Big Hype Prospects returns with a peek at the upper minors. Let’s get down to business…
Five Big Hype Prospects
Robert Gasser, 24, SP, MIL (AAA)
90.1 IP, 10.86 K/9, 3.49 BB/9, 4.18 ERA
One of the best pitching prospects remaining in Triple-A, Gasser could find his way into the Milwaukee rotation by the end of the season – if not sooner. Presently, the weak links are Colin Rea and Adrian Houser. Brandon Woodruff is nearing a return to oust one of those swingmen. Gasser is a southpaw with unusual arm action, but the Brewers pitching development staff specializes in the bizarre and grotesque, so Gasser could scarcely be in a better system for his particular brand of pitching. While he doesn’t have visually impressive stuff, the whole repertoire plays up due to plus command. Gasser might have some issues with right-handed batters.
Curtis Mead, 22, 3B, TBR (AAA)
173 PA, 3 HR, 2 SB, .311/.376/.497
The 2023 campaign hasn’t gone Mead’s way. Between missed time and a slow start, the powerful corner-man has only three home runs. Lately, he’s caught fire to the tune of .431/.493/.677 over his last 75 plate appearances, with nine walks and four strikeouts. While he has only one home run during this hot streak, Mead also swatted nine doubles and two triples. Over-the-fence results will come before long. In the meantime, Mead is swinging a big stick with the sorts of exit velocities associated with MLB regulars (89.4-mph average, 109.5-mph max).
Mark Vientos, 1B/3B, 23, NYM (MLB)
(AAA) 264 PA, 16 HR, .307/.386/.614
The Mets recently recalled Vientos despite mediocre performance on the farm, as Vientos has hit .264/.316/.472 (90 wRC+) in 57 Triple-A plate appearances since the start of July. He thrived in the minors earlier in the season and certainly deserves an extended look with the retooling Mets. Vientos presents a complicated evaluation, as his positives include plus discipline, premium raw power, and exciting in-game exit velocities. However, scouts point out issues with his swing which could prove exploitable. In 99 career MLB plate appearances, Vientos is batting just .189/.253/.267 despite excellent exit velocities (93.3-mph average, 114.9-mph max). Those are basically the exact same EVs as Juan Soto and MJ Melendez. The Melendez comp is interesting, as the young Royals slugger is having a rough season due partly to swing-and-miss issues and partly to an expansive home venue. Vientos faces similar challenges with his swing and ballpark.
Sal Frelick, OF, 23, MIL (MLB)
(AAA) 183 PA, 2 HR, 8 SB, .237/.333/.342
Recently promoted to Milwaukee, it is hoped Frelick can become a top-of-the-lineup sparkplug. He’s known for discipline and a high rate of contact. He’s also not a particularly impactful hitter. Frelick connects with the same sort of oomph as Whit Merrifield and Steven Kwan. In fact, Kwan isn’t a bad comp – they’re both 5’9’’ left-handed hitting center fielders who fit better defensively in a corner. Frelick has a better chance to stick in center while at the plate, Kwan has superior feel for contact. The end result might wind up in the same neighborhood – a no-doubt Major League starter who nonetheless fits awkwardly within the current roster-design meta.
Cade Horton, 21, SP, CHC (A+)
43 IP, 12.56 K/9, 2.51 BB/9, 4.19 ERA
Horton hype season is in full swing. One of the fastest-rising pitching prospects per list-makers, Horton features a typical repertoire with mid-90s heat, multiple breaking balls, and a usable platoon changeup. The Cubs org is well-regarded when it comes to pitch design, a feature Horton could exploit as he moves up the ladder. He has enough feel for command to move quickly once the kid gloves are off. Presently, said gloves are on due to recovery from UCL replacement. He usually takes a week or more between starts of 15 to 20 batters. His last two outings have been among his shakiest of the season.
Three More
Coby Mayo, BAL (21): One of the nice things about Triple-A is access to minor league exit velocities. Mayo may not be hitting well through his first 36 plate appearances in Norfolk, but he has produced encouraging EVs – 90.6-mph average and 111.8-mph max. He’s currently batting .219/.278/.375 with a 36.1 percent strikeout rate.
Colt Keith, DET (21): Another recent promotee to Triple-A, Keith is hitting a modest .274/.347/.403 in 72 plate appearances. His EVs – 88.5-mph average and 108.9-mph max – are in line with figures from last season. I was hoping to see some obvious growth in this respect. His defensive limitations put a lot of pressure on the bat. We’ll see if the coming weeks bring harder contact.
Evan Carter, TEX (20): Despite success in Double-A, Carter has yet to receive a promotion. He’s batting .298/.415/.462 in 316 plate appearances. These stats match the scouting report. He has a superb eye and a solid feel for contact. The quality of that contact is…fine. It’s fine. Really. Given his current prospect pedigree, I’d really like to see better than “fine.”
Did I miss a detail or nuance? DM me on Twitter @BaseballATeam to suggest corrections.
Gasser terrific name for a flame thrower
He’s going to throw some gas at hitters.
Brewers got him in the Hader trade. He’s hardly a flamethrower. FB tops out at 94
Brewers got a good prospect out that trade then. Maybe if he pans out, Stearns trade of Hader will be looked at more kindly.
I feel like having a notable concern against righties would be a big issue in the big leagues.
Meh stuff and issues with right handers sounds like a recipe for disaster.
Matt Arnold was the GM who made the trade. Still, the trade is looking much better after Ruiz was flipped for Contreras and Payamps. They would not be contending this year without them.
Colt Keith will be the Tigers starter at 2B or 3B next year.
Likely 2B, as they have moved him off third. I could also see Harris trade him as he’s one of Avila’s guys.
Most of the team were brought in during Avila’s tenure. He fits the mold of player Harris has been talking about though so let’s hope he hangs onto him.
Yeah definitely don’t talk about Mayo having a near 1.000 OPS on the year. He’s only played in 9 AAA games and is 21 years old
We covered Mayo in more depth like 2 weeks ago.
Hauser has had a much better season than Rea
disagree. Rea bailed the Crew out of very lean times
Rea has eaten a ton of innings and exceeded expectations as a replacement level starter. He and Teheran deserve a lot of credit for keeping the season from collapsing in early summer.
Cade Horton is going to be a beast
I hope so Wheeler.
I can easily see next year Parker Meadows replacing Baddoo, and Keith replacing Maton. Those I think are probably the easy two. Who replaces Miggy, or how many others are replaced or moved to other teams, who knows ? It’s nice seeing a little core of 2,3,4 hitters of Greene, Torkelson, and Carpenter developing. Next season will be better no doubt about it.
Tigers are stuck with Baez, so hopefully he gets it together and helps the young core of players instead of being a hindrance.
I’m not sold on Meadows like I am on Malloy. I hope they bring Meadows up and let him show his stuff in September so we can see what he has to offer in the big leagues. I think he ends up as a 4th OF but hope he proves me wrong. I love Baddoo as a player but he has been terrible over his last 30 games. Maton is a utility infielder but only if he can learn to hit more. He has power and takes walks but not enough hits. I’m excited to see if they add another near MLB ready bat to that mix at the deadline (I.e. Justin Foscue). Exciting times.
Seems the article writer isn’t as impressed with Frelick as the baseball America staff and mlb pipeline contributors. We shall seeee
He doesn’t hit 40 HR while batting .220. The writers here tend to favor batters that hit home runs, but nothing else.
For what it’s worth, he just jacked his first one last night.
I favor productive hitters. If he’s OBPing an empty .375 out of the leadoff slot, it’s a win. But this hitting profile risks settling at 9th and his CF defense is probably a hair below average.
The leadoff version is a 4 win player. The 9th version is a 4th OFer. There’s almost no margin for error between these two outcomes for Frelick – that’s the source of my skepticism.
I like that he’s a hitter. Doesn’t strike out all that much; at least that’s his minors track record . If that continues at league level , yes, use him in the one hole.
And to you, and most of the rest of the staff on this site, “productive” equals home runs. His hitting profile projects as perfect for the second spot in the lineup.
BA and Pipeline scouts and personnel (as well as Eric at Fangraphs) get a heck of a lot more insight, so those would be the sources to rely on for more detail.
But the entire point of this site is to generate conversation & speculation and I didn’t find the Kwan comp unfair and certainly not negative.
That said, I don’t think most fans realize the significance of having plus-plus hit & run tools.. Another player with those tools is Corbin Carroll.
Any year now the Rangers might promote Carter to AAA. One of these centuries, he might make the majors.
Unless he gets traded. Then he’s in the majors immediately.