Minor League Barometer: Risers & Fallers

There's no stopping the Carter Kieboom train, as the 21-year-old shortstop is mashing at Triple-A Fresno by batting .356/.479/.6576 with two home runs, 14 RBI and one steal through 16 games.  Trea Turner could be out until June, and Wilmer Difo is not cutting it right now as the replacement by hitting .237.  As a result, Kieboom may force the Nats' hand should they continue to see sparse production from the shortstop position at the big league level.  Washington can ill afford to waste at-bats and games in a super competitive division, even in April.  As a result, Kieboom's MLB premiere could come earlier than expected - i.e. as soon as the next few weeks.

What other phenoms are making noise?  Let's take a look at some prospects on the move in this week's edition of the Minor League Barometer.

UPGRADE

Griffin Canning, P, LAA – The Angels need all the assistance they can get in the starting rotation, but help may soon be on the way in the form of Canning.  The 22-year-old righty has been lights-out through three starts in the Pacific Coast League, which is known as a hitter's haven.  Canning has allowed just one earned run over that span, posting a minuscule 0.56 ERA and 17:2 K:BB in 16 innings while opposing batters are hitting a paltry .224 against.  The Angels' starters have begun the 2019 campaign with a 6.13 ERA.  They're already dead last in the NL West, so Canning could see the big leagues sooner rather than later.

Cole Tucker, SS, PIT – The Pirates are hoping Tucker and third base prospect Ke'Bryan Hayes will hold down that side of the infield for many years to come.  Both phenoms have started the year off well, but Tucker has performed better through the first couple of weeks.  The 22-year-old slashed .333/.415/.579 with three home runs, seven RBI and five steals through 13 games for Triple-A Indianapolis.  With both Kevin Newman and Erik Gonzalez going on the Injured List, Tucker received a promotion to the bigs and promptly smacked a home run in his first game with the big club.  Tucker has stolen at least 35 bags in each of the last two seasons, but a power surge would really skyrocket his value as he only registered 20 home runs in the minors.  However, Tucker is not a small man at 6'3", 205, so the potential is still there.  His combination of speed and possibly-emerging power makes him an intriguing add, particularly with the Pirates' massive injuries which should give him everyday playing time.

Brusdar Graterol, P, MIN – Graterol missed two years after undergoing Tommy John surgery, but has come back with a vengeance. Now he throws even harder, but also owns a wipeout slider along with a developing changeup.  He recorded a 2.74 ERA and 107:28 K:BB in 102 innings between Low-A and High-A in 2018, and he hasn't missed a beat since starting at Double-A this year with a 0.52 ERA and 18:6 K:BB in 17.1 innings with opposing batters hitting a putrid .121 against.  Not only does Graterol possess strikeout stuff, but batters are more likely to hit ground balls when they make contact.  In 170.1 minor-league innings pitched, the 20-year-old flamethrower has surrendered just five long balls.  Graterol is the clear-cut top pitching prospect in the Minnesota system.  If he can stay healthy (he also had back issues last year), Graterol has a chance to gain more publicity on a much larger scale.

Nate Pearson, P, TOR – Pearson is a pitching prospect to watch in the Toronto organization.  Not only can he hit triple-digits on the radar gun, but he's also shown pinpoint control during his brief time in the minors.  Of course, Pearson's checkered injury history is worth noting: he had screws placed in his elbow in high school, missed the early part of last year with a back ailment, then was struck on the forearm by a line drive and fractured his ulna in his first start back.  He appears to be fully recovered, notching a 1.29 ERA and 20:1 K:BB in just 14 innings at High-A Dunedin.  Pearson's secondary pitches could use some polish, but he does have a curveball, slider and a changeup in his arsenal.  At 6'6" and nearly 250 pounds, Pearson has the upside to be a frontline workhorse if all the pieces fall into place, although the Blue Jays will likely limit his innings in 2019.

CHECK STATUS

Justin Dunn, P, SEA – Dunn came over to the Mariners organization as part of the Robinson Cano/Edwin Diaz deal.  A first round pick in the 2016 draft, Dunn has proved inconsistent since entering the minors - most notably with his control.  Still, he fanned 156 batters in 135.1 innings between High-A and Double-A, which represented a sizeable jump in strikeouts per inning from the previous season.  He has been borderline dominant through three starts for Double-A Arkansas in 2019, managing a 1.88 ERA and 21:5 K:BB in 14.1 innings.  It remains to be seen if this is just a hot stretch for Dunn, or if he can maintain this level of command and control.  The 23-year-old could finally be coming into his own, but a larger sample size is needed for confirmation.

Will Benson, OF, CLE – Benson cracked four home runs in a single game Thursday, becoming the first minor league prospect in five years to accomplish such a feat.  The 20-year-old left-handed power prospect is repeating Low-A Lake County to begin the 2019 campaign.  Benson has plenty of raw power but hit just .180 and struck out 152 times in 123 games last season.  He's having a much easier time this year, as the monstrous outing pushed his slash line up to .340/.426/.830 with six home runs and 16 RBI through 13 contests while accumulating four stolen bases.  A first round pick in 2016, Benson is continuing to work on consistently making contact and refining his approach, but still has 21 strikeouts in those 13 games this season.  Benson lacks polish, but as the four-homer game shows, the potential is certainly evident.

Bryan Mata, P, BOS – Mata won't turn 20 until May, but is also repeating a level at High-A.  He was wild in 2017, walking 58 batters in 72 innings.  However, he did fan 61 hitters and held the opposition to a .229 BAA.  Mata's success hinges not only on is control but his ability to pitch down in the zone.  He's registered a 2.50 GO:AO through 16.2 innings in 2019 with 17 strikeouts and only four walks and one earned run, so it appears Mata is righting the ship.  It is also worth noting he did not experience control issues in 2016 and 2017, so perhaps last year was an aberration in this regard.  If he continues to shine in 2019, he will vault up the prospect rankings.

Ronny Mauricio, SS, NYM – Already highly thought of in prospect circles, Mauricio has boosted his stock even further with a fast start to the 2019 campaign.  He just turned 18, but is hitting .323/.373/.4387 through 15 games at Low-A Columbia against older competition.  Mauricio is expected to fill out as he matures and the 6'3" phenom could end up playing third base due to his power projection, even as the Mets also have Amed Rosario in the big leagues and Andres Gimenez at Double-A.  He's been a tad antsy in the batter's box, but it is difficult to argue with the results of a teenager hitting .323 at any level.  Mauricio is still a ways away from making an impact in the big leagues, but the Mets should still be excited from what they are seeing thus far.

DOWNGRADE

Bubba Thompson, OF, TEX – Arguably the top prospect in the Texas system, Thompson suffered a fractured hamate bone in his left hand that will require surgery and will miss at least the next month.  Thompson was off to a sluggish start at High-A prior to the injury, hitting just .150 with two RBI and two steals in 12 games.  The athletic Thompson showed plenty of upside in 2018 at Low-A, hitting eight home runs and swiping 32 bags in just 84 games while also missing the early part of the season due to a knee injury.  Leody Taveras has picked up the slack for Thompson in the Wood Ducks outfield, but a return to health remains most important.

Nick Pratto, 1B, KC – Pratto compiled a nice season for the Royals - his first full year of professional ball - by hitting .280 with 14 home runs, 62 RBI and 22 steals in 120 games at Low-A.  Still, he struck out 150 times, and it remains to be seen how much power he will truly develop.  The doubters will not be quieted by this season's slow start at High-A either, as Pratto is batting just .193 with seven RBI through 17 games - while failing to hit a home run.  He does have four stolen bases, but steals are not the stat to look for in a first baseman.  Pratto does have two things working in his favor: time and nobody blocking his path to the big leagues.  Still, the Royals will certainly be patient after investing a first round pick in 2017 on him straight out of high school.

Hudson Potts, 3B, SD – Potts plays for the Amarillo Sod Poodles - had to get that name in there.  Unfortunately, Potts does not appear to be enjoying his time thus far at Double-A, hitting just .167 with one home run through 16 games while fanning 25 times.  The power prospect will likely always carry a high level of punch outs, but he'll need to back it up with some home runs.  Potts could be the best hitting prospect in the San Diego system now that Fernando Tatis Jr. and Luis Urias are in the big leagues - but there's also the presence of Manny Machado to worry about.  Machado's mammoth contract means Potts will eventually have to find another place to play in the field for the Padres.  Don't sleep on the kid; but, for now, there are more questions than answers.

Keibert Ruiz, C, LAD – Ruiz is still just 20, a switch-hitting catcher learning to play arguably the most demanding position on the diamond.  He possesses strong command of the strike zone as a hitter, and makes consistent contact.  He hit under .300 for the first time in his minor league career last season with a .268 at Double-A Tulsa) and is batting .265 to begin the 2019 campaign.  He did blast a career-high 12 home runs last year, but is not expected to be a big bopper.  In other words, his average needs to hold up at the higher levels in order for him to be a fantasy commodity.  The Dodgers have been aggressive with Ruiz, so perhaps this downgrade is a bit unfair.  However, he also has to deal with Will Smith directly ahead of him at Triple-A.  Smith is off to a stellar start, hitting .289/.421/.600 with three home runs and 10 RBI.