The top performances in Minor League Baseball May 13th, 2021. All the players that made noise last night and the players you need to know.
The Minor League Daily Sheet: May 6th, 2021 - Heliot Ramos Goes Nuke...
Blah, blah, blah. Do you even read this? No you don’t, you never read this. You skip over these words and immediately look at the names below. Maybe you read the blurbs, maybe you look at the stats. I don’t know what you do but I ask. Wash your hands and cover your month when you sneeze. I mean what are you a savage?
Reds Prospects Likely to Debut in 2021
The Cincinnati Reds are next on our Players Likely to Debut series. In case you missed it, we have already rolled out over half the league.
AL East: Red Sox — Yankees — Orioles — Blue Jays — Rays
NL East: Marlins — Braves — Phillies — Mets—Nationals
AL Central: Tigers — Royals — White Sox—Twins—Cleveland
NL Central: Cardinals
Below, you will find a list of three prospects from the respective organization. Each prospect will have a number score next to their name — this number will represent the estimated amount of time we anticipate that player seeing at the big-league level. Players that have already made their big-league debut will not be included on this list.
BREAKDOWN OF TIME ON ROSTER SCORES:
1 — September call-ups / guys that are likely to see less than 20-25 games on the roster
2 — 1/4 of the season (roughly 40 games on roster)
3 — 1/2 of the season (roughly 80 games on roster)
4 — 3/4 of the season (roughly 120 games on roster)
5 — Full season on the MLB roster
Cincinnati Reds
Position — Name (Time on Roster Score)
RHP — Tony Santillan (3)
The loss of Trevor Bauer is not to be taken lightly. Coupled with the fact that Sonny Gray and Luis Castillo have heard their names in numerous trade discussions, this starting rotation could look significantly different at season’s end.
While he was once viewed as one of the best prospects in their system, Santillan has seen his stock slip over the last couple seasons. He’s likely to make a couple spot-starts on an as-needed basis with the majority of his work coming in a relief role.
LHP — Nick Lodolo (2)
This is the name that Reds fans are likely most excited to see on a big league field. Their first selection in the 2019 draft, Lodolo is the best left-hander — possibly the best pitcher overall — they have in the minors. Standing 6-foot-6 and pumping mid-90s heat from the left side can be intimidating by itself. However, there’s likely room for him to add a few pounds to his 205-pound frame.
His arsenal of fastball, slider, and changeup are enough for him to be an effective starter, but it’s his ability to throw strikes and control the zone that will truly carry him to the middle of the starting rotation. If you’re looking for something to balk at, you’ll find it by simply looking at the lack of experience — he’s only thrown 18.1 innings of professional ball. That said, they were about as impressive as you could ask for. During the 2019 campaign he faced a total of 74 batters — he struck out 30 of them. For those of you keeping score, that’s a 40% K%.
SS — Kyle Holder (1)
Players that are garnering the Time on Roster Score of ‘one’ are typically going to be guys that get a September call-up. That’s not the case with Holder as he was a recent acquisition — having been traded by the Phillies soon after they selected him from the Yankees in December’s Rule 5 Draft. The reason he is unlikely to see much time is simply because he has never played above Double-A, doesn’t possess much upside, and won’t do much to help the Reds win games. Was that too harsh?
When the calendar hits June, you should not be surprised to see someone else starting at shortstop for Cincinnati. Unfortunately for them, the free agent market has all but dried up. However, Jose Garcia has much more upside and could be a much better option without having to acquire talent through trade. If that’s not the route they want to go, Kyle Farmer is the only other option currently on the 40-man roster.
Notable
The big name that was left off here is Vladimir Gutierrez. Similar to Santillan, he’s another guy that has seen his stock drop and will likely be best served as a bullpen fixture where he can spotlight his breaking ball, potentially developing the control to serve as a spot-starter or backend rotation piece. Riley O’Brien and Jared Solomon are a pair of right-handed pitchers that are currently on the 40-man roster and could work their way into a few innings as taxi-squad regulars.
Photo Credit: Cincinnati.com
LIDOM Recap 12/23: Andy Otero, Vladimir Gutierrez continue to impress
On the final day before the holiday break, two games took place. Despite the limited action, several players stood out, including a couple that are still looking to sign contracts for the 2021 season. Plus, a couple highly regarded prospects continue to struggle.
Estrellas Orientales (1) vs Tigres del Licey (6)
Estrellas Orientales
Entering as a mid-game replacement, Oscar Gonzalez (CLE) recorded his first two hits of the winter. Although he didn’t land on our list of the top prospects in the Cleveland system, there’s certainly an argument that could be made to include the 22-year-old outfielder.
The last time Andy Otero pitched in a professional baseball game was for the Carolina Mudcats (former of the Atlanta Braves organization), five years ago. His performance on Wednesday would suggest that he’s not far away from earning a minor league deal. Listed at 5-foot-9-inches tall, size has always been an issue for the 28-year-old lefty. However, after allowing just one run over five innings of work, while striking out nine batters, it’s hard not to monitor his progression moving forward. In his five appearances (three starts), Otero has totaled 17 strikeouts over 16.1 innings, posted an ERA of 1.10, and stymied hitters with his 0.73 WHIP.
Entering in relief of Otero, Chester Pimentel (ARI) did not fare as well. This winter, he’s appeared in six games totaling 7.2 innings. The numbers for the 25-year-old aren’t good; he’s allowed six earned runs (nine total) and his 3:3 K:BB ratio is less than desirable.
Tigres del Licey
After his tremendous three-homer night on Tuesday, Narciso Crook had another solid outing on Wednesday by going 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI.
Perhaps the biggest benefactors of Crook’s recent success, Anderson Tejeda (TEX) and Dennicher Carrasco (KC) were placed just ahead of him in the batting order. Both men tallied two hits and drove in two runs.
The Tigres were also helped by a standout performance from their starting pitcher, Cincinnati Reds No. 14 prospect, Vladimir Gutierrez. Wednesday was the best of his five starts this winter. The 25-year-old hurled five hitless innings while striking out eight batters. He’s now totaled 21 strikeouts over his 17 innings of work. While certainly this performance doesn’t suggest that the Reds should go and trade away the likes of Sonny Gray and Luis Castillo, it does provide a glimpse of what southern Ohio can expect from Gutierrez.
Gigantes del Cibao (4) vs Toros del Este (2)
Gigantes del Cibao
After his club went out and traded for first base prospect Nate Lowe, it remains to be seen what the future has in store for Ronald Guzman (TEX). Clearly, given his recent success, he’s out to prove that he’s capable of being an everyday player. Since the trade took place on December 11, Guzman is 20-for-52 with three home runs and six RBI over the 15-game stretch. Most notably, he’s in the middle of a six-game hit streak that has helped him post an impressive .360/.450/.523 slash line.
Oneil Cruz continues to struggle at the plate. In 14 games, he’s reaching base at a .260 clip, he’s struck out 14 times, and he’s only walked once. There is definitely some work still to be done before the Pirates will entertain the idea of bringing up the 22-year-old infielder.
Juan Francisco continues to pace LIDOM in both HR and RBI. He added a league-leading 26th RBI on Wednesday, pairing nicely with his seven home runs this winter.
If you’re looking to find the hottest player in LIDOM, look no further than Kelvin Gutierrez (KC). He’s in the midst of a five-game stretch that has seen him post 10 hits over his last 19 at-bats. At 26 years old, it stands to reason that the Royals might give him a shot to stick at the big-league level. The idea of trading away some veteran talent to get younger, controllable players while opening up playing time for guys like Gutierrez, seems like it could be the best approach for the Royals to get back to where they were five years ago.
Toros del Este
Heading into the 2021 season, Jeimer Candelario is drawing some buzz in fantasy circles. His 137 wRC+ has people excited, the idea of position flexibility (1B/3B) is also appealing to some, however, be prepared to go through several rough stretches during the season — just look at his LIDOM numbers this winter. Over the course of 11 games he has put together streaks of 0-for-7, followed by 3-for-8, then 1-for-16 led into 4-for-9. The good news? He went 3-for-4 last night and added a stolen base. The bad news? He has more hits in the last two days than he had all winter.
Yankees fans are likely growing more and more concerned with the progress of Miguel Andujar. He went 1-for-5 on Wednesday and is now batting .308 this winter, however, he isn’t drawing walks (.333 OBP), he is best suited in a DH role, and if he isn’t helping in the home run department, his time in New York may be short lived. The same could be said for Gary Sanchez’s time in the Empire State — there were rumors that he was going to be non-tendered before the team ultimately tendered a contract that will likely land around the $5.75MM mark. He went 0-for-5 on Wednesday and he’s striking out once every 3.5 times to the plate. After a five-game hit streak earlier this month, he’s now 2-for-his-last-20.
The curious case of Anthony Gose (CLE) continues. You may remember him as an outfielder, however, his performance as a pitcher may prove to be far more memorable. In 10 relief appearances, the 30-year-old lefty has a 0.90 ERA with a 0.80 WHIP. He has struck out 10 batters and the only run he has allowed was a solo-home run on December 12.
Photo Credit: Estrellas Orientales (Twitter Page)
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2019 International League Preview
I like to think of AAA more like a waiting room than a level per se, not every player even stops through AAA these days, and many are there for just a matter of weeks. It’s often rosters cluttered with failed prospects, long shots, and fringe MLB regulars that need a little seasoning. The International League, at least on paper far exceeds those expectations. With Vladimir Guerrero Jr. technically highlighting, there’s a strong crop behind him in Bo Bichette, Nick Senzel, Touki Toussaint, Dylan Cease, Nate Lowe, and others. The first half of the year should be deep with prospect showdowns particularly those games in which Gwinnett is involved. The Braves affiliate boasts the most loaded rotation and staff in the minors with three Top 100 arms on the roster. Should be a fun group to follow as many of these future stars debut on the big stage.