These American League Prospects May Get a September Call-Up
Some baseball fans are impossible to please. They’ll spend all year long lamenting modern roster construction, complaining that there are no platoons, pinch runners, or defensive replacements anymore. Then, when the rosters expand to 40 in September, they get to slap the diminutive label of “September Call-Up” on the minor leaguers turned Major Leaguers who help determine the season’s final standings. Maybe some people just watch baseball so they can complain. I’m not one of those people.
One thing we all like is prospects (I think). Regardless of how you feel about roster expansion, it’s always fun to see a rookie get his first hit or strikeout his first batter. Here’s one player for each team who will probably debut this September that you can get excited about. These are not necessarily the best prospects for each team, and I’m neither a scout nor a prospect guru. All the same, the following players are close to the majors without ever having broken through, and should all be interesting to follow next month.
AL West
Houston Astros- RHP Dean Deetz: Are you ready to be impressed? Across three levels this season, Deetz has thrown 33 2/3 innings, almost entirely in relief. In that time, he allowed just 23 hits and no home runs, while striking out 56 of 142 batters faced (39.4%). Do you think he could get a chance to strike a few batters out in the majors? I do too.
Los Angeles Angels- 1B Matt Thaiss: The Angels drafted Thaiss, a left-handed slugger, in the first round in 2016. He clubbed 16 home runs in AA and AAA this year, helping him along to a healthy .808 OPS. Perhaps he can carve out a role in the 1B/DH mix when Shohei Ohtani and Albert Pujols take days off. MLB Pipeline ranks him the #5 prospect in the Angels’ system.
Oakland Athletics- SS Jorge Mateo: Mateo was a big part of the prospect package the A’s received from the Yankees last year for Sonny Gray. He hasn’t hit at all. A .272 on-base percentage in AAA hardly necessitates a call-up. However, his world-class speed (253 stolen bases since 2013) could earn him a role as a pinch-runner on the expanded roster, especially with the A’s chasing down the Astros.
Seattle Mariners- CF Ian Miller: There are only three players on the current AAA Tacoma roster without major league experience. One of them is Miller, a slap-hitting lefty outfielder. He has no power to speak of, but his .346 on-base percentage and 28 steals suggest he could be an understudy for Dee Gordon. He’ll also be Rule V eligible this offseason if he’s not added to the 40-man roster.
Texas Rangers- RHP Connor Sadzeck: Sometimes you just need as many pitchers as possible to get through the season. The 6’7 Sadzeck is a resident of the 40-man roster, which means he’s very likely to debut for the Rangers next month. He has a 49:16 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 39 2/3 innings this year, most of which have been at AAA Round Rock.
AL East
Baltimore Orioles- OF DJ Stewart: What do the Orioles really need, other than better hitting, pitching, and defense? Another lumbering slugger at the corners to go along with Chris Davis, Mark Trumbo, and Trey Mancini. Rest easy, Orioles fans, because Stewart is on the way! Listed at 6’0 230 lb., the left-handed hitting corner outfielder leads AAA Norfolk with 12 home runs. He’s also a former first-round pick, so they’ll want to see if he can be a useful platoon piece going forward.
Boston Red Sox- RHP Chandler Shepherd: Shepherd had started just three games in his entire minor league career prior to 2018. Last winter he stretched out with Hermosillo of the Mexican Pacific Winter League, convincing Red Sox brass to try him as a starter in AAA. He responded with middling results; the 2.4 BB/9 suggests good control, but 7.5 K/9 indicates he has trouble finishing off batters. He’s on the 40-man roster, so he could reprise his relief role with Boston next month.
New York Yankees- LHP Justus Sheffield: The only reason Sheffield hasn’t already debuted in the Bronx is because he’s not yet on the 40-man roster. He’ll need to be added this offseason to protect him from the Rule 5 draft, so perhaps the Yankees will bring him up for the stretch run. He’s their best overall prospect according to MLB Pipeline, and he’s been dominant all season in AA and AAA. He compiled a 2.52 ERA and 3.08 FIP on just 6.4 H/9 and 9.6 K/9. That’ll get the job done.
Tampa Bay Rays- RHP Jose Mujica: The 22-year-old Mujica has been with the Rays organization since signing out of Venezuela as a teenager. He missed some time with injuries this season, but he’s got a 2.70 ERA and 2.81 FIP in seven AAA starts. Having thrown just 57 2/3 innings this year, he’s likely to be used in some capacity in the Rays unorthodox, but effective pitching mix.
Toronto Blue Jays- 3B Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: HE’S HITTING .394! CALL HIM UP ALREADY! I WILL TYPE IN ALL CAPS UNTIL WE SEE THE NO-DOUBT MINOR LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE YEAR IN THE MAJORS! Not really, that would get super annoying. Still, c’mon Blue Jays! Stop playing games with his service time and do the right thing!
AL Central
Chicago White Sox- OF Eloy Jimenez: No matter whose rankings you prefer, Jimenez is one of the top five prospects in baseball. Since his promotion to AAA in June, he has slashed .360/.402/.611. Any player in baseball would take those numbers, no matter what level (except for Vladito). There’s a good chance he’ll be held down to delay his service time clock, but he’s got nothing left to prove in the minors.
Cleveland Indians- SS/3B Yu-Cheng Chang: Chang signed with Cleveland out of Taiwan at age-18, and displays a nice combination of defense and power. Having just turned 23, he’s knocking on the door of the major leagues. He slugged 35 home runs over the past two seasons. Strikeouts are a problem (135 in 482 plate appearances this year), but it’s not like the Indians have any other defensive wizards in the infield who can hit for power. He’s already on the 40-man, so there’s no real reason to keep him down in September.
Detroit Tigers- OF Christin Stewart: The left-handed hitting Stewart is second in the International League with 21 home runs and third with 59 walks. He’s strictly a corner outfielder and there won’t be a high batting average, but he’s a former first-round pick who’s approaching Rule V draft eligibility. It’s time for the Tigers to see what he can do.
Kansas City Royals- RHP Josh Staumont: Staumont, a former second-round pick, has been a strikeout machine throughout his minor league career. He has averaged 11.5 K/9 since being drafted in 2015. However, he also allows 7.1 BB/9, which won’t pass muster. He mostly pitches in relief for AAA Omaha, and there’s a good chance the Royals will give him a chance to strikeout (or walk) a few batters in the majors.
Minnesota Twins- LHP Lewis Thorpe: Thorpe has only pitched twice at the AAA level, but his strikeout-to-walk numbers are impressive. The 22-year-old Australian has 144 strikeouts against just 33 walks this season (mostly at AA). He’s already on the 40-man roster as well, which is a plus.
