Updated Report Card Grades for MLB's Top 2014 September Call-Ups

It hasn't even been three weeks since rosters expanded and teams announced their September call-ups, but some of baseball’s top prospects have already made a splash during their short time in the major leagues.

Hitters such as Cory Spangenberg (San Diego Padres), Maikel Franco (Philadelphia Phillies) and Joc Pederson (Los Angeles Dodgers) made immediate impacts with their respective teams to begin the month, but all three players have since cooled down and, in some cases, have had their playing time reduced. 

Beyond that, many of the top pitching-prospect call-ups have opened eyes facing big league hitters for the first time.

The 21-year-old left-handers, Daniel Norris (Toronto Blue Jays) and Brandon Finnegan (Kansas City Royals), both have pitched well in the heat of a playoff race, which is remarkable, considering Norris began the season in the High-A Florida State League, while Finnegan took the mound every Friday night for Texas Christian University.

Meanwhile, John Holdzkom has been a force out of the Pittsburgh Pirates' bullpen, as the palm-balling right-hander has struck out 11 batters and allowed just one hit over seven appearances.  

But how have the rest of the notable September call-ups fared in the major leagues?

Since very few of the big-name call-ups are playing on a regular basis, the grades assigned here are meant to reflect how each player has performed in his specific role.

Here are the updated report card grades for MLB’s top September call-ups.

Joc Pederson, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers

Stats: 3-for-20 (.150), 7 BB, 9 K (13 G)

Pederson was named MVP of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League this season, as the 22-year-old outfielder paced the league in home runs (33), OPS (1.017), on-base percentage (.435), runs scored (106) and walks (100) while ranking second in total bases (259).

He also became the first Pacific Coast League player to hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases in a season since Frank Demaree in 1934.

Pederson’s debut came on the day of his call-up, as Don Mattingly called on him to pinch hit in the bottom of the ninth with two outs, two runners on base and the Los Angeles Dodgers trailing 6-4.

The youngster ripped a 2-1 fastball foul against Rafael Soriano before ultimately working a full count, but he was called out on strikes when the then-closer painted a cutter on the outside corner.

Pederson received his first start the following day and collected his first big league knock, going 1-for-3 with a walk.

Pederson saw regular playing time (at least compared to other September call-ups) after his promotion, but the combination of his own struggles and Yasiel Puig’s recent success has forced him to a bench role over the last week-plus.

Though strikeouts have been a problem as expected and hurt his batting average during his brief time in the major leagues, Pederson’s advanced plate discipline has translated to a 25 percent walk in his first 28 plate appearances.

Grade: B-

Cory Spangenberg, 2B/3B/OF, San Diego Padres

Stats: 11-for-42 (.262), 2 HR, 2B, 3B, 8 RBI, 2 BB, 10 K (14 G)

Cory Spangenberg missed over two months this season, from mid-April to late June, but the 23-year-old swung a hot bat upon returning to Double-A San Antonio, batting .343/.378/.494 with 24 extra-base hits (seven triples) and 11 stolen bases in 54 games.

Spangenberg had a strong debut on the day of his call-up, making two nice plays at third base and going 1-for-3 with a two-run single, and then he one-upped himself the following day with a pinch-hit, walk-off home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Overall, Spangenberg has now hit safely in nine of his first 14 games.

Though he was drafted as a second baseman—No. 10 overall in the 2011 draft—Spangenberg has become a utility player over the last year, also seeing time in the outfield as well as at the hot corner.

Since joining the San Diego Padres, he’s played two games at the keystone, six at third and four in left field.

Grade: B

Maikel Franco, 3B, Philadelphia Phillies

Stats: 7-for-42 (.167), 2 2B, 5 RBI, BB, 11 K (12 G)

Maikel Franco overcame a rough first half (.649 OPS in 87 games) at Triple-A Lehigh Valley and finally turned the corner in July, batting .324/.344/.579 with 30 extra-base hits (11 home runs) and 47 RBI over his final 54 games. The 22-year-old third baseman’s second-half surge convinced the Phillies he was ready to be challenged at the highest level, and so they called him up on Sept. 1 for the final month of the season.

Franco’s collected seven hits and plated five runs over his first 12 games in the major leagues, but his at-bats have been inconsistent overall and produced just one walk in 44 plate appearances compared to 11 strikeouts.

His defense has been a pleasant surprise, however, as the 6’1”, 180-pounder has flashed some serious leather during his short time in the major leagues, such as this play to his left and this one to his right. He also made a nice running, over-the-shoulder catch in foul territory while playing first base.

Franco’s hot bat from Triple-A hasn’t carried over to his first two-plus weeks in the major leagues, but the youngster’s all-around performance has been solid. Third base should be his position to lose next spring—at worst he begins the season in a platoon with Cody Asche—though it still would be nice to see him put together a few more multi-hit games down the stretch.

Grade: B

Daniel Norris, LHP, Toronto Blue Jays

Stats: 2.1 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB, 2 K (3 G)

Norris raced through the minor leagues this season, posting a 12-2 overall record with a 2.53 ERA, 1.115 WHIP and 3.79 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 124.2 innings (25 starts) between the High-, Double- and Triple-A levels. He also held opposing hitters to a .212 batting average during that span.

Norris made his highly anticipated debut on Sept. 5 against the Boston Red Sox, entering the game in the seventh inning to face David Ortiz with two outs and the tying run on second base.

The outcome couldn’t have been better for the 21-year-old left-hander, as he struck out Ortiz on a sharp, 3-2 curveball to preserve the lead.

Norris has appeared in two games out of Toronto’s bullpen since then and was charged with his first run in the major leagues Monday against the Baltimore Orioles.

I would imagine the southpaw begins next season in Triple-A, though the Blue Jays likely will give him every opportunity during spring training to win a spot in the starting rotation.

Grade: B

Nick Tropeano, RHP, Houston Astros

Stats: 10 IP, 2.70 ERA, 4 BB, 9 K (2 GS)

A fifth-round selection in the 2011 draft out of Stony Brook University, Nick Tropeano enjoyed his best season as a professional this year, and he did so in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.

Appearing in 23 games (20 starts) for Triple-A Oklahoma City, the 24-year-old posted a 3.03 ERA, 0.987 WHIP and a 3.64 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 124.2 innings. On top of that, he also held opposing hitters to a .202/.262/.334 batting line in 486 plate appearances during that span.

The 6’4” right-hander picked up the win against the Seattle Mariners in his big league debut, allowing two runs on four hits over five innings. Tropeano walked two and struck out five, but he generally struggled with his command as only 45 of his 80 pitches went for strikes.

Tropeano’s second outing was eerily similar, as he surrendered two runs (one earned) on four hits and two walks over five innings, striking out four in his Minute Maid Park debut.

However, the Astros struggled to push across runs against Cleveland right-hander Corey Kluber and ultimately dropped the contest 4-2, with Tropeano taking the first loss of his big league career.

Grade: B

Hunter Strickland, RHP, San Francisco Giants

Stats: 4.1 IP, 5 H, 5 K (5 G)

Hunter Strickland, 25, saved 11 games between High-A San Jose and Double-A Richmond this season, posting a 2.09 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, .194 BAA and a ridiculous 13.75 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 38.2 innings (41 appearances).

The 6’4” right-hander made his debut on the day of his call-up with a scoreless eighth inning against the Colorado Rockies. He gave up hits to the first two batters he faced before settling in to complete the inning.

Since then, Strickland has turned in four more scoreless appearances out of the San Francisco Giants' bullpen, allowing three hits with five strikeouts in 3.1 innings of work.

Strickland’s fastball topped out at 100 in his big league debut, according to BrooksBaseball.net, and has averaged 98.48 mph over his five appearances.

Grade: B+

Christian Bethancourt, C, Atlanta Braves

Stats: 10-for-39 (.256), 6 RBI, SB, 8 K (11 G)

Christian Bethancourt appeared in 13 games with the Atlanta Braves this season, batting .240/.283/.260 with 14 strikeouts during that span.

The 23-year-old spent most of his season at Triple-A Gwinnett, where he posted a good-but-not-great .283/.308/.408 batting line to go along with 26 extra-base hits (eight home runs) in 91 minor league games.

Bethancourt has been working closely with Gerald Laird since rejoining the Braves in September, as the veteran’s tutelage could be huge for the young catcher in terms of the 2015 season, especially if the Braves decide to trade Evan Gattis this winter.

Bethancourt has made the most of his playing time this month, with Gattis battling illness, as he’s now hit safely in six of his 10 starts and driven in six runs over 39 plate appearances.

Meanwhile, his defense has been outstanding as usual, as the strong-armed backstop has now thrown out three of five basestealers this month, including one in each of his last three games.

Grade: B+

Taijuan Walker, RHP, Seattle Mariners

Stats: 15 IP, 2.40 ERA, 4 BB, 14 K (4 G/1 GS)

Taijuan Walker’s should-have-been rookie campaign was disrupted by a shoulder injury suffered during his second start of the season, as it kept him off the mound until late May.

After building up his arm strength in the minor leagues, Walker made three starts for the Mariners between June 30 and July 23, registering a 3.60 ERA, while holding opposing hitters to a .133 batting average over 15 innings.

However, he struggled with his control and walked (13) nearly as many batters as he struck out (14).

Walker has made two appearances out of the bullpen since rejoining the Mariners. The first was an outstanding performance in long relief, as Walker fanned five over six innings against the Oakland A’s, while allowing one run on six hits and two walks. In the latter, the right-hander yielded one hit and tallied a strikeout over 1.1 scoreless frames.

The Mariners were forced to shut down left-hander Roenis Elias this week and decided to replace him with Walker in the starting rotation—a potential blessing in disguise.

Making his first start since July 23, Walker allowed two runs on eight hits and two walks over 5.2 innings on Friday against the Houston Astros. The right-hander struck out seven batters en route to his second win of the season.

More importantly, Walker’s strong outing occurred on a night when the Royals lost, thus helping the Mariners trim their deficit in the wild-card race.

Grade: B+

Brandon Finnegan, LHP, Kansas City Royals

Stats: 4.1 IP, 2 H, 6 K (4 G)

Brandon Finnegan’s path to the major leagues this season is similar to Chris Sale’s in 2010, as he was drafted in the first round (No. 17 overall) out of college and rushed through the minors so as to be used in The Show down the stretch.

The 21-year-old left-hander began his professional career at High-A Wilmington, where he posted a 0.60 ERA, allowed five hits and fanned 13 batters in 15 innings.

The Royals moved him up to Double-A Northwest Arkansas in early August to work out of the bullpen, and the southpaw responded to the challenge by posting a 2.25 ERA with 13 strikeouts over 12 innings.

As expected, the Royals called him up to the major leagues on Sept. 1.

Finnegan made his big league debut on Sept. 6 with two perfect innings at Yankee Stadium, the first of which saw him breeze through the heart of the Yankees lineup. The youngster struck out a pair and threw 17 of 26 pitches for strikes.

Finnegan has appeared in three more games since then and pitched well each time, allowing just two hits with four strikeouts over 2.1 scoreless innings.

Granted it’s a small and controlled sample size, but Finnegan has made a very strong case for a spot on the Royals’ postseason roster.

Grade: A-

John Holdzkom, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates

Stats: SV, 7 IP, H, 2 BB, 11 K (7 G)

Holdzkom certainly wasn’t the most notable prospect called up on Sept. 1, but he may have been the most interesting.

Holdzkom, 26, last pitched professionally in 2012 in the California League, when he posted a 5.19 ERA with 13 walks in 8.2 innings for High-A Bakersfield (Reds).

He spent parts of the last two years pitching for Amarillo and Sioux City in the Independent American Association, which is where the Pittsburgh Pirates saw him and promptly signed him as a free agent.

The 6’7” right-hander was assigned directly to Double-A Altoona after signing, where he fanned 10 batters and allowed just one hit over six innings.

Holdzkom’s success continued after moving up to Triple-A Indianapolis, as he saved two games and pitched to a 2.49 ERA with 27 strikeouts in 21.2 innings before having his contract selected as a September call-up.

Holdzkom—who officially brought the palm ball—or as he calls, “The Palmer”—back to the major leagues—has been lights-out in his seven appearances out of the Pirates bullpen, as he struck out the side in his big league debut and recorded his first save a few days later.

Overall, Holdzkom has fanned 11 batters and yielded just one hit over his first seven innings in the major leagues.

Grade: A