Minor League Barometer: Diamonds in the Rough

It's easy to be drawn to the big prospect names, but finding those hidden diamonds in the rough can be much more satisfying. In that vein, here are a few more names to keep in the back of your mind as the season progresses.

Cal Quantrill, P, SD - Tommy John surgery dropped Quantrill a tad in this past year's draft, though he's racked up 43 strikeouts in 37.1 innings in the extremely hitter-friendly confines of the California League.

Seranthony Dominguez, P, PHI – Though he's currently on the Disabled List with an unspecified neck injury, Dominguez posted a 2.02 ERA and 45:13 K:BB in 35.2 innings for High-A Clearwater. Opposing batters hit a putrid .187 against him.

Hector Perez, P, HOU – After being brought along slowly by the Astros, Perez has the chance to jump multiple levels in 2017. He's already been promoted from Low-A to High-A, having accumulated 47 strikeouts in 33.2 innings. Watch out for those walks, though.

Who else is waiting for their turn to burst onto the scene? Let's take a gander in this week's Minor League Barometer.

UPGRADE

Gleyber Torres, SS, NYY – Torres flashed his power stroke over the past week or so, clubbing four home runs in seven games at Double-A Trenton. The organization apparently felt that this was enough to warrant a promotion to Triple-A. Of note, Torres also had almost as many walks (17) as strikeouts (21) during his 32-game stint for the Thunder. Torres has been playing second base and third base along with his natural position of shortstop in order to increase his flexibility and utility, as the Yankees have the sure-handed Didi Gregorius at shortstop at the big-league level. Torres will likely spend most of the summer at Triple-A, though injuries or a hot start could change the narrative and force even the potent offense of the Yanks to reconsider the outlook on Torres for 2017.

Ronald Acuna, OF, ATL – The Braves have certainly not been shy about challenging Acuna, though the teenager has delivered thus far in 2017. Promoted to Double-A at just 19 years of age, Acuna is off to a torrid start at Mississippi. Acuna is slashing a robust .354/.456/.563 with two home runs, 10 RBI and nine steals in 13 games since being bumped up to Double-A. His speed on the basepaths has always stood out, though it is the emergence of his power stroke that should be turning heads. Add in the fact that he hasn't hit below .287 at any level of full-season ball, all while still in his teens, and it should come as no surprise that Acuna has moved near the top of the prospect rankings.

Colton Welker, 3B, COL – The Rockies already have Nolan Arenado at the hot corner, and Ryan McMahon is having something of a revival at Double-A as well. So Welker's stellar start at Low-A Asheville may just be icing on the cake for the Rockies. Still, the 19-year-old is hitting .353 with four home runs and 20 RBI through 36 games. He has been even better of late, batting an absurd .474 over his last 10 contests. A fourth round selection in the 2016 draft, Welker is a contact hitter who also should hit for power as he matures. The Rockies also have absolutely no need to rush Welker due to the players sitting in front of him.

Michael Chavis, 3B, BOS – Speaking of depth, the Red Sox have Rafael Devers currently at Double-A, who is the undisputed third baseman of the future in Boston. That may leave Chavis out in the cold, though the 21-year-old is currently raking at High-A. Chavis has a slash line of .336/.420/.696 with 10 home runs and 34 RBI through 33 games for High-A Salem. He is currently first in batting average, second in home runs and fourth in RBI in the Carolina League. Chavis does have a bit of a checkered injury history, but it appears as though he's finally healthy and breaking out. If the sudden offensive explosion is for real, the Red Sox could have yet another powerful young bat to add to their arsenal.

CHECK STATUS

Scott Kingery, 2B, PHI – The Player of the Week in the Eastern League, Kingery notched two multi-homer games in his last three contests for Double-A Reading. That brought his home run total to a staggering 13 in 37 games. By contrast, Kingery had eight home runs in 197 professional games coming into this season. In other words, has Kingery finally found his power stroke, or is this breakout merely an aberration, or a mirage? His speed is certainly not a fluke, though; Kingery had 30 steals in 2016, and already has nine swiped bags in 2017. A second round pick in the 2015 draft, the 23-year-old college product could see the big leagues by the end of next season, or perhaps sooner if this surplus of power continues.

Fernando Tatis Jr, SS, SD – His Dad once his two home runs in the same inning, but this younger version of Tatis may end up being a more complete ballplayer. He's got a rocket for an arm, and at just 18 years of age, is already showing power production just like his father. The teenager has been on fire of late, hitting .421 with four home runs and nine RBI over his last 10 outings at Low-A Fort Wayne. As with most young players, Tatis needs to work on his plate discipline, as he has 54 strikeouts in 41 games. Still, he's already tallied nine steals as well, giving him an intriguing power/speed combination. As long as he can consistently make contact, Tatis will end up in the majors one day.

Jose Almonte, P, ARI – The 21-year-old righty has registered back-to-back nine strikeout games for High-A Visalia. He has 47 strikeouts in 38 innings at this level in 2017, and has allowed just one home run despite playing in the hitter's haven known as the California League. So what's the problem? The bugaboo for Almonte has been that he is walking entirely too many batters. Almonte has 27 walks in 38 innings, causing his WHIP to skyrocket to 1.58. As a result, his ERA is far from pristine at 4.03. The strikeout stuff makes Almonte a hurler to keep on the prospect radar, but he must cut down on the free passes in order to succeed at the higher levels, or risk ending up in the bullpen.

Cole Tucker, SS, PIT – After a couple of dismal seasons, Tucker may have finally turned the corner. The 20-year-old shortstop is batting .289 with a standout .380 On-Base Percentage through 40 games for High-A Bradenton. Since he has been getting on base at a much greater clip this season, Tucker's stolen base numbers have been off the charts. He's swiped 26 bags in 40 games, having been caught just six times. The switch-hitter is not completely devoid of power either; he's already amassed a career- best three home runs this season. With an advanced approach at the dish, Tucker may end up being the preferred option at shortstop for the Pirates in place of Kevin Newman, at least from a fantasy perspective.

DOWNGRADE

Jomar Reyes, 3B, BAL – Reyes probably wishes he could take back his punch to that wall, which broke his hand and landed him on the Disabled List. It was extremely poor timing as well, as Reyes finally appeared to be coming into his own as a young hitter at the dish. The 20-year-old was batting .321/.361/.436 for High- Frederick. Reyes remains one of the better talents in the Baltimore system, but he will not return to the field until mid-June at the earliest, and he remains quite far away from making an impact at the MLB level.

Sean Reid-Foley, P, TOR – Control problems have returned for Reid-Foley, who kept most of those issues at bay in 2016. While he's maintained his strikeout prowess, the additional walks have resulted in a bloated ERA for the 21-year-old righty. Reid-Foley has a 5.81 ERA through 31 innings for Double-A New Hampshire. While he does have 32 strikeouts over that span, Reid-Foley has also walked 21 batters. In addition, opposing batters are hitting .279 against him, which is by far his worst BAA during his professional career. It is clear something is awry for arguably the best pitcher in the Toronto system.

Justin Dunn, P, NYM – Dunn has had a rough go at High-A Port St. Lucie thus far in 2017, so much so that perhaps the Mets were too aggressive in having him skip Low-A all together. The 21-year-old hurler out of Boston College has a 6.21 ERA and 24:18 K:BB through 37.2 innings. Opposing batters are hitting an outrageous .320 against the 6-foot-2 righty. The local product from Freeport, New York has struggled with his command, unable to locate his secondary pitches, most notably the changeup. Dunn sometimes pitched out of the bullpen in college, and he may end up back there if he can't right the ship eventually.

Lucas Erceg, 3B, MIL – Erceg has been less than impressive during his short stint at High-A thus far in 2017. The 22-year-old was a second round pick in last year's draft, and hit extremely well during brief tours of Rookie Ball and Low-A last season. However, he is slashing just .210/.253/.350 through 38 games for High-A Carolina. His lack of plate discipline remains a concern, as Erceg has a 29:8 K:BB over that span. While Erceg does have five home runs and 21 RBI, the inconsistent contact at the dish has limited his numbers. Hailing from tiny Menlo College, Erceg will have to prove that despite coming from a small school, he can hit anywhere. Thus far, that has not been the case, at least in 2017.