Tyler Glasnow grabs No. 1 spot in fantasy prospect rankings
— -- The names keep flying off this board as new prospects are seemingly called up on an almost daily basis these days. In trying to keep up with who has come, and who may be coming, let's put aside the pleasantries and get down to business.
Our focus along the Houston Astros' infield has been on Alex Bregman in recent weeks, but A.J. Reed beat him to the punch. Reed has appeared on our list before, and he was Keith Law's minor league player of the year for 2015; that said, the slugger had struggled upon promotion to Triple-A until recently. He hit .266/.345/.509 with 11 home runs overall, but he was hitting .282 with 14 extra-base hits (five home runs) in June before his promotion.
Reed is a big dude, and there have been questions about his bat speed in the past. There will be some swings and misses, but loud contact in between. Most importantly, he should have the opportunity to work through any issues. His spring competition, Tyler White, failed in his first go-round with the Astros, and Jon Singleton is making millions to play poorly in Fresno. Reed has the most upside and should be afforded some extra leash.
Brandon Nimmo also made his major-league debut during the weekend, taking over for the recently demoted Michael Conforto. The 13th overall pick in 2011 has taken the scenic route to the majors, stopping at six different levels en route to the ultimate one. Nimmo is a well-balanced prospect without a true carrying tool; instead, he does a bit of everything at an average or slightly above rate.
I am a bit lower on Nimmo than others, and higher on Conforto despite this year's struggles. There will be room for both of them one day in the Mets' outfield, but for now I would still take the latter over the former despite their current roster positioning. As for Nimmo or Reed, I'll take the risk with Reed, who may be up-and-down with production but has a clearer path to playing time.
Who will be next?
Tyler Glasnow is in another realm of pitching these days. In little league they tell pitchers that they are just playing catch with their catchers, and that is exactly what Glasnow is doing these days as opposing hitters and his defense are just watching. Consider this: Entering Monday night, he had allowed just one run on five hits in 28 innings in the month of June. He allowed two runs on four hits last night, but tossed hitless outings in three of his past six starts. In his most recent no-hit bid, he went seven innings while striking out eight. He now has 105 punchouts in 90 innings. The only issue -- and it is a sizeable one -- is walks; he has allowed 26 walks during this incredible six-game stretch. Jameson Taillon and Chad Kuhl are currently pitching for the Pirates. Glasnow has the stuff to be better than both.
Renfroe finally caught and passed the spirit of Peter O'Brien, besting Arizona's slugger for the Triple-A lead in home runs with 18. He's kept his average around .320 and actually walked three times last week, after not walking during the previous 30 days or so. The 24-year-old, although not perfect, has little to prove in the minor leagues. The next step is to test the waters in San Diego against the highest level of pitching, but before that happens, the Padres have to clear a spot for him. That's something they should be able to do easily in the next six weeks. There may be some initial struggles with pitches that wiggle, but Renfroe teaming with Wil Myers in the middle of the lineup is a tantalizing proposition for the rest of 2016 and moving forward for the Padres.
Turner's slide down the list continues, but it has more to do with the decision-making of his parent club than his performance. After a rough stretch at the plate, the right-handed hitter looks like the guy who dominated these rankings for the first two months. He racked up 10 hits in the course of six games, which once again propelled his average to .300, and Turner even belted a pair of home runs. His understanding of the zone has improved, with eight strikeouts in his past 10 games to go with seven walks. Even with his most recent hot streak, Danny Espinosa remains a below-average bat who has benefited from intentional walks in front of the pitcher. A side note: Turner started in center field last night, which makes things a bit more interesting.
Let the Bregman watch commence in earnest. The No. 2 pick in the 2015 draft is officially one step away from the majors after being promoted to Triple-A this weekend. Double-A is a proving ground for most prospects, as the quality of competition increases substantially when compared to the lower levels. The former Bayou Bengal made quick work of the Texas League, hitting .297/.415/.559 with 14 home runs, 16 doubles and two triples in his time with Corpus Christi. He also unintentionally walked 42 times while striking out in just 26 plate appearances. The Astros have inserted themselves back into the playoff (or at least the wild-card) race, and promoted the aforementioned Reed to hold down one corner spot. Bregman looks poised to take over the other one soon.
With Jon Jay sidelined after being hit by a pitch, the Padres have turned to Travis Jankowski as the team's lead-off hitter and center fielder. And when Jay does return healthy, there is a very good chance that he, like a few others in San Diego's lineup, will be on another team by next month. Jankowski is a nice fourth outfielder, but the long-term play is Margot. The 21-year-old continues to play above-average on both ends of the ball in Triple-A, with game-altering speed and a great glove. He may not be the team's choice to replace Jay right now, but check back in a few weeks when the job opens up for real.
Make that two straight strong starts for Berrios. The Bayamon native spun eight shutout innings Thursday, striking out nine and, more importantly, walking just two. For the month of June, he has allowed eight walks in 28 2/3 innings -- a sign that he may have regained his fastball, which went rogue a few weeks ago. The Twins maintain the worst record in baseball, so there is no need to rush Berrios back to a terrible situation. That said, during the next few weeks there could be considerable movement in Minnesota, with tradable veterans moving on and underperforming pitchers replaced by guys like Berrios.
Hoffman rejoins the list after a few weeks off. With about 60 percent of the Rockies' rotation basically asking to be replaced, the former top-10 pick has picked a great time to get hot. He has allowed four earned runs in his past two starts, with 20 strikeouts and no walks in 13 innings. He has two-plus pitches that can play in the majors right now, and he's maintained a manageable platoon split without a great changeup. Hoffman has also done an admirable job at keeping the ball in the park despite pitching in high-octane environments. That should serve him well in his eventual promotion to one of the premier launching pads in the game.
Judge makes his 2016 debut on the list, but he's no stranger around these parts. He is a gigantic, yet agile man, with power to match his appearance. With that size comes some mechanical issues that flare up from time to time, however, but after a slow start to the season he is coming on strong -- and it comes at a great time for him personally. He is hitting .341/.464/.714 in June, with a large chunk of that damage coming in the last 10 days or so. Since the 18th of June he has seven home runs, pushing his season total to 16. He is also making more overall contact, with 10 strikeouts in his last 10 games. The Yankees (should) may opt for selling at this year's trade deadline, and if so, Carlos Beltran could be out. Judge looks like a perfect candidate to fill in, if they decide to pull the trigger.
9. Joey Gallo 3B/OF/1B, Texas Rangers
Last week's rank: 8
Impact categories: HR, RBI
Risk: AVG Current level: Triple-A
Philosopher Andre Benjamin once asked the world what's cooler than being cool? At the time he thought the answer was ice cold, but as it turns out, the correct response is actually Joey Gallo's bat. This is the life of the three-outcome slugger. When the home runs stop flying, the horizon is filled with tumbleweeds and tears. Gallo has five hits over his last 35 at-bats with 17 strikeouts and just five walks. Of course, he could hit six home runs next week with an equal amount of walks and everything will look great. Gallo has a few ways to make it back to the majors: he could replace Mitch Moreland or Prince Fielder in the Rangers lineup, or he could be used as a trade chip for the team to upgrade elsewhere. What he does over the next few weeks does not really change that -- he is what he is -- but a barrage of home runs would make things much easier.
Last week it was Manuel Margot. This week it is Asuaje. Also acquired from the Boston Red Sox in the Craig Kimbrel trade, Asuaje is another Padres prospect that appears to be on the verge of a major-league call up. His frame matches his swing; both are compact, but unlike his height, the bat plays bigger. He has a good understanding of the zone with above-average contact skills, and while double-digit home runs is likely a stretch, 30 or more doubles seems like a reasonable goal. He plays a solid second base, too -- and that's a position in flux this year for the Padres. The keystone players they have used are hitting .215/.296/.336 as a collective entering play Monday. Once again, while it may not seem like it now, San Diego may soon be an enjoyable team to watch.