This Indians lacks a clear standout, as Nolan Jones and Tyler Freeman have good chances to be impact players but lacks an exciting ceiling, while Triston McKenzie has exciting stuff and polish but can't seem to stay healthy. Down lower though, there are quite a few electric arms like those of Ethan Hankins, Daniel Espino, Carlos Vargas, and Lenny Torres, though I find it just a bit odd that the Indians like to stockpile these high octane arms when they actually develop the opposite extremely well. They've recently graduated a ton of pitchability guys, most notably Shane Bieber, Aaron Civale, Adam Plutko, and Zach Plesac, and they have a few more coming up in Logan Allen, Scott Moss, Eli Morgan, and Adam Scott. On the offensive side, the system is more contact-focused than power-focused (sorry Bobby Bradley and Will Benson), with guys like Jones, Freeman, Ernie Clement, Brayan Rocchio, and Aaron Bracho seeming more focused on that part of their game.
Affiliates: AAA Columbus Clippers, AA Akron RubberDucks, High A Lynchburg Hillcats, Class A Lake County Captains, short season Mahoning Valley Scrappers, complex level AZL and DSL Indians plus DSL Indians/Brewers
Catcher
- Bo Naylor (2020 Age: 20): The Indians' first round pick out of a Toronto-area high school and the younger brother of Padres rookie Josh Naylor got off to a strong start to his pro career in 2019, slashing .243/.313/.421 with eleven home runs and a 104/43 strikeout to walk ratio over 107 games at Class A Lake County. Those numbers might not pop off the page, but high school catching (and catching in general) is so hard to develop that you'll take it most times. He out-hit the other two high-drafted high school catchers from his draft class in Anthony Seigler (.175/.328/.206 at Yankees Class A) and Will Banfield (.199/.252/.310 at Marlins Class A), showing a solid combination of power and plate discipline and even stealing seven bases. In fact, he was my favorite of the three on draft day, and his feel for the barrel should help him develop into a 15-25 homer, decent to solid on-base percentage catcher if things work out.
- Keep an eye on: Gavin Collins, Bryan Lavastida
Corner Infield
- Nolan Jones (2020 Age: 21-22): The best prospect in this system, Nolan Jones has the potential to be an impact bat in the near future. This year, the former second round pick out of a Philadelphia-area high school slashed .272/.409/.442 with 15 home runs and a 148/96 strikeout to walk ratio across 126 games at High A Lynchburg and AA Akron, showing plenty of patience and feel for the barrel. Strongly built at 6'2", he probably won't hit for a ton of power, but he could be a Michael Brantley-type hitter who swats 15-25 home runs per season with high on-base percentages, albeit with a few more strikeouts. He plays a solid third base and while he won't be spectacular there, he'll get the job done. Jones will likely spend a lot of time at AAA in 2020, but don't be surprised to see him called up to the majors at some point.
- Bobby Bradley (2020 Age: 23-24): You want power, Bobby Bradley will give you power. In 2019, he slashed .264/.344/.567 with 33 home runs and a 153/46 strikeout to walk ratio over 107 games at AAA Columbus, also spending 15 games in the majors and slashing .178/.245/.356 with one home run there. He has the chance to become something of a Joey Gallo-lite, as he probably won't get to his power enough to hit 40+ home runs per season, but he has a good chance to be at least a Matt Adams-type if not more. There's a lot of swing and miss in his game and he's not quite patient enough to offset it, so he's not a guarantee to be able to hit in the majors, but the big raw power means he'll get every opportunity to try, starting in 2020.
- Yu Chang (2020 Age: 24): Chang plays all over the infield, but with the depth of middle infield prospects in this system, we'll put him on the corner infield list. In 2019, he slashed .253/.322/.427 with nine home runs and a 67/26 strikeout to walk ratio over 68 games at AAA Columbus, also adding in a .178/.286/.274 performance over 28 major league games. He's got some power from the right side and doesn't strike out a ton, and he's worked to become a more balanced hitter in recent years. He profiles more as a useful, bat-first utility infielder than as a starter, but should earn a spot in 2020.
- Keep an eye on: Wilson Garcia, Ulysses Cantu, Jhonkensy Noel, Joe Naranjo
Middle Infield
- Ernie Clement (2020 Age: 24): Clement is a light hitting middle infielder who makes extremely easy contact from the right side of the plate, and he slashed .269/.323/.331 with one home run, 17 stolen bases, and a 34/28 strikeout to walk ratio over 101 games, mostly at AA Akron. He doesn't generate much impact at all, but he puts the ball in play consistently and should not have a problem doing so in the majors. He won't hit for nearly enough power to start, but he should provide a quality utility infielder in the near future.
- Tyler Freeman (2020 Age: 20-21): As a low walk, low power infielder, Freeman was always going to have to get the ball in play a lot to stay relevant, and he's done that about as well as you could hope. After slashing .352/.405/.511 in short season ball in 2018, he hit .306/.368/.410 with three home runs, 19 stolen bases, and a 53/26 strikeout to walk ratio over 123 games at Class A Lake County and High A Lynchburg. He finds the barrel extremely easily and hit 32 doubles and five triples despite knocking just three home runs, continuously taking extra bases and finding ways to help the team win. He lacks physical tools and simply relies on his exceptional feel for the game, and that should make him at least a strong utility infielder if not a starting second baseman at the major league level.
- Brayan Rocchio (2020 Age: 19): Rocchio is just a 5'10", 150 pound 18 year old kid out of Venezuela, but he surprised a lot of people by slashing .335/.390/.442 in complex ball last year. This year, his numbers were a bit down as an 18 year old in short season ball, but he slashed .250/.310/.373 with five home runs, 14 stolen bases, and a 40/20 strikeout to walk ratio over 69 games at Mahoning Valley. He's got great feel for the barrel and game for his age, and he's an explosive hitter despite his lack of physicality. Adding strength to his small frame could make him an impact hitter all around, and he'll stick up the middle either at second or shortstop.
- Aaron Bracho (2020 Age: 19): Bracho isn't much bigger than Rocchio at 5'11", and in 2019 he slashed .281/.402/.570 with eight home runs and a 29/28 strikeout to walk ratio over 38 games between the complex level Arizona League and short season Mahoning Valley. His ability to just drop the barrel to the ball and spray it around the park helped him beat up on the low level competition he faced in the Arizona League, though of course he was only 18 as well. He profiles better as a second baseman but his advanced bat should profile there.
- Christian Cairo (2020 Age: 18-19): The Indians fourth round pick out of a Tampa-area high school in 2019, Christian Cairo is the son of former major leaguer Miguel Cairo. The younger Cairo slashed just .178/.324/.212 with a 40/25 strikeout to walk ratio over 46 games in the Arizona League in his pro debut, though he had only just turned 18 in June. He's well known for his feel for the game and ability to make contact, and the Indians hope that at least some power will come. He's also a strong defender due to his instincts, though second base might be his better long term home, especially in a system deep with middle infield talent like this one.
- Keep an eye on: Ike Freeman, Raynel Delgado, Gabriel Rodriguez, Jose Tena, Yordys Valdes, Angel Martinez
Outfielders
- Daniel Johnson (2020 Age: 24-25): Acquired from the Nationals in the Yan Gomes trade before the season, Johnson had a successful first season in the Cleveland system by slashing .290/.361/.507 with 19 home runs, 12 stolen bases, and a 118/50 strikeout to walk ratio over 123 games at AA Akron and AAA Columbus. Despite standing only 5'10", he's one of the most tooled up players in this system, as he shows power, speed, and arm strength to be a net positive on both sides of the ball. While he can be inconsistent at the plate, he's an impact hitter when he's on, and he projects for 20+ home runs per season and middling on-base percentages if he can make it click up there. Defensively, he could win Gold Gloves in right field because of his cannon arm and good range.
- Ka'ai Tom (2020 Age: 25-26): Tom has flown a bit under the radar since being drafted in the fifth round out of Kentucky in 2015, but he had a breakout 2019 where he slashed .290/.380/.532 with 23 home runs and a 126/64 strikeout to walk ratio over 132 games in the upper minors at Akron and Columbus. Even at just 5'9", he has power from a quick left handed swing and it wasn't just a product of the juiced balls in AAA, as he still slashed .512 in AA. He doesn't necessarily sell out for power, but he does have to intentionally lift the ball if he wants to get one out, so his hit tool is a bit behind the power and probably means he'll be more of a fourth outfielder at the major league level, but the bat combined with solid defense in the outfield means he should be a valuable one.
- Will Benson (2020 Age: 21-22): It's hard to know exactly what to make of Benson, a first round pick in 2016 out of high school in Atlanta. He's been brought along slowly with mixed results, not reaching full season ball until 2018 and only slashing .180/.324/.370 for Class A Lake County that year. He repeated the level in 2019, with far different results: 18 home runs, a .272/.371/.604 slash line, 18 stolen bases, and a 78/37 strikeout to walk ratio over 62 games. That earned him a promotion to High A Lynchburg, where his numbers dropped again: four home runs, .189/.290/.304 slash line, 73/31 strikeout to walk ratio in 61 games. He has extremely quick hands through the zone that help him produce a ton of power from his 6'5" frame, and he's a selective enough hitter to pad his on-base percentage with plenty of walks. However, he seems to lack the feel for the barrel you'd hope to see in a power hitter like himself, resulting in too many popouts and strikeouts. If he can figure out how to get that barrel where it needs to go, he could hit 30+ home runs annually in the majors, but he isn't there yet. He's also a sound defensive right fielder that should provide positive value there.
- Steven Kwan (2020 Age: 22): Kwan is basically the outfield version of Ernie Clement. A fifth round pick out of Oregon State in 2018, he slashed .280/.353/.382 with three home runs, eleven stolen bases, and a 51/53 strikeout to walk ratio over 123 games at High A Lynchburg this year. He doesn't show much power but he can spray doubles and triples into the gap, and his exceptional knowledge of the strike zone helps him get the ball in play consistently. He profiles as a fourth outfielder at the major league level but that plate discipline gives him a very good chance of getting there.
- George Valera (2020 Age: 19): Valera is a Dominican outfielder who didn't get a chance to show what he could do until 2019, when he slashed .236/.356/.446 with eight home runs and a 52/29 strikeout to walk ratio over 46 games at short season Mahoning Valley before he slumped to .087/.192/.174 in a six game call-up to Class A Lake County. He's extremely talented with advanced feel for the strike zone and barrel, and that was apparent as he reached full season ball at 18 years old. He'll get another crack at it in his age-19 season in 2020, where he'll hope to take the next step towards developing into a high on-base hitter with some power potential despite his 5'10" frame.
- Keep an eye on: Oscar Gonzalez, Jodd Carter, Quentin Holmes, Will Brennan
Starting Pitching
- Logan Allen (2020 Age: 22-23): Allen has bounced around a lot, originally getting traded from the Red Sox to the Padres in the 2015 Craig Kimbrel deal before finding himself in Cleveland following the three-team Trevor Bauer/Yasiel Puig/Franmil Reyes trade in July. Spending the year at AAA, Allen had a 5.85 ERA, a 1.58 WHIP, and an 81/34 strikeout to walk ratio over 80 innings, also putting up a 6.18 ERA and a 17/13 strikeout to walk ratio over 27.2 major league innings. He's a 6'3" righty that sits in the low to mid 90's with his fastball and adds a full arsenal of secondary pitches, led by a plus changeup that functions as his out pitch. The lack of strong breaking balls limits his upside to that of a #4 starter, but he's just about there and with his solid command, he could contribute in the Indians rotation in 2020.
- Scott Moss (2020 Age: 25): Joining Allen in coming over in the three team trade is Scott Moss, a 6'6" lefty who posted a 2.96 ERA, a 1.29 WHIP, and a 159/70 strikeout to walk ratio over 130.2 innings at AA and AAA in what was an extremely dominant 2019 campaign. He only sits in the low 90's with his fastball and doesn't have a true out pitch or even great command, but he uses his size and knowledge of pitching to his advantage to get outs consistently. That makes his average stuff play way up despite his so-so command, and it gives him the chance to exceed expectations upon reaching the majors in 2020, where he's currently projected as a #5 starter.
- Triston McKenzie (2020 Age: 22-23): McKenzie might have the best combination of electric stuff and polish in this system, but injuries held him to just 90.2 innings in 2018 and off the mound completely in 2019. The Floridian righty is a 6'5" string bean that can sit in the low to mid 90's with his fastball and add in a curveball with a ton of vertical movement while also keeping lefties off balance with a diving changeup. Unlike most young pitchers with his profile, he can actually command everything pretty well, and when he's on the mound, he looks like a potential future ace or #2 starter. However, he has to figure out how to stay healthy (it was back problems that wiped out his 2019), because otherwise he may be ticketed for the bullpen despite the electric stuff and command.
- Eli Morgan (2020 Age: 23-24): An under the radar eighth round pick out of Gonzaga in 2017, Morgan has exceeded expectations every step of the way and posted a 3.39 ERA, a 1.17 WHIP, and a 146/40 strikeout to walk ratio over 140.2 innings at High A Lynchburg, AA Akron, and AAA Columbus. He's only a 5'10" righty with a 90 mile an hour fastball and a decent slider, but he mixes and commands his pitches very well and drops in an above average changeup that functions as his out pitch. There are certainly more exciting arms all over this system, but the Indians have done excepctionally well with developing this kind of crafty righty, recently graduating Shane Bieber, Aaron Civale, Adam Plutko, and Zach Plesac off of prospect lists and into their rotation.
- Jean Carlos Mejia (2020 Age: 23): Mejia had a big, breakout 2018 season in A ball (3.31 ERA, 100/21 K/BB), but he missed most of 2019 with a sports hernia and finished with a 4.09 ERA, a 1.12 WHIP, and a 36/9 strikeout to walk ratio over 33 innings at High A Lynchburg. When healthy, Mejia checks most of the boxes for a successful major league starter, showing some velocity (low to mid 90's fastball), two good breaking balls with plenty of feel to spin them, and good command from a 6'4" frame. However, he's missing one of the big ones, and that's durability. He set a career high with 98 innings pitched in 2018, and he otherwise has never broken 40 in a season, which is very concerning if you want to hand him 150 per season in the majors. If he can't hold up as a starter, he could be a quality three pitch reliever.
- Ethan Hankins (2020 Age: 19-20): Hankins has about as electric of an arm as you can find, and he used it to post a 2.55 ERA, a 1.22 WHIP, and a 71/30 strikeout to walk ratio over 60 innings between short season Mahoning Valley and Class A Lake County in 2019. His mid 90's fastball has a ton of running and riding action that makes it nearly impossible to square up, and his changeup is much more advanced than that of most teenage pitchers. Developing a good breaking ball could make him elite and get hitters' eyes going in the other direction, though he hasn't been able to do that yet and currently relies on merely decent sliders and curveballs. As it stands, with so-so command and a spotty injury history, Hankins is a total boom-bust prospect, though developing only two out of the three between command, durability, and a breaking ball should be enough to make him an impact starter.
- Luis Oviedo (2020 Age: 20-21): Oviedo dominated short season ball in 2018 (1.88 ERA, 61/10 K/BB), though he hasn't quite gotten the same results since reaching full season ball. This year, he had a 5.38 ERA, a 1.38 WHIP, and a 72/40 strikeout to walk ratio over 87 innings, showing a quality fastball in the mid 90's as well as a full array of secondary pitches, but his command regressed and he was hit hard when he missed spots. He's a projectable 6'4" and shows a lot of promise with his feel for multiple offspeed pitches, though there's clearly more work to be done in getting him more consistent with his mechanics and command. However, he's also the kind of guy who could break out at any point.
- Daniel Espino (2020 Age: 19): Ethan Hankins has the second most explosive arm in the system, and that's because 2019 first rounder Daniel Espino has the first. A Panamanian right hander who attended school in Georgia, Espino posted a 3.80 ERA, a 1.10 WHIP, and a 34/10 strikeout to walk ratio over 23.2 innings in the complex level Arizona League and at short season Mahoning Valley. He's generously listed at 6'2" and sits in the mid 90's with his fastball, which like that of Hankins, has excellent life. He can also get sinking action on his similarly fast two seamer, and unlike Hankins, he has not one but two excellent breaking balls that can miss bats. He still needs a changeup, but he has pretty decent command for someone who throws so hard so young and he's proven durable so far, so he has the potential to be a top of the rotation guy. However, hard throwing kids like him have had a spotty track record, with guys like Tyler Kolek, Riley Pint, Alex Speas, and Hunter Greene running into trouble and/or injuries in pro ball recently (and the jury is still out on Hankins).
- Hunter Gaddis (2020 Age: 22): A fifth round pick out of Georgia State in 2019, I noted Gaddis as more of an upside play than a safe bet despite coming from the college ranks. That might already be coming to fruition, as he had about as successful as a pro debut as you can imagine: 2.73 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 53/7 K/BB over 33 innings in complex ball and at Mahoning Valley. Gaddis brings four pitches to the table but was often inconsistent at Georgia State as his mechanics made his stuff play down, but the Indians have already quieted down his delivery and he did a much better job of hitting his spots in pro ball, also looking like he's getting better extension towards the plate. If he can maintain this progress, he could be a steal in the fifth round and provide Cleveland with a mid-rotation starter. Watch this one.
- Keep an eye on: Sam Hentges, Adam Scott, Cody Morris, Juan Hillman, Lenny Torres,
Relief Pitching
- James Karinchak (2020 Age: 24): Want to know what untouchable looks like? In 2019, Karinchak had a 2.67 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP, and a 74/17 strikeout to walk ratio over 30.1 innings between AA Akron, AAA Columbus, and some complex level rehab. Those numbers are skewed a bit by the juiced balls in AAA, but Karinchak's run through AA especially was nothing short of legendary: ten shutout innings, two hits, two walks, and 24 strikeouts. That's two thirds of his opponents going down via strikeout in AA and 59.2% overall. He sits in the mid to upper 90's with his fastball and gets some serious run on it, and his hammer curveball gets him swings and misses virtually whenever he wants them. However, he struggles to throw strikes consistently, which is just about the only thing keeping him from being a major league closer today. Landing his two plus pitches for strikes could get him there though, and even if he has only a rough idea where the ball is going, he'll be a successful major league reliever. In five appearances with the Indians this year, he had a 1.69 ERA, a 0.75 WHIP, and an 8/1 strikeout to walk ratio over 5.1 innings.
- Nick Sandlin (2020 Age: 23): A second round pick out of Southern Miss in 2018, Sandlin reached AAA in his first full season and might be just as interesting as Karinchak. After dominating, and I mean dominating (1.06 ERA, 0.71 WHIP, 144/18 K/BB) as a junior at USM, he spent 2019 in the upper minors and posted a 2.39 ERA, a 1.25 WHIP, and a 38/15 strikeout to walk ratio over 26.1 innings at Akron and Columbus. He's only 5'11" and sits in the low 90's with his fastball, but he gets by on 80-grade deception because he can and will throw all of his pitches overhand, sidearm, or even submarine, racking up awkward swings all over the place and keeping hitters as off balance as can be. His slider especially is a weapon, as it can dive clear across the plate, and he commands everything pretty well. Unfortunately, he was shut down with a forearm strain in July, so durability remains an important question.
- Carlos Vargas (2020 Age: 20): Vargas spent 2019 as a starter in short season ball, posting a 4.52 ERA, a 1.25 WHIP, and a 71/24 strikeout to walk ratio over 77.2 innings. He's got an extremely quick arm that produces and explosive mid 90's fastball and a hard, bat-missing slider, and the Indians are hoping to help him develop that changeup and command and keep him in the rotation. Even though he'll spend all of 2020 at 20 years old, his delivery, explosive stuff, and quick arm most likely point to the bullpen for me, where he could sit in the upper 90's and miss bats by the bunch.
- Keep an eye on: Aaron Pinto, Kellen Rholl, Matt Waldron
Showing posts with label James Karinchak. Show all posts
Showing posts with label James Karinchak. Show all posts
Monday, November 18, 2019
Sunday, September 8, 2019
2019 Minor League Awards
I put together some awards for the top minor leaguers in a few categories. These are strictly performance based and don't have anything to do with prospect status, though prospect status and being at a higher level would give some players the edge over others in close contests. Different minor leagues have very different run scoring environments, and those are very much factored into consideration. For example, the AAA Pacific Coast League is an extremely hitter-friendly environment, the AAA International League and High A California League are hitter-friendly as well, and leagues such as the AA Texas League, High A Florida State League, and the Class A Midwest League lean more pitcher-friendly.
Hitter of the Year
Winner: OF Luis Robert (White Sox High A, AA, and AAA, age 21-22)
32 HR, .328/.376/.624, 36 SB, 170 wRC+ in 122 games
In 2017, a 19 year old Braves prospect slashed .325/.374/.522 with 21 home runs and 44 stolen bases across the three highest minor league levels, then won the 2018 NL Rookie of the Year Award. The White Sox hope that 22 year old Luis Robert is halfway to following in Ronald Acuna's footsteps with his huge and eerily similar season across three levels. Robert, who was 21 at the beginning of the season, began at High A Winston-Salem but demolished Carolina League pitching to the tune of a .453/.512/.920 slash line and eight home runs over 19 games before being promoted to AA Birmingham. He continued to rake in the Southern League, hitting eight more home runs and slashing .314/.362/.518 across 56 games, then got promoted again to AAA Charlotte. The ball was flying in AAA this year and all power numbers should be taken with a grain of salt, but a .297/.341/.634 with 16 home runs over 47 games is still extremely impressive for someone who started the season down in A ball. The Cuban outfielder is an exceptional athlete with the kind of power/speed combination teams covet, and by crushing 32 home runs in 2019, he proved that getting to that power is no problem whatsoever. He's an aggressive hitter who makes a lot of contact and therefore fails to draw a ton of walks, but because he still hit .328, his .376 on-base percentage remained strong. Eloy Jimenez was the White Sox' top outfield prospect a year ago but Robert has a very good chance to be the better player very soon.
Runner-Up: SS Gavin Lux (Dodgers AA and AAA, age 21)
26 HR, .347/.421/.607, 10 SB, 165 wRC+ in 113 games
A first round pick in 2016 out of a Wisconsin high school, Lux has gotten better and better the longer he has been in the Dodgers system. A mediocre 2017 at Class A Great Lakes translated into a very strong 2018 between High A Rancho Cucamonga and AA Tulsa, and he returned to the level for 2019. Over 64 games, he slashed .313/.375/.521 with 13 home runs and seven stolen bases, so the Dodgers promoted him across the state to AAA Oklahoma City. The Pacific Coast League is an extremely offense-friendly environment, but even in that context, the numbers he put up in 49 games were ludicrous: 13 home runs, a .392/.478/.719 slash line, and a strong 42/33 strikeout to walk ratio despite being just 21 years old. Together, that meant he slashed .347/.421/.607 with 26 home runs over 113 games, all the while playing strong defense at shortstop and showing his speed on the bases. Lux has power, strong plate discipline, the ability to get on base, some speed, and strong infield defense, leaving very few holes in his game and he's already up in the major leagues contributing with the Dodgers. Unless he somehow reaches 130 at bats this September, he'll be a strong candidate for the 2020 NL Rookie of the Year Award after Dodgers won it in both 2016 (Corey Seager) and 2017 (Cody Bellinger), followed by a very strong 2018 performance from Walker Buehler.
Honorable Mention: OF Jarred Kelenic (Mariners Class A, High A, and AA, age 19-20)
23 HR, .291/.364/.540, 20 SB, 152 wRC+ in 117 games
Jarred Kelenic's numbers might not be as eye popping as the other five players listed here, but he was also the only one who didn't get a turn through homer-happy AAA. Kelenic, the Mets' sixth overall pick out of a Wisconsin high school in 2018 who was traded to the Mariners in the Edwin Diaz/Robinson Cano deal, began the season with Class A West Virginia and quickly hit his way out by slashing .309/.394/.586 with eleven home runs in 50 games in the pitcher-friendly Midwest League. Bumped up to High A Modesto in the hitter-friendly California League, he held his own against older competition by slashing .290/.353/.485 with six home runs and ten stolen bases in 46 games. A second promotion brought him to AA Arkansas less than a month after his 20th birthday, and he slashed .253/.315/.542 with six home runs over 21 games against much older competition in the pitcher-friendly Texas League. Together, that gave him a 20-20 season, a strong .364 on-base percentage, and a .540 slugging percentage across three levels at a young age, adding in good defense in the outfield along the way. Had Kelenic had the chance to play at AAA Tacoma in the Pacific Coast League, his raw numbers may have rivaled those of Trent Grisham, listed right below in the "others" section.
Others
Brewers OF Trent Grisham (26 HR, .300/.407/.603, 12 SB, 166 wRC+ in 97 games, age 22)
Twins/Giants OF Jaylin Davis (35 HR, .306/.397/.590, 10 SB, 159 wRC+ in 126 games, age 24-25)
Padres 3B Ty France (27 HR, .399/.477/.770, 1 SB, 196 wRC+ in 76 games, age 24-25)
Pitcher of the Year
Winner: RHP Logan Gilbert (Mariners Class A, High A, and AA, age 21-22)
10-5, 2.13 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 165/33 K/BB in 135 IP
Drafted in the first round out of Stetson in 2018, Gilbert didn't pitch professionally that year and first took the mound in the Mariners organization in April. At the close of the season, it's safe to say that it went pretty well. Gilbert started out at Class A West Virginia but lasted just five starts there with a 1.59 ERA, a 0.66 WHIP, and a 35/5 strikeout to walk ratio in 22.2 innings before being promoted to High A Modesto in the hitter-friendly California League. Nobody told him that it was an offense-heavy environment, as he posted a 1.73 ERA, a 1.03 WHIP, and a 73/12 strikeout to walk ratio over 62.1 innings. Promoted again to AA Arkansas, he posted a 2.88 ERA, a 0.98 WHIP, and a 56/15 strikeout to walk ratio over 50 innings, bringing him to 165 strikeouts, a 2.13 ERA, and a sub-1.00 WHIP over 26 starts, half of which came in the California League. His best start of the season came on May 19th, when he shut down a strong Rancho Cucamonga lineup (Dodgers High A) over seven innings, allowing two hits and no walks while striking out eleven. In all, he allowed no more than one earned run in 18 of his 26 starts, and he struck out at least five batters in 21 of 26. Gilbert should be up in the majors at some point in 2020 as a potential future ace.
Runner-Up: RHP James Marvel (Pirates AA and AAA, age 25)
16-5, 2.94 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 136/46 K/BB in 162.1 IP
Marvel lacks the flash of other prospects on this list, and as a 25 year old former 36th round draft pick out of Duke, he still doesn't project to be much more than a #4 or #5 starter. Still, that doesn't take away from the fantastic season he had in 2019. Beginning the year with AA Altoona, he went 9-5 with a 3.10 ERA, a 1.07 WHIP, and an 83/24 strikeout to walk ratio over 101.2 innings – solid numbers, but nothing that rivals the other guys on this list. However, he was promoted to AAA Indianapolis in July to pitch in the very hitter-friendly International League, and he just kicked it into another gear by going 7-0 with a 2.67 ERA, a 1.12 WHIP, and a 53/22 strikeout to walk ratio over 60.2 innings, helping him lead all minor leaguers with 16 wins and finish fifth with 162.1 innings pitched. The numbers aren't flashy, but the huge body of work combined with the exceptional turn through the International League where very few other pitchers seemed to be able to find their groove makes his final product as impressive as anybody's in Minor League Baseball. Marvel's most impressive start came on July 5th, when in his first game in the International League launching pad, he tossed seven shutout innings on three hits, no walks, and six strikeouts against Toledo (Tigers AAA). He also had Syracuse's (Mets AAA) number, tossing back to back starts of six shutout innings on a combined two hits and sixteen strikeouts (and five walks) on July 18th and 24th.
Honorable Mention: LHP MacKenzie Gore (Padres High A and AA, age 20)
9-2, 1.69 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 135/28 K/BB in 101 IP
MLB Pipeline named MacKenzie Gore their minor league pitcher of the year, and while I can't quite get behind that due to his smaller body of work (Logan Gilbert threw 34 more innings and James Marvel through 61.1 more), there's no denying that Gore was nothing short of brilliant in 2019. The third overall pick of the 2017 draft out of a small town North Carolina high school, Gore showed flashes of what was to come with an up and down 2018 at Class A Fort Wayne (4.45 ERA, 74/18 K/BB), but 2019 was a completely different story altogether. Starting the year at High A Lake Elsinore in the hitter-friendly California League, Gore was as close to untouchable as it gets as he posted a 1.02 ERA, a 0.71 WHIP, and a 110/20 strikeout to walk ratio over 79.1 innings, totaling just 56 non-error baserunners in 15 starts. He was promoted to AA Amarillo less than six months after his 20th birthday and pitched very well again, though his 4.15 ERA was skewed by his July 19th start against Northwest Arkansas (Royals AA) where he allowed seven earned runs. If you take out that one start, Gore's final ERA and WHIP would be 1.11 and 0.76, respectively, over 97 innings. That's insane. During his time in Lake Elsinore, he allowed more than one run in only one of his 15 starts, and even then he only let two cross the plate in six innings. His last two starts at the level were his best, as he combined for 13.2 shutout innings on six hits, four walks, and one hit batsman while striking out 18, ironically with both of those starts coming against Rancho Cucamonga (Dodgers High A), the same team which touched him up for two runs earlier in the season and which Logan Gilbert had his best start against. Gore will probably return to Amarillo in 2020 but could pitch his way to the majors before the season is over.
Others
Dodgers RHP Josiah Gray (11-2, 2.28 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 147/31 K/BB in 130 IP, age 21)
Astros RHP Cristian Javier (8-3, 1.74 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 170/59 K/BB in 113.2, age 22)
Rays RHP Joe Ryan (9-4, 1.96 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 183/27 K/BB in 123.2 IP, age 22-23)
Other Notable Seasons
RHP Casey Mize (Tigers High A and AA, age 21-22)
8-3, 2.55 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 106/23 K/BB in 109.1 IP
As of June 13th, Mize looked like a lock to not only make the Pitcher of the Year list, but win it handily. The 2018 first overall pick out of Auburn had been absolutely untouchable to that point, with a 0.92 ERA, a 0.69 WHIP, and a 75/12 strikeout to walk ratio over 78 innings across two levels. On April 29th, his first start at AA Erie less than a year after being drafted, he tossed a no-hitter with seven strikeouts against Altoona (Pirates AA). However, on June 13th, he went down with shoulder issues that kept him out for a month, and he allowed five or more earned runs in three of his first five starts back with AA Erie after two rehab starts at High A Lakeland. Hopefully, Mize puts the shoulder issue behind him and gets back on track in 2020.
RHP James Karinchak (Indians complex, AA, and AAA, age 23)
1-1, 2.67 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 74/17 K/BB in 30.1 IP
A 2.67 ERA over 30 innings isn't going to land you on the short list for pitcher of the year, but Karinchak's season was pretty incredible nonetheless. In all, he struck out 74 of the 125 batters he faced, or 59.2%, which is the best number I've ever seen. Through two playoff games, he's struck out seven of the twelve batter's he's faced, bringing up him up to 81 strikeouts over 137 batters. He struggles with his command and won't be a major league closer immediately, but he misses bats like no other.
3B Ty France (Padres AAA, age 24-25) and 1B Kevin Cron (Diamondbacks AAA, age 26)
Ty France: 27 HR, .399/.477/.770, 1 SB, 196 wRC+ in 76 games
Kevin Cron: 39 HR, .329/.446/.777, 1 SB, 181 wRC+ in 84 games
Of all the big numbers put up in the AAA Pacific Coast League, perhaps no two hitters were more impressive than El Paso's Ty France and Reno's Kevin Cron. France flirted with .400 while hitting for power throughout the season and finished at .399/.477/.770 with 27 home runs in 76 games, while Cron smashed 39 home runs in 84 games while slashing .329/.446/.777 along the way. France had back to back multi-homer games in April and he hit six home runs in a five game stretch in June. On July 25th, he had one of the better offensive performances of the season when he went 5-6 with a pair of home runs against Las Vegas (A's AAA). Meanwhile, Cron hit seven home runs in a six game stretch in May and blasted three home runs on August 13th against Oklahoma City (Dodgers AAA), and together with his five major league home runs, he's already hit 44 on the season despite missing a couple weeks in July.
Hitter of the Year
Winner: OF Luis Robert (White Sox High A, AA, and AAA, age 21-22)
32 HR, .328/.376/.624, 36 SB, 170 wRC+ in 122 games
In 2017, a 19 year old Braves prospect slashed .325/.374/.522 with 21 home runs and 44 stolen bases across the three highest minor league levels, then won the 2018 NL Rookie of the Year Award. The White Sox hope that 22 year old Luis Robert is halfway to following in Ronald Acuna's footsteps with his huge and eerily similar season across three levels. Robert, who was 21 at the beginning of the season, began at High A Winston-Salem but demolished Carolina League pitching to the tune of a .453/.512/.920 slash line and eight home runs over 19 games before being promoted to AA Birmingham. He continued to rake in the Southern League, hitting eight more home runs and slashing .314/.362/.518 across 56 games, then got promoted again to AAA Charlotte. The ball was flying in AAA this year and all power numbers should be taken with a grain of salt, but a .297/.341/.634 with 16 home runs over 47 games is still extremely impressive for someone who started the season down in A ball. The Cuban outfielder is an exceptional athlete with the kind of power/speed combination teams covet, and by crushing 32 home runs in 2019, he proved that getting to that power is no problem whatsoever. He's an aggressive hitter who makes a lot of contact and therefore fails to draw a ton of walks, but because he still hit .328, his .376 on-base percentage remained strong. Eloy Jimenez was the White Sox' top outfield prospect a year ago but Robert has a very good chance to be the better player very soon.
Runner-Up: SS Gavin Lux (Dodgers AA and AAA, age 21)
26 HR, .347/.421/.607, 10 SB, 165 wRC+ in 113 games
A first round pick in 2016 out of a Wisconsin high school, Lux has gotten better and better the longer he has been in the Dodgers system. A mediocre 2017 at Class A Great Lakes translated into a very strong 2018 between High A Rancho Cucamonga and AA Tulsa, and he returned to the level for 2019. Over 64 games, he slashed .313/.375/.521 with 13 home runs and seven stolen bases, so the Dodgers promoted him across the state to AAA Oklahoma City. The Pacific Coast League is an extremely offense-friendly environment, but even in that context, the numbers he put up in 49 games were ludicrous: 13 home runs, a .392/.478/.719 slash line, and a strong 42/33 strikeout to walk ratio despite being just 21 years old. Together, that meant he slashed .347/.421/.607 with 26 home runs over 113 games, all the while playing strong defense at shortstop and showing his speed on the bases. Lux has power, strong plate discipline, the ability to get on base, some speed, and strong infield defense, leaving very few holes in his game and he's already up in the major leagues contributing with the Dodgers. Unless he somehow reaches 130 at bats this September, he'll be a strong candidate for the 2020 NL Rookie of the Year Award after Dodgers won it in both 2016 (Corey Seager) and 2017 (Cody Bellinger), followed by a very strong 2018 performance from Walker Buehler.
Honorable Mention: OF Jarred Kelenic (Mariners Class A, High A, and AA, age 19-20)
23 HR, .291/.364/.540, 20 SB, 152 wRC+ in 117 games
Jarred Kelenic's numbers might not be as eye popping as the other five players listed here, but he was also the only one who didn't get a turn through homer-happy AAA. Kelenic, the Mets' sixth overall pick out of a Wisconsin high school in 2018 who was traded to the Mariners in the Edwin Diaz/Robinson Cano deal, began the season with Class A West Virginia and quickly hit his way out by slashing .309/.394/.586 with eleven home runs in 50 games in the pitcher-friendly Midwest League. Bumped up to High A Modesto in the hitter-friendly California League, he held his own against older competition by slashing .290/.353/.485 with six home runs and ten stolen bases in 46 games. A second promotion brought him to AA Arkansas less than a month after his 20th birthday, and he slashed .253/.315/.542 with six home runs over 21 games against much older competition in the pitcher-friendly Texas League. Together, that gave him a 20-20 season, a strong .364 on-base percentage, and a .540 slugging percentage across three levels at a young age, adding in good defense in the outfield along the way. Had Kelenic had the chance to play at AAA Tacoma in the Pacific Coast League, his raw numbers may have rivaled those of Trent Grisham, listed right below in the "others" section.
Others
Brewers OF Trent Grisham (26 HR, .300/.407/.603, 12 SB, 166 wRC+ in 97 games, age 22)
Twins/Giants OF Jaylin Davis (35 HR, .306/.397/.590, 10 SB, 159 wRC+ in 126 games, age 24-25)
Padres 3B Ty France (27 HR, .399/.477/.770, 1 SB, 196 wRC+ in 76 games, age 24-25)
Pitcher of the Year
Winner: RHP Logan Gilbert (Mariners Class A, High A, and AA, age 21-22)
10-5, 2.13 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 165/33 K/BB in 135 IP
Drafted in the first round out of Stetson in 2018, Gilbert didn't pitch professionally that year and first took the mound in the Mariners organization in April. At the close of the season, it's safe to say that it went pretty well. Gilbert started out at Class A West Virginia but lasted just five starts there with a 1.59 ERA, a 0.66 WHIP, and a 35/5 strikeout to walk ratio in 22.2 innings before being promoted to High A Modesto in the hitter-friendly California League. Nobody told him that it was an offense-heavy environment, as he posted a 1.73 ERA, a 1.03 WHIP, and a 73/12 strikeout to walk ratio over 62.1 innings. Promoted again to AA Arkansas, he posted a 2.88 ERA, a 0.98 WHIP, and a 56/15 strikeout to walk ratio over 50 innings, bringing him to 165 strikeouts, a 2.13 ERA, and a sub-1.00 WHIP over 26 starts, half of which came in the California League. His best start of the season came on May 19th, when he shut down a strong Rancho Cucamonga lineup (Dodgers High A) over seven innings, allowing two hits and no walks while striking out eleven. In all, he allowed no more than one earned run in 18 of his 26 starts, and he struck out at least five batters in 21 of 26. Gilbert should be up in the majors at some point in 2020 as a potential future ace.
Runner-Up: RHP James Marvel (Pirates AA and AAA, age 25)
16-5, 2.94 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 136/46 K/BB in 162.1 IP
Marvel lacks the flash of other prospects on this list, and as a 25 year old former 36th round draft pick out of Duke, he still doesn't project to be much more than a #4 or #5 starter. Still, that doesn't take away from the fantastic season he had in 2019. Beginning the year with AA Altoona, he went 9-5 with a 3.10 ERA, a 1.07 WHIP, and an 83/24 strikeout to walk ratio over 101.2 innings – solid numbers, but nothing that rivals the other guys on this list. However, he was promoted to AAA Indianapolis in July to pitch in the very hitter-friendly International League, and he just kicked it into another gear by going 7-0 with a 2.67 ERA, a 1.12 WHIP, and a 53/22 strikeout to walk ratio over 60.2 innings, helping him lead all minor leaguers with 16 wins and finish fifth with 162.1 innings pitched. The numbers aren't flashy, but the huge body of work combined with the exceptional turn through the International League where very few other pitchers seemed to be able to find their groove makes his final product as impressive as anybody's in Minor League Baseball. Marvel's most impressive start came on July 5th, when in his first game in the International League launching pad, he tossed seven shutout innings on three hits, no walks, and six strikeouts against Toledo (Tigers AAA). He also had Syracuse's (Mets AAA) number, tossing back to back starts of six shutout innings on a combined two hits and sixteen strikeouts (and five walks) on July 18th and 24th.
Honorable Mention: LHP MacKenzie Gore (Padres High A and AA, age 20)
9-2, 1.69 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 135/28 K/BB in 101 IP
MLB Pipeline named MacKenzie Gore their minor league pitcher of the year, and while I can't quite get behind that due to his smaller body of work (Logan Gilbert threw 34 more innings and James Marvel through 61.1 more), there's no denying that Gore was nothing short of brilliant in 2019. The third overall pick of the 2017 draft out of a small town North Carolina high school, Gore showed flashes of what was to come with an up and down 2018 at Class A Fort Wayne (4.45 ERA, 74/18 K/BB), but 2019 was a completely different story altogether. Starting the year at High A Lake Elsinore in the hitter-friendly California League, Gore was as close to untouchable as it gets as he posted a 1.02 ERA, a 0.71 WHIP, and a 110/20 strikeout to walk ratio over 79.1 innings, totaling just 56 non-error baserunners in 15 starts. He was promoted to AA Amarillo less than six months after his 20th birthday and pitched very well again, though his 4.15 ERA was skewed by his July 19th start against Northwest Arkansas (Royals AA) where he allowed seven earned runs. If you take out that one start, Gore's final ERA and WHIP would be 1.11 and 0.76, respectively, over 97 innings. That's insane. During his time in Lake Elsinore, he allowed more than one run in only one of his 15 starts, and even then he only let two cross the plate in six innings. His last two starts at the level were his best, as he combined for 13.2 shutout innings on six hits, four walks, and one hit batsman while striking out 18, ironically with both of those starts coming against Rancho Cucamonga (Dodgers High A), the same team which touched him up for two runs earlier in the season and which Logan Gilbert had his best start against. Gore will probably return to Amarillo in 2020 but could pitch his way to the majors before the season is over.
Others
Dodgers RHP Josiah Gray (11-2, 2.28 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 147/31 K/BB in 130 IP, age 21)
Astros RHP Cristian Javier (8-3, 1.74 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 170/59 K/BB in 113.2, age 22)
Rays RHP Joe Ryan (9-4, 1.96 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 183/27 K/BB in 123.2 IP, age 22-23)
Other Notable Seasons
RHP Casey Mize (Tigers High A and AA, age 21-22)
8-3, 2.55 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 106/23 K/BB in 109.1 IP
As of June 13th, Mize looked like a lock to not only make the Pitcher of the Year list, but win it handily. The 2018 first overall pick out of Auburn had been absolutely untouchable to that point, with a 0.92 ERA, a 0.69 WHIP, and a 75/12 strikeout to walk ratio over 78 innings across two levels. On April 29th, his first start at AA Erie less than a year after being drafted, he tossed a no-hitter with seven strikeouts against Altoona (Pirates AA). However, on June 13th, he went down with shoulder issues that kept him out for a month, and he allowed five or more earned runs in three of his first five starts back with AA Erie after two rehab starts at High A Lakeland. Hopefully, Mize puts the shoulder issue behind him and gets back on track in 2020.
RHP James Karinchak (Indians complex, AA, and AAA, age 23)
1-1, 2.67 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 74/17 K/BB in 30.1 IP
A 2.67 ERA over 30 innings isn't going to land you on the short list for pitcher of the year, but Karinchak's season was pretty incredible nonetheless. In all, he struck out 74 of the 125 batters he faced, or 59.2%, which is the best number I've ever seen. Through two playoff games, he's struck out seven of the twelve batter's he's faced, bringing up him up to 81 strikeouts over 137 batters. He struggles with his command and won't be a major league closer immediately, but he misses bats like no other.
3B Ty France (Padres AAA, age 24-25) and 1B Kevin Cron (Diamondbacks AAA, age 26)
Ty France: 27 HR, .399/.477/.770, 1 SB, 196 wRC+ in 76 games
Kevin Cron: 39 HR, .329/.446/.777, 1 SB, 181 wRC+ in 84 games
Of all the big numbers put up in the AAA Pacific Coast League, perhaps no two hitters were more impressive than El Paso's Ty France and Reno's Kevin Cron. France flirted with .400 while hitting for power throughout the season and finished at .399/.477/.770 with 27 home runs in 76 games, while Cron smashed 39 home runs in 84 games while slashing .329/.446/.777 along the way. France had back to back multi-homer games in April and he hit six home runs in a five game stretch in June. On July 25th, he had one of the better offensive performances of the season when he went 5-6 with a pair of home runs against Las Vegas (A's AAA). Meanwhile, Cron hit seven home runs in a six game stretch in May and blasted three home runs on August 13th against Oklahoma City (Dodgers AAA), and together with his five major league home runs, he's already hit 44 on the season despite missing a couple weeks in July.
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