All-Prospect Team For August
An all-star team comprised of prospects, based on their performance in the minors during the month of August. Monthly all-prospect team archives available here.
Park-adjusted OPS+ and ERA+ are new additions this year. Both are calculated by Baseball America in the style of the familiar Baseball-Reference.com index statistics. Park factors for the 2015 season are used in all cases except for the two New York-Penn League affiliates, in which case 2016 factors are used.
C Chance Sisco • Orioles
Double-A Bowie (Eastern)
The Rockies’ Tom Murphy slugged .690 at Triple-A Albuquerque in August, but Sisco underscored his remarkable consistency at the plate with a loud August. The 21-year-old, who has started a career-high 82 games at catcher, owns a .319 average on the season thanks to hitting .300 or better in four months out of five. He missed going five-for-five by a hair—he hit .296 in May. Sisco probably will win his second career on-base percentage title this year in the Eastern League (.405). He previously claimed the top spot in the 2014 South Atlantic League (.406).
AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | CS | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS+ |
94 | 9 | 30 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 13 | 27 | 0 | 0 | .319 | .398 | .468 | 126 |
1B Rowdy Tellez • Blue Jays
Double-A New Hampshire (Eastern)
Tellez more than met the challenge of Double-A this season in his first exposure to the Eastern League. He ranks among the circuit leaders with 21 homers, a .387 on-base percentage, a .524 slugging percentage and 61 walks, but unlike many young power hitters, the lefthanded-batting Tellez maintains a reasonable strikeout rate (17.8 percent), and it’s one he has improved each season as a pro.
AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | CS | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS+ |
111 | 19 | 37 | 10 | 0 | 8 | 25 | 15 | 19 | 1 | 1 | .333 | .406 | .640 | 182 |
2B Nick Solak • Yankees
Short-Season Staten Island (New York-Penn)
A second-round pick in June—and the fourth of seven Louisville players selected in the top four rounds—Solak ranked among the New York-Penn League leaders for hits (72), average (.321), on-base percentage (.414) and runs scored (46) at the end of August. The righthanded batter hit .346 in more than 500 college at-bats, and his high-contact, handsy swing has translated to success in pro ball. The question will be defensive aptitude, for Solak played a lot of outfield at Louisville and grades as a near-average defender at the keystone.
AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | CS | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS+ |
110 | 23 | 40 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 11 | 23 | 2 | 0 | .364 | .431 | .455 | 165 |
3B Bobby Dalbec • Red Sox
Short-Season Lowell (New York-Penn)
Dalbec clobbered 18 extra-base hits in August after he joined the Red Sox organization in late July following a College World Series run at Arizona. Some teams preferred Dalbec as a righthanded pitcher, but Boston appears wise to let its fourth-rounder play the field, where his 70-grade power has manifested in games. Trimming his strikeout rate and improving his defense at the hot corner are areas for improvement to target in 2017.
AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | CS | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS+ |
103 | 18 | 38 | 10 | 2 | 6 | 27 | 7 | 26 | 0 | 2 | .369 | .414 | .680 | 200 |
SS Isan Diaz • Brewers
Low Class A Wisconsin (Midwest)
Diaz in August put the finishing touches on a remarkable season for the 20-year-old middle infielder in the Midwest League. The Brewers’ primary target when they traded Jean Segura to the Diamondbacks in January, Diaz leads the MWL with 20 home runs and 58 extra-base hits while ranking second with 71 walks. While the lefthanded batter starts more often at second base than he does at shortstop these days—and he strikes out nearly a quarter of the time—Diaz has a rare combination of power and patience for a middle infielder.
AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | CS | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS+ |
93 | 19 | 26 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 11 | 24 | 29 | 1 | 2 | .280 | .432 | .538 | 196 |
OF Brandon Nimmo • Mets
Triple-A Las Vegas (Pacific Coast)
Nimmo didn’t hit much in April, but since May 1 he has crushed Pacific Coast League competition, batting .375/.445/.605 with 39 extra-base hits and 38 walks in 73 games. The 2011 high school first-rounder from Wyoming also received his first two big league callups to New York in June and July. Nimmo has a chance to claim the PCL batting (.352) and on-base percentage (.424) titles if he can hang on through Sept. 5.
AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | CS | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS+ |
86 | 21 | 35 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 14 | 11 | 16 | 1 | 0 | .407 | .474 | .651 | 189 |
OF Austin Slater • Giants
Triple-A Sacramento (Pacific Coast)
Slater dropped second base this season to play the outfield exclusively, but the 2014 eighth-round pick from Stanford came out ahead in the exchange with a loud offensive season. He ranks among the Giants system leaders in average (.305), home runs (18) and RBIs (67) while advancing from Double-A Richmond to Sacramento on June 2. If he receives as September callup, Slater could offer a complementary righthanded bat for the San Francisco outfield.
AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | CS | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS+ |
113 | 19 | 42 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 26 | 13 | 24 | 0 | 5 | .372 | .437 | .673 | 213 |
OF Kyle Tucker • Astros
High Class A Lancaster (California)
The 2015 High School Player of the Year performed at low Class A Quad Cities in his 2016 full-season debut, and Tucker has hit .326/.415/.565 in 12 games since his Aug. 18 promotion to Lancaster. The 6-foot-4 lefthanded batter has shown a well-balanced offensive game, with a feel for hitting (.282 average), good plate discipline (47 walks, 80 strikeouts) and strong baserunning fundamentals (32 steals in 43 attempts).
AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | CS | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS+ |
103 | 15 | 32 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 18 | 13 | 18 | 2 | 4 | .311 | .393 | .563 | 157 |
LHP Kolby Allard • Braves
Low Class A Rome (South Atlantic)
The first high school pitcher off the board in 2015—at No. 14 overall—Allard made his 2016 debut at Rome on June 6. He ran up an 8.25 ERA in three South Atlantic League starts, which earned him a ticket to Rookie-level Danville. Allard righted the ship in the Appalachian League and has made a triumphant return to the SAL, going 4-1, 2.34 through seven starts to go with 46 strikeouts in 42 innings and a .219 opponent average.
W | L | ERA | GS | IP | H | R | ER | HR | SO | BB | SO/9 | BR/9 | AVG | ERA+ |
4 | 0 | 1.72 | 5 | 31.1 | 23 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 37 | 6 | 10.6 | 8.9 | .213 | 223 |
RHP Jose De Leon • Dodgers
Triple-A Oklahoma City (Pacific Coast)
If not for an injury-marred first half, De Leon might be in Los Angeles right now and thus ineligible for this all-prospect team. That’s OK. We’re happy to celebrate his combination of high-end stuff and elite performance one last time. De Leon allowed fewer baserunners per nine innings (6.0) than any full-season pitcher with at least 20 innings in August, and in nine second-half starts he has gone 6-1, 2.38 with 67 strikeouts in 57 innings and a .194 opponent average.
W | L | ERA | GS | IP | H | R | ER | HR | SO | BB | SO/9 | BR/9 | AVG | ERA+ |
3 | 0 | 1.56 | 5 | 34.2 | 21 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 45 | 2 | 11.7 | 6.0 | .171 | 274 |
LHP Stephen Gonsalves • Twins
Double-A Chattanooga (Southern)
A high school fourth-rounder from San Diego in 2013, Gonsalves allowed eight runs in his first two Double-A starts this season, but he has been practically untouchable ever since. The 6-foot-5 southpaw allowed only one earned run in August—his 0.28 ERA led all starters with at least 20 innings—and in his last 10 starts he went 7-0, 0.72 with 70 strikeouts in 63 innings to go with a .142 opponent average. However, Gonsalves allowed 3.9 walks per nine innings in those 10 starts, and it’s fair to wonder if he can continue to strand those baserunners.
W | L | ERA | GS | IP | H | R | ER | HR | SO | BB | SO/9 | BR/9 | AVG | ERA+ |
4 | 0 | 0.28 | 5 | 32.2 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 11 | 10.2 | 7.4 | .125 | 1424 |
RHP Francis Martes • Astros
Double-A Corpus Christi (Texas)
The Astros’ top pitching prospect this spring, Martes teetered early at Corpus Christi—he ran up a 7.06 ERA through his first six starts—but did not fall from his perch. He resumed pitching like the top prospect that he is in mid-May, and for the season he ranks among the Texas League elite with a 3.32 ERA (fifth), 126 strikeouts (first) and .220 opponent average (second).
W | L | ERA | GS | IP | H | R | ER | HR | SO | BB | SO/9 | BR/9 | AVG | ERA+ |
3 | 1 | 2.16 | 5 | 33.1 | 23 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 37 | 5 | 10.0 | 7.6 | .190 | 164 |
RHP Triston McKenzie • Indians
Low Class A Lake County (Midwest)
A supplemental first-round pick out of high school in Florida in 2015, McKenzie allowed just seven runs in nine starts a short-season Mahoning Valley this season before the Indians bumped him to the Midwest League on Aug. 5. While he allowed nine runs in five August starts at Lake County, McKenzie showed true command of the strike zone with a strikeout-to-walk ratio bordering on 11-to-1 and a sub-.200 opponent average.
W | L | ERA | GS | IP | H | R | ER | HR | SO | BB | SO/9 | BR/9 | AVG | ERA+ |
2 | 1 | 2.73 | 5 | 29.2 | 20 | 9 | 9 | 2 | 43 | 4 | 13.0 | 7.6 | .187 | 122 |
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