Minor League Barometer: Saving Room For Severino

The next top prospect primed to hit the majors should be Luis Severino, pitching phenom for the New York Yankees. While the 21-year-old's strikeouts have dipped since being promoted to Triple-A, his overall success has remained. Severino has a 1.96 ERA through seven starts at this level, with opposing batters hitting just .190 against him.

Severino's ascension to the big leagues at this point in time might seem counter-intuitive. After all, the Bronx Bombers are in first place in the AL East right now. However, their hold on the division is tenuous at best, and the back-end of the rotation is struggling. Former ace CC Sabathia was not pleased at being skipped in the rotation; however, his ERA currently sits at 5.59, and his ERA has not been under 4.50 since 2012. Nathan Eovaldi has been equally frustrating, possessing a blazing fastball but still learning how to actually pitch. His ERA is 4.52, and that is only after three straight improved outings. Combine that with the injury risks for Masahiro Tanaka and Ivan Nova, and Severino is likely to be needed before the summer is through.

Let's take a look at the rest of the prospect scene in this edition of the Minor League Barometer.

UPGRADE

Tyler Glasnow, P, PIT – Glasnow's ankle injury looks to be a distant memory, as the 6-foot-8 righty has fanned 15 batters over his last two outings. Did I mention that was only in 8.2 innings? The Pirates are still being cautious with their prized neophyte, but it is clear his future trajectory has not changed. The possibility of the triumvirate of Gerrit Cole, Jameson Taillon and Tyler Glasnow coming together in the big leagues in 2016 should have Pittsburgh fans salivating. In 43.1 innings at Double-A this season, Glasnow has a 2.91 ERA and 50:15 K:BB ratio and opposing batters are hitting just .196 against him. He remains one of the best pitching prospects in the game.

Rowdy Tellez, 1B, TOR - It should come as no surprise that a man named Rowdy likes to bash home runs. The 20-year-old behemoth has found his power stroke this season. He began the season at Low-A, but has really turned up the heat since being promoted to High-A. In 11 games at this new level, Tellez has cranked five home runs and driven in 13 runs. He is slashing an obscene .356/.442/.711. Perhaps most impressive, he has tallied more walks (seven) than strikeouts (five). Even at Low-A, he did not strike out as much as his 6-foot-4, 245-pound frame would seem to indicate. Obviously his current pace cannot continue, but suffice to say that Tellez has made an impression. He has not hit below .293 at any level since the beginning of 2014.

Jorge Lopez, P, MIL - Lopez has been one of the fastest risers in 2015. He has tossed five straight quality starts, lowering his ERA to 2.64. It's been something of a resurrection for Lopez, who was a second round pick in 2011 but looked very mediocre over his last two seasons. Between Low-A and High-A, his ERA was never below 4.52. Likewise, he couldn't come close to notching one strikeout per inning at either of those levels. Contrast those numbers with his 2015 stat line. He has 75 strikeouts in 78.1 innings and over his last two starts, a span of 15.2 innings, he has 17 strikeouts. He has been nearly unhittable at his current stop in Double-A, as opposing batters are hitting a mere .199 against Lopez. A ground ball pitcher by trade, he has had much better command this season, surrendering fewer home runs than in previous seasons by keeping the ball down, an improvement supported by a 1.56 GO:AO ratio. Lopez has emerged as arguably the top pitching prospect for the Brew Crew.

Manuel Margot, OF, BOS - The toolsy Margot continues to rake at every level, and a promotion to Double-A has done nothing to slow his momentum down. Through 14 games with Double-A Portland, the 20-year-old is batting 296/.356/.463 with one home run, eight RBI and four stolen bases. He has shown an uncanny ability to put the ball in play, fanning just 15 times in 181 at-bats at High-A. Though he has already been punched out 10 times in Double-A, that can merely be chalked up to an adjustment period against a new caliber of pitching. He is one of the youngest players at this level as well, and has an intriguing power/speed combination. The Red Sox currently have a glut of outfielders ahead of him, but that should not take anything away from Margot's development and promise.

CHECK STATUS

Josh Hader, P, HOU - The results have not been the issue for Hader, who has found success at nearly every level since entering the minors despite being just a 19th round selection in the 2012 draft. He dominated the hitter-friendly California League last season, posting a 2.70 ERA and 112:38 K:BB ratio in 103.1 innings. The questions lie more in his future role, largely due to his quirky delivery. Hader turns his entire back to the batter prior to delivering the pitch and it appears at times that he would not even be able to keep his eyes fixed on the plate. His arm action is also unorthodox, as the left-hander delivers the ball in an almost sidearm manner. The term "repeatable delivery" is tossed around a lot, but what it means in his case is that the more moving parts there are in a pitching motion, the more difficult it will be to find the same release point and effectively deliver the pitch to the spot the catcher wants. Add in that Hader's off-speed pitches (slider and changeup) are still works in progress, and many pundits believe that he could be more suitable for a relief role. That has not slowed him down though, and he's posted a 3.23 ERA and 63:23 K:BB ratio through 61.1 innings for Double-A Corpus Christi in 2015. The deceptive motion is working for the 21-year-old southpaw, at least for now.

Christian Arroyo, SS, SF - Arroyo has been crushing the ball since returning from an oblique injury. In 37 games at High-A, he is slashing .327/.371/.503 with four home runs, 15 RBI and two steals. He also has 14 doubles, and the extra-base hits are particularly pleasing since he does not project to steal many bases. In fact, his lack of speed has some scouts saying he will eventually be moved out from shortstop. If he ends up playing third base he will need to prove that his power is legitimate, and he had just six home runs in 89 games last season. This season Arroyo has fanned 38 times while drawing just 10 walks, furthering the notion that his development in terms of power will be crucial. Still, he certainly has shown the ability to hit for average thus far, and at just 20 years of age, Arroyo only figures to get better.

Alex Verdugo, OF, LAD – Once Corey Seager receives his long-awaited promotion to the majors, Verdugo will take the mantle as the top hitting prospect for the Dodgers. However, his raw talent is still way ahead of his current statistics. Overall, he's batting .275/.308/.371 with two home runs, 26 RBI and seven steals through 68 games for Low-A Great Lakes. At just 19 years of age, there are signs of progress, though. Verdugo has 17 doubles, showing that his power stroke should come around, even if he might never be Joc Pederson. He has also only fanned 43 times in 68 games, showing an advanced ability to make contact. He's also been scalding the ball recently, hitting a robust .419 in his last 10 games. All signs point to Verdugo reaching his potential some day, but he is at least a few years away from making an impact at the highest level.

Ivan Pineyro, P, CHC – Pineyro is among the lesser-known prospects in the Chicago Cubs system, but he has had a nice rebound campaign in 2015. A forearm strain limited his innings as well as his effectiveness in 2014, leading to a bloated 5.55 ERA for Double-A Tennessee. Now healthy and back at the same level this season, Pineyro has regained his 2013 form. In 82.1 innings, he has a 3.72 ERA and 75:25 K:BB ratio. Opposing batters are hitting nearly 50 points lower against him this season as compared to 2014. The hitting phenoms in the Cubs minor league organization have gotten the majority of the publicity over the past couple of seasons, and rightly so. However, Pineyro is vastly underrated in my opinion, and is still just 23 years of age. His consistency and future role remain cloudy, but he should not be completely forgotten, particularly on a team with such a suspect back-end of the starting rotation.

DOWNGRADE

Yairo Munoz, SS, OAK - The argument could be made that Munoz has the most potential of any prospect currently in the Oakland organization, including Franklin Barreto. However, the 20-year-old shortstop has been slumping badly of late. Munoz is batting a mere .088 over his last 10 games. Yes, you read that correctly. He is 3-for-34 over that span. While he does not strike out a ton he does not draw many walks either, and has drawn just 14 free passes in over 300 plate appearances at Low-A. Overall, he is batting .231/.266/.350. The intrigue of Munoz comes from his power/speed combination. Even with the low batting average, he still has seven home runs and eight stolen bases in 2015. As a result, the promise is still there, but he still has plenty of work to do in terms of his approach at the dish.

Austin Wilson, OF, SEA - The former Stanford Cardinal had a decent 2014 campaign at Low-A. A strained Achilles tendon limited Wilson's playing time but in just 72 games, he hit 12 home runs and knocked in 54 runs. A promotion to the hitter-friendly confines of the California League figured only to boost Wilson's stock but he has not taken well to this level, hitting a putrid .193/.286/.291 through 65 games for High-A Bakersfield. He has been even worse over his last 10 games, batting just .182. Even the power has not accompanied him; the 23-year-old outfielder has just five home runs and 20 RBI in 2015. At one point, Wilson was thought to be a five-tool prospect. However, he has stolen just six bases in his last 137 games, his power has vanished and he is having trouble making contact. It is not difficult to see that he is trending in the wrong direction.

Carson Kelly, C, STL - It is rare that a prospect gets moved to the catching position rather than out from behind the plate, but that is exactly what happened with Kelly. A second round selection in 2012, he hasn't hit much during his brief professional career, but 2015 has been particularly gruesome in the batter's box. Through 63 games at High-A, the 20-year-old former third baseman is hitting just .181/.234/.254. Most concerning for Kelly, though, has been the lack of development in his power stroke. He was drafted largely for his bat and it was assumed that his big build would eventually lead to home runs. That power has not materialized, as he has just three home runs this season after swatting six home runs in 98 games in 2014 at Low-A. Considered a borderline top-10 prospect for the Cards heading into this season, Kelly has not lived up to expectations thus far, at least not in terms of his hitting.

Mitch Brown, P, CLE - Arguably the top pitching prospect for the Indians at one time, Brown has hit a rough patch in 2015 and in 75.2 innings at High-A Lynchburg, he has a 5.83 ERA. The fact that he has walked 46 batters over that span is explanation enough for why the wheels have fallen off for the 21-year-old righty, but he has also allowed 86 hits this season. In sum, his WHIP of 1.74 is simply dreadful, and the added base runners have made it virtually impossible for Brown to escape trouble. He has always walked far too many batters, but at least in 2014 he was missing bats. That has not been the case this year. His lack of control raises a huge red flag, and Brown simply has yet to harness his command in the minors.