As teams search for roster reinforcements from their farm systems down the stretch, much of the focus will be on right-handed pitchers.
The Sports Xchange asked its correspondents who cover all 30 teams to identify a prospect who is on the verge of a major league breakthrough, and for 10 of the teams, the player selected was a right-hander.
Among those who could wind up pitching in the midst of a pennant race by season’s end are the Houston Astros’ Mark Appel and the Minnesota Twins’ Jose Berrios.
Appel was the top overall pick in the 2013 draft. His minor league results are inconsistent, but he remains highly regarded.
Berrios was the 32nd overall selection in the 2012 draft. He recently was promoted to Triple-A after a strong half-season in Double-A.
A look at the top prospect for every team:
NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
RHP Aaron Blair, 23, led the Southern League with 11 quality starts (and was one-third of an inning short of a 12th) when he was promoted from Double-A Mobile to Triple-A Reno in mid-June. A supplemental first-round pick in the 2013 draft, Blair was selected to play in the Futures Game. INF Brandon Drury, who had a monster spring, has 22 doubles and 43 RBIs while playing both second and third base for Mobile and Reno. The 22-year-old is getting closer by the inning.
COLORADO ROCKIES
RHP Jon Gray, the third overall pick in the 2013 draft, is 4-6 with a 4.80 ERA at Triple-A Albuquerque. Gray, 23, is averaging 12.9 strikeouts per nine innings in his past six starts, but in those games he averaged just 5 2/3 innings and 98 pitches. Gray has swing-and-miss stuff and has rebounded from a poor April. The Rockies have an opening in their rotation with RHP David Hale out through at least July 25. It is very likely Gray will make his major league debut at some point in the second half.
LOS ANGELES DODGERS
There were times in the first half when SS Corey Seager’s arrival seemed imminent. Veteran Jimmy Rollins was acquired as a bridge to hold down shortstop for one season, but Rollins’ average has languished near .200 for long stretches and he was dropped to the bottom of the order. Seager, 21, did well since an early-season promotion to Triple-A but not so well that he is banging the big-league door down. Rollins has revived his bat somewhat in July and remains a steadying influence both on defense and in the clubhouse. Seager might have to wait for a September call-up.
SAN DIEGO PADRES
RHP Colin Rea got for the final two outs for Team USA in the Futures Game on Sunday. He has a combined 1.98 ERA and .197 opponents’ batting average at Double-A and Triple-A this season. The 6-foot-5, 24-year-old is 3-2 with a 1.08 ERA in 12 starts for Double-A San Antonio despite missing almost a month with back spasms. The next injury in the rotation (unless RHP Brandon Morrow returns) or trade of a starting pitcher could trigger Rea’s promotion to the Padres.
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
OF Mac Williamson, currently stationed at Triple-A Sacramento, could earn some spot starts in the outfield and serve as the right-handed-hitting power source off the bench the team has lacked since losing LF/1B Michael Morse to free agency last winter. Williamson, a 24-year-old who was the club’s third-round pick in 2012, was batting .293 with five home runs in 69 games at Double-A Richmond before an in-season promotion to Sacramento that was done in large part to have him available to San Francisco at a moment’s notice.
NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL
CHICAGO CUBS
C Kyle Schwarber had a brief stint with the Cubs last month during a two-series tour of American League cities. He impressed with the bat as a designated hitter, batting .364 with one home run and six RBIs in six games. However, the 22-year-old may need some work on backstop skills unless the Cubs see him in another position — such as outfielder. He also claimed MVP honors at Sunday’s MLB Futures game going 1-for-3 with a two-run triple. At Triple-A Iowa, Schwarber is hitting .333 with three homers and 10 RBIs through 17 games after a promotion from Double-A.
CINCINNATI REDS
RHP Robert Stephenson, ranked as baseball’s No. 18 overall prospect by MLB Pipeline, overcame struggles in Double-A to reach Triple-A for the first time this summer. After going 7-10 with a 4.14 ERA at Double-A Pensacola last year, Stephenson was 4-7 with a 3.68 ERA and 89 strikeouts in 78 1/3 innings for the same team this year. In his first two starts for Triple-A Louisville, Stephenson was dazzling, allowing two earned runs with 12 strikeouts and four walks in 11 innings. The 22-year-old could get a sniff at the major leagues in September.
MILWAUKEE BREWERS
SS Orlando Arcia could earn a September call-up. The 20-year-old native of Venezuela is batting .313 with 24 doubles, 46 RBIs and 12 stolen bases for Double-A Biloxi, enough to earn a spot in the All-Star Futures Game. He has 12 stolen bases this season after swiping 31 in high Class A last year. Milwaukee is stocked at the shortstop position throughout the organization, and the team has Jean Segura under team control at the big league level, so Arcia will get plenty of time to develop.
PITTSBURGH PIRATES
The cupboard is bare at Triple-A Indianapolis, and the Pirates historically don’t promote players to the major leagues from Double-A. Speedy Indianapolis 2B Alen Hanson, though, could get a September call-up to help as a pinch runner. The 22-year-old is hitting .290 with five home runs and 23 stolen bases in 74 games. Hanson averaged 26.8 steals in each of the previous five minor league seasons.
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
OF Stephen Piscotty hit his stride recently in his second year at Triple-A Memphis after being asked to hit with more power by the organization. Piscotty, 24, is batting .275 with 11 homers and 40 RBIs, and he has a whopping 28 doubles in 84 games. The Cardinals also moved Piscotty to first base, a sign to some that they are willing to finally consider a promotion for him sooner instead of later. Also, Piscotty is walking once every eight plate appearances, easily the best walk rate in his four minor league years.
NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST
ATLANTA BRAVES
2B Jose Peraza was expected by many to be in Atlanta by June. Jace Peterson, though, took over at second base, and Peraza must bide his time at Triple-A Gwinnett. The 21-year-old even saw some time in center field before fellow speedster Mallex Smith was moved up from Double-A Mississippi. They have combined for 53 stolen bases this season. Peraza is hitting .284 with a .310 on-base percentage, and Smith is batting a combined .305 with a .373 OBP in Double-A and Triple-A. Both likely will get a look in September, if not sooner.
MIAMI MARLINS
RHP Jose Urena and LHP Justin Nicolino are the top two prospects Marlins can expect to see in the second half. Both made their major league debut earlier this season before being sent back down to the minors. Urena went 1-4 with a 4.04 ERA, pitching better than his win-loss record. He certainly was not overwhelmed by the big leagues. Nicolino went 1-1 with a 4.09 ERA in just two starts. Both are 23 years old and have impressive minor league credentials. They will be back up with the Marlins by September at the latest, and injuries or trades could hasten their returns.
NEW YORK METS
The cries for Double-A Binghamton OF Michael Conforto grew deafening when the Mets scored three runs or fewer 20 times in 30 games from June 1 through July 4. Conforto, 22, is hitting a combined .295 with a .369 on-base percentage, a .468 slugging percentage, 10 homers and 49 RBIs in 83 games in Class A and Double-A. The Mets are reluctant to promote a player barely a year removed from college, but they may have no choice if an outfielder ends up on the disabled list. The best-case scenario is Conforto comes up to absorb a pennant race from the bench in September. Anything other than that and the Mets probably are in trouble.
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
It be easy to highlight SS J.P. Crawford, one of baseball’s top prospects and the Phillies’ No. 1 jewel, but the 20-year-old is in Double-A and won’t see the big leagues this season. That is not the case for RHP Aaron Nola, the team’s best pitching prospect who is known for his polish and advanced makeup. The 2014 No. 7 overall pick is on the fast track, as he toyed with Double-A hitters (7-3, 1.88 ERA) before being promoted to Triple-A, where he is 3-0 with a 2.43 ERA. The 22-year-old is expected to get a taste of the major leagues in the second half. It is just a matter of when.
WASHINGTON NATIONALS
SS Trea Turner, 22, finally arrived in Washington’s system after a protracted stay in limbo after being part of a three-team trade that involved the San Diego Padres, the team that drafted him in 2014. Turner’s rights didn’t transfer to the Nationals until June 14, and he currently is in Double-A Harrisburg, where he is hitting .359 through 10 games. If SS Ian Desmond continues to struggle, perhaps the Nationals take a flier late in the season on the player many presume will be their shortstop at some point in the near future.
AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST
HOUSTON ASTROS
It seems the Astros are quick to reward RHP Mark Appel whenever he strings together two or three decent outings, and given their need for starting pitching and his status as the top overall pick from the 2013 draft, Appel appears a likely candidate for promotion if he continues to pitch well for Triple-A Fresno. His stuff remains above average but the ability to utilize it continues to elude Appel who, at 23, needs an uptick in production to maintain his status as an elite prospect. Even without marked improvement, the Astros are poised to give Appel an opportunity to prove himself in the majors at some point this season.
LOS ANGELES ANGELS
3B Kyle Kubitza, who already played 12 games in 18 days for the Angels last month, could return before September. The 25-year-old batted .207 with no homers and one RBI during his first major league stint. He is hitting .286 with a .355 on-base percentage, a .452 slugging percentage, three homers and 29 RBIs in 71 games for Triple-A Salt Lake. Kubitza would become the starter if the club does not re-sign 3B David Freese, who becomes a free agent after the season.
OAKLAND ATHLETICS
Let’s be honest: The Athletics’ top prospect could change any day now. He could very well be the headline import in a Scott Kazmir trade. For now, LHP Sean Nolin retains the honor of the guy most likely to get an opportunity to strut his stuff in Oakland by season’s end. He was acquired from Toronto in the Josh Donaldson trade as a nearly ready prospect. Minor injuries have set him back, but nothing that can’t be worked out before rosters expand in September. The 25-year-old is 2-1 with a 2.67 ERA at Triple-A Nashville this season.
SEATTLE MARINERS
The Mariners’ top prospects have been snake-bitten by injuries and ongoing struggles, most notably to 1B D.J. Peterson, 23, and OF Alex Jackson, 19. There was a school of thought this spring that Peterson might even be up by now, but he is hitting .219 at Double-A Jackson and appears nowhere near ready to contribute. The closest to making his major league debut might be Ketel Marte, a 21-year-old infielder who is hitting .343 for Triple-A Tacoma but has defensive limitations.
TEXAS RANGERS
3B Joey Gallo did enough during his June stint with Adrian Beltre on the disabled list to prove he can play in the majors. Gallo, 21, hit five home runs and had 13 RBIs in his 25 games but also batted just .218 and struck out 43 times. The Rangers sent him to Triple-A to work on hitting left-handed pitchers and work on his approach at the plate. However, it is a matter of time or injury before Gallo is back in Arlington. He also showed he is versatile, as he started in both left field and center for the Rangers in his month with the club.
AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL
CHICAGO WHITE SOX
RHP Frankie Montas, 22, already has a no-hitter to his credit and was the lone White Sox’s representative Sunday in the All-Star Futures game. Pitching in Double-A Birmingham, Montas has a 2.47 ERA in 15 starts and is ranked the No. 2 White Sox prospect. RHP Carson Fulmer, 21, is another top arm in the organization. He recently helped lead Vanderbilt to the College World Series and was the White Sox’s top draft pick last month. Minor league INFs Tim Anderson, 22, and Micah Johnson, 24, are ranked among the top four in the organization and could be September call-ups.
CLEVELAND INDIANS
The organization’s top prospect, SS Francisco Lindor, was promoted to the big league club in June, as was 3B Giovanny Urshela. Lindor and Urshela give the Indians an all-rookie left side of the infield. A reliever who could get a look in September, or perhaps sooner, is RHP Josh Martin, 25, who is having a sensational year at Double-A Akron, where he had a record of 6-0 and a 1.36 ERA in his first 27 appearances, while holding opposing teams to a .167 batting average.
DETROIT TIGERS
The best of Detroit’s high-minors prospects have already made cameos with the Tigers but given the state of the club’s bullpen plus the aggressive way it speeds talented kids through the system, a good bet for quick promotion is RHP Joe Jimenez. The 20-year-old had 10 saves, a 3-1 record and 1.73 ERA in his first 26 games at Class A West Michigan and was the organization’s lone Futures Game representative. He should get bumped up a level or two after the All-Star break. Jimenez is 6-3, 200 and shows a power slider. In 26 innings, he had allowed 15 hits, struck out 39 and walked nine.
KANSAS CITY ROYALS
RHP Kyle Zimmer, the fifth overall selection in the 2012 draft, has the stuff to pitch in the majors, but the 23-year-old has spent more time in the trainer’s room than on the mound. He entered this season with only 152 2/3 innings in the minors. He threw just 4 2/3 innings last year and had shoulder surgery in October. The Royals are handling Zimmer with kid gloves this year. After dominating hitters with Class A Lexington, they moved to Double-A Northwest Arkansas. Between Lexington and the Naturals, he has allowed 14 hits and two earned runs in 21 innings for an 0.86 ERA. He could reach the majors before the season ends.
MINNESOTA TWINS
Minnesota’s next wave of young talent could make an impact as soon as September, when RHP Jose Berrios might arrive at Target Field. Berrios started for the World Team in each of the last two Future’s Games and despite being just 21 years old, is already pitching in Triple-A. With a fastball in the mid-90s and lots of movement on his off-speed stuff, Berrios provides the Twins with nice insurance in case of injuries in their rotation. At the very least, he could be an impact arm out of the bullpen down the stretch.
AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST
BALTIMORE ORIOLES
1B Christian Walker’s overall offensive numbers are down this year at Triple-A Norfolk, but the Orioles love his bat. Walker, 24, has big power and the Orioles gave him a look last September. They called him up for a game last week and he went 1-for-2 with a walk against the Twins. He probably will get a look again in September due to his strong offensive potential and because the Orioles may need a first baseman next year. In 83 games for Norfolk, he is batting .253 with a .311 on-base percentage, five homers and 29 RBIs.
BOSTON RED SOX
It took an injury to RHP Clay Buchholz, but the Red Sox called up 24-year-old LHP Brian Johnson last weekend, which ought to satisfy a fan base that has been looking forward to his arrival. Johnson likely will take Buchholz’s spot in a rotation that includes another rookie, 22-year-old LHP Eduardo Rodriguez. It is unclear whether Johnson will remain with the team once Buchholz comes back, but there is little question he has earned his promotion, going 8-6 with a 2.73 ERA and 81 strikeouts in 85 2/3 innings for Triple-A Pawtucket.
NEW YORK YANKEES
The Yankees promoted 2B Rob Refsnyder last week to face left-handed starters in Boston, and even if it was only a brief cameo, he likely will return in September and could be the second baseman of the future. Refsnyder, 24, is hitting .290 with a .387 on-base percentage, a .413 slugging percentage, seven homers and 37 RBIs in Triple-A. Since he is a converted outfielder, there are questions about his defense, but in two major league games, he handled second base adequately. Refsnyder could start the next wave of Yankee position players in a group that includes OF Aaron Judge, 23, and INF Greg Bird, 22.
TAMPA BAY RAYS
3B Richie Shaffer, the Rays’ first-round pick in 2012, is only adding to his impressive power since being promoted to Triple-A Durham. The 24-year-old has 14 home runs in his first 38 games with the Bulls. Add that to seven homers with Double-A Montgomery, and the Rays have wisely shifted him from third base to first base, setting him up to be a key addition to the lineup, perhaps as early as a late-season call-up. The team tends to be slow and steady in promoting even their best prospects, however.
TORONTO BLUE JAYS
LHP Daniel Norris opened the season in the Toronto rotation, but the 22-year-old was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo after five starts (1-1, 3.86 ERA). He needed to work on his command and consistency. After a slow start at Buffalo, he made progress and was 2-8 with a 3.62 ERA after 12 starts before allowing six runs Sunday in a loss that bumped his ERA to 4.12. GM Alex Anthopoulos said Norris could be used in a spot start in the stretch before the All-Star break, but it never occurred. Norris’ turn could come, and he could have an impact, perhaps even from the bullpen. He also could be a trade chip at the deadline.