Minor League Barometer: The Prospect Landscape

The Braves have about as intriguing of a squad at High-A Florida as one will ever see. On paper, this is one of the more talented teams in the minors. Outfielder Ronald Acuna has enormous potential and is ranked quite high on many prospect lists due to his combination of bat control, plate discipline and speed.

Meanwhile, the roster is rife with reclamation projects. Take Alex Jackson, the No. 2 overall pick from the 2014 draft by the Seattle Mariners. Floundering and cast off in the offseason for pennies on the dollar, Jackson has enjoyed something of a resurgence early on in 2017. Still just 21 years of age, Jackson is batting .301 with seven home runs and 17 RBI through 22 games. Be wary of that K:BB, though; Jackson has fanned 24 times while drawing just two walks in 22 contests. Luiz "I once was a teenaged phenom" Gohara came over in a separate trade with the M's, and the 20-year-old southpaw has notched a 1.73 ERA and 27:5 K:BB in 26 innings for the Fire Frogs. In addition, Touki Toussaint, who the Braves essentially stole from the Diamondbacks in 2015, has not had much success early on with a 7.20 ERA, but the 20-year-old hurler does have 23 strikeouts in 20 innings.

The Braves have done an impeccable job building their organization from the ground up, and as a result, they have built one of the top minor league systems in all of baseball.

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

UPGRADE

Amed Rosario, SS, NYM - The Mets appear to be in shambles at the big league level. Does that mean that the team will look to its top prospect in Rosario for an immediate boost? Or will the Metropolitans hold off on promoting Rosario and play for the future? The 21-year-old Rosario certainly looks like he's ready for the majors right now. He's batting an absurd .404 through 23 games for Triple-A Las Vegas. Rosario is also on pace to shatter his previous career high in stolen bases of 19 with seven already. The presence of Asdrubal Cabrera does complicate matters a bit, but if the downward trend for the Mets continues this season, Cabrera could end up being trade bait. That would certainly open up a spot for Rosario.

Jack Flaherty, P, STL - The 21-year-old Flaherty has always been a highly regarded prospect, and the first-rounder has produced decent (though unspectacular) numbers throughout his first few seasons in the minors. A high school arm, Flaherty's development has been steady, but his early success in 2017 could be a sign of a breakout campaign. Flaherty has been dominant through four starts for Double-A Springfield, posting a 0.56 ERA and 28:4 K:BB in 32 innings, and has the upside of a No. 2 starter. With Alex Reyes and Luke Weaver both hurt, an argument can be made that Flaherty is the top healthy pitching prospect for St. Louis, though the Cards likely won't rush him.

Matt Thaiss, 1B, LAA - After a slow start to the year, Thaiss has really picked up the slack of late. One of the few bright spots in an otherwise barren system for the Angels, Thaiss is a pure hitter with superior plate discipline. He has tallied almost as many walks (13) as strikeouts (15) early on in 2017. His recent power binge may also quiet some of the doubters regarding whether he can hit for enough power at the higher levels. Of course, the fact that he is hitting in the California League needs to be taken into account, but his approach at the dish will travel anywhere. Thaiss has the potential to be rock-solid for an organization starving for minor league talent.

Ryan Mountcastle, SS, BAL - Mountcastle just turned 20 prior to the 2017 campaign, but his production to begin the season at High-A is stellar for any age. The 6-foot-3 shortstop is batting .323 with five home runs and 16 RBI through 24 games for High-A Frederick. Among the top prospects for the O's, Mountcastle needs to be a tad more patient at the dish, though it is difficult to nitpick at this point in time. The scary part is that he has plenty of room to grow, not only physically but also with his approach at the plate. A big year could vault Mountcastle up the prospect rankings.

CHECK STATUS

Dinelson Lamet, P, SD - Lamet is off to a torrid start at Triple-A El Paso. The 6-foot-4 righty has a minuscule 0.45 ERA through four starts while posting a standout 28:9 K:BB over those 20 innings. Perhaps more impressively, Lamet has been putting up these kind of numbers in the extremely hitter-friendly confines of the Pacific Coast League. Lamet was a late-bloomer out of the Dominican Republic and didn't start pitching for the Padres until he was 21 years of age. He jumped three levels last season, fanning 158 batters in 150 innings, though he did battle control issues at times. He's a bit older than other pitching phenoms, but his ability to miss bats makes him worth keeping an eye on. The development of his third pitch, the changeup, will also go a long way towards determining whether he'll stay in the starting rotation or shift to the bullpen.

Dustin Fowler, OF, NYY - Fowler is an overlooked prospect for the Yankees. The toolsy centerfielder notched 12 home runs, 88 RBI and 25 steals at Double-A last season and hasn't missed a beat to begin the year at Triple-A. The 22-year-old lefty is batting .293 with four home runs, 12 RBI and two steals through 20 games at this level. Fowler's impatience at the dish is certainly something to watch, though he hasn't hit below .281 since the start of the 2015 campaign. He's blocked by Jacoby Ellsbury and Brett Gardner at the big league level, which may be the more determinative fact in terms of when he'll reach the majors. Expect Fowler to spend most, if not all of the 2017 season in Triple-A, barring injury or trade to an outfield-needy squad. That said, Fowler would be getting much more publicity in a weaker farm system.

Jacob Faria, P, TB - The refrain remains the same for Faria; massive strikeout potential combined with too many walks. The 23-year-old righty leads the International League in strikeouts, whiffing 39 batters in 25.2 innings. However, Faria has also issued 13 free passes over that span. Opposing batters haven't hit better than .211 against him since the start of the 2014 season, but Faria's inability to consistently hit his location hinders his overall potential. When right, though, Faria can be electric. He tossed six shutout innings in his last start, scattering three hits, walking just one batter while striking out 11. However, he walked five batters in his previous outing, and the Jekyll-and-Hyde performances continue no matter the level. If not for the rabid inconsistency, Faria would be considered among the elite pitching phenoms in baseball.

Derek Fisher, OF, HOU - Fisher has put up some serious stats while playing in two extremely hitter-friendly environments in the California and Pacific Coast Leagues. When out of these places, Fisher's batting averages has dipped, as has his power numbers. Nevertheless, Fisher does have double-digit home run power and the ability to steal 20 bases, regardless of environment. Currently, he has five home runs and three steals through 23 games at Triple-A. Fisher also is not afraid to take a walk, but his strikeouts are a tad high as well. He fits the profile for the Astros, an organization that does not mind strikeouts as long as home runs and steals can be registered. That being said, this writer is unsure whether Fisher can hit for average in the majors while doing enough damage in those other categories to be a fantasy regular.

DOWNGRADE

Luis Ortiz, P, MIL - Make sure to keep tabs on Ortiz, as the burly righty left his last start at Double-A due to hamstring tightness. Ortiz has a history of assorted ailments, though he came over from the Rangers in the Jonathan Lucroy deal and is still considered one of the top pitching prospects for the Brew Crew. Ortiz had posted a 3.72 ERA and 20:5 K:BB through 19.1 innings this year prior to getting hurt, and opposing batters were hitting a paltry .186 against him. The 21-year-old righty has a repertoire of four pitches, and if he can prove durable, Ortiz could make his debut in Milwaukee as early as next season.

Richard Urena, SS, TOR - Urena and teammate Anthony Alford are trending in opposite directions. While Alford is tearing the cover off the ball, Urena is struggling to make contact, slashing just .213/.282/.267 to begin the 2017 campaign. In addition, the 21-year-old shortstop has recorded neither a home run or a stolen base through the first 20 contests of the year for Double-A New Hampshire. The switch-hitter has also fanned 20 times over that span.

Brady Aiken, P, CLE - Remember this guy? Aiken made headlines for refusing to sign in 2014 with the Astros despite being the No. 1 pick, and perhaps karma has come back around on him. Selected the following year by the Indians, Aiken had Tommy John surgery, then had a rather dismal 2016 upon his return. In 2017, his first taste of full-season ball has been difficult to say the least. Aiken has a 4.12 ERA at Low-A, including an abysmal 10:17 K:BB through four starts. Yes, you read that correctly — Aiken has walked 17 batters in 19.2 innings. Clearly Aiken still has some kinks to work out, honing his mechanics and building up arm strength. That being said, it is clear that his prospect luster has faded significantly. There are dozens of young hurlers viewed as having more potential than Aiken at this juncture.

Sam Travis, 1B, BOS - The 23-year-old Travis just doesn't have that prospect glow, at least in my opinion. He can certainly swing the bat, but his power is limited, and he's hitting just .233 though 17 games at Triple-A this season. The plate discipline for Travis at this level, albeit in a small sample size, has not been up to his previous standards. He's also coming off a torn ACL last season, and had a recent collision with teammate Blake Swihart which knocked him out of the lineup for a few games as well. Travis has never hit more than nine home runs in a season, and his ACL injury will certainly eliminate any speed element. If he can't hit .300, there isn't much upside for Travis.