Post by Commissioner Erick on Aug 9, 2019 19:14:02 GMT -5
The anomalous weather patterns that took hold of the Caribbean lifted this year, allowing for warm weather and hot hitting. Here are the best performers of the season.
LF: Andy Sugilio—Reds: The 24-year old had a breakthrough season in Cuba, leading the West Indies league in average and OPS, and stealing 12 of 13 bases. Only one position player was within 1.1 WAR of his 3.7 WAR season.
The mitigating factor is that he's spent parts of five seasons in Short-A now, with only one start in full season ball to show for it. Sugilio should be a good hitter in the mid-minors, but at 25, he's running out of time to produce in the minors to show whether or not he can be more than a minor leaguer.
1B: Eddie Vogler—Royals: Vogler's 19 home runs tied for the league lead in home runs and his 67 RBIs finished third. He also played strong defense at first base, and earned an All-Star appearance.
Vogler was Kansas City's third round pick in 2020 and obviously flashes big power. At 23, he's already built into his frame. The question is whether the hit tool can come around. The defense and power gives him a Triple-A future according to OSA, but Bill Schmidt doesn't see the hit tool for the upper minors. He should top out leading the Texas League in home runs.
3B: Victor Ruiz—Reds: Ruiz had a decent season, starting off the year with seven home runs and a .776 OPS in A-Ball, before being demoted to Short-A where he led the league in RBIs.
The #53 prospect in baseball, Ruiz has huge power potential according to OSA, though Bill Schmidt merely thinks the power is very good. At 22-years-old, Ruiz still has time to develop, but he's bounced all over the low minors. It'll be time for him to stay at one level to see how productive he can be at full season ball.
CF: Jeremy Anderson—Royals: The 2nd Round pick of the Royals this season, Anderson led the West Indies in Zone Rating, compiling a 9.1 mark in center field with six assists. Anderson also hit .299 with 10 home runs in a very strong rookie debut.
A college signing out of Oral Roberts, Anderson is reasonably advanced as a prospect. His defense and speed are already calling cards, he has a good approach for the low minors, and he's got good muscle on a 195-pound frame. OSA likes Anderson's power more than Bill Schmidt does, and that may be the determining factor for whether Anderson is a low-end starter or a fifth outfielder.
SS: Luis Ya. Diaz—Dodgers: A burner, Diaz led the league in stolen base with 16 in 22 attempts. With a .395 on-base mark, Diaz had plenty of opportunities to run and put himself on the map with his speed. Diaz struggled in Rookie Ball in 2020, but with a .307 average, the aforementioned on-base mark, and the speed, he's put himself on the Dodgers' radar.
Speed and defense will naturally be Diaz' calling card, as he doesn't project to have another major league skill. Bill Schmidt sees enough patience and a touch of power to be a major league backup, while OSA sees a glorified pinch-runner. A trip to full-season ball should be in the cards for 2022.
2B: Ermys Reyes—Reds: Reyes was another older prospect for the Reds who has been in Cuba for years. Reyes first reached the level in 2018 and struggled a touch in limited at bats. His average popped up in 2019, but he finished the year with his second straight season with one home run. In 2020, the power increased to six homers, but the average fell to .245. This past year, buoyed by the offensive explosion in the league, Reyes hit .330, clubbed nine homers, and led the league with 23 doubles.
Now 25, Reyes doesn't project to have a big league skill outside of his ability to muscle doubles. He may not have a big league career, but deserves a shot at full-season ball.
SP: Kyle Molnar—Royals: After being drafted in the fourth round in 2018, Molnar has marinated in the low minors for a while. He made an All-Star Game with an ERA of 5.80 his first year, then saw his ERA rise higher and higher every year. He got promoted to short-season ball this year, and despite the jump in competition and the run environment, he led the West Indies in ERA with a sterling 3.02 mark, and in wins with 11.
Molnar will be 25 next year, and has the talent and now the results to make it to full season ball. Bill Schmidt sees a guy who can make it to Triple-A at least, envisioning decent stuff and control. OSA takes the stuff and control a step forward, and while their scouts envision some home runs in the majors, they see a guy who can throw strikes and miss bats.
RP: Jose Chacin—Dodgers: The runner-up in the West Indies Short League Pitcher of the Year voting, Chacin led the league in strikeouts with 63 and innings with 104.1. He allowed a fair bit of home runs, 13, but decent control and the strikeout totals gave him the third best ERA in the league.
Chacin was already called up to full-season ball, making an appearance last September after originally starting the year in the Midwest League. He's tentatively scheduled to work in the Cal League next year. Scouts see him better as a reliever than a starter, but both project him into the upper minors. A development spike or a slate of injuries could leave him at the big league's doorstep.
RP: Bryan Castillo—White Sox: A minor league free agent signed in 2019, Castillo struggled with control early in his professional career before putting it together last season. He walked just 11 in 29.1 innings for Haiti, striking out 25 and yielding just three home runs. The profile netted a 1.84 ERA, tremendous for the league, and a West Indies-leading 11 saves.
The control issues popped up in A-Ball last year, and Castillo will have to battle the control issues that plague his offspeed pitches even more. If the control comes around, there may be enough for Castillo to be the last man in a bullpen. If not, he could be pretty good in Triple-A. Not bad for an minor league free agent signing.
SP: Carlos Jo. Sanchez—Royals: Sanchez spent the past three seasons in Puerto Rico with middling results, finally putting it together this year to lead the league in FIP. His control isn't great and nobody is striking out anyone in the Caribbean, so his trick was to keep the ball on the ground. With only a pair of home runs hit off him, Sanchez was able to pull off a solid 4.20 ERA and earn 2.1 WAR, the fifth and second best marks in those categories.
Unfortunately, Sanchez doesn't appear to have a skill set worthy of full season ball. His control isn't there, and he doesn't profile as a guy who can make hitters uncomfortable. Puerto Rico had the second best defense in the league, with a spectacular center fielder. If Jeremy Anderson isn't on the field with Sanchez, then all the line drives to the gaps Sanchez allows would turn into doubles inflating his numbers.
RP: Luis de Jesus—Braves: Tying Bryan Castillo for a league-leading 11 saves, de Jesus had a strong year in short-season ball. He went 3-1, and only blew two save attempts, going 11-13 in attempts. Though de Jesus had been in Barbados for four years, this was his second season with a positive WAR.
Luis throws a heavy two-seam fastball from a 12-6 angle, getting extreme downward break on his pitches. He's mastered the trick to overwhelm short-season hitters, but it's a guess as to whether it will work in full season ball. There's not enough stuff or command to be more than a low-minors pitcher, but he'll apply his trade of burning worms for Rome in the South Atlantic league next year.
SP: Luis Baca—Royals: Baca was popped in the 11th round of the 2020 draft and has looked good early in his professional career. He pitched to a 3.07 ERA his first stop in Rookie Ball, working his way to Puerto Rico last season and recording a 1.90 ERA. He repeated the level this year, where his 3.89 ERA was good for fourth in the level, and his 2.0 WAR was good for third.
Scouts don't love Baca, seeing little more than a short-season starter, with neither Bill Schmidt nor OSA envisioning a career above, possibly A-Ball. However, the one thing the University of Texas graduate has going for him is a terrific personality. He works hard, learns, is flexible, and leads by example. If anyone can overcome a lack of stuff, the immigrant who moved to Texas from Mexico as a child and graduated from Austin can pull it off.
1B: Kyu-Cheol Kym—Brewers: A third round pick of the Brewers in 2020, Kym entered the extreme hitting environment of the Caribbean and wilted. The hulking South Korean first baseman hit just .229 with four home runs, for an OPS+ 38 points below the average of the level. Kym hit well in rookie ball the season prior, so it was a shock the 22-year-old hit as poorly as he did in Dominica. Graduating from Florida State, it isn't like Kim wasn't used to warm summer weather.
OSA projects Kim as an upper minors slugger. He'll have some power and a respectable hit tool, but not enough to scare major league pitchers. Bill Schmidt is even lower on the hit tool and power, and sees him topping out at High-A. Kym has nothing else going for him aside from hitting the ball and clubbing homers, so those tools will have to be special for him to carve out a career in the States and not be forced to try his hand in the KBO. Before advancing, Kym will likely need to repeat the level to show his worthy of full-season ball.
C: Joel Davis—Twins: Plucked in the fifth round last season out of Northeastern, Davis had a rude transition to professional ball. He played in just 20 games, hit .191, cracked a single homer, and only threw out 19% of base stealers.
Davis has good patience according to Bill Schmidt, and projects to hit some doubles, but he's not a great defender, doesn't have much pop, and has no speed. Both OSA and Bill Schmidt see him at the appropriate current level for him, so he'll need to repeat the level to prove worthy of A-Ball.
SP: Joe Martin—Twins: Minnesota's second-round pick last year had a rough introduction to professional ball. He carried a 5.32 ERA in 44.0 innings, walking 28. He only earned one start in 29 games, and only struck out 28.
Scouts feel the Northern Colorado product is advanced for the level and has a sinker, slider, changeup combination that can make him an asset in the majors. However, without a true fastball and with stamina questions, it's unsure whether he will be a starter or a reliever going forward. He'll be 23-years-old next year, so it may be worth it for Martin to advance to full-season ball, even with a poor showing.
RP: Juan Mendoza—Angels: Mendoza made 15 starts for Trinidad this past season and lost 13 of them, posting a 12.57 ERA in the process. He walked 66 and struck out 19 in almost comically bad ratio. He also allowed 16 home runs in 68 innings.
Mendoza was a scouting discovery out of the Dominican Republic in 2017. He pitched well in the Dominican Rookie League last year in 16.1 innings before humiliating himself this year. Scouts don't have much of an opinion on Mendoza, never seeing him escaping rookie-ball. The Angels tried to buck that by promoting him to Low-A, and it ended in disaster.
LF: Andy Sugilio—Reds: The 24-year old had a breakthrough season in Cuba, leading the West Indies league in average and OPS, and stealing 12 of 13 bases. Only one position player was within 1.1 WAR of his 3.7 WAR season.
The mitigating factor is that he's spent parts of five seasons in Short-A now, with only one start in full season ball to show for it. Sugilio should be a good hitter in the mid-minors, but at 25, he's running out of time to produce in the minors to show whether or not he can be more than a minor leaguer.
1B: Eddie Vogler—Royals: Vogler's 19 home runs tied for the league lead in home runs and his 67 RBIs finished third. He also played strong defense at first base, and earned an All-Star appearance.
Vogler was Kansas City's third round pick in 2020 and obviously flashes big power. At 23, he's already built into his frame. The question is whether the hit tool can come around. The defense and power gives him a Triple-A future according to OSA, but Bill Schmidt doesn't see the hit tool for the upper minors. He should top out leading the Texas League in home runs.
3B: Victor Ruiz—Reds: Ruiz had a decent season, starting off the year with seven home runs and a .776 OPS in A-Ball, before being demoted to Short-A where he led the league in RBIs.
The #53 prospect in baseball, Ruiz has huge power potential according to OSA, though Bill Schmidt merely thinks the power is very good. At 22-years-old, Ruiz still has time to develop, but he's bounced all over the low minors. It'll be time for him to stay at one level to see how productive he can be at full season ball.
CF: Jeremy Anderson—Royals: The 2nd Round pick of the Royals this season, Anderson led the West Indies in Zone Rating, compiling a 9.1 mark in center field with six assists. Anderson also hit .299 with 10 home runs in a very strong rookie debut.
A college signing out of Oral Roberts, Anderson is reasonably advanced as a prospect. His defense and speed are already calling cards, he has a good approach for the low minors, and he's got good muscle on a 195-pound frame. OSA likes Anderson's power more than Bill Schmidt does, and that may be the determining factor for whether Anderson is a low-end starter or a fifth outfielder.
SS: Luis Ya. Diaz—Dodgers: A burner, Diaz led the league in stolen base with 16 in 22 attempts. With a .395 on-base mark, Diaz had plenty of opportunities to run and put himself on the map with his speed. Diaz struggled in Rookie Ball in 2020, but with a .307 average, the aforementioned on-base mark, and the speed, he's put himself on the Dodgers' radar.
Speed and defense will naturally be Diaz' calling card, as he doesn't project to have another major league skill. Bill Schmidt sees enough patience and a touch of power to be a major league backup, while OSA sees a glorified pinch-runner. A trip to full-season ball should be in the cards for 2022.
2B: Ermys Reyes—Reds: Reyes was another older prospect for the Reds who has been in Cuba for years. Reyes first reached the level in 2018 and struggled a touch in limited at bats. His average popped up in 2019, but he finished the year with his second straight season with one home run. In 2020, the power increased to six homers, but the average fell to .245. This past year, buoyed by the offensive explosion in the league, Reyes hit .330, clubbed nine homers, and led the league with 23 doubles.
Now 25, Reyes doesn't project to have a big league skill outside of his ability to muscle doubles. He may not have a big league career, but deserves a shot at full-season ball.
SP: Kyle Molnar—Royals: After being drafted in the fourth round in 2018, Molnar has marinated in the low minors for a while. He made an All-Star Game with an ERA of 5.80 his first year, then saw his ERA rise higher and higher every year. He got promoted to short-season ball this year, and despite the jump in competition and the run environment, he led the West Indies in ERA with a sterling 3.02 mark, and in wins with 11.
Molnar will be 25 next year, and has the talent and now the results to make it to full season ball. Bill Schmidt sees a guy who can make it to Triple-A at least, envisioning decent stuff and control. OSA takes the stuff and control a step forward, and while their scouts envision some home runs in the majors, they see a guy who can throw strikes and miss bats.
RP: Jose Chacin—Dodgers: The runner-up in the West Indies Short League Pitcher of the Year voting, Chacin led the league in strikeouts with 63 and innings with 104.1. He allowed a fair bit of home runs, 13, but decent control and the strikeout totals gave him the third best ERA in the league.
Chacin was already called up to full-season ball, making an appearance last September after originally starting the year in the Midwest League. He's tentatively scheduled to work in the Cal League next year. Scouts see him better as a reliever than a starter, but both project him into the upper minors. A development spike or a slate of injuries could leave him at the big league's doorstep.
RP: Bryan Castillo—White Sox: A minor league free agent signed in 2019, Castillo struggled with control early in his professional career before putting it together last season. He walked just 11 in 29.1 innings for Haiti, striking out 25 and yielding just three home runs. The profile netted a 1.84 ERA, tremendous for the league, and a West Indies-leading 11 saves.
The control issues popped up in A-Ball last year, and Castillo will have to battle the control issues that plague his offspeed pitches even more. If the control comes around, there may be enough for Castillo to be the last man in a bullpen. If not, he could be pretty good in Triple-A. Not bad for an minor league free agent signing.
SP: Carlos Jo. Sanchez—Royals: Sanchez spent the past three seasons in Puerto Rico with middling results, finally putting it together this year to lead the league in FIP. His control isn't great and nobody is striking out anyone in the Caribbean, so his trick was to keep the ball on the ground. With only a pair of home runs hit off him, Sanchez was able to pull off a solid 4.20 ERA and earn 2.1 WAR, the fifth and second best marks in those categories.
Unfortunately, Sanchez doesn't appear to have a skill set worthy of full season ball. His control isn't there, and he doesn't profile as a guy who can make hitters uncomfortable. Puerto Rico had the second best defense in the league, with a spectacular center fielder. If Jeremy Anderson isn't on the field with Sanchez, then all the line drives to the gaps Sanchez allows would turn into doubles inflating his numbers.
RP: Luis de Jesus—Braves: Tying Bryan Castillo for a league-leading 11 saves, de Jesus had a strong year in short-season ball. He went 3-1, and only blew two save attempts, going 11-13 in attempts. Though de Jesus had been in Barbados for four years, this was his second season with a positive WAR.
Luis throws a heavy two-seam fastball from a 12-6 angle, getting extreme downward break on his pitches. He's mastered the trick to overwhelm short-season hitters, but it's a guess as to whether it will work in full season ball. There's not enough stuff or command to be more than a low-minors pitcher, but he'll apply his trade of burning worms for Rome in the South Atlantic league next year.
SP: Luis Baca—Royals: Baca was popped in the 11th round of the 2020 draft and has looked good early in his professional career. He pitched to a 3.07 ERA his first stop in Rookie Ball, working his way to Puerto Rico last season and recording a 1.90 ERA. He repeated the level this year, where his 3.89 ERA was good for fourth in the level, and his 2.0 WAR was good for third.
Scouts don't love Baca, seeing little more than a short-season starter, with neither Bill Schmidt nor OSA envisioning a career above, possibly A-Ball. However, the one thing the University of Texas graduate has going for him is a terrific personality. He works hard, learns, is flexible, and leads by example. If anyone can overcome a lack of stuff, the immigrant who moved to Texas from Mexico as a child and graduated from Austin can pull it off.
1B: Kyu-Cheol Kym—Brewers: A third round pick of the Brewers in 2020, Kym entered the extreme hitting environment of the Caribbean and wilted. The hulking South Korean first baseman hit just .229 with four home runs, for an OPS+ 38 points below the average of the level. Kym hit well in rookie ball the season prior, so it was a shock the 22-year-old hit as poorly as he did in Dominica. Graduating from Florida State, it isn't like Kim wasn't used to warm summer weather.
OSA projects Kim as an upper minors slugger. He'll have some power and a respectable hit tool, but not enough to scare major league pitchers. Bill Schmidt is even lower on the hit tool and power, and sees him topping out at High-A. Kym has nothing else going for him aside from hitting the ball and clubbing homers, so those tools will have to be special for him to carve out a career in the States and not be forced to try his hand in the KBO. Before advancing, Kym will likely need to repeat the level to show his worthy of full-season ball.
C: Joel Davis—Twins: Plucked in the fifth round last season out of Northeastern, Davis had a rude transition to professional ball. He played in just 20 games, hit .191, cracked a single homer, and only threw out 19% of base stealers.
Davis has good patience according to Bill Schmidt, and projects to hit some doubles, but he's not a great defender, doesn't have much pop, and has no speed. Both OSA and Bill Schmidt see him at the appropriate current level for him, so he'll need to repeat the level to prove worthy of A-Ball.
SP: Joe Martin—Twins: Minnesota's second-round pick last year had a rough introduction to professional ball. He carried a 5.32 ERA in 44.0 innings, walking 28. He only earned one start in 29 games, and only struck out 28.
Scouts feel the Northern Colorado product is advanced for the level and has a sinker, slider, changeup combination that can make him an asset in the majors. However, without a true fastball and with stamina questions, it's unsure whether he will be a starter or a reliever going forward. He'll be 23-years-old next year, so it may be worth it for Martin to advance to full-season ball, even with a poor showing.
RP: Juan Mendoza—Angels: Mendoza made 15 starts for Trinidad this past season and lost 13 of them, posting a 12.57 ERA in the process. He walked 66 and struck out 19 in almost comically bad ratio. He also allowed 16 home runs in 68 innings.
Mendoza was a scouting discovery out of the Dominican Republic in 2017. He pitched well in the Dominican Rookie League last year in 16.1 innings before humiliating himself this year. Scouts don't have much of an opinion on Mendoza, never seeing him escaping rookie-ball. The Angels tried to buck that by promoting him to Low-A, and it ended in disaster.