Minor League Barometer: Schwarber Leads Second-Half Wave

The first half of the season saw a huge change in the landscape of Major League Baseball. The young bloods are making a claim to take over the game. Twenty All-Stars were 25 years of age or younger, including some bona fide stars (Mike Trout and Bryce Harper) along with some first-timers (Kris Bryant and Joc Pederson) who all should be staples of professional baseball for the next decade.

Therefore, it would seem as though the pipeline to the bigs would have to be drying out, right? Particularly after the bevy of promotions earlier this season. However, there's still plenty of talent coming up through the ranks, even for the stretch run in 2015. For instance, an injury to Miguel Montero in Chicago suddenly gives the Cubs a place to play Kyle Schwarber. The bat of Schwarber has been sensational at every stop this season, and playing at the thin catching position should only bolster his fantasy value even further. Meanwhile, the Phillies could jettison Cole Hamels and Jonathan Papelbon prior to the trading deadline, and the revamp of the pitching staff will likely begin with starter Aaron Nola. The polished college arm made his major league debut this week and has notched a 2.39 ERA and 92:18 K:BB ratio in 109.1 innings between Double-A and Triple-A this season. And Stephen Piscotty will finally get his turn with the Cardinals this week as well.

The crop of minor leaguers remains bountiful. Let's take a look at some prime time performers in this week's Minor League Barometer.

UPGRADE

Michael Fulmer, P, NYM – With the injury to Steven Matz, the likelihood of the Mets trading one of their young stud arms for offensive help is slim. A call-up for top hitting prospect Michael Conforto appears to be the more likely solution. Even without an injury to Matz though, the Mets were likely going to stand pat with their young hurlers and build around what could be the most fearsome rotation in all of baseball over the next 2-3 years. That means Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom and Matt Harvey should stay in Queens for the foreseeable future. However, no such promises can be given to Fulmer, a 22-year-old righty who has had a resurgent 2015 campaign. He's battled a variety of injuries over the last two seasons, which limited his effectiveness, but found his groove this year, posting a 2.30 ERA and 74:22 K:BB ratio in 82 innings this season mostly at Double-A. As a result, the Mets could dangle Fulmer as trade bait if they don't want to part with their other prized pitching possessions.

Clint Frazier, OF, CLE – While Frazier has been outshone by fellow Cleveland outfield prospect Bradley Zimmer this season, it's Frazier and his Little League teammate Austin Meadows who will always be linked. Both drafted in the top 10 in the 2013 draft, they have had their share of growing pains over their first couple of years in the pros. While Meadows looks to have a bit more speed and a better chance at hitting for average, Frazier's all-around tools may end up making him a better fantasy talent. For the second straight year, Frazier will collect double-digits home runs and stolen bases and already has 10 home runs and 11 steals for High-A Lynchburg. While Meadows is hitting .300 with 15 stolen bases, he has just three home runs in 81 games for the Pittsburgh Pirates' High-A affiliate in Bradenton. Frazier is slashing .271/.361/.423 overall and has been scorching of late, hitting .371 with two home runs, five RBI and four steals over his last 10 games. Both center fielders are just 20 years of age, and both can still grow into superstars. Frazier's pop may give him more upside, though.

Javier Guerra, SS, BOS – Teammate Rafael Devers gets all the publicity on the left side of the infield for Low-A Greenville, but it would be a mistake to overlook Guerra. The 19-year-old from Panama has been white-hot of late, hitting a staggering .488 with four home runs and 12 RBI over his last 10 games for the Drive. That has pushed Guerra's overall slash line to .309/.362/.511. The power is perhaps the most surprising aspect of his year, as the 5-foot-11, 155-pound shortstop has 12 home runs and 51 RBI through 76 games at this level. With six stolen bases as well, Guerra is emerging as a prospect to watch for the Red Sox. He strikes out a bit too much, and if the power is a mirage, that could be a problem at the higher levels. For now, though, he is making a case to be noticed.

Matt Chapman, 3B, OAK – Chapman's first full season in the minors has thus far gone to plan, as the 22-year-old slugger has excelled in the power category. Through 65 games for High-A Stockton, he's slugging an impressive .583. That number is largely due to his 19 home runs, though he has also hit 18 doubles and even notched two triples. Chapman has been on a tear recently, hitting home runs in three straight games for the Ports. Expanding his numbers further, he's batting .400 with five home runs and 11 RBI over his last 10 games. His plate discipline has also been much better this season, though he still could stand to cut down on his strikeouts. Nevertheless, with Josh Donaldson no longer in the mix, and Brett Lawrie proving to be only adequate at third, there could come a time in the near future where Chapman or fellow hot corner prospect Renato Nunez make a real push for the job.

CHECK STATUS

Tyrell Jenkins, P, ATL – Jenkins has always been a favorite of mine, a 6-foot-4 athletic hurler who simply hasn't been able to stay on the mound for most of his career. In 2015, he has finally been healthy, and the results have been extremely promising. Jenkins has pitched a career-high 104 innings this season, mostly at Double-A, with a 2.94 ERA. His control has been a tad spotty, and his strikeout numbers are not fantastic. However, let's not forget that despite being 23 years of age, he had less than 275 professional innings under his belt heading into 2015. As such, he is still learning how to pitch, and could only be scratching the surface of his development and potential. Jenkins may be viewed as a late bloomer, and if there's a silver lining to the injuries it's that he hasn't had the heavy workload of other pitchers his age.

Ruddy Giron, SS, SD – Giron has been turning heads in the Midwest League at just 18 years of age. The teenaged shortstop has come out of virtual anonymity to slash .296/.339/.460 in 55 games, despite being among the youngest players at Low-A. He has also shown a toolsy side, hitting eight home runs while swiping 12 bases over that span. An athletic middle infielder with surprising pop, Giron has hit a bit of wall recently, but that should do little to diminish his potential. He does not strike out a ton, he makes consistent contact and has tremendous bat speed. Giron may have entered the season with little fanfare, but he could be among the fastest risers by the end of the 2015 campaign.

Ryan Cordell, OF, TEX – The Frisco RoughRiders have an absurdly talented outfield already with Nomar Mazara and Nick Williams, but Cordell has also recently been added to the fold in Double-A as he continues his rise up the organizational ranks. He has hit above .300 at every stop of full-season ball so far and the 22-year-old took advantage of the friendly hitting confines at High-A, slashing .311/.376/.528 with 13 home runs, 57 RBI and 10 steals in 68 games. An 11th round selection in 2013, Cordell's power looks legit, he is not afraid to draw a walk, and he can even swipe a bag or two. Perhaps the only question is where he will play the big-league level, due to the plethora of outfield prospects currently at the Rangers' disposal.

Rhys Hoskins, 1B, PHI – The Ryan Howard era is coming to a close; could Rhys Hoskins end up making a bid for the job? Darin Ruf has not really panned out for the Phils, and will turn 29 years of age later this month. Hoskins was a 5th round pick in 2014, and has 40 extra-base hits in 92 games this season split between Low-A and High-A. That includes 13 home runs for the 6-foot-4, 225-lb first baseman in his first full season in the minors. He has also shown the ability to take a walk, and does not strike out as much as one would think at first glance. The 22-year-old hit .322/.397/.525 in 68 games at Low-A, though perhaps that wasn't a challenging starting point for a college hitter. The offensive expectations for his position are high, and 2016 should be a better indicator of Hoskins' future potential.

DOWNGRADE

Tyler Beede, P, SF – This is a little bit of a harsh downgrade, as Beede certainly has not pitched poorly this season, his first full year in the minors. A first-round selection in the 2014 draft, he just hasn't pitched like a first rounder. Perhaps expectations are the real problem in this instance. Beede's strikeouts are strikingly low, and the 22-year-old hurler has also battled some control issues since being promoted to Double-A. In 43.1 innings, he has just 25 strikeouts and 16 walks. While he's been able to keep the ball down and limit hits against him at this level, his actual swings and misses have been few and far between. The scouting report on Beede coming out of Vandy was that he needed to work on his offspeed pitches and his command. Maybe his lofty draft status should not be held against him, but his efforts at Double-A so far suggest he still needs some fine-tuning.

Austin Kubitza, P, DET – The Tigers have one of the worst farm systems in baseball, and the subpar season for Steven Moya along with the hot start for Devon Travis in Toronto make the rest of the prospects look even worse. It is a harsh reality for the Tigers, who are considering selling off parts at the trading deadline. While dealing David Price or Yoenis Cespedes could certainly yield some top-shelf prospects, a quick-fix may not be in the cards. Kubitza came into the season as one of the better pitchers in the organization, with a 2.34 ERA and 140:43 K:BB ratio in 131 innings at Low-A last season. He skipped completely over High-A, but perhaps that was a mistake as he has had a dreadful 2015 campaign at Double-A Erie. The 23-year-old hurler out of Rice has a bloated 5.51 ERA through 17 starts. If possible, Kubitza has been even worse recently. He has allowed at least five earned runs in four of his last six starts. His strength is keeping the ball down with his nasty sinker, but even though he has not been surrendering home runs, he has still been getting pounded. Despite giving up just four long balls in 85 innings, opposing batters are hitting .317 against him. That equates to 111 hits allowed over that span. Kubitza will get every chance to rectify the issues in such a barren farmland, but the organization can't be pleased with his complete 180 this season.

Michael Kopech, P, BOS – Kopech appeared to finally be turning the corner in his professional career when he was suspended 50 games for testing positive for the use of a banned substance. He was having a resurgent season at Low-A Greenville, notching a 2.63 ERA and 70:27 K:BB in 65 innings. The former first-round pick had completely overhauled his mechanics, but obviously now the veracity of his progress, as well as his statistics, will be called into question. For his part, Kopech has denied knowingly or unknowingly taking Oxilofrine, a banned supplement that supposedly gives an increased supply of oxygen to the muscles. Though his 2015 campaign is likely over, Kopech will attempt to build on his otherwise successful season next year.

Matt Olson, 1B, OAK – Olson has cooled down considerably this season, though the move from the California League to the Texas League could have something to do with it. Still, his power outage is especially concerning, as he has bashed just eight home runs in 90 games for Double-A Midland. By contrast Olson smacked 37 home runs in 138 games at High-A Stockton in 2014. He's still drawing walks at a very high rate, as witnessed by his .382 OBP. However, that OBP looks a lot less impressive when stacked side-by-side with a .387 slugging percentage. It may be just a rough stretch for Olson, but power is obviously a huge part of his game, and he must regain his power stroke to be considered an upper-echelon prospect at first base.