MLB Prospect Watch

Returning Prospects: Singleton, Almora, Stroman

Singleton to Work Way Back

Jonathan Singleton, the Astros top prospect who has missed the first 50 games of the season due to suspension, is set to return at the end of the month, but he won't immediately begin at Double-A Corpus Christi where he finished last season or Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he would have began the season if not suspended, says Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.  Instead, Singleton will begin his 2013 campaign in Low-A Quad Cities.

The Astros want to ease Singleton back into competitive baseball without throwing him into a level he's yet to reach, and that's a sound strategy, but it could have secondary benefit for the Astros.  With their 2013 season going nowhere, the slower they move Singleton along, the easier it will be to hold him off from the majors until they are closer to competition.  Had he been eligible to begin the season on time, he would likely be pushing his way towards a late-season call-up.  Thanks to his inability to stop smoking weed, the Astros can justify bringing him along slowly this season and leave him in Triple-A for the remainder of the season.

I discussed the character issues surrounding his inability to stop smoking after his first failed test (it takes two failed tests to get suspended), but in the long run, as long as Singleton can stay out of trouble, his suspension could actually work out in the Astros favor, in terms of timing his assent to the majors with their own organizational development.

 

Almora to Kane County

Cubs fans have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of Albert Almora to a league where they can put some stock in the results, but their wait is finally over.  The 2012 first-rounder has missed the beginning of the 2013 season due to a broken hamate bone in his hand, but his time in extended spring training is over and he's heading to Low-A Kane County, says The Cub Reporter.

Almora has shown glimpses of the ability that got him selected sixth overall last season, but his time in the Midwest League will be the first chance to show how his tools will translate against an advanced level of competition.

 

Stroman Has Successful Return

Marcus Stroman made his 2013 debut on Sunday with five innings of scoreless baseball, during which he struck out six, notes Evan Peaslee of MLB.com.  Stroman has been suspended for the first 50 games of the season for failing a drug test for a performance-enhancing substance, which is a different violation than Singleton's, despite the same penalty.

It's worth noting that the Blue Jays plan to keep the 5-foot-9 Stroman as a starter for the time being, which makes sense in an attempt to maximize his ceiling.  Just because he's short doesn't mean he can't be a starter, despite the accepted convention within baseball, and at the very least, using him as one in the minors will give him more developmental experience even if he ends up as a reliever down the road.

Prospect Action - 5/16/13

Triple-A

• Johnny Hellweg earned his second win of the season thanks to six shutout innings despite walking six batters in the outing.  It was the first time since his initial start of the season that the Brewers flame-thrower allowed zero runs and he's now walked 31 batters in 38 2/3 innings.
• In his return to Triple-A, Martin Perez allowed four runs in five innings but struck out four to take a loss.  The Rangers left-hander hasn't truly been effective at any level since a half-season stint in Double-A in 2011, yet because of his talented left arm, he continues to be a focal point of prospect followers.
• Sonny Gray allowed just one run in his first six innings of work, but the A's right-hander failed to get out of the seventh inning and allowed four runs (three earned) when it was all said and done in the loss.
• Michael Wacha tossed his Cardinals teammates on his back on Thursday and led them to a victory behind seven dominant innings of one-run baseball during which the 2012 first-rounder struck out eight and walked just one.

Double-A

• The Marlins got a nice glimpse into their future on Thursday as Christian Yelich continued his hot hitting, going 3-for-4 with a double and a home run in support of left-hander Adam Conley, who has been inconsistent this season but allowed 3 runs (two earned) in five innings on this night.
• Trevor May has generally been strong in his initial season in the Twins organization, but on Thursday he allowed more runs than innings pitched for the second time this season, allowing five runs and nine hits in four innings.
• Royals starter Yordano Ventura was a hard-luck loser after he struck out nine batters in six innings while allowing just three hits but two runs.

High-A

• Pirates outfielder Gregory Polanco hit his fifth home run of the season on Thursday, but Phillies third base prospect Maikel Franco was not to be outdone, hitting a pair of his own home runs, giving him eight on the season.
• Kyle Zimmer struggled on Thursday, allowing five runs in four innings to drop to 0-3 on the season.
• Addison Russell took a big step back from his rough start to the season, going 2-for-4 with a home run and reaching base four times.

Low-A

• Gloskar Amaya had a three-hit day to pick up fellow Cubs prospect Rock Shoulders, who went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts in the game.
• Jesse Winkler, the Reds supplemental first-rounder from 2012, went 2-for-4 with his fifth home run of the season.

Prospect Action - 5/13/13

Triple-A

• Jonathan Schoop's three-hit day, which included his third home run of the season, was just a part of the offensive onslaught put forth by his Orioles teammates in their 14-1 drubbing on Sunday.  Schoop is now hitting .349 over his past 10 games, but still just .268 on the season.
• Nick Franklin hit a go-ahead home run in the 13th inning to seal the deal for his Mariners teammates on Sunday.  For Franklin it was part of a 3.for-6 day that saw his batting average rise to .349 as he continues to make his case for a call-up.
• On a home run-filled afternoon, A's outfielder Michael Choice hit his eighth blast of the year while Brewers outfielder Khris Davis hit a pair of bombs.

Double-A

• Anthony Rendon had a perfect game at the plate, one which included his fourth home run of the season, and the Nationals prospect is now hitting .452 (14-for-31) since his return to the minors.
• Jesus Aguilar hit his fourth home run of the season as part of a day in which he reached base three times.  The Indians first base prospect has struggled to carry his 2012 success over into the Double-A level this year and is slugging just .381 on the season.
• Anthony Ranaudo advanced to 5-1 on the season as the Red Sox prospect tossed six shutout innings while striking out five.  The outing lowered his ERA to 1.38 on the season.
• On-base magician Mike O'Neill reached safely three more times on Sunday, collecting a pair of hits and a walk.  The Cardinals outfielder is now hitting .340 on the season with a .489 on-base percentage.

High-A

• Clayton Blackburn struggled for the third straight start as the Giants prospect allowed five runs (four earned) in four innings.  Blackburn has now allowed at least four runs in three consecutive outings after not allowing more than two in any of his first four starts.
• Tyler Naquin hit his third home run of the season.  The Indians outfielder is now hitting .291/.346/.454 on the season.
• After struggling in Triple-A this season and Double-A last season, Angels prospect Orangel Arenas is back in the California League and turned in a dominant start in his first outing, allowing just one run in seven innings.

Low-A

• In a crazy offensive day, the Twins got impressive performances at the plate from two of their top picks from last year's draft.  Byron Buxton, the second overall pick, went 4-for-7 to raise his batting average to .352 on the year, but he was outdone by third-rounder Adam Brett Walker, who went 4-for-6 with two doubles and two home runs.
• Cubs first baseman Rock Shoulders continues to display his power, hitting a grand slam on Sunday, his eighth home run of the season.

 

Is Rock Shoulders For Real?

No, I'm not talking about his name (Rock is short for Roderick), which makes him sound more like a Batman villian than a baseball player, but rather the game of Rock Shoulders, the Chicago Cubs minor league player of the month for April.

A 25th round pick in 2011, Shoulders is a raw prospect with whom the Cubs are wisely taking their time.  At 6'2" 225 lbs., Shoulders is a physical presence and his size and lack of athleticism limits him to first base, despite playing behind the plate in high school.  The Cubs are trying him out in left field which could increase his versatility, but most scouts believe he's destined for first base.  All of this adds up to a limited player whose entire value is in his bat.

Which may be a problem if his name wasn't Rock.

While his name in and of itself may not be a qualification to be a prospect (although there is something to be said for having a notable name that separates you from the overwhelming number of players in the minors), his raw power at the plate is enough to making him worth following.  After all, someone has to play first base, and ideally, he should hit a lot of home runs.

Shoulders should be able to do exactly that.  After spending just one season at Manatee-Sarasota Community College (home of, you guessed it, the Manatees), Shoulders played eight games in the Arizona Rookie League, not a large enough sample size to tell us much of anything, although five doubles during that time was a good sign, even though it came with 10 strike outs.

The Cubs kept the 20-year-old Shoulders in extended spring training to begin last season, eventually sending him to short-season ball in the Northwest League.  Playing for Boise, Shoulders hit .250/.342/.447 with 10 home runs in 63 games, not a bad line, but not the kind of production to get anyone excited about a player limited to first base.  There were some positive signs for Shoulders, like his 11.8 percent walk rate, and his .197 ISO, good for 10th in the league among players with at least 100 plate appearances.

Still, it wasn't an overwhelming performance that was going to warrant a lot of attention.  Not like what he's done this season.

Shoulders got his first full-season assignment this season, reporting to Low-A Kane County of the Midwest League.  He's responded to the challenge by hitting .360/.443/.640 with six home runs in 27 games.

Which brings us full circle, back to the initial question.  Is Rock Shoulders for real?

Parts of his development are very real, while others are certain to regress, likely sooner rather than later.  For instance, Shoulders is not a .360 hitter.  It's not a knock on Shoulders, very few hitters are actually .360 hitters, even against minor league competition, and even fewer slow players are.  To bat .360, you almost certainly have to beat out a few infield singles or be Ted Williams.

But when Shoulders' .435 BABIP eventually normalizes, it doesn't have to mean the end of his offensive production.  Shoulders has raised his walk rate to to 13 percent this season while cutting his strike out rate from 29.1 percent last season to 21.7 percent this year, indicating a more refined approach at the plate, and he's made the adjustment while hitting for as much power as ever.

The good news for Cubs fans is that the power is very real, and it appears to have come in a package that has a clue at the plate.  Shoulders is going to hit plenty of home runs, and he appears to be ready to take his walks as well when pitchers begin avoiding him, and also appears to be able to do so without having extreme strike out numbers.  As a left-handed hitter, he's also on the proper side of a platoon, should it come to that.

Of course, this is based on a little over a month of Low-A production.  Shoulders is not going to be at Wrigley any time soon and is likely a hitter that will need close to a full season at each minor league level.  He's 21 in Low-A ball (slightly old for the level), but shouldn't be expected in Chicago until he's 23 or so, even if everything goes well, and there's plenty that can go wrong between now and then.

Shoulders is still just earning his way onto the prospect radar, and even with his hot start this season, he has a way to go simply because of his short track record and the high production level needed to be a big-time first base prospect.

But for now, it's worth getting slightly excited about Shoulders.  He may not be a tremendous all-around athlete, but physical, left-handed hitters with plus power and an idea of how to control the strike zone still have value, even if they have to play first base.  Shoulders has a long way to go to prove he can be this type of player for more than a month or at higher levels of the minors, but for now, he's shown us that there is something there worth looking at more closely.

Prospect Action - 5/3/12

Triple-A

• Allen Webster, back in the minors after a major league spot start, earned his first win of the season, as the Red Sox prospect struck out nine over six innings of work, says Jonathan Raymond of MiLB.com.
• James Paxton struck out nine batters in five innings and the Mariners left-hander retired the first 13 batters he faced, reports T.J. Cotterill of The Tacoma News Tribune.
• Michael Kickham struck out eight over 7 1/3 innings of shutout baseball on Friday, notes Sam Dykstra of MiLB.com.  The Giants left-hander entered the game having allowed at least five runs in each of his previous three starts.
• Kyle Gibson's inconsistencies continued on Friday as the Twins prospect continued to alternate strong starts with poor ones, allowing five runs in 4 2/3 innings in his latest outing.
• Joey Terdoslavich continued his hot hitting this season, as the Braves prospect, playing right field on Friday, went 3-for-4 with a home run.

Double-A

• George Springer had another hot day at the plate, going 3-for-5 with a double and a home run, the ninth blast of the season for the Astros outfielder.  Springer is now hitting .305/.402/.638 on the season.
• A 1-for-5 day at the plate left Xander Bogaerts still hitting .303 on the season, and the Red Sox shortstop hit his second home run of the year in the game.
• Alex Wood made it just four innings before reaching his 85-pitch limit for the night, but he did strike out seven batters in the process.

High-A

• A.J. Cole tossed a gem on Friday, striking out nine over six innings of shutout baseball for his first win of the season.  Cole is back in the Nationals organization after being traded for Gio Gonzalez, but was returned in the Mike Morse three-team trade.
• Noah Syndergaard was strong again, allowing just a run over six innings while striking out five.  The Mets right-hander now sports a 2.90 ERA on the season.
• Nolan Fontana put together a four-hit night and is now hitting .384 on the season.  The Astros shortstop is hitting .514 over the past ten games and has a .515 on-base percentage on the season. 

Low-A

• Rock Shoulders, America's favorite prospect name, hit his sixth home run of the season.  The Cubs first base prospect is now hitting .366/.449/.656 on the season, his first in full-season ball.
• Joey Gallo hit his 10th home run of the season as part of a 2-for-4 day at the plate.  The Rangers third baseman has now homered in back-to-back games and is now leading the South Atlantic League in home runs.