Top 20 Prospect Update

8-4-22 – By Justin Verno – @JV_PITT on Twitter

OK, so the trade market is zooming along as I write this making it hard to really delve into. With just under 24 hours to go before Cinderalla’s carriage turns back into a pumpkin and the Deadline will be over. But the Buccos prospects will still be plugging away. Let’s get to it.

1-Oneil Cruz

	BA/OBP/SLG	OPS	ISO	wOBA	wRC+	BB%	K%
Week	.214/.241/.429	.670	.214	.288	85	3.4%	27.6%
MLB	.206/.241/.405	.645	.198	.277	77	4.5%	34.6%
AAA	.232/.336/.422	.758	.190	.338	103	12.1%	22.7%

2-Henry Davis

	BA/OBP/SLG	OPS	ISO	wOBA	wRC+	BB%	K%
Week	.188/.167/.176	.343	.059	.161	-8	5.6%	33.3%
AA	.107/.286/.250	.536	.143	.267	63	8.6%	20%
A+	.341/.450/.585	1.035	.244	.462	179	8%	18%

3-Liover Peguero

	BA/OBP/SLG	OPS	ISO	wOBA	wRC+	BB%	K%
MLB	.333/.500/.333	.838	.000	.395	155	25%	50%
Week	.130/.167/.261	.428	.130	.190	10	0%	33.3%
AA	.263/.304/.404	.708	.142	.310	90	4.7%	22.2%

4-Quinn Priester-

	IP	ERA	FIP	xFIP	WHIP	BB%	K%
Week	12.1	1.46	3.51		1.05	6.1%	24.5%
AA	33.2	1.87	2.92	3.80	1.10	6.7%	20%
A+	2.2	16.88	7.52	2.65	2.63	6.7%	20%
A	3	0.00	3.77	4.72	0	0%	10%

5-Nick Gonzales-NO STATS THIS WEEK-

	BA/OBP/SLG	OPS	ISO	wOBA+	wRC+	BB%	K%
week
season	.247/.366/..377	.742	.130	.341	112	13.4%	32.8%

6-Endy Rodriguez

	BA/OBP/SLG	OPS	ISO	wOBA	wRC+	BB%	K%
week	.444/.630/.778	1407	.333	.601	268	29.6%	7.4%
season	.295/.390/.533	.923	.238	.407	145	11.9%	21.2%

7-Matt Fraizer

	BA/OBP/SLG	OPS	ISO	wOBA	wRC+	BB%	K%
Week	.238/.333/.286	.619	.048	.292	78	12.5%	16.7%
Season	.230/.293/.371	.664	.141	.295	79	7%	23.9%

8-Jared Jones

	IP	ERA	FIP	xFIP	WHIP	BB%	K%
week	11	4.91	6.96		1.18	8.7%	19.6%
season	91.1	4.81	4.75	4.16	1.35	10.2%	28.2%

9-Bubba Chandler 

	IP	ERA	FIP	xFIP	WHIP	BB%	K%
Week	3.2	2.45	1.07		1.09	7.1%	42.9%
A	6.1	7.11	4.79	3.83	1.74	13.3%	33.3%
CPX	15	0.00	2.33	3.09	0.85	16.9%	45.8%
	BA/OBP/SLG	OPS	ISO	wOBA	wRC+	BB%	K%
Weeks	.238/.333/.333	.667	.095	.319	98	12.5%	41.7%
A	.233/.294/.333	.627	100	.291	80	8.8%	41.2%
CPX	.231/.444/.654	1.098	.423	.490	187	25%	16.7%

10-Ji-hwan Bae

	BA/OBP/SLG	OPS	ISO	wOBA	wWRC+	BB%	K%
week	.333/.385/.417	.801	.083	.362	119	7.7%	46.2%
season	.297/.364/.450	.814	.153	.361	118	9.5%	17.6%

11-Michael Burrows

	IP	ERA	FIP	xFIP	WHIP	BB%	K%
week	7.1	2.45	5.38		1.36	15.6%	21.9%
AAA	25.1	5.33	3.16	3.16	1.33	8.95	33.3%
AA	52	2.94	2.73	3.99	1.10	8.9%	32.4%

12-Travis Swaggerty

	BA/OBP/SLG	OPS	ISO	wOBA	wRC+	BB%	K%
week(AAA)	.343/.439/.543	.982	.208	.333	100	7.7%	26.9%
MLB	.111/.111/.111	.222	.000	.099	-42	0%	44.4%
AAA	.267/.338/.439	.777	.172	.344	107	9.6%	26.8%

13-Miguel Yajure

	IP	ERA	FIP	xFIP	WHIP	BB%	K%
week	7.2	4.70	5.69		1.17	3.3%	20%
AAA	35.2	6.56	4.71	5.08	1.54	9.4%	20.6%
MLB	14.1	8.16	5.77	6.94	2.02	12.7%	5.6%

14-Anthony Solometo

	IP	ERA	FIP	xFIP	WHIPP	BB%	K%
Week	3	9.00	6.18		2.67	13.3%	26.7%
Season	25.1	3.55	2.80		1.22	9.5%	25.7%

15-Kyle Nicolas-NO STATS THIS WEEK-

	IP	ERA	FIP	xFIP	WHIP	BB%	K%
week	8.2	4.15	3.66		1.27	13.5%	21.6%
season	61.1	4.26	44.28	4.80	1.25	11.2%	27%

MY FIVE

16-Po-Yu Chen

	IP	ERA	FIP	xFIP	WHIP	BB%	K%
WEEK	12	1.50	2.43		0.50	4.9%	26.8%
A	79	4.33	3.28	3.72	1.16	8.8%	26.1%

17-Dariel Lopez

	BA/OBP/SLG	OPS	ISO	wOBA	wRC+	BB%	K%
week	.400/.455/.925	1.380	.525	.575	252	9.1%	25%
season	.289/.329/.511	.839	.222	.368	121	4.8%	26.5%

18- Hudson Head

	BA/OBP/SLG	OPS	ISO	wOBA	wRC+	BB%	K%
week	.250/.325/.528	.853	.278	.372	123	10%	32.5%
season	.233/.340/.391	.731	.158	.338	101	10.1%	34.7%

19-Connor Scott

	BA/OBP/SLG	OPS	ISO	wOBA	wRC+	BB%	K%
week	.265/.324/.500	.824	.235	.355	119	8.1%	24.3%
season	.253/.322/.381	.703	.128	.314	92	8.7%	21.7%

20-Lonnie White Jr

	BA/OBP/SLG	OPS	ISO	wOBA	wRC+	BB%	K%
Week
CPX	.286/.286/.857	1.143	.571	.492	108	0%	42.9%

A Few quick thoughts-

Lookin good-

Po-Yu Chen got off to a rough start but has really hit his stride as of late. K rate is up and his walks are down. Kid is looking good!

Travis Swaggerty. It was a really nice week and he seems to have found his stride, again. Not at all unusual for a kid to press and get out of sync after an MLB stint. Swaggs looks to be back on track here.

Ji-hwan Bae, because what else is new.

Pitch in-

Quinn Priester continues to really come along. His K rate sits at 20% in AA, I’d like that to get better, but he looks pretty good getting outs when needs to even when doesn’t look dialed in.

Bubba Chandler, the wonderboy continues to impress. Chandler is more advanced on the mound than at the plate. And while his first start was rough he has made a quick adjustment and seems good to go. It’s not at all hyperbolic to say he’s as exciting a prospect as the Bucs have had. That he is raw due to being a two way player and multisport kid in highschool, is what held his scouting grades down a bit. He keeps shoving like this we will likely see a good adjustment to that and we will see it soon.

Michael Burows, as the Bucs continue to stretch and strengthen Burows arm he has really responded well in AAA. Outside of 2 starts he has looked good down at Indy. To start the year some sites still had question marks on his ability to stay in a rotation and I think he has answered those questions with flying colors!

Wonder twin powers, activate…

Endy Rodriguez and Dariel Lopez continue to impress. And I’m really not sure what else either of the two can prove in Greensboro? I get Endy is a catcher and catchers usually take a little longer and I will confess that I am not privy (obviously) to what the Bucs front office wants to see Endy work on as far as his defense goes.

But as far as their bats go? I think they are both ready for the next step. And you may ask, “is there nothing left for them to work on?” Of course there is. A close look at their HOME/AWAY splits shows an area they can both work on.

Endy-

HOME- .297/.417/.587 OPS 1.004 12 HR

AWAY- .291/.347/.463 OPS .810 3 HR

Lopez-

HOME- .309/.349/.597 OPS .946 14 HR

AWAY- .259/.301/.385 OPS .685 4 HR

While Endy does show less pop on the road he still shows good power numbers, and an incredible slash line with almost no drop off on the road. This shows off his approach which is as good as we will see.

Dariel’s power and slash line both suffer on the road. But over his last 4 road trips he’ had a hit in 15 of 18 games, while his BA was just .256 over that stretch it does show a good approach at the plate, and at 20 years old that’s what I’m looking for. Get that approach right.

So yes, both could look to work on adding power while on the road but I think that’s an approach both can work on at the next level. It’s time, they’re ready for the next challenge in front of them.

Note- Oneil Cruz has graduated off the Fangraphs prospect page and Miguel Yajure fell out of the top list, so expect some changes next week!