Notes From the West: PCL and Cal League Updates

Feature Photo: Andrew Toles, OF, Dodgers

Welcome to week two of Notes From the West!  Melissa Lockard, Dave DeFreitas, Jared Massey and Nick J. Faleris jump right in with updates from last week’s action in the PCL and California Leagues.

California League Prospect Profile

Andrew Toles, OF, Dodgers (High A Rancho Cucamonga)
Ht/Wt: 5’10″/185 | B/T: L/R | Age (as of April 1, 2016): 23y, 11m

On a team filled with intriguing prospects, Toles may be the most interesting guy on this year’s Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. The Tampa Bay Rays’ third-round pick in 2012 out of Chipola Junior College (Mariana, FL), Toles was the Rays’ minor league player of the year in 2013. He ran into some off-field issues in 2014 and was ultimately released at the end of the spring in 2015, and sitting out the rest of last season before being signed to a minor league deal by the Dodgers on September 23rd.

This season, the Dodgers have given him another chance after he really impressed in a short look in the instructional league last fall. The tools that made him a top prospect in the Rays’ system have been on display early this season. He has shown plus speed both on the bases and in center field along with a patient, middle-of-the-field approach at the plate. Toles has a short, line-drive stroke, and looks very comfortable hitting with two strikes. He’s riding a nice little four-game hit streak going into play Saturday and, by the looks of things, he will be a player to watch as 2016 rolls on. – Dave DeFreitas

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2080 Top 125 Prospect Updates

By Jared Massey

-Julio Urias, LHP, Dodgers (#6): Urias bounced back from a rough second start for Triple-A Oklahoma City with a strong third outing against the Memphis Redbirds, retiring the first 11 batters he faced before running into trouble. With two outs and two strikes in the fourth inning, Urias left a fastball over the plate that was driven to right-center field for a double. He then surrendered a walk, just his second allowed this season, and that was followed by a soft line drive into left to score a run. However, that was the only run he’d allow and he’d finish the outing with eight strikeouts in five innings.

Joey Gallo, OF, Rangers

Joey Gallo, 3B, Rangers

Joey Gallo, 3B, Rangers (#9): Gallo opened his season with a pair of two-homer games on April 9th and 13th. The past week wasn’t as kind to the slugger, however, as he went just 3-for-16 with a double. He’s already struck out 14 times in as many games, although he has drawn 10 walks. The strikeouts are more palatable when they’re accompanied by power. This week didn’t help Gallo’s stock much, as he is still struggling making contact, and it reinforced the notion that he could still benefit from some additional ABs in the minors.

-Orlando Arcia, SS, Brewers (#15): Arcia hit his first home run of the season for the Triple-A Colorado Springs Sky Sox this week (a walk-off blast in a 5-4 win over Memphis April 20th), and that came along with a pair of walks. He had two multi-hit games, giving him five for the month. Arcia is hitting .295 and continues to make plenty of contact, and he’s playing well defensively despite being in Triple-A at just 21-years-old.

-Sean Manaea, LHP, Athletics (#27): Manaea faced his greatest challenge yet this week: pitching in Colorado Springs. The southpaw responded by allowing just one run in six innings, maintaining his ERA of 1.50. There’s not much more to prove down on the farm for Manaea, and he should be seeing time in Oakland’s rotation before long.

A.J. Reed, Astros

A.J. Reed, 1B, Astros

-A.J. Reed, 1B, Astros (#34): Reed struggled mightily at the plate this past week, with his only hit being a three-run home run. He went 1-for-19 with five strikeouts and one walk. He didn’t play Thursday or Friday, though there’s no word of an injury. With Tyler White’s ascension at the major league level, Reed has more time to tune up for his big league debut.

-Jonathan Gray, RHP, Rockies (#55): Gray made his season debut for the major league club on Friday after rehabbing from an abdomen injury with High A Modesto. He got off to a rocky start against the Dodgers, allowing a pair of homers in the first inning, before settling in over the next few innings. He threw his fastball in the middle 90s, touching 98, while he added plenty of sliders as well as a handful of changeups and a curve. He didn’t allow another run until the fifth, when Adrian Gonzalez singled in two with the bases loaded. Gray finished the game with 10 strikeouts over five innings, surrendering five runs on seven hits and two walks.

-Drew Jackson, SS, Mariners (#90): Jackson continued his hot hitting, as he’s gone just three games without collecting a hit in his first 15 contests for High A Bakersfield. He had four multi-hit efforts this week, picking up a couple doubles along the way, and raising his average to .312. Jackson also stole his second base of the year, but was caught a staggering five times. Of his 20 hits this season, 16 are singles.

-Forrest Wall, 2B, Rockies (#98): Wall’s week had nowhere to go but down after his five-hit effort last Friday for High A Modesto, and his performance dropped off precipitously this week. He had just three hits in 24 at-bats and struck out eight times. The 20-year-old second baseman is still hitting .311 on the season, a testament to his hot start, and his production at the plate should turn around soon.

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Prospect Spotlights – Pacific Coast League

Tucker Healy, RHP, Athletics

Tucker Healy, RHP, Athletics

Tucker Healy, RHP, Athletics (Triple-A Nashville)
Ht/Wt: 6’1’’/210 | B/T: L/R | Age (as of April 1, 2016): 25

Through his first five appearances of the season, Healy allowed just one hit in six innings with 10 strikeouts and three walks. He had his first bad outing of the season on Friday, when he allowed three runs on five hits in 1.1 IP. Even with that poor outing, Healy has a 12:3 K:BB rate over his first 7.1 innings. Healy, who uses a three-quarters delivery that offers some deception, has 270 strikeouts in 201 career minor league innings. The 25-year-old isn’t a power pitcher, but his fastball has been 90-to-93 mph this season and has touched 95 in the past. It is the movement he gets on the pitch that makes it particularly effective. That movement can also get Healy in trouble, at times, if it takes his pitches too far out of the strike zone. He has improved his fastball location over the past 12 months. Healy’s slider is his best secondary offering, and he is working on a changeup to combat lefties. He could be a low profile, high-impact bullpen find for the A’s later this year, similar to draft classmate Ryan Dull (RHP, Athletics). — Melissa Lockard

LogoMLBSTLCharlie Tilson, OF, Cardinals (Triple-A Memphis)
Ht/Wt: 5’11″/175 | B/T: L/L | Age (as of April 1, 2016): 23y, 4m

After leading the Double-A Texas League in hits in 2015, the former second rounder has swung the bat well in his first taste of Triple-A, slashing .289/.360/.444 through his first 14 games for Memphis. Tilson has grown into a bat capable of utilizing the whole field, though his limited power still plays best to the pull side (and mostly to the gap and the line, rather than over the fence). He’s a plus to double-plus runner that clocked multiple sub-4.1 times to first in his most recent four-game set in Oklahoma City, and showed the ability to drop a push bunt for a hit when the opportunity allowed. While the offensive upside is that of a fleet-footed leadoff hitter, Tilson profiles better as a good down-order stick with an average, or tick-above, hit tool but limited impact. If he can transition from a slasher, and show more comfort elevating and driving the ball, he could tally 30-plus extra base hits annually.

Defensively, Tilson continues to progress with his reads and routes, making up for his missteps with his speed. With continued work he could profile as a useful fourth outfielder, though his tick-below-average arm would be stretched in right field for an extended period of time. The raw materials are there to profile as a quality everyday center fielder. He could use a full season’s worth of at-bats and reps in center field at Memphis, and if he continues to progress, should be in discussions for a 25-man roster spot next spring. –Nick J. Faleris

LogoMLBKANLuke Farrell, RHP, Royals (Triple-A Omaha)
Ht/Wt: 6’6″/210 | B/T: R/R | Age (as of April 1, 2016): 24y, 10m

Farrell won’t knock you over with the weight of his stuff, but it’s a solid four-pitch arsenal that the former sixth rounder wields with savvy. He’s put together three solid starts to kick off his 2016 season, totaling 19.1 IP in which he’s allowed four earned runs on 11 hits and six walks to go with 14 strikeouts. The Northwestern product is comfortable working his fastball, curve, changeup and cutter – all of which can play as average offerings – in any count, and has found particular success dropping in his curve for a strike early in the count against righties, and running his changeup down and away to lefties when ahead.

At six-foot-six, Farrell is broadly built with a workhorse body and creates good angles, particularly working down in the zone. There isn’t much pop to his arsenal, so the margin for error can be slim, especially once hitters are taking their second and third at-bats against him. Farrell looks like a potential back-end arm thanks to an advanced feel that comes with growing up around the game – his father John is the manager of the Boston Red Sox. He should find some innings in Kansas City as early as this summer as opportunities arise. Even if he fails to break into the Royals’ rotation, he could be useful as a swingman. –Nick J. Faleris

Jeff Hoffman, RHP, Rockies

Jeff Hoffman, RHP, Rockies

Jeff Hoffman, RHP, Rockies (Triple-A Albuquerque)
Ht/Wt: 6’5″/225 | B/T: R/R | Age (as of April 1, 2016): 23y, 3m

A central piece in the deal that sent Troy Tulowitzki to Toronto last summer, Hoffman finds himself in Triple-A to start the 2016 season despite having thrown just 104 professional innings (all in 2015) after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2014. Through four starts, Hoffman looks at home in Albuquerque, with the former first rounder tallying 22.2 IP and striking out 19 while allowing 19 hits and nine walks. Opponents are hitting just .226 against the East Carolina product.

In his most recent start against Las Vegas, Hoffman worked from the low-to-middle 90s with his fastball, touching 97 mph with the four-seamer and sitting mostly 92-to-93 mph with his lively two-seamer. Both his curveball and his changeup can play to plus, with the latter serving as a quality two-strike weapon, coming with good deception off the fastball and impressive tumble. He has struggled some to consistently command his hard-breaking curve, but has not shied away from working the pitch both early and late in counts to both righties and lefties alike.

Hoffman has the pure stuff to settle in as a true front-end starter, and could end up with two legit double-plus weapons in his fastball and curveball if he can find enough feel to hit his spots in the zone with more consistency. His changeup will be an important tool for him in the thin air of Denver, and it bodes well for him that he’s already showing confidence utilizing the offering and both throwing it for strikes and running it out of the zone when ahead in the count. –Nick J. Faleris

Prospect Spotlights – California League

LogoMLBHOURiley Ferrell, RHP, Astros (High A Lancaster)
Ht/Wt: 6’2’’/200 | B/T: R/R | Age (as of April 1, 2016): 22

A third-rounder out of TCU taken in the 2015 draft, Ferrell is a big-bodied reliever with power stuff that can project at the back-end of the bullpen. His fastball was 92-to-98 mph on Tuesday with a power 12-to-6 curveball at 78-to-81 mph. He located both offerings in his one inning of work, pounding the fastball down in the strike zone and going up the ladder for put-away. Ferrell was erratic in his first taste of pro ball last year, but he has shown better command thus far in 2016. Houston is looking for him to build off of his solid start. — Dave DeFreitas

Kyle Garlick, OF, Dodgers

Kyle Garlick, OF, Dodgers

Kyle Garlick, OF, Dodgers (High A Rancho Cucamonga)
Ht/Wt: 6’1’’/210 | B/T: R/R | Age (as of April 1, 2016): 24

Garlick had a career night on April 18, when he homered three times and plated six runs for Rancho Cucamonga. It was the first multi-homer game of Garlick’s career and it was the first three-homer game in the Cal League since 2014. Garlick, a 2015 28th-round pick out of Cal Poly-Pomona, played at three levels in his debut season last year. He is 24, and could be in-line for a promotion to Double-A as soon as the Dodgers have an opening in Tulsa. For the year, he is hitting .297 with a .375 OBP over his first 71 PAs.

Garlick has continued to impress coaches in 2016; he followed up his three-homer performance with a 1-for-4 night, but that one hit was a ringing double in his first at-bat. He is an athletic kid, but was 4.50 down the line and could find himself relegated to a corner-outfield spot. Garlick shows hand speed, and has hit the ball hard at every level he’s played, but there is some serious swing-and-miss there with 20 punchouts already in 64 at-bats. He will need the power display to continue, a la Scott Schebler (OF, Reds) in 2013, in order for him to continue climbing the minor league ladder. — Dave DeFreitas

LogoMLBARIColin Bray, OF, Diamondbacks (High A Visalia)
Ht/Wt: 6’3’’/200 | B/T: S/L | Age (as of April 1, 2016): 22

As a long, lanky, plus athlete, Bray shows shades of a left-handed Drew Stubbs (OF, Braves) with the actions, plus run and short stroke. His hands are quiet and he has a solid, inside-out approach at the plate. Bray wore out the hole on the left side of the infield this week versus Rancho Cucamonga, racking up four hits in three games and six hits over his current four-game hit streak. The strikeouts have been high for someone with his tool set, however, a trend that is continuing so far this season with 16 Ks over 70 PAs. He is ultra aggressive on the bases, and his wheels make him a consistent threat to take the extra base (4.09 HP-to-1B times). Bray has some room to fill out and get stronger with his frame, so there is a chance some of the doubles he hit in 2015 start leaving the yard this year. He did not show great feel for center field, getting poor jumps on a couple balls over his head. His defense is something to watch going forward, as his prospect value would likely take a hit if he has to move over to a corner-outfield spot. — Dave DeFreitas

Yusniel Diaz , OF, Dodgers

Yusniel Diaz , OF, Dodgers

Yusniel Diaz, OF, Dodgers (High A Rancho Cucamonga)
Ht/Wt: 6’1’’/195 | B/T: R/R | Age (as of April 1, 2016): 19

Diaz signed for $15.5 million this past offseason out of Cuba, and while he is raw, it’s easy to see the tools that have Dodgers so high on this 19-year-old. He showed some lighting in the hands when he turned on a middle 90’s fastball at his eyes for a homer to left field. His lanky, wirey frame has room to fill out a bit and he should get a lot stronger. There isn’t much of an approach at the plate right now, but he has great actions and the ingredients are there. Look for him to spend most of the season with Rancho. (Read more on his recent hot streak in Top Performers) — Dave DeFreitas

LogoMLBLADErick Mejia, SS, Dodgers (High A Rancho Cucamonga)
Ht/Wt: 5’11’’/165 | B/T: S/R | Age (as of April 1, 2016): 21

Mejia has impressed this week and it is easy to see why Dodgers like this kid. He is a plus athlete that projects to stay at shortstop at the upper levels. While he looks to be a defense-oriented player, he has shown some power from both sides of the plate in my looks this week, turning on a fastball in for a long home run to right field on Tuesday, and then supplied most of the power for a go-ahead triple to center field late in the game Friday night. He is a plus runner, timing 4.05 and 4.11 down the line from the left side. He has very loose actions and boasts above-average arm at shortstop. He can get too quick at times, leading to some unforced errors in the field, and he can be overly aggressive at the dish, but there is lots of room to project on this kid. — Dave DeFreitas

LogoMLBLADScott Griggs, RHP, Dodgers (High A Rancho Cucamonga)
Ht/Wt: 6’4’’/215 | B/T: R/R | Age (as of April 1, 2016): 24

Griggs threw 2.1 innings this week. He struggled with his command in the strike-zone on Friday night, however, giving up the tying run late on a well hit single off of a center-cut 0-2 fastball and the go-ahead homer off of a hanging slider. Griggs has a big fastball at 93-to-95 mph and he hides it a bit with his short arm action and crossfire delivery. He does a good job working glove side and has been throwing a lot of strikes thus far in 2016, something that has plagued him a bit in past years. His slider has the makings of an above-average pitch with swing-and-miss potential, and he likes burying it down and in on lefties. With his swing-and-miss capabilities, Griggs – if he can limit the walks – has a chance to shoot through the system and contribute at the upper-minor league levels this year. — Dave DeFreitas

LogoMLBLADJulian Leon, C, Dodgers (High A Rancho Cucamonga)
Ht/Wt: 5’11’’/200 | B/T: R/R | Age (as of April 1, 2016): 20

A strong, thick-bodied kid, Leon has the prototypical catchers build. It has been feast-or-famine for him in the young season. He hit the ball hard in two of his three starts this week, but going into Sunday has not had a whole lot to show for it. He has some very quick hands and a real ability to get the barrel to the ball and drive it to the big part of the field, but lacks a consistent approach. Leon showed soft hands behind the plate, and at least an average arm gunning down a runner at third on Saturday. He is a low-motor type of guy and the actions are pretty easy, sometimes making him look a little lackadaisical. At 20-years-old, Leon is young for the level, and looks like he is still learning how to compete. — Dave DeFreitas

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Top Performers

Stats through Friday, April 22, 2016

Pacific Coast League

  • Albert Almora (CF, Cubs, Triple-A Iowa) is off to a red-hot start to the 2016 season. He had back-to-back three-hit games on April 19 and 20, and is batting .326/.377/.457. Almora has always had strong K:BB rates, and that is continuing in 2016 (6:5). Known for his glovework in center field, Almora’s bat may finally be reaching its potential.
  • Gabriel Ynoa (RHP, Mets, Triple-A Las Vegas) allowed just two hits and two walks in 6.1 scoreless innings versus the Sacramento River Cats on April 21. Through three starts, the 22-year-old has allowed just 10 hits and three runs, although he has walked seven. Ynoa has increased his ground ball rate so far this season, something he will need to continue as he pitches more games at offense-friendly Cashman Field.
  • On April 20, left-hander Dillon Overton (LHP, Athletics, Triple-A Nashville) tossed a seven-inning complete game in the second game of a double-header for the Sounds. The seven innings were a single-game career high. Overton had Tommy John surgery in August 2013, and pitched under a strict innings and pitch count limit after returning from the surgery in 2014. This year, Overton is pitching without restrictions for the first time. In the April 20 outing, he allowed one run while scattering five hits and walking none. He also struck out five. Overton has a 2.81 ERA over his first 16 Triple-A innings, with 15 strikeouts and only two walks.
  • Once a rising star, former first-round pick Jemile Weeks (2B, Padres) fought his way back to the big leagues with San Diego after a strong spring training and a hot start for Triple-A El Paso. Weeks, who was limited to second base for most of his career, played four different positions for El Paso. On April 18, he had a huge night at the plate, going 4-for-6 and falling a homer short of the cycle. He also stole a base. The 29-year-old Weeks hit .306/.405/.500 in 10 games with El Paso. That earned him a promotion to San Diego on April 20 when Cory Spagenberg landed on the DL.

California League

  • The High A Lake Elsinore Storm turned in a game for the record books on April 20, homering a franchise-record seven times in a 17-3 win over the San Jose Giants. Javier Guerra (SS, Padres) had three hits and a walk in the game to raise his batting average more than 40 points. Guerra was one of the prospects acquired by San Diego in the Craig Kimbrel deal with the Red Sox this past offseason. Franchy Cordero (OF, Padres), a former shortstop who has moved to the outfield while Guerra plays short, homered twice and drove in four in the rout.
  • Andrew Moore (RHP, Mariners, High A Bakersfield) threw seven hitless innings for the Blaze in a win over the Storm on April 22. Moore was lifted after seven innings and 97 pitches. The no-hitter was lost in the eighth by the bullpen, but the seven-inning gem lowered Moore’s ERA to 1.14 on the season. He struck out three, walked one and recorded 10 groundouts in the game.
  • Yusniel Diaz (OF, Dodgers, High A Rancho Cucamonga) homered in three straight games (April 18-20) for the Quakes and is seven-for-his-last-13. The 19-year-old prospect from Cuba is playing in his first season in the United States after signing a $15 million deal with the Dodgers during the offseason.
  • On April 22, James Harris (OF, Athletics, High A Stockton) had three hits, including a walk-off single, for the Ports. Those hits extended his season-long hitting streak to 15 games. He is batting .371 with a .937 OPS in 70 ABs.

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Stat Wrap

Stats through Friday, April 22, 2016

Pacific Coast League

Mike Zunino, C, Mariners, 12-28, 9 R, 2 2B, 5 HR, 14 RBI
Jon Singleton, 1B, Astros, 5-14, 2 HR, 1 BB
Jharel Cotton, RHP, Dodgers, 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K
Mac Williamson, OF, Giants, 2-4, 2 HR

While not technically a prospect, Mike Zunino’s week was too good to ignore. He went five straight games with a home run from April 13th to the 18th, with six total in that span. He added another on Friday, giving him a minor league-leading seven on the young season. Jon Singleton is off to a stone cold start with the Fresno Grizzlies, but he showed some signs of life late this week. Jharel Cotton pitched five scoreless innings before the game was called due to rain, giving him a complete game shutout. Mac Williamson returned to Triple-A Sacramento after a quick stint in the big leagues with the Giants and hit two homers on April 22 at Las Vegas. – Jared Massey

California League

Luke Tendler, OF, Rangers, 12-26, 8 R, 3 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI
Caleb Adams, OF, Angels, 12-27, 3 R, 1 2B, 2 3B, 3 RBI, 2 SB
Sam Howard, LHP, Rockies, 5.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K
B.J. Boyd, OF, Athletics, 5-20, 2 BB

Luke Tendler, a 29th rounder from the 2014 draft, had a hit in every game he played this week for High Desert, including four multi-hit games and a pair of homers on Friday. He leads the league in hitting with a .404 batting average and is third with a 1.062 OPS. Caleb Adams, a 10th rounder in 2014, had a trio of three-hit efforts this week and he added a pair of stolen bases for Inland Empire. Adams is second in the Cal League in hitting, with a .386 mark. Sam Howard, a 2014 third rounder, pitched 5.2 shutout innings for Modesto on Wednesday, lowering his ERA to 1.76, sixth in the California League. B.J. Boyd’s season-long 11-game hitting streak came to an end on April 22. He had an 18-game hitting streak for Stockton dating back to last season. Boyd isn’t hitting for power yet this season, but he is batting .306 with a .404 OBP. — Jared Massey

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News and Notes

California League

Pacific Coast League

This Week at 2080 Baseball…

Reports Filed:

Grant Holmes, RHP, Dodgers (High A Rancho Cucamonga)

Check out our report library for new reports on prospects from around the country

Videos Filed:

No video this week from the West Region, but check out our video library for new video on prospects from around the country

2080 Content:

2080 Contributor John Arguello asks ‘Who ya Got’ when evaluating three up-and-coming Cubs’ pitchers; Lisa Winston Continues her Les Debutantes Series, and we have Midwest, South, and East Region newsletters all live at 2080baseball.com.

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