Week six! This will be a weekly series that will outline the prospect promotions from the previous week throughout the year.
The minor league season has begun and we have seen more and more prospects starting to get the call. All stats are of May 20.
May 14
Miguel Yajure, P, PIT (preseason PL team rank: 7): Yajure had a good outing following this callup, throwing five shutout innings while striking out four against the Giants. He was optioned following the spot start but has the looks of a mid-to-backend starter.
Kelvin Gutiérrez, INF, KC (preseason PL team rank: 34): Gutiérrez can play all over the dirt and that versatility is his calling card. He’s a utility type.
Donovan Walton, 2B, SEA (preseason PL team rank: 27): Walton gets the call to bigs following a trip to the IL for both Ty France and Evan White. Walton has a breakout 2019 but still looks to be more of a utility profile.
Nick Heath, OF, ARI (preseason PL team rank: 40): Heath is a burner but has had his share of struggles at the plate. He swiped 60 bases across two levels in 2019 so he is a legitimate threat on the basepaths but is probably more of a pinch-runner/defensive replacement.
Justin Lawrence, P, COL (preseason PL team rank: UR): Lawrence continues to keep the up-down treatment as a depth arm for the Rockies.
Art Warren, P, CIN (preseason PL team rank: UR): Warren has bounced between teams the last few seasons. He’s a bullpen arm with a 2.87 ERA in the minors. The Reds have had some issues with their bullpen in 2021 so he could see a more permanent role if he performs well.
Ronald Bolaños, P, KC (preseason PL team rank: 15): Bolaños had a small taste of MLB action in 2020 but struggled, allowing five runs in 3.2 innings. For this callup, he was added as an emergency arm for a doubleheader.
Iván Castillo, 2B/3B, SD (preseason PL team rank: UR): Castillo is a versatile defender but has a .677 OPS in the minors. The Padres are a little banged up so Castillo provides a necessary body.
May 15
Joe Mantiply, P, ARI (preseason PL team rank: UR): Mantiply somehow hasn’t exceeded prospect eligibility despite making his MLB debut in 2016. He’s a relief-only arm and likely to bounce between the majors and minors.
Domingo Leyba, INF, ARI (preseason PL team rank: 33): Leyba is an under-the-radar but has produced at every level in the minors and was crushing Triple-A prior to the promotions. Despite Arizona being hurt by injuries all around the diamond, the Diamondbacks have been able to fill the void with other players. It will be tough for Leyba to get consistent opportunities at the big-league level. He missed all of 2020 with a PED suspension.
Nick Allgeyer, P, TOR (preseason PL team rank: UR): Allgeyer has a 3.56 ERA across three minor league seasons, splitting time as a reliever and a starter. He’s a depth arm for the Blue Jays.
Jake Hager, 2B, NYM (preseason PL team rank: UR): This is the first promotion for the 28-year-old Hager. The Mets have several injuries around the diamond so Hager will seem some plate appearances but the upside is limited here.
Braxton Garrett, P, MIA (preseason PL team rank: 13): Garrett is a former top prospect but his stock has dipped in recent years. He’s likely to bounce between the majors and minors in 2021. In the minors, he will continue to work as a starter but will be used as a reliever in the majors.
Edwin Uceta, P, LAD (preseason PL team rank: 29): Uceta has a starter’s profile but the Dodgers seem to be featuring him more as a reliever given their rotation depth. Through 7.1 innings with the big-league team, Uceta has a 2.45 ERA.
Junior Fernández, P, STL (preseason PL team rank: 15): The righty has strikeout stuff but command issues. He’s a relief-only arm but could be a good one if he limits walks.
Kyle Keller, P, PIT (preseason PL team rank: UR): Keller has bounced between several teams the last few seasons and now gets a shot with the Pirates. He’s a relief-only depth arm.
Antonio Santos, P, COL (preseason PL team rank: 37): Santos has primarily been a starter in the minors but will be used as a reliever for Colorado. He will be a low-leverage arm.
May 16
Keibert Ruiz, C, LAD (preseason PL team rank: 5): Ruiz has been up a few times this year and like the previous promotions, this one was temporary. Ruiz has a great hit tool but given the Dodgers’ catching depth there isn’t a spot for him to get reps on the MLB roster.
Lucas Gilbreath, P, COL (preseason PL team rank: UR): Gilbreath is another Colorado reliever arm that has gotten the call multiple times in 2021. He has a 10.13 ERA in his first five appearances.
Bruce Zimmerman, P, BAL (preseason PL team rank: 40): Zimmerman has logged six starts for Baltimore already, so he is close to exceeding his prospect eligibility. He’s a back-of-the-rotation type.
Tommy Nance, P, CHC (preseason PL team rank: UR): Nance has a career 3.33 ERA in the minors, primarily as a reliever. He is likely a temporary addition to the MLB team.
May 17
Khalil Lee, OF, NYM (preseason PL team rank: 9): The injuries just keep piling up for the Mets so Lee gets the call for the second week in a row. Given the lack of current depth options for New York, Lee should get some semi-regular run. He is a burner who, at the very least, should swipe some bags.
Tucker Davidson, P, ATL (preseason PL team rank: 5): Davidson is a little bit under-the-radar but could be the makings of a mid-rotation starter. Following this callup, Davidson tossed a six-inning start against the Mets, striking out five and allowing three runs. He could stick in the rotation with Huascar Ynoa set to miss two months.
Albert Abreu, P, NYY (preseason PL team rank: 25): Abreu has looked more and more like a reliever in recent years. He through three scoreless innings of relief before being optioned.
Johneshwy Fargas, OF, NYM (preseason PL team rank: UR): Like Lee, Fargas gets the call following several injuries to the Mets’ starting lineup. He has a career .674 OPS across eight minor league seasons.
May 18
Alex Vesia, P, LAD (preseason PL team rank: UR): Vesia has been converted to a relief-only prospect in recent years. He will likely work in low-leverage situations.
Jean Carlos Mejia, P, CLE (preseason PL team rank: 41): Mejia is a relief-only prospect. Cleveland has one of the better bullpens in baseball so Mejia will work in low-leverage situations.
Bailey Ober, P, MIN (preseason PL team rank: 17): Ober had an absolutely unreal 2019, allowing just six earned runs across 78.2 innings in the minors. Following this promotion, he allowed four runs in four innings against the White Sox, but Ober is an under-the-radar arm with upside.
Corbin Martin, P, ARI (preseason PL team: 7): Martin has battled injuries in recent years but appears to be fully healthy in 2021. Injuries aside, Martin has big strikeout stuff but also struggles with walks. He allowed three runs in five innings against the Dodgers. Given the injuries to Arizona, Martin could remain in the rotation going forward.
Luis Barrera, OF, OAK (preseason PL team rank: 6): Barrera is a career minor leaguer but has blossomed into a high-average bat in recent years. He could be more of a bench bat but the contact ability paired with above-average speed presents an intriguing fantasy profile.
Cody Poteet, P, MIA (preseason PL team rank: UR): The 26-year-old has now posted two solid outings for the Marlins. Through 10 innings, Poteet has allowed two runs while striking out seven. Poteet wasn’t a big strikeout arm in the minors, but he’s posted a 23.1% strikeout rate thus far. He could stick in the rotation for the immediate future.
Mark Payton, OF, CIN (preseason PL team rank: UR): Payton is a 29-year-old rookie with a .817 OPS across seven minor league seasons. He had a breakout 2019 where he belted 30 home runs in 118 Triple-A games. He has serious pop but likely won’t see much playing time at the MLB level.
Wilfredo Tovar, SS, NYM (preseason PL team rank: UR): Tovar has 13 years in the minors under his belt. He will provide depth for the injury-riddled Mets.
May 19
Louis Head, P, TB (preseason PL team rank: UR): Head has become a staple for this series in the month of May. He’s performed well out of the bullpen for the Rays thus far, allowing three runs in seven innings, and will continue to provide depth when needed.
P.J. Higgins, 1B, CHC (preseason PL team rank: UR): Higgins is a 28-year-old contact-oriented bat. The lack of power (just 21 home runs in 484 minor league games) makes him more of a temporary bench option.
May 20
Max Schrock, 2B/3B, CIN (preseason PL team rank: UR): Schrock is a contact-first bat with a fairly aggressive approach. He doesn’t strike out a ton or hit for much power but he’s a career .300 hitter in the minors. He gets the call with Mike Moustakas hitting the IL. He should get some opportunities in the meantime.
José Godoy, C, SEA (preseason PL team rank: UR): The 26-year-old backstop is a career .275 hitter in the minors, though it comes with limited power. He’s probably a defense-first catcher but he was hitting .312 with two home runs in seven games at Triple-A before the call, so maybe there is more here.
Photo by Mark LoMoglio/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Ethan Kaplan (@DJFreddie10 on Twitter and @EthanMKaplanImages on Instagram)