MLB Top Prospects Watch: AL West offseason report
Oct 11, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; The Texas Rangers warm up before the game against the Toronto Blue Jays in game three of the ALDS at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
After a disappointing — and some would say shocking — end to their 2015 season, the American League West champion Texas Rangers will look to rebound in 2016 by clinching their fifth trip to the postseason in the last seven years.
The health of former top prospect Jurickson Profar is up in the air. But long-term, the Rangers had some players entering the year as prospects pull through for them this season and really contribute.
Rookie Delino DeShields tied for the club lead in stolen bases with 25 and finished tied for second in runs scored with 83. His speed and .344 OBP as a freshman signals that that Texas looks to have found their leadoff hitter for the future. Joey Gallo exhibited his powerful swing in limited at-bats in 2015, swatting six home runs in 36 games. He will vie for a starting corner outfield gig in Spring Training and is considered the top bopper in the system.
Next: Houston Astros
SS Alex Bregman – HOU
Mar 16, 2014; Kissimmee, FL, USA; A Houston Astros hat sits on a wall during the game against the Washington Nationals at Osceola County Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Foldy-USA TODAY Sports
Major League Baseball ETA: 2017
MLB Overall Rank: No. 21
Carlos Correa of the Houston Astros is the front-runner for AL Rookie of the Year. What could be considered a touch surprising is that with Correa’s promotion, the top prospect in the system is yet another shortstop, Alex Bregman.
Bregman was drafted second overall in this June’s draft and his stock is already sky high. Despite Correa’s ascendence, the former LSU Tiger was too tempting to pass on in the selection process. You can’t blame Houston’s front office or their scouts either, as the crew has done a pretty excellent job of turning things in the last 365 days by building through the draft.
Set to be 21 on Opening Day next season, Bregman’s limited time in the minors should not matter much. Speculation has been that when his debut comes, Bregman could see time at second base. Jose Altuve is signed through 2017 and Correa likely is not going anywhere. Even more puzzling is that the Astros’ Director of Amateur Scouting said Bregman “will remain a shortstop” during his minor league tenure. That man, Mike Elias, went on to say that he thinks “you will see him as a shortstop all the way through our system and in the big leagues one day.”
Whatever the case, if Bregman is used as a trade chip, supplants Correa or plays elsewhere, he’s played only 66 games beyond the NCAA level and is already ranked inside the top 25 of prospects nationwide. His skill set and size gives way to Dustin Pedroia comparisons.
Next: Los Angeles Angels
LHP Sean Newcomb – LAA
Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
Major League Baseball ETA: 2017
MLB Overall Rank: No. 19
The future of the Angels’ rotation could be bright with Garrett Richards, Andrew Heaney taking a huge step forward in 2015, Hector Santiago settling in and Sean Newcomb waiting in the wings.
Newcomb is a well-built southpaw who features a fastball that can touch 98 mph. Only 22, his curveball is Major League ready and his change-up can be mixed in as well with better than average results.
Playing his college ball at program not typically known for its baseball, Newcomb was taken 15th overall in 2014 by way of the University of Hartford. He had very positive results this season with Double-A Arkansas, posting a 2.75 ERA in seven starts. With a career K/9 of 11.1 in the minors, the strikekouts are going to come in bunches. Problem is, so too are the walks at the moment with a BB/9 of 4.9. If Newcomb doesn’t meet expectations, the Angels have four more pitchers ranked inside their top five prospects that follow him.
Next: Oakland Athletics
SS Franklin Barreto – OAK
May 23, 2015; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Oakland Athletics hat, glove and ball lay in the dugout at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Major League Baseball ETA: 2017
MLB Overall Rank: No. 18
The Oakland Athletics were able to replace one shortstop top prospect with another in no time at all thanks to dealing Josh Donaldson to the Blue Jays. Not only have the two pitchers coming from Toronto in that trade already seen time playing with Oakland (Kendall Graveman, 6-9, 4.05 and Sean Nolin, 1-2, 5.28 in 2015), Franklin Barreto looks like he can offset the departure of Addison Russell.
A coveted free agent from Venezuela, Barreto wasted no time translating his success playing amateur ball in his home country to the Northwest League in 2014. He led the league in hits, RBI, total bases and finished third in the league with 29 stolen bases while still under Blue Jays control. Only 19, the kid advanced to High-A in 2015 and continued his torrid pace, slashing .302/.333/.500 and hitting 13 home runs in only 90 games.
Barreto is back in Venezuela right now honing his skills in their winter league. He should start the season in Double-A next spring and could be fast tracked to Triple-A and even Oakland in 2016 if his consistency does not falter. With Marcus Semien manning shortstop for the A’s right now, that lineup could use Barreto’s glove and bat sooner rather than later.
Next: Seattle Mariners
OF Alex Jackson – SEA
Jun 19, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; A detailed view a of a Seattle Mariners glove and hat before a game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
Major League Baseball ETA: 2018
MLB Overall Rank: No. 44
The only top prospect on an AL West club not inside the top 25 league wide is Alex Jackson, set to turn only turn 20 on Christmas day. He was selected sixth overall by the Seattle Mariners in 2014 out of Rancho Bernardo HS in San Diego.
Before Spring Training, Baseball America had him ranked as high as 20th on their top 100 list, but he failed to advance past Single-A ball in 2015 after playing in the Arizona Fall League last year 2014. In Low-A Jackson struggled somewhat, hitting only .239/.365/.466 in 48 games. Nevertheless, he was getting on-base so the organization probably felt a promotion would boost his morale some, but with the Clinton LumberKings in High-A, Jackson regressed, hitting .157/.240/.213 in 28 games with zero home runs.
He was unable to produce. Seattle will now need to decide whether their investment will begin 2016 in Single-A again, or get bumped up to Double-A. It usually takes hitters a longer time to develop than it does pitchers. Great minor league hitters sometimes skip Double-A altogether or have very brief stints there, but since Jackson has struggled at two levels of Single-A ball, it may be a bit ambitious for M’s fans to think he’ll be joining Seattle before 2018.
Jackson won’t be playing in the AFL this season, but the Mariners’ No. 3 prospect, corner infielder D.J. Peterson is playing there right now. He currently has two homers, eight RBI and a .257/.333/.486 slash line in 10 games.
Next: Texas Rangers
3B/OF Joey Gallo – TEX
Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Major League Baseball ETA: 2016
MLB Overall Rank: No. 6
Like fellow overall top 10 ranked counterparts Byron Buxton and Corey Seager, Joey Gallo saw sizeable playing time in 2015 at the Major League level.
Called up in June to aid the club while Adrian Beltre spent time on the disabled list, Gallo appeared in 36 games and logged 108 at-bats. He started out really hot, hitting .300 with four bombs and seven RBI in his first 11 games. His rate of contact eventually cooled off and he was sent back to Triple-A for further development when Beltre became available in the lineup again. The results there weren’t appealing. After hitting very well in Double-A this past year (.314-9-31), Gallo hit .195/.289/.450 in 200 Triple-A at-bats with Round Rock.
The power was there with 14 home runs, but the glaring hole in his game was his strikeout rate. It was 46.3 percent with the Rangers and really did not improve with the Express, where he was punched out 90 times in 228 plate appearances (39.4%). He’s a player where you have to take the good with the bad. Scouts rate his power an 80 on the 20-80 scale. His arm is a 70, but his contact and fielding abilities are 45 and 40, respectively.
Gallo grew up playing in the same circle of high school baseball players as Las Vegas natives Bryce Harper and Kris Bryant. The Rangers’ top prospect is two years their junior, but if he hopes to play alongside those two in the majors for a lengthy period of time, he needs to be less accommodating to pitchers that get two strikes on him.