Minor League Ball Gameday, May 19

Good afternoon prospect watchers. It looks like a stormy day here in Eastern Kansas, with a Moderate Risk of severe weather according to the Storm Prediction Center and a greater-than-usual risk of a tornado. Stay alert if you are in the Midwest.

On to baseball.

***I will do a Paul Goldschmidt Prospect Retro tomorrow. Otherwise my main emphasis the next three weeks is the draft. Everyone knows the top guys but the thing I like to do most is dig up draft sleepers. The research is time-consuming but rewarding. Goldschmidt himself was a sleeper prospect who got mixed reviews as an amateur, so looking at him tomorrow is a good way to start.

***Yesterday's Minor League Ball Gameday thread has the normal highlights for you to catch up on.

***Oakland Athletics prospect Anthony Aliotti hit three homers yesterday for Double-A Midland. He is having an excellent season overall with a .375/.476/.592 line through 42 games, with 32 walks and 33 strikeouts in 157 at-bats. A 15th round pick in 2009 from St. Mary's, he is a 25-year-old left-handed hitting third baseman who has never hit this well before. I don't know much about him and don't have a current scouting report. If anyone does, feel free to share. He's having a great year.

***6.2 innings, two hits, three walks, two runs, nine strikeouts from Washington Nationals prospect Robbie Ray yesterday for High-A Potomac. The lefty was horrible at the same level last year but has been much more effective this season and is still just 21 years old.

***Another solid effort from Minnesota Twins prospect Jose Berrios, with 6.2 innings, two runs, seven hits, five strikeouts, no walks for Cedar Rapids. He now has a 32/5 K/BB in 28 innings.

***Cardinals outfield prospect Mike O'Neill doesn't have any physical tools and won't hit home runs, but he does have a couple of superhero-caliber skills: plate discipline and contact. He's drawn 34 walks against eight strikeouts in 131 at-bats for Double-A Springfield, on the way to a .344/.476/.420 line in 39 games. That's one of the most extreme BB/K/PA ratios I've ever seen. He's 25 and as I said, he doesn't have standout tools and lacks power, but geez.

Last fall I asked a scout who was very familiar with O'Neill about him. The scout shrugged his shoulders and said "That guy breaks our methods. No real tools, no power or speed or arm, but he just keeps getting on base. I think he's an organization guy or a fringe reserve but I'd love to have him on my Triple-A team."

***Today's slate of games.