MINORS: A trip around the Midwest League

One of the benefits of living in the Midwest is the large amount of minor league teams in a fairly small area. Below are some observations on some of the more interesting prospects in the league. Some of them are very well known, high-profile guys whereas others could be sleepers. Of course, one cannot come to final conclusions based upon one day of observations, however, there is enough evidence to lend credence—or refute—some of the scouting reports. Some of these reports span multiple games.

Clint Frazier (OF, CLE) was the #5 overall selection in the 2013 draft and had a very good pro debut. He began 2014 in the Low-A Midwest League and hasn't been a standout by any means, but he's gotten better each month of the season, especially in June when he's hit 3 of his 4 HR on the season. For the season, the 19-year-old right-handed hitter is batting .248/.327/.366 with 4 HR, 28 BB, and 77 K in 238 AB. He's also contributed 7 stolen bases. Frazier is very athletic and has plenty of strength in his swing and arm. He has a quiet set-up at the plate, but generates power with his natural strength and well above average bat speed. The swing has good leverage and he should be able to hit 25+ HR on an annual basis as he learns to read pitches better. He bailed on breaking balls out of the zone and could stand to be a little more patient. However, when he makes contact, he puts a charge into the ball. Defensively, he didn't see too many challenges, but he glides to the ball and gets good reads. While he struck out twice the night I saw him, he clearly has outstanding upside and could be a cornerstone type of player for the Indians.

Dorssys Paulino (OF, CLE) was very disappointing with both the bat and glove. The Indians converted him from a shortstop to a leftfielder in mid-May and he didn't look comfortable at all in the outfield. It is obviously way too early to be proficient with his glove, but his instincts were very questionable. The 19-year-old is still relatively young for the league and is in his second season with Low-A Lake County. The 2013 season was well below expectations and the 2014 campaign is even worse. He is batting .227/.297/.322 with 1 HR and 51 K in 211 AB. His BA, HR, and SB are all down and his strikeout rate is higher. Paulino has ample bat speed and some strength to project to power down the road. He has little to no approach at the plate and likes to swing from his heels. Pitch recognition is not one of his strengths and he pulled off the ball on multiple occasions. Given his lack of speed, there isn't much to be positive about. If not for his pedigree and youth, he would likely be written up as a non-prospect.

Jesmuel Valentin (2B, LA) was a pleasant surprise in the multiple games I've seen him play. He was a quiet supplemental first round pick in 2012 and his average tools play up because of his high baseball IQ. He stood out with his offensive approach and ability to make contact with a simple stroke. In one outing, he crushed the second pitch of the game and deposited it into the right-field lawn seats. His bat speed was better than advertised and he could develop double-digit HR pop down the line. Valentin can be a tough out and despite not drawing many walks on the season, he has no problem going deep in the count. Because he makes such easy contact, he likely will be a low BB/low K hitter. For the season, he is hitting .275/.347/.413 with 11 doubles and 4 HR to go along with 15 SB. His instinctual baserunning enhances his average speed and quickness.

Walker Weickel (RHP, SD) was one of the bigger disappointments in the league. His warm-up session was impressive, however, as he focused on repeating his mechanics and arm angle. The game didn't go so well for the 20-year-old. He throws with very good angle to the plate because of his 6'6" frame, but he doesn't generate much velocity, sitting between 87-91 mph in his outing. He did touch 93 mph a few times. Weickel's fastball does feature some late sink, but it isn't good enough to blow by lower level hitters. His slow curveball didn't show much break and his change-up was rather pedestrian. It certainly could've been a poor, isolated outing, but the supplemental first round pick from 2012 who is repeating this level is only 1-8 with a 6.06 ERA, 4.5 Ctl, and 4.7 Dom in 14 starts. Unless he throws harder and develops a better secondary arsenal, he won't have much of a future.

Tanner Rahier (3B, CIN) was among the better defensive players I've seen this season. He doesn't look like the prototypical 3B in that he's on the smaller side and doesn't have the classic power profile. He has very quick, soft hands and plenty of range. Further, his arm is strong and quite accurate. There is little doubt he will be an asset with the glove on any level. He, too, is repeating his level and is faring much better than he did in 2013. For the season, the 20-year-old is batting .277/.329/.423 with 12 doubles and 6 HR. Rahier offers surprising pop due to moderate bat speed and lots of leverage in his right-handed stroke. He'll likely have more doubles power than anything else, but should reach 15-20 HR at his peak. He didn't show much patience at the plate and tended to be pull-conscious in his at bats. A good sign for the power development was an opposite field homer late in the game.

Philip Ervin (OF, CIN) was the Reds first round pick in 2013 and was spectacular in his pro debut. The 2014 season hasn't been as promising as he's hitting .237/.309/.381 with only 3 HR in 270 AB. He has been excellent on the basepaths with 18 SB, however. Ervin has been better in June as he's hit .328 with 2 HR. The natural power is evident as he swings with authority and has excellent strength and bat speed. In the multiple games I saw him, he struggled to read spin and was an easy out by swinging at pitches out of the strike zone. When he was behind in the count, he would either swing and miss or make weak contact. He played a solid CF in the games I saw him and he could stick there for the long-term. His reads were good and he has a strong arm. Ervin likely won't make the HQ100 list, but there is still plenty to like.

Keon Wong (2B, TAM) was impressive in several aspects of the game. The 19-year-old fits the mold of a #2 hitter because of his ability to put bat to ball with his short, line drive stroke. The left-handed hitter has a picturesque lefty swing and has enough pop in his bat to line the ball to the gaps. Wong has very little power and doesn't have top-of-the-line speed, thus leaving his ceiling quite low. However, he does many little things well and could be a pest at the top of the lineup. He's essentially relegated to 2B because he lacks range and arm strength. He's a guy to keep an eye on to see if he can develop a little more pop. For the season, he's hitting .322/.361/.374 with 0 HR and 9 SB.

Oscar Hernandez (C, TAM) is one of the better players I've seen in his league, especially due to his outstanding defense behind the plate. He has a strong, athletic frame and owns a plus-plus arm with a quick release. His defense is extremely advanced for a 20-year-old and he should continue to get better as he climbs the ladder. Despite going 0-6 in one of the games, he hit the ball hard to all fields. On one occasion, he battled back from an 0-2 by laying off quality breaking balls and fouling a few off before driving one to the warning track. Hernandez showed an intriguing aptitude for contact and possesses a short, strong stroke. The jury is out on how much power he'll develop, but his ability to hit for BA shouldn't be ignored. He's hitting .280/.344/.464 with 5 HR in 168 AB. He is a true sleeper and could ascend thru the minors quickly.

Jaime Schultz (RHP, TAM) was a 14th round draft pick in 2013 and at 23 years old, is fairly old for the league. That doesn't mean he isn't a prospect, though. He doesn't possess an ideal pitcher's frame and lacks projection, but he gets the job done with a nice repertoire of offerings and a hint of deception. Schultz only stands 5'10", but repeats his athletic delivery consistently and can pepper the strike zone with a fastball that sits in the 88-93 mph range. He was able to reach 95 mph on a few occasions, but it was his impressive curveball that stood out. He threw it for strikes while also mixing in an average slider and change-up. His velocity isn't overwhelming by any means, but he hides the ball well. Schultz could be destined for the bullpen because of his size. For the season, he is 2-0 with an 0.88 ERA, 3.2 Ctl, and 14.4 Dom in 7 starts covering 30.2 innings. 

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