Spectacular debuts from 2023 worldwide class: Pipeline Podcast

As we strategy the start of the 2024 worldwide signing interval, let’s have a look again at a number of the standout performers from the final yr’s class.  The highest 10 worldwide prospects from 2023 fared fairly effectively, beginning with No. 1 Ethan Salas, who ignored the complicated ranges fully to open his age-17 season at Single-A Lake Elsinore, hitting .267/.350/.487 with 9 homers in 48 video games. He acquired later bumps to Excessive-A Fort Wayne and Double-A San Antonio whereas displaying plus defensive expertise behind the dish.

With that in thoughts, Jim Callis and Sam Dykstra answered a query on the most recent episode of the MLB Pipeline Podcast about which 2023 worldwide prospects put collectively essentially the most spectacular skilled debuts.

Joendry Vargas (No. 3/LAD No. 12) 
Callis: Shortstop from the Dominican Republic who signed with the Dodgers for just a little over $2 million. He went to DSL and hit .328, had an OPS barely over .950, seven homers and 19 steals in 48 video games. You possibly can see instruments, you possibly can see instincts. Former switch-hitter, he now hits solely right-handed. Good swing, good strategy, focuses on hitting line drives to all fields. He’s 6-foot-4, he’s going to get stronger. He’s received loads of bat pace so I feel we’re speaking 25-home run energy as soon as he’s bodily mature. And though he’s greater than most shortstops, he does have good actions. He strikes effectively to each side. He’s received a powerful arm, I feel there’s a fairly good probability he can keep at quick. And if for some purpose he can’t, I feel whenever you undertaking him bodily and also you have a look at the bat then he would profile very well at third base too. He will get ignored perhaps just a little bit within the Dodgers system as a result of it’s one of many deeper methods on the market and I feel it’s just a little more durable for a man making his debut contemporary out of the worldwide class to stand up the listing. He’s No. 12 on that listing which I feel is a fairly robust rating in a really deep system.

Alfredo Duno (No. 4/CIN No. 13) 
Dykstra: A catching prospect final yr who really didn’t catch, he DH’d within the DSL whereas he was rehabbing an arm damage. They only didn’t wish to push issues. He was solely 17 years outdated, he really turns 18 on January 7, so an early Comfortable Birthday to him. However, if he’s not going to play protection he’s going to need to hit to catch our eye and he definitely did that, hitting .303 with a .451 .OBP, .493 slugging. I agree with Jim, you possibly can’t at all times belief stroll numbers within the DSL as a result of typically guys simply don’t know the place the ball goes, however he did stroll 38 instances and struck out 41 instances in these 45 video games. He’s going to be energy over hit it looks as if, and the facility began to be there – six homers in these 45 video games. All of the items are there and regardless that we haven’t seen him defensively fairly but, he’s thought-about a plus defender with a very robust arm. So we may see him take off to a brand new stage in 2024 as soon as he comes stateside to the Arizona Advanced League. As soon as he’s totally wholesome once more. All of the items are there for him to be much more attention-grabbing as he begins so as to add defensive work to his recreation as effectively.

Luis Morales (No. 5/OAK No. 5) 
Dykstra: He was the highest pitcher on the worldwide market final yr. Signed with the A’s for $3 million. More often than not once we’re speaking about worldwide signees for pitchers, they’re extraordinarily uncooked. It’s going to take them some time to maneuver. Morales isn’t actually that. He’s already 21 years outdated, he turned 21 final September. Popping out of Cuba, he’s most polished than most of those guys and the A’s pushed him accordingly. He began out within the DSL, completed the yr at Excessive-A Lansing, throughout these 4 ranges had a 2.86 ERA, 53 strikeouts, solely 15 walks, 1.09 WHIP, .202 batting common towards. The management is clearly there, he is aware of the place the ball goes not like many different worldwide signees. He’s received a fastball that he can throw as much as 99 mph if he’s actually rearing again, an above-average slider, all 4 pitches proper now nice at having at the very least common potential. So the items are there for him to be at the very least a good starter. Now could be when he begins to construct on that – 44 innings, like I mentioned, final yr. You hope he can perhaps get to 100 this yr after beginning out once more within the Midwest League. That’s going to be an attention-grabbing expertise. The Midwest League goes to be chilly in April when he begins there, how is he going to have the ability to deal with that? We’ll see, however for the whole lot you possibly can have hoped for Luis Morales’ first skilled season, stateside, he definitely checked all of the containers and turns into an attention-grabbing arm for an A’s system that wants as many attention-grabbing arms as they’ll get.

Sebastian Walcott (No. 8/TEX No. 3, MLB No. 62) 
Callis: He tore up the Arizona Advanced League. Had an .849 OPS when he was there. And it wasn’t simply even the stats, he hit seven homers, he had 9 steals in 35 video games at that stage at age 17. That’s him making his US debut after 9 video games within the Dominican Summer time League. He came visiting virtually instantly. And it wasn’t simply the numbers, it was the way in which by which he did it. He’s producing exit velocities in extra of 110 mph regularly, which is loopy for a man that younger. His arm from shortstop, you understand, you possibly can put a plus-pus grade on it in the event you needed. He’s a stable runner who’s quicker when it comes to straight line pace. Once more, small pattern measurement however he struck out 64 instances in 48 video games, so we’re going to have to look at that. However when it comes to dynamic instruments after which with the ability to carry out at age 17 in the USA, and even have sufficient to the place you possibly can maintain your individual for a number of video games at Excessive-A on the finish of the yr, I used to be actually actually impressed together with his debut in a summer time once we had quite a lot of robust worldwide debuts.

Rayner Arias (No. 15/SF No. 6)
Callis: One of many extra bodily gamers within the 2023 worldwide class. He’s received some comparisons to a younger Eloy Jiménez. Signed for just a little beneath $2.7 million, which was the second highest bonus in franchise historical past for a world participant. He solely performed 16 video games on the DSL, he sprained his wrist diving for a ball, so he didn’t get to play a complete lot. So there’s solely 58 at-bats, so, OK, small pattern measurement and Dominican Summer time League, however in the event you’re going to have a small pattern measurement on the Dominican Summer time League it’s fairly spectacular whenever you hit .414 with a .539 on-base proportion, .793 slugging proportion, extra walks than strikeouts, 4 homers and 4 steals in 16 video games. I really moved him fairly considerably up the Giants prospect listing. I’ve him at No. 6 on their listing on the finish of the 2023 season. And the Giants are very enthusiastic about what this man brings to the desk offensively. He’s going to be a nook man in the long term – might be a proper fielder, he has sufficient instincts and arm power to deal with proper subject. However, it is a man who, in a few years, might be one of many higher hitting prospects within the Minor Leagues. They’re very enthusiastic about the way in which he began his profession.

Jeremy Rodriguez (No. 47/NYM No. 30) 
Dykstra: We simply put him onto the Mets listing at No. 30. He might be transferring up once we do our replace right here in a number of months. However, Jeremy Rodriguez was one of many youthful gamers within the DSL this yr, solely turned 17 on the fourth of July. He was moved from the D-backs to the Mets fairly shortly after that within the Tommy Pham deal. What I like about Jeremy Rodriguez is he doesn’t swing and miss very a lot, at the very least, for that stage and particularly for his age. That particularly got here by way of after the commerce, you understand, it was a really small pattern, he solely performed 13 video games for the Mets’ DSL affiliate. However in these 13 video games he walked 11 instances and struck out solely 4. Confirmed some good pace too with seven steals. He’s received largely hole energy proper now. All of the studies we received on him when he first signed with the D-backs for $1.25 million, which was their largest signing final yr, was that energy may come for him ultimately, it’s largely to the gaps proper now. It’s going to take some time for that to develop, I feel. However that proven fact that he’s making some actually attention-grabbing swing selections, he’s placing bat on ball – particularly relative to his age – it’s a powerful begin. May play quick, may play second base, we’ll see how he finally ends up defensively. However, this might find yourself being, you understand, for only a few months of Tommy Pham, a fairly robust pickup for the Mets if he continues on this developmental path.