ORGANIZATION REPORTS
BALTIMORE ORIOLES
As their recent draft class highlighted, the Orioles are focused on addressing a lack of high-end position prospects.
However, the work of 22-year-old Ryan Mountcastle at Triple-A Norfolk this season gave the organization a reason for hope.
The 2015 first-round pick led the Orioles’ system with 25 home runs in 127 games. He slashed .312/.344/.527 with 35 doubles and 83 RBIs. He led the International League with 162 hits and claimed MVP honors.
That production came while Mountcastle, who was drafted as a shortstop and had shifted to third base, was learning two new positions: first base and left field.
“He’s made so many adaptations,” Norfolk manager Gary Kendall said. “You’re talking about an everyday guy hitting in the middle of the lineup at 22 years old who’s been probably the most consistent hitter in the league. Hitters sometimes go through peaks and valleys, and he’s been able to maintain.
“There are certainly things he wants to address—cut down on the strikeouts, maybe increase his on-base percentage, things of that nature. But he’s heading in the right direction.”
The defensive side of Mountcastle’s game remains a work in progress. Left field is his fourth position in pro ball.
“He’s adapted to it well,” Kendall said.
“Once he gets it going out there as far as his route—what he gets to he handles—but it’s just making the right move on the ball. That line drive that maybe is hit over his head.
The ball he has to commit to and coming in on a sinking line drive.
“His arm, for me, plays a little better in the outfield than it did in the infield. I think he gathers himself well and gets in a position with his arm and his feet to have a little bit more arm strength, and his accuracy to bases has been good.”
—ROCH KUBATKO
BOSTON RED SOX
As a player entering his first full pro season, 19-year-old first baseman Triston Casas understood the magnitude of the adjustment that awaited, and that he would be challenged in ways that he’d never experienced in high school in South Florida.
Even so, neither he nor the Red Sox could afford to be cavalier after he struggled in April, hitting .208/.284/.364 with 35.2 percent strikeouts.
Casas, the 26th overall pick in 2018, had employed a pronounced crouch in spring training and at the start of the season. The Red Sox encouraged the lefthanded hitter to stand more upright, putting him in a more athletic and comfortable position to get the bat to the ball and use his massive frame—he is listed at 6-foot-4, 238 pounds—to generate all-fields power.
The adjustment unlocked a standout performer at low Class A Greenville. Casas hit .267/.364/.506 with 18 homers in 98 games starting on May 1, a sample that included two games at high Class A Salem. He trimmed his strikeout rate to 21 percent.
Despite a July dip that coincided with a shoulder injury, Casas ranked near the top of the leaderboard among all 2018 high school draftees in homers (20) and OPS (.830).
Between those offensive numbers, his strong defensive performance at first base, and the maturity he showed to make adjustments against older competition in his first full season, Casas delivered the most impressive season in the system in 2019.
“He’s a guy who wants to be good, works to be good, and also possesses power to all fields and the ability to shorten up and get a hit,” hitting coordinator Greg Norton said. “He is super advanced for a kid his age as far as his work ethic, his preparation thoughts, looking to see what guys are doing, and how he goes about his ABs.”
—ALEX SPEIER
CHICAGO WHITE SOX
On a rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte in late July before coming off the injured list with a sprained ankle, big league shortstop Tim Anderson had the opportunity to play five games with top prospect Luis Robert.
“Off the charts,” Anderson said of the 22-year-old center fielder. “Unbelievable player. He can hit. He can do everything. He’s real good.”
That might be an understatement.
After signing for $26 million out of Cuba in May 2017, Robert has performed at three different levels this season.
His first stop was with high Class A Winston-Salem, where he hit .453 in 19 games before being promoted to Double-A Birmingham. There, Robert slashed .314/.362/.518 and began rocketing up top prospect charts.
Robert was promoted once again on July 9, this time to Triple-A Charlotte, where he clubbed 16 homers in 47 games. Overall, he showed off his all-around ability by hitting for average (.328) and power (32 home runs) while stealing 36 bases in 122 games.
The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Robert has also made an impact defensively, showcasing great range and a powerful throwing arm.
Chicago’s current roster is loaded with young talent like Anderson, Yoan Moncada, Eloy Jimenez, Lucas Giolito and Dylan Cease, but it wouldn’t be a major surprise if Robert winds up being the best of the bunch.
Considering Robert was limited to just 50 games in 2018 because of a nagging sprained ligament in his left thumb, the initial plan was to have Robert spend the majority of this season with Birmingham.
But Robert was simply too good for the Southern League.
“Once he was out there playing, the tools and the talent level were going to rise to the top, and it would be evident to everybody what this kid is capable of doing,” general manager Rick Hahn said.
“That’s been the most positive thing from my standpoint this year. He’s out there playing regularly, and it’s obvious to all who see him that talent level and what he’s capable of doing.”
—SCOT GREGOR
CLEVELAND INDIANS
Of all the footprints 21-year-old third baseman Nolan Jones is leaving as he advances through the minor league system, what stands out the most are his consistently impressive on-base percentages.
That’s a
