Notes from the Midwest: Texas and Midwest League Updates

Feature Photo: Eloy Jimenez, OF, Cubs
(Photo by John Arguello)

Welcome to the first installment of our weekly newsletter covering the 2016 Midwest (Class A) and Texas League (Double-A) seasons, Notes From the Midwest, edited by 2080’s Mauricio Rubio. Mauricio, John Arguello, and Nick J. Faleris get you caught up on the top performers, as well as news, stats, and notes from around each league this week.

Midwest League Prospect Profile

LogoMLBCHCEloy Jimenez, OF, Cubs (Class A South Bend)
Ht/Wt: 6’4″/205 | B/T: R/R | Age (as of April 1, 2016): 19y, 4m

It’s easy to forget now that his colleague has surpassed him, but Eloy Jimenez was considered the top prospect of the 2013 J2 class thanks to some loud tools and a body that oozes projection. Power is indicated everywhere in his profile, and the kind of loud contact he makes inspires some lofty projections for where his raw strength can end up at physical maturity.

Jimenez put on quite a show in BP in spring training, often launching baseballs atop the adjacent Performance Center Building at the Cubs facility. That the power is beginning to show at Class A South Bend is exciting. Jimenez hit a walk-off home run for the Cubs in 7-6 win against Bowling Green on April 11, and is slashing .250/.289/.444. Jimenez’s stock is contingent on him being able to find the barrel more often, though. His swing and approach at the plate both need work, as evidenced by an alarmingly high strikeout rate in the early going. Jimenez has been working on refining his approach, twice taking the ball to right field with two strikes for key RBIs, and working deeper counts, but he’s still looking to find consistency in that area. – John Arguello

*     *     *     *     *

2080 Top 125 Prospect Updates
By Mauricio Rubio

-Raul Mondesi, SS, Royals (#16): Mondesi’s power is starting to show up in-game for the Double-A Northwest Arkansas Nationals. If he holds the gains it’ll be a big deal in his profile. He’s currently hitting .282 with three home runs and a .921 OPS, including a seven-game hit streak from 4/8-4/15, hitting .393 (11-for-28) during the streak. Read more below.

-Franklin Barreto, SS, Athletics (#19): Barreto has started the year ice cold at Double-A Midland, hitting just .189, but he’s gone 5-for-12 over his last three games, and his bat looks to be waking up.

-There’s just not a whole lot left for Alex Bregman (SS, Astros – #53), to prove at Double-A Corpus Christi, which is a strong testament to the shortstop’s ability with the bat. Bregman will likely move off shortstop, but his bat will play at second base. Read more about his hot start below.

-Francis Martes, RHP, Astros (#60) is another highly regarded prospect in Houston’s system. He’s had a mixed start to his year at Double-A Corpus Christi, striking out nine but also walking six over two starts and 10 IP.

-The Astros system might’ve lost some names over the past few years but they’re still deep in advanced players who can contribute quickly. Joe Musgrove (RHP, Astros – #62), is off to a hot start at Double-A Corpus Christi. Read more about him below.

-Isan Diaz, SS, Brewers (#95): Diaz got off to a hot start for the Class A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, showing impressive plate discipline to go along with home runs on 4/10 and 4/11 to go along with a four-hit game 4/13 against the Burlington Bees. Diaz’s bat gets rave reviews from scouts with a plus potential hit tool and power that could get to average. He’s currently slashing .275/.396/.525 for Wisconsin.

-Conversely Daz Cameron (OF, Astros – #102) has struggled mightily early on for the Class A Quad Cities River Bandits. Cameron has a broad base of average tools that haven’t developed the way most were expecting when he first burst onto the prospect scene. Cameron is hitting just .132 with 19 strikeouts in 45 PAs for the River Bandits.

-Derek Fisher, OF, Astros (#113): Fisher is struggling to make consistent contact early in the year, mainly due to a hitch in his swing. The power is there but it remains to be seen whether he can tap into his raw pop enough. His year is off to a slow start, with Fisher hitting just .205 through his first 44 PAs at Double-A Corpus Christi.

-Junior Fernandez (RHP, Cardinals – #123) has two strong starts under his belt at Class A Peoria. He gets a shout-out in our Stat Wrap section below.

-Kyle TuckerOF, Astros (#124) is handling himself well in the Midwest League for the Class A Quad Cities River Bandits. He’s hitting .263 with a .370 OBP in the early going, albeit with only 2 extra base hits to-date.

    *     *     *     *    *

Prospect Spotlights – Texas League

Raul Mondesi, SS, Royals

Raul Mondesi, SS, Royals (Double-A Northwest Arkansas)
Ht/Wt: 6’1”/185 | B/T: S/R | Age (as of April 1, 2016): 20 y, 9m

The Royals haven’t been shy about pushing Mondesi aggressively in his career to highly mixed results. He seems to finally be coming into his own as the 2016 season starts. Mondesi is slashing .282/.364/.615 at the time of writing and has already hit three home runs early in the season. Power doesn’t project to be a major part of his profile moving forward, but Mondesi has enough natural strength and raw power to hit a few dingers at maturity. Mondesi’s calling card has long been his defensive actions, which are quick, smooth and easy.

Mondesi still has work to do at the plate in terms of refining his approach. Like many young players, Mondesi loves to swing and will have some swing and miss in his game but he has the ability to overcome that shortcoming with his plus bat speed and feel for contact. Mondesi is still a young player for his current Double-A level but it’s looking like he’s starting to get acclimated to the competition. – Mauricio Rubio Jr.

Alex Bregman, SS, Astros

Alex Bregman, SS, Astros (Double-A Corpus Christi)
Ht/Wt: 6’0″/180 | B/T: R/R | Age (as of April 1, 2016): 22y, 0m

A first-round selection in last June’s draft, the LSU product boasted a fundamentally sound game and well above-average feel for the craft of hitting. After easing into his professional debut last summer with time in the Midwest and California Leagues, Bregman’s 2016 Double-A assignment is more worthy of his refined talents. Even so, Bregman has shown little trouble in holding his own, slashing .395/.480/.767 over his first 11 games and launching a surprising four home runs – comprising almost one third of his total hits.

Bregman has a direct path to contact, and he’s capable of handling high-end velocity and quality off-speed pitches alike, thanks to well above-average bat speed and an advanced approach. He’s a cerebral hitter that does not shy away from getting aggressive early in the count, making him a formidable challenge for opposition arms looking for weaknesses to attack. It’s a cozy collection of clubs in the Texas League, which should give Double-A arms many chances to adjust to Bregman and, in turn, Bregman many chances to adjust back.

Though he could be ready for a cup of coffee at some point this summer, the presence of Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve in Houston will likely limit Bregman’s opportunities for early promotion, giving him plenty of time to continue to focus on driving the ball with authority, and perhaps shifting his defensive focus to multiple positions around the diamond, as the Astros figure out where best he fits in their long term plans. –Nick J. Faleris

LogoMLBHOUJoe Musgrove, RHP, Astros (Double-A Corpus Christi)
Ht/Wt: 6’5″/265 | B/T: R/R | Age (as of April 1, 2016): 23y, 4m

Considering his slow and steady progress after being selected in the compensation round of the 2011 MLB Draft, one could be forgiven for not having Musgrove on their prospect radar entering the 2015 season. The same courtesy cannot in good conscience be extended if the same oversight exists entering 2016, as Musgrove’s dominant 2015 campaign, spanning three levels and 100.2 in which he produced a 99 strikeouts against just 8 walks, was as loud a statement as you are likely to receive from an up-and-coming arm.

Musgrove returned to the Texas League to begin this season, and he’s picked up right where he left off, logging two starts thus far combining for nine innings pitched while allowing no runs just four hits and two walks while striking out 10. Musgrove attacks hitters with a heavy low-90s heater that can reach 95 mph up in the zone and an above-average curveball with downer action. He’ll also mix in a quality slider and changeup, showing comfort with and command of all four offerings. Musgrove projects as a solid mid-rotation arm in the mold of a John Lackey, and could be ready to contribute in Houston as early as late this summer. –Nick J. Faleris

Prospect Spotlights – Midwest League

Donnie Dewees, OF, Cubs

Donnie Dewees, OF, Cubs (Class A South Bend)
Ht/Wt: 5’11”/180 | B/T L/L | Age (as of April 1, 2016): 22 y, 7m

Dewees is an old school slash the ball in the gaps-type hitter with good feel for the barrel and plus speed. That has translated to 8 extra-base hits (four doubles and four triples) and a .405/.460/.690 slash line to start the season. Dewees has a selectively aggressive approach, but he understands that his primary role is to get on base and ignite the offense, so he has done a good job of drawing walks early this season. What has enhanced his value as a prospect is that Dewees has taken well to center field, showing good range, though his arm is well below average. He still projects as a top-of-the-order hitter. – John Arguello

LogoMLBCHCP.J. Higgins, C, Cubs (Class A South Bend)
Ht/Wt: 5’10″/185 | B/T: R/R | Age (as of April 1, 2016): 22y, 11m

Higgins was something of a jack-of-all-trades player at Old Dominion, and then in his first season in the Cubs’ system last year. This year he has converted to catcher, and the results have been impressive. Higgins’ athleticism translates well behind the plate, as he shows good mobility while his pop times have been in the sub two-second range, including 1.91 the last time I saw him (I’ve been told he has clocked as low as 1.87 seconds). At the plate, Higgins has a level swing plane that generates consistent line drive contact. Some off the Cubs people think they may have gotten a real steal with their 2015 12th-round draft pick. – John Arguello

LogoMLBMILMonte Harrison, OF, Brewers (Class A Wisconsin)
Ht/Wt: 6’3″/220 | B/T: R/R | Age (as of April 1, 2016): 20y, 8m

After being overmatched in the Midwest League last summer, Harrison has run into similar issues to start his 2016 campaign for the Wisconsin Timber rattlers. A tooled-up bag of athleticism, the 2014 second-round pick is seldom shy of being the most physically gifted player on the field, but it’s not the corporeal that concerns evaluators. Though still young for his pro level, Harrison continues to struggle identifying spin and soft stuff away, leading to a gang of empty swings over his first 10 games of the season and a strikeout in over a third of his PAs.

There is plenty of time for Harrison to make adjustments, and his speed, glove work, and feel on the base paths provide for a firm foundation upon which his future major league profile can be built. The same, much attention will be paid this summer to how the Show Me State native handles himself against full season arms. A second season of struggles with contact would deal a heavy blow to his prospects, while a firm developmental step forward would help him get back on track towards a potential first-division center field profile. –Nick J. Faleris

*     *     *     *     *

Top Performers

  • Hunter Dozier’s (3B, Royals, Double-A, Northwest Arkansas) prospect status has fallen off a bit over the past year but he’s found success so far in the Texas League. Dozier cranked a pair of home runs on 4/10 and is slugging .742 on the year.
  • In the same game that Dozier went off, Bubba Starling (OF, Royals, Double-A Northwest Arkansas), another struggling prospect, also slammed a pair of home runs. Starling’s pitch recognitions are beyond suspect, and it’s going his prospect value down. Starling has always had the tools but his overall slash line to start the year (.152/.282/.485) is both odd and telling at the same time.
  • Matt Chapman (3B, Athletics, Double-A Midland) had a big year in 2015 where he cranked 23 home runs and slugged .566 in the hitter-friendly California League. Chapman had a big game on 4/17 where he hit two home runs and drove in five. Chapman is mostly known for his defense, so keep an eye on his contact rates and power production moving forward.
  • It was a mixed week for Albert Abreu (RHP, Astros, Class A Quad Cities). On 4/8 he struck out seven and allowed one hit and one walk in 2.2 innings of work. On 4/14, however, Abreu allowed five earned runs in 4 IP while striking out six. Abreu is hard thrower and a name to keep in mind moving forward.
  • Nineteen-year-old Ruddy Giron (SS, Padres, Class A Fort Wayne) went 4-for-6 with three runs scored on 4/10. Giron’s offensive profile is propped up by a projectable hit tool. The Padres have been aggressive with pushing Giron with an assignment to the Midwest League this early in his career. The league plays as an extreme pitcher’s league early in the season, so his progress as the year wears on is worth tracking.

*     *     *     *     *

Stat Wrap

Texas League

Raul Mondesi, SS, Royals: 11-37, 6 R, 3 HR, 5 BB, 6 SB
Alex Bregman, SS, Astros: 16-40, 5 HR, 3 K
Ronald Guzman, 1B, Rangers: 12-34, 2 HR, 11 K
Harrison Bader, OF, Cardinals: 14-40, 1 HR

No real surprise that the top guys in Raul Mondesi and Alex Bregman are tearing the cover off the ball early in the season. Ronald Guzman has had a long and tumultuous trek through the minor leagues. Guzman’s hit tool hasn’t actualized to its once lofty potential, and the multitude of strikeouts early in the season offer a glimpse into what could be a regression. Harrison Bader loves high socks and trying very hard. He’ll have to keep trying as his skillset is rounded out with a lot of average tools, but few standout ones.

Midwest League

Junior Fernandez, RHP, Cardinals: 2 GS, 13 IP, 7 SO, 2.77 ERA
Francisco Mejia, C, Padres: 14-34, 5 2B, 5 K
Isan Diaz, SS, Brewers: 11-37, 2 HR, 7 BB, 8 K
Taylor Clarke, RHP, Diamondbacks: 2 GS, 10 IP, 5 H, 9 K, 0.90 ERA

The strikeouts haven’t shown up yet for Junior Fernandez, but they should come in time for the flame-throwing young righty. Fernandez can hit 99 mph on occasion, and he shows feel for a changeup. Should the command come around, he could tear up the Midwest League. Speaking of hard-throwing righties, Francisco Mejia’s elite-grade arm usually gets top billing in reports, but it was his barrel control that has impressed early in the season. Isan Diaz also displayed good command of the strike zone and some pop. Taylor Clarke gets profiled in the a report below; he’s been very impressive early in the season.

*     *     *     *     *

News and Notes

Midwest League

Texas League

*     *     *     *     *

2080 Reports and Video

Reports

Taylor Clarke, RHP, Diamondbacks (Class A Kane County)

Lukas Schiraldi, RHP, Mariners (Class A Clinton)

Video

No video this week for the Midwest and Texas Leagues, but be on the lookout for new video in next week’s edition!  For now, take a look at our video library of other prospects from around the country.

2080 Content

2080 Contributor Lisa Winston is having a ball tracking the major league debuts that have been happening since Opening Day. Her latest Les Debutantes column covering week two, can be found here, but for more reading check out the gang of players debuting in week one by clicking here for the A.L., and here for the N.L. debuts.