Post by Commissioner Erick on Feb 18, 2019 12:01:53 GMT -5
Strikeouts were still way down in the Canadian Rookie League, allowing the hitters to shine. Let's look at the best and most disappointing in the league.
CF: Danielsan Heureaux—Marlins: After a huge 2019 that was cut short by a strained groined, Heureaux returned to Sault Ste. Marie and led the league in batting average and OPS. He hit .377 with 18 doubles and a 1.022 OPS, posting 3.2 WAR.
It's time for Hueureaux to leave the league and move up to A-Ball so there can be more evidence of whether or not he can carve a big league career. OSA sees a Triple-A player who won't hit, while Bill Schmidt sees enough patience and a hit tool to allow his defense and speed carry him to a backup role.
1B: Kenta Kurose—Indians: Kurose spent much of the year as a 22-year old who has spent five years in Rookie Leagues in three continents. He put together a big power campaign with 16 home runs and 16 doubles, with a .293 average. He also was one of the few players in the league who struck out way more often than he walked.
Kurose has huge power for the league to be sure, but it's time for him to move up to A-Ball. He hit .394 in a short stint there this year. Scouts don't see him as a big leaguer, but perhaps he can ravage High-A pitching for awhile.
LF: Nick O'Day—Nationals: A second round pick in 2018 by the Nationals, O'Day has taken the scenic route, spending three seasons in Hudson Bay. His first two were below replacement level, but this year he led the league in RBI with 73, to go with 13 home runs and 26 doubles. A nice accomplishment after appearing on last year's disappointments list.
O'Day will turn 21 next year and is still raw, having finally seen some development this past season. He probably should get a chance at short-A, but he may be the rare player who has been in a rookie league fir three years, succeeded, and not have it be unbelievable to repeat. There's enough there to warrant a Triple-A career, but he's forever away from realizing even that future.
LF: Agustin Ruiz—Padres: Ruiz just completed his third season in the Yukon, this time as a 20-year-old. He had a rough 2018, a very strong 2019, and just won the MVP with a 3.6 WAR 2020. Ruiz hit .332 with strong left field defense to earn the accolade.
Ruiz has an advanced approach that's too much for Rookie Ball right now, and he continues to get stronger and add power. He definitely should get a look at least in short-season ball. There's differences in opinion regarding his career. Bill Schmidt sees an excellent defender in left with patience and gap power to fuel a second-division starter or useful backup. OSA sees a Double-A player, tops. How Ruiz performs next year may begin to give an answer to where his future ultimately lies.
CF: Santo Falcon—Nationals: Falcon has been in the Rookie Leagues for four years, and Hudson Bay for three. He's hit every year there and just led the league in Zone Rating.
A two-time All Star, Falcon is now 23 and will be old for every level he'll play in. He definitely has the speed, glove, bat, and age to move up, and Washington has tentatively assigned him to Short-A, Auburn for next year. Scouts don't see the brightest future, but he's got some patience and gap power to go with the defense where he may see time in Double A.
2B: Nicolas Torres—Phillies: Torres split 2019 between Philadelphia's Dominican team and it's squad in the Gulf Coast League. This past year he made the trip up north and hit .298 with a league-leading 13 steals.
Torres will be 21 next year and is an excellent runner and a strong second baseman who can play shortstop in a pinch. He doesn't have much power or approach, but Bill Schmidt thinks his hit tool is advanced enough to visit A-Ball. Ultimately, Schmidt sees a Triple-A career. OSA is more unforgiving and doesn't believe Torres will be more than a low-minors starter or Double A backup, but his speed and glove will always make him useful.
SP: Austin Urban—Orioles: Urban had progressed from Rookie ball in 2017 to short-season ball the past two years, before dropping down to Rookie ball as a 28 year-old this year. Urban had excellent years in relief before the Orioles converted him to a starter this season.
Urban didn't allow a home run on the way to a league-leading 2.20 ERA. The question is, why was he given that opportunity? He's a low-minors guy through-and-through, but at age 28, it's time to let the young guys shine. He doesn't have enough leadership to be a mentor by his presence either.
SP: Sergio Lechuga—Pirates: A scouting discovery late in 2018 out of Mexico, Lechuga passed up the Mexican League to play in the United States. He played in three levels in 2019, not succeeding anywhere, before winning a league-leading seven games this year as a reliever.
Coaches say Lechuga has great makeup and love his leadership. He has terrific stamina and a live fastball-splitter combination. Bill Schmidt doesn't see a pitcher worth advancing to full season ball on the account of a total lack of control and no movement. OSA agrees that Lechuga needs a lot more work, but sees at least a mid-minors arm in there.
SP: Yerry Rodriguez—Rangers: Rodriguez was hit hard in 2018 in the Dominican League, ultimately sitting out 2019 to recover. He returned to the Canadian League where he struck out a league-leading 55 batters in 84 innings.
Rodriguez doesn't throw very hard, but he has an advanced changeup he uses to beguile the young hitters of the league. He'll be 23 next year, and after a strong showing, it should be time to see what he can do in short-season ball. Bill Schmidt and OSA see a guy who will top out around Double A.
SP: Andy Cruz—Athletics: Cruz appeared on this list when he led the league in ERA in 2017. He's been with Edmonton ever since, though 2018 and 2019 saw his ERA jump into the mid 4's. He had a peestrian 3.96 ERA this year, but led the league in innings.
Scouts didn't see a future for Cruz and they don't see him now. I wrote at least Cruz will exist in the history books as the CRL's first ERA leader. He also exists as the league's all-time leader in starts, complete games, innings, strikeouts, hits allowed, and home runs allowed, and his 2017 ERA of 1.93 is still best in league history.
SP: Victor M. Garcia—Red Sox: Garcia only went 3-8 this past season, compiling a 5.23 ERA. He didn't allow a home run over 75.2 innings though, allowing to lead the league with 2.6 WAR, 0.6 more than the runner up.
A 23-year-old whose claim to fame is working a lot of innings and not yielding home runs, the 23-year-old Garcia has wildly differing opinions by scouts. Schmidt wants Garcia to repeat the level next year and doesn't see anything past A-Ball. OSA sees a Triple-A arm eventually, as Garcia spots his slider well and throws strikes.
RP: Guillermo Paulino—Rockies: Paulino spent three seasons in his native Dominican Republic, turning in bad 2017 and 2018 years before saving 18 games in 2019 and deeming himself worthy of a promotion. Paulino's first foray into Canada saw him replicate his 2019 year with 18 saves and 21 strikeouts in 26.1 innings. It came with an elevated home run mark of five, which led to a negative WAR.
With a live fastball and good movement, Paulino will graduate to short-season ball next season where he'll pitch as a 24-year old. Scouts see a Triple-A career for Paulino.
RF: Dusty Koch—Padres: An 18-year-old second round pick out of High School, Koch struggled in his first taste of pro ball. The Illinois native hit just .176 and had only three extra base hits across 257 plate appearances. Koch also struggled defensively, resulting in a ghastly -2.3 WAR season.
Koch is very raw, and combined with how much he struggled, needs another go at the league to develop. With little speed, power, or defense, Bill Schmidt sees an upper-minors hitter without a home. OSA is more optimistic about the power, with their scouts visualizing a plus hitter. A 2020 mulligan is fair, with a desire to see the defense and power improve in 2021.
SP: Jorge Cotto—Rangers: Cotto, AKA, the deGrominator, had a rude introduction to professional ball. Cotto entered as an amateur free agent from the Dominican Republic in 2019, signing an $8 million bonus with Texas. He debuted with Brossard this year, however, he walked 22 batters in 40.1 innings, giving up 22 runs in the process. Cotto then tore his meniscus to add injury to insult.
Cotto pitched as a 17-year old as the #62 prospect in baseball. Very raw, he'll need another go at the level before being prepared to move up. Scouts envision a heavy fastball when he puts on weight, and they see him with four outstanding secondary pitches. He also has the work ethic to realize the potential of those pitches. Scouts see a big league future with potentially, an ace future. First, he'll have to repair his meniscus and conquer Canada.
SS: Adam Hall—Cardinals: Hall actually turned in a decent year for the St. Johns Whales, a Cardinals affiliate, as he hit .315 with six home runs, and strong defense for a 1.1 WAR campaign. The issue is that Hall was a first round pick of the Tigers, 11 overall, back in 2017 and has given them absolutely nothing.
Hall had a good 2017 in the league before advancing to short-A ball and tearing his labrum. Hall lost much of his bat speed and power as a result. He's still a terrific fielder and a horrible baserunner who once went 3-17 on stolen base attempts. Hall's bat no longer projects above the low-minors making him one of the most high-profile busts of the 2017 class. For context, Pavin Smith was taken directly ahead of him and just hit 11 home runs for the Angels, while Brendan McKay was taken directly after him and hit 17 long balls.
SP: Bo Weiss—Red Sox: A third round pick in 2019, Weiss completed his second full term in Prince George, and like his first go-around, it wasn't very successful. Weiss produced a 6.50 ERA this year, after a 5.45 mark last year. He gave up six home runs and a 1.64 WHIP after he produced a 1.69 WHIP last year.
Weiss' bad start to his career is a bad omen considering he is already 23-years old. He has decent movement, but his stuff has not impressed, and is the reason he's been hit hard. Despite having good sink to his fastball, and a good curveball, he hasn't been able to translate his pitches to outs. Bill Schmidt sees a guy who can reach the upper minors and perhaps the majors in the right circumstances. OSA sees a clear starter. He'll need to find a way to produce in the present if he ever wants to reach that outlook.
CF: Danielsan Heureaux—Marlins: After a huge 2019 that was cut short by a strained groined, Heureaux returned to Sault Ste. Marie and led the league in batting average and OPS. He hit .377 with 18 doubles and a 1.022 OPS, posting 3.2 WAR.
It's time for Hueureaux to leave the league and move up to A-Ball so there can be more evidence of whether or not he can carve a big league career. OSA sees a Triple-A player who won't hit, while Bill Schmidt sees enough patience and a hit tool to allow his defense and speed carry him to a backup role.
1B: Kenta Kurose—Indians: Kurose spent much of the year as a 22-year old who has spent five years in Rookie Leagues in three continents. He put together a big power campaign with 16 home runs and 16 doubles, with a .293 average. He also was one of the few players in the league who struck out way more often than he walked.
Kurose has huge power for the league to be sure, but it's time for him to move up to A-Ball. He hit .394 in a short stint there this year. Scouts don't see him as a big leaguer, but perhaps he can ravage High-A pitching for awhile.
LF: Nick O'Day—Nationals: A second round pick in 2018 by the Nationals, O'Day has taken the scenic route, spending three seasons in Hudson Bay. His first two were below replacement level, but this year he led the league in RBI with 73, to go with 13 home runs and 26 doubles. A nice accomplishment after appearing on last year's disappointments list.
O'Day will turn 21 next year and is still raw, having finally seen some development this past season. He probably should get a chance at short-A, but he may be the rare player who has been in a rookie league fir three years, succeeded, and not have it be unbelievable to repeat. There's enough there to warrant a Triple-A career, but he's forever away from realizing even that future.
LF: Agustin Ruiz—Padres: Ruiz just completed his third season in the Yukon, this time as a 20-year-old. He had a rough 2018, a very strong 2019, and just won the MVP with a 3.6 WAR 2020. Ruiz hit .332 with strong left field defense to earn the accolade.
Ruiz has an advanced approach that's too much for Rookie Ball right now, and he continues to get stronger and add power. He definitely should get a look at least in short-season ball. There's differences in opinion regarding his career. Bill Schmidt sees an excellent defender in left with patience and gap power to fuel a second-division starter or useful backup. OSA sees a Double-A player, tops. How Ruiz performs next year may begin to give an answer to where his future ultimately lies.
CF: Santo Falcon—Nationals: Falcon has been in the Rookie Leagues for four years, and Hudson Bay for three. He's hit every year there and just led the league in Zone Rating.
A two-time All Star, Falcon is now 23 and will be old for every level he'll play in. He definitely has the speed, glove, bat, and age to move up, and Washington has tentatively assigned him to Short-A, Auburn for next year. Scouts don't see the brightest future, but he's got some patience and gap power to go with the defense where he may see time in Double A.
2B: Nicolas Torres—Phillies: Torres split 2019 between Philadelphia's Dominican team and it's squad in the Gulf Coast League. This past year he made the trip up north and hit .298 with a league-leading 13 steals.
Torres will be 21 next year and is an excellent runner and a strong second baseman who can play shortstop in a pinch. He doesn't have much power or approach, but Bill Schmidt thinks his hit tool is advanced enough to visit A-Ball. Ultimately, Schmidt sees a Triple-A career. OSA is more unforgiving and doesn't believe Torres will be more than a low-minors starter or Double A backup, but his speed and glove will always make him useful.
SP: Austin Urban—Orioles: Urban had progressed from Rookie ball in 2017 to short-season ball the past two years, before dropping down to Rookie ball as a 28 year-old this year. Urban had excellent years in relief before the Orioles converted him to a starter this season.
Urban didn't allow a home run on the way to a league-leading 2.20 ERA. The question is, why was he given that opportunity? He's a low-minors guy through-and-through, but at age 28, it's time to let the young guys shine. He doesn't have enough leadership to be a mentor by his presence either.
SP: Sergio Lechuga—Pirates: A scouting discovery late in 2018 out of Mexico, Lechuga passed up the Mexican League to play in the United States. He played in three levels in 2019, not succeeding anywhere, before winning a league-leading seven games this year as a reliever.
Coaches say Lechuga has great makeup and love his leadership. He has terrific stamina and a live fastball-splitter combination. Bill Schmidt doesn't see a pitcher worth advancing to full season ball on the account of a total lack of control and no movement. OSA agrees that Lechuga needs a lot more work, but sees at least a mid-minors arm in there.
SP: Yerry Rodriguez—Rangers: Rodriguez was hit hard in 2018 in the Dominican League, ultimately sitting out 2019 to recover. He returned to the Canadian League where he struck out a league-leading 55 batters in 84 innings.
Rodriguez doesn't throw very hard, but he has an advanced changeup he uses to beguile the young hitters of the league. He'll be 23 next year, and after a strong showing, it should be time to see what he can do in short-season ball. Bill Schmidt and OSA see a guy who will top out around Double A.
SP: Andy Cruz—Athletics: Cruz appeared on this list when he led the league in ERA in 2017. He's been with Edmonton ever since, though 2018 and 2019 saw his ERA jump into the mid 4's. He had a peestrian 3.96 ERA this year, but led the league in innings.
Scouts didn't see a future for Cruz and they don't see him now. I wrote at least Cruz will exist in the history books as the CRL's first ERA leader. He also exists as the league's all-time leader in starts, complete games, innings, strikeouts, hits allowed, and home runs allowed, and his 2017 ERA of 1.93 is still best in league history.
SP: Victor M. Garcia—Red Sox: Garcia only went 3-8 this past season, compiling a 5.23 ERA. He didn't allow a home run over 75.2 innings though, allowing to lead the league with 2.6 WAR, 0.6 more than the runner up.
A 23-year-old whose claim to fame is working a lot of innings and not yielding home runs, the 23-year-old Garcia has wildly differing opinions by scouts. Schmidt wants Garcia to repeat the level next year and doesn't see anything past A-Ball. OSA sees a Triple-A arm eventually, as Garcia spots his slider well and throws strikes.
RP: Guillermo Paulino—Rockies: Paulino spent three seasons in his native Dominican Republic, turning in bad 2017 and 2018 years before saving 18 games in 2019 and deeming himself worthy of a promotion. Paulino's first foray into Canada saw him replicate his 2019 year with 18 saves and 21 strikeouts in 26.1 innings. It came with an elevated home run mark of five, which led to a negative WAR.
With a live fastball and good movement, Paulino will graduate to short-season ball next season where he'll pitch as a 24-year old. Scouts see a Triple-A career for Paulino.
RF: Dusty Koch—Padres: An 18-year-old second round pick out of High School, Koch struggled in his first taste of pro ball. The Illinois native hit just .176 and had only three extra base hits across 257 plate appearances. Koch also struggled defensively, resulting in a ghastly -2.3 WAR season.
Koch is very raw, and combined with how much he struggled, needs another go at the league to develop. With little speed, power, or defense, Bill Schmidt sees an upper-minors hitter without a home. OSA is more optimistic about the power, with their scouts visualizing a plus hitter. A 2020 mulligan is fair, with a desire to see the defense and power improve in 2021.
SP: Jorge Cotto—Rangers: Cotto, AKA, the deGrominator, had a rude introduction to professional ball. Cotto entered as an amateur free agent from the Dominican Republic in 2019, signing an $8 million bonus with Texas. He debuted with Brossard this year, however, he walked 22 batters in 40.1 innings, giving up 22 runs in the process. Cotto then tore his meniscus to add injury to insult.
Cotto pitched as a 17-year old as the #62 prospect in baseball. Very raw, he'll need another go at the level before being prepared to move up. Scouts envision a heavy fastball when he puts on weight, and they see him with four outstanding secondary pitches. He also has the work ethic to realize the potential of those pitches. Scouts see a big league future with potentially, an ace future. First, he'll have to repair his meniscus and conquer Canada.
SS: Adam Hall—Cardinals: Hall actually turned in a decent year for the St. Johns Whales, a Cardinals affiliate, as he hit .315 with six home runs, and strong defense for a 1.1 WAR campaign. The issue is that Hall was a first round pick of the Tigers, 11 overall, back in 2017 and has given them absolutely nothing.
Hall had a good 2017 in the league before advancing to short-A ball and tearing his labrum. Hall lost much of his bat speed and power as a result. He's still a terrific fielder and a horrible baserunner who once went 3-17 on stolen base attempts. Hall's bat no longer projects above the low-minors making him one of the most high-profile busts of the 2017 class. For context, Pavin Smith was taken directly ahead of him and just hit 11 home runs for the Angels, while Brendan McKay was taken directly after him and hit 17 long balls.
SP: Bo Weiss—Red Sox: A third round pick in 2019, Weiss completed his second full term in Prince George, and like his first go-around, it wasn't very successful. Weiss produced a 6.50 ERA this year, after a 5.45 mark last year. He gave up six home runs and a 1.64 WHIP after he produced a 1.69 WHIP last year.
Weiss' bad start to his career is a bad omen considering he is already 23-years old. He has decent movement, but his stuff has not impressed, and is the reason he's been hit hard. Despite having good sink to his fastball, and a good curveball, he hasn't been able to translate his pitches to outs. Bill Schmidt sees a guy who can reach the upper minors and perhaps the majors in the right circumstances. OSA sees a clear starter. He'll need to find a way to produce in the present if he ever wants to reach that outlook.