Farm Futures: California League Hitters

Each Tuesday I will be profiling a standout performer from a recent game and then provide a snapshot of the success and failure of notable players in a specific league. This week I analyze a recent performance by Astros pitching prospect Vincent Velasquez, who could be nearing a call-up to the big leagues, followed by a look at what some notable hitters in the California League have been up to so far this season.

Vincent Velasquez, RHP, Double-A Corpus Christi
5.0 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 1 BB, 8 K against Double-A Northwest Arkansas on May 26

Velasquez, who turns 23 on Jun. 7, is listed at 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, but he looks a bit closer to 215 or 220. It's a great body for a starting pitcher, and he should have no problem holding up over a full season in the big leagues in time.

He came out a little wild Tuesday, throwing six straight balls at one point in the first inning, walking Jorge Bonifacio and giving up a single to Balbino Fuenmayor -- both reached with two outs. Velasquez gathered himself, however, executing the scouting report to perfection and striking out Hunter Dozier on a steady dose of breaking balls around the plate.

There have been times when Velasquez has struggled with his command this season, but after the first inning Tuesday he was on point the rest of the night, throwing 52 of his 72 total pitches for strikes.

He started the second inning striking out Zane Evans on three pitches. Velasquez then got Mike Bianucci looking on a fastball on the outside corner for his third strikeout of the game. However, the Naturals got another two-out rally going in the second inning with a single by Alex Liddi and a bunt single by Terrance Gore that Velasquez had no chance of fielding for an out. He worked out of trouble again though, getting Angel Franco to pop out in foul territory to end the second frame.

The big righty then began to roll, inducing a weak grounder to first from Mondesi followed by a three-pitch strikeout against Bonifacio. Fuenmayor, who has a really impressive approach from what I've seen of him this season, put up more of a fight, but he too went down swinging on a heater high and outside.

Dozier promptly went down swinging for the second time on a breaking ball in the dirt in the fourth inning. Hitters like Dozier, who have a hard time laying off breaking balls, stand relatively no chance against Velasquez, as he shows excellent deception and dive on his changeup and his curveball can flash good shape when it is thrown at or below the waist. Velasquez struggled to command his curveball to start the game but commanded his changeup all night, and by the fourth inning he was in complete control of all three of his pitches. Zane Evans went down on strikes for the second out of the fourth inning, Velasquez's fourth straight strikeout, and Mike Bianucci flied out to end the inning.

He works a little slower than one would like as a viewer, as he is very methodical walking back to the mound and getting into his motion, but it's hard to complain about the results. Velasquez showed the ability to hold his velocity in the final inning when his pitch count was over 60 pitches, throwing a fastball by Alex Liddi for his eighth strikeout of the game en route to a perfect fifth inning.

A California native, Velasquez needed a little under $1 million to forgo a commitment to Cal-State Fullerton back in 2010, but shortly after signing he had to undergo Tommy John surgery. After a cautious 2012, he was allowed to throw 124.2 innings in 2013 but missed time in 2014 with a groin injury, throwing less than 80 innings last year. He is on the Astros' 40-man roster, and a recent tweet from Astros beat writer Jose de Jesus Ortiz suggests Velasquez could be the next highly-touted hurler after Lance McCullers to skip Triple-A and go straight into Houston's rotation.

When I raved about Vince Velasquez recently to an Astros official I respect tremendously, he said, "He might be next."

— Jose de Jesus Ortiz (@OrtizKicks) May 23, 2015

Minor League Roundup: California League Hitters

Raimel Tapia, OF, High-A Modesto
.328/.352/.514, 15 2B, five HR, 9-for-13 on SB attempts, 41 K, six BB through 183 at-bats

Tapia is not walking as much as he has in previous seasons, but he is also striking out at just a 20.5 percent clip, so it's not that concerning. At just 21 years old, he is still young for the level and has continued to put up impressive numbers as he moves up the ladder. Tapia won't face a real test until he gets to the Texas League, which could happen at some point later this season. For now, dynasty league owners can continue to dream of a 15-homer/30-steal outfielder who could contend for a batting title while calling Coors Field home.

Brett Phillips, OF, High-A Lancaster
.339/.400/.582, 12 2B, five 3B, seven HR, 4-for-10 on SB attempts, 34 K through 177 at-bats

It is awfully tough to find warts in Phillips' game, as he now has 24 home runs and 27 steals in 172 games between Low-A and High-A dating back to the start of last year, and he won't turn 21 until May 30. Phillips has also hit above .300 with a slugging percentage above .500 at every stop over that span. Throw in the fact that he could be a plus defender at any spot in the outfield and Phillips looks to have the brightest future of any of the Astros' hitting prospects not named Carlos Correa.

Ryan McMahon, 3B, High-A Modesto
.280/.392/.471, 14 2B, four HR, 47 K through 157 at-bats

While McMahon certainly has some swing-and-miss in his game, for him to be an above-average hitter at High-A as a 20-year-old is pretty telling. He is 14th in total bases in the Cal League and won't turn 21 until December. McMahon can get overshadowed by David Dahl and Raimel Tapia in the Rockies' system, but as someone who will qualify at third base in the big leagues, he can rival the fantasy upside of the Rockies' outfield prospects.

Franklin Barreto, SS, High-A Stockton
.257/.299/.382, three HR, 2-for-4 on SB attempts, 25 K through 144 at-bats

After posting a .378 BABIP at Low-A last year, Barreto's luck has turned, and he currently sports a .286 mark on balls in play. The assignment to Stockton was aggressive for a 19-year-old shortstop with serious questions about his defense, and all told owners should not be concerned with how Barreto has equipped himself. Look for his numbers to turn around this summer, as he is a prime buy-low target if his owner is reading too much into the numbers.

A.J. Reed, 1B, High-A Lancaster
.293/.398/.579, 10 2B, 11 HR, 43 K, 30 BB through 164 at-bats

The 6-foot-4, 240-pound first-base prospect leads the Cal League with 11 homers through six weeks and was a worthy addition to the latest top-200 prospect rankings. It's hard to know what Reed's production will look like when he can no longer call Lancaster home, but for now the 22-year-old has to be on the short list of the best first-base prospects in the minor leagues.

J.D. Davis, 3B, High-A Lancaster
.285/.355/.450, five HR, 42 K through 151 at-bats

Like teammate A.J. Reed, Davis was an addition to the latest top-200 prospects list. Davis, who just turned 22, was taken by the Astros in the third round of last year's draft and has produced at every stop. He has 18 home runs in 111 games between short season ball, Low-A and High-A, and could finish the year at Double-A, along with Reed, if he continues to hit.

Ryan Cordell, OF, High-A High Desert
.309/.378/.541, eight HR, 6-for-8 on SB attempts, 34 K through 181 at-bats

If Cordell's last name was Guerrero and he was putting up these numbers, people would probably be willing to look past the fact that he is doing so at High Desert. That caveat could scare some folks off, and deservedly so. Nonetheless, the speed and bat-to-ball ability lines up with what the 23-year-old was able to do last season at Low-A and High-A, so there is reason to be excited about him. Also, don't look now, but Cordell has actually started splitting time between center field and shortstop this year, which speaks to how well-rounded he is as an athlete.

Austin Wilson, OF, High-A Bakersfield
.196/.297/.295, three HR, 3-for-3 on SB attempts through 112 at-bats

A 6-foot-5, 249-pound toolshed, Wilson has never quite been able to put it together. Now a 23-year-old at High-A, his prospect stock is beginning to take a pretty significant hit.

Tyler Marlette, C, High-A Bakersfield
.203/.277/.336, four HR through 128 at-bats

It is a testament to how shaky the back of the Mariners' top-10 is that Marlette still made the cut when that list was updated a week ago. He has been pretty unlucky on balls in play (.239 BABIP), but his strong numbers from a year ago can probably be largely attributed to Marlette calling High Desert home before the Mariners switched High-A affiliates this year.

Rosell Herrera, OF, High-A Modesto
.238/.301/.358, two HR, 3-for-6 on SB attempts through 151 at-bats

Herrera really has not done anything noteworthy since his monster 2013 season at Low-A, and while his future MLB home makes him worth following, he was a lot more intriguing when he was playing shortstop.

Jose Rondon, SS, High-A Lake Elsinore
.261/.320/.352, 11-for-15 on SB attempts through 165 at-bats

There might be enough defense in the profile for Rondon to hack it in the big leagues, but he projects to be a poor man's Alcides Escobar, which does not warrant ownership in most formats.

Fernando Perez, 2B, High-A Lake Elsinore
.241/.328/.418, six HR, 46 K through 158 at-bats

Perez plays in one of the most pitcher-friendly home ballparks in the Cal League, so his numbers are not comparable on a one-to-one level with those of a player playing at High Desert. This is a second base prospect with legitimate plus power and a 10.6 percent walk rate as a 21-year-old at High-A. He should not be owned in most dynasty formats just yet, but Perez is definitely someone to keep an eye on.

Tyler O'Neill, OF, High-A Bakersfield
.221/.269/.494, 11 HR, 7-for-7 on SB attempts, 51 K, eight BB through 154 at-bats

The 19-year-old outfielder has enough power to profile as an outfield corner, but the jury is still out on whether his power-oriented approach will play against pitching in the upper levels. He is still a bit fringey given the 30.5 percent K-rate and 4.8 percent walk rate, but players with his raw power should be monitored, especially when they are this young.

Jordan Patterson, OF, High-A Modesto
.336/.399/.649, 16 2B, seven 3B, four HR, 5-for-8 on SB attempts, 31 K through 134 at-bats

When a Rockies prospect is posting numbers like this, even as a 23-year-old at High-A Modesto, it is worth investigating. Patterson's .414 BABIP is high even for the Cal League, so while his speed and power combination is intriguing given his potential home in Coors Field, this is likely still a bench bat.

Danry Vasquez, OF, High-A Lancaster
.315/.365/.470, 13 2B, three HR, 6-for-10 on SB attempts, 24 K through 168 at-bats

It is pretty clear at this point that Vasquez can hit, but it is much less clear what else he brings to the table. At 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds he could stand to add some muscle and it is a little concerning that he has already been pegged as a left fielder as a 21-year-old at High-A. He should make the big leagues at some point, but it probably won't be as an everyday player.

Cody Bellinger, 1B, High-A Rancho Cucamonga
.268/.337/.488, seven HR, 7-for-7 on SB attempts, 49 K through 164 at-bats

Bellinger, 19, is the second-youngest player featured in this piece (behind Baretto), and his placement here is well deserved given how he has started the season. He needs to add muscle, as 180-pound first baseman do not typically make the big leagues, but that should only add to the power that he has already demonstrated, albeit in hitter-friendly environments. He's a fringe guy for now, but given his age and production to this point in the season, Bellinger is definitely someone to keep an eye on.

Daniel Palka, 1B, High-A Visalia
.298/.363/.522, 17 2B, seven HR, 11-for-13 on SB attempts, 48 K through 178 at-bats

A third-round pick out of Georgia Tech in the 2013 draft, Palka is a fringe prospect, but so far he is taking full advantage of the advantageous hitting conditions in the Cal League. It is pretty impressive for a 6-foot-2, 220-pound first-base prospect to have 11 steals in fewer than 200 at-bats to start a season, and if Palka can hit enough to get to the big leagues (a big "if"), we could be looking at a five-category contributor.

Austin Slater, 2B, High-A San Jose
.323/.354/.458, 13 2B, 27 K through 155 at-bats

Picked by the Giants in the eighth round last year, the Stanford product has hit at every stop so far in his professional career. He figures to fit best at second base, and could compare favorably to current Giants second baseman Joe Panik given his deficiencies in the power and speed department.