Farm Futures: International League Hitters

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Updated on June 30, 2015 10:07PM EST

I almost considered just skipping International League hitters altogether. Writing about Triple-A position players is typically the least appealing aspect of prospect coverage, as hitters at the highest level of the minors are often hitters who have been chewed up and spit out at the major league level. There is not a ton of projection left with most of these players. In many cases they have either plateaued or regressed as Triple-A pitching proves to be an equalizer in many cases. In this collection of talent we are moving away from the blissfully abstract and moving toward the painful reality that most of these players won't amount to much.

Jose Peraza, 2B, Triple-A Gwinnett
.291/.319/.367, five 3B, two HR, 20-for-23 on SB attempts through 305 plate appearances

There have been a significant number of success stories this year in the area of stashing prospects in single-season leagues, but Peraza stands out as probably the biggest reminder of the risk involved in going that route. Following a fantastic 2014 season and talk during spring training that there were some on the Braves' coaching staff that wanted to keep Peraza on the Opening Day roster, it seemed like he was among the safer bets to be called up sometime in the first couple months of the season. Fast forward three months and Jace Peterson has been much more effective than I ever imagined he would be, and it's hard to make the case at this point that Peraza would offer a

Jose Peraza, 2B, Triple-A Gwinnett
.291/.319/.367, five 3B, two HR, 20-for-23 on SB attempts through 305 plate appearances

Alen Hanson, 2B, Triple-A Indianapolis
.285/.329/.426, eight 2B, eight 3B, four HR, 17-for-23 on SB attempts through 282 plate appearances

Hanson has missed the last two weeks with a fractured left pinky finger, but prior to his injury he was producing at a high level offensively with Indianapolis. It's hard to see Hanson being above average in any one category at the big league level, but he could be pretty solid across the board if given a shot at an everyday role sometime in the coming years. Neil Walker will be around through the 2016 season, so Hanson may have to wait another year before getting a shot at a full-time job, unless the Pirates look to move him in a trade.

Rob Refsnyder, 2B, Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre
.276/.365/.382, 10 2B, five HR, 10-for-11 on SB attempts through 313 plate appearances

Refsnyder flashed a little pop last season, belting 14 homers across Double-A and Triple-A, but he has just five so far this season. However, his approach continues to improve, and he has the look of a guy who could potentially hit at the top of a big league lineup. His 33:40 BB:K ratio in 70 games is pretty impressive, as is his 10-for-11 success rate on the basepaths. The Yankees have seemingly pulled up every position player from Triple-A other than Refsnyder so far this season, but Stephen Drew continues to perform below replacement level at second base, so Refsnyder should get his turn sometime this summer.

Trayce Thompson, OF, Triple-A Charlotte
.274/.317/.458, 18 2B, nine HR, eight for 12 on SB attempts through 310 plate appearances

Thompson's re-emergence on the prospect scene is easily the most exciting development amongst position player prospects in the International League. A second-round pick back in 2009, Thompson has excellent athletic bloodlines as the son of former NBA first overall pick Mychal Thompson and brother of NBA All-Star Klay Thompson. He entered pro ball with no clue at the plate and was always considered a lottery ticket. Now that dice roll by the White Sox appears to finally be paying off. His 19.4 percent K-rate is easily the lowest of his professional career and his .274 batting average is easily his best mark at any stop where he saw significant at-bats. There is more potential for home runs than steals, despite the fact that he profiles in center field. Even after his excellent start to the season, there is still a chance he ends up as a fourth outfielder, but the risk has lessened and the upside of a five category fantasy contributor remains.

Yorman Rodriguez, OF, Triple-A Louisville
.273/.314/.432, eight HR through 287 plate appearances

As someone who can play all three outfield positions, Rodriguez should be given a fair taste of the major leagues once the Reds fully accept that they are a rebuilding team, but it's hard to get too excited about the production he will offer offensively. There is the potential for 20-plus homer power here, but the concessions he will have to make with his approach to access said power may not be worth it. Perhaps he will offer a couple Khris Davis-level seasons with a tad more speed in the coming seasons, but that seems to be the realistic ceiling.

James Ramsey, OF, Triple-A Columbus
.246/.334/.393, eight HR through 290 plate appearances

Coming off an impressive 2014 campaign, I thought Ramsey had a chance to become an everyday corner outfielder for the Indians sometime this season, but he has struggled much more than anticipated. Ramsey turns 26 this offseason, so the clock seems to be ticking on his status as a prospect. Last year it seemed like he would be able to hit for a solid average with good on-base skills and enough pop for his bat to play in a corner. That evaluation now looks a bit too optimistic across the board. It's hard to even make the case that Ramsey could be a strong platoon option, as his splits are almost identical against lefties and righties.

Christian Walker, 1B, Triple-A Norfolk
.276/.336/.391, 20 2B, four HR through 307 plate appearances

Walker got a cup of coffee with Baltimore last season as a reward for blasting 26 home runs across Double-A and Triple-A. However, his power has completely fallen off. Norfolk is not a big-time hitters' park, but it still plays pretty fair, so the fact that Walker has just four homers this season is a bit worrisome. His 20 doubles in 72 games show that he still has some thump, but at 24 he is looking more and more like a Quad-A player or a bench bat than a regular at a corner or DH.

Dixon Machado, SS, Triple-A Toledo
.278/.334/.366, four home runs, 10-for-10 on SB attempts through 309 plate appearances

Machado was once thought of as the Tigers' shortstop of the future, but with Jose Iglesias emerging as a legitimate everyday player, it seems like Machado will need an injury or a trade to ever get much of a shot in the majors. While he is not quite as good of a defender as Iglesias (and few are), the offensive profile could be somewhat similar.

Dariel Alvarez, OF, Triple-A Norfolk
.278/.304/.452, 12 HR, 6 BB through 313 plate appearances

A Cuban defector in 2013, Alvarez is now a 26-year-old holding his own at Triple-A. His 12 home runs tie him for second in the league, but even J.P. Arencibia had more walks than Alvarez, and the rest of the power hitters in the league with double-digit homers have at least three times as many walks as Alvarez and he is a couple years older than most of those players. His ability to hit lefties should allow for him to occupy the short side of a platoon at some point down the road, but he should no longer be thought of as much of a prospect.

Steven Moya, OF, Triple-A Toledo
.236/.289/.392, eight HR, 82 K through 257 plate appearances

Moya will soon turn 24 and he appears to have a fatal flaw. He is striking out at a 31.9 percent rate at Triple-A, and while players like George Springer, Kris Bryant and Joey Gallo will get a pass when they are whiffing that often, it is because they still produced at ridiculous levels against minor league pitching. Moya, on the other hand, has just a .156 ISO and .289 on-base percentage through 61 games. A bench bat seems to be the best-case scenario here.

Tyler Austin, OF, Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre
.229/.297/.314, four HR, five SB through 236 plate appearances

Austin has been bothered by a hip injury lately, but his production when he has been on the field has been lacking to say the least. It's hard to believe he is just 23, as it seems like he has been on the prospect radar forever, but the term "prospect" should now only loosely follow him around. I would have never expected Mason Williams and Slade Heathcott to beat Austin to the big leagues, but that's exactly what happened this season. He could get his chance later this summer if he can get healthy, but it will likely come in a part-time role.

Jesus Aguilar, 1B, Triple-A Columbus
.266/.320/.424, 10 HR through 319 plate appearances

Aguilar is a prime example of why first base prospects have to really mash in order to be taken seriously. At 25 years old, he needs to be doing more with the stick to be taken seriously as an everyday option at that position. If he was a third baseman or a corner outfielder, there might be some intrigue here, but this is the profile of a bench bat or a Quad-A guy all the way.

Garin Cecchini, 3B, Triple-A Pawtucket
.196/.273/.298, five HR, 5-for-5 on SB attempts through 250 plate appearances

While I have never been a big believer in Cecchini doing enough to get a fair shake as an everyday player in Boston, even I am aware that he is not as bad as his numbers this season suggest. Pawtucket is one of the toughest places in the minor leagues to hit for a high average, hence Cecchini's .245 BABIP. Still, this is not a player with enough fantasy upside to be worth holding in most dynasty leagues without any foreseeable opening at the big league level.

Jefry Marte, 3B, Triple-A Toledo
.265/.327/.487, 12 HR, 6-for-10 on SB attempts through 306 plate appearances

It's not a good sign that at 24 years old, Marte is already with his third organization, but that's not always a death sentence. Anthony Rizzo, for instance, was traded to his third organization before really taking off. Obviously Marte is not Rizzo, but the Tigers may have found something here. His 12 home runs already mark a personal best in professional ball, and it has not come at the expense of the strikeout, as he is maintaining an excellent 15 percent K-rate. With third base a position of weakness for Detroit, Marte may get a shot in a year or two if the organization ever decides to move on from Nick Castellanos, who incidentally is rated below replacement level in 72 games this season.

Ben Gamel, OF, Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre
.288/.352/.431, four HR, 5-for-8 SB through 287 plate appearances

The younger brother of Mat Gamel, Ben, 23, has never approached his brother's raw power, but his versatility in the outfield could lead to him getting a shot at some point with the Yankees. He has played all three outfield positions this year with the RailRiders, getting the most action in center field. It is not a very exciting offensive profile, but it is feasible that he could start off as a fourth outfielder and parlay that into a platoon role or perhaps even a everyday role at some point.

Matt Davidson, 3B, Triple-A Charlotte
.236/.323/.415, 13 HR, 106 K through 323 plate appearances

It seems pretty clear that Davidson is content to just sell out for power with Charlotte, and while he leads the league with 13 home runs, his 106 strikeouts also ranks first among International League hitters. The bar to clear to be the starting third baseman on the Southside is awfully low, so it speaks to his lack of development that he has not gotten a shot yet.