This week on Big Hype Prospects, we visit some notable players at various stages of their journey and highlight three more whose 2023 success could yield top prospect status next season.
Five Big Hype Prospects
Wyatt Langford, 21, OF, TEX (AAA)
(CPX/A+/AA) 174 PA, 10 HR, 9 SB, .359/.471/.697
The Rangers, thirsty to reach the postseason for the first time since 2016, have to be giving consideration to Langford. He received a promotion to Triple-A today for the final week of the minor league season. If that goes well, Langford could be the latest player to debut in his draft year. He’s earned the consideration. Of all minor leaguers with at least 150 plate appearances, Langford ranks second overall with a 202 wRC+. He has more walks than strikeouts along with a .338 isolated slugging percentage. He has 25 singles and 26 extra-base hits.
Kyle Manzardo, 22, 1B, CLE (AAA)
(AAA) 313 PA, 11 HR, 1 SB, .238/.342/.442
Seemingly on the cusp of reaching the Majors to start this season, Manzardo instead spent the year in Triple-A and on the injured list. A contact-oriented hitter with a hefty fly ball rate, his approach should play up at Progressive Field. It also yields predictably low BABIPs. Manzardo’s batted ball profile is that of a slugger, but he’s yet to turn that into on-field results. The peripherals are in place for a breakthrough 2024 campaign. The Guardians have an extremely left-handed lineup which could affect how the club plans to use Manzardo.
Curtis Mead, 22, 3B, TBR (MLB)
(MLB) 52 PA, .267/.365/.356
Another Rays product whose 2022 performance outshined his 2023 follow-up, Mead is currently serving as a platoon bat. A slugger by reputation, Mead has yet to homer in his debut season. He also contributed only nine dingers in 278 Triple-A plate appearances. He’s struggled to make consistent contact as evidenced by his 84.0 mph average exit velocity. The only qualified hitter with a worse average EV is Esteury Ruiz. Likely, Mead will make the necessary adjustments to produce spicier balls in play. It’s not uncommon for prospects to make unexpectedly weak contact in their first exposure to the Majors. Mead’s long-term outlook depends upon him finding 30-homer power.
Druw Jones, 19, OF, ARI (A)
131 PA, 2 HR, 6 SB, .252/.366/.351
This year, perhaps no prospect has lost more clout than Jones. A Top 10 prospect entering the season, he’s now at risk of falling off Top 50 lists. Injuries cost his entire 2022 season and most of 2023. Early in the season, he struggled mightily. The good news: there is a silver lining. Since returning to action on August 1, Jones is batting .274/.389/.400 with a tolerable 24.8 percent strikeout rate. His speed and double-plus outfield defense have been on display as well. While Jones has been leapfrogged by other worthy names, he appears to be back on a positive developmental track.
Samuel Basallo, 18, C, BAL (AA)
(A/A+/AA) 483 PA, 20 HR, 12 SB, .313/.402/.551
Basallo began the year as a young power-over-hit catcher with a questionable defensive reputation. He appeared to be half a decade away from a debut – if it ever came at all. He’s now played his way onto Top 100 lists as the latest Orioles breakout. Basallo is built like a first baseman, and it’s where I expect to see him long-term. I believe it’s telling the Orioles have opted to promote him based on the development of his bat rather than his glove. Most catchers meander through the minors as they hone their defensive chops. Concerns about his hit tool appear to be overstated. Given his raw power, he looks likely to make enough contact to float at first base. Fine adjustments might determine whether he’s Rowdy Tellez redux or a first-division starter. In the grand tradition of Carlos Delgado and Kyle Schwarber, Basallo might get some play at catcher before the Orioles bow to necessity.
Three More
Ricardo Cabrera, CIN (18): The latest intriguing shortstop in the Reds system, Cabrera recovered from a disappointing 2022 season by hitting .346/.475/.531 in 202 plate appearances split between the complex and Low-A. He’s already a Top 100 prospect candidate who should find himself in High-A next season.
Yordanny Monegro, BOS (20): The most exciting pitcher to pop in the Red Sox system this year, Monegro combines a number of traits that portend a big league future. He’s built like a starter, misses bats, and can move the ball around the zone. He finished the season in High-A after dominating Low-A where he was old for the level.
Abimelec Ortiz, TEX (21): Ortiz was among the minor league leaders in home runs. His breakout campaign included 33 dingers, mostly at High-A. Not considered much of a prospect entering the season, he should now comfortably rank within the Top 200. He has a chance to reach the Top 100 with a fast start at Double-A in 2024.
Did I miss a detail or nuance? DM me on Twitter @BaseballATeam to suggest corrections.
In Langford We Trust? Wyatt Langford > Mike Trout? What should my username be when he is promoted to MLB?
Imagine Lanford and Carter. That will be a good duo
Yeah! The Trout comps are amazing, though after watching this game and this season, I’d trade one of tawhem for Bednar and sign Hader + a few of Maton/Hicks/Stratton/Chapman/Kimbrel and maybe trade Semien and cash for Alexis Diaz or someone. Even the Bronx Bombers can’t save this pathetic bullpen team.
There is no way in hell the Rangers are trading a top 10 overall position prospect for a closer. I don’t care how bad the Bullpen is!
I know. As a fan, it’s hard to remain logical and not let emotions take over. I’m glad I’m not the GM, though.
Scott Harris thinks Max Clark > Wyatt Langford. LOL
That was truly a mistake. An argument could’ve been made for Langford to go first overall, but to pass on him for Clark I believe was a big mistake. Time will obviously tell, but I believe someone in Texas needs to send someone in Detroit a bottle for making that call.
Thanks Brad!
Interesting stuff!
Basallo is 19, btw, not 18. He’s a young 19 though having just turned it back in August.
They might be listing “season age” as opposed to actual age. This is his age 18 season.
Another shortstop is just what the Reds need.
Curious if these writers know that the Mariners have a minor league system?
Guardians 2024 Lineup:
C – Naylor
1B – Manzardo
2B – Freeman
SS – Gimenez
3B – Ramirez
LF – Kwan
CF – Straw
RF – Laureano
DH – Naylor
C – Garver (FA, since Naylor struggles vs LHP)
INF – Arias
OF – Brennan
OF – choose: Gonzalez / Fry / Valera
SP – McKenzie
SP – Bibee
SP – Williams
SP – Allen
SP – Quantrill
Clase / Hentges / Karinchak / Morgan / EDLS / Stephan / Herrin / FA
Trade Bieber for prospects
Rocchio / Brito / Valera waiting in the wings at AAA
Espino a wildcard. Cantillo, Dion as SP depth.
If you want a catcher, why not trade Clase for Heim and prospects?
CLE is nowhere near ready to give up on Bo Naylor. That said, this would likely have panned out far better than bringing in Zunino to start this season.
Well that is just crazy pants… it took us forever to get a good starting catcher and you want to trade him?
Chirinos was a good staple. Beyond that, Garver can be resigned, and Huff can really hit. I assume you are referring to good offense here.
Not at all, catchers matter for defence first and Heim is one of the best pitch framers in baseball, with a decent arm. Huff may never hit above .200, Garver is an average defender at best and has no business catching more than 50 games, he just gets hurt too much.
Jones…….with a tolerable 24.8 percent strikeout rate…..seriously, striking out 25% of the time is tolerable?
Every ball player has the same BABNIP….it’s .000. OPS and OPS+ are also .000 during AB’s when a batter is a human fan.
Good things happen with contact, runners advance, defenses make errors, as well as hits.
A minute percent of the time a batter can reach base on a K, outside of that, strikeouts are bad. Bad things 25% of the time should not be tolerable.
The best hitter in baseball has a K% of 23.9, grandpa
@Eighty Raw
How sad is that. Just because it’s reality doesn’t make it right…….and no, not even close to being a grandpa, I just happen to like Richie Allen’s nickname, I wasn’t even born when he played.
Striking out is bad. Bat to ball skills are good.
Bat to ball skills might be good, but it doesn’t automatically make a player good. The top 5 players in contact rate this year are Arraez, Kwan, Horner, Myles Straw, and Bregman. The bottom 5 are Rooker, Outman, Castellanos, Teoscar Hernandez, and Burger. Each of these players are productive in their own right.
@Eighty Raw, in 2007 only two teams struck out MORE than 20% of the time, fast forward to today and only 3 teams are striking out LESS than 20% of the time!
Somehow BABIP became an advanced stat……ignoring the .000 BABNIP doesn’t make it go away.
Strikeouts are bad.
with a tolerable 24.8 percent strikeout rate…..seriously, striking out 25% of the time is tolerable?
==============================
It continues to annoy me when MLB-R uses stats without context. The K-rate, take in isolation, is fairly meaningless.
First, it probably isn’t tolerable. There are only 27 players in the pros (with qualifying # of ABs) that have > a 25%.
Secondly, and more importantly, those 27 average maybe 24 HRs. If you hit with power, you can afford more Ks. If you are a slap hitter, then you cannot.
You cannot list the K% without the HR%,
Not necessarily do you need a HR % for such a young player. If he’s roping doubles at age 19—it stands to reason he will develop a bit more pop as he matures.
K’ing at that level in the lower minors is very concerning though. The pitching only gets better from this point on.
This article has me wondering about what types of necessary adjustments Curtis Mead will need to make to produce spicier balls.
Rangers are going to ruin another prospect lol. You can’t rush these guys. They crushed leiter confidence by starting him in AA after the draft and now he sucks. Everyone was shocked when they saw AA start out of the draft. They’re about to do it to Langford.
All across the MLB you see top prospects make the MLB debut and only a couple sustain out of 100. Look a Skenes and Crews this yr too. Suck in AA.. you have to get them continue success to build on. How many sec prospects until they learn sec is equivalent of low A. Only 2-3 mlb teams get it right now.
There has never been a bigger discrepancy between AAA and MLB then right now.
Yeah that’s not what happened with Leiter…
100% percent it is. You have to set up these prospects for success and not set up for failure. Why do you think they send guys down to AAA from MLB to get a reset and then they come back up and are lights out. Rangers are setting all their prospects up for failure. Starting someone in AA right out of college is like throwing a baby in the deep end and telling him to swim MFer. Someone should’ve been fired over that negligent decision.
It’s no secret in MLB that the rangers are historically one of the worst at drafting and developing.
Leiter should’ve pitched a few games at a lower level just to break in. His command is poor though. That’s really what his Achilles heel is. Younger players will chase more junk but if you aren’t around the plate—that was always going to catch up to him. The accelerated promotion probably revealed the issue sooner.
He needs to fix that or you’re looking at a middle reliever. I think he’s ultimately an inefficient #4/5 type. Unlikely he’ll wind up worth that draft choice.
You can believe what you want, but Leiter’s issues have to do with Leiter and his dad, not the Rangers.
“It’s no secret in MLB that the rangers are historically one of the worst at drafting and developing.”
And history is irrelevant. The entire organization has gone thru an overhaul.
Leiter isn’t broken, his last 4 starts were really good. Sometimes it takes a minute to workout. Plus the Rangers have much better track record with position prospects, hello Jung and Carter. Langford soon to come.
But, Langford >> Skens and possibly Crews. Some guys are better at adapting. Schanuel is another decent example.
Skenes sucks after 2.2 innings at Doulbe-A? How about we let him pitch at least one whole game’s worth of innings before we declare a pitcher good or bad.
WYATT! LANGFORD!
**clap clap clap clap clap**
Remember the name.
“Rowdy Tellez redux”??? Brad is COOKING!!!
O’s have quite a few options for 1B in 2024 and beyond.
Mayo, Mountcastle, O’hearn, and Basallo (2025) We’re going to have to drop 2 from that group. Makes me wonder if Basallo is the guy who gets dealt for a SP. definitely not enough space to keep them all around. Don’t think he has the defensive chops to stick as Adley’s PT backup either. Another organization may give him a shot back there though.
Santander could handle some 1B work too. I feel like he’s highly likely to be on the move this off-season though. Elias has a lot of chips to play with to complete the roster.