Five Guys to Watch For The Rule 5 Draft

With 40-man rosters being set today, any player Rule 5 eligible can be drafted away from their original teams for a minuscule fee on December 8 during the annual Rule 5 Draft, provided that they stay on their new teams 25-man roster the entire year. If not, they will be returned to their original teams. This does not get much attention from those outside from the most diehard fans, as most eligible players are organizational fillers who will never play a major role in the big leagues. However, there are some success as well, including Dan Uggla, Josh Hamilton, Johan Santana, and in more recent years, Odubel Herrera and Marwin Gonzalez. In this article, we will list the 5 players with performances or tools that will be very enticing for other clubs to take a chance on.

Last year's draft recap and scouting reports can be found here.

OF Barrett Barnes, Pittsburgh Pirates
The 25-year-old Barnes may have the best combination of tools, stats, and pedigree out of anybody eligible this year. The former supplemental first round pick has both speed and power, as well as raw athleticism uncommon for a college draftee like him. Since being drafted in 2012, he has put up a career slash line in the minors of .279/.367/.436, good for an .803 OPS while showing off his tools and even some plate discipline. His only fault? He consistently gets injured. So far in his professional career, he has never had a fully healthy season until 2016, when he produced a solid .306/.377/477 line in Double-A. A team looking for an outfielder for the short side of a platoon with some future potential should look to take a flier on Barnes's athleticism and bet on him staying healthy.

3B Nicky Delmonico, Chicago White Sox
Delmonico has had a long ride, to say the least. A former high-upside prospect in the Orioles system, the offensive-minded third baseman broke out in 2013 with a .243/.350/.469 slash line in A-ball before being dealt to Milwaukee for Francisco Rodriguez. There he scuffled for 1 and half seasons, on top of a PED suspension in 2014 and being released by the Brewers after that year. Last year, however, he signed on with the White Sox system and after struggling in 2015, promptly started raking again in 2016, hitting .279/.347/.490 in AA and AAA combined. He is still just 24 years old, and has a clean swing with above average pop. Look for a team who needs a platoon infielder/bench bat to take a shot on Delmonico during the Rule 5 Draft.

LHP Wei-Chung Wang, Milawukee Brewers
Wang is a veteran of the Rule 5 process, having been taken by the Brewers before the 2014 season. The lefty was still making the jump from Rookie ball at the time, and understandably struggled in his brief time in the bigs. After being outrighted off the 40-man roster, Wang has put up a solid season in 2016, with a 3.78 ERA, 7.7 K/9, and 2.4 BB/9 between AA and AAA combined. He clearly has talent, which the Brewers were willing to take a flier on, with a fastball that touches 96 and above average curve and change. Teams in need of a LOOGY or a bottom-of-the-rotation innings eater could look to stash Wang this coming season.

OF Jon Kemmer, Houston Astros
Coming off the heels of a breakout 2015 that saw him hit .327/.414/.574 with 18 home runs in AA, Kemmer initially struggled in his first exposure in AAA, batting just .258 with 5 homers in the first half. However, as he started to adjust to the pitching, he returned to his old mashing ways, hitting .274 with 13 home runs in the second half of the season. He is not just an offensive threat either; he can play both corner outfield spots proficiently as well as center field in a pinch, with a strong arm to boot. Any team looking for a lefty swinging outfielder as a platoon bat should see Kemmer as a cheap and possibly productive solution.

LHP Jordan Guerrero, Chicago White Sox
Unlike the other players on this list Guerrero did not put up great numbers in 2016, scuffling to a 4.83 ERA and 1.51 WHIP in AA ball. However, he is a lefty with plus arm speed and a 90-94 mph fastball that could play up in a relief role in the majors. His changeup is a plus offering, and a shift to the bullpen could allow him to lessen the usage of his fringy curveball. He has put up much better numbers at lower levels, such as in a breakout 2015 that saw him throw 149 innings with a 8.9 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9. Despite middling command of his pitches and an elevated walk rate this season, the fastball/changeup combo should make him a serviceable LOOGY in a big league pen.

5 Reasons Why We Will All Love Alex Bregman

Alex Bregman, QCTimes

Right before a 3-game series against the New York Yankees, Jeff Luhnow and Co. of the Astros front office finally decided to to pull the trigger and call up Alex Bregman, arguably the top prospect in the game. His debut has been much anticipated by baseball fans everywhere, especially after lighting up AA and AAA pitching with an outstanding Futures Game performance in between. Here are 5 reasons that Bregman will instantly become a fan favorite as soon as he hits the big leagues:

1- He's got game

This first one is obvious. Bregman can hit, no doubt about it. After slashing a combined .306/.406/.580 with 20 HRs and a 47/38 BB/K in just 80 games between AA and AAA combined, he has shot up prospect lists so much that Keith Law calls him the top prospect in baseball. That short quick swing will spray line drives all over the field, and in the friendly confines of Minute Maid Park the power surge will hopefully continue. His bat will carry him, but the glove is amazing too. Range, hands, and arm, he's got it all. A solid defensive shortstop, he should be able to handle 3B just fine and LF in MMP probably won't be too hard for him. Here's a video of an insane play he made as a shortstop back at LSU.

2- He's got swagger

On the field, Bregman plays hard and is all business, but off the field he's got some flair. How many minor leaguers do you know have part in their own line of clothing and are already have endorsements? Alex Bregman is with Marucci baseball and they do Rake City Apparel, which you will find Bregman wearing a lot on Twitter and Instagram. You can buy their shirts here.

3- He's humble

For a 21 year old, Alex Bregman has tremendous professionalism when conducting interviews. Never citing individual goals, he has consistently focused on team winning and doing whatever he can do to help. Check out some of his interviews here and here. And even though on the field he is just as good or even better than many of his teammates, he knows his place as a rookie, as shown by this quote: “I’m going to keep my mouth shut,” Bregman said in his 11-minute introductory news conference. “The only thing I want to do is win games. I’m not going to win games by talking about it — just by doing it.”

USA Baseball

4- He plays to prove something

Scouts often laud Bregman's grit and hustle, a lot of which comes from him playing with a bit of a chip on his shoulder. Coming out of high school, he declared that he wouldn't sign unless he was a first round pick. He wasn't taken until the 29th round, and sure enough, he headed to LSU instead. During his freshman year of college, he wore the number 30 for the thirty teams that passed on him.

5- He performs on the big stage

In each of his years in LSU, Bregman has played extremely well in the postseason, including a .533/.650/.667 performance in his sophomore year. In the Futures Game this year, he went 3-4 with a double and a triple. Usually calm and confident, his demeanor will bode well for his performance as the Houston Astros go down the stretch run and play some of the biggest games in Bregman's young career, and the Astros have brought him up to the majors with faith that his clutch performances will continue when they need it the most.

Diamonds in the Rough: Two Foreign Draftees with Intriguing Backgrounds

During the MLB Draft, those who have played against international competition for Team USA have always been held in high regard. These platers are the ones considered to have great pedigree and a history of success, whether it be for the 18U Team (Mickey Moniak, Blake Rutherford, Forrest Whitley) or the Collegiate National Team (Corey Ray, A.J. Puk). Usually in the draft, the majority of the players hail from the United States, with a few scattered from Puerto Rico and Canada. There have been a few scattered players that were born in other nations as well and moved to the States for high school ball, but rarely, if at all, have they represented their home countries in global competition. In this year's draft, two players were selected with international tournament experience in a different country, Lyle Lin of Taiwan and Stjin van der Meer of the Netherlands.

C Lyle Lin (Taiwan), Seattle Mariners

Lin, 2011 with Chinese Taipei/ twbsball.org

Lin, a 6'2'' 200 pound catcher, was selected as a 16th rounder out of Junipero Serra Catholic High School in Southern California. Ranked as one of the top prep catchers in SoCal after moving stateside before his sophomore year, the Arizona State commit is a sold defensive catcher who has great bat speed to boot. A true two way catcher headed to ASU, Lin has drawn comparisons to former big-leaguer Paul Lo Duca. He is not expected to sign with the Mariners this year and will likely re-enter 3 years from now after some development in college, hopefully with a higher draft position. Back in 2011, Lin caught and batted 6th for the Chinese Taipei team that was the runner-up in the Pony World Series to Laredo, Texas. In the championship game, in which Chinese Taipei lost 10-9 despite a rally and runners in scoring position in the bottom of the seventh, Lin went 1-3 with a line drive single to left and reached twice on errors. Below is a video from Prospect Pipeline of his workout for the Area Code showcase.

SS Stijn van der Meer (the Netherlands), Houston Astros

van der Meer on Team Nederland, Honkballsite

Drafted out of Lamar University in the 34th round, van der Meer has the case to be the most interesting prospect in the entire draft class. Not only does he have the best, most exotic, and most consonant-excessive name, he also has the most unique background. Growing up in the Netherlands, which is not the most prospect-rich nation, van der Meer played baseball and was one of the top offensive producers in European tournaments, winning multiple awards along the way. Van der Meer was the MVP of the 2011 European Junior Championship, and the same year rated the #1 youth player in the nation. In 2012, at the age of just 19, he played in Netherlands top league, the Honkbal Hoofdklasse, against players 10-20 years older. (Some players get paid, some don't, which helped him retain NCAA eligibility.) He finished one shy for the league leader in hits, and started the All-Star Game as well. Following that season, he enrolled in college in the U.S, playing community college ball before transferring to Lamar, posting similar numbers as he did back home, usually with a batting average around .350 but with limited power. Every summer following college ball, he would return to his homeland and play Honkbal, and his gaudy stats are here on Baseball Reference. His career BB/K ratio is 38/20, and in college it is 57/28, so expect a patient hitter who will make contact as well. Also, because the Hoofdklasse is recognized as a major baseball organization, it is part of the baseball simulation game, OOTP 17, and with accurate rosters, the lanky shortstop even has his own profile! As seen on the OOTP Elite, Stijn is rated a 40 CON/25 POW, which is apparently good for a Honkbaler but non-prospect status for minor leaguers. But even if his incredible BB/K ratio doesn't hold up in pro ball, he can still strut his 4/1 consonant-to-vowel ratio in his first name, and as a Honkbaler named Stijn who played in a league called Hoofdklasse with his background, pedigree, and overall story, van der Meer should be a fun follow this summer and hopefully for years to come!

The Bizarre Spray Chart of Bobby Wernes

Bobby Wernes, an unheralded third baseman from the University of Arkansas, was not considered much of a prospect at the start of the 2015 season. As the college season went along however, the relatively small Arkansas program was put on the map and started garnering scouting interest when centerfielder and eventual 1st rounder and Golden Spikes Award winner Andrew Benintendi heated up and took the baseball world by storm. Wernes, teammates Tyler Spoon and Trey Killian benefited from the extra exposure, and became drafted in the Amateur Draft held in June. Bobby Wernes was solid offensively, hitting .279 with 5 homers, but he stood out for his defensive prowess and ability to make plays like these:

His glove and cannon of an arm are most likely what the Astros were looking to benefit from when the picked him in the 30th round this season, but Wernes took fans by surprise by batting .351 in the NYPL and winning the batting title. He no doubt benefited from an unsustainable .410 BABIP and showed almost no power (.043 ISO and just 8 extra base hits, all doubles), but hitting for an average that high and showing good plate discipline as well (27/27 BB/K ratio, .440 OBP) just cannot be ignored. Thanks to websites such as mlbfarm.com, we can dig deeper into his batted ball numbers and spray charts. Click here for Bobby Wernes page, highly recommend this site with its interactive spray charts and graphs.

The first big take away from his numbers is his propensity for putting the ball on the ground or on a line, and his avoidance of hitting flyballs. His batted ball breakdown is as follows:

Grounders: 53.09%

Line Drives: 30.25%

Flyballs: 12.35%

GB/FB: 4.3

No player in the MLB (min. 150 PA's) in 2015 had a lower flyball percentage, beating groundball machines such as Christian Yelich, Dee Gordon, and Ben Revere, and his line drive rate would top everyone as well. So would his GB/FB ratio, as the MLB leader was the unorthodox Yelich at 4.16, then a big drop-off to Howie Kendrick at 3.52. With his penchant for hitting grounders and never putting the ball in the air, Bobby Wernes' batted ball profile is one of the most unusual you will ever see in all of baseball, yet it is not even the most surprising part of his profile.

This is his spray chart with the short-season Tri City ValleyCats, where he led the New York-Penn League in batting average and made the all star team. The spray of batted balls in the outfield is unbelievable, especially since Bobby Wernes is right-handed. He is a dead-slap hitter, with 22.84% of his batted ball location going to right field, more than any other part of the field, especially left field, where his balls were hit at just 4.94%, less than even his balls hit at the pitcher (5.56%). An astounding 45.5% of his batted balls (close approximation, exact value not available) went to opposite field, where the highest percentage of slapped balls at the MLB level among qualified hitters was DJ LeMahieu at "just" 39%. Billy Burns, the A's outfielder famous for slapping singles the other way, went oppo at a 33.5% clip, which pales in comparison to Wernes.

In college, his swing seemed to work, as he bopped 5 homers in college, including this clutch homer in the semifinals of the College World Series, along with 7 doubles and 6 triples, good for a .425 slugging percentage and .146 ISO. One may wonder why all the power disappeared. It is possible that the higher velocity and better off-speed of pro pitchers kept him late or off-balance, leading to all the batted balls the other way, but he managed to win the batting title regardless and struck out just 27 times in 53 games. While his .410 BABIP might be unsustainable, what is crazy is that his .424 xBABIP (predicted BABIP based on batted balls) suggested that he might have even been unlucky! Adjusted with xBABIP, his actual .351/.439/.394 slash line could have looked an even better and more unbelievable .367/.446/.409. It will be very interesting to see Wernes climb the organizational ladder and see if his power will make a return, and even more intriguing to see if his approach and profile will continue to play against advanced pitching. Below is some video of his swing, feel free to break it down and hypothesize why he hits like he does.

All charts and graphs are courtesy of MLBfarm.com, all videos are from YouTube and I do not own them.

State of the Farm: Houston Astros

Hello Everybody! The Astros, with their strong draft position in the last few years coupled with the trade acquisitions by general manager Jeff Luhnow, currently possess one of the best farm systems in the MLB. Along with the young core in the major leagues right now, the Houston Astros may be scary for years to come.

Houston Astros

TOP THREE PROSPECTS

1. Alex Bregman, SS, 6'0" 186 lbs. R/R
Alex Bregman, the Astros top draft pick in the 2015 draft at number two overall, is a polished shortstop out of LSU. He provides an above average hit tool and good plate discipline with a short, sweet stroke tailor-made for spraying line drives to all fields. Power might not be the biggest part his game right now, but he could be a doubles machine with room to mature into some more pop as he develops and moves up the organizational ladder. He possesses slightly above average speed and good fielding instincts at shortstop to go with his strong arm. Scouts describe his game with the cliché scrappy and gritty, a grinder that hustles and puts in plus plus effort and work ethic. Bregman could develop into a .280/.360/.410 hitter that, with his athleticism, could play all around the field with Carlos Correa ahead of him at shortstop.

2. A.J. Reed, 1B, 6'4" 240 lbs. L/L
Standing at 6'4" 240 pounds, A.J. Reed is a big, big, man. He has some of the best pure power out of anyone in the minor leagues, bashing 12 home runs in just 68 games after the 2014 draft, then following that up with an astounding 34 dingers in his first full pro season in 2015. While he may not replicate the insane .340 batting average he posted this past season, he has a solid hit tool that won't be completely exposed by big league pitching and avoid striking out at an extreme clip. As a former pitcher who could sit 88-91 on the mound in college, Reed also possesses a good arm, although he won't get too many chances to show it off at first base. While he is an average defender at first with a strong arm, he is limited to first base due to left-handedness and lack of mobility. His bat alone will make him a fine major leaguer, and any good defensive showing at first base will just be the cherry on top. It is not unreasonable to expect Reed to put up a .260/.340/.520 line in his prime.

3. Mark Appel, RHP, 6'5" 220 lbs. R/R
Mark Appel's struggles in the minor leagues are tough to explain. While he is not the greatest athlete, his arsenal contains a 98 mph fastball and a plus slider than can put major league hitters away. He also has an above average changeup. Appel has solid control and can throw all three pitches for strikes, as evidenced by his reasonable 2.9 BB/9 throughout his minor league career. What his problem might be however, is not control, but command. There have been rumors, both by scouts and fans who witness his starts, that while he throws in the strike zone, he has trouble hitting corners and making quality pitches within. He has been inconsistent throughout his career, sometimes dominant yet often hittable, and much of this could be attributed to his inability to command the zone. His stuff however, has always been maintained, and is seemingly one simple fix away from contributing to the Astros playoff runs in Houston.

THE REST OF THE FARM

There are several other hard-throwing right handers in the farm system deserving a mention in the top 3 such as Francis Martes, Joe Musgrove, and Michael Feliz. Martes was a throw-in from the Jarred Cosart deal with Miami that emerged this season as possibly the top piece of that deal, pitching at three levels to the tune of a 2.04 ERA and an 8.7 K/9. Musgrove, the Astros minor league pitcher of the year, is another rising name, with 99 strikeouts to just 8 walks in 100 2/3 innings to go with a miniscule 1.88 ERA, also at three different levels. Feliz has been a big name for some time and making his major league debut this season. He is a power arm who can run the fastball up to 96 mph with quality slider and changeup, and you can expect him to play a big role for an MLB team very soon. One other fast riser this season is Akeem Bostick, who gets groundballs and limits the walks, and his projectable frame suggests more velocity and strikeouts to come. Keegan Yuhl, who has a similar profile to Bostick, had one of the greatest seasons in high-A Lancaster history, posting a 1.74 ERA on the season. Several power arms to keep an eye on are David Paulino and relievers Jandel Gustave and Reymin Guduan, each of whom can hit 100 mph. Some finesse right handers include changeup specialist Chris Devenski, strike-throwing Brady Rodgers, sinkerballers Mike Hauschild and Kyle Westwood, and Asher Wojciechowski. The big names for immediate relief options include power righties James Hoyt, Jordan Jankowski, Tyson Perez in AAA and Tyler Brunnemann, Travis Ballew, and Aaron West in AA. Lefty relievers in the upper levels of the farm system include Luis Cruz, Chris Cotton, and Tommy Shirley.

Aside from Bregman and Reed, the Astros system includes plenty of other intriguing bats, including two college bats drafted along side Reed, power hitting third baseman J.D. Davis and toolsy outfielder Derek Fisher, both of whom have 25 home run pop. Some other names with loud tools include Teoscar Hernandez and his plus speed and power combo, sweet-swinging outfielder Danry Vasquez, and Jason Martin, the plus defender with a potential-laden bat. On the other end of the spectrum, the system possesses some lumbering mashers who aren't the top athletes. Lefty Jon Kemmer, who hit .327/.414/.574 in AA and righty Tyler White, who slashed .325/.442/.496 in AA and AAA combined. Another prospect from the Cosart deal is third baseman Colin Moran, who has arguably the best hit tool in the system. On the other side of the diamond is former Vanderbilt first baseman Conrad Gregor, another line-drive bat with developing power. Some defense first players to note include catchers Tyler Heineman and Roberto Pena, outfielder Andrew Aplin, Korean infielder Chan Moon and former first-rounder shortstop Jio Mier. One name who could be poised for a 2016 breakout is middle infielder Nolan Fontana. Fontana has some of the best plate discipline in all of baseball, leading to extremely high OBPs with just enough power so pitchers won't challenge him right down the middle. Expect him to start next season in AAA Fresno, but a strong start could force his name into the discussion for the utility role in Houston.

In the lower levels of the minors, there are more intriguing bats to note. Chase McDonald and his gigantic frame quietly smashed 30 HRs in high-A Lancaster. OBP machine Jamie Ritchie may be the best catching prospect in the system, and Ronnie Mitchell and Ramon Laureano have some big tools that have been hidden with the depth of the system. Centerfielders James Ramsay and Bobby Boyd have had solid seasons both at the plate and defensively, and Nick Tanielu had a huge season in low-A Quad Cities, spraying doubles all around the field. Some younger Latin American kids to follow include Kristian Trompiz, who spent the entire season in Quad Cities at the age of 19, Hector Roa and his raw power potential, and former bonus babies Wander Franco, Joan Mauricio, Bryan De La Cruz, and Reiny Beltre. Some of the interesting arms include Elieser Hernandez, who dominated the competition with his 94 mph fastball, slider, and changeup, and Cuban defector Rogelio Armenteros. Further down the pipeline there are high ceiling guys such as Franklin Perez and Juan Robles, who at 17, ended the season at low-A Quad Cities against hitters 5 years older than him.

THE 2015 DRAFT

This season's draft may go down in history as one of the top draft classes by any team in history if it all pans out. Alex Bregman is an obvious top talent, but the Astros also nabbed two of the top 5 outfielders in the draft with high-ceiling high schoolers Kyle Tucker and Daz Cameron. Tucker has an unorthodox swing, yet he has great bat-to-ball skills and plus raw power to match, as well as the ability to play solid defense and even steal some bases. Cameron's calling card is his speed and plus defense, which plays well with his solid hitting ability and developing power. The Astros also nabbed Thomas Eshelman, one of the best control pitchers in college baseball history. Other picks that could move quick include third-rounder fireballer Riley Ferrell, and lefty reliever Michael Freeman. A very intriguing player in this year's class is 12th-rounder Myles Straw, a centerfielder that possesses 80-grade speed and could soon become the Astros version of Terrance Gore. The highest ceilings of this class, excluding the first rounders, are outfielder Nestor Muriel and left handed pitcher Patrick Sandoval. Some strong performers to note include pitchers Trent Thornton, Alex Winkelman, Steve Naemark, and Chris Murphy, and hitters Drew Ferguson, Aaron Mizell, Johnny Sewald, and Brooks Marlow. The strongest performer of the class however, is former Arkansas third baseman Bobby Wernes, who batted .346 en route to a NYPL batting title.

Bonus Video: Nestor Muriel showing off his defensive tools and sweet swing.

Thanks for reading, and if you have any comments feel free to let me know!