Exclusive Bonus Supplement Prospects Who May Contribute in 2019

2019
PROSPECT HANDBOOK

EXCLUSIVE BONUS SUPPLEMENT

PROSPECTS WHO MAY CONTRIBUTE IN 2019

BY BASEBALL AMERICA’S
STAFF WRITERS & CORRESPONDENTS

BASEBALL AMERICA INC. • DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA

1 YEAR PRINT AND DIGITAL BUNDLE PACKAGE

Keep up to date on the top prospects in the game with a bundle subscription from Baseball America. With a 1 year bundle subscription you will receive the print magazine and digital premium access to our website 24/7/365. Receive the best of Baseball America.

Click on‘join now’ on Baseball America.com or Call 1-800-845-2726

FIND, FRIEND, OR FOLLOW US ON:

@BaseballAmerica

BaseballAmericaMag

ReadBA

2019 CONTRIBUTORS

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

IF ILDEMARO VARGAS is well liked by the organization for his versatility, knack for making solid contact and high energy, and with Daniel Descalso gone, Vargas could carve out a role for himself as a utility inﬁelder.

1B KEVIN CRON put up another strong season in the upper minors, then found his way onto the 40-man in November, and with Paul Goldschmidt gone, a path finally exists for his batfirst, power profile to play in Arizona.

RHP JOEL PAYAMPS has a chance to start, but at worst they see him as a reliever with a mid90s fastball and two useable oﬀspeed pitches.

RHP BO TAKAHASHI doesn’t have much projection, but he has good command, pitchability and deception; three useable pitches; and a bulldog mentality on the mound.

ATLANTA BRAVES

RHP JOSH GRAHAM is a converted catcher who has a solid fastball/breaking ball combo but he has a tendency to overthrow, which has led to signiﬁcant control issues.

LHP CORBIN CLOUSE has always had a hard slider (as well as a loopier early-count get-over slider) but he improved his fastball command which has him close to ready to help the Braves bullpen.

LHP THOMAS BURROWS fastball sits at only 91-92 mph, but he gets a lot of awkward swings thanks to an above-average slider and a deceptive delivery.

BALTIMORE ORIOLES

RHP DIOGENES ALMENGO was signed as a free agent after the Astros released him and hasn't pitched above Low-A at age-23, but shows a fastball that was up to 98 mph in the Dominican Winter League with an average-potential changeup and slider, though there wasn't much command.

C AUSTIN WYNNS is a typical backup catcher who can manage a staﬀ and work an at-bat, a skillset that will serve the Orioles' young staﬀ well going forward.

LHP CHRIS LEE had another injury-hit year that ended up with him oﬀ the 40-man roster, but he pitched well as a groundball reliever and could ﬁnally make the majors in that role.

BOSTON RED SOX

LHP BOBBY POYNER is a soft-tossing lefthanded reliever whose 89-91 mph fastball plays up with command and deception. His main secondary is a plus changeup that plays against righthanded batters and makes him more than just a lefty specialist. Poyner made 20 appearances for the Red Sox last year and is primed for a larger role in their bullpen in 2019.

RHP CHANDLER SHEPHERD posted a 3.89 ERA in Triple-A Pawtucket last season and was added to the 40-man roster after the year. e 6-foot-3 righthander operates with a low-90s fastball, a swing-and-miss curveball and a usable changeup. He doesn’t miss many bats, but

BaseballAmerica.com

Baseball America 2019 Prospect Handbook Supplement • 3

2019 CONTRIBUTORS

Red Sox inﬁelder Tzu-Wei Lin

he’s durable and could help as rotation depth. LHP JOSH TAYLOR was acquired from the D-backs for shortstop Deven Marrero before the season and logged a 3.79 ERA in 33 appearances at Double-A Portland before a late promotion to Triple-A. Taylor is a hard-throwing lefty reliever who mixes a 93-96 mph fastball with an upper-80s slider, low-80s curveball and upper-80s changeup, although his control is below-average. He is more eﬀective against lefties (.662 OPS) than righties (.738) and is best-suited as a lefty specialist.

RHP MARCUS WALDEN made the Red Sox’s Opening Day roster last season and pitched to a 3.68 ERA in eight relief appearances for the club. e 30-year-old operates 93-95 mph with his fastball and uses a low-90s cutter as his main secondary. Both draw swings and misses, but his control has long been iﬀy. He provides bullpen depth again in 2019.

SS TZU-WEI LIN has come up as a reserve inﬁelder each of the last two seasons. He’s strictly a utilityman, although a potentially good one who can play second base, shortstop and third base. He consistently gets on base from the left side but has little power.

CHICAGO CUBS

RHP JAMES NORWOOD has a spectacular fastball that he ran into triple-digits in 2018 but needs to develop a bit more to be a truly valuable piece in the bullpen. He gets around his slider and has a funky delivery that doesn’t allow for big-time command. Without any improvement, he could be a low-leverage reliever.

RHP JEN HO-TSENG made his big league debut in 2018 but got hit hard at Triple-A Iowa. He pitches with a low-90s fastball and a low-80s changeup primarily, while mixing in the occasional mid-70s curveball. Without anything plus in the arsenal, Tseng has the future of a low-leverage reliever.

RHP DUANE UNDERWOOD JR. rededicated himself in the oﬀseason, and the result was his major league debut. He made one start with the big club and showed a three-pitch mix fronted by a low-90s fastball and backed primarily by a mid-80s changeup and mid-70s curveball. Further reﬁnement of the breaking ball would help his future, which right now is as a spot starter.

4 • Baseball America 2019 Prospect Handbook Supplement

BaseballAmerica.com

2019 CONTRIBUTORS

CHICAGO WHITE SOX

LHP CALEB FRARE was acquired from the Yankees in August and made his major league debut on Sept. 2. He was desirable for his low-to-mid 90s fastball and above-average, mid-80s slider that he throws with near-equal frequency.

RHP THYAGO VIEIRA was acquired from the Mariners before the 2018 season and brings a signature fastball in the mid-to-upper 90s and a mid-80s slider, but his command and control are poor enough that he rarely sticks in the majors for long.

RHP RYAN BURR was acquired from the Diamondbacks and made his major league debut in late August. e 24-year-old struggled with his control with the exception of a short stint in Triple-A Charlotte. He works primarily with a mid-90s fastball and a low-80s slider.

OF CHARLIE TILSON shows contact skills and speed but does not have the power to proﬁle in a corner, which means he’d have to unseat Adam Engel in center ﬁeld.

CINCINNATI REDS

RHP JOSE LOPEZ is a starter who throws four pitches with enough command to get a cameo as a backend type starter.

2B ALEX BLANDINO got some at-bats this season and can help as a versatile inﬁelder oﬀ the bench. RHP JESUS REYES has a three-pitch mix which includes a mid 90’s fastball, showing that he can start and come in out of the pen if needed.

SS BLAKE TRAHAN is a backup middle inﬁelder who has some ability to hit for contact and a versatile glove.

CLEVELAND INDIANS

RHP SHAO-CHING CHIANG signed with the Indians out of Taiwan in 2011. He reached TripleA in 2018 and has a four-pitch mix that gives him a chance to start. His sinker sits around 92 mph and his best secondary oﬀering is his changeup, which has splitter action.

RHP CHIH-WEI Hu made his big-league debut in 2017 with Tampa and has split time between Triple-A and MLB over the last two years. Traded to Cleveland in November in exchange for Gionti Turner, Hu attacks hitters with a low-90s fastball, slider and changeup.

RHP WALKER LOCKETT made his big-league debut in 2018 with the Padres, who dealt him to the Indians after the season in exchange for Ignacio Feliz. Lockett is listed at 6-foot-5 and leverages his height and low 90s sinker to create plenty of groundball outs.

RHP HENRY MARTINEZ broke out in the Dominican Winter League after the 2017 season and carried his momentum into 2018, reaching Triple-A. His fastball sits in the mid-90s and reaches 98 mph.

SS ERIC STAMETS was the Indians’ return for David Murphy in 2015. Always known as a glove-first shortstop, Stamets doesn’t have much offensive upside but could fill the role of utility infielder thanks to his ability to defend anywhere in the infield.

BaseballAmerica.com

2019 CONTRIBUTORS

COLORADO ROCKIES

RHP YENCY ALMONTE was eﬀective in a brief stint with the Rockies last season and could ﬁll a useful relief role again this year thanks to a mid-90s fastball and a hard 86-88 mph slider.

RHP RAYAN GONZALEZ made it back onto the mound late last season after Tommy John surgery in 2017. When he’s on, he attacks hitters with a mid-90s cutter that could be useful in a relief role.

C BRETT NICHOLAS is a No. 3 catcher who bounces around. His bat and glove are good enough to serve in a ﬁll-in role, although he’s stretched as a backup who plays regularly.

OF MIKE TAUCHMAN has gotten callups in each of the past two years when injuries have struck in the Rockies outfield. He could fill a backup role again this year as a versatile outfielder with some hitting ability and modest power.

DETROIT TIGERS

C GRAYSON GREINER is a solid receiver behind the dish, but a light hit tool will hold him back from starting.

RHP WLADIMIR PINTO has a good fastball-curveball combo but control struggles limit him to a potential middle relief role.

RHP PAUL VOELKER has solid stuﬀ and proﬁles as a low-leverage pen arm even with a spike in walks per nine this season.

3B BRANDON DIXON can hit for some power but lacks a true defensive position.

HOUSTON ASTROS

2B/SS JACK MAYFIELD missed most of 2017 recovering from a hit-by-pitch that fractured his cheekbone. He puts the ball in play and can handle second base and shortstop, but faces long adds to crack a deep Astros big league roster.

C JAMIE RITCHIE is a solid enough receiver to serve as at least an emergency callup at catcher. He’s shown solid on-base skills wherever he’s gone and puts together good at-bats.

KANSAS CITY ROYALS

RHP SCOTT BARLOW thrives by mixing and commanding his pitches well, with his fastball playing up because his exceptional extension.

RHP TREVOR OAKS is an old school sinker/slider pitcher. Oaks battled through early-season issues with his velocity being down, but his numbers improved as the season progressed. His money pitch is a heavy sinker sitting 89-92 mph and he has good feel to pitch.

C CAM GALLAGHER spent most of the last two seasons with Triple-A Omaha but has gotten the occasional callup when another catcher is needed. He works well with pitchers and has an above-average, accurate arm, and outstanding plate discipline.

BaseballAmerica.com

2019 CONTRIBUTORS

Royals catcher Cam Gallagher

RHP ANDRES MACHADO ﬂashes plus velocity with a heavy four-seamer as well as a changeup that could be a plus pitch in time. Still on the 40-man roster, Machado will compete for a spot in the Royals bullpen in the spring.

RHP JAKE NEWBERRY pitches with a decent slider and a fastball sitting in the low-90s that he locates well to the glove side. at success earned him his ﬁrst big league callup last August.

LOS ANGELES ANGELS

RHP MIGUEL ALMONTE was once a top prospect with the Royals but has seen his career stalled by scattershot control at the upper levels. He has a four-pitch complement but works primarily with a mid-90s fastball and a low-80s curve.

RHP JESUS CASTILLO is an intriguing righthander who throws a low-90s fastball with twoseam life that he can use to both sides of the plate. His delivery includes a hip turn, which increases his deception. He pairs the pitch primarily with a low-70s curveball and a low-80s changeup.

LOS ANGELES DODGERS

LHP ADAM MCCREERY is a 6-foot-9 reliever who held lefthanded batters to a .218/.322/.282 slash line in the Braves organization last year. His 90-93 mph fastball with heavy sink is a swingand-miss pitch and he backs it up with a sweeping 81-84 mph slider, but like many pitchers his height, McCreery struggles to stay in the strike zone and issues an excessive number of walks.

3B/C KYLE FARMER is a converted college shortstop with the contact skills, athleticism and arm strength to bounce around as a utility inﬁelder/backup catcher.

C ROCKY GALE has nine seasons in the minors and 22 big league plate appearances. He will be 31 on Opening Day and provides catching depth as a veteran receiver with some contact ability.

BaseballAmerica.com

2019 CONTRIBUTORS

Marlins righthander Merandy Gonzalez

MIAMI MARLINS

RHP MERANDY GONZALEZ jumped straight to the majors from Double-A in 2018, despite the fact that he’d completed just 73 innings above Class A in his career. e 23-year-old struggled at both stops, but he still has a low- to mid-90s fastball and an above-average curveball with 12-to-6 shape. Gonzalez’s high-eﬀort delivery and fringe-average control may be best suited for the bullpen, but further development of his control and third-pitch changeup could lead him to the back of the rotation.

LHP JOSE QUIJADA was added to the Marlins’ 40-man roster this offseason and could be an effective lefthanded relief option in the Miami bullpen in 2019. Quijada has fringe-average command and attacks hitters with a low- to mid-90s fastball that touches 97 mph. His best offspeed pitch is an above-average slider that flashes plus at times and is especially effective against lefthanders.

OF GARRETT COOPER was plagued by a wrist injury in 2018, but when healthy he has a chance to be a hit-over-power first baseman with average defense. He’s also spent time in the outfield corners to give him added versatility, although his below-average foot speed is better suited for first base.

RHP KYLE KELLER is a 6-foot-4 righthander with a mid-90s fastball who ﬂashed an aboveaverage breaking ball in the Arizona Fall League. He’s strictly a reliever with fringe-average control, but he has swing-and-miss stuﬀ and strikes out nearly 12 batters per nine innings throughout his career.

RHP TYLER KINLEY was selected by the Twins in the 2017 Rule 5 Draft, but returned to the Marlins in May 2018. e 6-foot-4 righthander has a mid- to upper-90s fastball and a hard, above-average slider in the upper 80s. Kinley has been hurt by his below-average control.

BaseballAmerica.com

2019 CONTRIBUTORS

MILWAUKEE BREWERS

RHP AARON WILKERSON is a swingman who doesn’t throw hard (89 mph average) but has a four-pitch mix and knows what he’s doing, as evidenced by his 2.49 ERA in 15 outings (12 starts) last season at Class AAA Colorado Springs, a diﬃcult pitching environment. He has made six appearances for the Brewers over the past two seasons.

OF TYRONE TAYLOR was the No. 1 prospect in the organization in 2015 but injuries and offensive slippage knocked him all the way out of the Top 30. He resurfaced last season with 20 HRs and 80 RBI at Colorado Springs, ranking in the top 10 in the PCL with 225 total bases.

INF JAKE HAGER put together a big ﬁrst half (.892 OPS in 64 games) at Class AA Biloxi last season, earning a promotion to Colorado Springs. He has the versatility to play second base, shortstop and third base, making him valuable as a possible bench player in the majors.

1B/3B Weston Wilson opened some eyes in the 2018 Arizona Fall League (1.038 OPS in 13 games), showing a good eye at the plate and some pop in his bat (28 total bases in 48 at-bats). Wilson has shown the versatility to play in the outfield as well as an occasional fill-in in the middle infield.

MINNESOTA TWINS

RHP KOHL STEWART adopted a "one-seam" fastball grip and rediscovered the sink on his fastball. at helped him begin missing bats at a much higher rate and led to his eventual big league callup. His big-breaking curveball completes an arsenal ready for swingman or low-leverage relief work.

C WILLIANS ASTUDILLO is already on his fourth organization, but the free-swinging Venezuelan (aka La Tortuga or e Tortoise) has struck out just 3.1 percent of the time in his career while walking at a rate of 2.1 percent. He’s a better catcher than he’s perceived and has enough athletic ability, especially after improving his conditioning, to ﬁll in at third and left ﬁeld.

LHP TYLER JAY has seen his velocity dip in recent years after being the team’s ﬁrst-round pick in 2015. If it returns, he could emerge as a viable option out of the bullpen.

NEW YORK METS

RHP TYLER BASHLOR saw positive results from his mid-80s slider and changeup in his 2018 big league debut but needs to command his mid-90s fastball to move up the bullpen hierarchy.

RHP KYLE DOWDY added velocity in 2018 to bump 96 mph. e Rule 5 pick lacks an out pitch but has an average curveball and cutter and can start or relieve.

RHP DREW GAGNON paid his dues at Triple-A for four seasons by pitching at Colorado Springs, Salt Lake and Las Vegas. He earned his ﬁrst big league callup in 2018, working lowleverage relief for the Mets and leaning on his low-90s fastball and changeup.

RHP TIM PETERSON received a big league callup in 2018 at age 27 on the strength of his slider and changeup.

BaseballAmerica.com

2019 CONTRIBUTORS

RHP BOBBY WAHL, part of the return for Jeurys Familia at the 2018 trade deadline, has run up a 6.92 ERA in two big league cups of coﬀee, but his mid-90s fastball and mid-80s curveball generate a high number of swings and misses. Better fastball command would set up his devastating breaking ball and improve his bottom line.

NEW YORK YANKEES

RHP JOE HARVEY is a reliever who throws his fastball in the upper-90s, Harvey was stellar in 2018. He struck out 66 hitters in 59.1 innings, and the Yankees added him to their 40-man roster before the Rule 5 Draft.

RHP BEN HELLER is one of two relievers acquired from the Indians in the Andrew Miller trade two years ago, Heller had Tommy John surgery before the 2018 season and should be back in the middle of 2019. He’s touched 100 mph with his fastball, which is why he’s kept his spot on the 40-man roster.

LHP STEPHEN TARPLEY’S pure stuﬀ—a low-90s fastball and a mid-80s slider, primarily— doesn’t blow anybody away. e arsenal is accentuated, however, by a deceptive delivery and a low slot. He’s dominated in the minor leagues and could be a useful lefty amid a cadre of power righties.

C KYLE HIGASHIOKA became somewhat of a cult sensation in New York after each of his ﬁrst three big league hits were home runs. He leveled oﬀ thereafter, and his future is likely a big league backup who can go deep now and then.

UTILITYMAN TYLER WADE’S ceiling has diminished some in recent years, going from a potential second-division regular to a versatile backup with well above-average speed but limited oﬀensive ability. Even so, he might get more run in 2019 while Didi Gregorius recovers from Tommy John surgery.

OF TIM LOCASTRO was acquired by the Yankees for minor league righthander Drew Finley, Locastro could provide some defensive versatility, 70-grade speed and contact skills similar to those of former Yankee Ronald Torreyes. He’s got experience in the inﬁeld and outﬁeld, and might make for a serviceable bench piece.

OAKLAND ATHLETICS

RHP TANNER ANDERSON is an extreme groundball reliever whose sinker/slider repertoire could play in the middle innings. Plus, he has three minor league options remaining.

RHP MIGUEL ROMERO signed out of Cuba prior to the 2017 season and has climbed to DoubleA with a vicious slider he used to strike out nearly one-third of righthanded batters in 2018.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

RHP DREW ANDERSON had Tommy John surgery that erased his 2015 season, but he put himself on the prospect map with a big 2016 season. Since then, his projection has dimmed, as he throws strikes with a low-to-mid 90s fastball but doesn’t have a true out pitch, but he could be a back-end starter if everything clicks.

3B MITCH WALDING is 26, but he’s coming oﬀ a .265/.390/.474 season with Triple-A Lehigh

BaseballAmerica.com

2019 CONTRIBUTORS

Valley. He has above-average raw power and isn’t a free-swinger, but the holes in his swing lead to a bundle of strikeouts.

OF DYLAN COZENS has raw power that few players in the minors can match. He’s also 6-foot6 with long arms and a lengthy stroke, so he struck out in 36 percent of his Triple-A plate appearances for the second straight season.

C DEIVI GRULLON has big power, but he’s still an ultra-aggressive hitter whose lack of selectivity at the plate creates a lot of risk with his bat.

RHP TOM ESHELMAN was left oﬀ the 40-man roster and went unselected in the Rule 5 draft in December. He relies on location, as his stuﬀ is a bag of 40s and 45s, which seemed to catch up with him last year in Triple-A when he posted a 5.84 ERA.

PITTSBURGH PIRATES

RHP JESUS LIRANZO has battled control troubles, which explains why the Pirates were able to claim him oﬀ of waivers. His mid-90s fastball and splitter will keep getting him chances. If he can sync his arm with his lower half, he could work in a big league bullpen.

C JACOB STALLINGS is a perfect example of a No. 3 catcher. He’s spent most of the past three seasons at Triple-A Indianapolis, but he’s competent enough with the glove to get brief stints with the Pirates almost every year. His light bat likely limits him from a larger role.

LHP BRANDON WADDELL struggles at times because his 89-91 mph fastball just doesn’t scare a lot of hitters. But when he’s on, the potential long reliever/up-and-down starter can fool hitters with his changeup.

RHP NICK BURDI showed some if not all of his pre-injury velocity when he returned from Tommy John surgery. His 95-98 mph fastball is more than enough with his varied assortment of secondary pitches if he can locate them. He needs roughly two more months on the MLB roster because of Rule 5 roster requirements.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

RHP RYAN MEISINGER is a burly reliever who primarily pitches oﬀ his 82-85 mph slider and uses his 90-93 mph fastball as a secondary. e Cardinals claimed him oﬀ waivers from the Orioles, for whom he made his major league debut last season.

2B RAMON URIAS is the older brother of Padres prospect Luis Urias. Like his brother, he is a short second baseman with a simple swing, excellent strike-zone discipline and a hint of sneaky power, although he lacks his brother’s bat speed and athleticism and got exposed somewhat by Triple-A pitching.

SAN DIEGO PADRES

RHP GERARDO REYES is a small reliever with a big arm. His fastball sits 96-98 mph and touches 100, but he has poor fastball command out of his max-eﬀort delivery and falls behind in counts. He occasionally has better command of his low-80s slider.

C LUIS TORRENS spent the entire 2017 season on the Padres roster as a Rule 5 draft pick before