Minor League Barometer: Making an Impact

Injuries have perhaps caused prospects to be called up sooner than organizations would like, but some teams have been rewarded by these promotions. As previously mentioned, the Dodgers are now starting Cody Bellinger at first base due to the injury to Adrian Gonzalez. Or how about Ian Happ for Cubs? The Cubbies are banged up, so Happ received the call and subsequently hit a home run in his first game. He could end up getting sent back down shortly, but like the aforementioned Bellinger, if Happ continues to hit, the Cubs maybe have little choice but to keep him with the big club.

Let's take a look at some other movers and shakers in this week's Minor League Barometer.

UPGRADE

Leody Taveras, OF, TEX – Arguably the top prospect in the Texas organization, the speedy Taveras also seems to be tapping into his power potential to begin the 2017 campaign. Through 36 games for Low-A Hickory, the 18-year-old centerfielder already has four home runs. By contrast, Taveras had just one home run across three levels in 2016. He's currently on a tear, batting .361 over his last 10 contests. With five steals this season to boot, the switch-hitting teenager has shown a diverse skill set while being far from overmatched in the batter's box.

Dylan Cease, P, CHC - As if the Cubs haven't had enough success in recent years through the minors, Cease could be yet another high-upside phenom who reaches his potential. The 21-year-old old is still a few years away from the big leagues, but he has flashed massive strikeout stuff during his brief time at Low-A in 2017. Cease has a 50:17 K:BB through 32.1 innings. Opposing batters are hitting a paltry .207 against the 6-foot-2 righty, who is fully recovered from Tommy John surgery and showing just why the Cubbies took a chance on him in the sixth round in 2014. He'll certainly be on an innings limit this year and possibly in 2018 as well, but it is hard to argue with the results thus far.

Triston McKenzie, P, CLE - McKenzie has found little resistance during his brief stint at High-A, culminating in an absurdly dominant last outing. The teenager fanned 14 batters in six scoreless innings. Yes, you read that correctly. So of the 18 outs he recorded, 14 came via the punch out. McKenzie allowed one hit and one walk, lowering his ERA to 1.95 though six starts. With three potential above-average pitches, athleticism and the ability to hit his spots, McKenzie has emerged as an elite pitching phenom. He could see Double-A by the summer if this trend continues, which would be quite the feat for a 19-year-old hurler.

Sixto Sanchez, P, PHI - A standout in spring training, Sanchez has parlayed that success into a stellar start at Low-A. The Dominican right-hander has a 3.70 ERA and 28:3 K:BB through 24.1 innings. Sanchez has shown superior control throughout his brief time in the minors, but his strikeout rate has also seen an uptick early on in 2017. Sanchez has also yet to allow a home run in 104 innings as a professional. With a blazing fastball in addition to a curveball and changeup, Sanchez has the ability to vault up the prospect rankings this season, even despite not being the tallest guy on the mound.

CHECK STATUS

Willie Calhoun, 2B, LAD - There's no question Calhoun can rake. In fact, if he was in an American League organization, he might already be in the big leagues as a designated hitter. Unfortunately, fielding is also part of the game, and Calhoun has been sub-standard in that department, failing to find a full-time position. Still, as long as he continues to hit, the Dodgers will eventually find a spot for him somewhere. After hitting 27 home runs at Double-A in 2016, Calhoun has five dingers through 33 games but is hitting over .300 over that span. The 22-year-old may have to bide his time in the minors and work on his fielding in 2017, but as previously seen with fellow prospect Cody Bellinger, all it takes is an injury and an opportunity to change that.

Jesus Sanchez, OF, TB - Sanchez is an underrated prospect in the Tampa Bay system. The 19-year-old has an emerging power stroke from the left side, and his hit tool has drawn rave reviews. He doesn't draw that many walks, but he never hit under .320 in any of the rookie leagues entering 2017, so it did not matter all that much. Now at Low-A, Sanchez already has five home runs through 30 games, and he has the speed to learn how to become a base stealer down the road. Sanchez is still growing and coming into his own, but if he can exercise a little more patience at the dish, he can have all the tools to become a future star for the Rays.

Joey Wentz, P, ATL - In a stacked farm system, Wentz is often overlooked. With Kolby Allard, Mike Soroka and others getting the publicity on the pitching side, Wentz often takes a back seat. However, he has been dealing in his first taste of full-season ball. Wentz has a 3.44 ERA and 37:7 K:BB through 34 innings for Low-A Rome. While Wentz does tend to pitch to contact and is not always overpowering, he has clearly shown the ability to miss bats and record strikeouts. The southpaw needs to prove that his fastball velocity is for real, and that he can stay healthy and on the mound. At just 19 years of age, the 6-foot-5, 210-pound hurler certainly looks the part of a frontline starter.

Andres Gimenez, SS, NYM - The Mets already feel as though they have their shortstop of the future in the form of Amed Rosario, who should make his MLB debut later this year. However, teams can never have too much depth, and the 18-year-old Gimenez could end up providing much more than just that. Signed as a 16-year-old out of the Dominican Republic, Gimenez has an advanced approach well beyond his years at the dish. In 62 combined games in the Dominican Summer League, Gimenez walked 46 times while fanning on just 22 occasions. No that is not a typo. He had double as many walks as strikeouts. Gimenez was recently transitioned to Low-A Columbia, where he's hitting .255 with a .345 On-Base Percentage through 13 games. It remains to be seen if he will hit for power, but he did swipe 13 bags in 2016. Gimenez has upside, and it starts with his tremendous discipline at the plate.

DOWNGRADE

Kevin Newman, SS, PIT - Newman's status as an elite prospect, at least in terms of future fantasy prowess, was in doubt even before he so rudely received a fastball to the forehead last week. Thankfully, Newman is fine; he did not show any concussion symptoms and is already back in the lineup. Still, Newman is hitting .261 with just one home run and zero RBI through 29 games for Double-A Altoona. The Arizona product is already 23 years of age, so his development in terms of power and speed is likely limited. He has never hit more than five home runs in a single season, while never stealing more than 13 bases in any one year. Newman can handle the bat, but his start to the year has been disappointing, and there may not be much coming in the way of home runs and steals even if he starts to get hot.

Jahmai Jones, OF, LAA - The lack of star power in the Halos' farm system has been well documented, but Jones is one of the few players that could change the narrative. Unfortunately, the second round pick from 2015 is struggling to begin the 2017 campaign. Jones is slashing just .200/.254/.308 through 30 games. Jones is toolsy, though; he has three home runs and seven steals during that span. He's got more speed than pop, but his power is certainly not non-existent. Still, Jones must prove that he can hit for average, as he has been unable to handle full-season ball during his brief stint there. At just 19 years of age, Jones does have plenty of time to right the ship.

Francis Martes, P, HOU - The top pitching prospect for the Astros has had a dismal start to his 2017 campaign. The 21-year-old righty has a bloated 5.68 ERA through five starts at Triple-A Fresno. Actually, it has been only his last three starts where he has gotten into trouble, as Martes hurled 9.1 shutout innings to begin the season. Certainly, the Pacific Coast League is the antithesis of a sanctuary for pitchers, though the 19 walks issued by Martes cannot be blamed on the elements. Opposing batters are hitting .325 against him as well, leading to entirely too many base runners. Still, the most concerning elements has to be the lack of control, which has reared its ugly head in the past for Martes. He is one of the youngest players at this level, but Martes has a lot of kinks to work out before heading to the majors.

Josh Hader, P, MIL - While teammate Lewis Brinson appears poised to make his MLB debut in short order, Hader's promotion to the majors may not be so imminent. Like the above-mentioned Martes, Hader has also struggled during his time in the Pacific Coast League. In 2017, Hader has a 4.20 ERA and 36:24 K:BB in 40.2 innings. Once again, issues with control are evident, though Hader has also allowed a staggering nine home runs through eight starts this season. That combination of walks and home runs is a recipe for disaster. The 23-year-old southpaw has now pitched over 100 innings at this level, and his ERA is barely below 5.00 during that time period. Perhaps Hader needs a change of scenery.