This article is part of our Minor League Barometer series.
The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox renew their rivalry this week, and the teams alternate the debuts of two highly touted minor league hurlers. On Tuesday, Henry Owens made his first major league appearance for the Red Sox. He entered 2015 as arguably the top pitching prospect for Boston, but has continually battled command issues. He has walked 56 batters in 122.1 innings, though still managed a 3.16 ERA for Triple-A Pawtucket. The strikeout prowess has also been evident with Owens though, as he went over the 100-strikeout mark for the fourth straight season. The lanky southpaw will attempt to give the BoSox a silver lining to what has otherwise been a difficult season; Boston has one of the worst team ERAs in baseball at 4.52.
Meanwhile, Luis Severino will make his long-awaited debut for the Yankees on Wednesday. General Manager Brian Cashman refused to deal him or the Yankees other two top prospects, Aaron Judge and Greg Bird, at the trading deadline. With Michael Pineda on the disabled list, CC Sabathia floundering and manager Joe Girardi looking to give Masahiro Tanaka some added days of rest down the stretch, the refusal to trade Severino could prove to be prescient for the Bombers. While his strikeout total was a bit down overall at Triple-A, he still has a 1.91 ERA through 61.1 innings and opposing batters are hitting just .181 against him at this level. His last start was an absolute gem, as the 21-year-old allowed just
The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox renew their rivalry this week, and the teams alternate the debuts of two highly touted minor league hurlers. On Tuesday, Henry Owens made his first major league appearance for the Red Sox. He entered 2015 as arguably the top pitching prospect for Boston, but has continually battled command issues. He has walked 56 batters in 122.1 innings, though still managed a 3.16 ERA for Triple-A Pawtucket. The strikeout prowess has also been evident with Owens though, as he went over the 100-strikeout mark for the fourth straight season. The lanky southpaw will attempt to give the BoSox a silver lining to what has otherwise been a difficult season; Boston has one of the worst team ERAs in baseball at 4.52.
Meanwhile, Luis Severino will make his long-awaited debut for the Yankees on Wednesday. General Manager Brian Cashman refused to deal him or the Yankees other two top prospects, Aaron Judge and Greg Bird, at the trading deadline. With Michael Pineda on the disabled list, CC Sabathia floundering and manager Joe Girardi looking to give Masahiro Tanaka some added days of rest down the stretch, the refusal to trade Severino could prove to be prescient for the Bombers. While his strikeout total was a bit down overall at Triple-A, he still has a 1.91 ERA through 61.1 innings and opposing batters are hitting just .181 against him at this level. His last start was an absolute gem, as the 21-year-old allowed just one hit through six scoreless innings without walking a batter and striking out 10. Since the Yankees stood pat at the deadline and did not acquire a starter, the future is now. Severino could play a pivotal role for the Yankees down the stretch in 2015, and certainly beyond.
The Yankees and the Red Sox aren't the only teams hoping for some prospect help. Let's take a look at the best of the rest in this week's Minor League Barometer.
UPGRADE
Antonio Senzatela, P, COL – Senzatela has made the upgrade list before, but bears mentioning again given what kind of season he is having in the hitter-friendly California League. In 116.2 innings, the 20-year-old righty has a 2.55 ERA and 104:24 K:BB ratio for High-A Modesto and leads the league in ERA. In fact, only three other pitchers even have an ERA under 3.50. Opposing batters are hitting just .230 against him, as Senzatela has managed to pound the strike zone without getting lit up. Perhaps this is an excellent test for him though, as he'll be playing his future home games in the thin air of Colorado. With Jon Gray making his MLB debut for the Rockies this week as well, pitching help could finally be on the horizon.
Chase DeJong, P, LAD – The rich keep getting richer. First it was Julio Urias, then Jose De Leon, and subsequently Jharel Cotton. Now add another name to the list of rising Dodgers superstar pitchers. The team traded three international bonus pool spots to acquire DeJong and Tim Locastro at the beginning of July and the move is already paying dividends. In 21.1 innings at High-A Rancho Cucamonga, DeJong has a 3.38 ERA and 28:5 K:BB ratio while opposing batters are hitting a putrid .171 against the six-foot-four righty. He possesses an excellent fastball/curveball/changeup mix, and only appears to be scratching the surface of his potential. For the Dodgers, who were already on the hook for the overage tax due to multiple international signings, it "only" cost them about $1,000,000 to get DeJong, a California native, and Locastro, a 13th round pick out of Ithaca College in 2013.
Joe Musgrove, P, HOU – One of the reasons the Astros could afford to make trades for Scott Kazmir and Carlos Gomez, and attempt to get Cole Hamels as well, is how well they have been able to replenish their farm system. The Astros possess some serious depth. A high-risk, high-reward prospect when he was dealt from Toronto to Houston, Musgrove battled shoulder issues and as a result the Astros decided to take it slow with him. Drafted as a teenager in 2011, it was only in 2015 that he made his full-season debut. Musgrove quickly showed that the lower levels were no match for his mid-90's heater and slider/curveball combination. The slider has been his out pitch. He has torched through three levels already this season, ascending to Double-A in the process. All told, he's compiled a 1.85 ERA and 87:6 K:BB ratio through 87.2 innings in 2015. Yes, that strikeout-to-walk ratio is correct, and outstanding. The 22-year-old Musgrove is yet another example of how the organization has flourished this season.
Robert Stephenson, P, CIN – The flame-throwing Stephenson was finally able to make it over the Double-A hurdle and now appears to be on the precipice of getting to the majors. Stephenson has a 2.25 ERA and 36:13 K:BB ratio in 36 innings since being promoted to Triple-A Louisville. The struggling Reds traded Johnny Cueto and Mike Leake at the deadline, giving him an even clearer path to the big leagues. He's been surging lately as well, allowing just one earned run in his last 20 innings. Over that span, Stephenson has posted a 20:7 K:BB ratio. While the Reds do not have to rush him, a glimpse of the future could come as early as September as Cincinnati retools for next season and beyond.
CHECK STATUS
Stephen Gonsalves, P, MIN – Gonsalves was untouchable in nine starts at Low-A to begin the season. Over a span of 55 innings, he posted a minuscule 1.15 ERA and an eye-popping 77:15 K:BB ratio. A quick promotion was in order and he's now made nine starts for High-A Fort Myers, posting a 2.11 ERA at his new level, but the peripheral numbers are not quite as stellar for the 21-year-old. Gonsalves has walked 25 batters in 47 innings, while striking out just 32 hitters. The sudden lack of control is a bit surprising for a pitcher who simply poured in strikes earlier in the year. Still, he has managed to limit the damage overall. Even with the control problems, he's allowed one earned run or fewer in each of his last six outings. Gonsalves will not be able to get away with the additional base runners at the higher levels. Still, it's been a promising season for the southpaw, who should be among the top prospects for Minnesota heading into 2016.
Lewis Brinson, OF, TEX – The Rangers unloaded a bevy of prospects to obtain Cole Hamels from the Philadelphia Phillies, but kept Brinson. The toolsy outfielder has battled strikeout issues throughout his minor league career but the improvement he's shown in the category is evident. In 2013 he fanned an astonishing 191 times in 122 games at Low-A, and the 21-year-old outfielder has been punched out 64 times in 64 games at High-A this season. Now, that is still a lot of K's, but everything is relative. Brinson also scorched through High-A with a slash line of .337/.416/.628, hitting 13 home runs and stealing 13 bases in that 64-game span. He was white-hot at the end of July, and due to that performance as well as the trade of Nick Williams to the Phillies, he was given a promotion to Double-A. Though the strikeouts remain a red flag, Brinson has made great strides and should be considered among the top hitting prospects in the Texas organization.
Tyler O'Neill, OF, SEA – Home runs are the name of the game for O'Neill, who has hit a long ball in four straight contests for High-A Bakersfield. Going back further, he's homered in seven of the last 10 games for the Blaze with 16 RBI. Not surprisingly, O'Neill's numbers come with the usual caveats. He has fanned 13 times over that span and in 77 games this season he's been punched out an astounding 102 times while drawing just 15 walks. Overall, he is batting just .257 with a .298 OBP. While his slugging percentage sits at a robust .558, it remains to be seen if O'Neill will be able to get on base with enough frequency to become a reliable, everyday player. While he does have time to make adjustments, as of right now he is a bit all or nothing.
Jack Flaherty/Luke Weaver, P, STL – Both players have extremely similar statistics, so rather than pick one over the other, I decided to talk about both of them. Flaherty is the younger of the two, a high schooler drafted in the first round last year. The 19-year-old has more upside than Weaver, who is a polished college pitcher out of Florida State. Flaherty has a 2.87 ERA and 54:23 K:BB ratio through 62.2 innings at Low-A while Weaver has a 2.12 ERA and 58:13 K:BB ratio through 68 innings at High-A. It is no surprise that the collegian Weaver has been slightly more productive at a higher level, but Flaherty is bigger and has a more projectable frame. The Cardinals usually prefer the college-type pitcher like Weaver who is more developed, but Flaherty already throws four pitches and is much further along than a typical high school draft pick. While Flaherty has the potential, Weaver will likely see the majors sooner. Both prospects are having above-average seasons in any event, as the Cardinals can do very little wrong in 2015.
DOWNGRADE
Monte Harrison, OF, MIL – Harrison became a hot commodity earlier this year, as he was extremely impressive in the Pioneer League for the Brewers. The teenager slashed .299/.410/.474 with three home runs, 13 RBI and 14 steals in 28 games at Helena. The Brewers decided to reward him with a bump up to full-season ball at Low-A, but the promotion proved a bit premature, as he struggled to a slash line of .148/.246/.247 in 46 games. Harrison fanned 77 times while drawing just 11 walks. Unfortunately, a bad situation got worse when he broke his ankle and was forced to undergo season-ending surgery. Harrison should be healthy for the start of the 2016 campaign, and will still be just 20 years of age. However he will need six months heal, thus ending his first full year with a thud.
Adam Walker, OF, MIN – Walker continues to defy the odds, striking out at an alarming rate but still posting prodigious power numbers. To be fair, he has never hit below .246 at any level in the minors. It is also worth noting that he has stolen at least eight bases in each of the last three seasons. He could get exposed at the higher levels, but he remains an intriguing prospect to say the least. Walker, 23, is batting .253/.318/.539 with 26 home runs, 84 RBI and eight stolen bases through 100 games for Double-A Chattanooga. He has been struggling lately, batting a mere .171 with 12 strikeouts over his last 10 games. However, he does have nine walks during that time period. Walker is one of the more polarizing prospects in baseball, because he passes the initial eye test but his poor plate discipline may be too much to overcome. He has 153 strikeouts already, and will shatter his previous career high shortly. The Twins are being conservative with him due to the nature of his approach at the dish, but even that may not be enough to save him.
Rio Ruiz, 3B, ATL – Ruiz continues to be baffled by the pitching at Double-A. Acquired from the Astros and expected to be part of the new Atlanta Braves renaissance, he has limped to a .209/.329/.358 slash line for Double-A Mississippi. While he did not flash overwhelming power at the lower levels, he still boasted double-digit home run totals in each of the last two seasons. In 96 games this season however, he has one home run. The only saving grace for Ruiz has been the fact that he is not afraid to take a walk, posting 54 free passes in 96 games. Nevertheless, he will have to make more contact to figure into the future plans for the Braves given that the team recently traded for Hector Olivera, who they now expect to be their third baseman for the foreseeable future. As such, a poor season has Ruiz's future role in doubt.
Reynaldo Lopez, P, WAS – Lopez has been unable to build off his coming-out party from 2014. After being held back with uber-prospect Lucas Giolito in extended spring training earlier this season, the 21-year-old has sputtered at High-A Potomac. While his compatriot Giolito has since been promoted to Double-A, Lopez has a 4.77 ERA at the lower level. His strikeout-to-walk ratio really isn't that bad, standing at 73:27 through 83 innings, but he's simply been unable to hit his spots and mix pitches effectively and opposing batters are hitting .272 against him. By contrast, he was unhittable last season as opposing hitters batted an abysmal .149 against him. Chalk it up to growing pains, but Lopez's hype has been bigger than his reality thus far.
