Minor League Barometer: Risers & Fallers

The youth movement in Major League Baseball appears to be in full effect. Vinnie Pasquantino made his long-awaited debut for the Royals while Brayan Bello will start Wednesday for the Red Sox in his big-league premiere. Julio Rodriguez became the fastest in MLB history to reach 15 home runs and 20 stolen bases while Michael Harris continues to shine in center field for the Braves. Meanwhile, Shane Baz of the Rays shut down Toronto on Sunday en route to lowering his ERA to 2.92. Arguably the top catching prospect in baseball, Francisco Alvarez has made his way to Triple-A with the Mets.

Who's got next? Let's take a look at some other neophytes in the news in this edition of the Minor League Barometer.

UPGRADE

Anthony Volpe, SS, NYY – After a slow start, Volpe has caught fire at Double-A. He hit just .197 in April and .207 in May. And after going .298 in June, Volpe's slash line is now a respectable .247/.341/.449. He's continued to be a terror on the basepaths by swiping 33 bases in 69 contests.  He's also produced 11 homers and 41 RBI over that span. At only 21, Volpe looks primed to see the big leagues for the Bronx Bombers sometime next season.

Robinson Pina, P, LAA – Pina finally appears to be putting it all together. He's been playing in the Halos organization since 2017, but has struggled with his control. Pina has flashed some consistency in the past, but 2022 looks to be his coming out party with a 2.66 ERA and 87:19 K:BB in only 61 innings at Low-A while opposing batters are hitting just .205 against. He boasts a starter's frame at 6-4, 225, though some still believe he may ultimately end up in the bullpen.  However, Pina fanned a staggering 14 batters in an outing at the end of May, then followed that with a 13K masterpiece near the end of June. His upside is evident as long as he continues to harness his command.

Felix Valerio, 2B, MIL – Valerio turned 21 during the offseason after spending just 29 games at High-A at the end of 2021, so his placement at Double-A to begin this year was aggressive. He's held his own slashing .254/.324/.445 with 11 home runs, 43 RBI and 21 steals over 65 games.   Valerio offers above-average bat-to-ball skills and surprising pop despite standing at 5-7. His ability to take advantage on the bases is also worth noting, and he's not afraid to take a walk. Valerio's stock continues to rise despite his fielding limitations.

Ty Madden, P, DET – Madden somehow flies under the radar despite being a high draft pick from a year ago. His first season in the minors has gone extremely well thus far with a 2.81 ERA and 67:21 K:BB across 67.1 innings while the opposition is batting .204 against. Madden has the potential for four above-average pitches, though his fastball/slider combination appears to be the most devastating. He just turned 22 despite having attended the University of Texas, so there's still significant upside.

CHECK STATUS

Ronny Simon, 2B, TB – It seems as though all the Rays do is develop promising middle infield prospects. Simon is 5-9 and barely 150 pounds, but he smacked 12 homers while swiping 20 bags in 57 games at High-A. That resulted in a recent bump to Double-A, where he's gone 5-for-14 (.357) with a home run and two steals in just four games. The Rays have a massive glut up the middle of the infield, but depth for an organization is a good problem to have. Simon is not Jose Altuve, but he does offer intriguing skills despite his lack of size and stature.

Robert Gasser, P, SD – Gasser is now 23 and the University of Houston product has impressed at High-A having posted a 3.82 ERA and 94:24 K:BB in 75.1 innings. The southpaw took a circuitous route to the pros, but has added a few ticks to his fastball and his changeup has proven much more effective than expected. Add in a solid slider as well and Gasser boasts a three-pitch arsenal that should be able to get him to the bigs. He may not have the size or stuff of a frontline rotation anchor, but he knows how to pitch and work the strike zone.

Jeremy De La Rosa, OF, WAS – De La Rosa is repeating Low-A, but he was a teenager last season when he slashed .209/.279/.316. Now a year older and wiser, he's showing some promise hitting .310/.392/.481 with nine homers, 51 RBI and 25 steals through 64 games. De La Rosa's strikeouts are down, his walks are up, his power stroke is decent and his thievery on the basepaths has really taken off. He's a ways away from making an impact in the big leagues, but he's definitely headed in the right direction.            

Tink Hence, P, STL – Hence will not turn 20 until August and continues to be brought along slowly by the Cards. That being said, there's a lot to like so far. Hence is pitching in shorter stints at Low-A and has posted a 1.31 ERA and 36:7 K:BB in 20.2 innings while only giving up eight hits. His last appearances was perhaps the best of his brief professional career with eight of the nine outs coming via the strikeout. Hence is athletic, but far from a finished product. It may take some time for him to pay dividends, but he's certainly a prospect to watch in the St. Louis system.

DOWNGRADE

Luis Matos, OF, SF – Everything that went right for Matos last season has gone wrong for him in 2022. On the field, he's hitting .174/.258/.242 through 42 games at High-A with only two home runs and four steals. Matos also missed a month earlier this year due to a quadriceps injury. He entered 2022 as one of the top outfield prospects in the game. And while it would be foolish to discount Matos completely after a lousy three months at the age of 20, it does appear he'll need an adjustment period as he continues his ascent.

Frank Mozzicato, P, KC – This downgrade should be taken with a grain of salt since Mozzicato just turned 19 and the prep lefty was a bit of a surprise selection at the No. 7 overall pick by the Royals last year. He throws a nasty curveball, but his fastball velocity is still lacking while his changeup remains inconsistent. Through nine starts at Low-A, Mozzicato's greatest difficulty has been finding the strike zone having issued 22 free passes across 25.2 innings. The southpaw still has 33 strikeouts and has allowed only three home runs, so there are certainly positives to draw from.  That being said, the Royals are going to take it extremely slow with Mozzicato, so he may not pop up in even the deepest of keeper leagues for a couple of years.