Daily Prospect Notes: 5/7/21

These are notes on prospects from lead prospect analyst Eric Longenhagen. Read previous installments here.

Robert Hassell III, CF, San Diego Padres
Level & Affiliate: Low-A Lake Elsinore   Age: 19   Org Rank: 5   FV: 50
Line: 3-for-5, HR, 2B, BB, 2 SB

Notes
Perhaps the most important thing about Hassell’s first pro season will be how he looks in center field. His first step out there is pretty good, but he sometimes struggles to close the deal, especially when he’s approaching the wall. Hassell hit with substantially more power during 2020 instructs, then arrived to 2021 spring training (where he got a lot of run with the big league team) with a really steep, uphill swing, and I watched him swing through a lot of fastballs with lateral action during minor league spring training. Clearly games like last night are an indication that’s okay, I’m just noting there may be a contact-for-power tradeoff happening here based on my spring looks.

Carson Ragsdale, RHP, San Francisco Giants
Level & Affiliate: Low-A San Jose   Age: 22   Org Rank: 25   FV: 40
Line: 5 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 0 R, 7 K

Notes
Ragsdale was in the honorable mention section of the Giants list but just belonged on its main section, so I’ve added him. He had TJ in 2019, then re-entered South Florida’s rotation in 2020 before the shutdown. He’s a huge-framed 6-foot-8 and was up to 96 in 2020 but sat more 91-94, and he had much better feel for locating his shapely low-80s curveball than his fastball in 2020. His fastball command was better in my look this spring when he sat 93-95. His height and curveball combine to create a really tough angle on the pitch that I appreciated much more in person than on film.

Adam Macko, LHP, Seattle Mariners
Level & Affiliate: Low-A Modesto   Age: 20   Org Rank: tbd   FV: 40+
Line: 4 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 0 R, 7 K

Notes
Macko was a 2019 seventh round high schooler who was drafted because of his proclivity for spin and physical projection. His fastball sat 87-90 during his first pro summer but it’s been parked closer to 94, and topping out at 98, so far this spring. The increased velocity has really impacted Macko’s fastball control. He’s got a scaled down version of the Clayton Kershaw build, with a thick lower half and short levers, but Macko’s delivery looks more like Ryan Buchter’s. His sweeping breaking ball is already plus. Macko doesn’t turn 21 until the very end of the calendar year. It’d be impressive if he held this new velo all season long. His delivery is atypical for a starter but he also has impact relief potential because of the quality of his breaking ball, so Macko belongs in an FV tier of impact on the upcoming Mariners list.

Dane Acker, RHP, Texas Rangers
Level & Affiliate: Low-A Down East Wood  Age: 22   Org Rank: tbd   FV: 40
Line: 3.1 IP, 3 H, 0 BB, 1 R, 5 K

Notes
I described Acker as an “extra pitching prospect” in my Elvis Andrus trade analysis (he was sent from Oakland to Texas) but he’s quickly become much more than that. I have him peaking at 93 before the 2020 shutdown, but he was up to 99 on the backfields this spring and never sat below 94-97 for me or scouts I spoke with regarding him. This was a loose, athletic, somewhat projectable college pitcher who commanded four fringe pitches, but is now throwing much harder. He had an odd developmental track, going from Rice to San Jacinto to Oklahoma, then barely pitching for the Sooners before the shutdown.

Alexander Guillen, RHP, Miami Marlins
Level & Affiliate: Triple-A Jacksonville  Age: 25   Org Rank: NR   FV: 35
Line: 3.1 IP (relief), 0 H, 1 BB, 0 R, 3 K

Notes
Guillen was a Rockies prospect who hit minor league free agency after 2019 (he re-signed) and again after 2020 when he signed a deal with Miami. He looked really good during the 2019 Fall League, in part because his cyclops slider was seemingly a perfect fit for the experimental electronic strike zone at Salt River Fields. Some of those sliders can be found below, and also on the hilarious robozone called strike highlight reel from that season. I like Guillen as a sleeper bullpen piece.