Beck's Minor League Threecap: 6/5/2024
Beck's Minor League Threecap: 6/5/2024
Beck breaks down three major things you need to know from yesterday's MiLB action.
Hello night owls! We have an at-night edition of the Threecap because I had a long day at work, hit the gym (brag), and worked on a house project (it’s going well). Let’s dive in!
Star(lyn)Boy.
Zach Dezenzo (HOU) had a pretty stellar 2023 and ultimately landed at #86 in my off-season top 100. A lot of that production came at Asheville, a park known for being a hitter’s haven, but there was a lot to like under the hood that had me bullish on him entering the year. Here’s what I wrote regarding the underlying data and changes to his swing in his Top 100 blurb:
The Astros worked with him to make the whole operation a little more fluid, and while there’s still more swing-and-miss than is desirable, he made gains in that department and maintained his plus game power. He has great bat speed and regularly lifts the ball with authority, which plays well with his 108 mph 90th percentile exit velocity.
He started 2024 with a wrist ailment that held him out of competition until yesterday. He made his season debut on a rehab assignment in the Florida Complex and went 3-for-5 with three RBIs on Tuesday.
Brando Mayea (NYY) was the magnum opus of New York’s 2023 IFA class, signing for $4.35M (84% of their $5.20M pool) and reporting to the DSL that summer where his results were mixed. At the plate he showed off polished swing decisions, rare for a DSLer but made a bit easier by exceptionally poor pitch locations at the level, as well as aptitude defensively and on the basepaths. It’ll be interesting to see how he performs as pitchers get more comfortable (or capable) of exploiting the weaknesses in his bat path, primarily that it’s long and requires him to start early, and I think he’ll have a hard time against premium velocity and pitches up in the zone. He’s carrying a .319/.418/.362 line through 12 games in the Florida Complex and went 2-for-6 with a walk and four stolen bases on Tuesday.
If you’re not on the Starlyn Caba (PHI) train I’d recommend buying a ticket before it leaves the station. I’ve heard chatter about him as a top 100 prospect here and there and frankly I understand it. I’m not willing to consider added power output a certainty despite him being just 18 years old, but he’s a superb defender with plus bat-to-ball ability who passes the eye test both on video and in person. He’s currently playing in the Florida Complex and has put together a .288/.441/.397 line through 21 games while walking much more than he’s striking out. He’s actually running more than he’s striking out, too, with 14 swipes to just 13 strikeouts on the year. He went 3-for-3 with two walks and three stolen bases on Tuesday in what was a perfect day at the dish.
Sorry For Your Bloss.
I’ve written about Trevor Martin (TBR) a number of times this year but this performance was his best yet. He punched out 14 batters over 7.0 one-run innings and while allowing just four hits and a walk. He’s enjoying something of a breakout campaign after a very productive year at Low-A Charleston in 2023, and he’s done so by limiting walks (a product of throwing more strikes, who’da thunk it) and striking more batters out (by, you know, throwing more strikes). He’s a grizzly bear who appears to have regained some of the velocity he displayed in short bursts as the closer at Oklahoma State and may now have a combination of stuff and control that projects as a back end starter or better.
Did you know there are three Rhett’s in Minor League baseball? I didn’t, which I guess makes Rhett Lowder (CIN) my favorite Rhett by default. He clocked in at #64 on my June update on the back of a fantastic professional debut with the High-A Dayton Tortugas in which he threw 25.1 innings of 2.49 ERA ball with 29 strikeouts to just six walks. It was a lot of what we had expected from him – a pair of good fastballs, an above-average slider, and a plus changeup, all complemented by great command/control. He was in a bit of a skid after being promoted to Double-A ahead of his start on May 11th but righted the ship with 11 strikeouts over 6.0 innings on Tuesday. He threw 75% strikes and went the deepest he’s gone all year in terms of pitch count.
Jake Bloss (HOU) has featured in at least seven viewing guide recommendations but I’ve yet to write about him this year, which is surprising given his 1.98 ERA over 50.0 innings while ascending to Double-A Corpus Christi. He was a third rounder last summer out of Georgetown who posted a 2.58 ERA over 76.2 innings his platform year. The Astros have moved him aggressively, due ostensibly in part to confidence in both his pitch mix and control, and I understand it after seeing him in person at their Spring Breakout game in March. He went 6.2 innings of shutout ball while striking out three on Tuesday, but this blurb is really more about the body of work he’s compiled this year. He’s a genuinely intriguing arm.
Return of the Table.
The table returns tomorrow, for now we’re just setting it. Here’s Thursday’s viewing guide with my recommendations italicized as usual:
Jacob Misiorowski (2.52 ERA) for the Biloxi Shuckers (MIL) at 5:00 ET
Noah Cameron (2.70 ERA) for the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (KCR) at TBD
Cade Povich(3.18 ERA) for the Norfolk Tides (BAL) at 6:35 ETNevermind! He will start for the Baltimore Orioles at 1:07 ET!
Trystan Vrieling (4.79 ERA) for the Somerset Patriots (NYY) at 6:35 ET
Braxton Ashcraft (3.47 ERA) for the Altoona Curve (PIT) at 6:35 ET
Santiago Suarez (5.52 ERA) for the Charleston RiverDogs (TBR) at 7:05 ET
Darren Bowen (4.74 ERA) for the Cedar Rapids Kernels (MIN) at 7:05 ET
Yilber Diaz (3.10 ERA) for the Amarillo Sod Poodles (ARI) at 8:05 ET
Spencer Giesting (0.94 ERA) for the Hillsboro Hops (ARI) at 9:35 ET