8/28/2062
I’m gonna shake up my format a little bit to mimic what Ron’s been up to with his “Prospect Watch” series. I still want to assign letter grades but listing some ratings on the screen and limiting myself to a top 5 should make it more readable.
Here is a link to the last time I analyzed my starting pitching prospects. We remain lacking in this group.
Reminder on the scale:
A: star player just by developing to their potential
B: BBA regular just by developing to their potential or star potential but has some risk factors
C: potential is enough to make it to the BBA but beyond that uncertain
D: needs some bumps to have a BBA future or a lot of uncertainty around their potential
#1
Pablo Silva (B) | Age: 19 | SA
| OVR/POT | STUFF | MOV | HRA | BABIP | CON |
|---|
| 30/55 | 5/6 | 5/6 | 4/7 | 6/6 | 4/6 |
Silva just joined the org a couple of weeks ago in the trade to send
Felix Ramos back to Twin Cities (thanks for letting us borrow him, Alan!). Silva was originally a 3rd round pick in 2060 by Jacksonville so he’s already accrued some frequent flier miles. To get the negative out of the way first, his 4 stamina is iffy for a starter. However, his plus-plus fastball that reaches 100 mph, above average cutter, and average sinker/changeup offerings give him a true starter’s repertoire enabling him to be equally effective against batters of either hand. His potential base ratings read a 6 across the board, but it’s the 7 HRA potential we treasure.
#2
Rubén García (C+) | Age: 18 | R
| OVR/POT | STUFF | MOV | HRA | BABIP | CON |
|---|
| 25/45 | 4/6 | 4/5 | 3/5 | 5/5 | 6/6 |
Our 3rd round selection in this year’s draft was this high school pitcher. Garcia possesses a plus fastball that sits comfortably in the mid-90s and pairs it with an above average changeup/splitter combination that should prevent significant platoon splits. The teenager already displays major league control and has plenty of stamina to start so he’ll spend his minor league time filling out his pitches and hopefully bumping his movement which scouts view with a tepid eye at this point.
#3
Augusto González (C+) | Age: 21 | AA
| OVR/POT | STUFF | MOV | HRA | BABIP | CON |
|---|
| 40/40 | 4/5 | 6/6 | 6/6 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
Drafted in the same 3rd round as our top prospect Silva, Gonzalez was a polished college pitcher when he entered our system. His calling card is his home run avoidance, and that along with his 7 stamina gave him the tools to promote quickly up the ladder. Gonzalez’s low minor league walk totals give us hope his control is on the top end of a 5 rating while his stuff is still a work in progress. His low 90s fastball would benefit tremendously from a velocity spike but he pairs it with an above average fastball and two other average offerings. Look for Gonzalez to begin 2063 in AAA, within reach of the majors.
#4
Gilberto Salinas (C) | Age: 20 | AA
| OVR/POT | STUFF | MOV | HRA | BABIP | CON |
|---|
| 35/40 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/6 | 5/5 | 6/6 |
Salinas was another polished college pitcher when drafted in the 4th round of the 2061 draft. He’s got high stamina, big league control, and six pitches in his arsenal that have been slow to fill in. His fastball sits 91-93 mph and none of his other pitches flash more than average potential. But his impressive control (27 BBs in 191.2 IP) and home run avoidance have kept his ERA under 3 at every minor league stop and he will be ready for AAA as early as next season if our depth chart allows for it.
#5
Hong-Vu Suharto (C) | Age: 17 | R
| OVR/POT | STUFF | MOV | HRA | BABIP | CON |
|---|
| 20/40 | 4/6 | 4/5 | 3/6 | 4/4 | 5/5 |
Our favorite feature of Suharto’s game is his 6 HRA potential although it’s also got the skill with the most development needed. A high school pitcher drafted in this year’s 4th round out of Bangkok, Suharto has taken rookie ball by storm with a 2.40 FIP and should be ready to move up to SA next season. He’s got middling stamina and control but his stuff should be big league adequate once his mid-90s fastball and above average sinker meet their potential. An average changeup and below average cutter complete his repertoire.
