Minor League Barometer: Risers & Fallers

Trade rumors are swirling as the deadline approaches. With Juan Soto on the block, teams are lining up their top prospects in an effort to pry the superstar away from the Nationals.  Could Jasson Dominguez - AKA "The Martian" - headline a package of players and prospects from the Yankees to snag Soto? Would the Mets be willing to include catching phenom Francisco Alvarez along with a bevy of other young talent in a similar deal? Certainly, plenty of other non-Juan Soto deals should also take place with youngsters trading locations. It'll be interesting to see how the marketplace unfolds over the next week.

Let's take a look at some recent notable prospect performances in this edition of the Minor League Barometer.

UPGRADE

Gavin Stone, P, LAD – Stone has been absolutely dominant in 2022 and has been just as effective at Double-A in 10 starts since being promoted as he was at the lower levels. The 23-year-old righty sports a 78:19 K:BB in only 53 innings with a minuscule 1.53 ERA and hasn't allowed a single home run during that span. Stone's three-pitch arsenal boasts three above-average offerings, and the opposition is hitting a mere .218 against. There is a very real possibility he makes a bid for a rotation slot out of spring training next season, even with the respective breakout seasons for Tony Gonsolin and Tyler Anderson.

Taj Bradley, P, TB – Speaking of excellence, Bradley has been just as impressive in the Rays organization. His first start at Triple-A on Sunday couldn't have gone smoother tossing five scoreless innings while scattering three hits and not walking a batter while fanning eight. Bradley is only 21 and his ERA has not been above 2.00 at any level since the start of the 2021. The Rays are usually conservative with their prospects, but even they have acknowledged Bradley has overwhelmed the competition despite his youth. Though a 2022 debut is unlikely, it speaks volumes he started last year in Low-A and by midsummer of the following season has already ascended to the highest level of the minors.

JJ Bleday, OF, MIA – Bleday was promoted to the big leagues Saturday after Jorge Soler went on the Injured List. He made his first MLB start Sunday and cranked out two hits, drew a walk, stole a base and scored a run. With Brian Anderson and Jon Berti also out, Bleday should get a crack at everyday playing time for Miami. Add in that the Marlins are currently floundering and sitting five games back in the Wild Card, and Bleday appears to be in line for a heavy workload the next month. He was batting just .228 at Triple-A this season, but had been enjoying a hot streak prior to his promotion slashing .333/.438/.778 with three homers and eight RBI in the 14 previous days.

Quinn Priester, P, PIT – Priester has been lights out since returning from an oblique injury. In six starts at Double-A, he's posted a 1.65 ERA and 29:7 K:BB. Priester offers four pitches and has shown an increased penchant for throwing strikes this season. If the uptick in location continues and he can stay healthy, there's a chance he'll enter the big league rotation as early as 2023 for the pitching-starved Pirates. Pittsburgh currently lists a 4.65 team ERA, which is near the bottom of MLB.

CHECK STATUS

Freddy Tarnok, P, ATL – Tarnok has transformed himself from a raw two-way projection drafted out of high school in 2017 to one of Atlanta's better pitching prospects. He allowed two earned runs or fewer in his final six starts at Double-A, which resulted in a bump to Triple-A. The athletic righty surrendered just two hits in six innings in his Triple-A debut, though scuffled a bit Saturday in his second appearance. Tarnok's control has improved as he's matured, and he now boasts four pitches he can throw for strikes.  he final piece of the puzzle will be consistently finding the strike zone every time he takes the mound, as well as keeping the ball down. Tarnok has given up a career-worst 10 home runs already in 2022. Nevertheless, he could see the bigs as early as next year.

Triston Casas, 1B, BOS – The Red Sox are straddling the line between buying and selling right now. Perhaps the 28-5 drubbing at the hands of the Blue Jays this past Friday swung the pendulum in the direction of making them a seller. Xander Bogaerts is expected to opt out of his contract at the end of the season and Boston still has to figure out a way to pay Rafael Devers, so Bogaerts could be an intriguing name if the club ultimately decides to pull the trigger. Devers and Trevor Story are both on the Injured List right now, which could make the decision easier. J.D. Martinez will also be a free agent and could be a nice rental for a contender. A deal including Martinez in particular could open up room for Casas in the majors. He recently returned from an ankle injury that kept him out nearly two months. The writing appears to be on the wall for this current iteration of the Red Sox, but it still remains to be seen which direction they'll ultimately choose.

Angel Martinez, SS, CLE – Martinez has improved his stock this season as he continues to flash above-average plate discipline. At only 20 but already at High-A, he looks polished beyond his years at the dish with 36 walks compared to 48 strikeouts in 61 games while boasting a .393 On-OBP. The switch-hitter has also produced a career-best eight home runs while also swiping eight bags. Despite Martinez's fairly small stature, the Guardians organization believes more power is on the horizon. So why not an upgrade? He recently strained his shoulder and was placed on the Injured List. There's no timetable for Martinez's return. And the later it gets in the season, the less likely organizations are to rush back their upper-tier prospects. Martinez is a borderline top-10 prospect in the organization, so it's possible his next stop will be Double-A in 2023.

Tyler Black, 2B, MIL – Black is another prospect who was recently placed on the IL after enjoying a solid season. The 33rd overall selection in last year's Draft, the Wright State product is slashing .281/.406/.424 with four homers, 35 RBI and 13 steals through 64 games at High-A. Black will turn 22 this week, so his ceiling may be capped. He offers decent speed and a superior eye at the dish having accumulated more walks (45) than strikeouts (44) this season. Black also makes consistent contact, which is his calling card. Other than the occasional home run, he won't ever be much of a big bopper, but his standout bat-to-ball skills at the keystone should be enough to make him a starter one day.

DOWNGRADE

Brady House, SS, WAS – If the Nats can't come to terms with Juan Soto and ultimately ship him out, then the organization will look to House to be among the young phenoms set to carry them into the future. 2022 has not exactly been kind to him as he's showed little in the way of power - or speed, for that matter - at Low-A before being sidelined with a back injury. House hasn't played for over a month, and it remains to be seen if and when he'll return to the field - especially given the fickle nature of back ailments. The No. 11 overall pick in 2021 still has plenty of upside at just 19, but Washington doesn't have any reason to rush him, and his impact at the big league level will not occur for some time.

Forrest Whitley, P, HOU – Could this be the swan song for Whitley with the Houston organization? It seems like eons ago when he was arguably the top pitching prospect in all of baseball. He'll turn 25 in September and left his last start at Triple-A due to right shoulder inflammation. Though Whitley reportedly sustained no structural damage, this is yet another in a long line of injuries for him and he's thrown less than 100 innings in the minors since the start of 2018. His 2017 campaign where he struck out 143 batters in only 92.1 innings is only a distant memory.