Top 15 Prospect Roundup

5-11-22 – By Justin Verno – @JV_PITT on Twitter

Ok, let me start this with an apology. Last year I did a weekly update on the top 30 prospects and was welcomed back to do it again this year and it’s time I stopped being lazy and get to it. Don’t get me wrong, there are other reasons I put this off for a few weeks (ok, a month, sorry) other than my propensity to procrastinate. For instance, in the early going averages can soar one week and dive the other, it’s hard to really gauge if it’s an improvement or if there’s even a baseline to start with.

So I decided to wait a few weeks and those few weeks became a month and more. But now it’s time to get to it, promotions are happening and I’m way behind!

I’ve also decided to change it up a little. Instead of doing the top 30 I will be narrowing in on the top 15 and have decided to add 5 of my own. Now, the 5 I’ve decided to include are for specific reasons, I’m not saying they are “better prospects” or even my favorite prospects, but I have reasons for adding these guys which I will include in the conclusion of the update. Let’s get to it.

1-Oneil Cruz

	BA/OBP/SLG	OPS	ISO	wOBA	wRC+	BB%	K%
Week	.238/.360/.524	.884	.286	.387	.135	12%	8%
Season	.189/.300/.367	.667	.147	.295	76	11.8%	27.3%

2-Henry Davis

	BA/OBP/SLG	OPS	ISO	wOBA	wRC+	BB%	K%
Week	.412/.474/.824	1.297	.412	.558	240	5.3%	5.3%
Season	.341/.450/.585	1.035	.244	.462	179	8%	18%

3-Roansy Contreras

	IP	ERA	FIP	xFIP	WHIP	BB%	k%
MLB	7.2	3.52	3.73	2.89	0.91	9.7%	32.3%
AAA	10.1	0.87	3.68	3.51	1.16	16.3%	37.2%

4-Liover Peguero

	BA/OBP/SLG	OPS	ISO	wOBA	wRC+	BB%	K%
Week	.316/.300/.421	.721	.105	.310	95	0%	35%
Season	.334/.364/.548	.912	.215	.400	155	5.1%	19.2%

5-Quinn Priester-no stats yet

6-Nick Gonzales

	BA/OBP/SLG	OPS	ISO	wOBA+	wRC+	BB%	K%
week	.143/.250/.190	.440	.048	.221	36	8.3%	41.7%
season	.188/.337/.306	.642	.118	.309	95	15.4%	35.6%

7-Endy Rodriguez

	BA/OBP/SLG	OPS	ISO	wOBA	wWR+	BB%	K%
week	.250/.526/.917	1.443	.667	.575	250	31.6%	26.3%
season	.261/.340/.489	.829	.228	.371	121	8.7%	29.1%

8-Matt Fraizer

	BA/OBP/SLG	OPS	ISO	wOBA	wRC+	BB%	K%
week	.125/.125/.188	.313	.063	.138	-18	0%	31.3%
season	.157/.194/.236	.430	.079	.198	21	3.2%	33.3%

9-Jared Jones

	IP	ERA	FIP	xFIP	WHIP	BB%	K%
week	5.1	3.38	5.72		1.13	14.3%	28.3%
season	21.1	5.06	5.72	3.98	1.27	12.4%	36%

10-Bubba Chandler No stats

11-Ji-hwan Bae

	BA/OBP/SLG	OPS	ISO	wOBA	wWRC+	BB%	K%
week	.261/.340/.409	.774	.000	.387	135	8%	28%
season	.261/.340/.409	.749	.148	.338	103	11%	20%

12-Michael Burrows

	IP	ERA	FIP	xFIP	WHIP	BB%	K%
week	8.2	2.08	1.71		0.92	8.3%	33.3%
season	26.2	1.35	2.20	3.55	0.82	6.8%	34%

13-Travis Swaggerty

*only had 3 AB last week*

	BA/OBP/SLG	OPS	ISO	wOBA	wRC+	BB%	K%
week
season	.194/.286/.258	.544	.056	.261	54	11.3%	31%

14-Miguel Yajure

	IP	ERA	FIP	xFIP	WHIP	BB%	K%
AAA	2.0	0.00	-1.52	-1.52	0.50	0%	71.4%
MLB	10.1	11.32	5.89	6.67	2.13	11.3%	7.5%

15-Anthony Solometo- No stats

MY FIVE

16-Kyle Nicolas

	IP	ERA	FIP	xFIP	WHIP	BB%	K%
week	19.2	4.12	4.51		1.07	6.3%	29.1%
season	5.0	1.80	1.64	3.65	0.80	5.6%	33.3%

17-Maikol Escotto

	BA/OBP/SLG	OPS	ISO	wOBA	wRC+	BB%	K%
week	.286/.481/.571	.983	.286	.438	164	11.8%	11.8%
season	.235/.287/.481	.769	.247	.339	101	5.7%	32.2%

18-Mason Martin

	BA/OBP/SLG	OPS	ISO	wOBA	wRC+	BB%	K%
week	.053/.136/.053	.189	.000	.108	-45	9.1%	40.9%
season	.253/.305/.547	.852	.295	.361	118	5,7%	32.4%

19- Hudson Head

	BA/OBP/SLG	OPS	ISO	wOBA	wRC+	BB%	K%
week	.267/.353/.667	1.0202	.400	.433	161	11.8%	23.5%
season	.253/.374/.427	.800	.173	.370	121	11%	34.1%

20-Connor Scott

	BA/OBP/SLG	OPS	ISO	wOBA	wRC+	BB%	K%
week	.063/.063/.125	.188	.063	.081	-56	0%	16.7%
season	.288/.358/.425	.783	.137	.355	125	8.4%	20.5%

A few quick things

• Man, talk about a hot/cold week in the system? Not a lot of guys that had a so-so week, they were either ice cold or hot as the sun?

• Obviously I am not in Greensboro nor do I get to see Henry Davis in an everyday situation, or even every plate appearance. But one has to wonder what took them so long to promote the kid to AA? He’s been about as dominant as one can be at any level, he just wasn’t challenged and sorry Mr. Cherington, that just wasn’t helping the kid at all. Do better, sir.

• Nick the stick and Matt Fraizer are having a rough go, both really need to make an adjustment and fast.

• Endy is coming along nicely, consider he is learning a few different positions.

• Peguero and his power seem ahead of schedule. Some have speculated that the FO plans on moving Gonzo and Pegs up the system together, if that’s the case Gonzo better get it together as I have to think Liover is close to AAA.

• Now for the 5 I picked. I picked these 5 because they are 5 guys I feel have the upside to take the system to the next level and all in striking distance to Pittsburgh. There are others with really high ceilings , Shalin Polanco comes to mind, but most are in the lower system.
  Connor Scott and Kyle Nicolas were late adds, I wasn’t going to include them but both have really impressed in their short time here. That’s not easy for me to admit as early on I did NOT like the Stallings return
  The guy on the list that may surprise some? Mason Martin. People, myself included, either love the guy or hate the guy. He got off to a blistering start but has really cooled off lately. However I see some positives with him despite the late freeze. 32% is not the ideal k-rate, I get that. It also isn’t terrible if he keeps knocking the hell out of the ball and he’s done that keeping the OPS over 800 the whole season. He seemed to work on a shorter swing and pitch recognition in the off-season and the early results were there. The league has obviously made adjustments to his new approach, if we can call it that, how responds in the next 2 weeks or so could determine how quickly he gets to PNC Park and frankly if we should be excited for him once he gets there. Keep an eye on Martin this week, could be an important step for him.