10/25/2063
Here is a link to last year’s starting pitching prospect ranking. We only ranked five players then because it was viewed as a weak position group. One draft and a few trades later, and starting pitching is our farm system's strength so we'll rank
ten players below. All five players from last time are still in the org but two of them have fallen off the list more so because of the strength of their competition than any failings of those individual pitchers. We're also leaving off
Augusto González after the strong impression he made this season as a rookie.
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
Brent Chappel (B+) | Age: 21 | AAA
| OVR/POT | STUFF | MOV | HRA | BABIP | CON |
|---|
| 50/55 | 6/6 | 7/7 | 8/8 | 6/6 | 5/5 |
Ranked the #2 overall prospect in the BBA midseason, Chappel was the fourth overall pick in the 2059 draft by Yellow Springs. He was traded to Nashville, and a few years after that got traded to the Bears. 'Black Jack' throws his plus sinker up to 99 mph and pairs it with a plus-plus slider. His changeup has the potential to be plus as well but today is just adequate. He's probably more of a #2 starter than true ace thanks to his susceptibility to lefties (he really needs that changeup to develop) but the scouts deem the rest of Black Jack's profile fully developed and he's never had a FIP over 3.50 in the minor leagues. Chappel spent most of 2063 injured but helped lead his AAA team past his previous organization to a AAA championship. He's already been added to the 40-man roster and the only question left is whether he spends any more time at AAA in 2064.
#2
Enrique Pérez (B) | Age: 22 | AAA
| OVR/POT | STUFF | MOV | HRA | BABIP | CON |
|---|
| 50/50 | 6/6 | 6/6 | 6/6 | 6/6 | 6/6 |
Joining Chappel in that trade with Nashville was Perez. Perez struggled a bit adjusting to AAA after arriving in the SFB organization (4.52 ERA) but that didn't stop us from adding him to the 40-man roster as well. He looks like a textbook MOR starter but we think there is still even more potential for this young hurler. The scouts say there is an additional two mph of velocity latent in Perez's arm, as well as upside in his off-speed offerings. Those improvements would get his curveball to plus-plus and his changeup to solidly above average. Perez also added two additional (admittedly poor) offerings to his arsenal since the season ended. Now ranked the #74 overall BBA prospect but not included in the midseason top 100, Expect Perez to debut in 2064.
#3
Walter Barry (B) | Age: 20 | AA
| OVR/POT | STUFF | MOV | HRA | BABIP | CON |
|---|
| 45/45 | 5/5 | 5/6 | 5/6 | 6/6 | 8/8 |
Our 2063 first round pick was control specialist Barry. He was assigned to AA where he pitched 121 innings with a 2.75 ERA. His mid-90s fastball grades as above average, as does his splitter. His changeup has above average potential but today is an inferior pitch. We're pessimistic the changeup will come around, so Barry could really benefit from incorporating additional offerings into his repertoire. He's probably a low upside third or fourth starter but he's still young. Barry should spend most of his 2064 in AAA.
#4
Mario Iglésias (B) | Age: 21 | A
| OVR/POT | STUFF | MOV | HRA | BABIP | CON |
|---|
| 40/50 | 4/5 | 5/6 | 5/7 | 5/5 | 7/7 |
Iglesias went eight spots after Barry in the 2063 first round as a compensation pick. Slightly less developed despite being older, Iglesias was assigned to A ball where he had a 2.70 ERA in 123.1 innings. His fastball-curveball-cutter pitch mix all grade out as average individually, but Iglesias excels at keeping the ball in the park and limiting walks. We expect him to make a strong impression when he begins 2063 at AA.
#5
Pablo Silva (B-) | Age: 20 | A
| OVR/POT | STUFF | MOV | HRA | BABIP | CON |
|---|
| 35/50 | 5/6 | 5/6 | 4/7 | 6/6 | 4/6 |
Sliding down from the top spot to fifth on this list is Silva. He was acquired just as he returned from a year long injury absence and we decided not to let Silva pitch in 2062. Beginning 2063 in A ball, Silva once again dealt with a significant injury that unfortunately gave him the fragile label. But he did throw 105.1 innings with a 4.05 ERA and although he didn't show any development his potential ratings remain intact. With so much quality ahead of him he'll have to repeat the A level. Silva was ranked the #52 overall prospect on the midseason top 100 but does not currently appear on that list.
#6
Iván Soto (B-) | Age: 21 | AA
| OVR/POT | STUFF | MOV | HRA | BABIP | CON |
|---|
| 45/45 | 4/5 | 6/6 | 7/7 | 5/5 | 6/6 |
Soto was high on our draft board this year when he was selected by Rosenblatt in the fourth round, so naturally when we started discussing a trade return we targeted him. Soto utilizes four pitches lead by his above average changeup and specializes at keeping the ball in the park thanks to his low 90s sinker. He had a 0.95 ERA in 38 AA innings before getting hurt so he will easily promote into AAA for 2064 where we'll be looking for him to continue polishing the potential of each pitch to hopefully fill in his stuff.
#7
Doug Pomeroy (B-) | Age: 22 | AAA
| OVR/POT | STUFF | MOV | HRA | BABIP | CON |
|---|
| 45/45 | 4/5 | 7/7 | 7/7 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
Another pitcher in our high minors who emphasizes movement, Pomeroy pitched 161.1 innings in AA with a 2.79 ERA before earning a late promotion to AAA. He saw his movement bump not long after. His three pitches are all about average so he's probably on the lower end of 5 potential stuff. We'll spend 2064 scouting him in AAA to understand whether he's got enough stuff and control for the rotation or should move to the bullpen but he does not struggle with his stamina.
#8
Tony Moran (C+) | Age: 19 | A
| OVR/POT | STUFF | MOV | HRA | BABIP | CON |
|---|
| 35/45 | 4/4 | 5/6 | 5/7 | 6/6 | 5/7 |
The third and final pitcher brought in via trade from Nashville, Moran is the least sexy. The bad news is that he's now fragile and throws three pitches (only one of which, his high 90s fastball, is even above average). The good news is he dominated A ball to the tune of a 2.75 ERA at the tender age of 19. We expect he'll be held back to repeat the A level, at least at first.
#9
Orlando Hernández (C+) | Age: 19 | SA
| OVR/POT | STUFF | MOV | HRA | BABIP | CON |
|---|
| 35/50 | 4/6 | 4/5 | 4/6 | 5/5 | 6/6 |
Hernandez breaks our mold because he's finally a pitcher whose potential stuff outshines his potential movement. His 92-94 mph fastball could be above average someday, as could his currently lacking changeup, but it's his plus-plus potential splitter that will finish most hitters off. His back became enough of a problem that he's now considered fragile and his ERA in Short A was over 5.00, so Hernandez doesn't have the kind of prospect helium others above him on the list have. That's just how it goes with starting pitching prospects. But when he was acquired from Rosenblatt in the same deal that net us Soto he was perhaps the highest potential starter in the system.
#10
Gilberto Salinas (C) | Age: 21 | AAA
| OVR/POT | STUFF | MOV | HRA | BABIP | CON |
|---|
| 40/40 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/6 | 5/5 | 6/6 |
Salinas was asked to repeat AA in an effort to shine up his individual pitches and while each of his six offerings still needs some seasoning he did record 162 innings of 2.56 ERA. That was good enough to join AAA for 32 innings where Salinas had a 3.66 ERA. We still have hopes for him to eventually fight for a spot in the SFB rotation thanks to his control and home run avoidance, but we remain aware of the fact that the six-pitch Salinas could make for a tasty relief conversion candidate.
