The September prospect parade is upon us, and it really does feel like a parade in the sense that our only possible moves are to rubberneck what’s coming and scramble for position or just stand still and let it pass. Both strategies have merit. Not for parades. Just stand still, please. Encourage your children to do the same. Holy cow the things you learn as an early parent. So many kids cross run between the floats. Gore-drenched streets are avoided by last-second blind braking or a stranger’s lizard-brain instinct to scoop a child out of a tire’s path. It’s tough to blame the kids. Candy covers the streets. Gotta grab what you can while you can in this world. Or so goes the teaching most of us get from a million portals all around us.
What I mean to say is that every parade is different, just as every September is a little different on the prospect promotion side. Jasson Dominguez feels like something of a rarity, especially in New York. He got promoted because he seemed kinda ready for a new challenge. They do not typically grant their prospects such focus, but I suppose they rarely have the wide open spaces for playing time that they do today. Everson Pereira and Austin Wells should play a lot, too. Even Oswald Peraza has been in the lineup most nights despite struggling. I hope they give him the month no matter his outcomes. Feels like we could use some research on the development impact of living that option life.
Red Sox SS/OF Ceddanne Rafaela’s experience is a solid example of September’s strangeness. The team could really use him. He seems mostly ready. Needs reps to refine his plate skills against the best, but his callup doesn’t guarantee him a lot of playing time. He’d been mostly sitting but started at shortstop Tuesday night, picked up a couple hits and got caught stealing in one attempt.
Cubs OF Alexander Canario was red hot when he got recalled but hasn’t played in a week.
I get asked a bit about Jordan Lawlar, and I don’t know why he’s not in the DBacks lineup tonight. I see Royce Lewis running circles around major league pitchers and wonder if the snakes don’t taste on the air a flicker of the same potential for an autumn outburst from Lawlar. They’re still in the playoff race. Lawlar has been great since he got to Triple-A and has eleven hits in his last four games, including two home runs on Tuesday night. I get why people keep asking when he’ll get the call.
Rays RHP Taj Bradley is in line to pick up some wins this month after pitching well in Triple-A and again in his return to the majors last week.
Cubs LHP Luke Little got recalled this morning after posting a 1.54 ERA with 21 strikeouts in 11.2 Triple-A innings. Makes sense to scan the wire for him in leagues where Holds count.
Blue Jays 1B Spencer Horwitz has been effective early in the majors and could earn a long look next year if he keeps hitting and Brandon Belt doesn’t return.
Orioles SS Jackson Holliday was promoted to Triple-A this week. Took him a bit more than one year after being drafted out of high school. He’s already photo-bombing his way in the redraft picture heading into next year.
Rangers SS Sebastian Walcott was promoted to High-A at 17. That’s happened before, right? I’m so old. It’s hard to remember these things. Not that it matters a whole lot. High-A Hickory is headed to the playoffs after the regular season ends next week. Low-A Frisco is not. They could’ve jumped him to Low-A, but I suspect they’re eyeing that playoff experience, hoping it lasts deep into the fall. I like the thinking. The major league playoff spot is in peril with the Blue Jays half a game back, but it’s hard to argue against this organization’s momentum over the next few seasons. 2023 has been interesting and fun, I realize I’m looking at pies in the skies here but how does this team look with a dominant deGrom at the top of the rotation? The nice thought is they kind of haven’t needed him, which leads to another nice thought: perhaps they can manage his workload going forward and still make the playoffs.
Thanks for reading!
