Minor League Barometer: Risers & Fallers

James Wood makes his much-anticipated debut with the Nationals this week. He's emerged as one of the top prospects in all of baseball having produced a standout stat line through 52 games at Triple-A. The 6-foot-7, 21-year-old slashed .353/.463/.595 with 10 homers and 10 stolen bases and nearly as many walks (40) as strikeouts (42). Given Wood's size and youth, his numbers are all the more impressive. And he could only be slowed by injury as a hamstring issue caused him to miss nearly a month earlier this season. In the seven contest since returning, Wood is batting .333 with a home run and six RBI. The organization clearly believes he's healthy and ready to be deployed.  Wood can play any of the three outfield positions, so expect him to see everyday at-bats for the big club.

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

UPGRADE

Nacho Alvarez Jr., SS, ATL – Alvarez has been a nice find for Atlanta out of Riverside City College. The fifth-round selection in 2022 boasts an advanced approach at the dish by making fairly consistent contact while drawing plenty of walks. Alvarez has also been more aggressive on the basepaths this year swiping 18 bags between Double-A and Triple-A. Perhaps the biggest intrigue has been a power boost since being promoted to Triple-A having already gone deep four times with five doubles in only 16 outings while producing a .358/.442/.612 slash line. If the heavy hitting continues, Alvarez could give starting shortstop Orlando Arcia a run for his money.

Kyle Teel, C, BOS – It's not outside the realm of possibility that Teel reaches the big leagues before the end of 2024. He's currently at Double-A and is slashing .303/.392/.468 with eight homers, 48 RBI and five steals. Teel has a relatively clear path to the bigs and hasn't hit below .300 at any level since being taken in the first round last year. He may not project as a 20-HR player in MLB, though he should still be able to take advantage of the Pesky Pole at Fenway and is far from lacking any pop. From an offensive perspective, Teel's player comp could be Joe Mauer, which is certainly a scary thought for the opposition. While those are high hopes, Teel remains one of the top catching prospects around.

Chase Dollander, P, COL – Did the Rockies finally hit on a pitching prospect? Dollander has mowed down the competition in his first taste of professional baseball by posting a 3.05 ERA and 92:25 K:BB in 62 innings at High-A. The strikeout figures jump off the page while he offers an electric four-pitch arsenal that can baffle the opposition. The key to Dollander's success will be to maintain his control, as he struggled with that during his last collegiate season. He's has been a bit better so far, and the 22-year-old could move quickly through a system in dire need of a frontline rotation anchor.

Thomas White, P, MIA – White has been dominant this season, and perhaps even better as the schedule has progressed.  The lanky 19-year-old lefty began the year at Low-A, where he recorded a 3.18 ERA and 44:17 K:BB across 34 innings. While batters hit .274 against White, he didn't give up a single homer over a span of eight starts. He relies on either swings and misses or weak groundball contact. White has also managed a 1.39 GO:AO through 56 frames between Low-A and High-A. And since being promoted, he's notched a 3.27 ERA and 34:10 K:BB from only 22 innings with the opposition going .205 against. If White's control maintains, he'll offer as much upside as any hurler in the Miami ranks.

CHECK STATUS

Rhett Lowder, P, CIN – Lowder has struggled since being promoted with a 6.69 ERA from 39 innings while conceding five homers in nine starts with batters going .321 against. He's a strike-thrower and uses three pitchers (fastball/slider/change-up), the last one considered his best offering. However, Lowder is clearly catching a bit too much of the plate at this level. The seventh selection in 2023 is going to have to mix his pitches better and work on hitting his spots as he ascends to the higher levels.

Enrique Bradfield, OF, BAL – Bradfield has been largely as advertised during his brief pro career as he's stolen 39 bases over 53 contests at High-A while hitting .273. The 22-year-old has picked up a few too many strikeouts for a prototypical leadoff man, but certainly nothing outrageous while remaining more than capable of working the count and taking a walk. Bradfield's value will come in his speed on the basepaths and in the field. He may not hit for much power, so his wheels will need to carry the day and currently ranks third in steals for the entire minors.

Jesus Baez, SS/3B, NYM – Baez was recently promoted to High-A as the teenager went .262 with 10 home runs and eight steals at Low-A. He struggled last year, but has rebounded with an intriguing power/speed combination. Most pundits believe Baez will end up at third base and his speed will diminish. He also doesn't necessarily look the part of a future power hitter, though his bat is loud and may only be scratching the surface of his potential.

Brice Matthews, SS, HOU – Matthews is already on his fourth different level since being drafted in the first round last season. Currently at Double-A, he found little resistance at High-A slashing .321/.423/.580 with six homers, 17 RBI and 10 steals across 21 games. That resulted in a quick promotion, where Matthews has only gone .210 through 10 appearances, though he's already registered one homer and three steals. A dual-sport athlete in high school, he became just the second 20-20 player in Big Ten history at Nebraska. Matthews offers the potential to reach those marks as a professional as long as he makes consistent contact at the dish, which isn't a guarantee. He has the athleticism, pop and speed, yet his ability to hit for average at the higher levels remains the only question mark.

DOWNGRADE

Lonnie White, OF, PIT – On the plus side, White has stayed relatively healthy this season other than a one-week stint on the Injured List and should surpass last year's career-best of 61 contests as a pro. He also remains a standout athlete at 21 with 11 home runs and eight swipes at High-A. Unfortunately, White has fanned 73 times over that stretch and is only batting .190 on the campaign. Considering he was a two-sport star in high school and also missed significant time due to injury, perhaps it isn't surprising he's struggled to make consistent contact. That being said, this will be the biggest challenge for White as he ascends through the Pittsburgh system.

Roderick Arias, SS, NYY – Arias is supposed to thrive on a power/speed combination, yet he'll have to prove he can hit for average in order to produce legitimate numbers in those categories.  He's currently batting .208 through 70 games at Low-A while striking out 115 times. While Arias does have 35 walks, he's done little to dispel the notion he'll have trouble making consistent contact. He has tallied six homers and 19 steals, though those numbers have clearly been impacted by his inability to put the bat on the ball. Until Arias can show consistency in those areas, his upside will be capped and his true tools won't be unleashed.