Minor League Barometer: Taking the Majors by Storm

A plethora of impact prospects have taken the majors by storm in August. Rhys Hoskins keeps setting records with every home run for the Phillies. Rafael Devers made his presence felt for the Red Sox in their ever-bitter rivalry with the Yankees. Amed Rosario has already hit four home runs for the Mets while slotting in as their starting shortstop, and Ozzie Albies is hitting .361 in his last 10 games as the second baseman for the Braves. Will uber-prospect Ronald Acuna be next? How about Tampa Bay starter Brent Honeywell, who was recently suspended for four games allegedly due to his unhappiness about not being called up yet?

We'll have a bevy of call-ups this week, but let's take a look at the rest of the prospect landscape in this week's Minor League Barometer.

UPGRADE

Kyle Cody, P, TEX – Cody has been among the more surprising breakout stars of the 2017 campaign. A sixth round pick in last year's draft, the 23-year-old righty has found little resistance this season. The 6-foot-7, 245-lb hurler has a 2.70 ERA and 130:42 K:BB in 120 innings between Low-A and High-A. The opposition is batting a paltry .186 against him since the promotion to High-A. Cody's off-speed offerings have been much better than expected, and he still has a blazing fastball that can get into the upper-90's. Cody's stock may have caused him to slip in the 2016 draft, but he is making the Rangers look smart as he climbs back up the prospect ranks.

Danny Jansen, C, TOR – Will Jansen be able to stick behind the plate? That appears to be the main question at this point in time, as he has hit at every level he's appeared at in 2017. Jansen began the year at High, where he slashed an impressive .369/.422/.541 with five home runs and 18 RBI in 31 games. His next stop brought him to Double-A, where he hit just .291 with two home runs in 52 games, but tallied more walks (22) than strikeouts (19). Jansen then hit Triple-A Buffalo, where in 16 games he's scalding the ball. The 22-year-old is hitting .392/.492/.686 with three home runs and nine RBI in those 16 contests. The Jays may be forced to find a place for Jansen if he keeps hitting like this, though that position may not end up being behind the plate, which will hurt some of his value. Still, it is difficult to argue with Jansen's outstanding approach at the dish.

Hudson Potts, 3B, SD – A first round pick in last year's draft, s solid season by Potts in 2017 is being overshadowed by the monstrous pitching talent assembled by the Padres. Still, with Manuel Margot and Hunter Renfroe in the big leagues, an argument could be made that Potts is among the top five hitting prospects for the Padres right now. The 18-year-old has hit 17 home runs despite an aggressive placement in Low-A for the entire 2017 campaign. That ties him for eighth in the Midwest league in home runs. Potts struggled a tad with strikeouts, though this should come as no surprise for a teenager fresh out of high school. Fernando Tatis, Jr. garnered most of the notoriety at Low-A Fort Wayne this season, and rightly so. However, Potts could form a potent 1-2 punch on the left side of the infield with Tatis in the coming years.

D.J. Stewart, OF, BAL – Austin Hays has made waves in 2017, but his outfield mate Stewart has also had a standout season. A first round pick in the 2015 draft, Stewart has a stocky body type but still manages to produce both power and speed numbers. The 23-year-old is hitting .271/.371/.470 with 19 home runs, 75 RBI and 18 stolen bases in 119 games at Double-A Bowie. Stewart has been even better over his last 10 contests, hitting .343 while boasting more walks (8) than strikeouts (6). The Orioles have a bit of a logjam in the outfield with prospects like the aforementioned Hays, Anthony Santander and Cedric Mullins, not to mention players like Mark Trumbo, Trey Mancini, Seth Smith and Adam Jones in the big leagues. As such, Stewart could possibly end up being trade bait beginning in the offseason.

CHECK STATUS

Mitchell White, P, LAD – Walker Buehler and Yadier Alvarez get the pub in terms of pitching prospects in the Dodgers' system, but it would be unwise to overlook White. Since returning from a broken toe, the 22-year-old righty has a 3.13 ERA and 27: 10 K:BB in 23 innings for Double- Tulsa. Opposing batters are hitting a putrid .176 overall this season against him. White may not have the upside of Buehler and Alvarez and he is not overpowering, but White throws strikes, mixes four pitches and has still shown the ability miss bats. He could conceivably see the big leagues next season, though the Dodgers have some pretty special pitching options ahead of him both in the majors and minors.

Sandy Baez, P, DET – The 23-year-old Baez sparkled in his last start for High-A Lakeland, fanning 11 batters over 7.2 innings. Baez scattered four hits and walked just one batter. It was the second 11-strikeout game in the last nine outings for Baez, who has seen a sharp uptick in strikeouts in 2017. The improvement of his secondary pitches can be credited, as Baez has paired the emerging breaking ball and changeup with a blazing fastball. Over his last 10 games at Low-A, Baez had a 2.41 ERA and 63:14 K:BB. It remains to be seen if he will end up in the bullpen or the starting rotation, but Baez was rewarded with a promotion to Double-A for his recent efforts and will stay a starter for now.

David Thompson, 3B, NYM – Thompson was recruited to the University of Miami to play both football and baseball, but the former quarterback decided to stick to the diamond as opposed to the gridiron. A fourth round pick in the 2015 draft, Thompson has shown decent power and enough speed to get by. The 24-year-old is hitting .260/.324/.431 with 16 home runs, 67 RBI and eight steals in 128 games for Double-A Binghamton. David Wright is all but finished for the Mets at the hot corner, but it will be interesting to see if Thompson ends up being viewed as the solution. Still, he could get his shot as early as next season, as he has probably reached his ceiling in terms of development.

Freicer Perez, P, NYY – One of the lesser known pitching phenoms in the Yankees system, the 6-foot-8 hurler has had a stellar first year of full-season ball. Perez has a 2.81 ERA and 112:41 K:BB in 118.2 innings for Low-A Charleston. Opposing batters are hitting a paltry .213 against him. Perez has been even better over his last 10 contests, sporting a 2.32 ERA and 56:18 K:BB in 54.1 innings. As with all tall pitchers, Perez will have to prove he can repeat his delivery and find his release point in order to be successful. Though his control has been a tad spotty, it has improved from a season ago. In a farm system still stocked with talent, Perez could be a diamond in the rough for the Bronx Bombers.

DOWNGRADE

Fernando Romero, P, MIN – Romero's 2017 campaign is likely finished, as he has been placed on the Disabled List with right shoulder impingement. The injury is hopefully minor for the 22-year-old righty, who along with southpaw Stephen Gonsalves has emerged as arguably the top pitching prospect for the Twinkies. Romero posted a 3.53 ERA and 120:45 K:BB in 125 innings at Double-A Chattanooga, though his numbers were even better prior to getting rocked in his final three starts. Assuming his shoulder was bothering him during those contests, then Romero's season should still be viewed as a huge success. If healthy entering 2018, he'll have a shot to see the big leagues.

Shed Long, 2B, CIN – Long was one of the breakout stars of the first half of the season, but he has had a rough time since being promoted to Double-A. In 35 games at this level, Long is slashing just .198/.281/.339. He does have three home runs and three steals over that span, but the opportunities have simply been few and far between due to his inability to hit for average. He also has not been able to capitalize on his raw speed on the base paths. In other words, his blazing speed has not translated to stolen bases just yet. Long has a unique skill set but the 22-year-old is still developing.

Mickey Moniak, OF, PHI – Perhaps it's unfair to pick on a teenager in his first year of full-season ball, but being the No. 1 pick in a draft comes with great expectations. 2017 has been a bit of a dud for the 19-year-old, though, as Moniak is batting just .236/.285/.342 in 117 games for Low-A Lakewood. He has 104 strikeouts and just 27 walks over that span, along with five home runs and 10 RBI. If we want to compare him to classmate Blake Rutherford, who was drafted later in the first round out of prep school but has a similar skill set, Rutherford is hitting .269/.331/.363 with two home runs and 10 steals in 95 games at Low-A. Again, neither prospect is setting Low-A ablaze, and Rutherford is a year older than Moniak. Nevertheless, it is tough when 19-year-old Ronald Acuna, albeit the top prospect in baseball, is knocking on the door for a promotion to the big leagues. Regardless, it is clear that Moniak needs a lot of refinement and won't see the show for a few years.

Spencer Adams, P, CHW – Adams has sputtered in the second half of the season, posting a 5.08 ERA in his last 10 starts for Double-A Birmingham. His control has somehow gotten away from him, as Adams has walked 23 batters in his last 56.2 innings. By contrast, he walked just 14 batters over the first 93.1 innings of the year. He has also been snake bitten by the home run ball. Adams has allowed a staggering 18 dingers in 25 starts this season. He had allowed 21 home runs in his previous 61 outings heading into this season. The White Sox have a stacked farm system, and unfortunately, Adams is no longer one of the premier prospects due to not only recent trades but also poor performance in 2017.