The Aviators arrived in Albuquerque for what would be a showdown of premier offensive prospects between Shea Langeliers & Elehuris Montero. On July 27, neither disappointed.
Elehuris Montero, 3B - 2-4, HR, HBP
Masher Montero, as I like to refer to him, kept doing his thing. The strongly built 3B has a 29 on-base streak going with 12 multi-hit games packed into that span. Simply put, he’s done everything he can offensively at this level.
During his erratic big league playing time, Montero has gotten overly aggressive at times, selling out for fastballs and buying pitchers strikes on breaking stuff below the zone. In this game, however, he maintained a very tight strike zone and forced the Aviators’ staff to get closer to the zone where his quick hands & huge power can create impact. Montero swung at one pitch outside the zone out of 9, including a few near the shadow zone. This kind of patience is key for the Rockies’ young slugger to take the next step and become a quality MLB regular.
As a result, Montero laced a single in the third off the end of the bat and crushed one over the left-center field wall the following inning, off the bat at 102.6 mph. He almost had an opposite-field knock in the seventh but his bat broke and it turned into a double play ball.
Shea Langeliers, C - 2-4, 2B
Of course, the main headline surrounding Langeliers is his defense behind the plate. Today was no different, for the most part. His receiving ability is top notch and it’s rare to see such quality instincts behind the plate from a catcher. The best way to describe Langeliers is that he’s a vacuum behind the dish; nothing is getting past him. Expectedly so, Langeliers has only been credited with two passed balls all year.
In the first inning, Langeliers’ cannon of an arm got away from him as he overshot the throw to 3B, into LF. Still, Langeliers’ arm strength is obvious and easily plus, though he’s only caught a roughly average 27% of base stealers this season.
Offensively, there’s a fair amount to like with Langeliers as well. His hands stay relatively quiet throughout his swing which should allow his whiff totals to remain at a reasonable level. Langeliers’ swing path also looks ideal for a modern power hitter. His hands are set high, around head level, but — with little extra movement — drop right behind the ball, enabling him to create backspin and loft, maximizing his robust raw strength. The Isotopes attacked the star catcher, leaving little chance to observe his plate discipline.
Zach Logue, LHP - 3.0 IP, 9 R (8 ER), 3 BB, 3 K
The results of this outing for Logue were not ideal. However, there were underlying positive trends to take note of. First and foremost, Logue and his deceptive Alex Wood-like delivery could not seem to hit spots on the outer half to right-handers, missing by small margins. Being able to nab strikes outside early against right-handers marks how the southpaw has found stable success in his career, despite fringy stuff. While this process leaves little room for error, I’m inclined to think Logue won’t have consistent issues locating armside.
Additionally, Logue’s low-90s fastball managed to rack up 5 whiffs on 19 swings (26%) — not a flashy total but an encouraging one, given the lack of velocity or typical swing-and-miss shape. The real promise came in the form of his breaking stuff. Logue’s cutter/slider hybrid got some whiffs due to it mostly being in good spots. Logue’s curveball has good drop and the velocity change throws hitters off. He made one mistake with it, leaving a curveball belt high to Coco Montes who hit it out. Logue didn’t have feel for his changeup and rarely located it for strikes.
Overall, Logue hangs in the balance as a backend starter or a swingman/multi-inning reliever. He could use the extra velocity he’d likely gain in shorter outings but Logue’s typical quality command and the depth of his arsenal give him a chance to stick in the rotation.
Sean Bouchard, 1B - 2-4, HR, BB
A breakout prospect for the Rockies this year at 26, Sean Bouchard brings solid power and plate discipline to the field. The UCLA product currently paces all Triple-A hitters in OPS and wRC+ and it’s by no fluke. Bouchard worked a patient game Wednesday, whiffing just twice and attacking pitches in the zone. That approach earned him his 14th homer of the year, a grand slam to blow things open in the 5th. The blast came on a high fastball at 92 mph from right-hander Jacob Lemoine. Bouchard stands tall in his stance and has a no-nonsense swing with a short load that allows him to get his hands around quickly.
Also on the day, Bouchard worked a 6-pitch walk in the first and had a hard-hit single in the fourth. Bouchard profiles as a utility bench bat, capable of playing 1B, both corner OF spots, and 3B in a pinch. Lots of Triple-A West performers are purely the beneficiary of a hitter’s haven league but Bouchard has roughly average power and is a mature enough hitter to get the job done against big-league pitching.