This article is part of our Minor League Barometer series.
There are certain instances where opportunity becomes just as important as talent. Take the case of Luis Gil, a Yankees prospect who has tossed 11 straight scoreless innings to begin his big league career. The Yankees supposedly had a bevy of pitching options heading into the season, including hurlers more highly thought of in prospect circles and allegedly further along in their development including Deivi Garcia and Clarke Schmidt. Meanwhile, Gil started the season in Double-A and wasn't even the more highly touted "Luis" in the organization, as that honor went to fellow flamethrower Luis Medina. But Garcia struggled, Schmidt got hurt, and the Yankees suffered from a combination of COVID and injury taking out the likes of Gerrit Cole, Jordan Montgomery, Michael King and Domingo German.
Enter Gil, who has racked up 14 strikeouts in those 11 innings while only allowing six hits and three walks. As a result, he'll certainly be rewarded with more starts down the stretch for the Bombers. That isn't to say Gil is not talented considering he was still pegged as an upper-tier hurler while throwing a 100-mph fastball and 93-mph changeup. Yes, you read that correctly. In a crowded situation pitching for a team that considers itself a contender, it would have been unreasonable prior to the season to think a pitcher like Gil would have made any impact for the Yankees in 2021 if they were in the playoff hunt. Yet that's exactly what has happened. That's why organizational depth is vital, but
There are certain instances where opportunity becomes just as important as talent. Take the case of Luis Gil, a Yankees prospect who has tossed 11 straight scoreless innings to begin his big league career. The Yankees supposedly had a bevy of pitching options heading into the season, including hurlers more highly thought of in prospect circles and allegedly further along in their development including Deivi Garcia and Clarke Schmidt. Meanwhile, Gil started the season in Double-A and wasn't even the more highly touted "Luis" in the organization, as that honor went to fellow flamethrower Luis Medina. But Garcia struggled, Schmidt got hurt, and the Yankees suffered from a combination of COVID and injury taking out the likes of Gerrit Cole, Jordan Montgomery, Michael King and Domingo German.
Enter Gil, who has racked up 14 strikeouts in those 11 innings while only allowing six hits and three walks. As a result, he'll certainly be rewarded with more starts down the stretch for the Bombers. That isn't to say Gil is not talented considering he was still pegged as an upper-tier hurler while throwing a 100-mph fastball and 93-mph changeup. Yes, you read that correctly. In a crowded situation pitching for a team that considers itself a contender, it would have been unreasonable prior to the season to think a pitcher like Gil would have made any impact for the Yankees in 2021 if they were in the playoff hunt. Yet that's exactly what has happened. That's why organizational depth is vital, but also why it's important to pay attention to prospect "hierarchy" and whether a prospect is blocked versus whether he could suddenly be thrust into the spotlight. There may have been no way to predict Gil's impact this year, but the opportunity called and so far he's delivered.
Let's take a lot at some other neophytes in the news in this edition of the Minor League Barometer.
UPGRADE
Luis Matos, OF, SF – Marco Luciano gets the pub in this organization, but Matos has been equally as impressive at Low-A this season and is a few months younger than Luciano. Though Matos doesn't boast the size or power profile of Luciano, he still offers an elite skill set as a teenager slashing .321/.357/.484 with nine home runs, 62 RBI and 18 steals in 75 games at Low-A. Matos has impeccable contact skills and bat speed, above-average wheels on the base paths and some pop having collected 32 extra-base hits this season. He's already added muscle to his frame over the last year, which should only help his power numbers as he matures. Matos should join Luciano at High-A before the season is completed, and the pair could form a dynamite tandem for the Giants for years to come.
Eguy Rosario, 2B, SD – Signed on his 16th birthday back in 2015, Rosario has been brought along slowly by the Padres but is arguably enjoying his best season in 2021. In 77 contests at Double-A, he's already tied his prior peak in home runs with nine while surpassing his previous high in steals of 21 and is slashing .265/.350/.449. The Padres are rather loaded up the middle of the diamond, but depth is never a bad thing and Rosario could even be dealt in the offseason for additional help elsewhere. Nevertheless, his stock is rising.
Eury Perez, P, MIA – Perez jumps out, for more reasons than one. First is his height standing nearly 6-foot-9, having already grown four inches since being signed. Secondly, his strikeout numbers have been like a video game having fanned a staggering 77 hitters in 52.2 innings at Low-A. Despite his height, Perez has an easy delivery and the expectation is the velocity on his fastball will tick up as he matures and fills out. While there is still a lot of projection here, it's difficult to argue with a 1.71 ERA and 13.16 strikeouts per nine innings.
Jhonkensy Noel, 3B, CLE – When healthy this season, Noel has been crushing the ball. Though he missed more than a month due to an ankle injury, he's returned with a vengeance hitting .425 with two home runs and 12 RBI over the last 14 days with more walks (three) than strikeouts (two) this past week. In 33 games at Low-A, Noel is slashing .367/.403/.606 with 10 home runs and 39 RBI. He's turned himself into one of the better hitting prospects in the Cleveland system.
CHECK STATUS
Hans Crouse, P, PHI – Crouse was having a resurgent season in the Rangers organization, yet the Phillies were somehow able to nab him along with Kyle Gibson and Ian Kennedy at the trade deadline, in part to replace the lost arm of Spencer Howard. The opposition has been flailing at Crouse's pitches this season hitting a putrid .154 against. He tossed five scoreless innings with his new Double-A affiliate in Reading following the trade. Still just 22, Crouse's fastball/slider/changeup combination has been working in 2021 and his acquisition could end up being a steal for Philly.
Jorbit Vivas, 2B, LAD – Vivas has come from virtual anonymity to post a standout campaign at Low-A at the age of 20. The Venezuelan second baseman is slashing .310/.387/.511 with 11 home runs, 64 RBI and five steals in 71 games. This newfound power is the biggest bump to his profile, as he's always maintained above-average contact skills with just 34 strikeouts in those 71 contests while his polish at the dish has been consistent since being signed in 2017. Vivas has placed himself on the prospect map; now we'll see if he can have repeat success at the higher levels in 2022 and beyond.
Bryce Jarvis, P, ARI – Jarvis has ascended to Double-A in the Arizona organization, though he's been snakebitten by the long ball this season having surrendered 10 home runs in 11 outings - including six in only four games since being promoted. Opposing batters are still hitting just .221 against in 2021, which marks his first professional season. The polished collegiate arm out of Duke has quickly been brought along by the D-Backs, and he'll remain a top arm as long as his fastball velocity stays consistently in the low-to-mid 90's. Even more pressure may be placed on Jarvis due to the recent injury to Slade Cecconi.
Carmen Mlodzinski, P, PIT – Mlodzinksi was logging a stellar start to his professional career until a shoulder injury sidelined him. Out of action since Jun. 10, he's working his way back and could return to High-A before the end of August. In 41 innings prior to the injury, Mlodzinski had posted a 2.63 ERA and 54:14 K:BB. He's best when he keeps the ball down, and his command appears to be improving. The Pirates have revamped their top-shelf minor league arms since 2019 by picking up Mlodzinski, Quinn Priester, Brennan Malone, Tahnaj Thomas and Roansy Contreras in either the draft or via trade. This new wave of hurlers could hit the big leagues as early as late 2022.
Joe Perez, 3B, HOU – Perez was one of the bigger stories earlier this season shaking off a rough 2019 campaign to come out of the gates scalding hot. He's already ascended three levels and currently plays at Double-A. However, he appears to have met his match - at least this year - as he's only batting .226/.280/.314 with two home runs and 13 RBI through 35 games at Double-A. Perez is to be commended for his sudden rapid rise through the Houston system, and will only turn 22 later this week. However, Double-A will be a huge test as to his future path and he'll have to prove his start to the campaign wasn't an aberration.
DOWNGRADE
Josh Winder, P, MIN – Despite his advanced age for a prospect (24), Winder had been a revelation for the Twinkies to start the year having produced a 1.98 ERA and 65:10 K:BB in just 54.2 innings at Double-A. This resulted in a bump up to Triple-A, where he started four games before being shut down due to shoulder fatigue. Though the issue is not considered serious, it all but ends Winder's chances to see the big leagues for the rebuilding Twins this season. On the bright side, virtually every spot in the Minnesota starting rotation may be up for grabs heading into 2022. So if Winder has to rest until then, it may not be an issue unless the current injury turns into something more serious.
Jared Kelley, P, CHW – The White Sox system has been largely emptied out as the club fields a contender and is currently running away with the AL Central. With Dylan Cease and Michael Kopech exhausting their eligibility, Kelley might just be the top remaining pitcher on the farm. However, he dropped in the 2020 Draft and missed the first two months of this year's minor league season due to elbow inflammation. Already fully grown and throwing a high-90's heater, the concerns for Kelley are his lack of a third pitch, his size, and the possibility of Tommy John surgery in his future. Since returning from the IL, he's struggled to a 7.54 ERA with almost as many walks (23) as strikeouts (26). Kelley is clearly a work in progress and thankfully the White Sox don't currently seem to need starting pitching help.
