Minor League Previews: Texas League South

Nov 2, 2013; Surprise, AZ, USA; Houston Astros outfielder Delino DeShields against the East during the Fall Stars Game at Surprise Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

If you’re in viewing range of the Texas League South division, you’ll get a chance to see some top prospects very frequently.

Corpus Christi Hooks

Parent club: Houston Astros

There aren’t too many big name minor leaguers set to start the season for the Astros’ Double-A affiliate in Corpus Christi but there are a couple of good young infielders.

Pitchers

The Hooks are going with a “tandem” pitching rotation that features four pairs of pitchers but none are Mike Foltynewicz, the hard-throwing starter who finished the season in Double-A last year. He’s been assigned to Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Hitters

Second baseman Delino DeShields is trying to make the major leagues, just like his father, and had a great season with the bat last year High-A Lancaster. With some of the best speed in the organization (and 51 steals in 2013), DeShields is one of the most exciting players to watch on the Hooks. This year we’ll see if his awesome .405 OBP and .468 SLG are a mirage of the California League or whether he has the ability to hit gobs of doubles and make excellent contact in a more neutral hitting environment.

Nolan Fontana, a 22-year-old shortstop, is going to try to prove that his solid numbers in Lancaster are not just a blip on the radar. What stands out is the fact that Fontana took 102 walks (and struck out 100 times) last year to put up a .415 OBP in 2013. He’s considered a solid shortstop but lacks any outstanding tools.

Mar 22, 2014; Surprise, AZ, USA; Texas Rangers infielder Rougned Odor (73) hits an RBI double in the seventh inning against the Texas Rangers at Surprise Stadium. The Royals won 8-4. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Frisco RoughRiders

Parent club: Texas Rangers

Pitchers

There are a trio of top prospects headlining the RoughRiders’ pitching staff in to open 2014. Luke Jackson made six appearances in Double-A last year and returns to start his Age-22 season. With over a strikeout per inning at two levels in 2013, Jackson lives on his fastball that can hit 97 mph but still needs to refine his control.

Nick Martinez, 23, is a solid righty who has excelled throughout the minors but may not have quite as much upside. He has only average stuff (with a low-90s fastball) but his control allows him to use all three of his pitches (fastball, curve and change) effectively. He only walked 45 batters in 151 1/3 innings split between Myrtle Beach and Frisco.

Alec Asher is another 22-year-old righty with good stuff. In High-A Myrtle Beach last year, he had a very good strikeout to walk ratio of almost 2.50. He’s a guy with a big frame that is projected to be a back-end starter who can throw strikes easily with good mechanics.

Hitters

Easily the best name here is Rougned Odor. The 20-year-old second baseman showed off his talents last year by hitting .305/.365/.474 with 58 extra-base hits in 511 at bats combined between Myrtle Beach and Frisco. With good defensive skills and a burgeoning bat, Odor is yet another excellent infield prospect making his way through the Rangers’ system quickly.

Shortstop Luis Sardinas is also 20 but he didn’t quite kick the doors in the way Odor did last year. With a similarly weighted split as Odor between High-A Myrtle Beach and Double-A Frisco, Sardinas saw a big drop in his production when he reached the higher level. Sardinas doesn’t walk a lot, nor does he hit for much power, so his value is going to come from his defense and his speed. The jury is still out on whether he projects to be a major-league caliber player but he should be fun to watch in Frisco.

While not considered a “top” prospect, 24-year-old third baseman Ryan Rua might be fun to watch. He hit 32 home runs last season at two minor league levels but strikes out a lot and won’t hit for a high average. He’ll probably deliver most of the thump in the offense, at least until someone like Joey Gallo gets to Frisco (either in late 2014 or 2015).

Catcher Patrick Cantwell has been named the best defensive catcher in the system by Baseball America and could be exciting to watch behind the plate.

Feb 22, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Oakland Athletics infielder Addison Russell poses for a portrait during photo day at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Midland Rock Hounds

Parent club: Oakland Athletics

The Oakland system is a little thin on pitching but you can expect to see four of the club’s top prospects in Midland in 2014.

Pitchers

Right-handed starter Raul Alcantara is going to be giving fans something to cheer for. The 21 year old came to A’s in a deal that sent Andrew Bailey and Ryan Sweeney to the Red Sox. He’s made advances, particularly with his control, walking only 24 batters in 156 1/3 innings in 2013 split between Class-A Beloit and High-A Stockton. Now he’ll face Double-A competition but might need to bump up his strikeout numbers up a bit.

Hitters

The Rock Hounds will be graced by the presence of the Athletics’ top prospect, shortstop Addison Russell. At only 20 years old, he destroyed the California League, hitting for an .885 OPS in Stockton before seeing a little bit of time in Triple-A Sacramento. Fans should rejoice in having a star like Russell to watch as he blends, power, contact ability, patience, defense and speed in a spectacular package.

If the speed game is your thing, you’ll love having Billy Burns to watch. The 24-year-old outfielder stole 74 bases at two levels playing in the Washington Nationals’ system last season, hitting .314 and posting a .425 OBP. Despite not having any power to speak of, his speed and ability to get on base, combined with his good defense, will make him one of the most exciting players to watch in Midland.

First baseman Max Muncy, 23, is looking to have another strong season. Hitting 25 home runs with a .381 OBP in 2013, Muncy has an excellent eye to go with his very good power. He’ll get to the majors on the strength of his bat and he needs to show that his 21 home runs in the hitter-friendly California League last year weren’t a fluke.

Nov 2, 2013; Surprise, AZ, USA; San Diego Padres catcher Austin Hedges against the East during the Fall Stars Game at Surprise Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

San Antonio Missions

Parent club: San Diego Padres

The Padres’ top two prospects will be headlining the Opening Day roster for the Missions in 2014 and San Antonio would be a very good stop for minor league baseball fans looking to catch top prospects in action.

Pitchers

Matthew Wisler, 21, leads the pitching staff in San Antonio for the Padres. He’s already got over 100 outstanding Double-A innings under his belt (105 innings, 103 Ks, 27 BBs, 3.00 ERA, 1.07 WHIP) so go early and often if you want to see Wisler. He could be in Triple-A or even the majors by June.

Another highly-ranked prospect, righty Casey Kelly, is still recovering from Tommy John surgery but San Antonio fans could very well see him before the season is finished.

Expected to pitch on Opening Night along with Wisler is 24-year-old Jesse Hahn. Hahn and Wisler will piggyback together at the beginning of the year and the right-hander made his presence known, throwing 8 2/3 innings without allowing a run in big league spring training.

Hitters

The number one prospect for the Rangers is, of course, catcher Austin Hedges who will catch Wisler on Opening Night. Hedges is a defensive whiz who, right now, is projecting to have just enough of a bat to be a productive major league catcher. That said, his numbers for 2013 weren’t spectacular, even in a good hitting environment like the California League and a big question is whether he will hit with much power.

Outfielder Rymer Liriano didn’t play in 2013 thanks to Tommy John surgery but he’s back and ready to go for 2014. He’s got some great raw power but strikes out a lot and, if you watch the Missions this season, you’ll see him cover ground well and use his strong arm in the outfield.

Jace Peterson will probably hold down shortstop and contribute to an all-prospect double play combination with 2B Cory Spangenberg. Peterson is an excellent hitter who hit over .300 in Lake Elsinore last season and he has a great eye that allowed him to walk almost as much as he struck out. Spangenberg returns to Double-A this season. As a 23 year old, he had a .292/.346/.407 slash line split between Lake Elsinore and San Antonio but a worrisome aspect is the fact that his slugging percentage dropped almost 100 points after his promotion. Still, the speedy Spangenberg stole 36 bases and, if he can get on base enough, will be an offensive threat.

For more speed, keep an eye on Travis Jankowski, but don’t blink or you’ll miss him. He stole 71 bases in Lake Elsinore last year and posted a very solid .286/.356/.355 line. He’s a great fielder but has little power so he’s going to need to get on base and steal successfully to maximize his value to the team.