Feature Photo: Hunter Renfroe, OF, Padres
Was it really only (counts on fingers) 26 weeks ago that we kicked off this new column on this new website with the first players to make their major league debuts in 2016?
And now here we are, with the ’16 season behind us, and a final package featuring the final handful of newly-minted big leaguers in the books.
As expected, the flood turned into a trickle turned into a drip-drip-drip in those final two weeks, with just nine players making their debuts in that timeframe, and just one debuting in the final week – and on the final day, no less. (On a related note: Look for a highlighted capsule of Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Chris Smith in next week’s final wrap-up-palooza – when Washington Nationals catcher Spencer Kieboom pinch-hit for pitcher Sammy Solis in the eighth inning of the Nats’ final regular-season game on Sunday afternoon, Smith became the only active player on any of the 30 teams to have not made his major league debut. And he’s a GREAT story.)
But next week, tune in to get the big extravaganza, the big kahuna, the final stats-a-poppin’ recap of the entire 2016 Les Debutantes season … and, by the way, if YOU have any suggestions for a cool new name for this package for the 2017 season (or any other ideas, because we’re always open to input!), please e-mail us and let us know!
Meanwhile, on to the final major league debuts of the 2016 season:
ADAM PLUTKO, RHP, INDIANS
Ht/Wt: 6’3”/195 B/T: R/R BORN: October 3, 1991
ACQUIRED: Drafted in the 11th round of the 2013 MLB First-Year Player Draft (UCLA).
CURRENT SEASON STATS: 9-8 with a 3.73 ERA in 28 starts between Akron (Double-A) and Columbus (Triple-A), striking out 130 batters and walking 46 in 161.2 IP while allowing 150 hits.
PROMOTED: Contract purchased from Columbus on September 19.
DEBUT: September 24, in an 8-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox. The last of eight Indians pitchers on the night, he allowed two hits in 1.2 innings, walking one and striking out two. He inherited two runners, both of whom scored, and also threw one wild pitch. Coming on in relief of Austin Adams with two on and one out in the top of the eighth, he allowed an RBI single to Leury Garcia, which allowed Avisail Garcia to score. With Tim Anderson at bat, Plutko threw a wild pitch, allowing the other inherited runner, Carlos Sanchez, to score. He then struck out Anderson swinging and retired Melky Cabrera on a grounder back to the mound. In the ninth inning, he retired Jose Abreu on a fly ball to center field and J.B. Shuck on a pop-up to third base before Todd Frazier hit a double to center field and Avisail Garcia drew a walk, but he then struck out Alex Avila looking for the final out.
PLAYER NOTES: Drafted originally in the sixth round of 2010 by the Houston Astros out of Glendora High School (CA), he did not sign, and instead headed to UCLA where he was a standout, sharing rotation duties with such names as Gerrit Cole and Trevor Bauer, both first-round picks, and earning Most Outstanding Player honors at the College World Series in 2013. His innings load there of 124 prompted the Indians to let him rest after he signed and he did not make his pro debut until 2014. He moved quickly through the system after that, combining between Lake County (Class A) and Carolina (High A) in his pro debut for a 4.39 ERA in 28 starts, fanning 144 while walking just 30 in 149.2 IP. In 2015, he combined between Lynchburg (the Indians’ new High A affiliate) and Akron to go 13-7 with a 2.39 ERA and struck out 137 batters while walking just 28 in 166 innings, scattering 126 hits. That summer he led all Indians minor leaguers in ERA and average against (.208). With a fastball in the low 90s, a plus changeup considered tops in the system, a slider and a curveball, and he has a clean, easy delivery and no mechanical flaws.
TREY MANCINI, 1B, ORIOLES
Ht/Wt: 6’4”/215 B/T: R/R BORN: March 18, 1992
ACQUIRED: Drafted in the eighth round of the 2013 MLB First-Year Player Draft (University of Notre Dame).
CURRENT SEASON STATS: .282 with 20 homers and 68 RBIs in 142 games between Bowie (Double-A) and Norfolk (Triple-A), adding 26 doubles for a .458 SLG.
PROMOTED: Contract purchased from Norfolk on September 18.
DEBUT: September 20, in a 5-2 loss to the Boston Red Sox. The starting DH, he batted seventh and went 1-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI, hitting his first big league homer and helping set up the Orioles second run of the night in the seventh. In his first at-bat against Boston starter Eduardo Rodriguez, he led off the third inning by flying out to right field. In the fifth, with two outs and no one on, he hit a line drive homer off of Rodriguez to left-center field. In the seventh, with Jonathan Schoop on second base and one out, Mancini grounded out to first base, allowing Schoop to advance to third, from where he scored on a two-out infield single back to the mound. Mancini was replaced at DH in the bottom of the ninth with two outs by Pedro Alvarez.
PLAYER NOTES: The Orioles’ Brooks Robinson Minor League Player of the Year in 2015, Mancini batted a combined .341 with 21 homers and 89 RBIs that summer in 136 games between Frederick (High A) and Bowie, adding 43 doubles and a .563 SLG, hitting .359 in 84 games with Bowie and .314 in 52 games with the Keys. He also combined for a minor-league best 182 hits. He won the Eastern League batting title for his Baysox heroics as well as that loop’s slugging title. In 2014, he combined between Frederick and Delmarva (Class A), he hit .284 with 10 homers and 83 RBIs. A solid defender at first base with gap power, his 2015 campaign also included leading the Orioles’ organization in average, slugging, runs scored (88), hits, total bases (300), doubles, homers and RBIs.
JUNIEL QUERECUTO, INF, RAYS
Ht/Wt: 5’9”/155 B/T: S/R BORN: September 19, 1992
ACQUIRED: Signed as an international free agent (Venezuela) July 2, 2009.
CURRENT SEASON STATS: Hit a combined .241 over 96 games between Montgomery (Double-A) and Durham (Triple-A) with three homers, 38 RBIs and 19 doubles.
PROMOTED: Contract purchased from Montgomery on September 22.
DEBUT: September 22, in a 2-0 win against the New York Yankees. The starting third baseman, he batted seventh and went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts. In his first big league at-bat against Luis Cessa in the second inning, he led off the frame with a groundout to second base. In the fourth inning, he struck out looking. In his last at-bat in the seventh inning, he struck out swinging.
PLAYER NOTES: When Steven Souza Jr. went down with a season-ending with two weeks left in the regular season, the Rays opted to bring Querecuto up from Montgomery due to his versatility in the infield, where he can play several positions. Querecuto combined to bat .256 in 2015 between Charlotte (High A), Montgomery and Durham, with two homers, 34 RBIs and a steal in 89 games. He’d hit .271 with two homers and 45 RBIs at a pair of Class A stops, Charlotte and Bowling Green, in 2014 after missing all of 2013 on the DL. In the offseason he has played for the Venezuelan World Baseball Classic squad.
SPENCER KIEBOOM, C, NATIONALS
Ht/Wt: 6’1”/230 B/T: R/R BORN: March 16, 1991
ACQUIRED: Drafted in the fifth round of the 2012 MLB First-Year Player Draft (Clemson University).
CURRENT SEASON STATS: .230 with five homers and 31 RBIs in 94 games at Harrisburg (Double-A).
PROMOTED: Recalled from Harrisburg on September 27.
DEBUT: October 2, in a 10-7 win against the Miami Marlins. Pinch-hitting for pitcher Sammy Solis in the eighth inning, he drew a walk and scored a run. With Marlins reliever Brian Ellington coming into the game for the Marlins to start the bottom of the eighth, Pedro Severino led things off with a double and Kieboom followed by drawing a walk. He moved to second base on a one-out single by Trea Turner and scored on Ben Revere’s single to left field. That run would be the Nationals’ final run of the 2016 regular season.
PLAYER NOTES: The final MLB debut of the 2016 season, Kieboom was the 257th player to make his ‘regular season’ debut this year (we have to clarify that because of the asterisk status of Royals shortstop Raul Mondesi Jr.) The older brother of Carter Kieboom, the Nationals’ first-round pick this past spring, Kieboom has been refining every aspect of his game behind the plate since signing out of Clemson in 2012, despite missing time in 2013 when he underwent Tommy John surgery. He has moved up the Nationals’ minor league ladder steadily, one level per year. In 2015, he hit .248 with two homers and 26 RBIs in 71 games at Potomac (High A) after enjoying his best offensive year at Hagerstown (Class A) in 2014, when he batted .309 with nine homers, 61 RBIs and 28 doubles in 87 games in his return from his injury.
CARLOS ASUAJE, INF/OF, PADRES
Ht/Wt: 5’9”/160 B/T: L/R BORN: November 2, 1991
ACQUIRED: Via trade from the Boston Red Sox on November 13, 2015, with OF Manuel Margot (who also debuted in the same game), SS Javier Guerra and LHP Logan Allen for RHP Craig Kimbrel. Originally drafted by the Red Sox in the 11th round of the 2013 MLB First-Year Player Draft (Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL).
CURRENT SEASON STATS: .321 with nine homers and 69 RBIs in 134 games at El Paso (Triple-A), adding 32 doubles and 11 triples.
PROMOTED: Contract purchased from El Paso on September 21.
DEBUT: September 21, in a 3-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Pinch-hitting for starting pitcher Luis Perdomo in the seventh inning, he came on with one out and a runner on second to face reliever Randall Delgado and struck out looking on a full count.
PLAYER NOTES: Asuaje, who can play second base, third base and the outfield among other positions, spent the 2015 season at Portland (Double-A/Red Sox) where he hit .251 with eight homers, 61 RBIs and nine steals along with 23 doubles and seven triples to help comprise his 172 hits. He had his career season (so far!) in his first full season, 2014, when he split the summer between two A-level spots, Greenville (Class A) and Salem (High-A), combining to hit .310 with 15 homers and 101 RBIs with 149 hits, 38 doubles, 12 triples and a .533 SLG, not bad for a guy who tips the height chart at 5-foot-9 and weighs just 160 pounds.
MANUEL MARGOT, OF, PADRES
Ht/Wt: 5’11”/170 B/T: R/R BORN: September 28, 1994
ACQUIRED: Via trade from the Boston Red Sox with INF Carlos Asuaje and SS Javier Guerra and LHP Logan Allen for RHP Craig Kimbrel on November 13, 2015. Originally signed by the Red Sox as an international free agent (Dominican Republic) on July 2, 2011.
CURRENT SEASON STATS: .304 with six homers, 55 RBIs and 30 steals in 124 games at El Paso (Triple-A) with 21 doubles, 12 triples and 98 runs scored along with 157 hits for a .426 SLG.
PROMOTED: Recalled from El Paso on September 21.
DEBUT: September 21, in a 3-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Pinch-running for Alex Dickerson in the bottom of the eighth, he came into the game for Dickerson who had doubled with two outs but was left stranded. He remained in the game on defense in center field in the ninth.
PLAYER NOTES: Widely considered one of if not the best of the Padres’ offensive prospects, he’s a solid-average hitter without much over-the-wall power but makes up for it with a live bat, some speed on the basepaths and can chip in with a little bit of everything. In 2015, he combined between Salem (High A) and Portland (Double-A) in the Red Sox system to hit .276 in 110 games with six homers, 50 RBIs and 39 steals.
2080 NOTES: Margot checked in at No. 42 on 2080’s Preseason Top 125 Prospect Rankings List and this is what we had to say about him at the time: “Margot is one of the better defensive center field prospects in the minor leagues right now. His potentially average hit tool and slightly below-average power give him a chance to stick as an average regular at a premium position.”
HUNTER RENFROE, OF, PADRES
Ht/Wt: 6’1”/215 B/T: R/R BORN: January 28, 1992
ACQUIRED: Drafted in the first round (#13 overall) of the 2013 MLB First-Year Player Draft (Mississippi State University).
CURRENT SEASON STATS: .306 with 30 homers and 105 RBIs in 133 games at El Paso (Triple-A) with 34 doubles, 163 hits, 95 runs scored and a .557 SLG.
PROMOTED: Contract purchased from El Paso on September 21.
DEBUT: September 21, in a 3-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Pinch-hitting for outfielder Travis Jankowski with one on and two out in the seventh inning, pitcher Edwin Escobar intentionally walked him with Derek Norris at second base. He did not score, and stayed in the game in right field.
PLAYER NOTES: Renfroe can play both center field and right field, and is considered the Padres’ top power prospect, as evidenced by his numbers this season. Drafted out of high school in Mississippi by the Red Sox in the 31st round of 2010, he opted instead to play college ball and raised his draft status considerably in doing so. In 2015, he combined between San Antonio (Double-A) and El Paso to hit .272 with 20 homers, 78 RBIs and 27 doubles, fine numbers on which he improved across the board in 2016. In his first week in the majors, he set a Padres rookie record with seven RBIs in one game, as he hit a three-run homer and a grand slam September 27.
2080 NOTES: Checking in at No. 57 on 2080’s Preseason Top 125 Prospect Rankings List, we had this to say about Renfroe: “Renfroe’s bat speed and strength produce a ton of raw power, and he provides enough contact skills to allow the power to play to plus in-game.” You can also read our Prospect Spotlight on Renfroe here.
JOSE TORRES, LHP, PADRES
Ht/Wt: 6’2”/175 B/T: L/L BORN: September 24, 1993
ACQUIRED: Via trade from the Oakland Athletics along with LHP Drew Pomeranz and a player to be named later (OF Jabari Blash) on December 2, 2015, for 1B Yonder Alonzo and LHP Marc Rzepczynski. Originally signed by the Athletics as an international free agent (Venezuela) on July 2, 2010.
CURRENT SEASON STATS: Combined to go 1-4 with a 2.24 ERA in 48 games between Lake Elsinore (High A), San Antonio (Double-A) and Le Paso (Triple-A), striking out 63 batters in 64 .1 IP while walking 23 and allowing 25 hits.
PROMOTED: Recalled from El Paso on September 21.
DEBUT: September 22, in a 2-1 loss to the San Francisco Giants. The last of three pitchers on the night, he allowed one hit in one scoreless inning, striking out two batters. Of 14 pitches thrown, 11 were for strikes. Coming on to start the ninth inning in relief of pitcher Brad Hand, he allowed a ground-rule double to left field on the first pitch he threw to the first batter he faced in the big leagues, Brandon Belt. He then induced Ehire Adrianza to line out to center field, and struck out the next two batters he faced, Joe Panik and pinch-hitter Denard span, both swinging.
PLAYER NOTES: In just his first year playing above Class A, Torres utilized his mid-90s fastball with late life and plus 11-to-5 curveball to dominate hitters. In 2015, he combined between two Class A clubs, Beloit (Class A) and Stockton (High A), to post a 2.69 ERA in 44 games, fanning 80 while walking 23 in 74 innings. He’d spent 2011 and 2012 in the Dominican Summer League and Arizona League and 2013 at short-season Vermont of the NY-Penn League.
2080 NOTES: You can read our Prospect Spotlight on Torres here. and take a peek at our scouting report on him here.
