September Call Ups - Buy, Sell or Hold

One of my followers on Twitter recently asked me about a player and presented the question on should they sell or hold. I will always advocate selling if you are comfortable making a profit that meets your goal. In many cases when September call ups happen I always proceed with caution. A player may produce amazing numbers simply because there is not much of a scouting report on him. Some players may struggle and not produce immediately. Overall, one month of at bats in the majors is not enough data to determine if a player will be good or not. I have provided some advice below on how to handle certain situations.

Scenario #1 - Player is on fire after call up (e.g. Rhys Hoskins) - Sell to collect profits and initial investment. Maybe hold a few for the long term. When situations like this occur I always expect a correction the next season due to adjustments made by pitching staffs (Eric Thames). Same applies for pitchers.When a player stats dips you always have to ask yourself if that player can make multiple adjustments.

Scenario #2 - Player struggles after call up (e.g Yoan Moncada) - Hold. Some players take time to adjust to the Majors so struggling is not a surprise. You may want to possibly BUY more of a player if prices dip in December. People may sell off due to panic. Be careful not to overreact. Same rules applies for pitchers.

How To Prepare For The Arizona Fall League

The Arizona Fall League recently released their rosters for the upcoming season and did not disappoint. There are a number of top prospects playing this year as well other players that are on my radar. I think the Fall League is the best test for prospects outside of the jump from A ball to AA or a promotion to the Majors. Prospectors should take player performance very seriously. Success in the Fall League is a good indicator on if a prospect will produce in the Majors.


Arizona Fall League Rosters via Baseball America

Los Angeles Angels OF Jahmai Jones On Fire

Jahmai Jones is on fire in Hi-A with a 22 game hitting streak. I predicted earlier in the season that he would have a bounce back season. The Angles are in the Wild Card hunt but the team could still use all the help it can get. I expect the Angels to move Jones as fast as possible. He is still rated as a STRONG BUY.

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.