We skipped the list last week and saw some names clear out from Stash List Volume 5. Gavin Lux, Randy Arozarena, Jose Urquidy, Clarke Schmidt, Miguel Yajure, Ian Anderson and Mitch White have all gotten some big league reps and left the cupboard a bit bare.
To further complicate this week’s edition, we have to wonder about the self-image of Baltimore’s Orioles. They’re four games out of a playoff spot with 22 games remaining on the schedule. Our #2 prospect on this week’s list in an Oriole, and I might put more on here next week if they win a little. It’s just Baltimore and Detroit on the AL bubble, and neither seems likely to make the cut. The NL remains a royal rumble.
1. Athletics RHP Daulton Jefferies gets an odd-shaped boost from Oakland’s bullpen plan for Mike Minor, whose acquisition I initially read as a reason to slide Jefferies down the list.
2. Orioles RHP Michael Baumann has always minimized home runs and responded well to Baltimore’s coaching in 2019. I like his chances of early success.
3. Athletics LHP AJ Puk seems fated to return just in time to ramp up for the playoffs, where he could be a series-altering weapon.
4. Twins 1B Alex Kirilloff won’t get a chance without some dominoes falling in front of him but would be a mixed league flier if that materialized.
5. Dodgers RHP Josiah Gray aced the AA level in eight starts last year, and I really hope he gets a chance to pitch in a real game this year. I still think he will, but it feels so late these days . . .
6. Rays RHP Joe Ryan remains my pick among Rays prospects to get the next start, unless it’s not an actual start but actually a Tampa start, in which case they’ll probably just stay with Aaron Slegers, who looks extremely tough to hit at 6’10” with nasty movement and good extension. Slegers has never been a strikeout pitcher, but he seems a like a man amid a metamorphosis.
7. Marlins RHP Edward Cabrera dealt with a back injury in April and some “right arm discomfort” this summer. He’s throwing off a mound again as of September but probably doesn’t have time to come up as a starter, which might be fine with Miami. He’d be an impact arm in relief.
8. Twins OF Trevor Larnach won’t get a chance without some dominoes falling in front of him but would be a mixed league flier if that materialized.
9. Twins RHP Jhoan Duran profiles a bit like Cabrera in that he could be a dominant reliever right out of the gate, but I think Minnesota means to develop him as a starter. They’re deep enough now that he’s just an outside shot this year.
10. Atlanta LHP Tucker Davidson has been passed over so many times this year it’s tough to remain optimistic about his chances for redraft impact. I’m starting to wonder if Atlanta sees him more as a reliever than a starter. Or perhaps they just think he’s a ways off. It’s not every day you swing a trade for Tommy Milone. Doesn’t exactly track as a vote of confidence.
The next ten:
- Cubs LHP Brailyn Marquez
- Cubs RHP Cory Abbott
- Marlins 2B Isan Diaz
- Cleveland LHP Scott Moss
- Cleveland RHP Eli Morgan
- White Sox 1B Andrew Vaughn
- White Sox RHP Jonathan Stiever
- Rangers RHP DeMarcus Evans
- Marlins RHP Max Meyer
- Cubs LHP Burl Carraway
Other Notes:
Orioles 1B Ryan Mountcastle looks different in the box. His minor league numbers show the approach he’s had in the past: swing. He walked in 4.3 percent of 553 AAA plate appearances. In 50 MLB PAs, he’s walked 10 percent of the time. Huge sample size, I know, but this goes a bit beyond the numbers. He’s a totally different hitter if he’s hunting pitches he can hurt as opposed to swinging at anything he can hit.
Astros RHP Luis Garcia stepped in for Lance McCullers and surrendered just one hit over four innings. He’s been among my favorite prospects for a while now in a perception v. reality sense, and he might still be available in your deep dynasty. Nobody knows what’s up with McCullers, or nobody’s said since he left his start without getting an out, but I think he’s a reliever long-term and wouldn’t be shocked to see him start that transition over these next few weeks.
Orioles RHP Cesar Valdez is nobody’s prospect at 35 years old. He’s spent the last three seasons pitching with Kenny Powers in the Mexican League. That’s said, he’s thrown seven shutout innings this year with one win and one save. He’s a nice find for the Baltimore brass and could work his way into the late-game picture for 2021.
Padres C Luis Campusano got promoted and homered in his debut. I’m a bit surprised given the deadline fire by GM AJ Preller in acquiring two catchers, Austin Nola and Jason Castro. Campusano is battling a sore hand that had him scratched from Saturday’s lineup, but it looks like he might be part of their catching group almost a year earlier than I would’ve expected.
Yankees RHP Deivi Garcia figures to get several more starts down the stretch and is a decent streamer in even the shallowest leagues.
Rangers RHP Kyle Cody looks awesome. He’s coming off a lost season due to Tommy John surgery and needs to find some command, but if he does, he’s got plenty of stuff to thrive.
Same goes for Blue Jays RHP Julian Merryweather, who’s coming off almost two lost seasons but is catching some real helium in the echo chamber due to a velocity jump that has him brushing up against 99. I think he’ll be an extremely hot property during 2021’s draft season, which I suppose is right around the corner.
Thanks for reading!
I’m @theprospectitch on Twitter and Reddit.
