Feature Photo: Raul A. Mondesi, SS, Royals
After just a trio of debutantes last week, this week teams started bringing up more firepower in terms of giving their fans a look at their future. Of the eight players who made their debuts between July 23 and July 30, three of them were recent first-round draft picks.
Also worth noting was the arrival in the majors of Kansas City Royals shortstop Raul A. Mondesi. We had a lively debate about whether or not he should indeed appear in this hallowed pages (bytes?) and decided to be benevolent despots and grant him his capsule. See below for details why.
Finally, an interesting … well, I won’t call it a “trend” but something of an anomaly based on the first-half numbers, out of the eight debuts this week, six were by position players, including a streak of the last three in a row since right-hander Braden Shipley’s (RHP, Diamondbacks) outing on July 25.
American League Debuts
ALEX BREGMAN, SS/3B, ASTROS:
Ht/Wt: 6’0”/180 B/T: R/R DOB: March 30, 1994
ACQUIRED: Drafted in the first round (#2 overall) of the 2015 MLB First-Year Player Draft (Louisiana State University).
CURRENT SEASON STATS: .306 with 20 homers, 61 RBIs and seven steals in 80 games between Corpus Christi (Double-A) and Fresno (Triple-A) with 22 doubles, 71 runs scored, a .406 OBP and a .580 SLG.
PROMOTED: Contract purchased from Fresno July 25 when INF Danny Worth was designated for assignment.
DEBUT: July 25, in a 2-1 loss to the Yankees. The starting third baseman, he batted sixth and went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and six men left on base. In his first at-bat in the second inning, against Yankees starter Michael Pineda, he flied out to right field. In his next at-bat, with two outs and one on in the fourth, Pineda struck him out swinging. In the sixth, with the bases loaded and Pineda still on the mound, he flied out to right field. In the ninth, with one on and no outs and very-newly-anointed closer Andrew Miller pitching, he struck out.
PLAYER NOTES: Note: Do not – repeat, DO NOT – panic about Bregman’s linescore in his debut. This is not a harbinger of things to come from a player who was already, obviously, pretty well regarded a year ago (hello, second player taken in the draft) and whose stock has risen even further since then, leading some well-regarded experts to consider him, quite simply, the best prospect in the minors (though not anymore, since he’s not in the minors now). The third member of the Class of 2015 to debut in 2016 (and in July alone), his biggest assets are his plate discipline, baserunning and defense, but he can pretty much do it all, as his first half numbers attest. In his pro debut in 2015, between two Class A stops at Quad Cities and Lancaster, he combined to hit .294 with four homers, 34 RBIs and 13 steals. He’d been drafted out of high school by the Red Sox, who selected him in the 29th round of 2012, but opted instead to head to college at LSU. The Astros (and their fans) are already looking forward to when Bregman can share the middle infield and heart of the lineup with newly-signed international prospect Yulieski Gurriel.
2080 NOTES: Bregman was ranked No. 52 on 2080’s Preseason Top 125 Prospect Ranking List, but his already-high stock has soared big time in just these few months. We had this to say about him at the time: “Bregman’s impressive bat speed and contact skills are the louder part of his profile. His ultimate defensive home might be on the right side of the infield due to his arm strength, but his bat will play at either shortstop or second base.” You can read Nick J. Faleris’ Prospect Spotlight on Bregman here.
BRUCE MAXWELL, C, ATHLETICS:
Ht/Wt: 6’1”/250 B/T: L/R DOB: December 20, 1990
ACQUIRED: Drafted in the second round of the 2012 MLB First-Year Player Draft (Birmingham Southern College).
CURRENT SEASON STATS: .321 with 10 homers and 41 RBIs in 60 games at Nashville (Triple-A), with 12 doubles and a .539 SLG.
PROMOTED: Contract purchased from Nashville July 23 when C Stephen Vogt went on the Family Medical Emergency list
DEBUT: July 23, in a 4-3 win against the Rays. Pinch-hitting for catcher Matt McBride in the bottom of the seventh inning, he grounded out to first base and then remained in the game behind the plate.
PLAYER NOTES: The German-born Maxwell (he was born in Wiesbaden, Hesse) is a member of the German World Baseball Classic team so has some international experience to go along with his quick climb through the minors. Known for a combination of excellent plate discipline and raw power potential, the latter has seemed to emerge this season. In 2015, he hit just .243 with two homers and 48 RBIs in 96 games at Midland (Double-A) after combining to bat an identical .243 between Midland and Stockton (High A) in 2014, with six homers and 37 RBIs. Defensively, he has all the attributes you look for in an up-and-coming young catcher.
2080 NOTES: 2080’s Melissa Lockard, the A’s writer for scout.com, has long been a proponent of Maxwell, so who better than to link to for more info about the Oakland rookie?
GUILLERMO HEREDIA, OF, MARINERS:
Ht/Wt: 5’10”/180 B/T: R/L DOB: January 31, 1990
ACQUIRED: Signed as an international free agent (Cuba) on March 1, 2016 (SEA).
CURRENT SEASON STATS: .309 with four homers, 47 RBIs and three steals in 84 games between Jackson (Double-A) and Tacoma (Triple-A), adding 12 doubles and a .405 SLG.
PROMOTED: Recalled from Tacoma July 29 when P David Rollins was sent down.
DEBUT: July 29, in a 12-1 loss to the Cubs. A defensive replacement in right field for Nelson Cruz, he went 0-for-1 with a strikeout. After entering the game in the bottom of the seventh, he came to bat with one on and one out in the top of the eighth inning and struck out looking against Mike Montgomery.
PLAYER NOTES: A star in his native Cuba, where he played from 2009 until 2014 (including one game in ’14) for a slash line of .285/.376/.418, he was known as a fine defensive center fielder with good speed and a strong arm. He defected to Mexico in 2014 and did not play in 2015 before signing with the Mariners this spring. He had earned midseason Southern League All-Star honors at Jackson before his promotion to Tacoma.
RAUL A. MONDESI, SS, ROYALS:
Ht/Wt: 6’1”/185 B/T: R/R DOB: July 27, 1995
ACQUIRED: Signed as an international free agent (Dominican Republic) on July 27, 2011.
CURRENT SEASON STATS: .212 with four homers, 26 RBIs and 16 steals in 60 games between Wilmington (High A), Northwest Arkansas (Double-A) and Omaha (Triple-A).
PROMOTED: Recalled from Omaha July 26 when OF Whit Merrifield was sent down.
DEBUT: July 26, in a 13-0 loss to the Angels. The starting second baseman, he batted ninth and went 0-for-3 with an error. In his first regular season at-bat against Angels starter Tyler Skaggs, he lined out to center field in the third inning. In the fifth, he lined into a 9-6 double play and in the eighth, he grounded out to first base. (Just for the record? In his actual-debut debut in the World Series, in Game 3 on October 30 against the New York Mets, he pinch-hit for Danny Duffy in the fifth inning and struck out swinging against Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard.)
PLAYER NOTES: Mondesi, who signed on the dotted line with the Kansas City Royals on his 16th birthday (not that they were waiting for that day or anything), is sort of a debutante with an asterisk. The powers-that-be here at 2080 debated his inclusion in this package because while it’s technically his MLB ‘regular season’ debut, it’s not really his debut. That’s because (if you’ve been living under a rock or just discovered this thing called baseball this year) last fall he became the first player to ever make his big league debut in the World Series, when he was added to the roster for that last round against the Mets and had one at-bat in Game 3.). While we’re at it, let’s also clarify another popular misconception or, perhaps better put, misnomer. He is NOT “Raul Mondesi Jr.” though you will see him referred to as such in many publications and websites. He IS indeed the 13-year big league veteran’s son, and his name is Raul Mondesi, but so is Mondesi Sr.’s older son, Raul Mondesi Jr. (who played in the low minors of the Brewers system from 2010-2012). This next son is Raul Adalberto Mondesi, but not a junior. Apparently, Raul Sr. simply likes naming his sons after himself. Hey, it worked for George Foreman five times in a row. Mondesi Not. Jr. spent the majority of the 2015 season at Northwest Arkansas where he batted .243 in 81 games, adding six homers, 33 RBIs and 19 steals. This year his numbers were limited and low before his promotion due to being on the sidelines for 50 games due to a suspension for PEDs, but the punishment was reduced from 80 games because he came clean, and had ingested the drugs taking over-the-counter cold medicines (it can happen to the best of us – colds kick out butts). Despite his shining brightly as a shortstop in the minors, it looks like he’ll be at second base with the defending World Champions for a while and despite making an error in his debut, look for him to be golden there as well as he acclimates because the talent is clearly there.
2080 NOTES: Mondesi checked in at No. 16 on our Preseason Top 125 Prospect Ranking List and here’s what we had to say about him at the time: “Mondesi’s been pushed aggressively through the Royals’ system, but rightfully so. He has borderline elite speed, is a plus defender, and has the quality upside of an all-star shortstop at the plate. Some adjustments in approach, and some added strength could provide dividends as he continues his advancement through the upper minors this year.” We’ve had a pair of Prospect Spotlights run on Mondesi and you can read both here from different pairs of eyes. You can check out our Prospect Spotlights on Mondesi here and here.
National League Debuts
MIKE MAYERS, RHP, CARDINALS:
Ht/Wt: 6’3”/200 B/T: R/R DOB: December 6, 1991
ACQUIRED: Drafted in the third round of the 2013 MLB First-Year Player Draft (University of Mississippi).
CURRENT SEASON STATS: 8-5 with a 2.62 ERA in 18 starts between Springfield (Double-A) and Memphis (Triple-A), striking out 86 while walking 36 and allowing 93 hits in 106.2 IP in 18 starts – nine at each stop.
PROMOTED: Contract purchased from Memphis July 24 when RHP Miguel Socolovich was sent down.
DEBUT: July 24, in a 9-6 loss to the Dodgers. The starting pitcher, he took the loss, allowing nine runs, all earned, on eight hits and two walks in 1.1 IP. He threw 62 pitches, 38 for strikes. Most of the damage came in a six-run first inning. The first batter he faced in the big leagues, leadoff hitter Chase Utley, singled to center field and Corey Seager followed with an infield single. After walking Justin Turner to load the bases, Mayers gave up a grand slam to center field to Adrian Gonzalez. Mayers had gotten all four batters to two-strike counts. Howie Kendrick followed the slam by doubling to center on the first pitch he saw. Mayers finally got his ERA down from infinity by striking out the next batter, Yasmani Grandal, swinging and then retired red-hot rookie Andrew Toles on a groundout before walking Joc Pederson to set up opposing pitcher Scott Kazmir’s two-run single to center. Utley capped the batting around by ending the inning by grounding out. In the second inning, Seager grounded out before Turner singled and scored on Gonzalez’s RBI single to right, his fifth ribbie of the game by the second inning. Gonzalez then scored on Kendrick’s homer to right field, prompting a pitching change to bring in reliever Seth Maness.
PLAYER NOTES: Mayers had been scheduled to start for Memphis in a doubleheader when the call came for an emergency starter in a rain-caused double dip with the big league club. Bringing a 3.49 career ERA into his major league debut after missing much of the 2015 season due to an arm strain, there was no reason to expect the implosion that occurred and, frankly, no reason to think that was anything but an anomaly. In 2014, he combined for an 8-12 record and 3.40 ERA in 26 starts at three levels – Memphis, Springfield and Palm Beach (High A) – striking out 117 while walking just 37 in 153.2 IP, giving up 174 hits. Mayers was sent back to the minors on July 25 to make room for veteran pitcher Jerome Williams.
BRADEN SHIPLEY, RHP, DIAMONDBACKS:
Ht/Wt: 6’2”/185 B/T: R/R DOB: February 22, 1992
ACQUIRED: Drafted in the first round (#15 overall) of the 2013 MLB First-Year Player Draft (University of Nevada-Reno).
CURRENT SEASON STATS: 8-5, with a 3.70 ERA in 19 starts and 119.1 IP, allowing 22 walks, striking out 77, and giving up 131 hits.
PROMOTED: Contract purchased from Reno July 25 when RHP Silvio Bracho was sent down and RHP Rubby de la Rosa was transferred from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.
DEBUT: July 25, in a 7-2 loss to the Brewers. The starting pitcher, he took the loss, allowing six runs, all of them earned on eight hits in 5.1 IP, striking out four and walking four. He also allowed three home runs. After retiring the first batter he faced, Jonathan Villar, on a fly out to left field, he gave up a home run to Scooter Gennett. His first strikeout came with two outs in the first when he got Kirk Nieuwenheis looking at strike three with two runners on base. In the third inning, Villar homered to lead things off. Then, with a runner on base and two outs, Shipley worked out of the jam by striking out the next two batters, Jonathan Lucroy and Nieuwenheis, both swinging. Villar started the next rally as well, in the fifth, doubling to lead things off and, after moving to second on a groundout by Gennett, coming around to score on an RBI single to left field by Ryan Braun. In the sixth inning, Nieuwenheis and Ramon Flores singled and then, with one out, Martin Maldonado homered to left field, ending the night for Shipley as Dominic Leone came on in relief. At the plate, Shipley went 1-for-3, doubling off of Chase Anderson in his first at-bat and scoring on a single by Jean Segura.
PLAYER NOTES: Shipley brought a career 3.79 ERA in 81 games into his big league debut along with a .261 career BAA, as well as the impressive credential of having been the first-ever first-round pick out of the University of Nevada-Reno. A shortstop in college who was converted to the mound, he continues to work on mechanics and just getting in the reps and experience, but he brings a lovely mid-90s fastball and a curveball that is is considered by some to be the best in the organization. He lowered his ERA almost a full run in the second half of 2015 from the first half, finishing that summer with a 9-11 record and 3.50 ERA in 28 games at Mobile (Double-A), striking out 118 while walking 56 in 156.2 IP.
2080 NOTES: Coming in at No. 81 on 2080’s Preseason Top 125 Prospect Ranking List, we had this to say about him at the time: “Shipley started slowly, but picked up steam as his 2015 season wore on. His fastball, curveball, and changeup all grade as average or better, with his fastball touching 95-to-96 mph.”
JOSE RONDON, SS, PADRES:
Ht/Wt: 6’1”/160 B/T: R/R DOB: March 3, 1994
ACQUIRED: Via July 19, 2014 trade with the Angels that netted Rondon, 2B Taylor Lindsey, RHP R.J. Alvarez and RHP Elliot Morris for RHPs Huston Street and Trevor Gott. Originally signed as an international free agent by the Angels (Dominican Republic) on January 13, 2011.
CURRENT SEASON STATS: .279 with five homers, 44 RBIs and 13 steals in 98 games at San Antonio (Double-A) along with 21 doubles.
PROMOTED: Recalled from San Antonio July 29 along with P Leonel Campos to fill roster spots left open by the multi-player deal with the Miami Marlins earlier in the day.
DEBUT: July 29, in a 6-0 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. Pinch-hitting for starting pitcher Edwin Jackson in the bottom of the fifth inning, he went 0-for-1. Coming to bat against Reds starter Brandon Finnegan with no outs and Adam Rosales on first base, he grounded into a 6-4-3 double play on the second pitch.
PLAYER NOTES: Rondon finally appears healthy and whole after seeing his progress stalled midway through 2015 when, a month into his promotion to Double-A after the trade, he fractured his elbow on a head-first slide into second base. He’d been a Futures All-Star Game participant the previous summer as well as California League (High A) Rookie of the Year, and combined at three spots to bat .315 with one homer, 36 RBIs and 13 steals. In 2015, between Lake Elsinore (High A) and San Antonio, he was hitting .267 with three homers and 31 RBIs along with 18 steals when injured, yet his progress with his glove and bat actually resulted in his prospect status rising after 2015 rather than falling, injury notwithstanding.
DAVID DAHL, OF, ROCKIES:
Ht/Wt: 6’2”/195 B/T: L/R DOB: April 1, 1994
ACQUIRED: Drafted in the first round (#10 overall) of the 2012 MLB First-Year Player Draft (Oak Mountain High School in Birmingham, AL).
CURRENT SEASON STATS: .314 with 18 homers and 61 RBIs in 92 games between Hartford (Double-A) and Albuquerque (Triple-A) with 17 steals, 27 doubles and a .569 slugging percentage. In his 16 games at Albuquerque, he hit .484 with five homers and a .887 SLG.
PROMOTED: Contract purchased from Albuquerque July 25 when OF Brandon Barnes was designated for assignment.
DEBUT: July 25, in a 3-2 10-inning loss to the Orioles. The starting left fielder, he batted sixth and went 1-for-4 with a run scored. After striking out swinging against starting pitcher Yovani Gallardo in his first two at bats in the second and fourth innings, he singled to center off of Gallardo in the seventh and scored on a single by Mark Reynolds to give the Rockies the lead at the time. In the 10th inning, he led the frame off by grounding out to first base unassisted.
PLAYER NOTES: One of the top prospects in the system, the five-tool hype is legit, something that is not always the case when the term is tossed around, as his increased power numbers this season may help attest to (and only 16 of his 92 games were played in the homer-happy Pacific Coast League – the others were in the not-so-homer-happy Eastern League). In 2015, he played in just 79 games, mostly at New Britain (Double-A), hitting .266 with six homers, 25 RBIs and 22 steals in a season interrupted by a serious outfield collision in which he not only suffered a concussion but a spleen injury major enough to force him to undergo a splenectomy (removal of the spleen). In 2014, he’d hit .299 in 119 games between the Rockies’ two Class A affiliates at Asheville and Modesto with 14 homers, 55 RBIs and 21 steals.
2080 NOTES: Dahl checked in at No. 21 on 2080’s Preseason Top 125 Prospect Ranking List, where we had this to say about him: “He’s got five-tool potential, with all of them playing average to plus. With injuries on Dahl’s past resume, we may not have seen the best of his ability yet. Provided he stays healthy, he is one of the better pure center field prospects in baseball.”
