Hello everyone and first of all, Merry Christmas to all of my kind readers! It's been a good Christmas for me as my family went on a trip today. How's your Christmas going so far? By the way, I have added batting hand/throwing hand on the profiles as I have forgotten to put it in previous scouting reports. I'll get to it right away.
My gift to the readers reading right now is my scouting reports for the San Jose Giants. It is on par with Richmond in terms of the excitement to write about as there are plenty of good prospects to scout on and some of the players that we might see in AT&T Park might've had a taste of playing for the San Jose Giants this year. I will highlight here several of the top prospects in the system as well as some tidbits on selected players that are not top prospects but sure gets my attention.
Gio Brusa OF
6'3" 220 lbs. S/R
Videos: Credits to Moore Baseball and Jen Mac Ramos
The body: Mature, muscular body; above-average to plus raw power; no projection remaining; pretty athletic actions in the field; body needs to be maintained as it can affect his athleticism.
The swing: Switch hitter with similar swing on both sides; slightly higher hands placement batting right handed (close to above head level) than batting left handed (shoulder level); shifts his weight back well in his leg kick; loads his hands well on both sides of the plate with textbook hand load; fluid stroke but the swing is long and with average bat speed, he is susceptible to high fastballs and quality breaking stuff; transfers his weight well on both sides with stiff front leg; long, one-handed finish; did improve his plate discipline but he still chases pitches when behind, and combining that with his pretty slow swing, limits his future hit potential; he translates his power well when he makes contact and can be a homer threat.
The other tools: Average raw speed but he moves well for his body size; will not be a huge base stealing threat in the future; arm is strong and fits perfectly in the corner; uses his speed well in fielding; RF will be his possible future home but he can slot in LF just as well.
The bottom line: Brusa has the ingredients of being a corner OF power hitter but his swing and miss issues as well as his average bat speed will limit his power numbers.
Grades (Current): FB 50 | CB 40+ | CH 30 | CMD 30
Conner Menez LHP
6'3" 220 lbs. S/R
Videos: Credits to Moore Baseball and Jen Mac Ramos
The body: Mature, muscular body; above-average to plus raw power; no projection remaining; pretty athletic actions in the field; body needs to be maintained as it can affect his athleticism.
The swing: Switch hitter with similar swing on both sides; slightly higher hands placement batting right handed (close to above head level) than batting left handed (shoulder level); shifts his weight back well in his leg kick; loads his hands well on both sides of the plate with textbook hand load; fluid stroke but the swing is long and with average bat speed, he is susceptible to high fastballs and quality breaking stuff; transfers his weight well on both sides with stiff front leg; long, one-handed finish; did improve his plate discipline but he still chases pitches when behind, and combining that with his pretty slow swing, limits his future hit potential; he translates his power well when he makes contact and can be a homer threat.
The other tools: Average raw speed but he moves well for his body size; will not be a huge base stealing threat in the future; arm is strong and fits perfectly in the corner; uses his speed well in fielding; RF will be his possible future home but he can slot in LF just as well.
The bottom line: Brusa has the ingredients of being a corner OF power hitter but his swing and miss issues as well as his average bat speed will limit his power numbers.
Grades (Current): Hit 25 | Power 35 | Speed 45 | Arm 55 | Glove 40
Grades (Ceiling): Hit 45 | Power 55 | Speed 45 | Arm 55 | Glove 50
Grades (Probable): Hit 40 | Power 50 | Speed 45 | Arm 55 | Glove 50
Ceiling: Above-average regular Floor: Everyday player/bench guy ETA: 2018
Tyler Cyr RHP
6'3" 200 lbs. R/R
Videos: Credits to Roger Munter and 2080 Baseball
The body: Strong frame; broad shoulders and long legs; quite intimidating in the mound; well built frame that tells me he can add more in his frame.
The mechanics: Tall and fall delivery; stands in the 3B side of the rubber while already keeping his body closed; slow, deliberate leg kick while gathering his hands at chest level; loads his back leg slightly in his drive; shows his entire back side versus lefties; throws slightly across the body; tilts his body back while driving but loads his elbows high, ending up with his right elbow above the shoulder line which might cause injury in the future; front side can leak at front foot landing; back foot leaves rubber early; front foot placement can become inconsistent; releases ball at high 3/4 release point; across the body drive causes him to fall off 1B at times; Has trouble repeating parts of his mechanics and should be toned down.
The stuff: Low-90s fastball that can reach mid-90s, has plenty of tail and has good life in the zone; curveball flashes sharp 12-6 break and generate plenty of swings and misses; changeup is well behind his two pitches but doesn't necessarily need in a relief role; does a solid job at filling the zone but misses the catcher's mitt most of the time but hitters swing through his pure stuff; if mechanics will be polished, he can have average command in the future.
The bottom line: Cyr has a good fastball-curve to warrant him a good future in the bullpen but he's more of relying in his pure stuff than spotting his pitches well. In the next level however, that won't work that well so the command of his stuff is the key.
Grades (Current): FB 50 | CB 40+ | CH 30 | CMD 30
Grades (Ceiling): FB 55 | CB 55 | CH 40 | CMD 45
Grades (Probable): FB 55 | CB 50 | CH 40 | CMD 40
Ceiling: Set-up reliever Floor: Organizational Filler ETA: 2019
Dylan Davis OF/1B
6'0" 205 lbs. R/R
Videos: Credits to Roger Munter 1 and 2
The body: Big and compact frame; massive torso with solid leg size; short but buffed arms; maintained his body size well and he moves well for his size; plus raw power.
The swing: Wide, crouched and slightly open stance in the box; quiet hands; leg kick raises his body upward but keeps his hands loose in loading; closes his front side when front foot lands; stiff front leg when swinging and is more of a front leg driver; long swing with good loft in his swing; good bat speed but due to long swing, he's prone to swings and misses; drives the baseball better this season, translating his power when he makes contact; has now shown the ability to hit with power the other way rather than being a pure pull hitter; has shown the ability to stay patient and draw walks.
The other tools: Below average speed, will not be a base stealing threat; with plus-plus arm, he fits well in a RF profile and should be an adequate defender in right; the lack of speed will probably relegate him to first base.
The bottom line: Davis has done a much better job in hitting the baseball better and finally putting his very good raw power into use. He's still prone to striking out however and he might slow down as he ages so he will probably be moved defensively. I'm still hopeful that he will stick to RF.
Dylan Davis OF/1B
6'0" 205 lbs. R/R
Videos: Credits to Roger Munter 1 and 2
The body: Big and compact frame; massive torso with solid leg size; short but buffed arms; maintained his body size well and he moves well for his size; plus raw power.
The swing: Wide, crouched and slightly open stance in the box; quiet hands; leg kick raises his body upward but keeps his hands loose in loading; closes his front side when front foot lands; stiff front leg when swinging and is more of a front leg driver; long swing with good loft in his swing; good bat speed but due to long swing, he's prone to swings and misses; drives the baseball better this season, translating his power when he makes contact; has now shown the ability to hit with power the other way rather than being a pure pull hitter; has shown the ability to stay patient and draw walks.
The other tools: Below average speed, will not be a base stealing threat; with plus-plus arm, he fits well in a RF profile and should be an adequate defender in right; the lack of speed will probably relegate him to first base.
The bottom line: Davis has done a much better job in hitting the baseball better and finally putting his very good raw power into use. He's still prone to striking out however and he might slow down as he ages so he will probably be moved defensively. I'm still hopeful that he will stick to RF.
Grades (Current): Hit 30 | Power 45 | Speed 40 | Arm 70 | Glove 35
Grades (Ceiling): Hit 45 | Power 60 | Speed 40 | Arm 70 | Glove 45
Grades (Probable): Hit 40+ | Power 55 | Speed 35 | Arm 70 | Glove 45
Ceiling: Above-average regular Floor: Everyday player/bench guy ETA: 2018
Aramis Garcia C
6'2" 220 lbs. R/R
Videos: Credits to FanGraphs 1 and 2
The body: Well built body; muscular but weight is spread well throughout; no projection left but good raw power.
The swing: Quiet at the plate; wide stance and fairly crouched; rotates back a little bit in his slow leg kick; shifts his weight back quite well; stiff front leg at front foot landing; short, compact swing that's direct to the ball; only average bat speed and the swing's more of a line-drive swing than a homer swing; hits the ball hard quite consistently; solid eye and recognition at the plate but bat speed limits his offensive potential; good pull power but still some questions about hitting homers the other way.
The other tools: His speed is a non-factor but he runs hard every time; defensively, he's a good pitch framer and even better catch and throw skills (averaged at 1.9 second pop time when I timed him) but doesn't really crouch as well behind the plate as known good defensive catchers so I think that's the main reason why he isn't blocking balls in the dirt very well; will need to develop a better technique behind the plate to block balls in the dirt.
The bottom line: Garcia's defense has come a long way from his college but the blocking skills still needs a good amount of work but the most concerning is the stalled progress of the bat. If his blocking will improve and his bat will be as what everyone expects out of him, he will have a role in the Majors.
Grades (Current): Hit 30 | Power 30 | Speed 30 | Arm 55 | Glove 35
Aramis Garcia C
6'2" 220 lbs. R/R
Videos: Credits to FanGraphs 1 and 2
The body: Well built body; muscular but weight is spread well throughout; no projection left but good raw power.
The swing: Quiet at the plate; wide stance and fairly crouched; rotates back a little bit in his slow leg kick; shifts his weight back quite well; stiff front leg at front foot landing; short, compact swing that's direct to the ball; only average bat speed and the swing's more of a line-drive swing than a homer swing; hits the ball hard quite consistently; solid eye and recognition at the plate but bat speed limits his offensive potential; good pull power but still some questions about hitting homers the other way.
The other tools: His speed is a non-factor but he runs hard every time; defensively, he's a good pitch framer and even better catch and throw skills (averaged at 1.9 second pop time when I timed him) but doesn't really crouch as well behind the plate as known good defensive catchers so I think that's the main reason why he isn't blocking balls in the dirt very well; will need to develop a better technique behind the plate to block balls in the dirt.
The bottom line: Garcia's defense has come a long way from his college but the blocking skills still needs a good amount of work but the most concerning is the stalled progress of the bat. If his blocking will improve and his bat will be as what everyone expects out of him, he will have a role in the Majors.
Grades (Current): Hit 30 | Power 30 | Speed 30 | Arm 55 | Glove 35
Grades (Ceiling): Hit 50 | Power 45 | Speed 30 | Arm 55 | Glove 50
Grades (Probable): Hit 45 | Power 40 | Speed 30 | Arm 55 | Glove 45
Ceiling: Everyday catcher Floor: Backup catcher/AAAA player ETA: 2019
Miguel Gomez OF/2B
5'10" 185 lbs. S/R
Videos: Credits to Roger Munter 1, 2 and 3
The body: Much improved body this year, thick compact frame, thick thighs and torso;, pretty long arms, body offers no projection but will hold up to the grind; average to a tick above raw power.
The swing: Switch-hitter with similar stance in the box, crouched and wide stance both sides with hands in similar place, slightly open when batting left handed while closed when batting right handed; big leg kick, picks up his front leg longer as a lefty than a righty, loads his hands very well, crouches his body during his leg kick, stays balanced; above average bat speed, great bat control due to strong wrists, excellent feel for barrel, almost makes too much contact that it cuts to his walks, pretty good pitch recognition, can be fooled but negates it by his bat control; pretty long swing but direct bat path, more line drive swing than a homer swing, more of a doubles hitter than a true homer threat.
The other tools: Well below average raw speed and will not be a base stealing threat; lacks range in the field, doesn't fit well as a catcher, decent defender at third base, will likely move to corner OF or in 2B in the long run.
The bottom line: Gomez has come a long way in his development. While he will just be a decent defender in the field and his speed will not generate a huge impact, the hit tool is tremendous enough to play in the Majors and sometimes, the hit tool is just enough.
Grades (Current): Hit 45 | Power 30 | Speed 30 | Arm 50 | Glove 35
Miguel Gomez OF/2B
5'10" 185 lbs. S/R
Videos: Credits to Roger Munter 1, 2 and 3
The body: Much improved body this year, thick compact frame, thick thighs and torso;, pretty long arms, body offers no projection but will hold up to the grind; average to a tick above raw power.
The swing: Switch-hitter with similar stance in the box, crouched and wide stance both sides with hands in similar place, slightly open when batting left handed while closed when batting right handed; big leg kick, picks up his front leg longer as a lefty than a righty, loads his hands very well, crouches his body during his leg kick, stays balanced; above average bat speed, great bat control due to strong wrists, excellent feel for barrel, almost makes too much contact that it cuts to his walks, pretty good pitch recognition, can be fooled but negates it by his bat control; pretty long swing but direct bat path, more line drive swing than a homer swing, more of a doubles hitter than a true homer threat.
The other tools: Well below average raw speed and will not be a base stealing threat; lacks range in the field, doesn't fit well as a catcher, decent defender at third base, will likely move to corner OF or in 2B in the long run.
The bottom line: Gomez has come a long way in his development. While he will just be a decent defender in the field and his speed will not generate a huge impact, the hit tool is tremendous enough to play in the Majors and sometimes, the hit tool is just enough.
Grades (Current): Hit 45 | Power 30 | Speed 30 | Arm 50 | Glove 35
Grades (Ceiling): Hit 55+ | Power 50+ | Speed 30 | Arm 50 | Glove 40+
Grades (Probable): Hit 55 | Power 50 | Speed 30 | Arm 50 | Glove 40
Ceiling: Everyday player Floor: DH/AAAA player ETA: 2018/2019
Ronnie Jebavy OF
6'2" 190 lbs. R/R
Videos: Credits to FanRag Sports and minorleaguebaseball 1 and 2
The body: Lean frame, very athletic body, broad shoulders with some slope in it, well distributed weight, body offers projection but doesn't look that he will add to his frame, average raw.
The swing: Short swing, quiet stance in the box, hands below shoulder level, average legs gap in the box, stays closed already; slow but little leg kick, rotates his torso and his bat to close him further, front leg moves forward after the peak of leg kick; short and compact swing, quick hips produces good bat speed, has pretty strong wrists but has contact issues with below average eye and can be beaten by good sequencing, swings and misses at a pretty high rate, athleticism shows in his swing but the problems are more mental; has line drive bat path but has shown ability to hit homers, double digit homer potential but the hit tool might limit how much he will produce.
The other tools: Great raw speed, has shown the knack for stealing bases, translates his speed very well in the field; true center fielder, excellent defensive instincts, a keeper there at center backed up by above average arm.
Grades (Current): Hit 35 | Power 35 | Speed 55 | Arm 55 | Glove 55
Jordan Johnson RHP
6'3" 200 lbs. R/R
Videos: Credits to Wilson Karaman 1 and 2
The body: Lean and well proportioned frame, sloping shoulders, looks like he can handle the starter's workload but adding more weight should help, athletic actions in the field.
The mechanics: Sweeping mechanics; stands at 3rd base side while his hands gather at neck level; slow, moderate leg kick in the windup, hands goes lower at chest level at the peak of leg kick; inconsistent timing with his hands and his legs at the start of his drive and should be tweaked, loads on his back leg very well; very wide arm circle but keeps it parallel with his body as he's throwing across the body, good extension due to slight drop and drive nature, slight tilt in his body, keeps his elbows below the shoulder line in his arm swing during the drive; stays closed at front foot landing, slightly inconsistent front foot placement during landing, arm is ready when it plants, drives hard towards his front leg, whole body isn't driving the ball towards the plate as he's rotating off his front foot, above average arm speed; 3/4 release point, doesn't repeat his release point well, nice north-south finish but leaves his right arm very exposed to sudden comebackers; inconsistent mechanics overall, does have the ability to fix his mechanical issues with his athleticism.
The stuff: Nice three pitch mix with low-90s fastball with little running action, flattens above the zone with minimal life, tee off pitch when left in the upper half of the zone, drop and drive elements doesn't help either, will probably improve his velocity when he adds more weight but low-90s is probably his future cruising speed; mid-80s changeup with nasty late, splitter-like movement, sells pitch very well, sometimes pitches off his changeup that results to the pitch losing effectiveness; high-70s curveball has tight spin when thrown right and potential swing and miss pitch as well, can hang it at times and with little velocity variance, it can be hit hard; present below average command lowers the present grade right now but has the potential to be at least average command with above average as ceiling.
The bottom line: Johnson's ceiling is as high as anyone in the system with three potential plus pitches with good command but his floor is also as low as anyone as his command can pull his career down. Once he starts to slowly improve on his mechanics, he and us will see how good he can be.
Ronnie Jebavy OF
6'2" 190 lbs. R/R
Videos: Credits to FanRag Sports and minorleaguebaseball 1 and 2
The body: Lean frame, very athletic body, broad shoulders with some slope in it, well distributed weight, body offers projection but doesn't look that he will add to his frame, average raw.
The swing: Short swing, quiet stance in the box, hands below shoulder level, average legs gap in the box, stays closed already; slow but little leg kick, rotates his torso and his bat to close him further, front leg moves forward after the peak of leg kick; short and compact swing, quick hips produces good bat speed, has pretty strong wrists but has contact issues with below average eye and can be beaten by good sequencing, swings and misses at a pretty high rate, athleticism shows in his swing but the problems are more mental; has line drive bat path but has shown ability to hit homers, double digit homer potential but the hit tool might limit how much he will produce.
The other tools: Great raw speed, has shown the knack for stealing bases, translates his speed very well in the field; true center fielder, excellent defensive instincts, a keeper there at center backed up by above average arm.
The bottom line: Jebavy is one of the most exciting players in the system if you talk about defense but one of the most disappointing and frustrating players in offense. If he carves some sort of offensive niche, his defense will carry him to the Majors.
Grades (Current): Hit 35 | Power 35 | Speed 55 | Arm 55 | Glove 55
Grades (Ceiling): Hit 45 | Power 45 | Speed 60 | Arm 55 | Glove 60
Grades (Probable): Hit 40 | Power 40 | Speed 60 | Arm 55 | Glove 60
Ceiling: Everyday OF Floor: AAAA OF ETA: 2019/2020
Jordan Johnson RHP
6'3" 200 lbs. R/R
Videos: Credits to Wilson Karaman 1 and 2
The body: Lean and well proportioned frame, sloping shoulders, looks like he can handle the starter's workload but adding more weight should help, athletic actions in the field.
The mechanics: Sweeping mechanics; stands at 3rd base side while his hands gather at neck level; slow, moderate leg kick in the windup, hands goes lower at chest level at the peak of leg kick; inconsistent timing with his hands and his legs at the start of his drive and should be tweaked, loads on his back leg very well; very wide arm circle but keeps it parallel with his body as he's throwing across the body, good extension due to slight drop and drive nature, slight tilt in his body, keeps his elbows below the shoulder line in his arm swing during the drive; stays closed at front foot landing, slightly inconsistent front foot placement during landing, arm is ready when it plants, drives hard towards his front leg, whole body isn't driving the ball towards the plate as he's rotating off his front foot, above average arm speed; 3/4 release point, doesn't repeat his release point well, nice north-south finish but leaves his right arm very exposed to sudden comebackers; inconsistent mechanics overall, does have the ability to fix his mechanical issues with his athleticism.
The stuff: Nice three pitch mix with low-90s fastball with little running action, flattens above the zone with minimal life, tee off pitch when left in the upper half of the zone, drop and drive elements doesn't help either, will probably improve his velocity when he adds more weight but low-90s is probably his future cruising speed; mid-80s changeup with nasty late, splitter-like movement, sells pitch very well, sometimes pitches off his changeup that results to the pitch losing effectiveness; high-70s curveball has tight spin when thrown right and potential swing and miss pitch as well, can hang it at times and with little velocity variance, it can be hit hard; present below average command lowers the present grade right now but has the potential to be at least average command with above average as ceiling.
The bottom line: Johnson's ceiling is as high as anyone in the system with three potential plus pitches with good command but his floor is also as low as anyone as his command can pull his career down. Once he starts to slowly improve on his mechanics, he and us will see how good he can be.
Grades (Current): FB 40 | CH 50 | CB 35 | CMD 35
Grades (Ceiling): FB 55 | CH 60 | CB 55 | CMD 50+
Grades (Probable): FB 50 | CH 55 | CB 45 | CMD 45
Ceiling: #3 Starter Floor: Organizational Filler ETA: 2019
6'3" 195 lbs. L/L
Videos: Credits to Roger Munter
The body: Lean frame; long legs and arms; sloping shoulders; frame looks to have some projection but doesn't look like he'll add weight in his frame; stamina might be an issue.
The mechanics: Very deceptive mechanics, tall stance in the rubber when lifting the front leg while glove at chest level; drops deliberately in his drive generating huge extension; forearm stays at the same line with the shoulder, resulting to not having a big arm circle similar to Roger Clemens in his post-Red Sox days; body is closed during the drive, hiding the baseball in his body especially against lefties; righties might have time to pick up the baseball once his front foot drops because he shows the ball for too long; doesn't create a huge hip-shoulder separation but most of the energy comes from the back leg anyway; releases the baseball in a true 3/4 release point, finishes his pitches well, resulting to him to be in a good fielding position; unconventional mechanics but it works for him and repeats it well.
The stuff: Average repertoire across the board; fastball is at high-80s and can reach 91 MPH with a 4-seam and a 2-seam variety, 2-seamer has some tail in it; best secondary pitch might be his slider in the low-80s flashing good, sweeping break when located well; changeup looks okay in the high-70s and curve at low-70s breaks early and has sweeping movement; relies more on deception, pitchability and using his repertoire well; has feel for his stuff to think of having a tick above average command in the future.
The bottom line: Menez will not wow you with his stuff but the deception created by his mechanics (hiding the ball and throwing the ball at such a low eye level) and pitchability will certainly have you take a good look at him. He does have some similarities to Ty Blach so I think the future bodes quite well for him.
Grades (Current): FB 40 | SL 35 | CB 30+ | CH 30 | CMD 40
Grades (Ceiling): FB 45 | SL 50+ | CB 45 | CH 45 | CMD 55
Grades (Probable): FB 45 | SL 45 | CB 45 | CH 40 | CMD 55
Ceiling: Middle Reliever Floor: Organizational Filler ETA: 2020
Reyes Moronta RHP
6'0" 175 lbs. R/R
Videos: Credits to Jen Mac Ramos, Roger Munter and 2080 Baseball
The body: Conservatively listed at 175 lbs.; round belly, thick thighs; the body needs to be maintained very well in order to perform at a high level.
The mechanics: Throws from the set position; drop and drive delivery; gathers tall with hands at head level; will raise his front leg while loading his back leg but showed the ability to slide step with runners on base; extends very well in his drive and tilts his upper body, similar to throwing side arm; short arm swing and hides the ball extremely well versus righties; he sweeps his front leg towards first base; arm is relaxed during the drive and is in a good spot when his front foot lands; very good hip-shoulder separation and immense torque generated in his drive, throws the ball in a low 3/4 slot that can lower to a more true side arm sometimes; falls off to the first base side when finishing; repeats his mechanics well for his size but is prone to losing the feel of his mechanics at times.
The stuff: Premium fastball at mid to high-90s and will reach 100 MPH with good running action, deception plays to his favor as the fastball jumps especially versus righties; slider has come a long way, throwing it in the mid-80s with frisbee-type movement: more horizontal movement than vertical movement; has control of his two pitches but can have trouble throwing his fastball and slider inside righties; potential average command when mechanics became more consistent.
The bottom line: Think of a slightly taller and much bigger Sergio Romo with 10 MPH faster fastball and 4-5 MPH faster slider. You just thought of Reyes Moronta.
Bryan Reynolds OF
6'3" 200 lbs. S/R
Videos: Credits to Roger Munter, FanGraphs and Andrew Krause
The body: Lean but mature frame; athletic; still has room for some projection; above-average raw power.
The swing: Switch hitter; both sides features wide stance in the box; the bat is almost perpendicular to the ground and hands are chest level when batting left handed while bat's almost parallel to the ground while hands are head level when batting right handed; quiet leg kick shifts his weight back when batting left handed while lifting his heel and turning his body back to load when batting right handed; does a good job in shifting his weight on both sides with good balance; does a better job of staying back while batting left handed because he shifts his momentum forward towards his front leg after front foot landing when batting right handed; left handed swing features good loft in his swing like swinging a golf club while the swing is flatter and more direct to the ball when batting right handed; both sides exhibit good bat speed; bends his knee when batting right handed to finish his swing while he stiffens his front leg when batting left handed; both sides features two handed finishes; left hand side features more power than his right hand side due to swing nature but both sides can transfer his weight well to the bat; he is prone to swings and misses due to holes in the swing; has nice feel for the strike zone and will draw fair share of walks but tends to chase as well.
The other tools: Tick above average raw speed but plays very well due to very good base running instincts and base stealing ability; good route efficiency when fielding and speed translates well to center field but the below-average arm might move him to left field in the future.
The bottom line: Reynolds is one of the most complete players in the farm system with 4 solid tools that plays better due to his excellent baseball instincts. He takes his craft seriously and he should move quickly through the system due to his polish and has enough ceiling to be excited every single time he plays when he reaches his potential.
Grades (Current): Hit 40 | Power 35 | Speed 50 | Arm 40 | Glove 50
Reyes Moronta RHP
6'0" 175 lbs. R/R
Videos: Credits to Jen Mac Ramos, Roger Munter and 2080 Baseball
The body: Conservatively listed at 175 lbs.; round belly, thick thighs; the body needs to be maintained very well in order to perform at a high level.
The mechanics: Throws from the set position; drop and drive delivery; gathers tall with hands at head level; will raise his front leg while loading his back leg but showed the ability to slide step with runners on base; extends very well in his drive and tilts his upper body, similar to throwing side arm; short arm swing and hides the ball extremely well versus righties; he sweeps his front leg towards first base; arm is relaxed during the drive and is in a good spot when his front foot lands; very good hip-shoulder separation and immense torque generated in his drive, throws the ball in a low 3/4 slot that can lower to a more true side arm sometimes; falls off to the first base side when finishing; repeats his mechanics well for his size but is prone to losing the feel of his mechanics at times.
The stuff: Premium fastball at mid to high-90s and will reach 100 MPH with good running action, deception plays to his favor as the fastball jumps especially versus righties; slider has come a long way, throwing it in the mid-80s with frisbee-type movement: more horizontal movement than vertical movement; has control of his two pitches but can have trouble throwing his fastball and slider inside righties; potential average command when mechanics became more consistent.
The bottom line: Think of a slightly taller and much bigger Sergio Romo with 10 MPH faster fastball and 4-5 MPH faster slider. You just thought of Reyes Moronta.
Grades (Current): FB 65 | SL 40 | CMD 35
Grades (Ceiling): FB 80 | SL 55 | CMD 50
Grades (Probable): FB 75 | SL 55 | CMD 45
Ceiling: Set-up reliever Floor: AAAA Reliever ETA: 2018
Bryan Reynolds OF
6'3" 200 lbs. S/R
Videos: Credits to Roger Munter, FanGraphs and Andrew Krause
The body: Lean but mature frame; athletic; still has room for some projection; above-average raw power.
The swing: Switch hitter; both sides features wide stance in the box; the bat is almost perpendicular to the ground and hands are chest level when batting left handed while bat's almost parallel to the ground while hands are head level when batting right handed; quiet leg kick shifts his weight back when batting left handed while lifting his heel and turning his body back to load when batting right handed; does a good job in shifting his weight on both sides with good balance; does a better job of staying back while batting left handed because he shifts his momentum forward towards his front leg after front foot landing when batting right handed; left handed swing features good loft in his swing like swinging a golf club while the swing is flatter and more direct to the ball when batting right handed; both sides exhibit good bat speed; bends his knee when batting right handed to finish his swing while he stiffens his front leg when batting left handed; both sides features two handed finishes; left hand side features more power than his right hand side due to swing nature but both sides can transfer his weight well to the bat; he is prone to swings and misses due to holes in the swing; has nice feel for the strike zone and will draw fair share of walks but tends to chase as well.
The other tools: Tick above average raw speed but plays very well due to very good base running instincts and base stealing ability; good route efficiency when fielding and speed translates well to center field but the below-average arm might move him to left field in the future.
The bottom line: Reynolds is one of the most complete players in the farm system with 4 solid tools that plays better due to his excellent baseball instincts. He takes his craft seriously and he should move quickly through the system due to his polish and has enough ceiling to be excited every single time he plays when he reaches his potential.
Grades (Current): Hit 40 | Power 35 | Speed 50 | Arm 40 | Glove 50
Grades (Ceiling): Hit 50+ | Power 50+ | Speed 55 | Arm 45 | Glove 55
Grades (Probable): Hit 50+ | Power 50 | Speed 55 | Arm 40 | Glove 55
Ceiling: Above-average regular Floor: Everyday player/bench guy ETA: 2018
Heath Quinn OF
6'2" 190 lbs. R/R
Videos: Credits to Jake Mastorianni and Jen Mac Ramos
The body: Intimidating presence at the plate, massive frame and the muscle is well distributed, no projection but plus raw power profile, still has room to add extra weight, has good athleticism with the body his size.
The swing: I call it a two-handed forehand tennis swing; slightly wide stance in the box with slight crouch, nice balance in the box, hands already back; slight leg kick as a timing tool and for loading his body back, doesn't shift his momentum as back as other power hitters, extends his front leg forward while his hands swings the opposite direction, loading his hands well, loads his hips very well; weird swing style as he's mostly using his right hand to guide the bat through the zone and his left hand for support, short, compact stroke with very good bat speed and upward loft in it, home run producing swing but capable of flattening it to produce line drives, hips explodes when he swings, stiff front leg but collapses it once he makes contact, bat recoils in his follow through causing him to not get a good jump towards first and letting his swing finish all the way through first; has good awareness of the strike zone with good penchant for drawing walks and taking what is being given by the pitcher, has some swing and miss issues but his improving approach can reduce it, translates his raw power to his bat very well.
The other tools: He moves well for a body his size and actually has average raw speed but will not be a base stealing threat and will likely slow down a bit if he ever decides to add more muscle to his frame; above average arm strength should keep him in RF but he needs to improve on his anticipation in fielding there but should be average in the future.
The bottom line: Quinn fits the RF power hitter profile with huge raw power and strong arm. While the swing isn't pretty to some, it gets the job done and should play in the Majors.
Heath Quinn OF
6'2" 190 lbs. R/R
Videos: Credits to Jake Mastorianni and Jen Mac Ramos
The body: Intimidating presence at the plate, massive frame and the muscle is well distributed, no projection but plus raw power profile, still has room to add extra weight, has good athleticism with the body his size.
The swing: I call it a two-handed forehand tennis swing; slightly wide stance in the box with slight crouch, nice balance in the box, hands already back; slight leg kick as a timing tool and for loading his body back, doesn't shift his momentum as back as other power hitters, extends his front leg forward while his hands swings the opposite direction, loading his hands well, loads his hips very well; weird swing style as he's mostly using his right hand to guide the bat through the zone and his left hand for support, short, compact stroke with very good bat speed and upward loft in it, home run producing swing but capable of flattening it to produce line drives, hips explodes when he swings, stiff front leg but collapses it once he makes contact, bat recoils in his follow through causing him to not get a good jump towards first and letting his swing finish all the way through first; has good awareness of the strike zone with good penchant for drawing walks and taking what is being given by the pitcher, has some swing and miss issues but his improving approach can reduce it, translates his raw power to his bat very well.
The other tools: He moves well for a body his size and actually has average raw speed but will not be a base stealing threat and will likely slow down a bit if he ever decides to add more muscle to his frame; above average arm strength should keep him in RF but he needs to improve on his anticipation in fielding there but should be average in the future.
The bottom line: Quinn fits the RF power hitter profile with huge raw power and strong arm. While the swing isn't pretty to some, it gets the job done and should play in the Majors.
Grades (Current): Hit 35+ | Power 45 | Speed 50 | Arm 55 | Glove 35
Grades (Ceiling): Hit 50 | Power 60 | Speed 50 | Arm 55 | Glove 50
Grades (Probable): Hit 50 | Power 60 | Speed 45 | Arm 55 | Glove 50
Ceiling: Above-average regular Floor: DH ETA: 2018/2019
Cory Taylor RHP
6'2" 255 lbs. R/R
Videos: Credits to Roger Munter
The body: Massive body; intimidating presence on the mound; massive thighs, torso and arm; capable of handling starting load; body weight enough to pay a closer look at his conditioning; pretty high maintenance.
The mechanics: Overall delivery is quite similar to Matt Cain but slower; bends his back leg slightly while lifting his front leg; hands stays at chest level; nice, aggressive drive; a little bit of drop and drive elements; body is closed during the drive; front leg drags towards the first base side; exhibits the power T arm swing; generates good energy off the back leg; not entirely concerned with the power T as the throwing elbow stays below the shoulder plane at front foot drop; front side gets exposed but body stays closed that generates huge torque; slight above true 3/4 release point; keeps his fingertips on top of the baseball; falls off towards the first base side in his follow through; he repeats his mechanics quite well but can have inconsistencies repeating it at times; has feel for his mechanics to improve consistency.
The stuff: Bowling ball sinker at low-90s, already showing flashes of potential of getting outs in the Majors, just falls off the table with massive sink and tail; complements his sinker with a hard curveball; good sharp late break on the curveball, flashing a tick above average; must develop a third pitch, preferably a changeup, offset hitter's timing; current command has been iffy but has shown he can hit the catcher's mitt with his sinker and curve from time to time; has good feel for his stuff that projects at least average command.
The bottom line: Taylor's sinker will carry him around the Minor Leagues at it is Major League-ready but his secondary pitches needs work to be a starter in the Majors and his conditioning must be top notch also. But, the two-pitch mix can work in the bullpen in the next level in case he fails to develop a third pitch.
Grades (Current): FB 50 | CB 45 | CMD 35
Grades (Ceiling): FB 55 | CB 55 | CH 45 | CMD 50
Grades (Probable): FB 55 | CB 55 | CH 40 | CMD 45
Ceiling: #4-5 Starter/Set-up reliever Floor: Middle Reliever ETA: 2018/2019
Tidbits on other prospects that got my attention:
Jonah Arenado, 1B/3B - He's a nice corner infielder but his hit tool is still raw and needs more work to utilize his nice power potential. He needs to draw walks as well.Johneshwy Fargas, OF - He gets you excited with his ridiculous steals totals but he relies more on his raw tools and athleticism and his baserunning instincts is still raw. He's shaping up to be a defensive-first player as his bat is still a question mark.
Ian Gardeck, RHP - A reliever with upper-90s stuff and good looking breaking ball but underwent TJ this year. I would love to see his comeback next year.
Rando Moreno, SS - He's a nice defensive middle infielder with tools but the hit tool projects fringe average.
Jose Vizcaino, Jr. - Again, another nice looking athletic 3B with good defense but questionable bat.
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I have an extra surprise for you as I will reveal my top 10 prospects in the organization. I will not reveal my opinions on why I placed them at that order (I hate ordering prospects!) but I can reveal you what Tier are they on and where are they from 1 to 10. This is a tease of my yearly prospect primer at the middle or the end of January.
Tier 1
1. Tyler Beede
2. Christian Arroyo
3. Bryan Reynolds
Tier 2
4. Steven Duggar
5. Austin Slater
6. Chris Shaw
7. Andrew Suarez
8. Ty Blach
9. Heath Quinn
10. Sam Coonrod
I hope you find my scouting reports informative and fun to read and I hope you are intrigued by my top 10 prospects for the San Francisco Giants as we enter 2017. Merry Christmas once again!
Tidbits on other prospects that got my attention:
Jonah Arenado, 1B/3B - He's a nice corner infielder but his hit tool is still raw and needs more work to utilize his nice power potential. He needs to draw walks as well.Johneshwy Fargas, OF - He gets you excited with his ridiculous steals totals but he relies more on his raw tools and athleticism and his baserunning instincts is still raw. He's shaping up to be a defensive-first player as his bat is still a question mark.
Ian Gardeck, RHP - A reliever with upper-90s stuff and good looking breaking ball but underwent TJ this year. I would love to see his comeback next year.
Rando Moreno, SS - He's a nice defensive middle infielder with tools but the hit tool projects fringe average.
Jose Vizcaino, Jr. - Again, another nice looking athletic 3B with good defense but questionable bat.
_____________
I have an extra surprise for you as I will reveal my top 10 prospects in the organization. I will not reveal my opinions on why I placed them at that order (I hate ordering prospects!) but I can reveal you what Tier are they on and where are they from 1 to 10. This is a tease of my yearly prospect primer at the middle or the end of January.
Tier 1
1. Tyler Beede
2. Christian Arroyo
3. Bryan Reynolds
Tier 2
4. Steven Duggar
5. Austin Slater
6. Chris Shaw
7. Andrew Suarez
8. Ty Blach
9. Heath Quinn
10. Sam Coonrod
I hope you find my scouting reports informative and fun to read and I hope you are intrigued by my top 10 prospects for the San Francisco Giants as we enter 2017. Merry Christmas once again!
Brusa should get some pretty good pitches to hit in that SJ lineup.Most likely DH most of the time.Maybe he plays some 1B.
ReplyDeleteCyr and Bostic,give SJ two solid closers.
Davis gets the award for comeback player of the year for Giants farm system.Could have a big RBI year hitting in line up with Shaw,Hinjosa,Arenado,Garcia and possibly Gomez.
Garcia has addressed team's biggest concern.His glove.Not worried about bat.Had a good year in AUG.Would have had one in SJ.Were it not for injury.
Shane Turner said Gomez has a big league bat.He's getting stronger.Looking forward to seeing what he can do in Richmond.Playing with guys like Hinojosa,Garcia,and Shaw.
I still like Johnson a lot.Competes and throws strikes.Return of García will help him a lot.I think we see the guy that was leading Cal league in ERA for the first couple of months.
Menez should fill 4 or 5 spot in SJ rotation.Krook,Adon,Williams,and maybe Woods.
Moronta can really improve his game if he can improve his conditioning.
Reynolds will be everyday LF in SF.Could get pretty quick promo to Richmond.
I watched a highlight on Twitter of Quinn robbing a HR while playing in SK.Looser athlete defensively than I thought.
Maybe I'm wrong.But,I have Taylor starting season in Richmond.I think he could improve working with García.
Fargas has all the potential in the world.Maybe he can duplicate what Davis did.Have a bad year.Work on some things.Make some adjustments.Definitley needs to bunt more.
ReplyDeleteLike your top 10
I have Duggar at 3.Turner said he was a plus defender in CF.Good arm,plus speed,and good bat.Only three differences.I have Krook,Miller,and Hinjosa in my top 10.Turner believes Hinojosa will stay at SS.Shaw,Quinn and Blach are outside.
Thanks David! I like both Reynolds and Duggar. Taking either one is not a mistake and both have their own weakness (Reynolds' below average arm strength, Duggar's below average game power) so it's just a flip of a coin. The potential impact of the two OF prospects might be serious one day!
DeleteWhat happened, seems my comment might've vaporized?
ReplyDelete----
I hope all had a Merry Christmas! And that 2017 is better than 2016 for everybody. What do y'all think of lefty Domenic Mazza? I'm kinda sorta REALLY psyched for him in 2017. He went to my college (UCSB) and I just love his arm action, leg drive, and mechanics. Will he be promoted to San Jose to begin 2017? Will he stick as a starting pitcher?
Considering the top-50 Giants' prospect lists (Fangraphs, Minor League Ball, etc.) I cannot really find a position player I'm most intrigued by (past years: Ben Turner, Jean Angomas, Miguel Gomez). Personally, I'll be excited to follow two pitchers who I think can be fast trackers in 2017: Pat Ruotolo and Domenic Mazza. What do ya think? Cheers.
Merry Christmas Carmot! I think Mazza is an interesting pitcher in my short look of him. Good command of repertoire, good fastball. He just needs to have a nicer secondary pitch than his changeup. The change looks average. The mechanics might be hitchy but it works for him. I think the inflated hit numbers are due to his lack of good supporting pitches. I'm intrigued as well.
DeleteAbout your comment, I don't know what happened there bud. I didn't change any of the comments section. I hope you have a better 2017 too! Cheers!