The 2021 MiLB season has come and gone and now is a good time to reflect. I spent a lot of this season looking beyond the top names to try and find some fun players that aren’t in the spotlight. There are tons of them. These are by no means the only players who fit this description either. As I do offseason video review, I’m bound to find more.
So I had to set myself some parameters of putting together this list. The first was that I had to have seen them enough. That excludes guys like DJ Herz, who I’ve honestly only seen highlights of at the time of publication. I also want to choose players who didn’t have hot streaks that saw huge attention, like Alexander Canario post-trade hit streak. Sorry Cub fans, hitting you hard so far. As more of a hard set rule, none of these players can be 50 OFP on our prospect rankings. That means no Randy Vasquez, but know he was deleted from this list with a tear in my eye. Other than that, I just wrote down a bunch of names that seemed to stick from my video looks at them this year. Enjoy!
Deyvison De Los Santos, 3B, ARI
This list is in no order, but De Los Santos is certainly at the top. He’s the guy for me who stood out and immediately made me take notice. Like many on this list, I wasn’t watching for him. From the start it just seemed like he was doing things at the plate that someone his age shouldn’t. Even better? He just turned 18 at the end of June. That makes his 101 wRC+ in Low-A all the more impressive. Strikeout rates are in the mid 20’s, but his walk rate was just over 8 percent. What truly separates De Los Santos for me is what he looks like at the plate. At his age he already has the ability to use the whole field and use the whole field with authority. Our data shows that he also has plus raw based on a high max EV. His plate skills are just impressive. There are some body questions and he probably isn’t a third baseman long term. The bat is what makes him stand out to me.
Michael Cuevas, RHP, WAS
I caught a good start from Cuevas on my first look and I got hooked. Another young guy, just turned 20 years old. His numbers won’t pop at you if you’re just looking at Fangraphs. His 81 innings in Low-A this season resulted in a 4.48 ERA, 8.15 K/9 and 2.85 BB/9. So why is he here? His secondaries. He throws his slider more than his fastball and it’s a really good pitch. Cuevas gets a TON of whiffs on this breaking pitch. His changeup is promising too. Things fall apart with the fastball, usually. It’s a low-90s pitch that’s gotten as high as 95, but it’s more susceptible to being hit around. There’s room to grow on this frame and the feel for secondaries is very encouraging. I’ve hyped him up before and frankly, I don’t plan on stopping any time soon.
Royber Salinas, RHP, ATL
Salinas is pretty much the opposite of Cuevas. He has a big fastball and developing secondaries. Oh, and at 6’3”, 205 pounds (I’ll take the under), there isn’t much to go on the frame. He’s fun regardless. The big fastball led to gaudy strikeout numbers on the complex, north of 17 K/9. Those numbers came back to Earth in 3 starts following a promotion to Low-A, but the hitters were still very uncomfortable at the plate. He made some bad swings happen. The repertoire includes a fastball that I’ve seen as high as 97 mph with a curveball that works as a great second pitch. I’ve seen a slider, but it’s not nearly as prominent. It’s pretty easy looking velo and it looks to me like he hides the ball well during the delivery. I’m not confident he’s a starter in the long run, but he’s really fun.
Arol Vera, SS, LAA
My Arol Vera hype was documented in a recent Film Study Friday, so I won’t go too crazy here. Age and competition level are drivers of that hype for a lot of the same reasons I like De Los Santos. The hit tool is already impressive. The difference is that Vera didn’t impact the ball after leaving the complex. All of his Low-A hits have been singles. There is room on the frame and loft in the swing that tells me some pop is coming.
Robert Gasser, LHP, SD
The 71st overall pick in 2021 barely fits into the 40 OFP or lower theme, but it counts! In the starts I’ve seen, Gasser shows a strong feel for three pitches. When he’s been successful, he’s used them all. For my money, his slider is probably his best offering. His arm slot is low-3/4 and he likes to use that lower release to help his fastball play up later in counts. He even has a changeup that can play against righties. A college arm should put up good numbers in Low-A, but as previously mentioned this list isn’t based on that. The repertoire is intriguing. The changeup will be a deciding factor on if there’s a rotation ceiling here.
Junior Caminero, SS, CLE
Caminero gets the distinct honor of being the only guy on this list who hasn’t played above the complex. That’s because those games aren’t streamed (angry face). However in the select highlight reel swings, this guy has stood out. He swings hard and he does not get cheated on those swings. I hate comps, but I’ve been using this comp a lot for Caminero: Based purely on intent with each swing, he reminds me of fellow Cleveland prospect Jose Tena. They are different players, but that aspect is why Tena is a few names down on this same list. For some numbers jargon, as a 17 year old on the complex Caminero posted a 145 wRC+ with 9 homers. He also struck out at a 16.4 percent rate and walked at a clip of 11.7 percent.
Daniel Palencia, RHP, CHC
No lie, I was on a huge Stockton Ports kick to watch the likes of Brayan Buelvas, Robert Puason, and Junior Perez, and then this 5’11”, 160 pound righty comes out to the mound throwing upper-90’s. I earmarked him to watch later and that flamethrower was Daniel Palenica. About a week later he was on his way to the Cubs in the Andrew Chafin trade. As a starter he’s been hitting triple digits. He’s got a lightning quick arm that generates impressive velocity numbers on the fastball. It looks to me like he lengthens his arm motion on breaking pitches quite a bit, which is worth noting. Palencia can also flash a changeup that is above average, though inconsistent. This all sounds super negative, but it’s not. When he’s on, it’s must see TV. More consistency will go a long way, but it’s hard not to fall in love with that fastball.
Armani Smith, OF, SF
This was an early season eye-catcher for me. I kind of lost track after his injury, for the most part. There was a stretch of two games around July 1 when Smith went deep three times. In August I got one more look that resulted in a 106 MPH missile off the bat that traveled 431 feet. These were three of his 12 homers across two levels. Smith strikes out a lot, close to 30 percent in High-A. He did walk a few ticks under 9 percent, however. This seems more three true outcome-ish than he is considering he did slash .290/.353/.476 in 2021. Though it wouldn’t surprise me if he tilted that way in the higher levels.
Coby Mayo, 3B, BAL
I’ve been big on Mayo since his draft cycle in 2020, so it’s no surprise that he’s on this list. No matter what happens, when Coby Mayo swings the bat he’s looking to crush the baseball. And he’s pretty darn good at it. Quick hands lead to baseball being crushed. I don’t have any exit velos off hand, but the eye test says these balls are leaving the park in a hurry. Through 125 ABs in Low-A, Mayo was walking at a clip just shy of 13 percent, striking our around 20 percent of the time and hit over .300 with 5 bombs. Not a bad debut season with hopefully a lot more to come. The fantasy team has teased that Mayo will be very high on their next list.
Jordy Barley, SS, WAS
Of anyone included here, Barley might be the one who I’m least confident will turn things around. But there’s still something so intriguing about him. The Padres traded him earlier this year. He’s never hit above .260, and in fact he hit .228 this year. There’s lots of swing and miss and lots of ability to draw walks. There are just moments for Barley when it all seems to come together and in those moments I see why he’s on this list. It seems like the ingredients are there, so we will see what happens. For now he’s filed under super long shot.
Felix Reyes, OF/1B, PHI
The first thing that sticks out with Reyes is his size. A hot start to the Low-A level didn’t stick around, in fact things went way down hill. He wound up being worth 68 wRC+. There wasn’t a ton of exposure to this Clearwater team, so I don’t have a massive sample size to go on. What I did see was a smooth swing that should result in some power, even if he didn’t show it this season. However what stuck out to me more is exactly what was in the at bat below, which is an ability to adjust. He waited perfectly on that offspeed pitch before roping it down the line for a double. Sometimes it’s those small skills that stick out and for Reyes, that’s what got him here.
Joe Gray Jr., OF, MIL
In the spirit of full disclosure, I had given up on the idea of Joe Gray Jr. It just seemed like he wasn’t going to put it together. Well, he, uh, put it together. This year was a massive step forward for the young outfielder. Not only does he have a compact swing, but his hands are quick through it. The swing path itself seems to have changed and it’s helping him to hit more line drives and less grounders. That doesn’t mean he won’t have his share of swing and miss, but he looked really good. I’m a proud member of the hype train here.
Heitor Tokar, RHP, HOU
This is another player with an imposing stature. Tokar looks every bit of the 6’6”, 256 pounds he’s listed at. After a few seasons in Rookie ball dating back to 2018, a 20-year-old Tokar proved to be too good for the complex and found himself in Low-A. He struck out 8.33 batters per nine with a sub-two walk rate. His fastball only got up to around 94 MPH when I had eyes on him, but his curveball was buckling knees left and right. The size and breaking ball are very interesting, though without a touch more velo his role will be interesting moving forward. He was mostly in a relief role this year.
Prelander Berroa, RHP, SF
Once upon a time I was watching 2019 video from Prelander Berroa trying to write his scouting report and I made a note. This guy could be really fun. Fast forward to this year and he was very fun. Just going by stats, his walks are high but he also posted a K/9 north of 12. He also gives up a lot of flyballs, which means quite a few longballs. The talent is there though. Berroa is armed with a fastball in the upper 90s, as high as 99 mph, and a breaking ball that is a big time weapon when it’s on. There was a lot of talented arms that came through San Jose this year, but Berroa kept holding his own. His big time stuff might play better in a bullpen, but I assure you it’ll play.
Misael Tamarez, RHP, HOU
The last two arms were both relievers, but Tamarez is one of those names that could sneak up on people for a rotation spot. He showed a solid three-pitch mix and the secondaries work well. Tamarez throws a fastball in the mid-90s and his slider is a very solid second pitch. The changeup rounds out the repertoire as a not-so-distant third pitch. He isn’t afraid to use any of them throughout his starts. This looks like a starter profile to me. Walks were an issue in Low-A, but they went the opposite way in High-A with BB/9 going from above 5 to 2.67.
Jose Tena, SS, CLE
I’ve already alluded to what makes Tena so interesting. He doesn’t get cheated. At all. His swings are hard and when he connects the ball absolutely rockets. The difference here is the appearance of a hit tool that is much more advanced than that of Caminero’s. Tena slashed .281/.331/.467 in High-A. He smacked 16 homers and stole 10 bases too. There’s a fun player here and it adds to the solid Cleveland system. He may not fully barrel up the ball too often because if he did he wouldn’t be on this list. It’s a thing of beauty though when he squares one up.
J.C. Correa, SS, HOU
For anyone who paid close attention, it was hard NOT to notice what Correa was doing this year. He’s not nearly as hyped as his brother, Carlos, but just look at the numbers. Climbing up to High-A, J.C. hit .310. He just kept hitting and hitting, and the hit tool is what is carrying him. At the plate, the ability to cover the plate will is his best attribute. He’s got quick hands, too, though not much power. That will never be a part of his game, but if he can keep hitting like he did this year then he’ll be just fine.
Francisco Urbaez, 3B, CIN
A player in a similar vein to Correa is Francisco Urbaez. It’s hit tool over everything. That being said, Urbaez made it up to Triple-A in 2021, his first professional season. He hit .302 on the year across three levels, though his average dropped significantly once he moved on from High-A. There is still some learning to do, but is swing is compact and he can handle velocity well. He should come around a bit from hitting .231 in Triple-A and even lower at lower levels. Just don’t expect much past an impressive ability to hit, offensively speaking.
Edouard Julien, 1B, MIN
When reviewing swings from his time at Auburn I was turned away by Julien’s swing. It was unbalanced, wild, and filled with tons of effort. The Twins have helped to calm it down where he didn’t lose the big power that’s his calling card. There’s more balance now and that was huge in my eyes. All of that said, right now it’s three true outcome profile. His average won’t ever be super high, he’s going to swing and miss, but he’s going to walk. His approach at the plate is not very aggressive. Julien sees a lot of pitches and has a good idea of the strike zone, as evidenced by a 19.4 percent walk rate in over 300 PA in High-A. One of the big questions is where his defensive home will be.
Inohan Paniagua, RHP, STL
This is a very, very interesting arm to pay attention to. Paniagua caught my eye early in the year, and I even did a GIF breakdown of one of his outings. He accumulated 40 innings with a 3.88 ERA and opposing hitters are hitting .219 off of him. Paniagua works from a lower arm slot which helps him to get a good amount of two-seam movement on his fastball. The star of the show is his breaking ball, however. He wound up using that combo to rack up strikeouts. There’s a changeup too, but it’s a distant third pitch. The most exciting part here is that Paniagua is listed at 148 pounds. There’s more room to dream on this frame and skillset.
Jorge Juan, RHP, OAK
This season was anticlimactic for Juan who was injured shortly after being promoted to High-A. Right before his injury he gave up some runs, walks and struck a ton of people out. So his High-A numbers are…well all-around high. In Low-A he was mostly a starter where he posted K/9 over 13 and 3 BB/9. All I know is, this dude is fun. He’s 6’8” for starters. To add to that, his fastball is in the upper-90s, as high as 99 mph. His curveball is a weapon too. His height is clearly helpful in creating that velocity, but his arm is also pretty whippy looking. Repeating a delivery can be tough with long limbs, and there are other concerns, but Juan is a name I’m really excited about.
Josh Mears, OF, SD
When the Padres drafted Mears, the point was that he can mash. He’s doing that. Power is the calling card and always will be the calling card. He spent the year in Low-A and slugged 17 homers on the year. As a high school power bat, the hit tool is the big question. There’s some things to like, such as the video below, but he also struck out close to 40 percent of the time. This is a massive human being who can hit massive shots. It’s that simple.
Fabian Pertuz, 3B, CHC
There isn’t much to say about Pertuz. He seemed a little overmatched all year in Low-A, but he still showed the skills that make me keep coming back. When I saw video of a teenaged Pertuz from a couple years ago, I saw a guy swinging out of his shoes every time. Max effort. When I see him now, I see a guy who has a quick bat and a flat bat path to go along with it. Those two things are enough for me to hold out hope that Pertuz is a slow burn kind of prospect. He very recently turned 21, but the hope is that he comes out and can prove he’s learned and the bat is too good for that Low-A level. I imagine he starts there again in 2022.
Kevin Made, SS, CHC
Made was a pretty big deal in the J2 world during his signing class. Then again it’s hard to stand out in a class filled with Jasson Dominguez, Robert Puason, Erick Pena, and others. Don’t sleep on Made, though. It took him a minute to adjust , but then he started to show what he can do. The full season numbers will be skewed down, but look at his splits for the last two months. His average is better, sure, but he also hit 11of his 13 doubles in the last two months of the year. Made not only way getting more comfortable, but he was impacting the baseball to all fields. It was a really fun progression to watch during the season. Just don’t look at his plate discipline numbers. He’s a good shortstop too and should have no problem sticking there, from what I could tell via stream.
Connor Norby, 2B, BAL
It shouldn’t surprise anyone who knows me that Norby is on this list. The ECU product just hits. And I’m accidentally a huge ECU fan because I seem to be big on all of their players. Connor Norby is included in that. He’s probably a second baseman long term, but man can he hit. There’s more power with him than the other hit tool-first names on this list. He does a good job getting bat to ball and hitting line drives. What can get lost in this profile, he’s actually a good runner too. This is a safe floor-type bat for me that won’t hit tons of homeruns, but he will hit. He should predominantly produce gap power, but regardless this was a great pick by Baltimore.
Jordan Nwogu, OF, CHC
I’m on record as saying I threw a pessimistic 35 OFP on Nwogu in his preseason report. After the 2021 season I’ve graduated to an optimistic 35 OFP. I’m not quite ready to make the jump up to 40, but I was very impressed with the improvements Nwogu made. From seeing him play at Michigan to seeing him crush baseballs in Low-A, there were a few differences of note. One of those was a change that saw him actively trying to hit the ball the other way, rather than muscle it out there because he can. He seemed like a more complete hitter every time I watched him. With that kind of size, power, and speed, Nwogu is a force waiting to happen. Continual improvements to the hit tool is a good sign, but there’s work to go. This was a good first season and I reserve the right to keep dreaming on what could be with Nwogu.
Dax Fulton, LHP, MIA
For the most part I tried to keep guys I’ve seen once off this list. There are a couple of exceptions to that rule and Dax Fulton is one of them. I saw one start and I was all in from the jump. Rightfully so, Eury Perez was getting all the love, but that is just shading what Fulton can do. He’s a 6’7” lefty with a fastball that was 93-95 MPH when I saw him and a big curveball to go with it. He had a changeup that was solid, too. While Fulton’s season wasn’t as amazing as Perez’s, it was still a solid one that bodes well for the budding arm factory that is the Miami farm system.
Kale Emshoff, C, KC
Without a doubt Kale Emshoff was one of my favorite (and only) UDFA’s I knew about in that 2020 class. The fandom continued watching him in Low-A, especially towards the end of that tenure when the bat started to heat up. The performance might pale in comparison to what the other catchers in the Royals organization were doing, but still he reached double digit homeruns and slashed .267/.378/.480. His compact swing produces a lot of power, especially with the loft he creates. It’s a crowded system for catching, but Emshoff is certainly a fun one.
John Rave, OF, KC
This might be a low key of a name as it gets, but I genuinely think the Royals are doing some good things with Rave. He was mostly known for his speed coming into the 2021 season…and that was if he was known at all. This year it seems like there’s some more pop in his swing. He went from 3 homers in 2019 to 14 homers in 2021. It seems like there are swing changes, yes, but also some adjustments to approach. He’s patient and drawing more walks, which is great with his speed, but it also lets him see more pitches to drive. Whatever the reason is, this was a very interesting season for Rave.
Daniel Mateo, OF, TEX
So, Mateo is kind of like what John Rave was before the power hit. That is a loose comp and probably not a good one, but Mateo has speed and the potential for some power. Between the Complex and Low-A he was 19-for-27 on steals, with only a handful of homeruns to speak of. One thing Mateo has on Rave is he’s a better hitter. He covers the zone better and will hit for a higher average. The feel to hit is interesting, especially when baking in the fact that there is still some room to build on his frame. It takes some dreaming, but Mateo is a fun player waiting to happen.
Beau Brieske, RHP, DET
Brieske is another guy I did a breakdown for with GIFs. He made it to Double-A this year where he posted an ERA of 2.66. For as much as it seems like it, though, Brieske isn’t flashy. His fastball is a low-to-mid-90’s offering that he pairs with a slider, curveball, and changeup. The rest is just command. His stuff isn’t going to baffle hitters to death, but he’s the epitome of a pitcher. That’s where his success is coming from. The only thing is that this is a starters profile, if it doesn’t work there then it’s hard to see bullpen success because he’s more of a pitchability guy.
Joey Wiemer, OF, MIL
Wiemer started gaining steam at the end of the year for his Ruthian performances of hitting absolute tanks. And he was. It’s also true that he can run pretty well and his hit tool is surprisingly good. But it’s his swing that got him here. He went from having this huge leg kick as a timing mechanism to utilizing a toe tap. That isn’t the fix-all, but it’s the most noticeable example of the work he’s put in since being drafted. Sure he started slow, but as he got in rhythm with his new mechanics, things started to happen. This is a guy who might wreak havoc on the MiLB next year.