Prospect Recap; 26-30, Rendon Graduates

Aug 22, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Washington Nationals second baseman Anthony Rendon (6) watches his RBI sacrifice fly against the Chicago Cubs during the second inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports

After a brief hiatus, we continue our recap of our pre-2013 top 115 with numbers 26-30:

#30 – Matt Barnes, right-handed pitcher, Boston Red Sox

Height/Weight: 6’4″, 205

Born: June 17, 1990 (age 22)

2013 Stats (combined between Triple-A Pawtucket and Double-A Portland): 6-10, 4.13 ERA, 25 GS, 113.1 IP, 48 BB (3.8 BB/9), 142 K (11.3 K/9), 1.438 WHIP

Heading into 2013… A first round pick from 2011, Barnes broke out in his first professional season in 2012 with a 2.86 ERA and outstanding peripherals – 10.0 SO/9, 2.2 BB/9. He was already fairly polished out of college so a similar performance in Double-A could put him in the majors by September 2013.

Now that the 2013 season is over… Superficially, Barnes had a rather poor 2013 as he went 6-10 with a paltry 4.13 ERA between Double and Triple-A, but the peripherals tell a slightly different story. Because of some minor control problems, he was by no means as stellar as he was in 2012, but he missed bats and his 11.3 SO/9 is a great indicator of future major league success. His poor ERA is largely the result of an unsustainably high BABIP  of .357 in Double-A, and his FIP, an even better indicator of future was a respectable 3.41.

Looking ahead…. Barnes should ready to start in the majors by next June and he’ll probably join the Boston rotation whenever a vacancy opens.  He’s a number three starter with possible number two upside down the road.

Stock: Even

#29 – Taylor Guerrieri, right-handed pitcher, Tampa Bay Rays

Height/Weight: 6’3″, 195

Born: December 1, 1992 (age 20)

2013 Stats (with A-Level Bowling Green): 6-2, 2.01 ERA, 14 GS, 67.0 IP, 12 BB (1.6 BB/9), 51 K (6.9 K/9), 0.985 WHIP

Heading into 2013… With a dominant professional debut in 2012, Guerrieri stepped forward as the next in the royal hierarchy of young Rays pitching. He was their number two pitching prospect behind Chris Archer, but unlike Archer, Guerrieri was still a ways away from the majors.

Now that the 2013 season is over… It’s tough to find fault with Gueerrieri’s 2.01 ERA, 1.6 BB/9, or .985 WHIP, but Rays management would have preferred that they came over a longer stretch. Guerrieri was shut down and underwent Tommy John surgery  after just 14 starts.

Looking ahead….Guerrieri is expected to miss all of 2014 as he rehabs from Tommy John which shouldn’t derail his career too much, just delay his debut. With his above average stuff and command, he has a chance to be a very good number two starter, but that won’t happen until at least 2017.

Stock: Even

#28 – Anthony Rendon, infielder, Washington Nationals

Height/Weight: 6’0″, 195

Born: June 6, 1990

2013 MILB Stats (Between Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Syracuse): .307/.452/.575, 6 HR, 24 RBI, 1 SB, 32 BB, 28 SO,36 G (166 PA)

2013 MLB Stats: .265/.329/.396, 7 HR, 35 RBI, 1 SB, 31 BB, 69 SO, 98 G (394 PA)

Heading into 2013… Rendon struggled in 2012, but at 46 games, the sample size was rather small. A year before, injuries were the only things that kept him from being the number one pick in the draft, so he could actually be in the majors by 2013.

Now that the 2013 season is over… Rendon did in fact receive a promotion early on, tearing up the upper minors before replacing Danny Espinosa as the Nats’ Major league second baseman in June. His .329 On Base and .396 Slugging Percentage were good for a rookie second baseman, and while Rendon is traditionally a third baseman, he was a capable defender across the diamond, saving the Nationals 3.4 runs over the course of the season, according to Fangraphs.

Looking ahead….There has been much speculation this offseason as to whether or not Rendon will keep his starting job going into 2014, or if GM Mike Rizzo might use him as trade bait to acquire David Price or an elite slugger. Regardless of where Rendon winds up, he has the capacity to be a middle of the order hitter very soon.

Stock: Up, slightly

#27 – George Springer, outfielder, Houston Astros

Height/Weight: 6’3″, 200

Born: September 19, 1989 (age 23)

2013 Stats (combined between Double-A Corpus Christi and Triple-A Oklahoma City): .303/.411/.600, 37 HR, 108 RBI, 45 SB, 83 BB, 161 SO, 135 G (590 PA)

Heading into 2013… After being taken in the first round in 2011, Springer broke out with a torrid campaign in 2012. The notion of a five tool player is cliche, but Springer was as close as it gets, having played a fluid centerfield hit over .300, with 20+ home runs and 30+ steal.

Now that the 2013 season is over… It’s difficult to find fault with what Springer accomplished in 2013. With 37 home runs and 45 steals, he took a run at becoming the first player in history of the modern minor leagues to go 40/40 (40 Home runs and 40 stolen bases). He continued to showcase all five tools,  nonchalantly walking 83 and hitting over .300, en route to a 1.010 OPS, while continuing to show a good arm and above average range in centerfield. The only concern is the strikeouts as his second straight season with over 150 of them point to holes in his swing that could be exposed in the majors.

Looking ahead….With nothing to play for in 2014, the Astros will likely keep Springer down until he is no longer eligible for super-two status and then call him up in mid-June. The stats speak for themselves in regard to his future, but its worth noting that the strikeout totals of such notorious whiffing champions Adam Dunn, Mark Reynolds, and BJ Upton aren’t even close to Springer’s.

Stock: Up

#26 – Jonathan Singleton, first baseman, Houston Astros

Height/Weight: 6’2″, 235

Born: September 18, 1991 (age 21)

2013 Stats (Across Three Levels): .230/.351/.401, 11 HR, 44 RBI, 0 SB, 59 BB, 110 SO, 90 G (367 PA)

Heading into 2013… Despite a looming 50 game suspension to start the season, Singleton was still expected to breeze through AAA in 2013 and bring his middle of the order bat to  Minute Maid Park by at least August.

Now that the 2013 season is over… Almost nothing went according to the plan as Singleton looked almost anemic after returning from his fifty game hiatus. His power and average simply vanished in AAA as he hit .220 with a .347 slugging percentage in 73 games. Worse, he struck out at an alarming rate, with 89 whiffs in 294 plate appearances, good for a 30% K rate (MLB Average is just under 20%). Unsurprisingly, the Astros chose to not to extend a promotion to the struggling first baseman.

Looking ahead….Singleton’s poor 2013 is a statistical outlier considering his consistent success over the rest of his professional career. In all likelihood, he will adjust to Triple-A pitching at the start of next year and be in the majors by June, but his 2013 is still deeply troubling and leaves more than a sliver of doubt as to his future.

Stock: Down