Earlier this year I did a piece checking in on the farm for guys we had talked about throughout the first part of the season. Well know it’s been two months since the MLB draft happened and so now is a good time to see how these guys are starting their careers off for their respective teams. Clearly several of them won’t have played much at all but that doesn’t mean they didn’t hit the ground running to begin with.
If you are curious to see what I wrote about the guys drafted in the first 43 picks, you can view that here.
Nolan Gorman (3B STL) Heading into the draft Gorman was known to be perhaps the best power bat in the class overall and the Cardinals were excited to see him still on the board at 19th overall. Since being picked and signing for a full slot value of $3.2 million he has been on a tear in rookie ball, and so much so they have moved him to their A-ball affiliate in Peoria. At Johnson City, in the Appalachian League, he hit .345/.440/.662 with 11 homers, 41 runs, 28 RBI, and a steal in 37 games (142 at bats). Clearly rookie ball was not a challenge for him and thus the promotion to the Midwest league. That’s not to say it’s been all smooth sailing for Gorman as there has been quite a bit of swing-and-miss in his game with 37 strikeouts in those 37 games but still being able to work walks (24) will mitigate the frustration the holes in swing produce. His spot at the hot corner shouldn’t be a problem in the long-run and his bat profiles well there as long as he can work some of the swing-and-miss out of his game.
ETA: 2022
Joey Bart (C SF) The Giants took the heir apparent to Buster Posey as the number two pick in the draft in Bart. After just six games at Rookie ball, the former backstop from Georgia Tech has been stationed at Short-Season A-ball Salem-Keizer in Oregon. Since his promotion, in 25 games, Bart has posted a .346/.395/.750 slash line with nine homers, 27 RBI, 22 runs, and two steals. Aside from the bat the glove has been on display too with two errors in the 31 games and has thrown out would-be base stealers at a healthy 33% clip thus far. No one is pushing Buster Posey out of San Fran anytime soon, but Bart is on the track to be the heir apparent he was drafted to be.
ETA: 2021
Jordan Groshans (SS TOR) Despite the Blue Jays already having two of the best prospects in baseball playing on the dirt, they selected Groshans with the 12th overall pick in June out of a Texas High School. His 6’4”, 178 lb. frame is lanky right now but once he adds some bulk, he may not stick at short in the long-run and could swap to second with Bo Bichette taking short for the big club. That being said the majors are still a long way off for Groshans even with him hitting at a .360/.423/.561 clip with four homers, 38 RBI, and 16 runs in 30 games at Rookie ball in the Gulf Coast League. Groshans has average speed for a middle infielder and is more of a pop type bat overall.
ETA: 2022
Seth Beer (1B HOU) Beer came into the draft as arguably the most polarizing bat in the class even after putting up three monster offensive years at Clemson. Houston took him with the 28th pick in the hopes that his bat would make the transition to wood in the pro game, so far they’ve been right on that hope. Beer has already played for three different affiliates in his just 46 games as a pro, having started at Rookie ball in the New York-Penn League and then playing for the Quad Cities in A-ball and now with Bules Creek (A-Advanced) in the Carolina League. His combined stat line of .313/.415/.494 with seven homers, 26 runs, 23 RBI, and even a steal in that time shows why he’s been moved so quickly through the system. That being said though, he still does have a long way to go before he’s in the discussion for the big club and it’s hard to see him making it past A-Advanced this year as he tries to refine his stroke and tighten up the holes in his swing.
ETA: 2021
Daniel Lynch (LHP KC) The Royals used their third, of three, first-round picks on the southpaw out of UVA (the third pitcher they took) at the 34th pick overall. His college numbers didn’t jump out at the draft but he does have nice stuff from the left side of the rubber including a 92-94 mph fastball, power curve, near-plus slider, and a nice sinking changeup that can all keep hitters off balance. Since being drafted, Lynch has been on the mound for 35.1 innings (fourth most in this class) and has been promoted to A-ball Lexington while posting a 1.53 combined ERA and 1.13 combined WHIP with a 38:7 K:BB ratio. Most believe he profiles as a number three starter but if his stuff keeps up one spot higher could be where he ultimately winds up.
ETA: 2021
Matthew Liberatore (LHP TB) Liberatore was the consensus best prep arm in the draft this year, with only Casey Mize being more highly rated overall, yet that didn’t stop him from slipping to 16th and to Tampa Bay. His high school numbers are eye-popping as is the fact that he could have four-plus pitches when all is said and done and a build that screams frontline starter as well. He’s been playing his pro ball for the Gulf Coast League Rookie ball affiliate and through his first 18 innings of pro ball, the southpaw is sporting a 1.50 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, a 20:7 K:BB ratio, and a .175 BAA. Tampa routinely moves their pitching prospects along slowly and Liberatore will be no different as he won’t turn 19 until this November. The Rays have clearly had more than their fair share of big name front line starters and still have a few as well, before Liberatore moves into the upper levels.
ETA: 2022
Grant Lavigne (1B COL) Lavigne has already made history after being the highest selected New Hampshire prep position player when Colorado took him 42nd overall this June. Now that Lavigne, one of the best left-handed power hitters in the class, is in the Rockies system, he can start showing off his stroke to the pros. And that’s just what he’s been doing. Slashing .360/.454/.547 over 37 games for Grand Junction while launching five homers, 31 RBI, 31 runs, and seven steals. Now the steals are perhaps the most alarming part of the stat line as he has 30-grade speed and profiles as a typical slow-footed, big-framed, first baseman but again he’s in rookie ball and pitchers and catchers aren’t nearly as good at controlling the run game yet. His stats will also be inflated in the average and power stats since the Rockies near entire farm system benefits from good hitter’s parks, except maybe Hartford (but it’s a fairly new stadium so the sample size is small).
ETA: 2022
Kyle Isabel (OF KC) Having loaded up on pitchers earlier in the draft, the Royals took Isabel in the third round (94th overall) out of UNLV. Having played center field in college and using his plus-speed and good route running to play up on the defensive side of the ball. He is a compact-frame type guy standing 5’11” and 183 lbs. but that allows him to take nice clean repeatable swings at the plate. He swings from the left but throws with the right arm and that lefty stroke has produced a .339/.417/.542 slash line in 42 games combined between rookie ball at Idaho Falls in the Pioneer League and A-ball at Lexington in the South Atlantic League. He also has five homers, 40 runs, 25 RBI, and 18 steals (most in the class) to go with that slash line. Isabel profiles as a top of the order type with power to the gaps and can be a menace on the base paths.
ETA: 2021
Simon Rosenblum-Larson (RHP TB) It’s hard to steal the hype from the first round pick and 16th overall selection in Liberatore, but Rosenblum-Larson maybe doing just that with his start. The 19th rounder out of Harvard (570 overall) has been lights out, in the truest sense of the word, since starting his pro career. Between two levels, SRL has pitched 26.1 innings at Low-A and A-ball while sporting a 0.00 ERA and 0.68 WHIP combined with a 42:5 K:BB ratio and a near 15.0 K/9 rate and six saves. Clearly being a 19th round selection out of Harvard means not much was known or thought about this guy coming into the draft, however those stats are eye-popping in the best way and might be a signal for a complete steal in the draft.
ETA: Questionable
Tarik Skubal (LHP DET) Coming into the draft he had missed the whole 2017 season at Seattle (the college not Mariners) due to Tommy John surgery which clearly lowered his stock to a ninth-round pick. That being said, there appear to be no signs of rust in his game right now, at least through the first 22.1 innings he’s pitched. Three wins, two saves, 0.40 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 13.27 K/9, and 33:5 K:BB ratio are the stats of consequence for him as he’s made it to A-ball West Michigan while pitching in Rookie ball and Low-A Connecticut earlier in the season too. Skubal could be a swing man out of the pen for the Tigers eventually but will have to build up the innings on the reconstructed elbow first.
ETA: 2020