Farm Futures: PCL Hitters Roundup

The minor league season is underway, which means we will typically be taking a tour through the minor leagues in this space going forward, unless I'm out providing eyewitness accounts or releasing a brand new Top-200 with wholesale changes that need to be detailed in an article.

Our first stop will be the Pacific Coast League, where pitching prospects go to get humbled and hitting prospects go to flex in front of the mirror after games. This week will focus exclusively on the notable hitting prospects in the PCL. All of the small sample size qualifiers apply, and the hitters are listed roughly in order of their value in dynasty leagues.

A.J. Reed, 1B, Fresno (Astros): .333/.500/.583, three 2B, four BB, two K in 12 AB.

Tyler White's emergence has been impressive, but the sample size is still very small, and Reed has done nothing to suggest he is not on the verge of a callup. White could move to DH, he could cool down or he could get hurt. The point is, a healthy Evan Gattis might be fourth in the pecking order for at-bats behind Reed, White, and Preston Tucker in a month. Reed will be up before June, and he could rake from day one. Continue to hold him in single-season leagues.

Joey Gallo, 3B, Round Rock (Rangers): .294/.409/.824, two HR, one 3B, one 2B, four BB, five K in 17 AB.

Everyone who has been paying attention should have seen this coming. Gallo routinely dominates levels in his second go-round, and that has proven to be the case once again in the early going in the PCL. Nomar Mazara was called up over Gallo for a couple reasons. First, Mazara was essentially a finished product at the plate in the minor leagues and Gallo still has a ton of swing and miss in his game. Second, Mazara is a right fielder and the Rangers want to continue developing Gallo as a third baseman. Anyone who suggests Gallo will push Mazara for playing time in the outfield has to first think Mazara will struggle severely, and I don't see that happening. My gut says Gallo gets traded this summer to a rebuilding team like the Brewers, in which case he would get everyday at-bats at third base for the rest of the season.

Orlando Arcia, SS, Colorado Springs (Brewers): .300/.364/.300, three SO in 20 AB.

Speaking of finished products, Arcia has the look of one at shortstop. Assuming he continues to handle himself against Triple-A pitching, Arcia will be up playing shortstop every day for the Brewers sometime this summer. The counting stats over a half season may not warrant stashing him in standard mixed leagues, although the same would have been said about Francisco Lindor last year, and we all know how that turned out.

Jurickson Profar, 2B/SS, Round Rock (Rangers): .357/.526/.429, one 2B, four BB, three K in 14 AB.

Don't forget about this guy. He could start to look like a surefire upgrade over Elvis Andrus in the not-so-distant future, and he is also one injury to Andrus or Rougned Odor away from getting an immediate callup. His skill set has always been a notch better for real life purposes than for fantasy, but if he was playing every day, he'd be a good bet to return top-10 value at either middle infield position.

Manuel Margot, OF, El Paso (Padres): .200/.294/.267, two BB, one K, 1-for-2 on SB attempts in 15 AB.

The Padres are eons away from contending, so it would make very little sense to rush Margot up this summer unless he is setting the world on fire at Triple-A. His approach and speed allow for him to be a fast learner at any level, as he can impact the game even when he's struggling to make consistent hard contact, which should be rare.

Dan Vogelbach, 1B/DH, Iowa (Cubs): .421/.476/.526, two 2B, two BB, six K in 19 AB.

Swaggy V will get big league at-bats this season if he stays healthy. It may only be as a DH for several road interleague trips, but as a member of the 40-man roster, the Cubs will take any opportunity to utilize him at the big league level. Once rosters expand, he will be utilized as a weapon off the bench in September. He remains a common thread in fake internet trades, but the Cubs aren't in a hurry to unload him, and they don't have many glaring holes to address.

Willson Contreras, C, Iowa (Cubs): .474/.524/.579, two 2B, one BB, two K in 19 AB.

Like Vogelbach, Contreras will be up for the Cubs this year in some capacity if he stays healthy. It's hard to throw a strong recommendation behind him in single-season leagues, because Miguel Montero should remain the go-to option this season, and Jon Lester loves throwing to David Ross. That said, if Montero were to get hurt, or struggle like he did in 2013, Contreras would be the guy. Next year figures to be his breakout season.

Colin Moran, 3B, Fresno (Astros): .333/.357/.417, one 2B, one BB, five K, 1-for-1 on SB attempts in 12 AB.

Moran got sent to Triple-A at the end of spring training, but he never stopped hitting. The Astros could theoretically reach down for Moran before they call Reed up to The Show, just based on the positions they play. While Moran lacks Reed's offensive punch, his hit tool is as good or better, and he could offer useful corner infield production in 14-team leagues if he gets the call.

Dilson Herrera, 2B, Las Vegas (Mets): .273/.364/.273, one 2B, two K in 11 AB.

The Mets have not hid the fact that they want Herrera to get more seasoning in the minors, but he continues to offer convenient depth if they suffer an injury in the middle of the infield. Next year will be the year that he gets his big shot to be the everyday option at the keystone.

Renato Nunez, 3B, Nashville (A's): .267/.267/.467, one 3B, one 2B, three K in 15 AB.

Nunez might be a carbon copy of Danny Valencia, so it would take the latter struggling mightily or some A's creativity for Nunez to get a callup in the first half. It's probably a 50/50 proposition that Nunez makes it as an everyday player, but power-hitting third basemen always need to be monitored in dynasty leagues, especially when they are close to the big leagues and don't have debilitating contact issues.

Peter O'Brien, OF, Reno (Diamondbacks): .308/.308/.615, one HR, one 2B, two K in 13 AB.

O'Brien is a lot like Vogelbach, in that his bat is ready or close to ready to slot into the middle of a big league lineup, but there's not an obvious path for him to get playing time. At least O'Brien can masquerade as an outfielder, while Vogelbach is barely a first baseman. Both players are probably best suited to DH in the American League, however, so it would make sense if O'Brien was packaged in a deal to an AL team for pitching. If Arizona likes what they are seeing from him in left field at Triple-A, there's a possibility he could supplant Yasmany Tomas, Socrates Brito or Chris Owings, but even then, he'd probably be used in a part-time role.

Gavin Cecchini, SS, Las Vegas (Mets): .250/.308/.250, one BB, one K, 1-for-1 on SB attempts in 12 AB.

If the Mets don't think Herrera is ready for the big leagues, it's hard to see a case for Cecchini being ready anytime soon. Of course, unlike Herrera, Cecchini plays shortstop, so if Asdrubal Cabrera were to go down and they couldn't stand the thought of Wilmer Flores manning short, Cecchini could be the guy who gets the call. Still, he wouldn't offer the counting stats most owners are looking for over a half season, as his batting average/hit tool is the only reason he is on the radar in dynasty leagues.

Matt Olson, OF, Nashville (A's): .125/.263/.250, two 2B, three BB, three K in 16 AB.

The A's have converted Olson to a full-time right fielder, which is an interesting twist for someone who was probably a top-five first base prospect a year ago. The eligibility change makes him a bit more intriguing, but given what the A's have at first base, he may have had an easier path to the big leagues if he was still an infielder. His plus power and ability to get on base at a high clip will keep him relevant, but he'll really need to hit in the PCL this year to be thought of as a top-100 prospect at the All-Star break.

Albert Almora, OF, Iowa (Cubs): .250/.412/.333, one 2B, four BB, two K in 12 AB.

Almora should stay at Iowa until September unless the Cubs sustain a couple more impactful injuries. He could be the team's long-term option in center field if his bat can catch up to his glove, but so far that has not happened.

Hunter Renfroe, OF, El Paso (Padres): .188/.235/.188, one BB, five K in 16 AB.

The time to cut bait with Renfroe was during the offseason, and in leagues where in-season minor league moves are allowed, it's probably best to move on from the flawed slugger.

Chad Pinder, SS, Nashville (A's): .111/.158/.167, one 2B, one BB, nine K in 18 AB.

It's early, but Pinder has clearly been overmatched so far against Triple-A pitching. There may come a time this season when the A's ask themselves, who is more big-league ready: Pinder or Franklin Barreto? I think the answer will be Barreto, at least in the second half, so Pinder may never get his chance to audition as an everyday player.

OTHERS OF NOTE

Charlie Tilson, OF, Memphis (Cardinals): .077/.200/.077, two BB, four K in 13 AB.
Brandon Nimmo, OF, Las Vegas (Mets): .364/.462/.455, one, 2B, one BB, one K in 11 AB.
Tony Kemp, 2B, Fresno (Astros): .500/.571/.500, two BB, two K, 0-for-2 on SB attempts in 12 AB.
Mike Zunino, C, Tacoma (Mariners): .375/.412/.375, one BB, three K in 16 AB.
Michael Reed, OF, Colorado Springs (Brewers): .368/.455/.421, one 2B, three BB, four K, 2-for-3 in SB attempts in 19 AB.
Mac Williamson, OF, Sacramento (Giants): .211/.250/.632, two HR, two 2B, one BB, two K in 19 AB.
Chris Taylor, SS, Tacoma (Mariners): .308/.500/.385, one 2B, five BB, four K in 13 AB.
Boog Powell, OF, Tacoma (Mariners): .318/.375/.364, one 2B, two BB, four K, 1-for-1 in SB attempts in 22 AB.
Shawn O'Malley, 2B/3B/SS, Tacoma (Mariners): .333/.529/.417, one 2B, five BB, four K, 2-for-2 on SB attempts in 12 AB.
Jordan Patterson, OF, Albuquerque (Rockies): .278/.381/.333, one 2B, two BB, four K, 1-for-1 in SB attempts in 18 AB.
Jonathan Singleton, 1B, Fresno (Astros): .250/.308/.500, one HR, one BB, two K in 12 AB.
Austin Hedges, C, El Paso (Padres): .333/.333/.417, one 2B, one K, 0-for-1 in SB attempts in 12 AB.
Matt Reynolds, SS, Las Vegas (Mets): .444/.583/.778, one HR, three BB, two K, 1-for-1 in SB attempts in nine AB.
Jorge Bonifacio, OF, Omaha (Royals): .222/.222/.333, one 3B, six K, 1-for-1 on SB attempts in 18 AB.