Minor League Barometer: Midsummer Prospecting

The Houston Astros recently promoted first base prospect A.J. Reed to the Majors. Does that mean shortstop/third baseman Alex Bregman will follow suit? All Bregman did after being promoted to Triple-A was go 4-for-5 with three RBI and five runs in his debut for the Fresno Grizzlies. He followed that up with two home runs in the subsequent three games, and is 8-for-16 with two home runs and eight RBI in four contests. The difference for Bregman is that he is blocked by Carlos Correa at shortstop at the big league level; Reed had no such impediment at first. Bregman is still playing shortstop at Triple-A, and, for now, will remain at that position. The Astros have jumped back into the playoff race over the last month or so, and Luis Valbuena has been adequate at third base of late. Still, it would be hard to argue that Bregman's inclusion on the big league roster would not immediately improve that lineup. The Astros remain patient, but Bregman's call will come in short order. They'll find some way to get his bat in the lineup before the summer is finished.

Let's take a look at the rest of the prospect landscape in this week's Minor League Barometer.

UPGRADE

Phil Bickford, P, SF – Bickford has had an interesting path to this point, including failing to sign with the Blue Jays after being drafted in the first round of the 2014 draft. He blew away the competition for a year at the College of Southern Nevada, then ended up being drafted by the Giants, with whom he ended up signing. It's been smooth sailing for the 20-year-old righty since that time. In 2016, he began the year at Low-A and posted a 2.70 ERA and 69:15 K:BB in 60 innings. Despite being promoted to the hitter-friendly confines of the California League, Bickford dazzled in his first start at High-A San Jose. Bickford recorded 13 strikeouts in 18 possible outs, not issuing a walk and allowing just two hits in six innings. He tossed five scoreless innings in his next start, allowing just one hit in the process. Bickford has tantalizing upside, and the Giants may have benefited tremendously from Bickford's decision to not sign with the Blue Jays in 2014.

Chris Paddack, P, SD – Paddack was drafted by the Marlins but was recently dealt to the Padres for Fernando Rodney. In six starts at Low-A prior to the trade, Paddack was absolutely dominant. The eighth-round pick from the 2015 draft notched a minuscule 0.95 ERA and an absurd 48:2 K:BB in 28.1 innings. Paddack did not allow a run – or even a hit – over his final 15 innings with Low-A Greensboro. It appears that the control exhibited by the 20-year-old is legit, and if he can continue to keep his strikeouts up, Paddack will emerge as a chic pickup in keeper leagues.

Reynaldo Lopez, P, WAS – With so much focus on the debut of Lucas Giolito, it would be easy to forget about Lopez, who has elite-level talent in his own right. The 22-year-old flamethrower finally appears to be tapping into his enormous potential. In 76.1 innings at Double-A, Lopez had a 3.18 ERA and 100:25 K:BB. That resulted in a promotion to Triple-A. His command has improved over the last year or so, though he did walk four batters in his debut for Triple-A Syracuse. Still, Lopez has upside galore and should not be ignored. He only appears to be getting better as he matures.

Jack Flaherty, P, STL – The Cardinals have a plethora of pitching talent in the minors, including but not limited to Alex Reyes, Luke Weaver and Sandy Alcantara. Flaherty is another promising young pitcher drafted straight out of high school in 2014. His ERA is a tad higher this season as opposed to 2015, but he has still performed competently at High-A. Flaherty has a 3.58 ERA and 69:21 K:BB in 70.1 innings. Flaherty has a solid build, four pitches, is advanced for his age, and though he may continue to be brought along slowly, it appears that he is a very low risk prospect. The Cardinals have been extremely successful in developing pitching talent in recent years (Adam Wainwright, Michael Wacha, Carlos Martinez, to name a few), and there is no reason to believe they won't be able to replicate that success with Flaherty.

CHECK STATUS

Gavin Cecchini, SS, NYM – There's been so much talk about Jose Reyes recently, and Amed Rosario is viewed as the shortstop of the future for the Mets. However, Cecchini was recently named the Pacific Coast League Player of the Week for Triple-A Las Vegas. The reason why Cecchini does not get more publicity, at least from a fantasy perspective, is that he does not produce many home runs or steals. However, he is a tremendous contact hitter, slashing .329/.395/.459 through 62 games this season. He has a 29:26 K:BB over that span. The Mets may not want to give Cecchini a chance at short, but he is certainly making a case for himself.

Wes Rogers, OF, COL – The Rockies have so many high-quality hitting prospects, particularly in the outfield with David Dahl and Raimel Tapia. Rogers is a speedster who often gets lost in the shuffle. A fourth-round selection in 2014, he swiped 53 bases in 87 games last season, mostly at Low-A. Rogers also hit .287 with a .377 OBP, proving he has the skills capable of handling the leadoff spot. Rogers got off to a slow start to begin the 2016 campaign, but has picked it up recently, batting .324 over his last 10 games for High-A Modesto. In addition, he's stolen 30 bases in 73 games. Still, Rogers is batting just .256 on the year, and the 22-year-old does not project to hit for much power. Rogers needs to be able to hit for average to make himself more than just a pinch-running or fourth outfield-type option.

Matt Esparza, P, CLE – A 14th round selection in last year's draft, Esparza has been a pleasant surprise for the Tribe. The 6-foot-2 hurler out of UC-Irvine has shown stellar command along with the ability to miss bats. Living down in the zone, Esparza has posted a 1.47 GO:AO ratio. The rest of his statistics are excellent as well, as the 21-year-old has a 3.22 ERA and 93:16 K:BB in 81 innings. Esparza slipped in the draft because his fastball is not overpowering, but he can locate to both sides of the dish and has three pitches he can use effectively. Esparza does not project as a future frontline starter, but he is worth a look if he continues to pitch like this.

Josh VanMeter, SS, SD – A fifth-round pick out of high school in 2013, VanMeter is a toolsy shortstop who had been brought along slowly by the Padres. When he was finally ready to be unleashed in 2015, he fractured his fibula in an awkward fall and missed most of the season. Healthy and playing at High-A in 2016, VanMeter is having his coming out party. The 21-year-old is batting .280/.358/.479 with 11 home runs, 35 RBI and eight stolen bases. VanMeter is intriguing due to his combination of speed and power, particularly at the usually thin fantasy position of shortstop. We will have to see if he can string together a larger sampling of successful work at the higher levels, but he should be kept on your radar at the very least.

DOWNGRADE

Mark Appel, P, PHI – So much for Appel's comeback season. Last week, he underwent season-ending surgery to remove a bone spur from his elbow. He was already having shoulder issues prior to the procedure. Appel has had an extremely checkered past in the minors, rife with injury and inconsistency. A change of scenery from the hometown Astros to the Phillies was thought to be just what Appel needed, but 2016 has been more of the same for the right-handed hurler. Appel finishes the 2016 campaign with a 4.46 ERA and 34:20 K:BB in 38.1 innings.

Yoan Lopez, P, AZ – Lopez has left his team at Double-A Mobile, and is threatening to completely quite baseball. The Cuban defector has apparently been dealing with personal issues which have clearly affected his on-field performance. The 23-year-old righty has a bloated 5.52 ERA and 36:32 K:BB in 62 innings at this level. It remains to be seen if Lopez is actually done with the Diamondbacks, but it is clear he has been a bust since signing for $8.25 million at the beginning of 2015.

Michael Kopech, P, BOS – Kopech had a bounce-back season in 2015, but also served a 50-game suspension last year, and has pitched in just one game in 2016 due to an assortment of injuries. Kopech missed the first two and a half months this season due to a broken hand suffered in spring training. He recovered and was sent on assignment to the New York-Penn League, where he tossed four scoreless innings. However, Kopech subsequently suffered a calf strain, and was placed on the DL. While the injury is not considered serious, the growth of the first-round pick in 2014 has certainly been stunted due to his inability to stay on the mound. The 20-year-old has not pitched above Low-A.

Ozzie Albies, 2B, ATL – Albies was playing shortstop at Triple-A Gwinnett, technically ahead of fellow shortstop Dansby Swanson, the No. 1 pick in the 2015 draft. Swanson is playing shortstop at Double-A. The Braves decided to demote Albies to Double-A and move him to second base, where he will play for the foreseeable future. The move signifies not only that Swanson is the shortstop of the future, but that neither player will see the big leagues before 2017. In addition, Albies had been mediocre at Triple-A, hitting .248/.307/.351 through 56 games. The Braves now have their middle infield of the future together, but it will be Albies at second base, and the duo won't see the bigs before next season.