Graduated from Prospect News: Stash List Volume 5: Our New Number One: Luis Matos, Emmet Sheehan, Bo Naylor, Dairon Blanco.
1. Guardians RHP Gavin Williams | 23 | AAA
Touki Toussaint tooky the first start in place of the injured Triston McKenzie. I suspect Williams will cover the next one, but Cleveland has shown uncanny resilience to fielding their best players. The release of Mike Zunino and promotion of Bo Naylor could signal a temporary sea change, which just so happens to coincide with the certain passing of the floating super two date.
2. Reds 1B Christian Encarnacion-Strand | 23 | AAA
The organization has started deploying C.E-S in the outfield. I’ll bet he can fake left. It’s a bit irritating insofar as it might delay his short-term timeline, but I’d rather he get reps out there now than suddenly get tasked with that while facing major league pitching.
3. Orioles OF Colton Cowser | 23 | AAA
Slashing .318/.483/.500 in seven games since returning from an IL stint for hamstring issues. He’s been striking out a lot (31%) and should get called up when that comes down for a week or so. Or whenever Aaron Hicks stops hitting. Everyone loves Found Money.
4. Orioles 2B Jordan Westburg | 24 | AAA
Joey Ortiz rode the yo-yo bus back to Baltimore this week, and he probably won’t be able to unseat Ramon Urias or Adam Frazier, but we can dream. The Orioles are 4.5 games up on the Astros for the top wild card spot, so it’s not like they’re hurting for hits. Just one of those feelings: they’ll need Cowser, Westburg and Ortiz more than they’ll need Frazier, Urias and Hicks if they’re ever going to really contend when it counts. But maybe that’s putting the cart before the horse. I like that they give bums a chance. I think the 4A player is a myth, and Ryan O’Hearn looks like a win for them right now, no matter what happens next. Urias is a win, even if he’s kind of in the way right now. Even Hicks feels like a pretty clear win, slashing .333/.447/.590 since joining the club on May 31.
5. Pirates C Henry Davis | 23 | AAA
Pittsburgh is 3-and-7 over its last 10 games. Cincinnati is 8-and-2. The Cubs are three games back in fourth place. The NL Central is up for grabs, is what I’m trying to say, and the Pirates are getting Oneil Cruz back at some point. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a hotshot young catcher settled in by the time Cruz returns? Davis is slashing .321/.472/.571 in eight games at Triple-A. Like the Reds are doing with C.E-S, the Pirates have been playing Davis in the outfield, where his athleticism fits well. I don’t understand why he couldn’t play outfield a couple days a week, DH a couple and catch a couple, even if he’s got some things to learn behind the plate.
6. Brewers OF Sal Frelick | 23 | AAA
He’s back in Triple-A after missing almost two months due to an elbow injury. Frelick is 3-for-8 with two walks and a stolen base in two games. The Brewers occupy first place by a half game as I type the first draft of this sentence on Friday night. I think Brian Anderson’s days as a starting outfielder are numbered.
7. Phillies RHP Andrew Painter | 20 | AA
Would have to ask Sherwin Williams about his latest throwing session. I didn’t see it. But the ink is apparently not dry on Painter’s 2023. He threw 25 pitches in his recent session. I think we’ll see him around the All-Star break.
8. Red Sox SS David Hamilton | 25 | AAA
Returned from the IL with two hits and two walks in his first game back. If I just keep putting his name here, I’ll be right eventually. Probably. Maybe. Right?
9. Rays RHP Evan McKendry | 25 | AAA
In seven outings since May 5, McKendry has thrown 39.1 innings and compiled a 0.92 ERA and 0.81 WHIP. He’s allowed one home run during that stretch. We’re way past being surprised when Tampa turns a ninth round pick (2019) into a viable rotation option.
10. Rays LHP Jacob Lopez | 25 | AAA
Coming off six shutout innings his last time out, Lopez provides Tampa another rotation option in its quest to lock down the number one playoff seed. They’ve won 51 games already.
11. Rays 1B Kyle Manzardo | 22 | AAA
He’s been on the list all year. Hard to envision his path to the lineup aside from hitting so well the team isn’t comfortable keeping him in Triple-A.
12. Mets RHP Mike Vasil | 23 | AA
Pockets of the prospect world are pretty hyped for Vasil and his 0.84 WHIP in 51 Double-A innings. Makes sense: Vasil’s an interesting arm with big-league talent, but some of this noise comes from a big fan base excited to make the oldest team money can buy just a little younger, and the click-makers leaning into that.
13. Mets SS Ronny Mauricio | 22 | AAA
Hitting .209 with a .261 OBP this month as he plays through some pain. Still enjoyed a two-homer game on June 15.
14. Cubs RHP Ben Brown | 23 | AAA
6’6” with a bad bad fastball (by which I mean a very good fastball, perhaps the baddest fastball in the whole town of Des Moines, IA), Brown will almost certainly factor into the season’s second half.
15. Tigers 3B Justyn-Henry Malloy | 24 | AAA
Detroit has tried a lot of things that weren’t playing Justyn-Henry Malloy, and what I have here is a suggestion that they try playing the guy who is Justin-Henry Malloy.
Thanks for reading!
Happy Father’s Day!
