Baseball America – July 02, 2019

12 JULY 2019 • BASEBALLAMERICA.COM

Leading Off

Numbers Game

AN ANALYTICALLY INCLINED LOOK AT THE GAME

MIDSEASON PLAYERS

OF THE YEAR

We choose a standout first-half player for all 30 organizations

by MATT EDDY

Our organization reports this issue focus on breakout prospects. They begin on Page 50.

In this space, we turn our attention to midseason players of the year—the prospects who have

performed the best—for all 30 organizations.

Players are listed with their primary minor league affiliate in the first half. Statistics through

June 10.

Dodgers shortstop pros-

pect Gavin Lux spent a

month in the Double-A

Texas League last year

and had dominated in his

return there this season.

JASON IVESTER/FS

ARIZONA:

1B KEVIN CRON

TRIPLE-A RENO

The 26-year-old

slugger earned a callup

to Arizona after crank-

ing 21 HR in 44 games.

ATLANTA:

OF DREW WATERS

DOUBLE-A MISSISSIPPI

The 20-year-old

switch-hitter led the

Southern League with

a .328 AVG, 20 2B, eight

3B and 40 runs.

BALTIMORE:

LHP DREW ROM

LOW A DELMARVA

The 2018 prep

fourth-rounder paced

the South Atlantic

League with a 1.23 ERA

while striking out 67 in

46.1 IP.

BOSTON:

OF JARREN DURAN

HIGH CLASS A SALEM

After Duran hit

.387 with 18 steals

in 50 games in the

Carolina League, the

Red Sox moved him to

Double-A.

CHICAGO (NL):

RHP TYSON MILLER

DOUBLE-A TENNESSEE

The Cubs’ breakout

pitcher of the year is

also the system’s best.

He recorded a 2.49 ERA

with 64 SO, 13 BB in

68.2 IP.

CHICAGO (AL):

OF LUIS ROBERT

DOUBLE-A BIRMINGHAM

The 21-year-old

Cuban’s breakout sea-

son included 12 HR, 18

SB and a .366/.415/.

batting line.

CINCINNATI:

3B JOSH VANMETER

TRIPLE-A LOUISVILLE

VanMeter broke

out in a big way in the

International League,

swatting 11 HR in 29

games prior to his

callup.

CLEVELAND:

RHP ZACH PLESAC

TRIPLE-A COLUMBUS

The 24-year-old

cruised through

Double-A and

Triple-A, going 4-1,

1.41, on his way to a

May 28 callup.

COLORADO:

RHP RICO GARCIA

DOUBLE-A HARTFORD

Drafted in the 30th

round, Garcia continues

his climb. He went 8-1,

1.88 through 12 starts

with 85 SO, 21 BB in 67 IP.

DETROIT:

RHP CASEY MIZE

DOUBLE-A ERIE

The No. 1 overall pick

a year ago has cruised

to the Eastern League

while going 8-0, 0.

with 73 SO, 11 BB and a

crazy 0.69 WHIP.

HOUSTON:

OF YORDAN ALVAREZ

TRIPLE-A ROUND ROCK

The most prodi-

gious prospect slugger

homered in his first two

big league games after

bashing 23 HR in 56

Triple-A games.

KANSAS CITY:

LHP KRIS BUBIC

LOW A LEXINGTON

The “forgotten”

college arm from the

Royals’ 2018 draft class,

Bubic carved South

Atlantic League com-

petition for nine starts

and overall had record-

ed 12.8 SO/9.

LOS ANGELES (AL):

OF BRANDON MARSH

DOUBLE-A MOBILE

Before hitting the

IL in June, Marsh had

shown a wide-ranging

tool set during his first

run through the pitch-

er-friendly Southern

League.

LOS ANGELES (NL):

SS GAVIN LUX

DOUBLE-A TULSA

The 21-year-old’s

name dotted the Texas

League leaderboards.

Lux ranked fourth with

11 HR, fourth with a

.303 AVG and fifth with

a .872 OPS.

MIAMI:

RHP ZAC GALLEN

TRIPLE-A NEW ORLEANS

Repeating Triple-A

has brought out the

best in the 23-year-

old, who appeared

primed for a big league

chance. He went 8-1,

1.57 through 13 starts

with 104 SO and 16 BB

in 86 IP.

MILWAUKEE: 2B

KESTON HIURA

TRIPLE-A SAN ANTONIO

Hiura got his feet

wet in the majors in

May but has spent

most of the season

terrorizing Pacific Coast

League pitchers by

hitting .331/.402/.

with 13 HR.

MINNESOTA:

LHP DEVIN SMELTZER

TRIPLE-A ROCHESTER

Acquired in the

Brian Dozier trade last

July, Smeltzer cruised

through Double-A and

Triple-A, recording a

1.51 ERA and 0.91 WHIP

in 10 starts.

NEW YORK (AL):

OF CANAAN SMITH

LOW A CHARLESTON

The 2017

fourth-rounder’s

patient approach had

paid off. He ranked

among the South

Atlantic League leaders

with a .307 AVG, 30 BB

and .396 OBP.

NEW YORK (NL):

LHP ANTHONY KAY

DOUBLE-A

BINGHAMTON

Kay aced his

Double-A test by going

7-3, 1.49 in 12 starts

with 70 SO and 23 BB

in 66.1 IP. He ranked

second in the minors

in ERA.

OAKLAND:

SS JORGE MATEO

TRIPLE-A LAS VEGAS

Mateo spent a lost

year in the Pacific Coast

League last year but

has shined in take two,

batting .338/.369/.

with 10 HR and 14 SB.

PHILADELPHIA:

3B ALEC BOHM

HIGH A CLEARWATER

The third overall

pick in 2018 out of

Wichita State shined

at two Class A levels,

batting .329/.397/.

with six HR.

PITTSBURGH:

RHP MITCH KELLER

TRIPLE-A INDIANAPOLIS

Keller went 5-1, 3.

in 11 starts, striking

out 74 and walking

25 while allowing just

five HR.

ST. LOUIS:

OF DYLAN CARLSON

DOUBLE-A SPRINGFIELD

The well-rounded

switch-hitter was

breaking out in the

Texas League, batting

.289/.374/.518 with

nine HR and 11 SB.

SAN DIEGO:

LHP MACKENZIE GORE

HIGH A LAKE ELSINORE

Few pitching pros-

pects elicit as much

excitement from scouts

as Gore, who went 5-1,

1.13 through 11 starts

in the rigorous Cal

League.

SAN FRANCISCO:

OF HELIOT RAMOS

HIGH A SAN JOSE

He looked like a

dynamic five-tool

talent again after a

down 2018 season. He

hit .318/.427/.598 with

seven HR in 31 games.

SEATTLE:

OF JARRED KELENIC

LOW A WEST VIRGINIA

Kelenic advanced

to high Class A in June,

about a year after

being drafted out of

high school, and hit

.316/.398/.595 with

13 HR.

TAMPA BAY:

LHP BRENDAN MCKAY

DOUBLE-A

MONTGOMERY

McKay now looks

more like a “pitcher”

than “two-way player.”

He recorded 76 SO,

walked 11 and allowed

three HR through

56.2 IP.

TEXAS:

C SAM HUFF

HIGH A DOWN EAST

The strong-armed

Huff had slugged

19 HR through 60

games while batting

.326/.374/.661.

TORONTO:

C ALEJANDRO KIRK

LOW A LANSING

The big-bodied

Mexican catcher had

no trouble in his

full-season debut,

batting .323/.430/.

with more walks than

strikeouts.

WASHINGTON:

SS CARTER KIEBOOM

TRIPLE-A FRESNO

The 21-year-old

hit so well in the

minors—.294/.419/.

with eight HR—that he

received an 11-game

look in Washington.