ROOKIE STATUS
When we think of rookies a lot of us thing about guys making their ML debuts.
But sometimes rookies can maintain their rookie status over 2 or more years. Such is likely the case for Brayan Rocchio who got on base 6 times in Columbus' game last night. He is currently our #1 prospect on MLB Pipeline. He doesn't appear on my mid-season list because I was sure he would end the season with enough ML ABs to exhaust his rookie status.
Apparently, unless an injury occurs, he will not come back up to the majors this year, maintaining his rookie status to next year.
This is significant because, as I read the rules, this would keep him eligible for the ROY award in 2024 and, as a result, the Prospect Promotion Incentive. As I wrote previously, if a player wins ROY and he was in the top 100 of two ranking services going into that year, his club gets an extra draft pick the next year. If they finish 2nd or 3rd in the balloting, their team gets 'an international pick', whatever that means, as their isn't an international draft yet. The player doesn't have to be new to the majors, he just has to have maintained his rookie status, i.e., less than 45 days in the majors or 120 ABs. So it would behoove a team to get a player as much playing time as possible yet stay in the rookie category. In that way they can start the next year in the majors, probably as a high-ranking prospect and hit the ground running at the beginning of the ML season due to his exposure to the major leagues the year before, enhancing their chances of having a full season ROY performance. Also, the team gets a little performance out of a player one year and then gets a full year of better performance out of them in their true rookie season meaning they get more than 3-4 years of service before arbitration and more than 6 years of service before free agency.
So, maybe the Guardians are protecting Rocchio's rookie status...or maybe they have given up on him the same way they gave up on Nolan Jones and Will Benson last year!
SUNDAY MINOR LEAGUE PEFORMANCES
Seeing Rocchio go 3-3 with a long HR, 5 RBI and 2 walks was encouraging. It did only push his season OPS to just over .800 which is a little light for AAA Columbus, but I'll take it as a positive sign he is going to be a great hitter for the Guardians next year.
Also in Columbus, Noel goes 5-6 with a double and a HR. He has been hitting a lot of balls the other way which is both a good sign but also possibly the Oscar Gonzalez curse, where power disappears as he goes into protect mode. Note that his OPS is way low for a power hitter of his stature meaning he still has mucho work to do if he wants to be anything more than the next Bobby Bradley.
In Lake County Parker Messick has a mediocre line in his game until you see all the runs he gave up were on a 5th inning HR in a game he struck out 6 in four scoreless innings before that HR. BTW, that HR was the first he has allowed for Lake County. I think this may be due to his increased velocity as his FB seems to have increased 2-3 MPH since his promotion. Not sure if that is true but that is what it seems to me looking at the radar gun readings. Not saying he is a top 20 prospect in our system yet but he is trending in the right direction making him, finally, an intriguing prospect going into 2024.
Speaking of the lightbulb going on after a promotion, Franco Aleman is still perfcet in Akron in terms of not giving up a run. When you are touching 99 and have a WHIP of about 0.5 at any level, that is significant. Doing that at AA is even more significant. I mean, Trey Benton throws hard but he is not very effective, making Aleman's performance even more impressive, IMO.
Aaron Bracho continues his quietly effective performance for Akron. Like Aleman, Bracho was had disappointing performance after disappointing performance in previous years. Unlike Aleman, Bracho was a formerly highly touted prospect who has been passed by others in his international signing class. It is great to see him push toward 20 HRs at the AA level. He won't be rostered this winter but with a breakout performance next year at Columbus could put himself in position for a ML career of some type.
Is George Valera finally coming out of it and regaining his topic 100 prospect form? I hope so and the extra long AAA season will get a chance to build on what he has done over the past 11 games or so.
INJURED LISTS
The Guardians are going through the due diligence with McKenzie and Bieber with the goal of having them ready for a possible push to the playoffs/playoff run but I still think their return this year depends on how we do in this series against Minnesota. If Minnesota comes in hot and takes 2 of 3 or sweeps the Guardians I think you will see the Guardians rethink their return this year, especially McKenzie. Bieber did benefit in the past from coming back after a long leayoff to shake off the rust at the end of the season so maybe they will see the benefit in bringing him back this year. Still, player and team, the hard push to bring back McKenzie and/or Bieber will depend on the results of the Minnesota series. And as a segway...
BIGGEST SERIES OF THE YEAR (until the next one)
This is what it is all about, playing meaningful games in September (and October). If we keep pushing forward, winning series, we have a chance but it would certainly be great, given how easy Minnesota has it after this series, if we swept. If we don't sweep it would certainly take us playing out of our heads the rest of the way and for Minnesota to have a monumental choke for us to catch them. IF we do sweep it still means that Minnesota would have to at least have a mini-choke and we still play out of our heads to win. Basically, we handle what we can handle and hope Minnesota chokes.
Still would like to see us inject more offense because a team that has two retread MLers (Calhoun and Laureano) hitting in the middle of your offense doesn't scream offensive juggernaut...or even offense that you should fear. Doesn't mean they can't impact a game (see Calhoun in some of his games so far), but it makes it that much harder to expect veterans to be impact players if their previous profile doesn't suggest that level of performance is possible or sustainable.
Go Guards!
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