Bluebird Banter Mid-Season Prospect Review 11-20

We continue our review of our top 40 prospect list.

11.Roberto Osuna: is still recovering from Tommy John surgery last year. He's throwing now and has pitched 1 inning of rehab, in the Gulf Coast League. It was a good inning, clean with 2 strikeouts. On last week's Around the Nest, Chris King said he looked very good, but that was July 8th and I haven't heard anything more about him. I'm hoping he's ok, just working in side sessions.

12.Chase DeJong: Chase is having some troubles, in his first look at A-ball. He is 0-6, with a 5.31.ERA in 19 games, 17 starts, at Lansing.  In 78 innings, he's allowed 94 hits, 11 home runs, 17 walks with 62 strikeouts. The strikeout to walk rate is very good, but that's about all that's good. He had a couple of good starts in a row, and I was thinking he's turning things around, but he allowed 8 hits, 6 earned, in 4 innings Friday. He's 20 this year, so he's young for the level, he can have the season to figure out how to get batters in full season ball.

13. Dawel Lugo: Dawel is another one playing first full season ball for the first time, at Lansing. He's been pretty good, hitting .285/.309/.371, with 3 home runs, 12 walks and 46 strikeouts. He's having a great July, hitting .309/.329/.500 in the first 17 games of the month. He needs to learn to take some walks but he's just 19, there is time for that. He's playing a good SS.

14. Andy Burns: Andy is back at New Hampshire, where he finished last season. He's been ok, .250/322/.418 with 10 home runs, 14 steals (7 caught), 35 walks and 75  strikeouts. July has been very good, hitting .333/.373/.683 in 17 games. He's been playing mostly third base, but has a few games at short and first. He could be a good choice for a utility infielder type in a year or so.

15. John Stilson: John looked so good this spring that I was sure we'd see him sometime this season, but he had a very slow start to the year. At the end of April he had a 9.39 ERA. Since then he has been much better, he had a 1.04 ERA in May, with 21 strikeouts in 17.1 innings and a 2.00 ERA in June, with 7 strikeouts in 9 innings. In total, 3.18 ERA, in 25 games, 34 innings, 37 hits, 2 home runs, 18 walks and 32 strikeouts. John is on the DL at the moment, with 'shoulder discomfort', but then he hasn't played since June 24th, so maybe it is more than discomfort.

16. L.B. Dantzler: L.B. started the season at Lansing, hit .248/.351/.366 in 43 games, 3 home runs, 25 walks and 21 strikeouts. That got him moved up to Dunedin, where he is hitting .229/.289/.284 in 29 games. He was a 14th round pick in 2013 and was thought to be a pretty polished college bat. He was great, last year, in Vancouver, hitting .302/.385/.504 with 9 home runs in 59 games. I was expecting better. He's on the DL at the moment.

17. Dwight Smith, Jr: Dwight is having a pretty good time of it at Dunedin. He's hitting .287/.360/.423 with 6 triples, 6 home runs, 42 walks, 53 strikeouts and 12 stolen bases. July has been great, .373/.447/.552. He's playing mostly left, with some center field. Numbers like those make you think he ought to move up to New Hampshire.

18. Matt Smoral: Matt was our first round pick in 2012. He's in Bluefield this year, he hasn't started great, 2-2, 5.06 ERA, in 6 games, 4 starts. In 21.1 innings, 24 hits, 13 walks and 36 strikeouts. Yeah 36 strikeouts in 21.1 innings. That's 12  innings worth of strikeouts of 21.1. Sounds good, but 13 walks isn't as good. It seems like he either gives up hits, walks or gets strikeouts. Nothing else. He had a very good start Saturday, 5 innings, just 2 hits, 1 walks and 9 strikeouts.

19. Tom Robson: Tom is having a rough time of it in Lansing. He's 2-4 with a 6.25 ERA in 8 starts. In 31.2 innings he's allowed 37 hits, 1 home runs, walked 18 with 22 strikeouts. Not good. He's on the DL at the moment.

As mentioned in the comments (thanks e&n4e), Robson has had Tommy John surgery, so will be done for the year.

20. Kevin Pillar: So, well, you know. He's been up and down a couple of times. This last one, well, Gibby wasn't happy with him and he's gone. Not that he was hitting much as a major leaguer, just .225/.220/.300, with 3 doubles, 0 walks and 11 strikeouts. He has been terrific in Buffalo, hitting .313/.352/.475, with 4 home runs, 15 steals, 16 walks and 32 strikeouts in 69 games. He's kind of slowed down in July, maybe he's lost a bit of motivation, hitting .282/307/451 in 18 games. I'm pretty sure that if/when he gets called up again, Gibby will mess with him to see if he's still got the temper.