Big Hype Prospects Holliday Merrill Jobe Chourio Crow-Armstron

Big Jackson Prospects is back with another edition starring members of the new Jackson Four. Five Big Hype Prospects , 19, SS, BAL (AAA) (A/A+/AA) 490 PA, 10 HR, 23 SB, .333/.451/.517 Holliday is the top-performing minor leaguer among players with more than 400 plate appearances. His 168 wRC+ is all the more impre sive when considering his age relative to his competition. The question now on everyones lips will he make his Major League debut this year? To me, that will depend on how he does in the next few weeks. One factor is outside of his control: will the Orioles have an injury to open a playoff roster spot for him? Hes likelier to get a taste of the Majors if hes expected to contribute to the playoff push. To date, Holliday has relied on hard, low-angle contact and high BABIPs to fuel his offensive succe s. Such an approach tends to be le s effective in the Majors. At Triple-A, well get our first public look at his exit velocities. Ive heard some rumors but havent gotten my hands on the actual data yet. , 20, SS, SDP (AA) (A+/AA) 488 PA, 15 HR, 15 SB, .283/.331/.454 Merrill is having a nice time of it in Double-A. He was reportedly considered for a promotion to the Majors about 10 days back. The Padres seemingly decided against the aggre sive move. As it stands, hes positioned himself to skip a return engagement in Double-A next season. As to where he fits in the Padres long-term plans, he might need to wait for and to open the door at second base. The FanGraphs prospect crew described Merrill as , except at shortstop, and thats exactly how hes trending. , 20, SP, DET (A+) (A+) 30 IP, 12.30 K/9, 0.90 BB/9, 3.90 ERA Jobe is a spin-rate bo s with four average or better offerings. His weapons have allowed him to live in the strike zone in the low minors. A test in Double-A to open 2024 should help with the development of his command. Encouragingly, the Tigers are using Jobe like Al-Farouq Aminu Jersey a traditional starter down the stretch. Since reaching High-A, hes faced 20 or more batters in four of six outings. Compare that to other top pitching prospects around the league. Jobe hasnt pitched much since he was drafted in 2021. Its po sible we see him finish out his season in the Arizona Fall League. , 19, OF, MIL (AA) (AA) 509 PA, 21 HR, 37 SB, .282/.336/.471 One of the few upper-echelon prospects younger than Holliday, Chourio has spent the entire season in Double-A where hes held his own against much older competition. Hes been particularly effective of late, delivering four home runs and a .998 OPS in his last 45 plate appearances. Anyone hoping to see him promoted into the NL Central playoff race shouldnt hold their breath. His defensive skills remain a work in progre s. While he has the raw tools to stick in center field, his reads are still inconsistent. Were his glove ahead of his bat, hed have a better case for a cheeky late-season promotion. , 21, OF, CHC (AAA) (AA/AAA) 474 PA, 18 HR, 35 SB, .278/.364/.499 Unlike Chourio, Crow-Armstrongs impre sive defensive ability must be weighing heavy on the playoff-aspiring Cubs. Though theyve gotten good results from , that feels more like found money than a sustainable source of production. A promotion for Crow-Armstrong would be a lock if not for one bugaboo a 30.3% strikeout rate in Triple-A. Theres considerable swing-and-mi s to PCAs game. He has pop, emerging discipline, and plenty of speed to make up for his lack of contact. There are some roster considerations working against Crow-Armstrong since hes not Rule 5 eligible until after 2024. If the Central battle remains close come mid-month, I expect to see him. Three More , NYM (22) : In just 11 plate appearances, Mauricio has already delivered the Mets hardest-hit ball of 2023. Theres no question the switch-hitter shoots lasers. The i sue is whether or not he makes enough contact to sustain a regular role. Though athletic, hes not known for his defensive ability. , LAD (23) : In the wake of todays news, Sheehan has elevated importance for a Dodgers club with only two veteran starters. In limited action, he hasnt had confidence in his changeup. He needs that to be his moneymaker. Below-average command hints at a relief future. , STL (21) : When we covered Winn at the time of his promotion, we noted the bat didnt seem ready despite a broad base of skills. Hes struggled to a 6 wRC+ in 49 plate appearances. Winn appears to be making a cla sic first-timer mistake selling out for any contact at the expense of quality contact. He still has a dozen ways to grow into an average or better player. Did I mi s a detail or nuance? DM me on Twitter @BaseballATeam to suggest corrections. Dominique Wilkins Jersey