Minor League Notes, August 26, 2010: Donavan Tate, Osvaldo Arcia, Guillermo Moscoso, and Tyler Skaggs

by John Sickels on Aug 26, 2025 6:15 PM EDT

Minor League Notes, August 26, 2025

**Twins fans (and others I assume) are asking me a lot of questions about outfield prospect Osvaldo Arcia, currently hitting a robust .390 for Elizabethton in the Appalachian League, with a shot at the Triple Crown. Overall line: .390/.438/.695 with 14 homers, 47 RBI, 17 walks, and 60 strikeouts in 236 at-bats. What's my view here? Well, obviously he's having a great season, although it's possible to have a great year in the Appy League without being a great prospect, especially with some contact/discipline issues like Arcia has. That said, he's got decent tools, and very genuine bat speed/power from what I've gathered from sources who have seen him. He is deadly from the left side: hitting .403/.460/.767 against right-handers. I gave him a Grade C in the book entering 2010; right now I'd likely have him at a Grade B or B-, depending on what the final reports say.

**Tyler Skaggs Update: Since coming over to Arizona in the Dan Haren trade, Skaggs has made two stats and thrown just six innings due to a strict pitch count, with a 6/2 K/BB, six hits, and two runs allowed. Overall on the year in the Midwest League, he's at 3.57 ERA, 88/23 K/BB in 88 innings, 84 hits, 1.58 GO/AO. I rather like Skaggs and Dbacks fans should be happy to get him in the trade. Midwest League observers are more impressed with his projectability than pure velocity at this point, although he has a very good slider. The stats are pretty solid. I had him as a B- in the book and will stick with that for now.

**Guillermo Moscoso Update: Rangers prospect Moscoso has had a somewhat difficult campaign for Triple-A Oklahoma City, with a 5.11 ERA and a 100/48 K/BB in 116 innings, 135 hits allowed, and 15 homers. He did have an excellent start on the 24^th against Round Rock (six innings, three hits, nine strikeouts, zero runs), but on August 19^th he gave up 10 hits and five runs in six innings against Reno, which is more typical of his performances this year. I saw that game. His velocity was fine, 90-94 MPH, most fastballs right at 93. But he was having some problems locating his changeup, his breaking ball was very flat most of the game, and he would groove fastballs when behind in the count. The lack of a consistently effective breaking ball seems like his biggest issue right now, and I think he may end up being best-suited for relief work.

**Donovan Tate...what kind of grade do I give this guy in the 2011 book? I'm already trying to figure that out, and I don't have an answer yet. The remarkable tools are still there, of course, and he was seven-for-eight in stolen base attempts in rookie ball. He drew some walks. But he also struck out 41 times in 90 at-bats, a horrific ratio, and he has obviously got some major problems staying healthy. I gave him a Grade B+ in the 2010 book based on the glowing scouting reports from high school, but there is no way I can give him that kind of grade now. Lowering to at least a B is going to happen, but should I go lower than that, or should he get an injury mulligan? It is a puzzle, and this one will definitely take some consulting with sources to get a proper handle on. What do you guys think?

Tweet Comment 24 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Read More: Guillermo Moscoso (P - COL), Minnesota Twins, Texas Rangers

Comments

Its hard to Imagine Arcia getting a B and Tate getting a B-

Tate is essentially equal to or greater than Arcia IMO (as far as grade goes)

…and i’m a twins fan,,,, Arcia K’s a lot and he is a free swinger like Miguel Sano, well sort of… someone like a Denard Span can still achieve an incredibly high contact rate with balls outside of the zone, Delmon Young does a decent job of that as well (although he lacks the eye Denard has) I don’t see that same zone potential, at least not yet, from Oswaldo

Donavan Tate should be a “B” imo the extreme athlete with IMO a better eye than Arcia gets a mulliigan this year.

I called on the exact pitch - Joe Mauer's first career Home-Run at Target Field !!!

Why Oh Why did the D'Backs select A.J. Pollock over Mike Trout?

by SteveHoffmanSlowey on Aug 26, 2025 6:38 PM EDT reply actions

I know Tate struck out in half his AB’s in rookie ball but that was a abnormality

I called on the exact pitch - Joe Mauer's first career Home-Run at Target Field !!!

Why Oh Why did the D'Backs select A.J. Pollock over Mike Trout?

by SteveHoffmanSlowey on Aug 26, 2025 6:40 PM EDT up reply actions

really?

How do you know it was an anomaly? Remember, there were some concerns about Tate’s bat as an amateur.

I am undecided. That’s what writing the book is for. :)

by John Sickels on Aug 26, 2025 7:00 PM EDT up reply actions

I'm on the opposite side of the spectrum from SHS

As you note John, Tate had concerns about contact before the draft, and those concerns are turning into an enormous red flag. Arcia, who didn’t benefit from the same type of hype as he was an unheralded 16 year old int’l signee (which shouldn’t be held against him…Hanley Ramirez didn’t get much of a signing bonus either), has some contact issues as well but nowhere near as severe as Tate’s (and Arcia barely K-ed at all in the GCL, whereas Tate is hacking away in the AZL).

Personally, I have Tate as a C+ and I think that’s fair for an athletic specimen who’s shown very little baseball skill at the moment. He’ll enter next year as a 20 year old who has yet to play about rookie ball. Arcia will enter it as a 19 year old who’s crushed Appy league pitching. There should be at least two notches (i.e. C+ to B) between the two.

by Franchise887 on Aug 26, 2025 7:11 PM EDT up reply actions

Seems like a fair place to start. As John said though, final reports could increase/decrease a letter grade on either I think.

by jfish26101 on Aug 26, 2025 7:18 PM EDT up reply actions

in response to john, well i don't

however, i remember reading a report when Tate was a Junior in H.S. that we had the uncanny ability to take a walk and lengthen any given at-bat,…. Senior year, maybe not so much…while contact issues with Tate may have always been there, the eye is really, at least to me, one of his stronger areas just having a weird year trying to do to much right now

maybe a good grade compare/contrast is what will Rays SS Tim Beckham get i wonder?

I called on the exact pitch - Joe Mauer's first career Home-Run at Target Field !!!

Why Oh Why did the D'Backs select A.J. Pollock over Mike Trout?

by SteveHoffmanSlowey on Aug 26, 2025 7:34 PM EDT up reply actions

Tate

Granted there were some concerns about his bat, but the consensus also was that his tools were worth the gamble, and no one blinked an eye when he went early. Of course he is a project, but those tools didn’t just magically go away this summer. Arcia has had a nice season in the Appy League but to me that’s not enough to make such a huge swing in rankings.

It is way too soon to drop Tate’s rating below a B and to rank Arcia higher than him.

by deezle on Aug 26, 2025 7:42 PM EDT up reply actions

But is it really?

As I noted above, Tate will enter next year as a 20 year old who hasn’t played above the lowest rung of state-side ball (the VSL and DSL barely count as pro ball). And in his only time at that very low level, he’s been just about atrocious. The fact that Tate was only moderately better in his debut than Anthony “rawest 1st round pick ever” Hewitt does not say good things…and Hewitt’s just as good an athlete as Tate.

Tate’s draft status should not overly change his prospect status. There are plenty of super-athletic young guys in the low minors who are struggling…Tate shouldn’t be bumped well above them simply because he was drafted highly.

by Franchise887 on Aug 26, 2025 8:23 PM EDT up reply actions

For me, yes

I’m not nearly ready to drop Tate after a so-so short-season debut. He has plus tools across the board, including the potential for outstanding defense in CF.

Two months of baseball is not enough data for me to ignore everything he brings to the table, and I think some could end up looking silly dropping him a ton this year and then increasing his rank dramatically after next season if he performs like he’s capable of.

by deezle on Aug 27, 2025 8:53 AM EDT up reply actions

Who is saying drop them a ton? A B+ was pretty aggressive of John right off the bat, that is the main reason why a C+ grade seems like a huge drop. He liked the tools, believed in the bat…he probably still does so I don’t think he will end up dropping him that much but I don’t think it is unreasonable based on the data we have. Sure two months isn’t much data but he should be able to at least hold his own at the level he is.

by jfish26101 on Aug 27, 2025 11:03 AM EDT up reply actions

Eh, I don’t know. Arcia is showing real baseball skill while Tate is mostly projection. I also don’t think you can penalize Arcia for his K problem and then give Tate a free pass on his. I can definitely understand Arcia having a better grade by a fair margin.

by jfish26101 on Aug 26, 2025 7:02 PM EDT up reply actions

john...

of course you are busy, but these recaps and reports are outstanding and i’d love to see them everyday. even peppering in the odd “non-rated” prospect for good measure.

excellent posting.

thanks.

The internet's latest attempt at understanding the insides of baseball.

by bbdbrandon on Aug 27, 2025 12:48 AM EDT reply actions

hey

Hey…it’s my job. That’s what I’m here for. :)

by John Sickels on Aug 27, 2025 10:06 AM EDT up reply actions

Ive always liked Skaggs

And was hoping that the Dodgers would take him. He was the ace of my high school’s rival and was filthy. He ended up with an LA team, but then was dealt. It will be harder rooting for him though cause he is now with a rival lol

by lakersdodgersyankees4life on Aug 27, 2025 3:21 AM EDT reply actions