Minor League Barometer: Risers & Fallers

The season has begun! Well, not the minor league season. We'll have to wait until at least May for that. Several prospects "popped" on Opening Day, including Ke'Bryan Hayes and Dylan Carlson who both clubbed home runs in their first game. Unfortunately, Hayes has since been shifted to the Injured List due to a wrist injury. Jonathan India made his MLB debut at second base and got two hits to show for his standout spring. And Yermin Mercedes came out of nowhere to record eight-straight hits to start for the White Sox. 

Here are some other prospects to make note of in this week's Minor League Barometer.

UPGRADE

Tucupita Marcano, 2B, SD – Marcano enjoyed a monstrous spring hitting .405 with one home run, eight RBI and one steal in 42 at-bats while only striking out eight times. At only 21, he showed positional versatility, convincing the Padres to keep him on the roster to begin 2021. Marcano will start as a utilityman or pinch runner, as there's a lot of traffic in front of him at whatever position he tries to play. His rise is rather astonishing given he never played above Low-A prior to this season. Of course, last year's campaign changed the trajectory for a lot of minor leaguers in terms of experience, but for Marcano to make the team is simply remarkable even though he offers consistent contact and steals some bases. His stock is already on the rise and could really turn some heads if he can gain some power.

Kyle Isbel, OF, KC – Isbel has taken a similar path as to Marcano, but the former is going to play just about every day right out of the gate. He collected three hits in the season opener for the Royals, slotting in right field. Isbel went 2-for-4 in the second game, then recorded a stolen base Tuesday. A strong spring helped him break the roster grabbing two home runs and two steals while hitting .333. Isbel was drafted in 2018 and played barely two seasons in the minors, but at 24 was polished enough to play in the bigs. He offers more speed than power, though he has appeared to tap into the latter. Isbel can produce double-digit steals and home runs, which makes him an intriguing bat - especially with every day at-bats.

Geraldo Perdomo, SS, ARI – Perdomo was supposed to start the year at the alternate site at the very least, although an early injury to Nick Ahmed let him earn some reps with the big club. Ahmed was not right throughout camp and now finds himself on the Injured List. While Josh Rojas will continue to see most of the starts at shortstop, Perdomo is one of the Diamondbacks' top prospects. Even though he does not have any one outrageous tool, he's solid across the board. Perdomo posted a lifetime .411 OBP in the minors while stealing 26 bags across two levels in 2019 and just turned 21, meaning there's the possibility he develops some power. It will be interesting to see just how much he plays even with Ahmed sidelined, though his timeline certainly appears to have been pushed up. 

Cole Sands, P, MIN – Sands was hurt by the pandemic in terms of momentum, as he reached three levels in 2019 only to be stopped for 2020. He pounds the strike zone but also misses bats, as he fanned more than one batter per inning during a breakout 2019 season. Sands boasts an exceptional changeup that acts as his wipeout pitch, though he can also reach the mid-90s with his heater. The development of his third pitch will go a long way to determine his future role. Sands is still flying under the radar, but could vault up the prospect rankings if he starts 2021 on a high note.

CHECK STATUS 

Chris Seise, SS, TEX – Seise remains pure projection at this point, as he has missed large chunks of time after undergoing surgery on both shoulders in 2018 and 2019. He's been called "The Animal" due to his muscular features, bat speed and aggression on the bases. Seise will need to prove he can stay healthy and has yet to play above High-A despite being 22, but there is a path where he perfects his swing and can bring power, speed and sure hands to the starting shortstop position. The Rangers do have some other high upside shortstops in the system (Luisangel Acuna and Maximo Acosta), so Texas will likely exercise patience with Seise - a first round pick in 2017 - who offers a skill set that will impress if he can stay on the field.

Brett Conine, P, HOU – Conine was another hurler stalled by the pandemic. He was a closer at Cal State Fullerton, but the development of his changeup has allowed him to be deployed as a starter with success thus far. Conine has also gained some ticks on the radar gun in terms of his fastball. While Luis Garcia won the No. 5 starter role and Forrest Whitley has been talked about forever despite his injury history, Conine could be next in line after he covered three levels in 2019 with a 2.20 ERA in 114.1 innings while collecting 134 strikeouts and only walking 29 batters. He throws strikes with four pitches, induces weak contact and has seen an uptick in Ks. Conine could end up back in the bullpen, but the Astros seem committed to seeing how he fares in the rotation for now.

Chris Rodriguez, P, LAA – Rodriguez has the stuff to be a future No. 1 starter, but the Halos decided they would be better served managing his innings as a reliever. A balky back limited his 2018 and 2019 campaigns, though he did appear at the alternate site in 2020 and stayed healthy through the year. Rodriguez boasts a fastball that can approach triple digits, a standout changeup and slider and a solid curveball. He fanned three batters in a two-inning debut Saturday. Rodriguez should remain a reliever for 2021 at the very least, but the Angels have been coy about him beyond. It would be a shame to waste his arsenal, talent and repertoire on a bullpen role, but his level of success this season could dictate his future path.

Austin Wells, C, NYY – The Yankees seem to love offensive minded catchers, and that's just what Wells is. In fact, there are significant doubts about his defense and whether he will remain a backstop. Wells' bat will play and as a result he may be better suited for outfield, first base or even DH. There is also the chance he could be fast-tracked through the minors despite never playing a professional game. That's because after Jasson Dominguez, the Yankees organization is largely devoid of high upside hitters coming through the pipeline. At the same time, there will be no rush to see Wells promoted to the big leagues in 2021 and his bat may simply be too advanced for the lower levels of the minors. He's among the top catching prospects in baseball, even if he may not end up playing catcher at the MLB level.

DOWNGRADE

Sixto Sanchez, P, MIA – The injury news could have been worse for Sanchez, who has been diagnosed with mild inflammation in the back of his shoulder following an MRI. Still, at 22, the checkered injury history will continue for the flame-throwing righty, who now seems unlikely to pitch in April with no timetable for his return. Sanchez was likely to be kept on a strict innings limit this season anyway, and this will only add to the caution by which the Marlins organization proceeds with handling him. As a result, his impact this season could be even more limited than originally anticipated, even if he doesn't endure a serious injury.

DJ Peters, 1B/OF, LAD – Peters has faced a few challenges on his quest to become an everyday player. The first is being blocked by a bevy of monstrous bats including Cody Bellinger, Mookie Betts and Max Muncy. The second is that he strikes out a lot, fanning over 160 times per season between 2017 and 2019. Lastly, Peters profiled as a platoon hitter due to struggles against same-handed pitchers. In other words, he did not hit righties well.  Peters did happen to crush lefties, though that changed in 2019. With 2020 a wash, he's now 25 with a lot left to prove. Unfortunately, this may be his ceiling: a quad-A power bat who occasionally runs into one from a southpaw.

Jackson Kowar, P, KC – The Royals invested heavily in pitching during recent drafts and are starting to see the fruits of their labors. Brady Singer is a staple of the rotation now, Kris Bubic has made a few starts in the bigs, and they still have Daniel Lynch, Asa Lacy, Jonathan Bowlan and Kowar coming through the pipeline, among others. Kowar has a terrific fastball/changeup combination, but needs to work on his curveball. He was shelled during the spring allowing 19 hits and 14 runs in 11.2 innings while opposing hitters batted a robust .373. Kowar had a similarly disastrous showing in spring training a season ago. At 6-5, he needs to continue working on repeating his delivery and maintaining command. Kowar offers frontline rotation upside, but may not be as close to the majors as once thought and may have a lot of competition in the near future.