Minor League Barometer

The Colorado Rockies have fallen on challenging times in recent years, but help may be just beyond the horizon. The Rockies organization has seen an entirely new crop of prospects emerge onto the scene in grand fashion this year. Jordan Beck has become arguably the top prospect in the system; the 22-year-old outfielder was only drafted last year but is already at Double-A after collecting 20 home runs and 11 steals in 76 games at High-A to begin the season. Beck has clubbed three home runs in eight games since being promoted as well. Yanquiel Fernandez has followed his teammate to Double-A, his third different level of the season. Fernandez has plenty of power from the left side, hammering 22 home runs in a combined 80 contests. Speaking of power, Hunter Goodman also has 22 home runs on the season, including long drives in three of the last five games at Double-A. Sterlin Thompson has shot up the prospect charts with a .360 average at High-A in 49 games. Despite usually suffering on the pitching side, Colorado actually sits near the bottom on the National League in most offensive categories. In fact, they have specifically had issues with production from the outfield. Perhaps this new influx of hitting talent, coming to the big leagues as early as next season, will rejuvenate the dormant franchise.

Let's take a look at some individual players making noise in this edition of the Minor League Barometer.

UPGRADE

Kevin Alcantara, OF, CHC – After a slow start to the season, Alcantara had a stellar month of June, and he's been even better in July. This month, the 21-year-old is slashing .405/.479/.667 with two home runs, nine RBI and two steals in 12 contests at High-A. Alcantara is once again on pace to collect double-digit home runs and stolen bases. He also has not hit below .270 at any level since 2019, his first taste of professional baseball. At 6-foot-6, Alcantara still has room to fill out and mature, but thus far he has retained his athleticism. Pete Crow-Armstrong gets the pub in this organization amongst outfielders, but Alcantara is not that far behind.

Jordan Lawlar, SS, AZ – Speaking of hot months, Lawlar is hitting .340/.446/.638 with three home runs, seven RBI and three steals in 13 games in July at Double-A. Lawlar just turned 21 years of age last week. He now has 13 home runs and 27 steals on the season and has raised his average to a respectable .256 after a horrific first two months of the season. Lawlar has an elite combination of youth, speed, emerging power and contact skills. The future remains incredibly bright for the No. 6 overall pick in the 2021 draft, who could see the big leagues as early as next season.

Daylen Lile, OF, WAS – A second round pick for the Nats in 2021, Lile missed all of the 2022 campaign due to Tommy John surgery. Still just 20 years of age, a healthy Lile began the 2023 season at Low-A and quickly asserted himself, slashing .291/.381/.510 with seven home runs, 48 RBI and 21 steals in 66 contests. He was promoted recently to High-A, where he has not stopped hitting. Lile is 7-for-19 (.368) through five games at this new level. He has shown an advanced approach at the dish, better than expected speed and the ability to hit double-digit home runs. The Nats organization has plenty of high-upside outfield talent coming through the pipeline, but Lile should be considered right behind that group, which features James Wood, Elijah Green, Robert Hassell and Jeremy De La Rosa.

Angel Bastardo, P, BOS – Bastardo is in the midst of a breakout season at High-A. The 21-year-old has a 3.49 ERA and 119:36 K:BB in just 87.2 innings. Opposing batters are hitting just .202 against him. Bastardo's control has been much better than in the past, and his three-pitch arsenal has proven too much for this level. The Red Sox have handled him carefully so far, but this explosive campaign should place him on the prospect map and could even speed up his estimated time of arrival to the big leagues.

CHECK STATUS

Ethan Salas, C, SD – Just 17 years of age, Salas is a neophyte with expected helium. He is more than holding his own since being aggressively sent to Low-A, where he is slashing .268/.371/.477 through 38 contests. Salas has six home runs, 29 RBI and five stolen bases over that span. Most of his damage has been done recently; Salas is hitting .333 with four home runs, 15 RBI and two steals in July. He should be skyrocketing up the prospect charts, particularly due to his youth, polish and positional scarcity.

Jake Eder, P, MIA – Eder exploded onto the scene in 2021, posting a minuscule 1.77 ERA and standout 99:27 K:BB in just 71.1 innings at Double-A during his first professional season out of Vandy. Unfortunately, the fairy tale season came to an abrupt halt, as Eder needed Tommy John surgery and missed the entirety of the 2022 campaign. He has finally returned to the mound, though predictably his command has been a bit wonky. Eder has 14 walks in 24 innings at Double-A thus far. However, Eder has still fanned 28 batters over that span, and it appears only a matter of time before he finds his footing. The southpaw will turn 25 years of age in the fall but has thrown just 105 innings as a professional. Now might be the time to buy low on Eder.

Yoniel Curet, P, TB – Curet has filthy stuff, but sometimes he doesn't even appear to know where the ball is headed. Nevertheless, he's allowed four earned runs combined in June and July at Low-A. Overall, Curet has 96 strikeouts in just 71.2 innings en route to a 2.51 ERA. Still, Curet has walked 48 batters over that span. While he is able to get away with that now, the challenge will be to manage his control better at the higher levels, where he may not be able to hold the opposition to a .143 BAA. Still, Curet has allowed just 33 hits in 71.2 innings, and only one of those hits has been a home run. Curet is missing bats at an alarming rate, and if he can harness his command, his stock could skyrocket.

Doug Nikhazy, P, CLE – Nikhazy racks up strikeouts with deception and an array of stellar off-speed pitches. The Ole Miss product does not have the most overpowering fastball, but he can still sit in the low-90s, and the pitch plays up due to his unorthodox delivery, which includes standout extension. Unfortunately, the three-quarter arm slot does tend to lend itself to difficulty in repeatability, leading to a tad too many walks. Nikhazy has a 3.41 ERA and 89:49 K:BB in 71.1 innings at Double-A. Believe it or not, his control has improved from a season ago, where he walked 79 batters in 102.1 innings. Still, additional development and improvement is necessary for Nikhazy to reach his potential, i.e., a back-end starter.

DOWNGRADE

Noah Cameron, P, KC – Cameron sparkled at High-A to begin the season, boasting a 3.60 ERA and outrageous 58:9 K:BB in just 35 innings. That resulted in a quick bump to Double-A for the southpaw, who recently celebrated his 24th birthday. Unfortunately, Cameron has hit a bit of a wall at Double-A. In eight starts at this level, he is 0-7 with a 6.25 ERA. Cameron has allowed nine home runs in those eight outings. The home run ball has been a problem this season, but Cameron has also been uncharacteristically wild during his brief time at Double-A as well, while striking out fewer than one batter per inning. Cameron does not throw hard, leaving less room for error as well. With the changeup being his strikeout pitch, Cameron may end up being ticketed for the bullpen. He will remain a starter for now, but the lack of overpowering stuff caps his upside significantly.

Yoelqui Cespedes, OF, CHW – The half-brother of Yoenis Cespedes finds himself back at Double-A for the second straight season and is struggling even more than he did a year ago. Now 25 years of age, Yoelqui is slashing a dismal .205/.315/.321 with seven home runs, 24 RBI and 10 steals through 80 games. By contrast, he hit a respectable .258 last year with 17 home runs and 33 steals in 119 games at the same level. His inability to make consistent contact has caused his home runs and opportunities to steal bases to plummet. His strikeouts continue to pile up as well. The younger Cespedes has fanned 104 times in 80 contests this season. He may have a longer leash because of his last name, but it is clear the prospect luster has faded for Yoelqui.