Prospects of the Week: April 17 – April 23

April 24, 2023 Jeremy Mahy General, MiLB, Prospects of the Week 0

Jorbit Vivas, Los Angeles Dodgers, Spring Training 2023. Photo credit Gail Verderico, @1baseball_gail on Twitter and @baseball_gail on Instagram
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Each week during the Minor League Baseball season we pick the hitting and pitching prospects from each level (Triple-A, Double-A, High-A, and Single-A) who, in our opinion, had the best week. The team awards the Prospects of the Week hitters and pitchers for each level, while also presenting other names at each level that are just as deserving of POTW honors. Feel free to reply in the comments with any player who deserves to be mentioned that may not have made our cut.

Any issues with this week’s POTW? Did we miss anyone deserving? Hit us up and set us straight! As always, tweet us @Prospects1500 when you see a great performance that warrants consideration for Prospect of the Week. Enjoy, and make sure you’re keeping an eye out for these prospects in your dynasty leagues.

Triple-A

HITTER: Braden Shewmake, SS (Braves #6)
Gwinnett Stripers (6 G, .385/.429/.731/1.160, 10 H, 3 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 8 R, 2 BB, 5 SB)
The drum is starting to bang louder with each passing game and each Vaughn Grissom error. Shewmake is doing all that he can to earn the call up, but it seems as though he’s destined to be a bench bat despite the torrid hitting performance against Omaha. (@MKelley_ND)

Honorable Mentions:
Justyn-Henry Malloy, 3B (Tigers #6)
Toledo Mud Hens (6 G, .409/.579/.773/1.292, 9 H, 2 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 5 R, 5 BB)
Colton Cowser, OF (Orioles #4)
Norfolk Tides (6 G, .391/.481/.829/1.307, 9 H, 2B, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 10 R, 3 BB)
International League Player of the Week!
Hunter Feduccia, C (Dodgers NR)
Oklahoma City Dodgers (4 G, .556/.600/1.056/1.656, 10 H, 3 2B, 2 HR, 13 RBI, 5 R, 2 BB)
Pacific Coast League Player of the Week!
Dominic Fletcher, OF (Diamondbacks #17)
Reno Aces (6 G, .400/.444/.720/1.164, 10 H, 3 2B, 3B, HR, 2 RBI, 8 R, BB)

PITCHER: Brandon Pfaadt, RHP (Diamondbacks #4)
Reno Aces (1 GS, 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, BB, 8 K)
Pfaadt had a rough first start of the season giving up 4 home runs in just 3.2 innings. In three starts since, he has pitched 16.2 innings giving up 11 hits and 3 earned runs while striking out 18. Pfaadt was back to being the future ace this week. His start came on the road in Salt Lake against a Bees lineup that featured the red-hot Jo Adell. Pfaadt pitched 7 innings allowing only 3 hits with 7 strikeouts. (@blacksox96)

Honorable Mentions:
Elvin Rodriguez, RHP (Rays NR)
Durham Bulls (1 GS, 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K)
International League Pitcher of the Week!
Riley Thompson, RHP (Cubs #43)
Iowa Cubs (1 GS, 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 9 K)
Matt Waldron, RHP (Padres NR)
El Paso Chihuahuas (1 GS, 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K)
Riley O’Brien, RHP (Mariners NR)
Tacoma Rainiers (2 G, 2.1 IP, H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K, W, SV)

Double-A

CO-HITTERS:
Jorbit Vivas, 2B (Dodgers #16)
Tulsa Drillers (6 G, .417/.481/1.000/1.481, 10 H, 5 2B, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 4 R, 2 BB)
Texas League Player of the Week!
Double-A pitching hasn’t proven to be much of a challenge to Vivas so far. He has hit safely in each of his fifteen games and has multi hit games in seven of his last nine. He has great strike zone control and with the recent uptick in power we could be looking at fantasy gold.


Joey Loperfido, 2B (Astros #17)
Asheville Tourists/Corpus Christi Hooks (5 G, .455/.520/1.181/1.701, 10 H, 2 3B, 4 HR, 8 RBI, 3 BB, 4 SB)
The Former Blue Devil did not let a mid-week promotion to Double-A cool him down any. On Wednesday he went 3-5 with a triple, three stolen bases, and two runs scored in Asheville. Two days later in Corpus Christi, Texas he notched his first two Double-A home runs as part of a three hit game. Not a bad week at all.

Honorable Mentions:
Colt Keith, 3B (Tigers #5)
Erie SeaWolves (6 G, .542/.593/.875/1.468, 13 H, 3B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 4 R, 2 BB)
Eastern League Player of the Week!
Luis Vazquez, SS (Cubs NR)
Tennessee Smokies (5 G, .579/.619/1.105/1.724, 11 H, 2B, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 8 R, 2 BB, SB)
Southern League Player of the Week!
Diosbel Arias, 1B (Rangers NR)
Frisco RoughRiders (5 G, .333/.429/1.056/1.485, 6 H, 2B, 4 HR, 7 RBI, 6 R, 2 BB)
Edgar Quero, C (Angels #3)
Rocket City Trash Pandas (4 G, .538/.647/.769/1.416, 7 H, 3 2B, 3 RBI, 5 R, 4 BB)

PITCHER: Patrick Monteverde, LHP (Marlins NR)
Pensacola Blue Wahoos (1 GS, 6 IP, 3 H, R, 0 BB, 10 K)
Round 8 (239 overall) pick for the Marlins is really making a case to be promoted quickly. Earning the nod for AA POTW after his 10 strikeout performance on April 12st against the Birmingham Barons. In his six innings of work he did allow an earned run on three hits but kept the Wahoos in the game by walking none to help limit the damage. Little older than the competition, should not prevent you from keeping tabs on Monteverde. He relies on changing speeds to keep hitters of balance and it plays up with his pinpoint control. (@stoffer81)

Honorable Mentions:
Gavin Williams, RHP (Guardians #3)
Akron RubberDucks (1 GS, 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 8 K)
Eastern League Pitcher of the Week!
Evan Gates, RHP (Giants NR)
Richmond Flying Squirrels (2 G, 3.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, BB, 6 K, W, 2 SV)
Justin Jarvis, RHP (Brewers #45)
Biloxi Shuckers (1 GS, 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, BB, 10 K)
Royber Salinas, RHP (Athletics #22)
Midland RockHounds (1 GS, 5 IP, H, R, 2 BB, 10 K)
Jacob Lopez, LHP (Rays #37)
Montgomery Biscuits (2 GS, 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 10 K)
Southern League Pitcher of the Week!

High-A

HITTER: Wilfred Veras, 1B/3B (White Sox #18)
Winston-Salem Dash (5 G, .407/.448/.852/1.300, 11 H, 3 2B, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 5 R, 2 BB, 2 SB)
South Atlantic League Player of the Week!
As the son of ex-big leaguer Wilton Veras and the nephew of Fernando Tatis Sr; Wilfred Veras has major league DNA coursing through his veins. The White Sox transitioned Veras potent bat to the outfield to begin the 2023 campaign. Last week the well proportioned 20-year-old slugger padded his season stat line in the offensive friendly environs of Asheville where he homered in three consecutive games and went 11-27 with nine RBIs. (@slydanno70)

Honorable Mentions:
Kevin Made, SS (Cubs #19)
South Bend Cubs (5 G, .412/.565/.824/1.389, 7 H, 2 2B, 3B, HR, 6 RBI, 3 R, 5 BB)
Dalton Rushing, C (Dodgers #8)
Great Lakes Loons (6 G, .350/.533/.850/1.383, 7 H, 2B, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 5 R, 8 BB)
Midwest League Player of the Week!
Tyler Locklear, 3B (Mariners #4)
Everett AquaSox (6 G, .400/.500/.810/1.300, 8H, 2 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 4 R, 5 BB, SB)
Jonatan Clase, OF (Mariners #10)
Everett AquaSox (6 G, .333/.481/.810/1.291, 7 H, 2B, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 7 R, 6 BB, 7 SB)
Northwest League Player of the Week!

PITCHER: Tyson Guerrero, LHP (Royals NR)
Quad Cities River Bandits (1 GS, 6 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 8 K)
Midwest League Pitcher of the Week!
A 6’1 southpaw selected in the 12th round of the 2021 draft, Guerrero split his time between football and baseball at the university of Washington. After a rocky season debut the previous week, Guerrero dominated the Timber Rattlers, punching out eight batters—looking and swinging in equal measure—with his slider and curveball. He’s a name to monitor moving forward as a potential back-end type if the walks remain low and his deceptive delivery continues to baffle hitters. (@adamhalpin)

Honorable Mentions:
Josh Stephan, RHP (Rangers NR)
Hickory Crawdads (1 GS, 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 10 K)
Luis Palacios, LHP (Marlins NR)
Beloit Sky Carp (1 GS, 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K)
Ryan Webb, LHP (Guardians NR)
Lake County (1 GS, 5.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 K)
Hunter Parks, RHP (Reds NR)
Dayton Dragons (1 GS, 5 IP, H, 0 R, BB, 4 K)

Single-A

HITTER: Andrew Cossetti, C (Twins NR)
Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (6 G, .556/.625/1.167/1.792, 10 H, 2 2B, 3 HR, 14 RBI, 7 R, 5 BB)
Florida State League Player of the Week!
Cossetti certainly opened the eyes of many this week when he smashed a 108 mph home run on Tuesday night. The very next night, he hit another home run, this one measuring at 110.9mph. Needless to say, this sort of power should not only open the eyes of everyone, but keep them open. He’s someone to monitor going forward, though him being 23 years of age in A-Ball might have something to do with his early season success. (@sportz_nutt51)

Honorable Mentions:
Tim Elko, 3B (White Sox NR)
Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (6 G, .400/.444/.800/1.244, 10 H, 2B, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 4 R, 2 BB)
Juan Chacon, OF (Red Sox #40)
Salem Red Sox (5 G, .444/.545/.833/1.378, 8 H, 2B, 3 3B, 5 RBI, 4 R, 4 BB, 3 SB)
Jackson Holliday, SS (Orioles #3)
Delmarva Shorebirds (5 G, .450/.577/.800/1.377, 9 H, 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 8 R, 6 BB, SB)
Carolina League Player of the Week!
Alvin Guzman, OF (Diamondbacks NR)
Visalia Rawhide (5 G, .429/.478/.810/1.288, 9 H, 2 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 6 R, 2 BB, 4 SB)
Ryan Ritter, SS (Rockies #41)
Fresno Grizzlies (6 G, .400/.571/.900/1.471, 8 H, 2B, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 3 R, 8 BB, 2 SB)
California League Player of the Week!

PITCHER: Frank Mozzicato, LHP (Royals #6)
Columbia Fireflies (2 GS, 10 IP, 4 H, R, 5 BB, 14 K)
Frankie Muzzarelle (said in your best Silvio Dante) had a heck of a 2-start week! And if these performances are signs of the breakout to come, Royals fans will be overjoyed as they search for any port in the current storm. He’s stealing strikes with the curveball and then following it up by burying it at the ankles. The 19-year-old lefty fanned 13 in his first 6 scoreless innings, and ended the week with a strong 1 run-1 hit performance with 6 strikeouts through 4 innings. The K% sits at 44.8% on the season. (@adamhalpin)

Honorable Mentions:
Tyler Guilfoil, RHP (Astros #50)
Fayetteville Woodpeckers (2 GS, 9 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 10 K)
Blake Adams, RHP (Rockies NR)
Fresno Grizzlies (1 GS, 6 IP, H, 0 R, 2 BB, 10 K)
California League Pitcher of the Week!

Palm Beach Cardinals Starting Rotation
Brycen Mautz, LHP (#12)
(1 GS, 6 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 11 K)
Florida State League Pitcher of the Week!
Max Rajcic, RHP (#25)
(1 GS, 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K)
Pete Hansen, LHP (#20)
(1 GS, 6 IP, H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K)
Hancel Rincon, RHP (NR)
(1 GS, 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K)
The starting pitching for the Cardinals was strong this week. Well, in the minors anyway. This system has some serious pitching depth from top to bottom, and it looks like they are going to need it. In his Wednesday start Mautz was perfect through 6 innings while utterly dominating the Dunedin lineup. Following suit, in successive days Rajcic, Hansen, and Rincon followed with dominant starting performances of their own.  The future of the Cardinals pitching staff looks very bright.

Special Mention of the Week

Victor Scott, OF (Cardinals #16), Peoria Chiefs
Stole 9 bases last week. In 14 games so far this season, he has swiped 16 bags while getting on base at a .359 clip. The speed is truly game changing, and if he can improve his plate discipline there might be a future top of the order hitter here.

Erik Ostberg, C/DH (Rays NR)
Montgomery Biscuits
Two-way player alert! Last Wednesday, Ostberg singled as the DH and also pitched a clean ninth inning (including two strikeouts) to pick up the save.

Jeremy Mahy

Jeremy covers the St Louis organization and contributes on Prospects of the Week for Prospects1500. Born and raised in the Midwest, he is a lifelong fan of the Birds on the Bat. You can follow him on Twitter @JMahyfam for more baseball content.

"Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good, too." -Yogi Berra

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