Minor League Barometer: Risers & Fallers

Elly De La Cruz showed the baseball world why he's considered an incredible talent when he clubbed a titanic homer in his first game for the Reds. He followed that up by showing blazing speed by beating out a routine ground ball to second and scored the winning run in Sunday's win over the Cardinals. De La Cruz is so far 8-for-22 with a home run and three steals in only six big-league games.

The youth movement in Cincinnati is in full force with Andrew Abbott recently tossing two gems and Matt McLain having already seized control of the starting shortstop job. Christian Encarnacion-Strand appears next in line. He's mainly being used at first base in Triple-A to get his bat in the lineup once he joins the Reds, as De La Cruz himself has already shifted to third with McLain at short. In the batter's box, there's little doubt Encarnacion-Strand is ready considering he's batting .400 with three homers and 10 RBI across nine contests since being promoted with more walks (nine) than strikeouts (five).

Let's take a look at some other primetime performers in this edition of the Minor League Barometer.

UPGRADE

Gavin Williams, P, CLE – Williams may soon follow in Tanner Bibee's footsteps. After three overpowering starts at Double-A, Williams was promoted to Triple-A and has overwhelmed the competition with a 2.85 ERA and 56:18 K:BB from 41 innings while opposing batters are batting .184 against. The return of both Triston McKenzie and Aaron Civale from injury seem to have precluded Williams from a promotion in the short-term, though it only appears to be a matter of time for his ML premiere based on his current domination.

Drew Thorpe, P, NYY – The 61st overall pick in last year's Draft, Thorpe hasn't allowed a run in three of his last four starts while fanning 34 batters over 27 innings - including 12 during his last outing. He gets most of his swings and misses from his changeup, with his slider coming in a close second. Thorpe's fastball isn't overpowering, but he can hit 95 and the pitch plays up due to his other standout offerings. He also generally keeps the ball down, which should help his cause. With a 2.91 ERA through his first 10 starts at High-A, the 22-year-old could see the next level soon enough.

Nick Yorke, 2B, BOS – Yorke tends to get overshadowed by other middle infield prospects in the Boston organization with louder individual tools, and his stock took a bit of a nosedive last season as he went .231 at High-A while battling a bevy of injuries. However, the Red Sox advanced him to Double-A anyway, and he has rewarded that faith with a standout start to 2023 by slashing .297/.401/.500 through 49 games with eight home runs and six steals. Yorke's standout walk rate has also returned as evidenced by a top-10 league OBP. His polish at the dish will continue to serve him well and lead to production across the board, assuming he stays healthy.

Coby Mayo, 3B, BAL – Despite being one of the youngest players at Double-A at 21, Mayo has been one of the best hitters at the level having slashed .280/.404/.513 with eight homers and 26 RBI to go with 19 doubles. His size will always lend to some swing and miss in his profile, yet he's exceeded expectations despite his youth. The Orioles organization boasts plenty of talent around and above Mayo at the same or similar positions, so he may not see the big leagues this season.  That being said, he remains among the elite infield prospects in baseball despite the glut of stellar prospects, though Baltimore could choose to part with some of their phenoms near the trade deadline as they surge toward their first playoff berth since 2016.

CHECK STATUS

Jackson Merrill, SS, SD – Merrill torched Low-A pitching as a teenager a year ago, but has found it slightly more difficult in 2023 with a promotion to High-A. Still only 20, he's batting just .257/.296/.387 with four home runs, 21 RBI and eight steals over 47 games. On the plus side, Merrill continues to put the ball in play with only 28 strikeouts during that span. Unfortunately, he's been unable to consistently make solid contact and his walk rate is also down from 2022. The sample size is still rather small and Merrill isn't exactly having a bad season relative to other players at this level, so it's important to note he's not setting the league on fire yet.

Jose Ramos, OF, LAD – The Dodgers continue to find and develop outfield prospects, with Ramos the latest one to receive a bump. Through 56 games at Double-A, the 22-year-old is slashing .267/.372/.480 with 12 homers, 33 RBI and seven stolen bases. Ramos took 25 deep between Low-A and High-A in 2022 and hit .329 in more limited action during 2021. The addition of some steals this season will only further his cause, but power and an ability to take a walk will always be his top tools. Ramos has also brought down his strikeout rate, though Ks will remain a part of his profile.  He also boasts a cannon for an arm in the outfield. Now may be the time to buy on Ramos before he gains more publicity.

Jacob Melton, OF, HOU – Melton's first full pro season has gone about as expected as he's displayed outstanding speed, excellent plate discipline and above-average power. The power/speed combination is incredibly intriguing with seven home runs and 24 steals through 41 games along with 29 walks. However, the worries about Melton's unorthodox swing from the left side appear to have been warranted, at least thus far at High-A as he's gone .228. It remains to be seen if he'll have to revamp his swing, or the Astros will simply live with the results given his other plus tools. If Melton won't be able to hit for average, this will obviously limit his potential impact.

Kristian Robinson, OF, AZ – Once considered a top prospect, legal issues sidetracked Robinson's professional career.  Those problems finally appear to be behind him, and he's returned to the Arizona organization as a 22-year-old who's missed years of development. Through nine games at Low-A, Robinson is slashing .308/.357/.538 with two homers, three RBI and four stolen bases. This type of power/speed combination is what initially enticed the Diamondbacks along with his advanced approach at the dish and the ability to hit for average. The peripheral stats show there's work to be done with Robinson only drawing one walk while fanning 16 times. The climb is going to be slow for him, but he's still young and his tools don't appear to have diminished despite the extended absence.

DOWNGRADE

Bryan Ramos, 3B, CHW – This was supposed to be a breakout season for Ramos, but instead he's spent the majority of the year on the Injured List with a groin injury. He's finally healthy, though is still getting back in the swing going 8-for-35 (.229) across 10 appearances with eight walks over that span. Despite belting 22 home runs last season mostly at High-A, Ramos doesn't strike out a lot. But questions remain as to whether he'll be able to hit for average at the higher levels, especially given his aggressive approach at the dish and if he can adjust to fiercer competition. Ramos offers a power profile and just turned 21, so time is on his side despite the rough start to 2023.

Drew Romo, C, COL – While another catching prospect in the organization in Hunter Goodman has seen his stock rise, Romo has largely struggled at the plate going .223/.263/.351 with four homers, 18 RBI and four steals through 40 games at Double-A. He was always seen as a glove-first prospect, but his lack of development in the batter's box has damaged his future outlook. Romo has only eight walks in 148 at-bats on top of a lackluster average. He's still only 21, but will likely be a better real-life player than fantasy asset even if he makes the bigs.