Top MLB Prospect Call-Up Radar Report, Week 10
As we've seen throughout the 2015 MLB regular season, highly regarded prospects can significantly improve their team's fortunes.
Joc Pederson, Kris Bryant, Noah Syndergaard, Joey Gallo and Carlos Correa are leading the way for the game's next wave of stars. They may lack experience, but those youngsters have enjoyed fantastic starts to their careers.
That begs the question: Who's next?
The next few slides will focus on a handful of baseball's brightest talents and where they fall on our prospect call-up radar. We will classify the following prospects and their anticipated MLB debut with the following scale:
- Red: September call-up at best
- Orange: Second-half call-up
- Yellow: Call-up within a month
- Green: Call-up within a week/call-up is imminent
When will we see the likes of Steven Matz, Byron Buxton, Corey Seager and Aaron Nola? Read on to find out!
Aaron Nola, Philadelphia Phillies
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2015 Stats (AA): 7-3, 71.2 IP, 1.76 ERA, 2.79 FIP, 6.78 K/9, 1.00 BB/9
If call-ups were based solely on performance, Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola would already be donning a Phillies uniform.
Alas, baseball fans know much more goes into a promotion than excelling on the field.
But excel is exactly what Nola has done in 2015. The 22-year-old boasts a 1.76 ERA in 11 starts at Double-A. He has logged at least six innings in nine of those starts, holding opposing hitters to just a .209 average.
Nola would immediately improve Philadelphia's rotation, with only Cole Hamels and Aaron Harang pitching like competent major leaguers.
The catch, as always, remains financial reasons. Philadelphia isn't going to contend in 2015, so calling up Nola looks like a long shot.
“He’s pitching great,” general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. told CSN Philly's Jim Salisbury back in May. “There’s no need to move him. He’s got more to work on.”
Radar: Red
As disappointing as it may be, the Phillies shouldn't promote Nola to the big leagues anytime soon. The club needs much more than him to contend, which is why maintaining control of his clock is the right move.
Maybe he gets a call-up in September, but Nola likely won't join the Philly rotation full-time until 2016.
Jon Gray, Colorado Rockies
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2015 Stats (AAA): 3-5, 60 IP, 5.10 ERA, 4.79 FIP, 6.15 K/9, 2.70 BB/9
Jon Gray's stock has rapidly improved over the last month.
The Colorado Rockies right-hander was among the league's worst in ERA after a dreadful start to his 2015 campaign. After narrowly missing out on a spot in the Opening Day rotation, Gray gave up 21 runs in his first four starts.
That's difficult to do, let alone for a prospect as talented as Gray. With his stock in the organization sliding, he needed to make an adjustment.
"I'm trying to make sure of the pitch I was throwing before I threw it, that, 'I'm going to execute that pitch, and this pitch is going to get the hitter out,'" Gray told Thomas Harding of MLB.com. "I visualize it before I throw it. That way, there are no negative thoughts that can get in the way."
That newfound mindset has garnered positive results.
Since his first four starts, Gray has given up just 13 runs in his next seven outings. The 23-year-old has logged at least six innings in five of those starts and has shut out the opposition twice in that span.
Radar: Orange
Gray's impressive turnaround on the mound makes him a candidate for a second-half call-up. Colorado's rotation is the second-worst group in the big leagues, which opens the door for Gray to get his opportunity.
Miguel Sano, Minnesota Twins
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2015 Stats (AA): .254/.353/.486, 10 HR, 35 RBI
Miguel Sano needed to return with a vengeance in 2015, and the Minnesota Twins slugger has done just that.
After missing all of 2014 with season-ending elbow surgery, he has reminded the baseball world of his sweet stroke at the plate. Sano is slugging .486 with 10 homers in 51 games at Double-A. He's been an extra-base machine as well, as 22 of his 47 hits have gone for extra bases.
Due to his production at the plate, Sano was named to the Southern League All-Star team along with teammate Byron Buxton. With a promotion on the horizon, is it crazy to think he could crack the Twins roster this season?
Yes and no. Minnesota's surprise start may expedite Sano's journey to the big leagues, but Trevor Plouffe has been more than serviceable at the hot corner. Sano could fill in as the designated hitter, but Minnesota shouldn't rush him to The Show after he missed a complete year's worth of action.
Radar: Orange
If the Twins weren't in contention, Sano's promotion wouldn't even be on the table. Circumstances change, but don't expect Minnesota to pull the trigger on the 22-year-old unless the club remains in the playoff race deep into the second half.
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Byron Buxton, Minnesota Twins
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2015 Stats (AA): .274/.337/.478, 6 HR, 37 RBI, 20 SB
It wouldn't feel right to mention Sano without touching on teammate Byron Buxton as well. The No. 1 prospect in the minors, according to MLB.com, Buxton has rebounded from a disappointing, injury-riddled 2014 to show why there's been such a fuss over his talent.
Buxton's five-tool, do-it-all game has been on full display at Double-A this year. He's shown the average, power, speed and defensive ability that caused pundits to dub him baseball's next star in the first place.
The most telling stat is his 20-for-22 in stolen base attempts. The 21-year-old attempted just 14 steals in 2014 after swiping over 50 bags in 2013. By running once again, Buxton is proving he's fully healthy and back to his best.
“That speed can’t be explained,” fellow teammate and top prospect Jose Berrios told Chip Scoggins of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “I never see a guy faster than him.”
In the spacious Target Field, Buxton's speed could be a huge weapon for a team that's surprisingly contending.
Radar: Orange
Between Minnesota's top prospects, Buxton has the better chance to crack the majors in 2015.
Twins center fielders rank 28th in WAR, which could give Buxton the opportunity to spark a Minnesota second-half playoff run. But as with Sano, the Twins must still be in the hunt deep into the second half for Buxton to get that fateful call.
Corey Seager, Los Angeles Dodgers
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2015 Stats (AA/AAA): .321/.371/.531, 9 HR, 34 RBI, 27 XBH, .903 OPS
When it's all said and done, Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager might be the best prospect in this current wave of talent.
He is living up to the hype, already earning a promotion to Triple-A this season. That's what happens when you hit .375 with 13 extra-base hits in 20 games.
The 21-year-old hasn't been as impressive in Triple-A, but he's still managed to hit .292 with four homers in 36 games. With Seager running out of challenges in the minor leagues, the Dodgers are running out of excuses to keep him away from Chavez Ravine.
"While the Dodgers will need to make some difficult decisions in order to make the move, it seems all but inevitable that Seager will make his major league debut this year," said Chris Cwik of Yahoo Sports. "He's already one of the top prospects in the game, and he's got little to prove in the minors. That's the perfect recipe for a call-up."
While Seager continuing to rake, L.A.'s decision regarding its next star will be closely monitored over the summer.
Radar: Yellow
The Dodgers would probably like to wait until 2016 to give Seager the keys to the shortstop position, but Jimmy Rollins and his .204/.267/.47 slash line are making that difficult.
For a team with aspirations like the Dodgers, the future could become the present within the next month.
Henry Owens, Boston Red Sox
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2015 Stats (AAA): 2-5, 64.1 IP, 3.64 ERA, 4.49 FIP, 7.13 K/9, 5.88 BB/9
Henry Owens probably pictured a smoother path to the majors at the beginning of the 2015 season.
He has been erratic in Triple-A this season, mostly because of spotty command. The Boston Red Sox southpaw has seen a significant hike in his walks, coupled with an alarming dip in his strikeouts.
Despite the free passes, Owens has navigated through at least five innings in his last six starts. The ability to move on from walks should be seen as a positive sign, according to Pawtucket pitching coach Bob Kipper.
“People will see misfires or a four- or five-pitch walk and say that it’s not good—and it isn’t,” Kipper told Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal. “But we also see him, in the middle of the game, making a nice in-game adjustment where that non-competitive walk doesn’t carry over into the next hitter.”
It may not be all sunshine and daisies for Owens so far in 2015, but the 22-year-old has managed to keep his team in most games while searching for his best stuff. Surely, the Red Sox could use a hurler like that?
Radar: Yellow
Owens has accumulated more than 100 innings in Triple-A over the last two seasons. He may not be at his best right now, but he's closing in on a big league debut.
For Boston, promoting Owens can't hurt. Red Sox starters sport the worst ERA in the American League, with Justin Masterson and Joe Kelly headlining the ugly performances. With the season starting to slip, Boston could turn to Owens for a spark in the coming weeks.
Steven Matz, New York Mets
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2015 Stats (AAA): 6-4, 74.1 IP, 1.94 ERA, 3.40 FIP, 9.08 K/9, 3.27 BB/9
The (pitching) rich are about to get richer. When the New York Mets promote Steven Matz to the big leagues in the coming weeks, the majority of the club's vaunted pitching prospects will be in the majors.
The left-handed Matz belongs in MLB.
He's blitzed through Triple-A hitters in 2015 with a sub-2.00 ERA in 11 starts. He has gone at least five innings in every outing this season, fanning more than five batters 10 different times.
Adam Rubin of ESPN.com has reported that Matz will be pitching in Queens "within the next three weeks." Despite an abundance of quality starting pitchers, the Mets won't promote Matz to pitch out of the bullpen.
"The Mets do not want to commit too early to how they will open a rotation spot for Matz," Rubin said. "But make no mistake: Matz's promotion will be for starting duty, not relief."
Potential deals involving Dillon Gee or Jonathon Niese will likely follow Matz's arrival. Regardless, the Mets will attempt to qualify for the postseason with all arms on deck.
Radar: Green
Matz has nothing left to prove at the minor league level. The Mets will likely keep him past the Super Two cutoff later this month, but he is headed to a ballpark near you in the immediate future.
Francisco Lindor, Cleveland Indians
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2015 Stats (AAA): .279/.348/.401, 2 HR, 22 RBI, 8 SB
Francisco Lindor is as close as anyone can be to a major league call-up.
But with the Cleveland Indians' demotion of Jose Ramirez to Triple-A earlier this week, the highly touted shortstop won't have to wait too much longer.
The only reason Lindor isn't with the Tribe already is because of a sluggish start to the 2015 campaign. The 21-year-old has fixed that over the last month, hitting safely in 23 games since May 9, including 12 in his last six games.
With Ramirez's woes at the plate and Lindor's torrid stretch, the Indians' decision has been made for them. It also doesn't hurt Lindor's cause that he won over veterans like Mike Aviles during spring training with his humble attitude.
"He's a cocky kid, a confident kid, and that's good. You want that. But sometimes when you get that much hype, it's easy to let it go to your head. He's also a very humble kid, to the point where none of that gets to him. He's so willing to learn and so appreciative of any information you give him, it's actually a joy to be around him. He doesn't believe the hype...he wants to prove the hype.
"
The Indians are still hanging around. Lindor's hype is on the way and could be the jolt they need to make a playoff push.
Radar: Green
Once the Super Two cutoff passes, Lindor will be an Indian. He's paid his dues and deserves an opportunity to prove it at the highest level.
Stats courtesy of FanGraphs and accurate as of June 11.
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