5 prospects residing as much as the hype in 2022

With the 2022 baseball season in full swing, let’s take a look at some extremely touted prospects who’ve been residing as much as the hype this season. 

5 Massive Hype Prospects

Gunnar Henderson, Baltimore Orioles, 20, 3B/SS (AAA)

(AA) 208 PA, 8 HR, 12 SB, .312/.452/.573

Few prospects have completed extra to enhance their inventory than Henderson. Coming off a satisfactory however unspectacular 2021 season, Henderson has torched minor league pitching. Since incomes a promotion to Triple-A, he’s continued to punish opposing pitchers to the tune of .286/.500/.536 with two house runs in 40 plate appearances. He additionally has 12 walks in opposition to simply 5 strikeouts. In Double-A, he posted 19.7 % stroll and 18.3 % strikeout charges.

His outlandish efficiency to this point is backed by scouting observations. I spoke with Orioles Director of Participant Improvement Matt Blood previous to the season, and he particularly highlighted Henderson as somebody who has turned the nook mentally. Final yr, Henderson had a number of the markers of passivity – specifically a excessive stroll fee, excessive strikeout fee, and a modest swinging strike fee. This season, he’s reportedly improved upon his selectivity, punishing pitches within the zone whereas persevering with to spit on these exterior the zone.

Henderson presently ranks forty fifth on the MLB Pipeline Top Prospects List. At this fee, he’ll quickly be part of the Prime 10 – except he races to the majors earlier than the list-makers have time to regulate. The oldsters who curate your favourite prospect record are typically fairly conservative about upgrading guys based mostly on a partial-season breakout, and with cause. We’ve seen many gamers publish astronomical half-seasons solely to later resume a extra abnormal improvement path.

Michael Harris II, Atlanta Braves, 21, OF (MLB)

70 PA, 2 HR, 2 SB, .328/.357/.537

To the perfect of my information, Harris was the third place participant to be promoted straight from Double-A to a Main League beginning lineup this season. The primary, C.J. Abrams, was overexposed within the Majors. Cubs utilityman Christopher Morel seems to be proper at house within the massive leagues. So too does Harris.

Harris makes low-angle contact with an all-fields method. He’s additionally making frequent arduous and barreled contact. Each charges are above league common as measured by Statcast. Taken collectively, he has the traits of a excessive batting common hitter. The place he seemingly lags is plate self-discipline. He’s taken a swing-happy method in his first publicity to the majors and has been vulnerable to providing at pitches exterior of the zone. His in-zone swing fee is just a hair above league common. His contact fee is roughly league common too. In different phrases, his aggression hasn’t confirmed pricey. But.

It’s not unusual for bodily gifted prospects to achieve the majors, carry out surprisingly nicely, then stoop as soon as scouting studies regulate. In Harris’ case, scouts are going to advise a bevy of breaking balls out of the zone. If he plunges right into a stoop, he would possibly get a belated style of Triple-A. If he adjusts shortly or in any other case holds his personal, then he’s most likely right here to remain.

Harris is the midst of an eight-game hitting streak over which he’s batting .433/.469/.800 with each of his house runs and steals.

Elly De La Cruz, Cincinnati Reds, 20, 3B/SS, (A+)

222 PA, 12 HR, 17 SB, .304/.351/.594

Should you haven’t already heard about De La Cruz, count on to see his identify showing in increasingly more articles. Scouts love his construct – he has light-tower energy, near-elite pace and a cannon of an arm. He already makes a number of the loudest contact within the minors. Whereas he’s largely labored at shortstop, there’s an expectation he’ll ultimately transfer to 3rd base or even perhaps middle discipline.

A prospect of De La Cruz’s ilk all the time comes with caveats. His plate self-discipline will be (generously) described as questionable. His present 6.3 % stroll fee is a marked enchancment over the 4.8 % fee he posted final season. In the meantime, his 30.6 % strikeout fee is true according to his earlier efficiency.

Given his present contact profile, he might fall right into a Javier Baez-like mould. Or maybe Oneil Cruz is the better comp. In spite of everything, they’re each bodily mutants who would possibly stick at shortstop. Cruz occurred to publish comparable numbers as a 20-year-old in Excessive-A, then held his personal in Double-A later that yr. Cruz even had questions on his plate self-discipline. The Reds haven’t any incentive to hurry De La Cruz, however he ought to sniff the higher minors within the coming months.

Matt Brash, Seattle Mariners, 24, SP/RP (AAA)

19 IP, 3.32 ERA, 15.16 Okay/9, 5.21 BB/9

Brash entered the season within the Mariners rotation, dazzled in his debut, then proceeded to stroll the world. I recall watching that first outing and worrying what would occur when hitters stopped swinging at his breaking balls out of the zone. He didn’t present any signal of with the ability to command something throughout the strike zone. Positive sufficient, it shortly grew to become an issue. The Mariners made the choice to demote him from the key league rotation straight to the Triple-A bullpen. A reduction function affords a extra direct path for pitchers with Brash’s mixture of filthy stuff and poor command.

Indicators are pointing in the appropriate route. After some preliminary command-related struggles, Brash has a 10-inning scoreless streak relationship again to Might 25 that features simply 5 hits and two walks in comparison with 16 strikeouts. He as soon as once more seems to be prepared for prime time. Sadly for him, the Seattle bullpen is pretty strong and can quickly must make means for Ken Giles (who occurs to be flailing in his rehab project). Brash might must await a pair accidents to reclaim a task.

George Valera, Cleveland Guardians 21, OF (AA)

236 PA, 10 HR, 2 SB, .291/.398/.513

Expectations for Valera differ vastly relying on the supply. I’ve seen Cleveland followers examine him to Mike Trout. I’ve additionally seen open skepticism about his hit instrument. His efficiency this season hasn’t precisely supported both of those excessive interpretations. As an alternative, he appears to be trending as a gradual common outfielder.

Valera works counts and runs a tolerable 11.6 % swinging strike fee. That’s helped him to round a 23 % strikeout fee any time he’s settled right into a degree. His strikeout fee tends to spike above 30 % when he strikes up a degree. He’s seemingly nearing a promotion to Triple-A. We must always most likely count on one other momentary surge in strikeouts when it occurs. His sample of struggling then dominating every rung of the minor league ladder is harking back to Jo Adell. Valera’s self-discipline ought to serve to make sure some type of massive league function.

4 Extra

Zack Gelof, 2B/3B/OF, OAK (22): A 2021 draftee, the Athletics promoted Gelof straight from Low-A to Triple-A final season the place he held his personal in a 13-plate look trial. They assigned him to Double-A this season. He’s hit .315/.372/.458. Gelof not too long ago tore the labrum of his non-throwing shoulder and will miss the majority of this season relying on the remedy plan.

Jackson Chourio, 2B/CF, MIL (18): Each season, there’s one teenaged prospect who catches the creativeness of each prospect watcher. Final yr, it was De La Cruz. This season, it’s Chourio. Scouting studies abound with reward for the younger outfielder. He’s presently hitting .347/.394/.599 with six house runs and 5 steals in 160 plate appearances. It’s unusual for well-rounded athletes to point out this a lot energy as an 18-year-old. Chourio is a good distance from the majors, however his path is already paved. He simply has to remain on it, and stroll the remaining miles.

Andrew Painter, RHP, PHI (19): Painter made a mockery of the advanced league, posting a 1.40 ERA with 16.06 Okay/9 and three.72 BB/9. He’s proven superior really feel for a pitcher his age. FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen notes how nicely he combines a excessive, arm-side fastball with a biting slider. He additionally throws a curve and changeup, each of which lag behind his two main choices. He’ll must develop these so as to stick within the rotation. Painter was not too long ago promoted to Excessive-A.

Bobby Miller, RHP, LAD (23): A flame-throwing right-hander, Miller has skilled blended ends in Double-A. He’s posted a 4.60 ERA with 9.57 Okay/9 and three.26 BB/9. There’s a Hunter Greene-ish really feel to Miller. His fastball runs over 100-mph with regularity, however sure traits trigger it to minimize. There’s reduction danger right here, particularly if the Dodgers don’t commerce him. They’ve the sources to make use of him in whichever function supplies probably the most on the spot gratification.