Minor League Barometer: Down on the Farm

Juan Soto rode his hot start all the way from A-ball to the big leagues. The wunderkind for the Nationals exploded onto the MLB scene this past Monday, slugging a three-run home run in his first start in the majors. The 19-year-old has had a transcendent minor league season; Soto slashed .362/.462/.757 in 39 games across three levels. He bashed 14 home runs, drove home a staggering 52 runs, and tallied more walks (29) than strikeouts (28) during that span. Injuries to Adam Eaton and Howie Kendrick, along with fellow highly touted prospect Victor Robles, allowed Soto to zoom to the bigs. If he continues to rake, it will be awfully difficult to send him back to the minors.

Let's take a look at some other notable prospects in this edition of the Minor League Barometer.

UPGRADE

Alex Reyes, P, STL – Reyes missed all of last season due to Tommy John surgery, but the 23-year-old remains one of the top pitching prospects in the game, and his rehabilitation starts have gone swimmingly. In three starts at three different levels, Reyes has yet to allow a run while posting a superior 31:6 K:BB in 16 innings. Though the sample size is small, the opposition is hitting a paltry .115 against him. Though the Cards will certainly be cautious with their prized phenom, particularly following Tommy John surgery, it would not be unexpected if Reyes joined the St. Louis rotation this summer.

Jon Duplantier, P, ARI – Duplantier had a breakout season in 2017, and he has continued to shine at Double-A in 2018. The 23-year-old hurler has a 2.37 ERA and 37:7 K:BB in 30.1 innings. Duplantier maintains effectiveness largely through two avenues; control and working down in the zone. He is able to miss bats, providing exceptional command of four pitches. His secondary pitches are polished, and Duplantier is a strong presence on the mound. He had injury issues in college at Rice, but thus far has shown none of those concerns as a professional. As long as he stays healthy, the Diamondbacks could be looking at a frontline starter as early as the end of this year.

Jo Adell, OF, LAA – A first round pick in last year's draft, Adell exploded out of the gate at Low-A. The teenager slashed .326/.398/.611 with six home runs, 29 RBI and four steals in 25 games at that level. That resulted in a quick promotion to High-A. Adell did strike out a bit too much, but showed a much more advanced approach at the dish, at least in terms of making contact, than expected. He has the raw power, bat speed and ability to swipe bags to become a five-tool player. With Shohei Ohtani's minor league eligibility falling by the wayside, Adell is the top prospect in the Angels organization, and is making a push to be considered one of the top outfield prospects in all of baseball.

Alex Kiriloff, OF, MIN – Tommy John surgery robbed Kiriloff of his 2017 campaign, but the 2016 first round pick is flexing his muscle in his first taste of full season ball this season. Kiriloff is batting .325/.370/.589 with seven home runs and 35 RBI in 38 games for Low-A Cedar Rapids. Kiriloff has been even hotter of late, hitting .417 with two home runs and eight RBI over his last 10 contests. The power surge is particularly notable for Kiriloff early on in 2018, as he was not expected to have this much pop. He has hit the ground running with very little rust to begin the 2018 campaign, and should see a promotion to High-A shortly. If the power is for real, Kiriloff could vault up the prospect ranks.

CHECK STATUS

Garrett Hampson, 2B/SS, COL – The Rockies seem to churn out hitting prospects, and Hampson has been no exception. He hasn't stopped hitting since being drafted in the third round of the 2016 draft out of Long Beach State. Hampson has hit at least .301 at every level since entering the minors, and was recently promoted to Triple-A. Hampson raked at Double-A to begin the year, hitting .304/.391/.466 with four home runs, 15 RBI and 19 steals in 38 games before the bump in levels. Hampson had more walks (21) than strikeouts (17) showing stellar plate discipline. His speed, on-base skills, ability to hit for average and future home in Colorado make him an extremely enticing middle infield prospect, even with the likes of Trevor Story and the injured D.J. LeMahieu ahead of him on the depth chart. He would also have to contend with uber-prospect Brendan Rodgers if shifted to short as well, though.

Jonathan Hernandez, P, TEX – Hernandez has been with the Rangers organization since 2013 and has been brought along slowly since he was 16 years of age. Now 21, Hernandez appears to be finally coming into his own. The 6-foot-2 righty has seen a spike in strikeouts this season, fanning 52 batters in 40.1 innings at High-A. His control has also been better, resulting in a 2.23 ERA. His fastball can get into the upper-90's, and Hernandez has used the changeup and emerging slider much more effectively in 2018 to miss bats. His father, Fernando Hernandez, was a reliever in the Majors, so he has the pedigree as well. Hernandez is a hurler to watch for Texas, as he could shoot up the prospect charts if his breakout continues.

Enyel De Los Santos, P, PHI – De Los Santos was the return for Freddy Galvis in an offseason trade with the Padres, and the Phillies may have fleeced San Diego. De Los Santos is off to the best start of his minor league career. The 22-year-old righty has a 1.39 ERA and 49:15 K:BB in 45.1 innings for Triple-A Lehigh Valley. De Los Santos throws hard, generally throws strikes, and his secondary offerings have been much-improved to begin the 2018 campaign. Some pundits still feel as though De Los Santos will end up in the bullpen, but for now, the Phils will keep him in the starting rotation and include him in their growing stash of promising young hurlers.

Micker Adolfo, OF, CHW – The good news? Adolfo was the Player of the Month in the Carolina League for April, leading the league in RBI. He is still hitting .300 on the season and has drawn 21 walks in 42 games. The bad news? The 21-year-old is batting just .219 over his last 10 games, has fanned 48 times in 42 contests in 2018, and has been playing through a sprained UCL and strained flexor tendon which may ultimately require Tommy John surgery. Obviously if Adolfo is forced to go under the knife, he will miss an extended period of time, including the entirety of the 2019 season. Should his struggles continue, the White Sox may have no choice but to explore that option more seriously.

DOWNGRADE

MacKenzie Gore, P, SD – A few of the Padres' top pitching prospects have had rough starts to the 2018 campaign. Cal Quantrill has been battered of late at Double-A, while Michael Baez has struggled with control problems at High-A. Gore is arguably the top pitching prospect in the San Diego system, but has battled blister issues in 2018. In fact, he has been placed on the Disabled List for the second time this season due to the ailment, and is not expected to return until the middle of June. Gore was dominant in rookie ball after being drafted last season, but the southpaw was blown up in three starts in between trips to the DL in 2018. He has the arsenal, makeup and build to become a frontline starter, but any thought of a fast rise through the minors, at least this season, is all but gone.

Jay Groome, P, BOS – Groome underwent Tommy John surgery last week and will miss the remainder of the 2018 campaign, and most of the 2019 season as well. The 19-year-old southpaw did not pitch this season and managed a bloated 6.70 ERA in 44.1 innings at Low-A in 2017. Groome's brief professional career has been marred by injury and inconsistency. While the 6-foot-6 lefty retains much promise, and will be just 20 years of age upon his return to health, this is clearly not how he envisioned his start in the pros when once considered the top prospect for the 2016 MLB Draft.

Cole Tucker, SS, PIT – Tucker has had the antithesis of a breakout season, at least thus far, in 2018. The switch-hitting shortstop is batting an abysmal .204/.292/.268 through 37 games for Double-A Altoona. The 21-year-old speedster swiped 47 bags in 2017, but has more caught stealing than actual stolen bases this year. He also has not hit any home runs this season, and while he is not expected to be a big bopper, Tucker does have the build for which the Pirates had hoped some pop would develop over time. Clearly this has not been the ideal start for Tucker, though the first round pick from 2014 draft still has plenty of time to turn the tide.

Dawel Lugo, 2B/3B, DET – Lugo was considered the top prospect in what appeared to be a light return for the Tigers when they traded J.D. Martinez last season. Lugo has not shown much patience at the dish this season. In fact, the 23-year-old has drawn just one walk in 37 games for Triple-A Toledo. He's batting just .214 over his last 10 contests, having been punched out nine times over that span. Lugo's moderate power has also been missing in action. After hitting 13 home runs at Double-A last season and 17 in 2016, Lugo has just one home run thus far in 2018. He is not even mentioned in the top 10 prospects of his own organization anymore, and the Tigers still have one of the worst farm systems in all of baseball. Suffice to say, Lugo's prospect luster has faded significantly.