Call to the pen
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Yankees, Red Sox, Braves GCL prospects to watch in 2016

By Brody Hilgenkamp

Mar 25, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; A general view of New York Yankees hat, sunglasses and glove in the dugout against the New York Mets at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 25, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; A general view of New York Yankees hat, sunglasses and glove in the dugout against the New York Mets at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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These Gulf Coast League prospects, playing in the Red Sox, Yankees, Blue Jays and Braves systems, got their professional careers of to a hot start.

On Monday players who had impressive professional debuts in the Appalachian League were highlighted. Today, players in the Gulf Coast League are discussed.

As with the AL players, the following prospects just finished their first stint in professional baseball. Three were late round draft picks—for today’s purposes, the eighth round or later—while one was an international signee.

Isranel Wilson, OF, Braves
In a league where under-20 players dominated the offensive leaderboards, Wilson’s performance is quite extraordinary. He finished tied for fifth in the league with a 149 weighted runs created plus (wRC+) at the age of 17. Considering first round draft picks Cornelius Randolph and Ke’Bryan Hayes were first and tied for third in wRC+, Wilson is off on the right foot. The most obvious weapon in Wilson’s offensive game is his power, as he hit 10 home runs and slugged .479, both the highest in the league. The player in second place in home runs hit five. Wilson did this in one of the most suffocating offensive environments in the minor leagues. He was especially potent against left-handed pitchers, crushing them for a .977 on base plus slugging but a more modest but still impressive .782 OPS against righties. He did have a 32.4 percent strikeout rate, which as a young power hit is to be expected.

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Jerry Downs, OF, Red Sox, 15th Round
At St. Thomas (Fla.) University, Downs steadily improved until he posted a .349/.493/.556/9 home run line his junior season. He was a disciplined hitter with just a 13.5 K%. Once he got to professional baseball, Downs hit .275/.399/.382 in the GCL and was seventh with a 140 wRC+. He maintained his disciplined approach in pro ball, striking out in 16.6 percent of plate appearances while walking in 14.9.

Kalik May, OF, Blue Jays, 33rd round
I find it fitting that the year the lowest draft pick ever to make the Hall of Fame I get to take a look at another extremely late draft pick (I am not declaring May a HOFer, so relax). May’s .261/.376/.406 line in the GCL doesn’t immediately jump out, but considering the offensive environment and his 10 stolen bases in 13 attempts, May jumps out as a future a table setter. In his second season at Mississippi Valley State, he hit .335/.420/.520 with 22 stolen bases and an astounding .438 batting average on balls in play. That evened out to a .362 BABIP in pro ball, but that stat is still endemic of speedy player. However, he strikes out more than the role typically allows, as he whiffed in 25.5 percent of plate appearances.

Next: Mets, Twins prospects to watch in 2016

Donny Sands, 3B, Yankees, eighth round
Another teenager and the second Yankees prospect to be featured in this series, Sands had a 139 wRC+ in 48 games in the GCL and even played eight games in Class A Charleston. For a young hitter, he showed surprising plate discipline with a 7.9 K% and 12.6 BB% in the GCL. His .309/.405/.364 line is impressive for such a young player. He had an .860 OPS against lefties but a .731 against righties.

Stats from MiLB.com, FanGraphs.com and The Baseball Cube.

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