MLB Prospect Watch

Prospect Action - 5/5/13

Triple-A

• Zack Wheeler put together the best start of his season, throwing six shutout innings and walking just one, according to Jonathan Raymond of MiLB.com.  Wheeler has now put together back-to-back solid starts after struggling to begin the year.
• Dellin Betances threw five no-hit innings on Sunday, reports Ashley Marshall of MiLB.com, but true to form for the Yankees right-hander, he walked four in the outing.  It was a season-high in walks for Betances, who has given out 16 free passes in 24 innings.
• A two-run double for Mike Zunino proved to be the difference on Sunday, notes The Seattle Times.  The Mariners catcher got off to a hot start at the beginning of the season, but is just 3-for-30 over his past eight games.
• Jake Odorizzi and his Rays teammates combined on a no-hitter on Sunday, says Jake Seiner of MiLB.com.  Odorizzi struck out three and walked four in the outing, lowering his ERA to 2.65 on the season.

Double-A

• Dodgers outfielder Joc Pederson, often times over-shadowed within his own organization, broke out of a early-season slump on Sunday with a 4-for-6 day at the plate that included a home run, notes Raymond.
• Aaron Northcraft lowered his ERA to 3.46 on Sunday with five scoreless innings and six strike outs.  The Braves prospect broke out last season in the Carolina League, but has alternated good starts with poor ones so far in the Southern League.
• Kevin Gausman dropped to 1-4 on the season despite allowing just two runs in seven innings of work.  The Orioles 2012 first-rounder has now allowed two earned runs or less in his last three starts.

High-A

• Domingo Tapia threw six innings of two-hit ball, reports Seiner,  lowering the Mets right-hander's ERA to 2.23 on the season. Tapia has been strong this season in his second year in full-season ball, striking out 28 batters in 32 1/3 innings.
• Giants slugger Angel Villalona hit his sixth home run of the season and now has his batting average up to .214 thanks to 11 hits in his last 10 games.
• Gregory Polanco raised his batting average to .321 on the year with a 3-for-5 day at the plate that included a double and a home run.  The Pirates outfielder is now slugging .486 on the season and also has 10 steals.

Low-A

• Twins prospect Jose Berrios advanced to 3-0 on the season after striking out eight batters in six innings of work.   The 2012 first-round pick now sports a 2.55 ERA on the season with 21 strike outs in 17 2/3 innings.
• Tyrell Jenkins threw a complete game shutout on Sunday, lowering his ERA to 4.97 on the season.  The Cardinals prospect needed just 97 pitches to complete the outing.

Prospect Action - 5/2/13

Triple-A

• Sean Gilmartin has been very sharp lately, and the Braves was at it again on Thursday, taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning before allowing three runs in 6 2/3 innings to take his first loss of the season, according to Sam Dykstra of MiLB.com.
• Oscar Taveras hit his third home run of the season, as the Cardinals outfielder is how hitting .313 on the season.
• Mike Zunino and Nick Franklin weren't able to join in the offensive party with their Mariners teammates on Thursday, as both went 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts each.  Franklin, playing shortstop on this night, has been the subject of promotion rumors given the Mariners offensive struggles this season in the majors and his red-hot start.
• Jonathan Villar had a huge day at the plate, as the Astros shortstop prospect went 4-for-4 with a home run, reports Robert Emrich of MiLB.com.  Villar is now hitting .442 over his past 10 games and is in the midst of an eight-game hitting streak.

Double-A

• Jameson Taillon allowed at least three runs for the third straight start, although this time out, just two of them were earned.  Taillon was able to strike out six batters in as many innings, but took the loss in the outing, the third of the year for the Pirates right-hander.
• In a somewhat unlikely pitcher's duel, Yankees lefty Nik Turley struck out eight over six innings of one-run baseball to defeat Blue Jays right-hander Deck McGuire, who allowed just two runs over six innings of his own.  Both pitchers entered the game with ERA's over 5.00.
• It took Anthony Ranaudo 85 pitches to get though 5 1/3 innings before being removed due to the Red Sox pitch limit restrictions, but during his time in the game, he managed to allow just one run while striking out four.
• Archie Bradley appeared to have no trouble making the transition to Double-A, as the Diamondbacks through a six-inning complete game in a shortened contest, striking out seven batters in six innings and allowing just one run.  Bradley, recently promoted to Mobile, has battled control issues last season, but has showed much improvement this year and walked just two in his first start at his new level.
• Yasiel Puig hit his fifth home run of the season, but it wasn't enough run support for fellow Dodgers prospect Chris Reed, who got roughed up in the start, allowing six runs in 4 2/3 innings.

High-A

• Aaron Sanchez was dominant on Wednesday, striking out six batters and allowing just one run in 3 2/3 innings. Sanchez has been good again this season and now has a 3.16 ERA and a 2.54 FIP on the year.
• Marlins pitcher Jose Urena got hit around in his latest start, allowing six runs (five earned) in five innings of work, but still managed to earn a win.
• Sam Selman, the Royals second-round pick last year, struggled again, allowing five runs (four earned) in 3 2/3 innings of work.  The left-hander is walking too many batters, having now allowed 18 free passes in 21 innings.

Low-A

• Byron Buxton hit his fifth home run of the season as the Twins prospect continues to dominate the Midwest League.  The second overall pick from last season is now hitting .388/.509/.694 on the season and could earn himself a promotion in the next month. 
• Joey Gallo hit his ninth home run of the season and fellow Rangers teammate Lewis Brinson hit fifth en route to a 6-3 victory.

Prospect Action - 5/1/13

Triple-A

• Sonny Gray threw a complete game on Wednesday, a rarity not only in the Pacific Coast League but in minor league baseball in general, as the A's right-hander struck out six while allowing just one run, reports Ashley Marshall of MiLB.com.
• The Brewers could use some pitching help in the major leagues, and Tyler Thornburg was a potential candidate if he were pitching well this season, but his struggles continued on Wednesday as the right-hander allowed four runs in as many innings.  Thornburg now has a 5.59 ERA on the season and has allowed at least three runs in three of his six starts this year, although he does have a 3.41 FIP due to an unlucky .371 BABIP.
• The International League was off on Wednesday.

Double-A

• Taijuan Walker struck out seven in six innings while allowing just one run, notes Jonathan Raymond of MiLB.com.  The Mariners top prospect has now allowed one run or less in four straight starts.
• Matt Barnes was dominant on Wednesday, striking out 10 in six innings in a much-needed solid outing.  The Red Sox righty has been inconsistent this season has been inconsistent this season, mixing in good outings in with poor ones and twice allowing over five runs in a start and failing to get out of the fifth inning in three of his five starts on the season. 
• Rafael Montero showed why he's not quite ready for a promotion yet, as the Mets right-hander allowed 10 runs (seven earned) over 6 2/3 innings.  Montero had been pitching very well in his first taste of Double-A over his first five starts, leading many to call for a promotion, but the Mets appear to let him stay in Binghamton for a little while.

High-A

• Former first-rounder Tyler Anderson gave up five runs in six innings, but the Rockies lefty also struck out six in the outing.
• Cheslor Cuthbert hit a walk-off home run, the first bomb of the season for the Royals third base prospect.
• Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor collected two more hits on Wednesday and is now hitting .351/.425/.521 on the season.

Low-A

• Yankees prospect Jose Campos, who came over to the team in the Michael Pineda trade, struck out seven batters in three innings of relief, but allowed four hits and two runs in the process.  It was the first relief apperance for Campos, but the three-inning stint was the same as his previous four outings of the season as he comes back from an arm injury.
• Robert Stephenson got his first win of the season despite allowing four runs in five innings of work.  The Reds 2011 first-rounder has struggled this season despite striking out 35 batters in 28 innings, due largely in part to a .408 BABIP.  Stephenson has an FIP of 2.91, indicating that he has pitched better than his ERA would indicate.

Arrested Prospects - Yasiel Puig and Mason Williams

Puig Arrested for Speeding

Dodgers super-prospect Yasiel Puig was arrested over the weekend in Tennessee (he's currently on the disabled list with the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts) for speeding, reckless driving, and driving without insurance, reports Austin Laymance of MLB.com.  Puig has since been released from jail.

There is no word yet what effect this incident will have on Puig's development, time on the field, etc., although it's possible that it won't have any, especially with his current injured state.  As far as arrestable offenses go, this is a relatively minor incident (again, relatively), and an internal talking-to could be enough in the mind of the Dodgers.  Steve Dilbeck of The Los Angeles Times makes the argument that this could simply be the effects of being bored and wealthy in a foreign land, which isn't an excuse in any way for being reckless, but certainly does happen.

Hopefully for Puig, the Dodgers, and motorists in Tennessee, this is an isolated incident, but if nothing else, these kinds of maturity issues make it seem like an even better decision by the Dodgers to send him to the minors.

 

Williams Gets Misdemeanor DUI

Mason Williams, a top prospect in the Yankees organization, was also arrested over the weekend, but on a more serious charge, a DUI charge in the Tampa area, according to The New York Daily News.  Williams was given a breathalyzer and blew below the legal limit and was given a misdemeanor DUI charge instead of the felony version.

I won't even pretend to understand the legal issues at work here, and what the effects are of getting the lesser of the two DUI's is or how you can get a DUI when you're below the legal limit.  All this really proves is that nothing good happens when you're out driving around at 2:45 a.m., the time of Williams' arrest.

At the very least, this signifies a significant lapse in judgement for a player who has already been stuck with the "maturity issues" label.

Prospect Action - 4/14/13

Triple-A

• Angels prospect Orangel Arenas out-pitched Mariners lefty Danny Hultzen on Sunday, as Arenas recorded five shutout innings for the victory.  Hultzen didn't pitch poorly, writes John McGrath of The Tacoma News-Tribune, but the two runs he allowed in 5 2/3 innings was too much on this day.
• Zack Wheeler allowed three runs in 5 1/3 innings, but was more impressive than his stat line would indicate, according to Michael Baron of MetsBlog.com.  The Mets top prospect has been effective but erratic in his first three starts, but part of that can be attributed to missing time in spring training and part can be blamed on the extreme hitting environment in Las Vegas.
• Oakland A's outfield prospect Michael Choice is taking advantage of hitting in the Pacific Coast League, hitting a pair of home runs on Sunday to give him three on the season, notes Jonathan Raymond of MiLB.com.

Double-A

• Matt Barnes ran into trouble on Sunday, allowing four runs while failing to make it out of the third inning, reports The Portland Press Herald.  The Red Sox first round pick from 2011 is off to a rough start in his first taste of Double-A, posting a 18.90 ERA through his first two starts.
• Yordano Ventura struck out seven batters over five innings of work, writes Robert Emrich of MiLB.com.  The diminutive Royals right-hander is off to another strong start, posting a 1.80 ERA over his first two starts.
• The Trenton Thunder got a pair of three-hit games from Yankees prospects Tyler Austin and J.R. Murphy, notes Josh Norris of The Trentonian.  For Murphy, the game raises his batting average to .344 after struggling in Double-A last season.

High-A

• Miguel Sano went 3-for-4 on a day that included a go-ahead three-run homer by the Twins top prospect, writes Jake Seiner of MiLB.com.  It was the third home run of the year for the young slugger, who is hitting .400 through his first ten games.
• Courtney Hawkins homered again, giving the White Sox 2012 first-rounder four on the season.  It's been feast-or-famine for Hawkins in the early-going this season with the four bombs, but just a .200 batting average and 18 strikeouts to just two walks in eight games.
• Angel Villalona hit his first home run in the U.S. since 2009, as part of a two-hit day to get his batting average up to .091 on the season.  The Giants prospect was allowed back in the country this season for the first time in three years after a murder charge in the Dominican Republic.

Low-A

• Despite great stuff, Robert Stephenson is getting roughed-up in the Midwest League.  The Reds 2011 first-rounder had his worst outing of the year, allowing eight runs (six earned) without getting out of the third inning on Sunday, raising his ERA to 7.11 on the season.
• Tyrell Jenkins took his first loss of the season, allowing three runs in five innings of work, walking three and striking out just one batter in the outing.  It's the second straight outing for the Cardinals right-hander in which he's given up three runs in five innings.