Thoughts About Our Minor League Prospects - Interesting Performances, Brayan Rocchio and How My Breakout and Bubble Prospect Candidates Are Doing So Far

 Interesting Performances - May 4th Edition

• On the heels of Ross Carver hitting 94 mph the other day, Tanner Burns hit 95 mph early in the game last night.  I don't think he held that velocity, leading to him getting hit later in the game, but it was interesting, nonetheless.  
• Last year we had a lot of 10+ strikeout games by our minor league pitchers.  In the early season you don't see that many because guys are on pitch counts.  Nevertheless, we have seen some good K games early this season.  
• Yesterday Reid Johnston struck out 9 in 4 innings for Lake County.   He had a good breaking ball and just enough fastball to keep guys off-balance.  Although he is old for this level, maybe we have another 2021 draftee who might make the majors some day.
• Joey Cantillo the other night with 13 Ks in 5 innings for Akron
• Recent hitting performances that are interesting
• Coming back from an injury, Wuildredo Antunez is heating up at Lynchburg.  Along with Collado, Benjamin, Devers, Saduy and Mejias, they make the Hillcats very interesting this year.  Maybe keeping Furman, Lipscomb, Cavanaugh and Turner, among other college guys, down at low A to beign their ML careers will actually help the development of the young guys, even if the bloated stats of the older guys mean nothing as they are too old for that league.
• Rocchio looks ready but he doesn't have a HR yet and his walk rate at AAA is only acceptable.  Still, I would like to see what he could do with extended playing time in the majors.  Escpeically as a switch-hitter and, to me, he looks good from both sides of the plate so far this season.
• Tyler Freeman is being Tyler Freeman.  Being hit by pitches and hitting pitches.  One thing I will say is that he gets a LOT of cheap hits.  His looper over the first baseman (who was holding the runner) that langed on the infield DIRT yesterday is the latest.  I think they bloat his stats at Columbus even though he has been stinging the ball, especially before his call-up.

Let's look at the progress of my breakout candidates and the guys on the bubble who I mentioned in my pre-season post:

• Ryan Webb - So far his velocity and performance have been disappointing. He has had his development slowed by injuries but with his fellow 2021 draftee Tanner Bibee in the majors and with Gavin Williams, from the same draft, on the doorstep of the majors, I expected more from Webb out of the gate.  His velocoity is not ML average right now.  Maybe as the temperature warms up...
• Dough Nikhazy - Just when I thought his control couldn't get any worse...it did.  He is a mess right now and it makes me wonder if the Cleveland Guardians Finishing School for Young Pitchers have just lost too many important instructors to be at the top of their game right now.
• Jose Cedeno - Reports from extended ST look like he is right on track for a monster season in the ACL this summer...or maybe even at Lynchburg.
• Jonathon Rodriguez - So far he is making 2022 look like an aberration and not a breakout season.  He is not hitting well and not hitting for power, surprising after the couple of dingers he hit in ML spring training games this year.
• Dayan Frias - Too early to tell but he is hitting for average but not power.  He is now playing 3B which, if that sticks, would allow him to trade flexibility and speed for muscle, improving his SLG.  Good news is that his bat is heating up, even if only with singles.
• Juan Brito - Juan being Juan.  Taking walks, hitting for average and hitting for power.  Nothing special or breakout-worthy here but at least he is dominating the strikezone.  Not surprising after his ST performance.
• Justin Boyd - Excited to see him but he still isn't off the IL.  Really wonder what is going on
• Gabriel Rodriguez - Nothing special so far from GRod.  Expected a JRod (See above) breakout season from Gabriel but he is just keeping his head above water, somewhat, so far.
• Mason Hickman - I expected the full-time move to the bullpen to take hold this year and for him to take off as a prospect but it has been the same old Mason: one tantalizingly good performance followed by a mediocre or bad one.
• Aaron Davenport - His control is a mess.  Again, is our minor league pitching development program suffering as evidenced by Davenport going backwards, somewhat, on his 2022 performance at Lake County.

In the prospects on the bubble category:

• Gabriel Rodriguez - So far, he is drifting into/trendng towards the suspect/organizational player group.
• Alexfri Planez - Can't tell yet as he hasn't played while recovering from an injury.
• Jonathon Rodriguez - Like Gabriel, trending towards suspect territory
• Micah Pries - Treading water at AAA but not exactly knocking the door down to get to majors.  His path is difficult anyway but without dominating AAA pitching, he is trending towards an organizational guy who might get a cup of coffee in the majors somewhere in his career.
• Isaiah Greene - Hurt yesterday but, before then, was REALLY not performing.
• Tanner Burns - Still treading water but, in his second year at Akron, really hasn't done anything to earn a promotion.  Compare with Bo Naylor's first and second seasons at Akron.    Jury is still out on Burns but nothing positive to report yet, in terms of domination at AA or enhanced stuff.
• Jake Fox - Started slowly at Lake County and is now out with an injury.  Let's hope this does not become a lost year for his development
• Juan Brito - Juan being Juan.  No change expected in his prospect status.
• Ethan Hankins - No data yet as he hasn't pitched
• Logan T. Allen - The one guy on this list who has made a jump.  Still, he has to maintain his fastball velocity longer into games or he could become the same, very hittable guy he was at AAA in the last half of 2022.  But there is progress there that we are all happy to see and he has now moved off this list, in my opinion.