MLB Pipeline

Acquired by the #Guardians last offseason, Juan Brito joins the Top 10 2B Prospects list with Zack Gelof graduating.

Scouting report + more on the switch-hitting 21-year-old: http://atmlb.com/45HHhOO


Scouting grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 45 | Run: 45 | Arm: 50 | Field: 45 | Overall: 50

Somewhat of an afterthought in the Rockies' 2018-19 international class, Brito signed for $60,000 out of the Dominican Republic. He hit everywhere he went in Colorado's system, batting .295/.406/.469 in three seasons and ranking among the Single-A California League leaders in most offensive categories last year at age 20. Intrigued by his bat, Cleveland traded Nolan Jones to acquire Brito in November and added him to their 40-man roster.

A switch-hitter, Brito makes hard contact with a quick, short stroke from both sides of the plate. He controls the strike zone well, walking more than he struck out in his first three years as a pro, and he shows some aptitude for turning on and lifting pitches. There are mixed reports on his power upside, though he's considerably stronger than his listed weight of 162 pounds, and the Guardians think his exit velocities could portend 20-homer production. Fifteen of his 17 long balls through 2022 came as a left-handed hitter.

Brito is aggressive on the bases despite possessing just fringy speed. He's a decent, if not especially fluid, defender with an average arm at second base. Cleveland has several more gifted middle infielders in the system, which could push him to left field and put more pressure on his bat.

GuardsInsider
@GuardsInsider
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34m
Roster Move at the Major League level today

+Recalled RHP Cody Morris (#36) from AAA Columbus.
+Optioned LHP Tim Herrin to Columbus.
+Returned RHP Hunter Gaddis to Columbus.

Guardians Perspective

Friday Thoughts - Francona leaving, suspension vs rainout, minor league musings, taking it home (i.e. the rest of the regular season)

Friday, August 25, 2023

Francona Leaving

It looks like we are about to witness the end of an era in Cleveland as the soon-to-be bionic man, Terry Francona, is likely to pack it in as the manager of the Cleveland Guardians in favor of his personal health as he continues to have body parts replaced and surgeries done. Here are some thoughts:

It is time. He is obviously feeling the pressure of having to manage hard every game. Every managerial decision that turned out bad is exposed as second guessing only becomes important when your team is underperforming. His predilection for playing veterans over young players, playing young players who suck (for some reason) and holding young players more accountable than he holds his veterans were always there. It is just in this season they are more obvious as this team tried to walk the razor's edge.

The game has passed him by. While 7 years ago he was an innovator, now the game is passing him by. His lack of grasp of the challenge system is obvious on a daily basis. His irritation with umpires has boiled over more times than it should have been. His only lately embdracing the opener paradigm was concerning, meaning he had to have 5 solid starters or he was lost.

If Antonetti and Co. REALLY loved Francona they would have NOT hung him out to dry this year. Stupid FA signings and stupid trades this winter really doomed this team, choosing guys to stay and FAs who underperformed with the guys they got rid of having great years that we could have used here. The cherry on the sundae occurred at the deadline where we traded away assets and, essentially, got nothing bad. A tenuous season sent down the tubes. Bringing in Calhoun, Laureano and Hasse were stupid attempts to placate Francona whose stressful job as manager was made even worse by getting rid of his veterans and making him manage rookies while attempting to win, basically Francona's worst nightmare.

Suspension vs Rainout

No one questioned the rainout vs suspension decision. As this situation does not come up often I have to wonder if this is a new thing or not. My memory is that when a game isn't official the results are washed away and you have to start over. Obviously that didn't happen as the Dodgers were gifted a 3-1 lead by the suspension in a game that only went 2 innings when it should have been a 0-0 game if it had been ruled a rainout. HUGE advantage to the Dodgers by that decision.

Hopefully there is some black and white explanation from the rules rather just MLB's or the umpire's or even the teams' discretion on whether to invoke a rainout or just continue the game. I still want to fight for every win and if Cleveland just played the good guys and allowed it to be a suspension I will be really pissed.

Taking it Home (i.e, the rest of the regular season)

We need to play the rookies. Sending down Rocchio was just a joke as we SHOULD have sent down Arias a long time ago. On cue for his Oscar Mercado-like AAAA performance, Arias celebrated his umpteenth reprieve from a trip to Columbus by going 3-4 (with the HR being his only hard hit ball). Just like Mercado, Arias always flashes just enough to convince the hope-against-hope Cleveland fan that maybe he is coming out of it, finally, after 2 years. With Rocchio down Arias certainly will get the opportunties to prove me wrong.

I will say this for the 100th time. What in the freakin' heck are we doing bringing in these AAAA veterans? This is the biggest joke of 3 years of jokes from our FO. With the poor drafts of 2022 and 2023, the loss of Jones, Benson and Civale with little return, these 'gifts' will keep on giving for years to come.

I don't want to get rid of Antonetti. I want him to clean up his mess. But, and this is just my guess, he needs to get rid of his ego, roll up his sleeves and actually HELP this team instead of trying to bask in the glory of his greatness, thinking he is above the game. And fix his analytics and draft departments that are clearly broken, maybe more than any team in baseball.

We need to fix our challenge department. They are slow reacting and not very sharp in their challenges, sometimes challenging things that are laughable and obviously wrong. Don't know if this is tracked but my guess is that we lead the league in shortest review times for our challenges as they are so bad it doesn't take New York long to overturn them. In fact, they would probably be shorter but the guys in New York have to stop laughing long enough to convey the result to the umpires at the game.

Minor League Musings

Chase DeLauter makes a stumbling, sprawling catch that has me grimacing that he might be going back to the DL and people are praising his defense. Folks, this guy is NOT a centerfielder. If his arm plays well he can end up in right, if not, in left. But no matter what he will be another LH hitter...like we don't have too many of those already. Instead of overvaluing his defense based on one play, we need to worry about him incorporating his lower half in his swing and what that may mean long term to his development. The guy swings basically with his hands and arms and barrels up more balls than I have ever seen a prospect barrel up. However, his power is currently warning track power due to him not incorporating his lower half

Kyle Manzardo is now 0-11 as a Cleveland Guardians' farmhand.

Aaron Civale's new team Tampa Bay is 3-1 in his 4 starts.

Ralphy Velasquez mashed for an OPS of 1.132 in the first 6 games of his professional career in the ACL. He only played one game at catcher, one at 1B and the other 4 as a DH. Remember, that no one questioned before the draft whether he could hit. The reason he was only the 37th best prospect in the draft was because he was position limited and it was questioned whether he could stay at catcher AND because not all great HS hitters develop into ML players.

Parker Messick looked really good in his previous 3 starts at Lake County showing increased fastball velocity. He looked good in the first 3 innings of his most recent start and then got touched up in the 4th inning. Don't know what that means but, as I said before, his remaining starts will be interesting.

I saw Matt Etzel, my 9th round pick in my 2023 mock draft, play against Lynchburg this week. He wad drafted in the 10th round by Baltimore and, at this point, looks like a steal. So far he is hitting .300 in his short professional caree with a .906 OPS and has 12 stolen bases in 71 plate appearances. Admittedly this is all at Rookie and A ball but compared to the $1 million dollar man Alex Mooney (.419 OPS in A ball), CJ Kayfus (.702 OPS in A ball) and Tommy Hawke (.675 OPS as a college player in the ACL), Etzel, who was drafted much lower than any of these guys, looks pretty good to me......

More on this after the minor league season is over when I compare the first-year performances by my 2023 mock draftees compared to the guys the Guardians drafted. Spoiler alert: bring a barf bag because, as Guardians fans, they are going to make you want to throw up.

Will Dion - While I know his fastball 'velocity' gives him very little chance of being successful in the majors, he still finds a way to get it done, even in his extended look at AA. Maybe something marvelous will happen and his FB velocity will go up to 96 mph while maintaining his command. Then we can change the nickname form Little Kershaw to Kershaw Part Deux, or something like that.

It will be interesting to see how Jaison Churio does in his late-season cameo at Lynchburg. It is really interesting to note that A LOT of guys who are playing at A, A+ and AA ball right now are recent callups with fewer than 20 games at their highest level. So, as I mentioned in an earlier post, looking at guys who have spent the whole season at one minor league level and are now seeing a spike in performance at the end of the season means that at least some of this spike could result from the best players in their league leaving and being replaced by guys who are just getting used to a new level. If your competition is weaker this could lead to an improvement in performance that is actually just from playing against weaker competition.

Posted by Dennis at 10:16 AM

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Jaison Chourio making his debut for Lynchburg tonight batting second in the lineup.

(08/24/23 OF Jaison Chourio assigned to Lynchburg Hillcats from ACL Guardians.)

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Jaison Chourio CF doubles (1) on a fly ball to center fielder Enrique Bradfield Jr. and was left stranded at third.

Chourio left stranded at third for the second time

Antunez on 2nd, Chourio on 3rd

DEL 1,
LYN 1

Double
Wuilfredo Antunez doubles (16) on a ground ball to left fielder Matthew Etzel. Angel Zarate scores. Jaison Chourio to 3rd.
Chourio on 1st, Zarate on 2nd

Walk
Jaison Chourio walks.

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Friday night: Akron defeated Altoona 5-4 at Altoona.

Franco Aleman (2-0): 1 INN 0R 0H 2K 1W Save #4

In his first 13 Akron outings, Aleman extends his scoreless inning streak to 19 1/3-innings.

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Jaison Chourio strikes out swinging. 1 out

BOTTOM OF 6

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Nice "A" ball debut for Jaison:
2AB 1R 1H (DBL) 2w 1K


DEL 4,
LYN 3

Sac Fly
C.J. Kayfus out on a sacrifice fly to left fielder Matthew Etzel. Maick Collado scores. Jose Devers to 3rd. 2 outs
Devers on 2nd, Collado on 3rd

DEL 4,
LYN 2

Wild Pitch
Wild pitch by pitcher Braxton Bragg. Jaison Chourio scores. Maick Collado to 3rd. Jose Devers to 2nd.
Mound Visit.
Devers on 1st, Collado on 2nd, Chourio on 3rd

Walk
Jose Devers walks. Jaison Chourio to 3rd. Maick Collado to 2nd.
Mound Visit.
Collado on 1st, Chourio on 2nd

Single
Maick Collado singles on a ground ball to center fielder Enrique Bradfield Jr. Jaison Chourio to 2nd.

Flyout
Wuilfredo Antunez flies out to second baseman Mac Horvath. 1 out
Chourio on 1st

Walk
Jaison Chourio walks.

BOTTOM OF 9

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August 25, 2023 - Eastern League (EL) - Akron RubberDucks News Release


Akron left fielder Connor Kokx homered in the ninth inning to lift the RubberDucks to a 5-4 win over the Altoona Curve, snapping a six-game losing streak in the fourth game of a six-game series at Peoples Natural Gas Field Friday night.

Turning Point

In a 4-4 tie in the top of the ninth inning, Kokx hit a one-out, solo home run to left field - his third of the season and second this month - off right-hander Grant Ford, giving Akron its first lead of the night and just its second of the series.

Mound Presence

Akron right-hander Ross Carver allowed a leadoff triple to Altoona second baseman Jackson Glenn and sacrifice fly by first baseman Matt Gorski in the first inning. After two scoreless innings, Carver allowed a solo home run to Curve right fielder Joe Perez to make it 2-0. He later allowed a go-ahead, two-run home run to first baseman Matt Gorski in the sixth inning but matched his season long of six innings, allowing four earned runs on five hits and one walk with two strikeouts. Right-hander Tanner Burnas pitched a scoreless seventh inning, and right-hander Bradley Hanner worked around a hit and two walks in a scoreless eighth. Right-hander Franco Aleman worked around a one-out walk for a scoreless ninth inning, extending a 13-outing, 19 1/3-inning scoreless streak to begin his Double-A career.

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Hillcats Fall 4-3 to Shorebirds

August 25, 2023 - Carolina League (CarL) - Lynchburg Hillcats News Release


A ninth inning rally fell just short for the Lynchburg Hillcats as they dropped 4-3 to the Delmarva Shorebirds on Friday night.

Lynchburg trailed for most of the ballgame but made a push in the ninth inning that saw the tying run stranded 90 feet away. Delmarva just barely sneaked by after a couple of close calls went their way.

Lynchburg struggled at the plate with 15 straight batters being retired from the fourth inning until the ninth. However, the Hillcats would chip away at the deficit as a wild pitch with the bases loaded brought home Jaison Chourio in his first game in Lynchburg.

Later in the inning, chaos broke loose as C.J. Kayfus floated a ball down the left field line that Etzel laid out for right along the line. No signal was made as the ball appeared to come loose, allowing Maick Collado to score from third. In the ensuing moments, Jose Devers would head to third as neither umpire made a signal until after the play was over with Kayfus being called out after reaching second.

The final batter would strike out as Lynchburg would fall just short in their comeback attempt.

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https://twitter.com/i/status/1695236736182263953




Franco Aleman throwing flame for the save!

His AA number: 19.1 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 29 K, 2-0, 4/4 saves

He's GOOD

FINAL | Akron 5 | Altoona 4

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Jaison Chourio

OF, Lynchburg Hillcats, A
Guardians
Top 30
AGE 18
BATS S
DOB 05/19/2005
THROWS R
HT 6' 1"
SIGNED Jan. 15, 2022 - CLE
WT 162
ETA 2027

Scouting grades:

Hit: 60 | Power: 45 | Run: 55 | Arm: 55 | Field: 55 | Overall: 50

The younger brother of Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio, the biggest breakout prospect of 2022,

Jaison offers considerable upside as well. He landed the top bonus in the Guardians' 2022 international class, signing for $1.2 million out of Venezuela in January. He broke into pro ball by hitting .280/.446/.402 in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League, walking nearly twice as much (40) as he struck out (22).

One of several gifted young switch-hitters in Cleveland's system, Chourio recognizes pitches and controls the strike zone well beyond his years. He shows good feel for the barrel from both sides of the plate and distributes hits all over the field. Once he adds some needed strength and learns to turn on and lift pitches, he should have 15-20 homer power.

A well-rounded player, Chourio earns solid-to-plus grades for his speed, arm strength and center-field defense. His instincts enhance his physical ability and could make him a 20-20 player one day. He possesses one of the highest ceilings among Guardians farmhands and also comes with a higher floor than most teenagers.

It’s hard to say which of Jaison Chourio’s tools is the most intriguing.

The 18-year-old center fielder has been turning heads and checking boxes since signing with the Guardians out of Venezuela in 2022. He is the younger brother of Brewers top prospect Jackson Chourio.

Last year in the Dominican Summer League, the switch-hitting Chourio hit .280/.446/.402 with one home run and 14 stolen bases in 40 games.

This year in the Arizona Complex League he fully blossomed. Through 29 games he hit .364/.493/.509 with a homer and 12 steals.

Though Chourio will probably never hit for a lot of power, the Guardians feel there is still some potential for him to flash the occasional long ball. “He continues to work with our physical development team to add strength and power,” Harris said

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Chances are you’ve heard of Jackson Chourio, the teenager who last season set the prospect world aflame with his outstanding stateside debut for the Milwaukee Brewers. This season, there’s a strong possibility another member of the family will attract attention: Chourio’s younger brother, Jaison.

Jaison Chourio is an outfielder in the Guardians’ system. He signed in January 2022 for $1.2 million, which was the largest bonus in the Guardians’ international signing class and a clear symbol of Cleveland’s high hopes. During his debut season in the Dominican Summer League, the younger Chourio delivered. He batted .280/.446/.402 with 40 walks and a mere 22 strikeouts across 40 games. His discipline at the plate was complemented by his prowess in center field, where he moved not only athletically but also instinctively.

Although Chourio doesn’t mind if you bring up his older brother — he considers Jackson a role model, after all — the players aren’t the same. Jackson already has translated raw strength into in-game power, belting 20 home runs in 99 games last year. Jaison, meanwhile, hit primarily for contact. He managed seven doubles, three triples and one homer in 175 plate appearances last season.

But the Guardians are confident Chourio will grow into more power as he fills out his 6-foot-1, 165-pound frame. That would only enhance the rest of his skillset that includes above-average speed, a strong arm at a premium position and advanced feel for the strike zone as a switch-hitter.

“This guy is doing a lot of things right,” said Alex De Moya, Cleveland’s assistant director for Latin American scouting and player development. “That’s what coaches say about him. This guy is mature beyond his age, works hard, plays well, plays hard. It’s hard to poke holes in his game at this point. Obviously he does have a ton (to work on) and he needs to continue to get better, but he’s doing well.”

Chourio, who was named a Dominican Summer League All-Star in his debut season, expects more from himself, too. He’s also leaning into the sibling rivalry and hoping to become better than his brother.

“I’ve been able to take advantage of the fact that he’s always one step ahead of me,” he said in Spanish. “I always ask him ‘how is that there? And this here?’ He would tell me how he felt. He’d tell me about the areas where he struggled so that I could try to avoid struggling.”

Chourio’s challenge could be steep. He won’t turn 18 until May 19. If the Guardians choose to promote him to Low A without a stop in the Arizona Complex League, Chourio would start the season ranked among the youngest players in the Carolina League. The assignment would leave him facing pitchers who are on average almost four years his senior, based on last year’s rosters.

However, there is at least one thing working to his advantage. His older brother made the same jump last year and torched the competition. Jaison has access to Jackson’s expertise, just like he did for his debut in the DSL.

“He’s going to put in the work to become the better player (of the two),” Jose Mejia, the Guardians’ Dominican Republic academy coordinator, said in Spanish. “He understands the kind of talent his brother has but he says that he has the capacity to be the same as or better than his brother.

“That’s a point in his favor, to have someone as a reference point to be better than. That helps you to compete and always remain focused.”

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Does this look like an empty farm system ?

1. Kyle Manzardo 1B
2. Chase DeLauter OF
3. Juan Brito INF
4. George Valera OF
5. Brayan Rocchio SS
6. Daniel Espino RHP
7. Jaison Chourio OF
8. Joey Cantillo LHP
9. Ralphy Velazquez C
10. Welbyn Francisca SS

Welbyn Francisca SS 2022 Class From (H Y L Baseball Academy) Date video: 26.08.2020



https://youtu.be/X-w9D0owfJU

SKILL SET VIDEO




#Guardians Jose Ramirez met and took pictures w/ everyone of from upcoming international signing class at the organizations Dominican Academy. Here Ramirez is w/ the clubs top commit 16yr old switch hitting (SS) prospect Welbyn Francisca who is signing for $1.375MM on Sunday.


Bio

The switch hitting 16-year-old switch hitting shortstop Welbyn Francisca signed out of La Romona, Dominican Republic for $1.375MM on 1/15/23 with the Guardians. Francisca trained with HYL Baseball Academy in the Dominican Republic. He is the organizations top sign for the 2022 international class.

Francisca has huge upside and was ranked as the 5th best overall international prospect for the 2022 international signing period by Fangraphs, 22nd by Baseball America and 28th by MLBPipeline.

2022 Season

Did not play, he will make his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League during the 2023 season.

Scouting Report

Considered one of the most exciting and advanced bats in the class. He has a chance to be a plus hitter with outstanding bat to ball skills from both sides of the plate and the ability to barrel up balls consistently throughout the zone (See Video). As he fills out more and matures, he has the possibility to add power to his game especially with his tremendous bat speed.

Francisca possesses outstanding speed and has posted double plus run times and could potentially develop into a base-stealer (See Video). His quickness and athletic ability along with plus instincts allow him to cover a lot of ground on defense. His arm is considered close to plus and he should be able to stay at shortstop as he advances through the system, but he could easily transition to second base.

2023 and Future Outlook

Francisca like mentioned above is scheduled to make his pro-debut in the Dominican Summer League in 2023. He likely will remain there the entire season but if he dominates, he could find himself with a promotion to the Arizona Complex League like fellow switch-hitting shortstop Brayan Rocchio did during his inaugural first season. There is a ton of middle infield talent ahead of him so it's more likely he remains in the DSL all year.

Francisca has one of the highest ceilings one any prospect currently in the Guardians system despite his age. If he can continue to develop and avoid injuries, you're looking at a floor of an MLB regular and ceiling of a potential impact player to future All-Star. The kid has the potential to be very special.

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