Minor League Pitcher and Hitter of the Week: August 12-18
Two prospects on Just Baseball's Top 100, including the biggest riser on the latest update, headline the Players of the Week.
Sometimes prospects are just that good.
To be able to carry success over to a new team, let alone across a full season, is a true testament to the talent level and development system throughout the minor leagues. We are near the end of the Minor League season before September call-ups and playoffs start, which means the end of this series.
However, as long as this continues, I will continue to make sure I highlight those building up their stock amongst rankings and truly making a name for themselves across the league.
For more information on the Top Prospects that find themselves on Just Baseball’s Top 100, you can find that list here.
Pitcher of the Week: Bubba Chandler (RHP) – Pittsburgh Pirates (Triple-A Indianapolis Indians)
Weekly Stats: 1 GS, 6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 0 ER, 11 K
Season Stats: 18 GS, 93.1 IP, 29 BB, 111 K, 3.18 ERA
The Pirates have an issue. How are they going to fit in all of their pitching prospects within a typical five-man rotation?
Now, it is an incredible “problem” to have because we have seen countless times how much pitching depth matters. Bubba Chandler is another name added to the list of potential opens to fill the 2025 Pittsburgh Pirates rotation.
After an up-and-down couple of seasons, Chandler has seemed to, finally, regain his form and become the pitching prospect that led to him being an over-slot third-round pick for the Pirates in the 2021 draft.
He has made tangible improvements to commanding the zone and utilizing all of his pitches effectively to cut down on the walk rate, while also not impacting his k-rate. Not to mention the 45% GB% he has had throughout Double-A and Triple-A in 2024.
Bubba Chandler entered 2024 with a lot of intrigue and looks to have brought back the positive aura around him when he was an up-and-coming “high-upside” pitching prospect.
Hitter of the Week: Thayron Liranzo (C) – Detroit Tigers (High-A West Michigan Whitecaps)
Weekly Stats: .611/.741/2.019, 3 HR, 9 RBI, .667 ISO, 406 wRC+
Season Stats: 89 G, .247/.378/.420, 11 HR, 43 RBI
In homage to the start of football season right around the corner, let’s cue up the famous “Now, here’s a guy” quote from Cris Collinsworth.
Relevance to Thayron Liranzo specifically? Well, he could be considered polarizing depending on who in the prospect industry you ask. While the talent is undeniable, it is the projectability of a young catcher that comes into question when you talk about his future. Well, since being acquired by the Tigers in the Jack Flaherty trade, he has done nothing but silence the doubters and prove why he is one of the top catching prospects in all of baseball.
The switch-hitting catcher has taken this new life within a different organization with such stride. It has been impressive how he has been able to drive the ball hard consistently to all fields from both sides of the plate. Not just that, but he now has a path to being the future starting catcher at the Major League level now that Will Smith is not locked in longterm in from of him on the organizational depth chart.
The Tigers have done a great job recently of developing their prospects and now Liranzo will look to be the next success story.
Honorable Mentions:
Pitcher: Jose Atencio (RHP) – Washington Nationals (High-A Wilmington Blue Rocks)
Weekly Stats: 2 GS, 12.0 IP, 1 ER, 12 H, 4 BB, 9 K
Pitcher: Braden Nett (RHP) – San Diego Padres (High-A Fort Wayne Tin Caps)
Weekly Stats: 2 GS, 9.0 IP, 1 ER, 6 H, 3 BB, 15 K
Hitter: Nick Kurtz (1B) – Oakland Athletics (Double-A Midland RockHounds):
Weekly Stats: .412/.600/1.600, 3 HR, 9 RBI, .588 ISO, 286 wRC+
Hitter: Lazaro Montes (OF) – Seattle Mariners (High-A Everett AquaSox):
Weekly Stats: .526/.615/.947, 2 HR, 7 RBI, .421 ISO, 303 wRC+
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