Here are the guys I'll be paying particularly close attention to at each level, besides the top prospects. Fresno: Reymin Guduan and Keegan Yuhl Corpus: Ramon Laureano and Jacob Dorris Buies Creek: Osvaldo Duarte and Framber Valdez Quad Cities: Jorge Alcala and Taylor Jones
No Jonathan Arauz, but he's going to play the vast majority of this season as an 18-year-old, so he can go one level at a time. I think he'll be in Quad Cities at some point this season.
Thoughts on rosters: AAA: Stacked. No real sleepers since everyone is pretty much a top prospect or known quantity. I like the lesser known 2012 draftees (West, Jankowski, Holmes). AA: Very good. Weak middle infield. My sleeper picks are Ferguson and Deetz, but there are a lot of underrated arms on that roster. High A: Outside of Tucker it's a pretty weak position player roster. I'm not as high on Straw and Martin as others. Interesting aggressive placement for Van der Meer. Their rotation is very good (where's Jose Hernandez???). Sleepers are Duarte and E. Hernandez (assuming Framber doesn't qualify). A: Should be a good team but the infield leaves a little to be desired. Stacked outfield. Stacked pitching staff. Sleepers are Wrenn and LaRue, although almost every pitcher on that roster is underrated. 2B/SS/3B is a weakness in the system, but that could be quickly erased by the players in EST/DSL (Sierra, Arauz, Nova, Cueta). The OF and RHP are just insanely deep. Players in the system with full season experience not on any roster: RHP Brandon McCurry suspended RHP Jared Mortensen LHP Albert Minnis 2B Nick Tanielu injured IF Marc Wik OF Bobby Boyd RHP Angel Heredia RHP Ryan Deemes RHP Scott Weathersby RHP Blaine Sims C Ruben Castro 2B Brooks Marlow SS Kristian Trompiz RHP Jose Hernandez RHP Enrique Chavez RHP Andrew Walter IF Wander Franco RHP Juan Robles RHP Ricardo Castro LHP Luis Ramirez Notables in EST: Alvarez, Arauz, Sierra, Chavez, C Perez, Sandoval, Toro, Celestino Notables in DR: Cueta, Nova, Rafael, Macuare
Jose Luis Hernandez is on this Buies Creek roster, which was reposted after it got deleted hours ago. But.... he's not on the roster listed on the team's website.
Breakdown by draft: 2012: 2 MLB 6 AAA 1 ??? 2013: 3 AAA 1 AA 2 A+ 1 ??? 2014: 3 AAA 12 AA 2 A+ 1 A 5 ??? 2015: 1 MLB 4 AA 9 A+ 1 A 5 ??? 2016: 3 A+ 14 A 13 ???
He was supposed to go to Quad Cities, so the clock on his suspension starts Thursday. Had he been caught in the Appy League, the suspension wouldn't have started until the Appy League season began.
http://www.houstonchronicle.com/spo...stros-prospect-Kyle-Tucker-works-11034820.php Kyle Tucker said he expects 20-30 home runs this year. Added 17lbs to his frame to bring him up to 207lbs. I expect him to keep filling out to 215-220lbs once he's full grown. He looked pretty swole already from what I saw in spring training.
It's Opening Day in the minors. Here are tonight's starters: Fresno - Collin McHugh Corpus - Trent Thornton Buies Creek - Akeem Bostick Quad Cities - Hector Perez
I remember him being a feel good story. Played for the VSL team for years before finally making the show. He was in the organization for like 8 years or something.
