When you look at the Double-A home run leaders, it probably is not a tremendous surprise that big 6-foot-4 Rhys Hoskins or monstrous 6-foot-6 Dylan Cozens are atop the charts. What may come as a surprise is that Willie Calhoun has become one of the bigger power threats in all three leagues on the Double-A level. All 5-foot-8 of him.
Keep reading for more on one of the premier second base prospects in baseball.
Even with the departure of catching prospect Francisco Mejia in last night’s late Jonathan Lucroy deal, the Cleveland Indians boasted a very talented top-ten prospects in their system. The New York Yankees seemed to think so as well, swooping in and snagging top prospect Clint Frazier and left-hander Justus Sheffield for Andrew Miller a few hours later.
Continue onward to find out more about the Yanks newest prospect!
It sure has been a long time, hasn’t it? I mean the last few years haven’t been all that bad, and hey, the Bronx Bombers won the wild card spot last year. Of course, there was that feeling of hopelessness going in with a lack luster offense against the American League Cy Young Award winner, but it was a playoff appearance that had been missing since 2012.
The problem was it was a lot of the same. Everyday you woke up and it was the same old story. Mark Teixeira was hurt. Ivan Nova struggled. Jacoby Ellsbury was hurt. Michael Pineda struggled. Alex Rodriguez got hurt. Nathan Eovaldi struggled.
Today, though. Today is the first day of a new beginning for the Yankees.
The Milwaukee Brewers had once hoped that Mitch Haniger would join Ryan Braun in their outfield to form a dynamic power-hitting duo. A slow start to his career, a few injury setbacks, and a new team have seen Haniger’s career take a different path. He finally seems to be putting it all together this year with the Reno Aces.
When the Atlanta Braves began their overhaul, they were left void of a top-tier pitching prospect on the upper levels, one seemingly on the cusp of major league greatness. They addressed that issue this past offseason, sending fan favorite — and arguably the best defensive shortstop in the game — Andrelton Simmons to the west coast for Sean Newcomb, the Angels promising left-hander who was regarded as one of the best in the game.
His first year in the Braves organization has not looked that way.
The St. Louis Cardinals have arguably the top pitching prospect in baseball — Alex Reyes continues to miss bats at an unworldly pace. Not to be overlooked, however, Luke Weaver is making a strong push to be right behind Reyes en route to the big leagues.
The Toronto Blue Jays’ top pitching prospect is known simply by three letters. SRF. Just one year after a disastrous Florida State League debut, Sean Reid-Foley is back in Dunedin. This time, however, he is hotter than the Sunshine State’s summer, as one of the best pitchers in the league.
The Atlanta Braves brass are at it again. This time they shipped 31-year old journeyman pitcher Lucas Harrell and 27-year old lefty reliever Dario Alvarez, who has spent the bulk of his career in he minor leagues, to the Texas Rangers for the exciting big bat of second baseman Travis Demeritte.
I live in Atlanta, Georgia. Being a minor league writer is very tough because there isn’t a team less than an hour away from me. There’s a lot of travel involved when I don’t want to watch a prospect on MiLB.TV and in person.
That being said, when I drive to a game — especially one that is featuring two of the more highly touted pitching prospects in Low-A ball — I have high expectations.
I went to Rome Monday night, excited to see the Rome Braves Mike Soroka and West Virginia Power’s Mitch Keller duke it out. Instead I watched a game that 13 combined runs were scored.
ROME, GA — The Atlanta Braves went into full rebuild mode last season. John Hart took the helm and began a new era of Braves baseball, getting a lot of big money stars off the books in exchange for a bevy of elite, young prospects. They also made a big haul in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft.
Onward for my exclusive interview with Braves prospect Austin Riley
![Get to know Dodgers prospect Willie Calhoun [Interview]](https://waynecavadi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/los_angeles_dodgers4.jpg?w=672&h=372&crop=1)
![The Atlanta Braves Austin Riley getting into the swing of things [Interview]](https://waynecavadi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/keller-to-riley.jpg?w=672&h=372&crop=1)
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