Possible MLB Impact CALL-UPS For The 2020 Season

This year we have seen such an infusion of top prospects in a short period of time because of the truncated season.  It’s like loading up an 8 oz glass of milk with enough chocolate for a 16 oz glass and it tastes GREAT!  We’ve seen Joey Bart, Dylan Carlson, Brady Singer, Jo Adell, Dylan Carlson, Casey Mize, Alec Bohm, Nick Madrigal, Triston McKenzie, Deivi Garcia, Sixto Sanchez, Jazz Chisholm, Ke’Bryan Hayes and Bobby Dalbec to name a few.  Not to mention, Luis Robert, Nate Pearson, Jesus Luzardo, Nico Hoerner, Dustin May and others who either we knew were staring the year with their big league club or we saw some last year, but were still classified as prospects.  2020 Topps Update and 2021 Topps will have more rookie cards than an Eskimo has ice.

There are a few factors to consider when predicting who we’re going to see over the next couple of weeks.  Is the team in contention?  Therefore the call-up would improve the club and their positioning for the playoffs.  Does the current team makeup benefit the prospect?  Meaning is there a position for them/would they receive regular playing time?

Lets take a look at some of the prospects I see getting a call and some of the team situations impacting the chances for a call up.

The Yankees have called up #2 prospect Clarke Schmidt, he appeared in relief of a doubleheader vs the Orioles, but the question is, will he get a start or will be a doubleheader arm/taxi squad guy the rest of the way, meaning no impactful innings.  That we’ll have to see.

Yusniel Diaz, Orioles, OF, 55/80 – He was the highest profile piece that the O’s got back in the Machado deal.  He played at AA LY and slashed .262/.335/.472 with 11 HR over 76 games.

Bryan Mata, Red Sox, RHP, 55/80 – He is the team’s #2 prospect now that Dalbec is playing with the big league club.  The Red Sox are out of it and will most likely try to avoid exposing any of their top minor league talent but seeing that Mata pitched at AA last year, he could get the call if the Red Sox run into the injury bug or need additional pitching for doubleheaders. 

Brailyn Marquez, Cubs, LHP, 60/80 – He is the #1 prospect in the Cubs system.  If he gets the call it will probably be for a bullpen role.  He’s 21, only reached High A last year, but he has an electric fastball (80/80 grade).  They wouldn’t insert him into a starting role having only reached High A, but that fastball could be a game changer out of the pen.

I think it’s a long shot, but I could see the Reds calling Lodolo (LHP) or India (3B)

Nolan Jones, Indians, 3B, 60/80 – He’s the #1 prospect in the system.  He reached AA last year and slashed .253/.370/.466 with 8 home runs over 49 games.  The Indians are in a 3 team battle for the division and if they think he can help them, now that they can’t trade for anyone, he’ll be up.  With Ramirez at 3rd, Jones would have to play the outfield.  Mercado and Luplow are hitting under .200 and they just acquired Naylor at the deadline, so the Indians will want to see what they have in him for a little while longer.

If the Rockies stay in it, they could make the call for #2 prospect, RHP Ryan Rolison

Right now the Tigers have a full rotation, but if they stay close to .500 for a few more weeks and someone goes down they could call on Alex Faedo, now the #3 prospect in the system after Mize, Paredes and Skubal’s call up.

The only way the Twins call top prospects Royce Lewis (SS/3B) or Alex Kirilloff (1B/OF) up is if they get hit with a serious injury bug or a COVID outbreak and need bodies.  Though, maybe one or both get the call during the last week or so to be around the club during a clinching situation.

MacKenzie Gore, Padres, LHP 70/80 – I really think that the Padres could call up Gore to bolster their pen down the stretch and into the playoffs.  They were extremely aggressive at the deadline and I don’t think that’ll stop, so where can they be aggressive now?...With their prospects.

Taylor Trammell, Mariners, OF, 55/80 – I think the Mariners will bring up one of their 3 other top outfield prospects before the end of the season to pair with Kyle Lewis.  Of the 3 I think Trammell is the closest based on age and experience.  10 homers and 20 steals at AA LY over 126 games…guy makes me think of Carl Crawford.

Logan Gilbert, Mariners, RHP, 55/80 – Having nothing to lose, Gilbert gets a call soon and makes a handful of starts before the year is over.  He’s already 23, pitched well at AA last year 4-2 2.88/0.98 ERA/WHIP and 10.1 K-rate over 9 starts, so he’s a logical choice if there is an injury or struggles by any of the current starters.  Plus, it’d be good to give him some competitive innings this year.

The Rays are so deep and healthy that Wander Franco (SS) is blocked right now.  They’d rather him get regular at-bats over at the training site than only catching some BP with the big league club.  Unless there is a rash of bad injury luck, Franco is going to be spectating. IF they do call him up, he’ll hardly play, see what the DBacks did with their top prospect Varsho for the first few weeks after he got the call.  The Rays may call on Vidal Brujan (SS) before Franco but that would be because of the speed.  Vidal grades 80/80 in the running category and has 151 steals in 399 minor league games.  He could pinch run in key spots but his plate appearances would be limited.

If you’re into prospects like I am, this has been an excellent season and it’s not going to stop.  Strap in and get ready for more.  Visit the BALLCAP Sports YouTube Channel for Player Lock videos of some of the top call ups this season. 

Dylan Bundy Sheds Light on Why Orioles Can't Develop Starters

Dylan Bundy with the Baltimore Orioles before being traded to the Angels, where he has a 1.58 ERA thus far in 2020.

The Orioles and their inability to develop pitching is on full display yet again with the performance by Dylan Bundy thus far into the 2020 season.  At the moment Bundy is the best statistical pitcher in baseball with a 3-1 record a 1.58 ERA a WHIP of 0.628 and a K rate of 11.0.  For Orioles fans it’s conjuring up memories of Jake Arrieta and how well he performed with the Cubs immediately.  This doesn’t just stop with Bundy and Arrieta.  In fact the Orioles have a history of not being able to develop starting pitching ever since Mike Mussina.  It’s a primary reason for the struggles they’ve endured for all but about a 4 year period over the last 23 seasons.  In 1999 the Orioles signed a 19 year old fireballing amateur named Daniel Cabrera.  In ’04 he’d make his debut and hang on with the O’s for 5 season but he never reached his potential tallying a 48-59 record with a 5.05 ERA.  In 2002, 2 years after Mussina jumped for the Yankees, the Orioles drafted Adam Loewen with the 4th overall selection.  How’d Loewen do?  Well, by the time he was 27 he was attempting to make it as a hitter with the Blue Jays!  He spent 3 years with the Orioles and posted an 8-8 record with a 5.38 ERA.  Next on this dysfunctional development train is Zack Britton…yes Zack Britton.  He was selected in the 3rd round of the 2006 draft with the intention of him being a starter.  That lasted 3 seasons, as after an 18-17 record with an ERA in the high 4s they moved him to the bullpen, where yes, he did flourish but the organization still gets an F for developing a starter.  NEXT!...Brian Matusz a 4th overall selection in 2008 he hung on with the club for 8 years but owns a 27-41 record and a 4.85 ERA.  By the end he was, what is extinct now, a lefty specialist.  The train keeps on rolling and we get to Kevin Gausman.  He was a 4th overall selection in the 2010 draft and lasted with the team for 6 seasons posting a 39-51 record and a 4.22 ERA. 

Now we get to the issue, the turnaround.  First let’s look at Gausman because when he was traded to the Braves in 2018 he went from a 5-8 and 4.43 ERA in Baltimore to a 5-3 and 2.87 ERA in Atlanta.  Now, to be fair, in 2019 Gausman imploded again and the Braves released him.  He’s currently with San Francisco where he’s made 3 starts, has an ERA of 4.05 and an 0-1 record but his K rate is up to 10.4 after it lived around 8.2 for the Orioles.

Kevin Gausman, former Baltimore Oriole, now with the San Francisco Giants

Jake Arrieta is the big one though.  After 4 bad seasons with the O’s where he went 20-25 with a 5.46 ERA and a 7.0 K/9 he goes to the Cubs and immediately turns it around.  In 2013 he had an ERA of 7.23 over 5 starts with Baltimore and 3.66 ERA over 9 starts with the Cubs.  He’d go on to win a Cy Young with the Cubs and post a 68-31 Record with a 2.73 ERA and 8.9 K/9 rate.  What was Baltimore doing...or not doing to unlock that?

Now we have Dylan Bundy.  The 2011 4th overall selection who disappointed to a 38-45 record with a 4.67 ERA and is now having a resurgence.  3-1 1.58 ERA and a 11.0 K/9 rate.  Can it continue is the question?  He’s using his slider, curve and change more than he had in Baltimore which is the big difference and makes the use of the fastball more effective.  Thanks to Sarah Langs for the research there (@slangsonsports).

Here’s the thing, why couldn’t the Orioles figure that out with Bundy?  If you’re an O’s fan and you’re reading this it should make you furious!

The one time in recent memory when it did look like the O’s had something, they traded it away.  Almost as if they knew they’d mess it up.  Does the name Erik Bedard sound familiar?  On a bad O’s team from ’02-‘07 he was 40-34 with a 3.83 ERA and an 8.7 K/9 rate.  Orioles fan will take this one though, it brought them all-time favorite Adam Jones and a very good starter for a few years Chris Tillman.  After the trade Bedard did being to battle with injuries and never made more than 16 starts in a season for the Mariners over the 4 seasons he was with the club. 

Bringing in Tillman leads me to my next point.  While they can’t develop starters themselves, they have been able to pick it out from the shadows…

• Jeremy Guthrie, doing nothing for Cleveland, picked up off Waivers in 2007. Had a lifetime losing record 47-65 and ERA of 4.12 in Baltimore but O’s fans loved him!  For 5 really bad seasons he was the #1 in the rotation.

• Wei-Yin Chen, signed in 2012 as amateur free agent.  Goes 12-11 with 4.02 ERA in 2012 and in 4 seasons with O’s goes 46-32 with a 3.72 ERA.

• Miguel Gonzalez, signed as a FA in March of 2012 after being cut by Red Sox.  Goes 9-4 in 2012 with 3.25 ERA. In 4 season with O’s goes 39-33 with 3.82 ERA.

• Jason Hammel, picked up from Rockies after 2011 where he went 7-13 with a 4.76 ERA.  Goes to O’s and is 8-6 with a 3.43 ERA.

• Chris Tillman, Picked up in the Bedard Trade. Looking like a bust in the M’s system with 5.28 and 4.84 ERA his first to pro seasons. After a few rocky seasons to start - ‘09-‘11 losing record and ERA over 5, he put together a nice run from ‘12-‘16 where he kept a winning record and an ERA in the 3s.

Ubaldo Jimenez is the big exception to this of course, 32-42 with a 5.22 ERA in 4 years with Orioles…EVERYONE but the Orioles Front Office knew it was a bad idea.

Is it just bad luck, or do they have no idea what they’re doing when developing starting pitching?  Dylan Bundy is going to bring that question back into light.  The Orioles are hoping John Means can break that trend.  Last year Means was runner up to Rookie of the Year with a 12-11 record and 3.60 ERA.  Where there’s a Means the O’s are hoping there’s and end…to the futility streak.

Find me on Twitter @JimRileyLive to continue the conversation