Team-by-Team Top Prospect Report Cards Midway Through Spring Training
With spring training halfway over and the start of Major League Baseball's regular season a little more than two weeks away (yay!), now is the time when teams start making cuts and sending prospects to minor league camp.
Those youngsters still with the big league club actually have something of a legitimate shot to crack the 25-man roster come April.
With that in mind and with a focus on prospects who could contribute in 2015, it's time to grade all 30 farm systems based on prospect performance this spring.
Sure, the sample size is tiny and the competition is inconsistent, but the exhibition season provides at least a little something to go on. So join us as we break out our red pens.
Arizona Diamondbacks
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The Arizona Diamondbacks finished with MLB's worst record last season and don't look a whole lot better heading into 2015. It's a good thing, then, that many of their young players in what is one of the more under-the-radar-good farm systems have had solid springs.
New manager Chip Hale said Yasmany Tomas, the club's new $68.5 million Cuban sensation, needs more focus on defense if he's going to stick at third base, per Steve Gilbert of MLB.com. However, he has flashed his plus power, smacking two doubles, a triple and a home run.
Infielders Brandon Drury (.435 BA, 9 RBI), Nick Ahmed (.355 BA, 2 SB) and Jake Lamb (.978 OPS), who should be the team's starting hot cornerman if (when?) Tomas shifts to corner outfield, have all done well with the sticks. Drury, who could be the club's second baseman of the future if he takes to the position, has been a particularly promising surprise with his three homers, including one off Madison Bumgarner.
Just as important, especially for a club whose rotation is wide-open, top arms like Aaron Blair, Braden Shipley, Robbie Ray and Archie Bradley—who needs a bounce-back year after elbow troubles hindered him in 2014—have hung in there.
Oh, and Cuban right-hander Yoan Lopez has made a solid first impression in his quest to get to the majors "muy pronto."
If only Peter O'Brien (6-for-26) was showing enough to be ready in short order to take over a catching situation that is devoid of an actual big league starter.
Spring Grade: A-
Atlanta Braves
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Perhaps the best thing that could be said about the rebuilding Atlanta Braves farm system this March is that the organization has had a chance to get a look at the many, many prospects brought in via trades this offseason.
Now that the team has optioned second baseman of the future Jose Peraza to Triple-A after he got just one hit in 16 at-bats, much of the focus on the position-player side is on projected starting catcher Christian Bethancourt (.360 BA) and Jace Peterson (.324), who is a part of the return for Justin Upton and could seize the keystone gig until Peraza is ready.
As for all those young arms new president of baseball operations John Hart traded for, well, it hasn't been pretty for Mike Foltynewicz (5.40 ERA), Arodys Vizcaino (9.53) and Manny Banuelos (17.18). And while righty Tyrell Jenkins, acquired along with Shelby Miller in the Jason Heyward swap, threw well, the team's already pegged him for Double-A.
Spring Grade: C+
Baltimore Orioles
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Monday, March 16, was a noteworthy, if disappointing, day in Baltimore Orioles camp, as the club sent down a trio of top prospects in right-handers Dylan Bundy and Hunter Harvey and first baseman Christian Walker (1-for-12). Those are clearly the organization's three best young players, especially the pair of arms.
"They've gotten everything out of this camp they can get. It's time for them to get stretched out," manager Buck Showalter told Adam Berry of MLB.com about Bundy and Harvey, who threw just six and three innings, respectively.
On the plus side, Rule 5 pick Logan Verrett (2.00 ERA, 8 K) has fared well on the mound to give himself a shot to make the team, while Cuban outfielders Dariel Alvarez (.292 BA) and Henry Urrutia (.320 BA) have had solid springs.
Beyond that, there isn't much to get excited about. The O's have one of the shallower systems around.
Spring Grade: C-
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Boston Red Sox
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The Boston Red Sox system has had a banner spring, with the talent and depth in the minor leagues on display all March long.
Catcher of the future Blake Swihart (7-for-18, 1 HR, 4 RBI) has been particularly impressive, while lesser-known position-player prospects, like Garin Cecchini (7 RBI), Deven Marrero (.286 BA) and Travis Shaw (.950 OPS), also have provided evidence that they're not far away.
On the mound, lefties Henry Owens, Eduardo Rodriguez (9 K in 7.2 IP) and Brian Johnson (2.35 ERA) have mostly continued the progress they made in 2014 over into 2015. Any or all of that trio could be called upon to start for Boston this year and would be ready to go.
About the only disappointment here is that an oblique injury forced Rusney Castillo to miss a couple of weeks, thus dampening some of the buzz surrounding the team's $72.5 million Cuban import.
Speaking of Cuban sensations, don't forget: The Sox signed Yoan Moncada, the much-hyped 19-year-old switch-hitting infielder, at the outset of camp, further strengthening what already was one of the top collections of young talent in the sport.
Spring Grade: A+
Chicago Cubs
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The Chicago Cubs' young hitters have provided a parade of production so far this spring. Consider...
- Addison Russell: 7-for-19 (.368) with as many doubles (three) as strikeouts!
- Jorge Soler: 11-for-28 (.393) with a pair of homers and five RBI!!
- Kris Bryant: 10-for-23 (.435) with—count 'em—six home runs and nine RBI!!!
And that's just the Cubs' three biggest prospects. Kyle Schwarber, the team's top pick last June, hit a grand slam on his birthday, and even Albert Almora has begun to put his 2014 struggles behind him with a 8-for-121 (.381) start.
Sure, Bryant needs to shore up his defense (two errors), particularly his throwing, which could be related to a bout of shoulder soreness, per Carrie Muskat of MLB.com. But the game's top prospect is making it extremely hard—even borderline controversial—for the Chicago Cubs to start him at Triple-A rather than on the North Side come Opening Day.
Other than that—and maybe eventually having a few of the franchise's pitching prospects start contributing—there's not much else to ask for.
Spring Grade: A
Chicago White Sox
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The Chicago White Sox's top prospect, Carlos Rodon, makes his living on the mound, but the team's best youngster in March? Why that's Micah Johnson, the speedster who has turned heads.
In hitting .444 (12-for-27) with seven runs scored, Johnson also has turned his chances of beating out Gordon Beckham, Emilio Bonifacio and Carlos Sanchez for the second base job from long shot to something just shy of a likelihood.
Rodon, meanwhile, has flashed both his premium stuff and his work-in-progress command. The No. 3 overall pick last June is trying to zoom to the majors, especially with fellow southpaw Chris Sale sidelined into the start of the regular season by a foot/ankle injury. Rodon's MLB ETA remains TBD—for now.
Even raw, athletic, strikeout-prone outfielders Courtney Hawkins (.407 BA) and Trayce Thompson (.412) have been productive. Now, if only third baseman Matt Davidson (2-for-14) would cooperate one of these days so he could regain his fading chances to become Chicago's eventual hot cornerman.
Spring Grade: B
Cincinnati Reds
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The Cincinnati Reds prospects who have stood out most this spring are a trio of right-handers.
By throwing six scoreless innings with five whiffs so far, 2013 first-rounder Michael Lorenzen, offseason trade acquisition Anthony DeSclafani (3 ER in 9 IP) and intriguing Cuban Raisel Iglesias, who hasn't surrendered a single home run over 7.2 frames, are making cases to be considered for the rotation or bullpen.
Among the hitters, the best impression comes from an outfielder, but not the one many would expect (Jesse Winker, 2-for-8 before being sent down). Instead, it's Kyle Waldrop, who has smacked five extra-base knocks among his first six hits.
Unfortunately, Robert Stephenson—the team's top prospect—wasn't able to get in any innings against big leaguers due to shoulder soreness, according to C. Trent Rosecrans of The Cincinnati Enquirer.
Spring Grade: B
Cleveland Indians
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Many of the Cleveland Indians' top youngsters are a few years away, which puts the team at an immediate disadvantage when it comes to grading spring showings in major league camp.
The good news? Stud shortstop prospect Francisco Lindor is 8-for-28 (.286) with five extra-base hits, including an inside-the-park home run. He looks primed for a promotion in the first half, perhaps even early (depending on how Jose Ramirez holds down the fort).
Meanwhile, promising outfielder Clint Frazier, who was drafted fifth overall in 2013 and is still only 20 years old but got a brief look with the big boys, managed to knock one out in his three at-bats.
A pair of lesser-known prospects have made enough of an impression that one or both could come north or reach Cleveland early in 2015. Catcher Roberto Perez has gone 6-for-13 with a homer and seven RBI in as many games, and first baseman Jesus Aguilar is 8-for-20 (.400).
Not much has happened for the Indians on the pitching prospect front, which hurts their grade.
Spring Grade: B-
Colorado Rockies
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Whereas the Cleveland Indians haven't had much going on with their pitching prospects, the opposite is true for the Colorado Rockies, who are getting good efforts from their arms—but ironically, not so much from their young bats.
Jon Gray, the third selection in the 2013 draft, has been the talk of Rockies camp. The 23-year-old, who pitched well while spending all of 2014 at Double-A (3.91 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 8.2 K/9), has thrown a team-high 9.0 innings and allowed only three runs with a 7-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
"He's a talented kid, we can all see that," manager Walt Weiss said, per Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post. "We see the radar gun when he throws a fastball. We see the body type—he looks the part. All those things a big-time pitcher looks like, he has that. Now it's just a matter of maturing and knowing he belongs."
It's still possible for Gray to make the team. Even if he doesn't, he's not far away. Same goes for fellow righty Eddie Butler, who made a three-start cameo in Denver last year before shoulder problems hampered him. The 24-year-old has given up two runs and five baserunners in his 5.0 frames so far.
Among hitters, the top performers have been Kyle Parker (7-for-23, 4 2B, 5 BB) and Trevor Story (6-for-23, 1 HR).
Spring Grade: B-
Detroit Tigers
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The Detroit Tigers system is the worst in baseball, but they do have some youngsters who should provide serviceable depth in 2015.
There's James McCann, who is 10-for-22 (.455) and has potential to be Alex Avila's backup on Opening Day. And Daniel Fields (10-for-29, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 2 SB) and Tyler Collins (7 R, 7 RBI, 5 BB) could be in the mix as backup outfielders soon.
Alas, big boy Steven Moya, who swatted 35 home runs at Double-A in 2014 before earning a September cup of joe, continues to show no signs of plate discipline, with a .154 average and nine whiffs and zero walks in 26 plate appearances.
The pitching prospect help could come from one-time closer of the future Bruce Rondon, who missed all of last year while recovering from Tommy John surgery. The massive right-hander has thrown just 3.0 innings so far but has displayed his upper-90s fastball. And fellow hard-throwing righty Angel Nesbitt (6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 5 K) has turned some heads.
"I think he's extremely close," manager Brad Ausmus told Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press. "And quite frankly, he has impressed everybody."
Spring Grade: B-
Houston Astros
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The Houston Astros still have a quality system, but the club has graduated a number of former top prospects, including George Springer and Jon Singleton, and traded others like Mike Foltynewicz and Rio Ruiz. That puts a lot more on the organization's top two, shortstop Carlos Correa and righty Mark Appel, the No. 1 overall takes in 2012 and 2013, respectively.
Coming off a fractured fibula that cost him the second half of 2014 and interrupted what was a fantastic season in the making, Correa has gone 8-for-22 with a home run and a stolen base. He looks healthy and precocious as ever.
As for Appel, he has been so-so in his two outings, permitting two runs and seven baserunners across four frames. But at least he appears to be past the minor forearm tightness that bothered him in early March, per Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle. Expect him to head back to Double-A to open the year.
The best showing among all the arms to date? Try Asher Wojciechowski, a first-round pick by the Blue Jays back in 2010 who has twirled nine scoreless with seven whiffs. The 26-year-old is getting up there to be considered a prospect anymore, but he should factor in for Houston in some form or another in 2015.
Colin Moran, who could be the Astros third baseman this time next year, netted only eight at-bats in his limited action, but he did manage four knocks.
And we'll leave with one final question: Will toolsy but still raw outfielder Domingo Santana (0-for-10 with 6 K's) ever get a hit in a big league uni?
Spring Grade: B
Kansas City Royals
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The reigning AL champion Kansas City Royals will be hard-pressed to repeat their 2014 success this year, but if they want to come close, they'll need something from their prospects.
After blazing through the minors upon being drafted in the first round last June and even earning a spot on the Royals postseason roster, Brandon Finnegan has been so-so so far this spring, giving up four earned on seven hits and three walks in 5.0 frames.
Here's a take on the lefty's third game from Keith Law of ESPN: "Finnegan was 91-94 mph and showed a plus changeup at 85-87 with great arm speed and subtle fade, a real string puller that he used repeatedly against right-handed hitters. His slider was very inconsistent, and he clearly didn't have feel for it, with several either backing up on him or just hanging."
Another nearly big league-ready arm, righty Christian Binford has looked solid with six strikeouts over 5.0 scoreless innings of his own. There's a good chance both Finnegan and Binford will pitch for KC in some capacity this year.
Among the position players, it's nice to see utility man Christian Colon hitting (9-for-22, 7 RBI, 4 BB), while outfielder Jorge Bonifacio swung it well (6-for-13) prior to being optioned to Triple-A. And the biggest-shock award goes to fringe prospect Brett Eibner for his 11-for-19 showing with seven extra-base knocks, including two homers.
As for some others, third baseman Hunter Dozier, the club's top choice in 2013, went just 1-for-10 before heading to minor league camp, and still-raw Bubba Starling—the No. 5 pick in 2011—showed at least a little something (4-for-14), but also continued to struggle with seven strikeouts.
Spring Grade: B
Los Angeles Angels
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One of the shallower systems in the game, there's not a heck of a lot to report about the Los Angeles Angels prospects.
While ace Garrett Richards (knee) is out until sometime in April, there's a competition for a rotation spot between lefty Andrew Heaney (6.0 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 5 K), and righty Nick Tropeano (6.1 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 1 K). While both have some MLB experience, Heaney's upside is much higher, so it'll be interesting to see if he can win the gig.
Another young lefty, Sean Newcomb, the team's top draft pick last June, picked up a couple of brief appearances against big league hitters.
In the battle for second base now that Howie Kendrick is with the Dodgers, Rule 5 pick Taylor Featherston (7-for-21, 6 RBI) is putting up a fight, and Alex Yarbrough (4-for-16 with just one strikeout) has had some moments too. But there's just not much in the way of young hitters here, even after the Angels swapped pitching prospect Ricardo Sanchez to the Atlanta Braves for third baseman Kyle Kubitza (6-for-20) over the winter.
There's a lot of hope for Roberto Baldoquin, the Cuban shortstop who reported to camp in mid-March after inking an $8 million deal in January.
"The thing that stood out the most to us, outside of his ability on the field," general manager Jerry Dipoto said, per Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times, "is that he's very advanced for a 20-year-old."
Spring Grade: C
Los Angeles Dodgers
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The Los Angeles Dodgers prospects have been having a super spring.
The bigger names, like Corey Seager (4-for-12 with 6 BB), Julio Urias (in big league camp as an 18-year-old) and Joc Pederson (12-for-28, 2 HR, 7 R, 6 RBI), all have showed why they're so highly regarded. The 22-year-old Pederson, who entered camp in competition with vet Andre Ethier (5-for-26, .192), looks to have all but locked up the starting center fielder job.
"Obviously we like what we've seen from Joc," manager Don Mattingly said, per Kevin Baxter of the Los Angeles Times. "We haven't made any decision on who's going to be where. But we do like the way things are going for Joc."
The organization has to like the way things are going from some of the lesser-known prospects too, including outfielder Scott Schebler (8-for-20, 2 HR, 6 RBI) and second baseman Darnell Sweeney (7-for-16, 2 HR, 6 RBI). Heck, even Cuban import-turned-bust Alex Guerrero looks like he might be able to hold down a roster spot as an offensive-oriented utility type. He has gone 9-for-22 with seven runs scored.
Admittedly, many of the young arms haven't had much of an opportunity because of the Dodgers' deep rotation. So if there's anything that could qualify as a minor disappointment, it's that.
Spring Grade: A
Miami Marlins
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The Miami Marlins have so few prospects in camp this year that they might deserve an incomplete rather than an actual letter grade.
Tyler Kolek, the second overall selection in the 2014 draft, didn't get an invite because he's just 19 and only nine months out of high school. At least righty Jose Urena and lefty Justin Nicolino turned in two innings apiece. The latter could make his big league debut at some point in 2015 after throwing a whopping 170.1 frames at Double-A.
Catcher J.T. Realmuto, who could work his way into the picture as a backup this year before taking over as the team's starter in 2016, went just 3-for-12.
Like we said, there isn't much to evaluate here.
Spring Grade: D
Milwaukee Brewers
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Like the Miami Marlins, much of the Milwaukee Brewers' young talent is in the low minors, so giving this group a grade feels a bit unfair.
On top of that, the prospects who could have a hand in the 2015 season aren't exactly impact types, including right-handers David Goforth (5.1 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 6 K), Ariel Pena (5.1 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 3 K) and Taylor Jungmann, who was blasted for seven earned runs on three hits and four walks in just one-third of an inning on March 15. All three players are at least 25 years old.
With outfielder Tyrone Taylor and shortstop Orlando Arcia getting all of five at-bats between them—all from the latter—there's even less to go on with the position players.
Spring Grade: D-
Minnesota Twins
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The Minnesota Twins, stuck at the bottom of the AL Central in three of the past four years, need things to go better for them on the farm in 2015 after so many of their top prospects suffered injuries last season.
Speaking of, everything starts with Byron Buxton, arguably the game's top overall prospect, and Miguel Sano, one of the top young sluggers in the sport, both of whom lost a year of development.
While Buxton, who dealt with wrist injuries and a concussion, has already been reassigned to minor league camp, simply having the 21-year-old back on the field feels like a win for the Twins. The 21-year-old Sano, on the other hand, actually made an impact in camp, smashing a pair of home runs.
Those two likely will spend much of 2015 at Double-A, but it wouldn't be shocking if they make their MLB debuts late in the second half. Same goes for Eddie Rosario, who has gone 7-for-26 (.269) with two homers among his four extra-base hits.
On the mound, righty Jose Berrios (6.0 IP, 0 ER, 4-0 K-BB) has picked up where he left off after getting all the way to Triple-A late in 2014. And while Alex Meyer, the club's most big league-ready arm, has thrown just 3.2 innings, J.R. Graham—the team's Rule 5 take—has shown enough to stick in the big league bullpen with 5.1 scoreless innings over four appearances.
Spring Grade: B+
New York Mets
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The New York Mets' top pitching prospects have lived up to their billing so far, which is a good thing considering the club will be sans Zack Wheeler, who is facing Tommy John surgery. Noah Syndergaard (7.1 IP, 9 K) and Rafael Montero, in particular, could have key roles in New York in light of that injury. Same for southpaw Steven Matz (6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER), who could earn a midseason call-up.
As much pitching as the Mets possess, there are bats too. Kevin Plawecki, who could be ready to push incumbent catcher Travis d'Arnaud by the second half, homered and had two doubles among his five hits. And Michael Conforto, the team's most recent first-rounder as a polished college bat, also displayed his quality hit tool in going 4-for-10 early on.
Even Matt Reynolds, who is more of a fringy prospect compared to the others mentioned, has been hot, going 11-for-26 (.423) with a long ball. Should Wilmer Flores (who is having a great spring himself) not work out at shortstop, Reynolds is next in line after spending half of 2014 at Triple-A.
On the downside, second baseman of the future Dilson Herrera, who made a surprising late-season debut in Flushing, is just 1-for-17.
If there's one complaint here it's that both Dario Alvarez (7.71 ERA) and Rule 5 pick Sean Gilmartin (9.64), two lefty relief prospects in line to cover for the loss of Josh Edgin (another TJ victim), are having a rough go of it.
Spring Grade: A-
New York Yankees
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Slugging outfield prospect Aaron Judge (3-for-12) got this spring off to a memorable start for the New York Yankees, smacking a game-tying three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to tie the team's first game of the exhibition season.
The rest of the Yankees position player prospects have looked good for the most part, including first baseman Greg Bird (5-for-14, 3 2B, 1 HR), as well as Jose Pirela (9-for-23) and Robert Refsnyder (6-for-18), both of whom could provide a spark at second base if veteran Stephen Drew can't get it together.
Even forgotten men Slade Heathcott (6-for-13) and Mason Williams (5-for-14) showed some life. Alas, Gary Sanchez, who feels like he's been a prospect since Lost was a thing, looked, well, lost (1-for-9) in his limited action.
As for the arms, righty Luis Severino flashed his electric stuff (2.2 IP, 5 K) but also surrendered six hits, indicating he still has a ways to go before he's ready for the Bronx. And lefty relievers Jacob Lindgren (4.1 IP, 8 K) and Chasen Shreve (6.0 IP, 7 K) showed just how nasty—and deep—the Yankees bullpen should be in 2015.
Spring Grade: B+
Oakland Athletics
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For the Oakland Athletics, a lot of this spring has been spent putting eyes on the many youngsters they acquired in their several offseason trades.
Among that bunch, the most impressive has been righty Kendall Graveman, who has allowed just one run on six hits and three walks in 9.2 innings. If he keeps that up, the 24-year-old could crack rotation. On the flip side, Chris Bassitt has given up seven runs on 10 hits in 8.0 frames.
Hot-starting shortstop Marcus Semien, who came over with Bassitt in the Jeff Samardzija deal, isn't a prospect anymore, but second baseman Joey Wendle is. The return in the Brandon Moss deal, Wendle has gone 9-for-26 (.346).
Speedster Billy Burns is a fringy prospect, but his 15-for-39 (.385) effort, along with three steals, has put him on the radar as a potential backup outfielder. Whereas Renato Nunez, who has a much higher standing in the organization's prospect pecking order, went just 3-for-16 with eight whiffs.
At 29, Pat Venditte doesn't quite qualify as a prospect anymore (if he ever did), but the switch-pitcher has fared well (5.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER) and is in the right organization to—finally—get a chance in the majors.
Spring Grade: B
Philadelphia Phillies
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The Philadelphia Phillies' major league camp has been more noteworthy for which prospects weren't there than for the ones who were. First, the latter.
After debuting last September, Maikel Franco has managed just six hits in his 29 at-bats (.207) this spring. At this stage, he likely hasn't done enough to overtake incumbent third baseman Cody Asche just yet. The 22-year-old slugger should make his way back to Philadelphia in the first half, however.
Odubel Herrera, the team's Rule 5 selection in December, has been one of the most pleasant surprises in camp, going 12-for-33 (.364) with four stolen bases. One imagines he's in good position to make the 25-man roster, especially since he would have to pass through waivers and be offered back to the Texas Rangers before being sent to the minors. The rebuilding Phillies might as well see what he can do.
Perhaps because the rebuild still is in the very early stages, Philadelphia chose not to bring a number of its youngsters to the big league side, including pitchers Ben Lively, Tom Windle and Zach Eflin, each of whom was acquired via trade this offseason.
Same goes for the organization's top two prospects, shortstop of the future J.P. Crawford and right-hander Aaron Nola, who was an especially surprising omission given that the 21-year-old is a polished college arm who could pitch in the majors sooner than later.
Spring Grade: D
Pittsburgh Pirates
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The big news in Pittsburgh Pirates camp, of course, has been the performance of Korean shortstop Jung Ho Kang. After starting his spring with an opposite-field bang in his very first exhibition game, Kang has taken a downward turn (3-for-20 with 7 strikeouts). He'll make the club, partly to justify his contract, but he has a ways to go to become the starting shortstop, which was his goal upon signing.
Fellow infield prospect Alen Hanson had a brief but effective stay, going 4-for-10, and catcher Elias Diaz has gone 7-for-16 with a homer and four RBI. The latter looks primed to take over behind the plate at some point this season or next.
Top pitching prospect Tyler Glasnow made but one appearance, but the occasionally unhittable right-hander made the most of it, striking out two in a perfect inning, needing all of seven pitches, every one of which was a strike.
Meanwhile, although 2010's No. 2 overall pick, Jameson Taillon, "continues to make daily progress" in his recovery from Tommy John surgery a year ago, as GM Neal Huntington put it to Stephen J. Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the righty didn't make it into a spring game. But Nick Kingham (6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER) and Casey Sadler (8.1 IP, 6, H, 3 ER, 8 K) did, and both are ready for Pittsburgh as soon as they're needed.
Spring Grade: B+
San Diego Padres
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The San Diego Padres spent a lot of the winter trading away prospects in an effort to retool on the fly heading into 2015. While they've brought in some big names (Justin Upton, Matt Kemp, Wil Myers and free-agent signee James Shields), that has left the farm rather shallow. It's showed this spring.
Although he's still at least a good half-season away from the majors, outfielder Hunter Renfroe went without a hit in his meager eight at-bats, while catcher Austin Hedges remains a stud behind the plate who hasn't shown much of anything while at it (2-for-11).
Athletic outfielder Rymer Liriano, who has some MLB experience but now is blocked by approximately a dozen others, has gone 4-for-17 while striking out six times. Cory Spangenberg, who's in the mix for a utility gig because he can play infield and outfield, is hitting .250 in his 24 at-bats.
Oh, and nearly big league-ready righty Matt Wisler happened to get bombed in his most recent outing, surrendering eight runs (seven earned) on six hits in just one inning. Ick.
Spring Grade: D-
San Francisco Giants
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The San Francisco Giants do get to call themselves the reigning champs, but they haven't had the greatest offseason, what with losing Pablo Sandoval in free agency, missing out on Jon Lester and then watching as typically durable clubhouse leader Hunter Pence fractured his forearm in the first exhibition game. To make matters worse, the farm system lacks any real high-impact talent, especially in the high minors.
Andrew Susac, who could begin 2015 in the same position he finished out 2014—as Buster Posey's very capable backup—has registered just one hit but four whiffs in his 10 at-bats while battling a wrist injury.
Right-hander Kyle Crick has been his usual erratic self, surrendering five runs on seven hits—including two homers—and four walks in 6.2 frames. Fellow starter prospect Ty Blach was even worse (7.1 IP, 13 H, 10 ER), and reliever Hunter Strickland, last seen serving up a record six home runs in the postseason, allowed two more among seven hits in seven innings.
The saving graces have been lefty Adalberto Mejia (5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R), outfielder Mac Williamson (5-for-15, 1 2B, 2 3B) and infielder Matt Duffy, who is on the verge of cracking the 25-man roster in a super-utility role after starting out 10-for-26 (.385) with five extra-base knocks.
Spring Grade: C-
Seattle Mariners
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OK, Taijuan Walker has been a spring stud with 12 scoreless frames, but the right-hander no longer is prospect eligible, having barely surpassed 50 career big league innings—by a mere three innings!—in his final start last September.
That and the fact that D.J. Peterson is hitting just .172 (5-for-29) shouldn't take too much away from what otherwise has been a promising camp for the Seattle Mariners.
Shortstop prospect Ketel Marte (7-for-23, 3 SB) and third baseman Patrick Kivlehan (6-for-19, 1 HR, 4 RBI) have hit well, and both could make MLB debuts in 2015.
As for the pitchers, under-the-radar lefty Tyler Olson (7.0 IP, 1 H, 9 K) and righty Jordan Pries (8.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 8 K) have come from out of nowhere to give the club's brass something to think about as it figures out the last of what should again be a strong pitching staff.
Inarguably the most feel-good storyline here? Although it was only one inning, Danny Hultzen—the lefty who has battled shoulder problems for years after going No. 2 overall in 2011—made it back on the mound in a big league setting. And he touched the mid-90s, according to Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times.
"I've been looking forward to this for a long time," Hultzen said. "It’s been a really long road. To be able to come back and pitch again is incredible."
Spring Grade: B+
St. Louis Cardinals
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While the St. Louis Cardinals system isn't quite as strong as it has been in recent years after graduating Kolten Wong, Trevor Rosenthal, Michael Wacha, Matt Adams and Carlos Martinez, there's still plenty of talent and depth on the way.
Among the arms, lefty Marco Gonzales already has three wins, which isn't a good gauge of a pitcher's performance, especially in spring training, when most are throwing fewer than four innings still. But Gonzales' 10.1 innings of six-hit, one-run ball is. He'll help St. Louis, either in the rotation or out of the pen.
And while 20-year-old Alex Reyes got into only one game because he's still at least two years away, Tim Cooney (8.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 5 K) is right behind Gonzales on the depth chart as rotation insurance.
On the position player side, outfielders Stephen Piscotty (7-for-24, 5 RBI, 2 SB) and Randal Grichuk (3 HR, 6 RBI) look good and primed to pitch in from Triple-A as backups or injury fill-ins.
And many of the Cardinals' lesser-known prospects have done well this month, including second baseman Jacob Wilson (9-for-28, 4 2B) and outfielder Tommy Pham (7-for-17, 1 HR, 5 RBI). Plus, forgotten man Aledmys Diaz, the Cuban shortstop signed last March for $8 million, made an appearance (2-for-8), which counts for something.
Spring Grade: A-
Tampa Bay Rays
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A lot of the Tampa Bay Rays' top prospects are still a year or more out from making an impact in the majors, including Willy Adames, one of the gets in last July's David Price swap. Same for young catcher Justin O'Conner (2-for-8) and Daniel Robertson (2-for-4), who was picked up in the Ben Zobrist deal this winter. Both were reassigned to minor league camp early on.
On the other hand, projected Opening Day right fielder Steven Souza, acquired in the three-team deal involving Wil Myers, has only four hits in 26 at-bats, but two of 'em are homers.
Right-hander Nathan Karns (13.1 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, 9 K) looks to have an inside track at helping fill in a rotation that could be sans ailing Alex Cobb and/or Drew Smyly to start the season. Fellow hard-throwing righty Alex Colome, who missed the beginning of camp with pneumonia, has yet to get into any game action.
At least the Rays' young relief prospects have looked good—and healthy—including Mike Montgomery (6.1 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 4 K), C.J. Riefenhauser (5.2 IP, 3 H, 6 K) and Jose Dominguez (3.0 IP, 5 K).
Spring Grade: B-
Texas Rangers
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The Texas Rangers got bad news when they found out early this spring that ace Yu Darvish would need Tommy John surgery. Their prospects, however, have been providing plenty of good news.
Joey Gallo, who possesses as much power as any player yet to reach the majors (including, yep, Kris Bryant), is 7-for-25 (.280) with a pair of homers. Even more noteworthy? The 21-year-old third baseman, known for swing-and-miss issues (34 percent strikeouts for his career), has a solid 4-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Oh, and his vertical ain't bad, either. Gallo is bound for the minors, but a second-half debut is realistic.
"This is a special cat," new skipper Jeff Banister said via Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "He's done some really nice things this spring. His at-bats have been aggressive and under control. He’s trying to be that bully in the box."
While catcher Jorge Alfaro (5-for-13, 4 RBI) is on about the same timeline as Gallo, Ryan Rua remains very much in the mix to earn playing time in left field, going 7-for-29 (.241) with a double, triple and homer.
On the mound, first-rounder Alex "Chi Chi" Gonzalez (8.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 9 K) still is in the running for a rotation spot. That might be pushing things, but he is a polished college arm, and the Rangers also are dealing with an ailing Derek Holland, who could miss the start of the season. This club needs all the good news it can get.
Spring Grade: A-
Toronto Blue Jays
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Unfortunately for the Toronto Blue Jays, Marcus Stroman's season-ending ACL injury put a damper on a promising club at the very start of spring. Fortunately, though, the Jays also happen to be rather deep in pitching prospects who can help cover for the young right-hander.
Aaron Sanchez, who proved in a small second-half sample last year that his electric stuff can play as a reliever in the majors (1.09 ERA in 33.0 IP), is expected to be in the rotation, according to Barry Davis of SportsNet.ca. The 22-year-old (13.0 IP, 13 H, 7 ER) has progressed as camp has, throwing 5.1 innings his last time out.
There's also lefty Daniel Norris, who has allowed three earned on eight hits in 7.0 innings while striking out nine. The 21-year-old could crack the rotation out of camp, but if not, he'll be in the high minors and ready when needed.
Beyond those two, right-handers Roberto Osuna (6.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 6 K) and Miguel Castro (6.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 3 K) have opened eyes. The club would be rushing them to the majors—both are just 20 years old—but they could factor into the bullpen later in the year, a la Sanchez in 2014.
Toronto also will be relying on another rookie in Dalton Pompey, a 22-year-old who is in line to be the starting center fielder while going 10-for-33 with two doubles, a triple and a pair of stolen bases. And Devon Travis (11-for-31, 4 2B), acquired for Anthony Gose early in the offseason, is yet another prospect who could help the Jays this year, particularly because of their lack of a legitimate big league second baseman.
Spring Grade: A-
Washington Nationals
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There's been more going on with the bats than the arms for the Washington Nationals this spring. Given the club's killer rotation, that's not a bad thing.
Michael Taylor, who made a couple of cameos in the capital last year, has a shot to fill in as the starting center fielder until Span is recovered from core-muscle surgery. The athletic, toolsy soon-to-be 24-year-old has gone 7-for-28 (.250) with four extra-base hits and a steal, but he also has 11 strikeouts and zero walks, showing how raw his approach remains. He'll handle the job defensively.
The two best performers, however, have been infielders Wilmer Difo (7-for-22) and, especially, Matt Skole, who is 8-for-19 with seven runs scored, two homers and six RBI. Neither is likely to factor into things in 2015, though.
Among the arms, the only one who saw any real action was A.J. Cole, who was his usual hittable, homer-prone self in three appearances (7.0 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 3 HR) before being sent to Triple-A. And in case you're wondering, young right-handers Lucas Giolito, arguably the game's top pitching prospect, and Joe Ross, just acquired from the San Diego Padres, weren't brought to the big league side.
Spring Grade: B-
Stats up to date through Thursday, March 19. To talk baseball or fantasy baseball, check in with me on Twitter: @JayCat11
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