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With the 2022 baseball season in full swing, let’s take a look at some extremely touted prospects who’ve been residing as much as the hype this season.
5 Large Hype Prospects
Gunnar Henderson, Baltimore Orioles, 20, 3B/SS (AAA)
(AA) 208 PA, 8 HR, 12 SB, .312/.452/.573
Few prospects have achieved extra to enhance their inventory than Henderson. Coming off a satisfactory however unspectacular 2021 season, Henderson has torched minor league pitching. Since incomes a promotion to Triple-A, he’s continued to punish opposing pitchers to the tune of .286/.500/.536 with two residence runs in 40 plate appearances. He additionally has 12 walks towards simply 5 strikeouts. In Double-A, he posted 19.7 p.c stroll and 18.3 p.c strikeout charges.
His outlandish efficiency to this point is backed by scouting observations. I spoke with Orioles Director of Participant Improvement Matt Blood previous to the season, and he particularly highlighted Henderson as somebody who has turned the nook mentally. Final 12 months, Henderson had a few of the markers of passivity – particularly a excessive stroll price, excessive strikeout price, and a modest swinging strike price. This season, he’s reportedly improved upon his selectivity, punishing pitches within the zone whereas persevering with to spit on these outdoors the zone.
Henderson at the moment ranks forty fifth on the MLB Pipeline Top Prospects List. At this price, he’ll quickly be part of the Prime 10 – until he races to the majors earlier than the list-makers have time to regulate. The parents who curate your favourite prospect checklist are usually fairly conservative about upgrading guys primarily based on a partial-season breakout, and with cause. We’ve seen many gamers publish astronomical half-seasons solely to later resume a extra atypical growth path.
Michael Harris II, Atlanta Braves, 21, OF (MLB)
70 PA, 2 HR, 2 SB, .328/.357/.537
To the perfect of my data, Harris was the third place participant to be promoted straight from Double-A to a Main League beginning lineup this season. The primary, C.J. Abrams, was overexposed within the Majors. Cubs utilityman Christopher Morel appears to be like proper at residence within the large leagues. So too does Harris.
Harris makes low-angle contact with an all-fields strategy. He’s additionally making frequent exhausting and barreled contact. Each charges are above league common as measured by Statcast. Taken collectively, he has the traits of a excessive batting common hitter. The place he seemingly lags is plate self-discipline. He’s taken a swing-happy strategy in his first publicity to the majors and has been liable to providing at pitches outdoors of the zone. His in-zone swing price is simply a hair above league common. His contact price is roughly league common too. In different phrases, his aggression hasn’t confirmed pricey. But.
It’s not unusual for bodily gifted prospects to achieve the majors, carry out surprisingly properly, then stoop as soon as scouting experiences modify. In Harris’ case, scouts are going to advise a bevy of breaking balls out of the zone. If he plunges right into a stoop, he may get a belated style of Triple-A. If he adjusts shortly or in any other case holds his personal, then he’s most likely right here to remain.
Harris is the midst of an eight-game hitting streak over which he’s batting .433/.469/.800 with each of his residence runs and steals.
Elly De La Cruz, Cincinnati Reds, 20, 3B/SS, (A+)
222 PA, 12 HR, 17 SB, .304/.351/.594
In case you haven’t already heard about De La Cruz, count on to see his identify showing in increasingly articles. Scouts love his construct – he has light-tower energy, near-elite pace and a cannon of an arm. He already makes a few of the loudest contact within the minors. Whereas he’s largely labored at shortstop, there’s an expectation he’ll ultimately transfer to 3rd base or maybe even heart discipline.
A prospect of De La Cruz’s ilk all the time comes with caveats. His plate self-discipline might be (generously) described as questionable. His present 6.3 p.c stroll price is a marked enchancment over the 4.8 p.c price he posted final season. In the meantime, his 30.6 p.c strikeout price is correct consistent with his earlier efficiency.
Given his present contact profile, he may fall right into a Javier Baez-like mould. Or maybe Oneil Cruz is the better comp. In any case, they’re each bodily mutants who may stick at shortstop. Cruz occurred to publish related numbers as a 20-year-old in Excessive-A, then held his personal in Double-A later that 12 months. Cruz even had questions on his plate self-discipline. The Reds don’t have any incentive to hurry De La Cruz, however he ought to sniff the higher minors within the coming months.
Matt Brash, Seattle Mariners, 24, SP/RP (AAA)
19 IP, 3.32 ERA, 15.16 Okay/9, 5.21 BB/9
Brash entered the season within the Mariners rotation, dazzled in his debut, then proceeded to stroll the world. I recall watching that first outing and worrying what would occur when hitters stopped swinging at his breaking balls out of the zone. He didn’t present any signal of with the ability to command something throughout the strike zone. Certain sufficient, it shortly grew to become an issue. The Mariners made the choice to demote him from the key league rotation straight to the Triple-A bullpen. A aid position gives a extra direct path for pitchers with Brash’s mixture of filthy stuff and poor command.
Indicators are pointing in the fitting course. After some preliminary command-related struggles, Brash has a 10-inning scoreless streak relationship again to Might 25 that features simply 5 hits and two walks in comparison with 16 strikeouts. He as soon as once more seems to be prepared for prime time. Sadly for him, the Seattle bullpen is pretty strong and can quickly must make means for Ken Giles (who occurs to be flailing in his rehab task). Brash could must await a pair accidents to reclaim a job.
George Valera, Cleveland Guardians 21, OF (AA)
236 PA, 10 HR, 2 SB, .291/.398/.513
Expectations for Valera fluctuate vastly relying on the supply. I’ve seen Cleveland followers evaluate him to Mike Trout. I’ve additionally seen open skepticism about his hit software. His efficiency this season hasn’t precisely supported both of those excessive interpretations. As a substitute, he appears to be trending as a gentle common outfielder.
Valera works counts and runs a tolerable 11.6 p.c swinging strike price. That’s helped him to round a 23 p.c strikeout price any time he’s settled right into a stage. His strikeout price tends to spike above 30 p.c when he strikes up a stage. He’s seemingly nearing a promotion to Triple-A. We must always most likely count on one other short-term surge in strikeouts when it occurs. His sample of struggling then dominating every rung of the minor league ladder is harking back to Jo Adell. Valera’s self-discipline ought to serve to make sure some type of large league position.
4 Extra
Zack Gelof, 2B/3B/OF, OAK (22): A 2021 draftee, the Athletics promoted Gelof straight from Low-A to Triple-A final season the place he held his personal in a 13-plate look trial. They assigned him to Double-A this season. He’s hit .315/.372/.458. Gelof lately tore the labrum of his non-throwing shoulder and will miss the majority of this season relying on the therapy plan.
Jackson Chourio, 2B/CF, MIL (18): Each season, there’s one teenaged prospect who catches the creativeness of each prospect watcher. Final 12 months, it was De La Cruz. This season, it’s Chourio. Scouting experiences abound with reward for the younger outfielder. He’s at the moment hitting .347/.394/.599 with six residence runs and 5 steals in 160 plate appearances. It’s unusual for well-rounded athletes to indicate this a lot energy as an 18-year-old. Chourio is a great distance from the majors, however his path is already paved. He simply has to remain on it, and stroll the remaining miles.
Andrew Painter, RHP, PHI (19): Painter made a mockery of the advanced league, posting a 1.40 ERA with 16.06 Okay/9 and three.72 BB/9. He’s proven superior really feel for a pitcher his age. FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen notes how properly he combines a excessive, arm-side fastball with a biting slider. He additionally throws a curve and changeup, each of which lag behind his two major choices. He’ll must develop these to be able to stick within the rotation. Painter was lately promoted to Excessive-A.
Bobby Miller, RHP, LAD (23): A flame-throwing right-hander, Miller has skilled blended ends in Double-A. He’s posted a 4.60 ERA with 9.57 Okay/9 and three.26 BB/9. There’s a Hunter Greene-ish really feel to Miller. His fastball runs over 100-mph with regularity, however sure traits trigger it to minimize. There’s aid threat right here, particularly if the Dodgers don’t commerce him. They’ve the assets to make use of him in whichever position offers essentially the most instantaneous gratification.
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