Daily Prospect Notes: 6/27

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

Durin O’Linger, RHP, Boston
Level: Short Season Age: 23   Org Rank: NR   Top 100: NR
Line: 4 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 1 R, 6 K

Notes
O’Linger isn’t exactly a prospect — his fastball sits in the 86-88 range and he’ll flash an average changeup — but of note due to his recent, historic postseason run at Davidson during which the senior threw 502 pitches over six appearances in a 16-day span. Rest was not a priority for O’Linger, who was so sure he had no future in pro baseball that he was set to attend the University of Florida’s pharmacy school in the fall. The 23-year-old is pitching with house money in the New York-Penn League right now.

Brusdar Graterol, RHP, Minnesota (Profile)
Level: Rookie   Age: 18   Org Rank: HM   Top 100: NR
Line: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 0 R, 4 K

Notes
Well built and owner of god-like arm acceleration, Graterol sits 93-98 and throws are tight, short-breaking slider in the 84-88 mph range. At times, his fastball lacks plane and his delivery lacks fluidity, but it’s pretty easy to dream on Graterol as a back-end bullpen arm even if those issues are never solved.

Micker Adolfo, OF, Chicago AL (Profile)
Level: Low-A   Age: 20   Org Rank: HM   Top 100: NR
Line: 2-for-3, 2B, HR, BB

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Notes
Still strikeout-prone, Adolfo is finally tapping into the plus raw power that made him a $1.6 million prospect in 2013. He has eight home runs in June and is slashing .290/.355/.515 this season.

Bryan Reynolds, CF, San Francisco (Profile)
Level: Hi-A  Age: 22   Org Rank: 3 Top 100: HM
Line: 2-for-6, 3B, SB

Notes
On May 1, Reynolds was slashing .253/.316/.356. Since then, he’s hit .327/.360/.476. He had a leg kick as a left-handed hitter in March and April but that is now gone and Reynolds is generating all of his power from the left side with his hips and hands.

****
Notes from the Field
Oakland RHP Norge Ruiz, signed out of Cuba over the winter for $2 million, made his stateside debut last night at Camelback Ranch in Glendale. Ruiz was slow to matriculate to the states due to visa issues. He sat 91-94 with his fastball last night, touching 95 a few times. He mixed in a changeup, splitter, and sweeping, mid-80s slider as well as various arm angles. He threw the changeup more often than the split and used it against both left- and right-handed hitters. It, like the slider, projects to average. Ruiz is undersized and struggled to maintain command late into his start, so there’s some relief risk here, but he has No. 4/5 starter stuff. Please enjoy your side, a lovely the 4-6-3 double play turned by 2B Marcos Brito and SS Yerdel Vargas at the video’s 3:26 mark.

Righty Stetson Allie, now 26, threw his first pitch in affiliated baseball since 2012 last night and it was a 99 mph fastball. Allie, who was drafted in the 2010 second round as a pitcher but struggled to find the strike zone for just over a year, became a power-hitting corner infielder in 2012. He’s back on the mound and sat 95-99 last night, at times with cut, at times with run, and often far from where the catcher set his target.





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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MoltarMember since 2017
8 years ago

You know I’m such a fool for you. You got me wrapped around your finger ah ahhhhh. Durin have to let O’Linger…

wily moMember since 2020
8 years ago
Reply to  Moltar

he could have such a great run in boston with that name. i wish he threw harder

but alas. velocity. durin’s bane