Daily Prospect Notes: 6/22

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

Jacob Scavuzzo, OF, Los Angeles NL (Profile)
Level: Double-A  Age: 23   Org Rank: HM   Top 100: NR
Line: 3-for-5, 3 HR
Notes
Scavuzzo has above-average raw power, but he often expands the zone; has a stubborn, pull-only approach to contact; and has long levers. That’s a potent swing-and-miss cocktail, but hitters with Scavuzzo’s body type sometimes put it together a bit later than their peers. He’s 23.

Tzu-Wei Lin, MIF, Boston (Profile)
Level: Double-A   Age: 23   Org Rank: NR   Top 100: NR
Line: 5-for-5, 2B, 3B, SB
Notes
Lin’s batted-ball profile has changed dramatically. His ground-ball rate is down from 55% in 2016 to 34% this season, and his fly-ball rate is up from 28% to 46%. Lin’s footwork has changed: a dangling leg kick has replaced a quickly grounded front foot. He has always been hard to strike out, and now it seems Lin’s hand-eye coordination and bat control are benefiting from more efficient use of his lower half, generating more doubles power. Not all scouts consider him a shortstop — many think his arm belongs on the other side of the infield — but maybe there’s enough bat here now that he profiles as a low-end regular at second.

Here’s the old swing

Nick Solak, 2B, New York AL (Profile)
Level: Hi-A   Age: 22   Org Rank: HM   Top 100: NR
Line: 4-for-5, 2B, SB
Notes
Solak grinds out great at-bats and sprays contact to all fields. He’s a potential plus hitter. If he can keep walking at something close to his early-career rates as he approaches the majors, he’ll have become an everyday second-base prospect. But because he lacks power, some scouts think upper-level pitching will attack him more than A-ball pitching is capable of and water down his ability to reach base that often.

Brandon Marsh, OF, Los Angeles AL (Profile)
Level: Short Season  Age: 19   Org Rank: 2   Top 100: NR
Line: 4-for-6, 2B, SB
Notes
In a system suddenly packed with low-level outfield prospects, Marsh stands out for his physicality. He projects to have plus raw power at peak, and he looked great in center field during extended spring training.





Eric Longenhagen is from Catasauqua, PA and currently lives in Tempe, AZ. He spent four years working for the Phillies Triple-A affiliate, two with Baseball Info Solutions and two contributing to prospect coverage at ESPN.com. Previous work can also be found at Sports On Earth, CrashburnAlley and Prospect Insider.

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TOC
6 years ago

Hey Eric, I don’t have a twitter so haven’t been able to ask on there, but what are your thoughts on Austin Hays and Ryan Mountcastle? Are they a couple guys who could creep into the back end of your midseason top-100 list (if you do one)?

snowybeard
6 years ago
Reply to  TOC

I bet one of them does.
I use Twitter almost exclusively to send tweets to the writers at FG or RG, so why don’t you try the same thing?
Btw: I’m not sure I’d use that second video to highlight the changes that Tzu Wei Lin has made.