The 3rd one is definitely up there. Those swings are some of the biggest "misses" you'll see. The strikeout rate has always been pretty wild -- and he's moved pretty quick for an undrafted guy.
So far it seems like Pedro Leon's BB% and K% are about in line with where he's been since he's come stateside - ~13% walk rate and 31% K rate. Not sure he can stick in the MLB with a K rate that high. Those who have watched him more than just the highlights - any thoughts on his approach at the plate? Does the K rate look like something that can improve? With his speed, power, and versatility in the field, that 13% walk rate looks real nice. If he can get rid of the K's there's what looks like a super good player in there.
Not seen games yet (hard to convince myself to drive farther for AAA than the MLB game), but stats suggests he could get his K rate down to about 25-26% pretty easily if he started swinging at pitches (his BB% would take a nose dive). I suspect Astros hitting coaches want him to get his K rate down to 25-26% by getting better at recognizing pitches than by becoming more aggressive. Leon currently ranks as 17th in RC+ in AAA West despite playing his home games in Sugar Land (AAA data hasn't historically been park adjusted). Most of the guys ahead of him play in AAA versions of Coors Field makes me believe RC+ isn't park adjusted still in AAA. If he can play plus defense in CF as advertised and can get K% down to average (25%), he's a star. He might still be a second division starter at a 35% K rate if MLB keeps the ball the way it is.
I haven’t seen him play in person yet this season. I am hopeful there is still room for significant development with Leon. He had a long period of not playing consistently and he is probably just now back into a rhythm and has his body in regular playing form. The power and speed and arm are unquestionably elite. So it’s all about his pitch recognition and contact skills. I think even if he doesn’t improve at all (which I consider pretty unlikely) he could be a fringe-regular CF. A marginal improvement (which to me would mean posting a <30% k rate in AAA while maintaining a >10% bb rate) likely makes him a viable everyday player. From there it just goes up. A realistic best case I can envision would be steady improvement resulting in a k rate in the 20-25% range over Jun-July, at which point he would likely be getting a lot of attention and be in line to occupy a key role on the Astros for the postseason and into next year (whether that be in CF, LF, or in a super-utility role), projecting as a 3+ win player.
Joe Perez just landed on the Corpus IL. Congrats to him for making his MLB debut, but it's been a tough start to his 2022.
Closer to Davis than Bregman, but I think he’s playable at either 2B or 3B. Another month of this and he’ll probably need to be tested in AAA. He’s left handed so could make a great fit as a bench bat in Houston if all goes perfectly.
Interesting comp. I think Toro is a lot better athlete and was more raw defensively than Valdez. But Valdez is putting up similar production as a 22 year old in AA to what Toro did. They may end up being very similar players in terms of value and how they are best used (productive oft-used bench player backing up 3B/2B on a contender).
Jose Betances struck out the side for the save in Fayetteville's 3-2 win. He now has 22 strikeouts in 11.1 innings.
Nerio Rodriguez hit his 5th homer for Asheville... but what else is new, the Tourists are getting smoked again. Michael Sandle homered again for the Tourists, giving him 4 on the season.
I think they may need to make major roster changes in the lower level. Those teams have been bloody awful and I’m a big believer in a winning culture extending throughout the minors. Cristian Gonzalez is obviously overmatched at that level and AJ Lee has no business as an everyday player at any level. More than half their pitchers have been totally abused. I’d rather them move guys around to stack Fayetteville and use Asheville as an afterthought roster for longshots until after the draft.
