The season is upon us. Prospect call-up season that is. Santa Irish is here to make those dreams come true. Here’s the next edition of the spectacular Irish Report.
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MLB Prospects Making News
- Cody Bolton who was highlighted in last week’s report was called up and is settling into a low-leverage relief role currently. He could really be a key cog for a rejuvenated Pirates team who needs bullpen help. Holds could be in Bolton’s future.
- Let’s just give Jhonny Brito a permanent spot on the report, shall we? He has been inconsistent but on Saturday was able to pitch 5 innings, only throwing 59 pitches and only allowing two runs. With the exception of getting killed by the Twins, he has actually been fairly solid. Keep him for now.
- Tanner Bibee got the call and didn’t disappoint. He pitched 5.2 innings with eight strikeouts allowing one run. He pitched almost as well in his second start against the Yankees and it’s unlikely he gets sent back down barring a stumble.
- Taj Bradley was sent back down in a surprising move for most of us, but as history teaches us the Rays will do what they can to gain the advantage via stats and numbers. I assume it won’t be too long before my hero Taj Bradley is back up striking out everyone.
- Mason Miller of the A’s should be mentioned. In his second career start he pitched seven innings of no-hit ball. Oakland needs some good news. They proceeded to blow the lead Miller kept for them resulting in a no-decision for Miller.
Call Up Watch
As mentioned last week Gavin Stone was incoming. He pitched yesterday against the Phillies and got knocked around a bit. Especially concerning was the lone strikeout. In 48 career innings at AAA, he had a 3.38 ERA and was a destroyer. Better things should be on the way.
Brandon Pfaadt also made his debut yesterday as well. It wasn’t pretty as he gave up 7 earned runs in 4.2 innings. Included in those 7 runs were 4 home runs; a problem Pfaadt has dealt with in the minor leagues early this season as well. Pfaadt will likely get a bit of a leash as he’s shown the ability to succeed even in the extremely hitter-friendly locales of the Arizona minor league system.
The Mariners may have found the next great pitcher in Bryce Miller who debuted last night. He only struck out 10 in 6 innings pitched; that’s all. No big deal. The Mariners are loaded with young pitching, which just assures the fact we should see them in October for years to come.
Prospect Notes
Keyshawn Askew, Rays
Coming over to the Rays via trade with the Mets in the offseason, Keyshawn Askew was already on my radar since I’m a Mets fan at heart. With a career K/9 of over 12.0 in the minors, Askew will benefit from that Rays minor league magic. His fastball is nothing special, sitting in the low 90s but a sweeping slider along with strong spin rates point to a possible high-leverage bullpen arm in the future.
Patrick Monteverde, Marlins
An older prospect I believe we will see later this summer is Patrick Monteverde. Currently dominating at AA for the Marlins, he has a 0.35 ERA in 26 innings pitched this year. He features an arm angle that is deceptive and leaves batters struggling to catch up. His low 90s fastball looks like 100 mph coming into the glove. Monteverde is unowned in almost all 12-teamers. He is a must pickup.
David Sandlin, Royals
This one is a true sleeper and is likely years away but David Sandlin of the Royals is blazing a path through A-ball for the Royals. A strong 13.5 K/9 in Rookie Ball and 14.8 in A-ball shows he is cable of being a K/9 monster. He is a little older for the level at 22 due to playing at Oklahoma but at this pace, he should progress to high-A by the end of the season.
Seth Clark, Rangers
This one is going to be an RP when he gets to the majors. That’s not always a bad thing. Seth Clark is the second lefty with a weird arm angle I’m talking about today. Clark is a Georgia State product and is on the older side, but with his odd delivery, there isn’t much that will need to be changed mechanically. Also coming from a college, he should progress quickly. I see him up next spring or summer to eat up bullpen innings.