Post by Padres GM (Noah) on Jan 11, 2018 13:26:24 GMT -5
Michel Baez, RHP, Grade A-/B+: Age 21, signed out of Cuba in December 2016; excellent debut with 2.45 ERA in 59 innings in Low-A, 82/8 K/BB, 41 hits; all ratios off the charts; 94-98 MPH fastball with plus slider, plus change-up, and stunningly good control for a 6-foot-8 inch pitcher; as with Gore the main need at this point is to show how he handles a full workload but he has the stuff and command of a top-of-the-rotation pitcher. ETA late 2019.
Luis Urias, 2B-SS, Grade B+: Age 20, signed out of Mexico in 2013; hit .296/.398/.380 with 20 doubles, three homers, 68 walks, 65 strikeouts in 442 at-bats in Double-A; excellent strike zone judgment with contact ability and gap power, not likely to be a home run hitter but has respectable punch, enough to keep pitchers honest; not a butcher at shortstop but range and hands work better at second base; could be something like Freddy Sanchez with more walks and fewer injuries. ETA late 2018.
Joey Wentz, LHP, Grade B+/B: Age 20, comp round pick in 2016 from high school in Kansas; 2.60 ERA with 152/46 K/BB in 132 innings in Low-A, 99 hits; there’s concern in some quarters that his fastball declined from his high school peak but that’s rather typical and there was certainly no loss of dominance, reports on secondary pitches are likewise mixed, some sources reporting that both his curveball and change-up have improved while others saying the curveball in particular is weak; I like his delivery; I do tend to be biased in favor of cold-weather pitchers and am giving him the benefit of the doubt. ETA 2021.
Sandy Alcantara, RHP, Grade B/B-: Age 22, signed by St. Louis Cardinals out of Dominican Republic in 2013, traded to Marlins in Marcell Ozuna deal; posted 4.31 ERA with 106/54 K/BB in 125 innings in Double-A, 125 hits; threw eight innings of relief in MLB, with 4.32 ERA, 10/6 K/BB; hard-thrower at 95-100 MPH; both slider and change-up flash as a quality pitches but are inconsistent, as is his command; unclear if he starts or relieves in the long run; to be honest the numbers do not support a grade this high but my intuition says to give the arm strength another year; your mileage may vary: ETA late 2018.
Gregory Soto, LHP, Grade B-: Age 23, signed out of Dominican Republic in 2012; breakout season with 2.25 ERA, 144/65 K/BB in 124 innings in Low-A/High-A, only 97 hits allowed; negative here is walk rate; positives are strikeouts and hit profile; scouts well with low-90s power sinker, solid curveball and adequate but erratic change-up; heat comes easy but still a bit more thrower than pitcher; high ceiling; look for any reduction in walk rate for signs of another leap forward; ETA 2020.
Blake Rutherford, OF, Grade B-: Age 20, first round pick by the New York Yankees in 2016, traded to White Sox in Todd Frazier deal; hit .260/.326/.348 in the Low-A South Atlantic League with 25 doubles, two homers, 10 steals, 38 walks, 76 strikeouts in 396 at-bats; hasn’t lived up to high school press clippings yet, lack of power being the main problem despite positive reports on his bat speed and swing mechanics; certainly young enough to improve but he won’t advance as quickly as anticipated on draft day; ETA 2021.
Jose Israel Garcia, SS, Grade B-: Age 19, Cuban, signed for $5,000,000 last summer; hasn’t played yet so YMMV on placement; scouting reports show a right-handed hitter with 60-65 speed, 60-grade arm, chance to stay at shortstop if he doesn’t fill out his 6-3 body too much, mixed reports on power potential but said to have a mature hitting approach; very intriguing but let’s get some data. ETA 2022?
Riley Pint, RHP, Grade B-: Age 20, first round pick in 2016 from high school in Kansas; very disappointing season for the fourth-overall pick in the ’16 draft, posting 5.42 ERA with 79/59 K/BB in 93 innings, 96 hits in Low-A; home park bandbox at Asheville didn’t help but he was equally bad on the road; fastball reported as high as a rumored/reported 102, a definitely confirmed 99, and consistently 94-96, but very inconsistent off-speed pitches and poor command due to mechanical issues make him quite hittable at this point, even for Low-A hitters; widely regarded as best pitching prospect in the Rockies system; in my opinion he has the best arm for certain, but that’s not the same thing as being the best pitching prospect, thus his ranking here; he certainly has lots of time but another bad year as a starter will increase relief rumors; ETA 2021.
Anderson Tejeda, INF, Grade B-: Age 19, signed out of Dominican Republic for just $100,000 in 2014, hit .247/.309/.411 with eight homers, 10 steals, 36 walks, 132 strikeouts in 401 at-bats in Low-A, playing the first two months of the season at age 18; lefty hitter with occasional pop and decent speed, strike zone judgment needs work, tools probably fit best at second base in the long run; bat is more developed than Seise’s at this point but his fielding isn’t as good; ETA 2022.
Francisco Morales, RHP, Grade B-/C+: Age 18, signed out of Venezuela in 2016, made pro debut in Gulf Coast League and posted 3.05 ERA, 44/20 K/BB in 41 innings, 34 hits; 90-96 sinker that may add another tick as he gets older; slider and change-up are solid for his age and we should see his strikeout rate rise as they sharpen up; might be the best pitching prospect in the system two years from now; ETA 2022.
Logan Shore, RHP, Grade B-/C+: Age 22, second round pick in 2016 from University of Florida; posted 4.09 ERA with 74/16 K/BB in 73 innings in High-A, 81 hits; missed a month with a lat strain; fastball around 90 and a bit higher can play up due to contrast with excellent change-up; slider needs more consistency as it varies between mediocre and plus, probably more of a number four starter than an ace unless his velocity picks up further, or unless the breaking ball becomes more consistent, which could happen. ETA 2019.
Ariel Jurado, RHP, Grade C+: Age 22, signed out of Panama in 2012; posted 4.59 ERA with 95/37 K/BB in 157 innings in Double-A, 188 hits, 1.53 GO/AO; one of my favorites entering 2017 but he did not have a good year; still made every start and chewed innings and if anything his control actually improved, but Texas League observers reported obvious decline in stuff; fastball was down a tick in both velocity and (more importantly) sinking action; his slider regressed; still flashed a decent change-up but it wasn’t enough; given his age it is too soon to write him off but I was clearly too optimistic here; might do better in bullpen; ETA 2020.
Kevin Newman, SS, Grade C+: Age 24, first round pick in 2015 from University of Arizona; hit .267/.311/.363 with four homers, 11 steals, 29 walks, 62 strikeouts in 509 at-bats between Double-A and Triple-A; very reliable defender at shortstop, although arm and natural range are just average his instincts are excellent and he made just nine errors in 119 games; contact hitter with occasional gap power but unlikely to hit many homers; strikes me as the type of hitter who has an “unexpected” offensive surge in his late 20s; ETA 2018.
Cory Abbott, RHP, Grade C+: Age 22, second round pick in 2017 from Loyola Marymount; spectacular spring with 1.74 ERA in 98 innings, 130/28 K/BB, just 61 hits; pitched 14 pro innings in the Northwest League with 18/3 K/BB, 3.86 ERA; advanced pitchability with low-90s fastball, curve, change-up, cutter; the whole is greater than the sum of the individual parts; potential number four starter on paper but these guys can surprise you. ETA 2020.
Other Prospects of Note: Norge Ruiz, Reggie Lawson, Tre Carter, Dakota Chalmers, Jose Castillo
Amateur Draft Picks: Cadyn Grenier, Tristan Beck, Griffin Roberts
2018 IFA Signed:
Luis Urias, 2B-SS, Grade B+: Age 20, signed out of Mexico in 2013; hit .296/.398/.380 with 20 doubles, three homers, 68 walks, 65 strikeouts in 442 at-bats in Double-A; excellent strike zone judgment with contact ability and gap power, not likely to be a home run hitter but has respectable punch, enough to keep pitchers honest; not a butcher at shortstop but range and hands work better at second base; could be something like Freddy Sanchez with more walks and fewer injuries. ETA late 2018.
Joey Wentz, LHP, Grade B+/B: Age 20, comp round pick in 2016 from high school in Kansas; 2.60 ERA with 152/46 K/BB in 132 innings in Low-A, 99 hits; there’s concern in some quarters that his fastball declined from his high school peak but that’s rather typical and there was certainly no loss of dominance, reports on secondary pitches are likewise mixed, some sources reporting that both his curveball and change-up have improved while others saying the curveball in particular is weak; I like his delivery; I do tend to be biased in favor of cold-weather pitchers and am giving him the benefit of the doubt. ETA 2021.
Sandy Alcantara, RHP, Grade B/B-: Age 22, signed by St. Louis Cardinals out of Dominican Republic in 2013, traded to Marlins in Marcell Ozuna deal; posted 4.31 ERA with 106/54 K/BB in 125 innings in Double-A, 125 hits; threw eight innings of relief in MLB, with 4.32 ERA, 10/6 K/BB; hard-thrower at 95-100 MPH; both slider and change-up flash as a quality pitches but are inconsistent, as is his command; unclear if he starts or relieves in the long run; to be honest the numbers do not support a grade this high but my intuition says to give the arm strength another year; your mileage may vary: ETA late 2018.
Gregory Soto, LHP, Grade B-: Age 23, signed out of Dominican Republic in 2012; breakout season with 2.25 ERA, 144/65 K/BB in 124 innings in Low-A/High-A, only 97 hits allowed; negative here is walk rate; positives are strikeouts and hit profile; scouts well with low-90s power sinker, solid curveball and adequate but erratic change-up; heat comes easy but still a bit more thrower than pitcher; high ceiling; look for any reduction in walk rate for signs of another leap forward; ETA 2020.
Blake Rutherford, OF, Grade B-: Age 20, first round pick by the New York Yankees in 2016, traded to White Sox in Todd Frazier deal; hit .260/.326/.348 in the Low-A South Atlantic League with 25 doubles, two homers, 10 steals, 38 walks, 76 strikeouts in 396 at-bats; hasn’t lived up to high school press clippings yet, lack of power being the main problem despite positive reports on his bat speed and swing mechanics; certainly young enough to improve but he won’t advance as quickly as anticipated on draft day; ETA 2021.
Jose Israel Garcia, SS, Grade B-: Age 19, Cuban, signed for $5,000,000 last summer; hasn’t played yet so YMMV on placement; scouting reports show a right-handed hitter with 60-65 speed, 60-grade arm, chance to stay at shortstop if he doesn’t fill out his 6-3 body too much, mixed reports on power potential but said to have a mature hitting approach; very intriguing but let’s get some data. ETA 2022?
Riley Pint, RHP, Grade B-: Age 20, first round pick in 2016 from high school in Kansas; very disappointing season for the fourth-overall pick in the ’16 draft, posting 5.42 ERA with 79/59 K/BB in 93 innings, 96 hits in Low-A; home park bandbox at Asheville didn’t help but he was equally bad on the road; fastball reported as high as a rumored/reported 102, a definitely confirmed 99, and consistently 94-96, but very inconsistent off-speed pitches and poor command due to mechanical issues make him quite hittable at this point, even for Low-A hitters; widely regarded as best pitching prospect in the Rockies system; in my opinion he has the best arm for certain, but that’s not the same thing as being the best pitching prospect, thus his ranking here; he certainly has lots of time but another bad year as a starter will increase relief rumors; ETA 2021.
Anderson Tejeda, INF, Grade B-: Age 19, signed out of Dominican Republic for just $100,000 in 2014, hit .247/.309/.411 with eight homers, 10 steals, 36 walks, 132 strikeouts in 401 at-bats in Low-A, playing the first two months of the season at age 18; lefty hitter with occasional pop and decent speed, strike zone judgment needs work, tools probably fit best at second base in the long run; bat is more developed than Seise’s at this point but his fielding isn’t as good; ETA 2022.
Francisco Morales, RHP, Grade B-/C+: Age 18, signed out of Venezuela in 2016, made pro debut in Gulf Coast League and posted 3.05 ERA, 44/20 K/BB in 41 innings, 34 hits; 90-96 sinker that may add another tick as he gets older; slider and change-up are solid for his age and we should see his strikeout rate rise as they sharpen up; might be the best pitching prospect in the system two years from now; ETA 2022.
Logan Shore, RHP, Grade B-/C+: Age 22, second round pick in 2016 from University of Florida; posted 4.09 ERA with 74/16 K/BB in 73 innings in High-A, 81 hits; missed a month with a lat strain; fastball around 90 and a bit higher can play up due to contrast with excellent change-up; slider needs more consistency as it varies between mediocre and plus, probably more of a number four starter than an ace unless his velocity picks up further, or unless the breaking ball becomes more consistent, which could happen. ETA 2019.
Ariel Jurado, RHP, Grade C+: Age 22, signed out of Panama in 2012; posted 4.59 ERA with 95/37 K/BB in 157 innings in Double-A, 188 hits, 1.53 GO/AO; one of my favorites entering 2017 but he did not have a good year; still made every start and chewed innings and if anything his control actually improved, but Texas League observers reported obvious decline in stuff; fastball was down a tick in both velocity and (more importantly) sinking action; his slider regressed; still flashed a decent change-up but it wasn’t enough; given his age it is too soon to write him off but I was clearly too optimistic here; might do better in bullpen; ETA 2020.
Kevin Newman, SS, Grade C+: Age 24, first round pick in 2015 from University of Arizona; hit .267/.311/.363 with four homers, 11 steals, 29 walks, 62 strikeouts in 509 at-bats between Double-A and Triple-A; very reliable defender at shortstop, although arm and natural range are just average his instincts are excellent and he made just nine errors in 119 games; contact hitter with occasional gap power but unlikely to hit many homers; strikes me as the type of hitter who has an “unexpected” offensive surge in his late 20s; ETA 2018.
Cory Abbott, RHP, Grade C+: Age 22, second round pick in 2017 from Loyola Marymount; spectacular spring with 1.74 ERA in 98 innings, 130/28 K/BB, just 61 hits; pitched 14 pro innings in the Northwest League with 18/3 K/BB, 3.86 ERA; advanced pitchability with low-90s fastball, curve, change-up, cutter; the whole is greater than the sum of the individual parts; potential number four starter on paper but these guys can surprise you. ETA 2020.
Other Prospects of Note: Norge Ruiz, Reggie Lawson, Tre Carter, Dakota Chalmers, Jose Castillo
Amateur Draft Picks: Cadyn Grenier, Tristan Beck, Griffin Roberts
2018 IFA Signed: