feel for the game.
Adams has the tools to make it to the upper majors at least, and is a promising player to add to Detroit's system. Only 19, and without a fully formed swing, it wouldn't be the strangest thing if Detroit takes their time developing him.
SP: Drew Carlton—Rockies: A victim of a crowded Rockies low-minors, Carlton led the CRL in ERA, not allowing a home run on the way to a 2.25 ERA. He only struck out 39 batters after fanning 98 last year, but that may have been a result of working on fastball command as opposed to a reduction in stuff.
Carlton has the stuff, the control, and the smarts to pitch for a big league roster, and has developed nicely in Canada. With a minor league logjam unfurling, Carlton should be pitching in Lancaster next year.
SP: Jose F. Dominguez—Blue Jays: Somehow, Dominguez led the league in wins, coasting off the backs of an excellent LeBrons offense. He struck out 29 batters in 97.2 innings, walked 42, and needed a .212 BABIP—helped out by Concepcion's defense—to produce a 3.04 ERA and an 8-3 record.
Dominguez has no real potential in full season ball, but he'll join the Cardinals' Jose Geronimo as unlikely single season wins leaders.
RP: Yonathan Ramirez—Nationals: Ramirez nearly made this list in 2017 when he finished one short of the league's wins list, but he makes it this time for leading the league in strikeouts. Like the rest of the league, his strikeout totals disintegrated, but he still fanned 44 to top the CRL. He deserves credit for really improving in the offseason to cut his ERA from 5.79 to 3.94, and his walk rate from 4.5 walks per nine, to 3.0.
Ramirez has the potential to probably top out at Triple A. With his profile seeing a boost, it's time for him to work in more challenging environments. His 258.1 career innings in Rookie ball are probably enough.
SP: Joe Gunkel—Orioles: Gunkel led the lead in WAR, but at 27 years old, he should not have been in the league to begin with. He broke off 92.1 innings, walking only 16, and allowing only four home runs to produce a 2.3 WAR.
Gunkel had a 2.0 WAR in Triple in 2017 though, and despite a rough 2018 in Norfolk where he went 2-8 with a 5.60 ERA, he had no business being demoted to rookie ball. Not good enough to pitch in the upper minors, but too old to serve much use in Baltimore, Gunkel should find a home in Double-A or the free agent list.
RP: Nick Hutchings—Indians: Hutchings, a member of Australia's National Team, was signed by Cleveland to a minor league deal in 2018. Due to Cleveland's strategy of flooding their minors with veterans, Hutchings was left in Rookie Ball, where he led the league in WHIP. Possessed with great control, he walked only 11 in 65.2 innings.
Hutchings will be 24 next year, and has a level of command that's too good for the level. Incapable of pitching deep, he should be working as a reliever in Short-Season A ball next year, if Cleveland's veteran minor leaguer machinations don't stymie him again. Expect to see him for the World Baseball Classic next winter.
RP: Ramon A. Pena—Padres: Pena didn't yield a single home run last season, working his way to a 1.85 ERA and a league-leading 23 saves. Pena had solid 2017 and 2018 seasons, but this campaign was spectacular. He struck out over a batter an inning in the league in 2018 and has little left to prove.
Pena has big league potential. OSA sees potential with his curveball, hinting at a potential strikeout artist with control issues in his future. Bill Schmidt sees a man with more balance, but who is closer to reaching his potential. Either way, Pena should be in Double-A next year.
LF: Nick O' Day—Nationals: O' Day was a second round pick in 2018 and has been awful in two seasons in Hudson Bay. He couldn't muster 100 plate appearances this year, and has walked just 11 times in 225 career plate appearances in the level. He didn't homer this year either, hitting a mostly empty .253.
O' Day still flashes the power potential for the upper minors at least. However, he was incredibly raw when drafted and remains so. There may still be something there, but O' Day will have to return to Canada and start showing something before he can move up.
SP: James Marinan—Rangers: A third round pick of Texas, Marinan had a disturbing 2018 that saw him walk 48 batters in 81 innings leading to a 6.33 ERA. Despite winning a title, Marinan didn't do much right aside from prevent home runs.
After being drafted and not signing in 2017, Marinan has fallen apart. Bill Schmidt doesn't see any future for him, and OSA doesn't either. Maybe James Wilson, the Brossard coach, didn't take to developing Marinan, but whatever the reason for his struggles, the Rangers third round pick looks like a whiff.
SS: Tommy Hamilton—Athletics: A fifth round pick out of Antioch Christian this year, Hamilton had a rough go north of the border. In 55 games, he hit .182 with no home runs, for a .477 OPS. He was a poor defender at short, and was worth -1.1 wins.
Only 19, Hamilton will try again next year. Extremely raw, Hamilton needs reps on defense and better recognition to have a successful career. Perhaps not much more than a career mid-minor leaguer, he's miles away from fulfilling that.
SP: Gijsbert De Vries—Red Sox: A raw rookie, De Vries walked 37 in 43.2 innings, plus suffered from a .355 BABIP. He didn't know where the ball was going and got smacked around to a 7.83 ERA.
A second round pick in this year's draft, De Vries still has major league upside. OSA really likes his slider and downward plane, while Bill Schmidt doesn't see a player who will get past A-ball. There's a wide range of outcomes for De Vries, but the 18 year old from Curacao has a lot of time to figure things out.