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

Hoy Jun Park, SS, New York AL (Profile)
Level: Low-A   Age: 21   Org Rank: HM  Top 100: NR
Line: 1-for-3, HR, 2 BB

Notes
Park is repeating the Carolina League and is exhibiting early indicators of improvement. He’s already hit more home runs than he had all last year (he has three), and he’s cut his strikeout rate in half while maintaining his impressive, career-long 13% walk rate. While unlikely to sustain his current .350/.450/.530 pace, Park’s early success is at least a sign that he could be ready for High-A this year, at which level Jorge Mateo is already splitting time between shortstop and center field and Kyle Holder, who’s old for the level, is hitting .083. Park is a 50 runner with polished defensive actions at shortstop and enough arm to play there. He projects in a utility role.

Devin Smeltzer, LHP, Los Angeles NL (Profile)
Level: Low-A   Age: 21   Org Rank: HM   Top 100: NR
Line: 6 IP, 0 BB, 2 H, 8 K

Notes
I projected Smeltzer as a LOOGY on the Dodgers list because of the George Clintonesque funk in his low-slot delivery and his plus, sweeping breaking ball. His fastball only sits in the upper-80s, but it plays up due to deception and has some downhill plane. He can throw that breaking ball for strikes and back foot it to right-handed hitters, and he was flashing an average changeup this spring. He’s throwing strikes now, too. While I still think he’s likely a reliever long term, Smeltzer has certainly improved his chances to start as far as I’m concerned.

Kelvin Beltre, INF, San Francisco (Profile)
Level: Low-A   Age: 20   Org Rank: HM  Top 100: NR
Line: 2-for-4, HR, 2B

Notes
Beltre dealt with several injuries during his first three pro seasons and appeared in fewer than 100 games during that span. He has good tools with above-average bat speed, about average raw power, a plus arm, and infield-worthy defensive footwork and actions. He’s probably going to max out as a 40 bat but still projects as a big leaguer of some kind, likely as a try-hard bench infielder with some pop.

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Notes from the back fields:
I was in Mesa yesterday to see Athletics and Giants prospects. Of note was Oakland righty Luis Miguel Romero, a 23-year-old Cuban who was signed in late January. Romero has an excellent body and delivery, was 91-94 (with two-seam movement on the low end of that range), and touched 96. He has a 40 slider in the mid-80s and throws a critter in the upper 70s that effectively acts as a changeup. He only threw one yesterday and showed pretty clear arm deceleration, but the pitch put me on tilt from a few rows behind home plate because it’s so goofy. It’s at the 2:25 mark in the video below, but I encourage you to watch a few pitches ahead of it to prime your brain for 92-94 before the critter gets you. The secondaries need polish, but Romero is only beginning to get consistent instruction. He has a very live body and arm, and he finished the day by locating a slider just off the plate for a foul ball and then running his fastball in under the hitter’s hands for a swinging strikeout.

I also saw Lazarito triple on the hardest ball I’ve seen him hit in the 50 or so at-bats I’ve observed since last fall. He’s still drifting out on his front foot quite heavily but tracking pitches better and running well.

Giants prospect Jose Layer, who hit .283/.365/.377 in the AZL last year as an outfielder, was playing the infield yesterday. He’s a prospect because he has good feel to hit (here’s Layer squaring up 96 from Riley Pint this spring) but is slight of build and wasn’t likely to grow into corner-worthy power, nor does he possess the speed for center field. But at shortstop he becomes very interesting and he looked pretty good there yesterday, making a few routine plays as well as corralling a ball in the hole to his right, executing a quick transfer, and throwing an underhanded dart to second base for an unlikely force out.