Minor League Barometer: Risers & Fallers

So many prospects, so little space. In order to sneak in a few extra nuggets, we'll continue with the trend of providing some bullet points on newsworthy neophytes before getting to the heart of the article.

• Jackson Holliday's promotion garnered the buzz, though Colton Cowser has been tearing the cover off the ball by batting an absurd .441 with four home runs, 13 RBI and two steals in 14 games with the O's.
• And the rich get richer in the Baltimore organization with Coby Mayo slashing .369/.417/.692 alongside five homers and three steals at Triple-A.
• The change of scenery appears to have worked well for Michael Busch, who's garnering everyday playing time with the Cubs since arriving from the Dodgers. He's also slashing an impressive .327/.393/.694 with five home runs and 11 RBI through 15 games.
• At 18, Yophery Rodriguez is more than holding his own at Low-A to begin the year in the Milwaukee system having produced a .344/.432/.531 line across eight contests. He offers an above-average handle of the strike zone and the bat for his age. Rodriguez has the chance to skyrocket through the prospect ranks if this stellar start continues, especially if he can tap into his power potential. 

Here are some other phenoms worth tracking in this week's Minor League Barometer.

UPGRADE

Roman Anthony, OF, BOS – Anthony continues to torment Double-A pitchers. He slashed .343/.477/.543 in 10 games to end last season at that level, his third stop of the year. Through six outings, the 19-year-old is 8-for-24 with two home runs and two steals. Anthony is exceeding all expectations against pitchers who are at least two years older. He has an exceptional handle of the strike zone, the potential to swipe double-digits and added 20 pounds during the offseason to bolster his power stroke. Given Anthony's youth and standout performance against senior competition, he's emerged as one of baseball's better prospects.

Drew Thorpe, P, CHW – Thorpe was traded twice this offseason, with both times as the centerpiece of a package for a star. He was first dealt with a bevy of other arms by the Yankees to the Padres in the Juan Soto deal before being shipped with other pieces to the White Sox in exchange for Dylan Cease. Despite an offseason influx off the field, the 23-year-old righty has picked up right where he left off on the diamond having only allowed six hits and one run over his first two starts at Double-A where he's also recorded a 15:2 K:BB. Thorpe fanned an impressive 182 batters in just 139.1 innings between High-A and Double-A last season while posting a sub-1.00 WHIP. Add in a stellar spring, and it's not outside the realm of possibility he could reach the bigs in 2024.

Mason Black, P, SF – Black should be the next man up if the Giants need another starter to fill out their rotation. He endured a rocky spring, but appears to have found his groove at Triple-A with a 1.98 ERA and 17:3 K:BB from three appearances over 13.2 innings. The 24-year-old righty primarily uses two pitches in the form of a hard sinker and slider, though he's still fanned more than a batter per inning since being drafted in 2021. Black may not boast frontline rotation anchor stuff, yet he could turn some heads.

Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, MIN – Rodriguez is off to a sizzling start at Double-A by batting .385 with four home runs, nine RBI and four steals over eight appearances. He continues to draw plenty of walks, though strikeouts will likely be a part of his profile. Rodriguez also registered a .400 OBP in 99 games at High-A last season to go along with 16 homers and 20 stolen bases. The toolsy outfielder with the left-handed swing is an intriguing option, especially if he can hit for a higher average.

CHECK STATUS

Carson Palmquist, P, COL – The Rockies remain in desperate need of starting pitching, yet only 2023 first-rounder Chase Dollander appears on the organization's top prospect list. Palmquist was a third-round pick in 2022 out of the University of Miami, where the southpaw started as a dominant reliever. The switch to the rotation proved favorable both in college and during his first full season in the minors, the latter resulting in a 3.90 ERA and 134:37 K:BB from 92.1 innings. So far in 2024, Palmquist has yet to give up a run in 10 innings while notching a 15:6 K:BB at Double-A. Questions whether he can withstand the rigors of a starting pitching workload remain based on his lower-slot delivery, but it's difficult to argue with the results and Colorado is facing massive pitching issues.

Luis Morales, P, OAK – Arguably the A's top starter prospect, Morales is currently on the Injured List at High-A. Expect the club to take it slow with the 20-year-old righty as he pitched at a staggering four levels last season while only managing a combined 44 innings. Morales still posted a 53:15 K:BB while opposing bats went .202 against. He can also hit triple-digits on the radar gun with an athletic delivery, though his changeup and breaking ball can also get swings and misses.  Upon Morales's return, he should eventually ascend to Double-A for the bulk of the campaign.

Sebastian Walcott, OF, TEX – The Rangers were extremely aggressive in assigning Walcott to High-A. And he's predictably struggled hitting .121 with 13 strikeouts compared to one walk.  Walcott - who just turned 18 - has also yet to hit a homer or steal a base. He burst on the prospect scene last year, but struggled with Ks even at the Arizona Complex League. Walcott offers incredible power and stellar speed, but will likely find it hard to get on base as the youngest player at this level.

DOWNGRADE

Jeferson Quero, C, MIL – One of the top catching prospects in baseball will miss the remainder of 2024 following season-ending shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. Quero suffered the injury in the first game at Triple-A Nashville. At only 21, he slashed .262/.340/.443 with 16 home runs, 51 RBI and five steals across 90 games at Double-A last year.  Quero's lack of strikeouts given his youth and position was also impressive. He certainly carries the defensive chops to stick behind the dish, though won't be able to return to the field until 2025.

River Ryan, P, LAD – Ryan is on the older side when it comes to prospects, and the Dodgers still like his arsenal of pitches as a starter. He actually played up the middle as an infielder, but should be sticking to the mound. Ryan has been battling shoulder fatigue since spring training and will likely be sidelined several months. He produced a 3.80 ERA and 110:46 K:BB in 104.1 innings last year, mostly at Double-A. Ryan will turn 26 in June, so he can certainly be considered a late bloomer. And it remains to be seen whether he'll end up in the bullpen. If the organization has faith in him, that alone is worth monitoring, though Ryan is going to have difficulty making an impact this season.

Nelson Rada, OF, LAA – The Halos have their reasons, but perhaps a little more caution should be exercised with some of their more touted prospects. Rada is only 18 and performed well at Low-A in 2023, yet he was certainly not dominant batting .276 with a .395 OBP while swiping 55 bags in 115 games. A future leadoff hitter, he skipped over High-A and went straight to Double-A. Through eight games at this level, Rada is only hitting .156. After showing exquisite handle of the strike zone at Low-A, he's fanned nine times while only picking up two walks.