Los Angeles Dodgers 2B/SS Gavin Lux - Turning the Corner?

Gavin Lux has turned the corner after a rough start to a season. Despite hitting for a .219 average he has a walk rate of 13% and a K rate of 17% with 394 plate appearances. I think his start to the season was so bad his average was never going to recover. Prices are a bargain due to him being kept off various hot lists. Lux seems to have good plate discipline so the low average does not worry me at all. The Dodgers have a good track record of developing hitters. I rate him as a STRONG BUY.

A Few Impressive Hitting Prospects

I took some time over the weekend to run some numbers and the results are interesting. Here are a few hitters who are having impressive seasons. All of the names have a minimum of 175 plate appearances, a strikeout rate of less than 20%, a walk rate (BB) greater than 8% and an ISO (Isolated Power) greater than .140. The report shows hitters who have plate discipline and power. The overall list is not long.

Bo Bichette (TOR) - 16.20% K rate - 8.40% BB - 0.212 ISO
Brandon Lowe (TB)  - 17.50% K rate - 12.80% BB - 0.218 ISO
Lewis Brinson (MIL) -  18.90% K rate - 10.10% BB - 0.225 ISO
Rafael Devers (BOS) - 17.60% K rate - 9.50% BB - 0.267 ISO
Rhys Hoskins (PHI)-  15.50% K rate - 13.50% BB - 0.280 ISO
Willie Calhoun (TEX) - 12.00% K rate - 8.30% BB - 0.278 ISO
Gleyber Torres (NYY) - 20.00% K rate - 12.80% BB - 0..193 ISO
Ronald Guzman (TEX) -  15.50% K rate - 9.10% BB - 0.163 ISO - Buy
Carson Kelly (STL) -  14.30% K rate - 11.80% BB - 0.176 ISO - Needs a Chrome Auto
DJ Stewart (BAL) -  16.80% K rate - 11.10% BB - 0.174 ISO - Bargain Bin Buy
Jahmai Jones (LAA) -  16.70% K rate - 8.30% BB - 0.144 ISO - STRONG BUY
JP Crawford (PHI) - 17.00% K rate - 14.80% BB - 0.145 ISO - Buy if under $20. Hold if you already own.

Why New York Yankees OF Blake Rutherford Was Traded

Brian Cashman has done a great job over the past few years restocking the farm. Some fans wonder why he traded Blake Rutherford to the Chicago White Sox. Well the reason is because of Estevan Florial. Hopefully he has a Chrome auto this November.

Estevan Florial Stats via Fangraphs

Garrett Whitley - Tampa Bay Rays OF On The Rise

At Prospects for Cash, I try to provide my readers with new information about prospects who are not discussed. Keep an eye on Garrrett Whitley. He was drafted in the 13th round of the 2015 draft and I think he is starting to turn to corner. He is a boom or bust prospect but I trust the Rays to do everything they can to develop him. It is a good time to buy.

Baseball America's 2017 Midseason Top 100 Prospects Update

Over the All Star break Baseball America released its update of the top 100 prospects. I have provided some analysis on some of the names that received my attention. 

101. Padres SS Fernando Tatis Jr - A prospect that was on my radar but the swing and miss bothered me. The power is real but while baseball has embraced the strikeout I have not. I still rate him as a BUY with the hope that he cuts down on the strikeouts.

97.   Angles OF Jordon Adell - Hopefully Adell will be in 2017 Draft in December. Scouts worry about his swing and miss issues.

96.   Red Sox 3B Michael Chavis - Nice prospect putting up solid numbers in AA so far. I would rate him as a STRONG BUY.
 
93.   Indians 1B Bobby Bradley - 16HR's so far in AA with a respectable K%. He is coming along well and I would buy an auto or two.

92.   Phillies SS J.P. Crawford - Crawford has struggled a little in AAA. If you have any auto's HOLD.

91.   Rockies 1B/3B Ryan McMahon - I recommended Ryan in the past but unless he is a superstar Rockies players don't sell well.

90.   Blue Jays SS Lourdes Gurriel -Watching him closely as he returns from injury.
 
83.   White Sox RHP Dylan Cease - Nice prospect joining a stacked White Sox farm system. I expect prices to remain at the same level.

71.   Braves SS Kevin Maitan - Has not played yet but cards are already on the high end.

69.   Phillies 1B Ryan Hoskins - Needs a Chrome auto.

57.   Cardinals RHP Jack Flaherty  - Loved him since he was drafted and his stuff keeps getting better. I rate him as a BUY.

52.   Phillies 2B Scott Kingery - Legit prospect who has made great adjustments. His Bowman Auto is on the high end.

51.   Cardinals C Carson Kelly - A great catching prospect who plays great defense and will hit for a good average with pop.

50.   Mets 1B Dominic Smith - Underrated prospect in my opinion. Auto's are still at a decent price considering the market. Very impressive season so far.

46.   Phillies OF Mickey Moniak - Love the talent but can he hit for power?

45.   White Sox OF Luis Robert - Hopefully Robert is in 2017 Bowman Chrome

44.   Blue Jays SS Bo Bichette - One of the hottest prospects in the minors. Buy if you can afford it. All you need is one.

41.   Braves RHP Kyle Wright - Looking forward to his debut.

40.   Rays LHP/1B Brendan McKay - Brendan seems like a generational talent. I really hope he succeeds playing both ways.

39.   Twins SS Royce Lewis - On fire in rookie ball but don't take those stats too seriously.

34.   Rangers OF Leody Taveras - STRONG BUY - Leody is the current top prospect in the Rangers system. At 18 years old he is producing some good numbers. Don't let the batting average worry you. The K rate is 15% and walk rate is around 8% in A ball. Auto's are under $25.

30.   Reds RHP Hunter Greene - Another generational talent that hopefully will play both ways. I love that he is playing for the Reds.

22.   Pirates OF Austin Meadows - Still battling injuries and the pop has not been there. I'm worried a little but I would HOLD and not sell.

23.   Braves LHP Kolby Allard - Impressive numbers after coming back from injury. I am now a believer.

If you would like my thoughts on any prospect not mentioned on the list or one that did not make the list, leave a comment or reach out to me on Twitter @Prospects4Cash. Thanks!

Still Time to Buy Nick Gordon

Nick Gordon is having a breakout season and prices have not spiked like I thought they would. He has shown increased power and should stay at shortstop. There is still time to invest for a reasonable price. I think he will only improve.

A Rule That Every Prospector Should Follow

On July 4th, an Aaron Judge BGS graded 9.5 purple auto sold for $14,655. This is the highest sale I have seen for an Aaron Judge card. The one rule that I tell any prospector whether they are young or old is "all you need is one". If your budget allows you to buy multiples autos of a player, by all means proceed but if not, one auto is just fine. When 2009 Bowman Draft was released a Mike Trout auto was only $20. When Aaron Judge struggled during his first callup, prices were very affordable. All you need is one.

Los Angeles Dodgers OF Alex Verdugo - Buy Immediately

Alex Verdugo is currently on a 13 game hit streak in AAA and 5 years younger than the league average. He is batting .455 in his last 10 games. Verdugo has a 10.4% walk rate and a 9.3% K rate to go along with 14 doubles, 3 triples and 3 home runs on the season. These stats indicate a high level of plate discipline that you want to see in a major league hitter. In my opinion, there is a strong chance that prices could reach Bellinger/Seager levels in the future. I expect a callup to the majors in 2018 (possibly 2017) and I expect Verdugo to rake. The power numbers are not a concern as home run power is the last skill to develop. As I stated on Twitter previously, Mike Trout only hit 23 home runs in his minors career and Verdugo has hit 25. What is scary is that when you compare both players minor league statistics they are very similar. Am I saying that Verdugo is the next Trout? NO. What I am saying is Verdugo is an advanced hitter with 20-30 HR potential with a 70 rated arm. Time is running out so do not wait to invest. Verdugo's cards can still be bought for decent prices.

Link to Stats via Fangraphs
                                       

MLB Prospect Alerts & Updates

As we approach the All Star break, I would like to provide some updates and thoughts on various events happening in the minor leagues. As always feel free to send me a message on the blog or on twitter if you have any questions.


New York Yankees - Dustin Fowler - Back in 2016 I recommended you invest in Fowler. If you bought at that time you are in good shape. Prices have doubled. You hope he would increase his walk rate in the future but the talent is legit.

Oakland Athletics - A.J. Puk - A.J. Puk is now a STRONG BUY. Scouts were initially skeptical but Puk has delivered. He is the lefty that Oakland needs.

Cleveland Indians - Will Benson - I will be watching Will Benson closely as short season begins. Can he cut down on the strikeouts?

Boston Red Sox - Jay Groome - If you like Groome, I strongly suggest investing now. He was a steal in the draft due to character issues but the arm is front end.

Colorado Rockies - Brendan Rodgers - I am aware that Rodgers is on fire right now but there is one issue... He plays in Colorado. If he were to ever be traded I would buy immediately. He's that good.

Short Season Leagues - Keep an eye on all short season & rookie ball leagues. Performance will be a key factor when 2017 Draft is released in September. (Obvious I know)


Stay tuned for more updates from Prospects For Cash!

NY Yankees INF Gleyber Torres Out For the Season - My Thoughts

It was announced today that Gleyber Torres will undergo Tommy John surgery and will be out for the season. Tommy John surgery for a position player is not as negative than surgery for a pitcher so I'm not worried but his debut with the Yankees will be delayed a significant amount of time. The injury presents a possible new investing opportunity. Most prospectors will hold and some will sell at at a discount. Might be a good time to take advantage of a rare opportunity. Torres will be a star.