Daily Prospect Notes: 6/21/21

These are notes on prospects from Tess Taruskin. Read previous installments here.

Reid Detmers, LHP, Los Angeles Angels
Level & Affiliate: Double-A Rocket City Age: 21 Org Rank: 3  FV: 45+
Line: 6 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 14 K
Notes
Detmers’ delivery starts out somewhat slow, almost nonchalant, but ends with an explosive arm action that hitters seem to have trouble gauging or reacting to. In the first game of the Trash Pandas’ Father’s Day double-header against the Biloxi Shuckers, Detmers got to work right away with an immaculate inning, fanning his first three hitters on nine pitches. He went on to strike out a total of fourteen Shuckers in his six innings of work before handing the game over to reliever Oliver Ortega for the save. Detmers is only the fourth pitcher in the history of the Angels’ minor league system to strike out 14 in a game — interestingly, only four days after his teammate Cooper Criswell became the third to do so.

Spencer Torkelson, 1B/3B, Detroit Tigers
Level & Affiliate: Double-A Erie Age: 21 Org Rank: 1  FV: 60
Line: 2-for-4, HR, K
Notes
The No. 1 draft pick in 2020 started the season at High-A, where it took him a couple of weeks to tap into his immense power (as a reminder, he broke Barry Bonds’ freshman home run record at Arizona State). Torkelson shook off the growing pains and posted a 1.009 OPS and 170 wRC+ with West Michigan, earning him a promotion to Double A at the start of last week, where he has so far split his time between first and third base. He has gotten off to a much faster offensive start in Erie: On Sunday, he hit an opposite-field homer over the fence in right-center — his second jack in his last three games.

Pat DeMarco, OF, New York Yankees
Level & Affiliate: Lo-A Tampa Age: 23 Org Rank: NR  FV: 35
Line: 3-for-4, 2B, HR, K
Notes
DeMarco’s single and home run registered exit velocities of 104.8 and 103.9 mph, respectively, making Sunday’s game his fourth consecutive appearance in which his EV has topped 100. On the season, he’s combined that with an impressive walk rate of 17.5% and an .817 OPS for a wRC+ of 125. He is striking out too often to inspire an increase in his Future Value rating, but if he can keep up his hard-hit rate and his ability to recognize pitches out of the zone, he may earn himself a promotion.

Nuts Notes: Last Friday, I ventured out to central California to see the Modesto Nuts, the Low-A affiliate of the Mariners, take on the visiting San Jose Giants. Despite the 105-degree heat at game time, I was eager to see the Nuts’ Noelvi Marte and the Giants’ Marco Luciano and Luis Matos, three 19-year-old prospects who each rank within the top five of their respective orgs’ prospect lists.

Unfortunately, all three of them were quiet that night. Luciano flashed some impressive defense at shortstop, initiating a 6-4-3 double-play on a slow rolling grounder that he fielded in front of the baseline and got rid of quickly. He also gave viewers a glimpse of his oft-mentioned bat speed with a single early in the game but was promptly thrown out trying to steal second and struck out in all three of his other at-bats. Matos was also caught stealing after his only hit of the night. Marte still loads his swing with an exaggerated, slow leg kick, but was unable to time it and went hitless.

The more noteworthy performances were on the mound from Modesto’s Taylor Dollard and San Jose’s Kyle Harrison. The former showcased good command of his fastball and his breaking balls, allowing only a solo homer in the second and striking out eight in his seven innings of work, including Luciano twice. Harrison was even more dominant, lasting seven innings, giving up just two hits and one walk and striking out eight.