Daily Notes: SCOUT Leaderboards for Triple-A

Table of Contents
Here’s the table of contents for today’s edition of the Daily Notes.

1. SCOUT Leaderboards for Triple-A
2. Today’s MLB.TV Free Game
3. Today’s Complete Schedule

SCOUT Leaderboards for Triple-A
A Brief Introduction
Featured in this edition of the Notes are the SCOUT leaderboards for Triple-A. Briefly stated, SCOUT represents an attempt to use our knowledge of certain metrics, and at what sample sizes they become reliable, to measure run production/prevention in instances where small samples are all that’s available. Stated less briefly, is the explanation available here.

SCOUT Leaderboard: Triple-A Hitters (Overall)
Below is the current SCOUT batting leaderboard for all Triple-A hitters. SCOUT+ combines regressed home-run, walk, and strikeout rates in a FIP-like equation to produce a result not unlike wRC+, where 100 is league average and above 100 is above average. Note that players are compared not to all Triple-A hitters, but to those in their respective league, and then combined afterward for the sake of this leaderboard. Note also that xHR%, xBB%, and xK% stand for expected home run, walk, and strikeout rate, respectively.

Player	Team	League	Age	PA	HR	BB	K	xHR%	xBB%	xK%	SCOUT+
Kila Ka’aihue	D-backs (AAA)	PCL	29	235	16	38	41	5.9%	16.2%	17.4%	166
Matt McBride	Rockies (AAA)	PCL	28	195	15	11	21	5.8%	5.7%	10.8%	148
Daric Barton	Athletics (AAA)	PCL	27	252	4	53	26	1.7%	21.0%	10.3%	146
Mauro Gomez	Blue Jays (AAA)	Intl.	28	258	21	25	77	7.3%	9.7%	29.8%	143
Luis Jimenez	Blue Jays (AAA)	Intl.	31	279	13	31	43	4.5%	11.1%	15.4%	142
Chris Colabello	Twins (AAA)	Intl.	29	277	16	29	57	5.5%	10.5%	20.6%	142
Jordan Lennerton	Tigers (AAA)	Intl.	27	331	12	52	59	3.6%	15.7%	17.8%	140
Jeremy Hermida	Indians (AAA)	Intl.	29	299	13	52	77	4.3%	17.4%	25.8%	138
Leslie Anderson	Rays (AAA)	Intl.	31	274	10	27	27	3.5%	9.9%	9.9%	138
Mike Jacobs	D-backs (AAA)	PCL	32	80	8	11	10	4.4%	11.2%	15.8%	137

SCOUT Leaderboard: Triple-A Hitters (Age 24 and Under)
Here are the top-10 batters from Triple-A who might still, because of their age, be considered prospects — again, as determined by the methodology explained above.

Player	Team	League	Age	PA	HR	BB	K	xHR%	xBB%	xK%	SCOUT+
Nick Franklin	Mariners (AAA)	PCL	22	177	4	30	20	2.3%	16.1%	11.3%	136
Joey Terdoslavich	Braves (AAA)	Intl.	24	312	17	18	57	5.4%	5.8%	18.3%	132
Hunter Morris	Brewers (AAA)	PCL	24	272	13	31	55	4.6%	11.4%	20.2%	131
Wil Myers	Rays (AAA)	Intl.	22	289	14	29	71	4.7%	10.0%	24.6%	123
Nick Castellanos	Tigers (AAA)	Intl.	21	342	10	38	57	2.9%	11.1%	16.7%	121
Chris Marrero	Nationals (AAA)	Intl.	24	228	10	14	34	3.9%	6.1%	14.9%	121
Zach Walters	Nationals (AAA)	Intl.	23	282	18	9	68	6.1%	3.2%	24.1%	120
Jurickson Profar	Rangers (AAA)	PCL	20	166	4	21	24	2.4%	12.1%	14.5%	119
Brad Miller	Mariners (AAA)	PCL	23	105	4	14	16	2.9%	11.5%	16.5%	118
Michael Choice	Athletics (AAA)	PCL	23	324	10	41	65	3.1%	12.7%	20.1%	117

SCOUT Leaderboard: Triple-A Pitchers (Overall)
Below is the current SCOUT pitching leaderboard for Triple-A. SCOUT- combines regressed strikeout and walk rates in a kwERA-like equation to produce a number not unlike ERA-, where 100 is league average and below 100 is better than average. Note that players are compared not to all Triple-A hitters, but to those in their respective league, and then combined afterward for the sake of this leaderboard. Note also that xK% and xBB% stand for expected strikeout and walk rate, respectively.

Player	Team	League	Age	G	GS	IP	TBF	K	BB	xK%	xBB%	SCOUT-
Tony Cingrani	Reds (AAA)	Intl.	23	6	6	31.1	117	49	11	37.1%	9.4%	53
Kirby Yates	Rays (AAA)	Intl.	26	29	0	34.0	136	52	12	36.6%	9.3%	54
Neal Cotts	Rangers (AAA)	PCL	33	15	0	23.0	82	42	5	36.9%	9.0%	55
Brian Moran	Mariners (AAA)	PCL	24	27	0	36.2	151	53	10	35.1%	8.7%	58
Jeff Beliveau	Rays (AAA)	Intl.	26	21	0	21.1	98	41	14	34.3%	10.3%	64
Ryan Buchter	Braves (AAA)	Intl.	26	28	0	32.1	146	53	30	35.9%	12.4%	65
Brad Boxberger	Padres (AAA)	PCL	25	21	0	28.1	125	45	12	33.3%	9.5%	65
Josh Lueke	Rays (AAA)	Intl.	28	19	0	27.0	104	39	6	32.2%	8.8%	65
Jim Miller	Yankees (AAA)	Intl.	31	21	0	34.0	153	50	14	32.7%	9.4%	66
Mike Zagurski	– – –	Intl.	30	20	0	22.0	96	38	9	32.6%	9.4%	66

SCOUT Leaderboard: Triple-A Pitchers (Starters Only)
Here are the top-10 pitchers in Triple-A who have made at least half of their appearances as starts — again, as determined by the methodology explained above.

Player	Team	League	Age	G	GS	IP	TBF	K	BB	xK%	xBB%	SCOUT-
Tony Cingrani	Reds (AAA)	Intl.	23	6	6	31.1	117	49	11	37.1%	9.4%	53
Alex Torres	Rays (AAA)	Intl.	25	9	9	46.0	197	61	21	31.0%	9.9%	72
Yusmeiro Petit	Giants (AAA)	PCL	28	7	7	36.1	163	46	9	28.2%	8.3%	75
Danny Salazar	Indians (AAA)	Intl.	23	7	7	29.1	124	38	9	28.8%	9.0%	75
Vidal Nuno	Yankees (AAA)	Intl.	25	5	5	25.0	91	30	2	28.0%	8.3%	76
Jose Alvarez	Tigers (AAA)	Intl.	24	13	13	81.0	323	84	16	26.0%	6.8%	77
Will Smith	Royals (AAA)	PCL	23	16	10	67.2	276	74	20	26.8%	8.3%	79
Francisco Liriano	Pirates (AAA)	Intl.	29	3	3	16.0	66	23	1	26.7%	8.5%	80
Jake Odorizzi	Rays (AAA)	Intl.	23	10	10	55.1	224	60	20	26.8%	9.2%	82
Drew Pomeranz	Rockies (AAA)	PCL	24	15	15	85.2	366	96	33	26.2%	9.2%	83

Briefest Notes
• By the methodology presented here, former Kansas City prospect Kila Ka’aihue has out-hit his Triple-A peers by a considerable margin, recording 16 home runs and a 38:41 walk-to-strikeout ratio in 235 plate appearances thus far this season for Diamondbacks affiliate Reno.

• Seattle prospect Nick Franklin, despite having been promoted to the majors, still leads all prospect-age Triple-A batters by SCOUT. He’s been excellent for the Mariners, as well, having recorded (as of Sunday) a 151 wRC+ and 1.1 WAR (with a not absurd .319 BABIP) in 99 plate appearances.

• With both Wil Myers and Jurickson Profar currently in the majors, the most productive hitting prospects at Triple-A — accounting loosely both for age and position — would appear to be Detroit outfielder Nick Castellanos, Washington shortstop Zach Walters, and Seattle shortstop Brad Miller. A pair of 21-year-olds, Mets infielder Wilmer Flores (106 SCOUT+ in 314 PA) and St. Louis outfielder Oscar Taveras (105 SCOUT+ in 184 PA), have also posted above-average figures.

• Among pitchers, Cincinnati left-hander Tony Cingrani has been entirely the most successful, per SCOUT. He’s also been exemplary as an actual major-leaguer, having now recorded a 79 xFIP- and 0.6 WAR in 42.1 innings. Now in the bullpen, Cingrani has struck out six of nine batters faced in that capacity.

• After posting a 51:10 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 33.2 innings at Double-A Akron, right-handed Cleveland prospect Danny Salazar has been nearly as impressive in the Triple-A International League, now with a 38:9 strikeout-to-walk mark in 29.1 innings for Columbus. Salazar’s line over his last two starts is particularly impressive. To wit: 10.0 IP, 38 TBF, 17 K, 0 BB.

Today’s MLB.TV Free Game
Toronto at Tampa Bay | 19:10 ET
Esmil Rogers (48.2 IP, 107 xFIP-, 0.6 WAR) faces Jeremy Hellickson (91.2 IP, 98 xFIP-, 1.1 WAR). Wil Myers Status Update: 30 PA, 0.0% BB, 23.3% K, .267/.267/.400 (.318 BABIP), 84 wRC+, 0.0 WAR.

Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Tampa Bay Radio, Perhaps.

Today’s Complete Schedule
Here’s the complete schedule for all of today’s games, with our very proprietary watchability (NERD) scores for each one. Pitching probables and game times aggregated from MLB.com and RotoWire. The average NERD Game Score for today is 5.8.

Note: the following table is entirely sortable.

Away		SP	Tm.	Gm.	Tm.	SP		Home	Time
Ubaldo Jimenez	CLE	5	7	6	9	5	BAL	Zach Britton*	19:05
Esmil Rogers	TOR	4	6	5	10	5	TB	Jer. Hellickson	19:10
Cliff Lee	PHI	8	2	6	9	4	SD	Eric Stults	22:10
M. Bumgarner	SF	7	6	6	3	7	LAN	Hyun-Jin Ryu	22:10

To learn how Pitcher and Team NERD Scores are calculated, click here.
To learn how Game NERD Scores are calculated, click here.
* = Fewer than 20 IP, NERD at discretion of very handsome author.