Prospect News: Mazur Finds His Way

Marlins RHP Adam Mazur (23, AAA) struggled as a rookie with the Padres last season and found himself and his 7.49 ERA on a flight to Miami. He’s been much better as a Triple-A pitcher this year than he was last year, posting a 1.29 ERA and 0.63 WHIP in three games covering 14.1 innings. He pitched to a 4.73 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in 93.1 innings last year, so an off-season with a new organization has done him some good. Miami has Cal Quantrill and Connor Gillispie in the rotation right now, so you can’t exactly say Mazur is blocked. They’re actually playing .500 baseball right now in South Beach at eight-and-eight. Probably not wise to bet on that continuing, but I thought it might take them until May to collect eight wins. Griffin Conine, Kyle Stowers, Xavier Edwards and Matt Mervis are all playing well and creating some optimism in the Wins category for investors in fishy pitchers. 

Kansas City could use a boost on offense. They’ve scored 55 runs in 18 games. That’s just two more runs than the White Sox have scored in 16 games. I know it’s cold in the Midwest because I live in the Midwest, and I know it’s hard to hit with wooden bats in cold weather because I’ve tried to do that, but hitting can be contagious, and the Royals need someone to bring that fever. This could be an intro for a Jac Caglianone blurb, and I do think we’ll see him sooner than later, but today I’m wondering when the club will give SS Cam Devanney (28, AAA) a look. They’d have to add him to the 40-man roster, but that shouldn’t be a problem. I’m not suggesting Devanney is a long term solution, but 2B Michael Massey has a wRC+ of 14 right now, and I don’t think he’s a long term solution either. Devanney is slashing .395/.460/.791 with four home runs in 13 games, good for a 231 wRC+. What’s the harm in turning that stone over and finding out what’s underneath? The Royals traded for Devanney in December of 2023, and maybe he was only meant to be organizational depth, but a tour through his outcomes suggests Kansas City has been working with him to trade contact for power, and it’s certainly working at the moment. 

Speaking of teams that aren’t hitting, the Reds are 9-8 despite allowing just 55 runs because they’ve only scored 70. Jeimer Candelario is hitting .125, Christian Encarnacion-Strand is at .151 and Spencer Steer is hitting .106. They are all in the team’s top six for plate appearances. Meanwhile, Reds 3B Sal Stewart (21, AA) is slashing .343/.425/.629 with two homers and four steals through nine games. He posted a 144 wRC+ in 80 High-A games last season. Cam Collier is still on the mend from a thumb surgery. I don’t think Cincy will flip the switch and bring Stewart up from Double-A anytime soon, but I think they should be considering it, or at least ushering him on to Triple-A if he’s still hitting like this next week. 

Marlins C Joe Mack (21, AA) is continuing to break out with the bat after smashing 24 home runs across two levels last year. An athletic lefty at 6’0” 210 lbs, Mack is slashing .333/.455/.630 with two home runs through eight games. Agustin Ramirez (23, AAA) has a 122 wRC+ through 15 games, so he might be a roadblock to keeping Mack’s promotions on time with his outcomes. Ramriez is pretty much ready for the next challenge as a hitter, but the organization might pump the brakes and steer him toward defensive improvements.  

Dodgers LHP Jerming Rosario (22, AA) is continuing the team’s tradition of churning out ready-soon starting pitchers with a chance to stick. At 6’1” 175 lbs, Rosario features good balance and athleticism throughout his delivery, which should lead to good command across time. Might be happening already. After walking 73 batters in 108.2 innings last year, he’s allowed just one walk against 12 strikeouts in nine innings this season. Rosario signed in 2018 out of the Dominican Republic and hasn’t shown much consistency in his career, but he’s always had a plus changeup and a profile that hinted at a bright future. 

Nationals LHP Alex Clemmey (19, A+) was a second round pick with Cleveland that Washington acquired in the Lane Thomas deal, and the early returns look intriguing. Through eight innings against older players, Clemmey has 16 strikeouts and a 2.25 ERA. Trouble is he also has seven walks. He’s throwing extremely hard at 6’6” 205 lbs, so it might take him a while to find the strike zone with any kind of consistency, but he should be effective when he does. 

Thanks for reading!