Innholdsfortegnelse for Friday, November 4, 2016 i Baseball America

OCTOBER 8, 2006 » IN THIS ISSUE: The Royals’ Alex Gordon wins BA’s Minor League Player of the Year award. » ALSO: Led by Bobby Hill, Team USA dominates Olympic qualifier to win its way into the 2008 Games in Beijing. Royals fans have salivated over the thought of watching Alex Gordon, the No. 2 overall pick in 2005, play at Kauffman Stadium. They’ve dreamed of how he’ll turn around the organization, become a mainstay at third base, lead the team to the playoffs. Just like Hall of Famer George Brett did. Those are pretty high expectations that carry a hefty amount of pressure, but Gordon has certainly done nothing to prove those diehards wrong this season while earning Baseball America’s Minor League Player of the Year award. “He’s very…

Baseball Writer, ESPN.com LOS ANGELES Tim Tebow began indulging his baseball fantasy as a do-it-yourselfer. For the better part of a year, between his TV work for ESPN and a short-lived comeback attempt with the Philadelphia Eagles, Tebow puttered around on the side with the vague notion that a former Heisman Trophy winner might be able to reinvent himself as a professional outfielder at age 29. When the thoughts in his head morphed into something closer to an obsession, it was time to seek professional help. On Memorial Day weekend, former big league catcher Chad Moeller received a call from Tebow’s agent, Brodie Van Wagenen of CAA, with a proposition: Tebow was serious in his pursuit of baseball and needed help putting his dream in motion. Moeller was skeptical. But…

MLB Moves Back Draft Date Major League Baseball has set the date for the 2017 draft, a date that will make it the latest in history (albeit by a few days). The 2017 draft will start on June 12, a Monday. In 2016, the draft started on June 9, a Thursday. According to Baseball America research, this will be the latest date in MLB draft history, which dates to 1965. The 2017 signing deadline for draft picks had yet to be determined. Moving the draft out of a weekend should mean less conflict with the 2017 college postseason, though some overlap remains. The beginning of super regionals will now precede draft day, but some supers will be scheduled for June 10-12. So to the chagrin of college baseball officials, some…

Editor in Chief Baseball America johnmanuel @baseballamerica.com BURLINGTON, N.C. Cowbells clanged while the home crowd booed. A manager argued a play at home plate when the runner— trying to score the go-ahead tally in the bottom of the eighth inning—slid too early and didn’t quite make it to home plate in time. Yes, playoff baseball in the Rookie-level Appalachian League has a different feel. The semifinal series between visiting Princeton, a Rays affiliate, and the host Burlington Royals was a best-of-three set that came down to the final innings on a beautiful night for baseball to close out Labor Day. The holiday signals the usual end of the minor league season for all leagues other than the Rookie-level Pioneer League. Minor league playoffs extend the season a bit, and I…

The 2016 Arizona Fall League season will begin on Oct. 11. Here’s a look at some of the players to watch for each of the six teams in the developmental league. GLENDALE DESERT DOGS MANAGER: Aaron Rowand (White Sox) PITCHING COACHES: Dernier Orozco (Cardinals), Greg Sabat (Dodgers), Sam Narron (Nationals) HITTING COACH: Darryl Robinson (Astros) THE STARS: RHP Francis Martes (Astros) is Houston’s top pitching prospect right now, according to one evaluator who saw him recently. Martes can run his fastball up to 98 mph with armside run and downhill angle and he has three present, above-average pitches. He just needs to polish his command and control. Organization-mate RHP David Paulino (Astros) has big upside, with a fastball that ranges 91-96 mph, with downhill run and tail. He needs to…

David Pierce has been through this before. This fall, for the third time in five years, he is introducing himself to a new team, new administrators, new alumni, new neighbors. But that hasn’t made things much easier for Pierce as he takes over as the head coach of Texas after two seasons at Tulane. No matter how many times a coach goes through the process of taking a new job, it is always difficult to meet a new group of players, recruits and support staff, all while uprooting your family and adjusting to a new home. “Moving from New Orleans, people assume it’s easy for me because I’m coming back to Texas,” said Pierce, a Texas native who has spent nearly his entire career in the state. “But I met…

BEST PLAYER: In an ordinary year, outfielder Andrew Benintendi would have claimed this honor. The 2015 first-rounder sailed from high Class A Salem to Double-A Portland to Boston for his big league debut on Aug. 2. In the minors he batted .312/.378/.532 in 97 games, with 52 extra-base hits and an equal number of walks and strikeouts (39). This, however, is not an ordinary year in the system. Second baseman Yoan Moncada put on a tools show like few others in the minors. The 21-year-old switch-hitter showed top-of-the-order patience (14.7 percent walk rate) and speed (45 steals in 106 games) with middle-of-the-order power (15 homers) while hitting .294/.407/.511 at Salem and Portland. Moncada remained a work in progress defensively, but he showed above-average potential at second and then in a…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ BILL NICHOLS BEST PLAYER: Before rookie Trea Turner made an impact at second base and in center field on an everyday basis for the Nationals, he starred at Triple-A Syracuse, where he hit .302/.370./471 in 83 games while stealing 15 bases in 18 tries. “Trea is such a natural talent with tremendous aptitude, energy and determination,” farm director Mark Scialabba said, “and his game continued to evolve in all phases. He’s made adjustments at the plate, continued to learn the strike zone at the upper levels, made improvements to his plate coverage and has the ability to impact the baseball to all fields.” Turner, 23, was a shortstop at North Carolina State. Until trying center field in late…

BEST PLAYER: Shortstop Amed Rosario did not miss a beat when he earned a promotion from high Class A St. Lucie to Double-A Binghamton in June. The 20-year-old hit a combined .324/.374/.459 in 120 games between the two levels. He also represented the Mets in the Futures Game and earned best defensive shortstop honors in both the Florida State and Eastern leagues. The Mets signed Rosario for a franchiserecord $1.75 million out of the Dominican Republic in 2012. He bulked up last winter and now checks in at 6-foot-2, 190 pounds. “Long term I see myself playing shortstop,” Rosario said through a translator earlier this year. “I’m working out to make sure I maintain my agility.” BEST PITCHER: With the Mets graduating so many high-end starters to the majors in…

BEST PLAYER: A relative unknown heading into the 2015 season, center fielder Adam Engel changed that at high Class A Winston-Salem, ranking third in the minor leagues with 65 stolen bases and leading the Carolina League with 90 runs scored while ranking second with 133 hits. Engel capped his breakout 2015 season with a .403 batting average in the Arizona Fall League, winning MVP honors. Engel opened this year at Double-A Birmingham and shuttled all over three levels. The White Sox once demoted him to Winston-Salem but bumped him back to Birmingham two weeks later. The 25-yearold outfielder spent the rest of the season bouncing back and forth between Double-A and Triple-A Charlotte. He finished with a .259/.344/.406 line and 45 stolen bases. A 19th-round pick in the 2013 draft…

BEST PLAYER: Twins officials were watching Nick Gordon take batting practice before a Rookie-level Appalachian League game in 2014 when they noticed something alarming about their first-round draft pick. “He was such a skinny kid, he couldn’t hit the ball over the fence, even in (batting practice),” said Rob Antony, the Twins’ interim general manager. “(It’s the) difference between (age) 18 and 20—nobody’s worried about that now.” Heavier and far stronger, Gordon can reach the fences now, but it’s his consistent gap power that has the Twins excited, especially from a shortstop. Gordon racked up 32 extrabase hits for high Class A Fort Myers, hitting .291/.335/.386 as one of the FSL’s youngest players. The league as a whole slugged .356. “He’s going to be a dependable shortstop, maybe not as…

BEST PLAYER: Shortstop Isan Diaz was just 19 when he began play at low Class A Wisconsin of the Midwest League, so it was not surprising when he struggled a bit to get going. As the season progressed, Diaz settled in at the plate and, in particular, found his power stroke, leading the league in homers with 20. After posting a .679 OPS in the first half, the lefthanded hitter boosted it to .973 in the second half. The key to the late January trade that sent shortstop Jean Segura to Arizona, Diaz saw most of his action at shortstop in the first half but started playing more at second base, his likely position in the majors. You don’t see many middle infielders his size (5-foot-10, 190) with that kind…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ BEST PLAYER: Joey Gallo is the better prospect, had another homer-heavy season and could very well be the Rangers’ starting first baseman next season. But club officials raved about the season 21-year-old first baseman Ronald Guzman had. Though he struggled in his first look at Triple-A, as Gallo did in 2015, Guzman continued his rise from potential mega-dollars bust to a potential big leaguer with a strong showing at Double-A Frisco. He batted .288/.348/.477, which was second in the Texas League at the time of his promotion, with 15 homers, 16 doubles and an .825 OPS. After a standout season at a thin position in the organization, Guzman seems destined for his first major league spring training next…

BEST PLAYER: From the first day of spring training, Ryon Healy knew he was on a mission. He had a good season at Double-A Midland in 2015, but the glut of corner infielders at Triple-A forced him into the background. He simply took command of his situation and batted .338/.409/.628 with eight homers in 36 games to force his way to Nashville, where he hit .318/.362/.505 with six homers in 49 games to earn a trip to the Futures Game. But that is only part of the story. Healy mostly played first base, but he worked intently to learn to play third so he would be prepared if the need were to come. Shortly after the Futures Game, the Athletics advanced him to the majors, as their everyday third baseman.…

Haniger, Banda break through BEST PLAYER: Outfielder Mitch Haniger found success after making changes to his swing mechanics last year and continued the overhaul in the offseason, proceeding to have the best offensive season in the Diamondbacks system. He hit .321/.419/.581 combined at Double-A Moblie and Triple-A Reno and earned his first big league callup in August. Haniger, a 2012 supplemental first-round pick from Cal Poly, modeled his swing in part after Diamondbacks center fielder A.J. Pollock, and Reno manager Phil Nevin can see the similarties. “A.J. and I had that conversation in the dugout (during Pollock’s rehab assignment),” Nevin said. “I said, ‘A.J., I watch him play and I see so many things that remind me of you.’ He doesn’t have A.J.’s speed, but his jumps on the ball,…

Path clears for Arroyo BEST PLAYER: Shortstop Christian Arroyo didn’t put up the flashiest numbers this season, hitting .274/.316/.373 for Double-A Richmond. But the Giants displayed their confidence in the gifted 21-year old when they traded established third baseman Matt Duffy to the Rays in the deal that netted lefthander Matt Moore. Executive vice president Brian Sabean didn’t scout Moore the week before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. He was in Richmond to evaluate Arroyo, a 2013 firstrounder out of Hernando (Brooksville, Fla.) HS, whose shortstop skills should translate easily to third. Predictably, Arroyo struggled in Richmond’s pitcher-friendly environment and hit nearly 100 points higher on the road. The acquisition of Eduardo Nunez, who has one more year of arbitration before free agency, gives Arroyo time to develop and…

Baseball Analyst, Senior Writer ESPN.com PHILADELPHIA A word about September: Awesome. “September baseball means paying attention to the scoreboard more,” Nationals manager/poet Dusty Baker said. “It means watching ESPN late at night. It’s a countdown. It’s a countdown to the end.” How eloquent he is. How right he is. Parts of the planet might tend to get a little distracted by stuff like football helmets and fantasy drafts. But that’s OK. The baseball gods have furnished us more dramatic plot lines to follow than Lin-Manuel Miranda. The AL East Race If there were no such thing as a wild card, let alone two wild cards, the American League East would be the kind of race people write books about. Three teams within one game of each other a week into…

Minor League Baseball announced in late August that the Carolina League will expand to 10 franchises next season with the addition of a franchise in Kinston, N.C., and another at a location to be determined, likely Fayettville, N.C. The MiLB office made the announcement in conjunction with the news that the California League’s High Desert and Bakersfield franchises will be contracted at the end of this season. Both the California League and the Carolina League are high Class A-affiliated leagues. “This step was taken with the best interests of Minor League Baseball, both leagues and our Major League Baseball partners in mind,” Minor League Baseball President & CEO Pat O’Conner said in a press release. “California League President Charlie Blaney, Carolina League President John Hopkins and the club owners in…

The Reds have an agreement in place to sign 20-year-old Cuban righthander Vladimir Gutierrez for $4.75 million, multiple sources told Baseball America. Gutierrez’s contract is subject to the international bonus pools, which the Reds already blew past on July 2 with their $7 million contract for Cuban shortstop Alfredo Rodriguez. The agreement was first reported by Miami’s El Nuevo Herald. At 6-foot-3, Gutierrez is a lanky, longarmed pitcher who has been one of the top prospects on the international market for a while, with his stock dipping upon poor early showcases before rising when his velocity spiked earlier this year, touching 97 mph after he topped out at 93 mph in Cuba. He also shows a swing-and-miss curveball. Jose Adolis Garcia Leaves Cuba Another prominent Cuban player has left the…

Columnist, MLB Network BOSTON When Rich Hill awoke the morning after his Dodgers debut, he tried to remember where he was on Aug. 24 last year. “I know I was in (Triple-A) Pawtucket,” he said, with no recollection of whether he pitched, which he did not. A year ago, he probably threw a bullpen in Pawtucket, practicing throwing overhand from the first base side of the rubber, thinking about the shape of his curveball, wondering if he might get called up to the Red Sox in September to complete a season when he had been released in June by the Nationals, for whom he had worked as a sidearming reliever at Triple-A Syracuse. Then he worked out for more than a month at Milton (Mass.) High with the Milton American…

PORTLAND, ME. It didn’t generate much attention at the time, but a youth tournament in the city of Lagos de Moreno in Mexico six years ago was filled with future major league talent. It was October 2010 when scouts ventured to Mexico for the COPABE 16U Pan American Championship. At shortstop, the United States had Corey Seager, who finished second in the tournament in hitting, ranking behind only his double-play partner, second baseman Alex Bregman. The U.S. was strong up the middle, with Albert Almora in center field. Mexico’s ace was Roberto Osuna. The player in Lagos de Moreno who captivated the attention of scouts was Cuba’s 15-year-old third baseman, Yoan Moncada. Despite being one of the youngest players in the tournament, Moncada showed dynamic athleticism, tools and feel for…

Now that the 2016 minor league season has ended, here’s a look at some of the notable minor league leaders. Batting Average MYLES STRAW, OF, .358, ASTROS A 12th-round pick in 2015 out of St. John’s River (Fla.) JC, Straw checked the analytics and the scouting boxes the Astros like to fuse together in their later-round picks. He hit .413 at St. John’s River while walking more than he struck out, and he also showed he could fly. Multiple scouts have graded him as a 70 runner on the 20-to-80 scouting scale. After a modest pro debut at Rookie-level Greeneville in 2015, Straw exceeded expectations this season. He’s a righthanded-hitting speedster with very little power. That’s a difficult profile to earn big league at-bats, but his ability to bounce around…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ BEST PLAYER: Several numbers stand out when defining Double-A Montgomery shortstop Willy Adames as the system’s top minor league player this season. For one thing, he played all season at age 20. For another, he hit .274/.372/.430 in 132 games, and he ranked third in the Southern League with 31 doubles and 48 extra-base hits and first with 89 runs scored and 74 walks. Acquired from the Tigers in the July 2014 David Price trade, Adames has showed again this season—against older and more experienced competition, no less—why he has emerged as the top prospect in the system. Team officials are impressed with his consistency and scouts by his potential to continue to develop as a hitter given…

BEST PLAYER: The Yankees signed Dominican catcher Gary Sanchez as a 16-year-old in 2009 for $3 million. At times during his minor league career he appeared to be on his way to being a bust. Then he followed up a promising 2015 with a terrible spring training. Back at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this year, Sanchez dealt with a fractured thumb that sent him to the disabled list early this season, but he managed to hit .282/.339/.468 with 10 homers and 21 doubles in 71 games. The 23-year-old Sanchez really took off when he received his first extended look in the majors. Through 30 games with the Yankees, he hit .348 with 11 homers and a 1.136 OPS. He hit so well that he displaced veteran Brian McCann behind the plate. “We…

BEST PLAYER: One of the lone highlights of the Braves’ season occurred on Aug. 17 when shortstop Dansby Swanson became the first position player drafted No. 1 overall to debut the year after being selected since Darin Erstad achieved the feat with the 1996 Angels. Acquired from the Diamondbacks last winter in the Shelby Miller trade, the 22-year-old Swanson opened the season at high Class A Carolina before receiving a promotion to Double-A Mississippi in late April. The Braves called him up after he hit a combined .275/.362/.426 with nine home runs and 55 RBIs in 105 minor league games. In the early going, the Vanderbilt product looked every bit the part of starting shortstop. “Dansby showed he was ready by his performance and maturity,” general manager John Coppolella said.…

BEST PLAYER: Hulking, 6-foot-6 right fielder Dylan Cozens launched a minor league-best 40 home runs and 125 RBIs for Double-A Reading. The 22-year-old hit .276/.350/.591 with 38 doubles, 106 runs scored and 21 stolen bases in 22 tries. “Dylan’s gotten better in multiple phases of the game,” farm director Joe Jordan said, “(including) on the bases and in the outfield, and his throwing has improved. And obviously his power production has taken a big step forward. Everybody pays attention to the power, but he’s gotten better in every aspect, and that’s exciting.” The 2012 second-round pick checks in at 250 pounds and is a former defensive end who passed on a chance to play football at Arizona to sign with the Phillies. BEST PITCHER: Righthander Jake Thompson not only made…

BEST PLAYER: It wasn’t just Francisco Mejia’s historic 50-game hitting streak—the longest since the minor leagues were reorganized in 1963—that was most noteworthy about the 20-year-old catcher’s season. It’s what he overcame to achieve the streak. He began the streak as a repeater at low Class A Lake County, then in the middle of it got promoted to high Class A Lynchburg. He missed some games during the streak due to injury, and he came close to being traded to Milwaukee in the middle of the streak. When Jonathan Lucroy nixed that trade with his no-trade clause, Mejia, who was part of the agreed-upon package of prospects going from Cleveland to Milwaukee, stayed in the Indians’ system, and just kept hitting. Mejia finished the year with combined numbers at Lake…

BY C. TRENT ROSECRANS For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ BEST PLAYER: The second overall pick in the draft always carries high expectations, but even early in his career, Nick Senzel has exceeded those expectations. Senzel hit .329/.415/.567 in 58 games at low Class A Dayton of the Midwest League. Entering the draft, many questioned his power potential and ability to stick at third. So far, he’s shown both power and good defense. In addition to his seven home runs, he also had 23 doubles and three triples for the Dragons. “Nick is a really good athlete, an underrated athlete,” Reds farm director Jeff Graupe said. “A plus runner, a plus thrower on top of the professional at-bats everyone’s seen since college. I think…

BEST PLAYER: It was safe to question if the Pirates made the right move in making Kevin Newman their first-round draft pick in 2015 based on his lackluster first professional season when he hit a combined .257/.318/.350 in 283 plate appearances with short season West Virginia and low Class A West Virginia. However, Newman has lived up his pedigree as the 19th overall selection this season. He started the year with a sizzling .366/.424/.498 line in 189 plate appearances with high Class A Bradenton and followed by hitting .288/.361/.378 in 233 trips to the plate at Double-A Altoona. Newman, 23, had also made just eight errors in 102 games, putting to rest talk that he may be better suited to play second base in the major leagues. BEST PITCHER: Good…

BEST PLAYER: Acknowledging shortstop Alex Bregman as the best player in the Astros’ farm system might not do justice to his meteoric rise in his first full season. A season that began with Bregman’s first exposure to Double-A ended with last year’s No. 2 overall draft pick batting second and playing third base for a playoff contender in the majors. The former Louisiana State star reached Houston after just 146 minor league games and posted a .306/.406/.580 line in 314 at-bats between Double-A and Triple-A this season. “Typically, there’s a certain number of atbats you need in the minor leagues to be ready for this level,” general manager Jeff Luhnow said the day Bregman made his Astros debut. “Maybe he’s the exception.” BEST PITCHER: After rising two minor league levels…

BEST PLAYER: An easy selection for the second straight year, outfielder Tyler O’Neill was simply the Mariners’ best player in the system all season. A 5-foot-10, 225-pound package of muscle, intensity and power, he dominated the Double-A Southern League at age 21. He was named the league’s MVP and threatened to win the triple crown. He finished fourth in batting average (.293), second in home runs (24) and first in RBIs (102)—a franchise record for Jackson. Besides those basic numbers, O’Neill reached base in 113 of his 130 games played for a .374 on-base percentage. He also led the league in slugging percentage (.508) and was third in on-base (.374). “O’Neill has been killing it since spring training,” general manager Jerry Dipoto said. “Tyler is one of the youngest players…

Dahl debuts spectacularly BEST PLAYER: Outfielder David Dahl began the season with 76 solid games at Double-A Hartford, hit .484/.529/.887 with five homers and 16 RBI in 16 games at Triple-A Albuquerque and vaulted to the majors July 25. The 22-year-old Dahl, the 10th overall pick in 2012 out of Oak Mountain (Birmingham, Ala.) High, tied a major league record by hitting safely in his first 17 games and hit .324/.371/.520 with five homers, 18 RBI and 33 runs over his first 39 games. “Typically when young players show up, they’re not too sure,” manager Walt Weiss said. “They don’t have a track record at the major leagues to fall back on, to draw confidence from. David showed up here a very confident player, very composed. He always looks like…

Transactions Transactions involving minor league players, i.e. those not on 40-man rosters, covering the period Aug. 12-25. ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS: Signed OF Rafael Jimenez. ATLANTA BRAVES: Signed RHP Jimmy Moran. Released RHPs Chad Rogers and Andrew Thurman, LHP Nelson Leon, Cs George Kottaras and Isaias Tejeda and 2B Omar Infante. Traded C Michael McKenry to Brewers for cash. Traded SS Erick Aybar to Tigers for C Kade Scivicque and 2B Mike Aviles. Traded OF Jeff Francoeur to Marlins and 2016-17 international bonus slot four ($238,800) to Rangers as part of three-team deal in which Braves acquired C Matt Foley from Marlins and 2B Dylan Moore from Rangers; Marlins sent 2016-17 international bonus slots two and four ($725,400) to Rangers. BALTIMORE ORIOLES: Signed OF Chris Dickerson. Released LHP Tom Gorzelanny. CHICAGO CUBS:…

TRIVIALITY It’s only trivial if you don’t know the answer. If Kris Bryant wins the National League MVP award, he’d become the fourth active player to win an MVP before his age-25 (age as of July 1) season. Can you name the other three? »USELESS INFO: Have you noticed the American League is the scene of one of the great MVP free-for-alls in history? Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, Jose Altuve and Josh Donaldson all roared into September on pace to finish the season as eightwin players or better. That’s according to the baseball-reference.com Wins Above Replacement formula anyway. Want to guess the last time the American League produced four eightwin position players in the same season? How about 1912? TRIVIALITY ANSWER: Bryce Harper (2015 MVP in his age-22 season), Mike…

KEVIN ASHCRAFT, @KEVINASHCRAFT You are correct that the Mets face a logjam in the outfield in 2017, but I don’t believe that Conforto will end up as the odd man out largely because this is a very temporary surplus. Cespedes’ contract is an odd one that could lock him up through 2019, but he also could opt out of his contract after this season. Granderson and Bruce are both free agents after the 2017 season, and in Bruce’s case, that assumes the Mets exercise the $13 million team option they have on him for next season. The Mets would likely try to bring back Cespedes even if he does opt out, but that does add a level of uncertainty to the offseason. Even if the Mets bring all three back…

Columnist, MLB.com DENVER Back at the ballpark, the Dodgers were focused on trying to maintain their slim lead over the Giants in the National League West, looking for a way to end the franchise’s 27-year World Series championship drought. Yasiel Puig? He is still a member of the organization, even after reports that a mystery team placed a waiver claim on him. Truth be told, he wasn’t going anywhere, unless you count Los Angeles after he was called up when rosters expanded on Sept. 1. The callup came, but Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said the decision came only after a closed-door meeting with Puig. What is known is that the Dodgers weren’t expecting any last-second deal that would have Puig changing organizations this season. Yes, he was…

C FRANCISCO MEJIA INDIANS High Class A Lynchburg (Carolina) Mejia hit safely in 50 straight games from May 27 to Aug. 13. His streak spanned two different leagues and stretched farther than any other player during the modern, post-1962 history of the minor leagues. The 20-year-old Dominican might have hit in 50 straight games for two different organizations had the rumored trade-deadline deal to the Brewers for Jonathan Lucroy not been scuttled. The switch-hitting Mejia batted .342/.382/.514 at two Class A stops while recording a higher average and OPS (.896) than any minor league catcher except the Orioles’ Yermin Mercedes. He also gunned down 43 percent of basestealers. 1B RHYS HOSKINS PHILLIES Double-A Reading (Eastern) A Sacramento State product drafted in 2014, Hoskins looks like a fifth-round steal for the…

BEST PLAYER: The Orioles held on to Chance Sisco at the trade deadline. Instead they dealt from their catching depth when they sent high Class A backstop Jonah Heim to the Rays for Steve Pearce. Sisco, 21, remains the top catching prospect in the organization, with a bat that has produced at every level. The 2013 second-round pick hit .320/.406/.422 with 28 doubles, four home runs and 44 RBIs in 112 games at Double-A Bowie, where he spent the year until a late move to Triple-A Norfolk. “He has a super-professional approach to hitting,” farm director Brian Graham said. “He recognizes pitches and understands the strike zone. He has a pure lefthanded swing that stays in the hitting zone a long time.” Scouts have questioned Sisco’s work behind the plate,…

BEST PLAYER: At the 2015 trade deadline, the Athletics wanted Rowdy Tellez as part of a package for Ben Zobrist, but the Blue Jays refused to part with hulking, 6-foot-4 first baseman. This season, the 21-year-old rewarded that faith with the power potential he showed in the Eastern League. One of the few prospects the new Blue Jays regime challenged with their initial minor league assignments, Tellez responded to a slow start at Double-A New Hampshire by grinding through his at-bats, working counts and eventually turning things around. “He’s a consistent worker, and a lot of credit goes to him for being proactive and seeking out daily opportunities to improve,” farm director Gil Kim said. “Hitting coach Stubby Clapp has worked tirelessly with him, and both manager Bobby Meacham and…

BEST PLAYER: Third baseman Brian Anderson made his Double-A debut at Jacksonville on May 31, marking a significant step in his progression. A third-round pick out of Arkansas in 2014, Anderson hit just .235 at high Class A Jupiter in 2015. He repeated the Florida State League this year while making major strides at the plate. He hit .302/.377/.440 this season at Jupiter with 17 extra-base hits in 49 games. At Jacksonville following his promotion, Anderson hit .243/.330/.359 in 86 games. Assistant director of player development Brett West said he likes the mechanical adjustments Anderson has made at the plate. “He’s still young for (Double-A), but he’s the type of third baseman you see in the majors,” West said. “He’s above-average in power, hitting, arm and range. He’s an integral…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ BEST PLAYER: Raul A. Mondesi never hit for a high average. Nor did he produce a lot of power. But Mondesi was almost always the youngest player in his league. He was 16 in 2010 when he hit .290 at Rookie-level Idaho Falls of the Pioneer League. He was 20 when he made his major league debut in the 2015 World Series. He hit .268/.322/.469 this year at three minor league levels, with 24 stolen bases, and was 21 when he hit his first big league home run on Aug. 16 off Justin Verlander. “He’s a great talent,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “He’s extremely athletic. The thing that’s fun right now is you saw him two years…

BEST PLAYER: Outfielder Christin Stewart bashed his way through the high Class A Florida State League. His gaudy numbers there weren’t all built in the cozy confines of Lakeland’s temporary home at Henley Field. Stewart’s numbers were just as good on the road as they were at home with Lakeland. In 49 home games in the FSL, Stewart batted .260/.413/.521 with 12 home runs. In 55 road games, Stewart’s OPS was four points higher, as he batted .267/.393/.545 with 12 homers. Overall with Lakeland, Stewart hit .264/.403/.534 with 24 home runs and 68 RBIs in 442 plate appearances before being promoted to Double-A Erie. Stewart, a first-round pick in 2015 out of Tennessee, didn’t fare as well at Erie, where he batted .218/.310/.448 in 24 games. He still totaled 30…

BEST PLAYER: Outfielder Eloy Jimenez, the Cubs’ top signing from the same international class as shortstop Gleyber Torres, spent much of the past two seasons overshadowed by Torres in the organization—until Jimenez had a breakout Midwest League season and Torres was traded to the Yankees in the trade deadline deal for Aroldis Chapman. In 111 games for low Class A South Bend, the Midwest League player of the year challenged for the batting title while finishing first in slugging, OPS and RBIs. “It’s hard to believe when you look at him sometimes that he’s 19, when you see how advanced he is at the plate with his approach,” farm director Jaron Madison, who considers the 6-foot-4 Jimenez’s ability to stay healthy all year a major step in his development, said.…

BEST PLAYER: The fact that he is mentioned as the heir to Yadier Molina says everything about how far Carson Kelly as come as a catcher. Not yet 23, Kelly has emerged as the catcher the Cardinals have craved—the young, solid glove who in the coming years could complement fixture Molina before eventually replacing the face of the franchise. Before he debuted with a double in his first big league at-bat, Kelly had the offensive breakthrough expected at Double-A Springfield. Freed from the pitcher-friendly environs of the Florida State League, Kelly hit .289/.338/.403 in Springfield, and that earned him a promotion to Triple-A Memphis for 32 games. There he hit .292/.352/.381. Kelly earned an appearance in the Futures Game, where had a home run stolen from him by a catch…

BEST PLAYER: The Angels didn’t want to rush Jahmai Jones, a second-round pick in 2015, so they kept the 19-year-old outfielder in extended spring training before finally dispatching him to Rookie-level Orem in June. He was worth the wait. The 5-foot-11, 210-pound Jones flashed so many skills while hitting .321/.404/.459 in 48 games at Orem that by the middle of August, he was promoted to low Class A Burlington. The explosive and athletic Jones hit 12 doubles, three triples, three homers and had 20 RBIs at Orem, striking out just 29 times and walking 21 times in 196 at-bats. He was successful on 19 of 25 stolen base attempts. “He might not be the tallest, but he’s not little— he’s thick and strong,” farm director Mike La Cassa said. “He’s…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ BEST PLAYER: Right fielder Hunter Renfroe found greater consistency with adjustments to his swing and hit .306/.336/.557 with 30 home runs and 34 doubles at Triple-A El Paso to earn Pacific Coast League MVP honors. “As far as putting the ball in play and putting the ball in play with authority, it was a step forward,” assistant general manager Josh Stein said. The Padres 2013 first-round pick out of Mississippi State also parlayed his exceptional arm strength into 17 assists in 113 games. Renfroe’s 22 walks in 521 plate appearances raised concern, but he also reduced his strikeout rate by more than three percent. The 6-foot-2, 220 pound righty positioned himself for a September callup and a shot…

Calhoun lives up to promises BEST PLAYER: At a pre-draft workout in 2015, Willie Calhoun promised president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman “a laser show.” The show continued at Double-A Tulsa this season, where the 2015 fourthround pick out of Yavapai (Ariz.) JC was one of the Texas League’s most dangerous hitters. Calhoun, 21, led the league in total bases (236) and RBIs (88) and was also among the leaders in home runs (27), slugging (.469), and OPS (.788). The 5-foot-8 second baseman was selected to the Futures Game in July. “Willie has excellent baseball makeup and believes he belongs in the same breath as many of the game’s best players,” farm director Gabe Kapler said. “This confidence allows his natural bat-to-ball skills to shine on a regular basis. The…