White Sox 1B Jacob Gonzalez (24) was promoted this week to replace the injured Munetaka Murakami. He got a chance to go nuclear in Triple-A, launching 19 home runs in 52 games while slashing .317/.419/.688 with eight stolen bases and a 20.6% strikeout rate. In each of his last two seasons, he was a top eight player in 134 and 130 games, respectively. The biggest change is his contact point, as he takes his A (high effort) more often and tries to attack pitches he can’t get out in front of the plate. Basically, he was a contact hitter who no longer worried about hitting. It sounds like this streak is being dismissed as a quad-A type of thing where an adult hits hitters who don’t have major league level command. I’m not so sure. Gonzalez was a high-quality first round pick at No. 15 out of Ole Miss in 2023, and he’s a relatively big guy at 6’2″ 205 pounds from the left side. I don’t have him on any royal teams, but I feel a little Fox Mulderish about this one: I want to believe. Whiteness is played and fun baseball.
With Ramon Laureano and Jake Cronenworth on the injured list, the Padres turned to the former Pirates BY Jase Bowen (25) playing the left field rather than relying on Nick Castellanos being there. Bowen has been a legitimate prospect throughout his development with Pittsburgh, leading AJ Preller to jump when Bowen became available at the end of his draft contract in November. Bowen responded to the new lease by slashing .292/.362/.600 with 13 home runs and seven stolen bases to earn his first appearance in the big leagues. Preller has the ability to bring in cheap bats and renew their careers by playing at the right time. You can’t hurt to kick the tires on this.
The Giants surprised me this week with a recall of Jonah Cox (24) from Double-A, where he was slashing .400/.453/.644 with six home runs, 27 stolen bases and a 16.9% slugging percentage. The 6’2″ 204-pound right-hander is bigger than the average speedster, and while this may be a short-term deal based on his defensive ability in center field while Harrison Bader and Heliot Ramos recover from their injuries, Cox could change his position on the organizational chart in a few decent weeks.
Angels RHP Joel Hurtado (25, AA) could make a similar leap the next time Los Angeles Anaheim needs a starting pitcher. Their team in Triple-A is tough, and the club has shown little reluctance to jump their prospects above the level if the time feels right. On the season, Hurtado has a 2.89 ERA and 1.18 WHIP, but he’s a command and control that includes a dynamic slider combination, and once he finds his rhythm and starts to get those down, smooth sailing awaits. In his six starts, he has a 1.09 ERA and 0.88 WHIP in 33 innings. All those numbers look good, but the innings stand out to me as the reason he might get the next opportunity. Measuring even a smidge more than five in a turn can be very useful these days.
Lambs OF Josiah Hartshorn (19, A+) was playing center field in High-A: something of a surprise considering his six-foot, 220-pound frame. The switch-hitter has three home runs in just seven games at the level, slashing .400 / .469 / .800 with five walks and five strikeouts, bringing his season-long total to 39 walks (18.7%) against 32 strikeouts (15.3%). He may be ready for his next challenge already and make an interesting trade target for the royals. It may be too late to buy low, but you may be able to buy high at the right price.
The new prospect out of Milwaukee says Alexander Frias Producers (18, CPX). A 6’2″ corner outfielder listed at 177 pounds, Frias shows light power and from the left side and a double-double throwing arm from the right side, suggesting more swing in his center. Through 19 games, he is hitting .388/.474/.627 with three home runs, seven stolen bases.
PS: This tarps-off thing is some kind of weird extension of the manosphere, isn’t it? Let’s keep this fad as short as possible, please. I mean holy shizz I see a bunch of bro-bruh rip off their shirts and throw them in the stands. Sorry, guys, the WWE event is off. Appropriately, that organization has been aggressive in including women in their programs and inviting women to their audiences. Maybe this is really good for the game? Heckifino. At least it’s not something AI can do. Take that, robots!
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