Minor League Baseball Weekly Ten-Pack, Week 21 — ‘New’ Stat Leaders
Baseball has been played professionally for more than 150 years, and the primary constant throughout the history of the game has been change. In the last 30 years, a new wave of statistical measures and evaluations of the game have become widespread and even widely-accepted among everyone from baseball purists to radicals. This week, we’re going to examine ten players who are excelling in one of those measurables.
Let’s dig into this week’s highlighted players:
Hitters
Javier Sanoja, 2B/SS/CF, Miami Marlins
Stats: 486 PA, .296/.356/.441, 7 HR, 15 SB, 43/29 BB/K
The Marlins signed Sanoja out of Venezuela in July of 2019. His pro debut was delayed due to the pandemic, so he opened his career in the Dominican Summer League in 2021, hitting .233/.307/.333 over 244 plate appearances with three home runs and 11 stolen bases, posting an 18/11 BB/K ratio.
He came stateside in 2022 and spent much of the year in Single-A, combining for 410 plate appearances with a .261/.306/.379 line with six home runs and 18 steals along with a 26/47 BB/K ratio. Sanoja really caught the eye of prospect evaluators as he hit .298/.348/.388 last year between both A-ball levels with four home runs and 37 stolen bases, posting a 41/42 BB/K ratio.
This year, Sanoja spent the majority of the year with Triple-A Jacksonville, where he’s actually hit notably better there than in his 15 games in Double-A. Overall, Sanoja has been an adequate defender at second, short, and center field. While he’s certainly a plus raw runner, his base-stealing instincts are notably below average.
His future profile is most likely that of a defensive backup up the middle. This year, he’s taken a big step forward with his plate discipline, ranking in the top five in the minor leagues in lowest swinging strike rate, swinging and missing just 3.5% of the time.
Henry Bolte, OF, Oakland Athletics
Stats: 465 PA, .261/.370/.473, 15 HR, 39 SB, 56/154 BB/K
The A’s selected Bolte in the second round in 2022 out of high school in California. He flashed a bit of his raw overall talent, hitting .212/.333/.212 over 11 games, but he also showed one of the concerns in his profile, striking out 19 times over 39 plate appearances.
Last year, he spent the season at Single-A Stockton, hitting .257/.356/.421 with 14 home runs and 32 stolen bases. He posted a 12.6% walk rate and a 33.4% strikeout rate, flashing impressive raw athleticism in the outfield but also struggling with his strike zone judgment.
This year, Bolte has been one of the best hitters in the minor leagues in turning fly balls into home runs, with 27.3% of his flies turning into homers, good for the eighth-best rate in minor league baseball.
Bolte has raw plus power and plus speed, but his swing is long and he has some notable holes in the zone due to its length. Bolte is an above-average defender who will likely fit best as a high-end right fielder, though he could handle center as well. His swing and miss will mean Bolte is going to have a slow build in the majors, but he’s the type of raw athlete that could hit another gear in the majors after not putting up numbers that are highly impressive during his minor league time.
Emil Morales, SS, Los Angeles Dodgers
Stats: 192 PA, .333/.474/.667, 13 HR, 11 SB, 39/44 BB/K
Morales was born in Spain, and he was the Dodger’s top international signee in January 2024. He had an impressive reputation with the bat before signing, and the Dodgers gave him a reported $2.4 million bonus.
Despite his large frame (6'3" and nearly 200 pounds at 17 years old), Morales has played all but two games at shortstop. His big arm has played well at the position, and he has strong hands in the infield, but he has shown that he will likely struggle to have the range to stick at the position as he advances. He’s certainly going to get every shot to stick in the dirt, though, likely moving to third as a first option.
The raw power is really the calling tool for Morales, and he’s turned 29.5% of fly balls into home runs this year and puts 73% of his balls in play into the air, both top-10 rates in the game. On top of all of that, he’s posted a 189 wRC+, the highest number among qualified hitters (Jacob Wilson and Emmanuel Rodriguez both have higher numbers, but they’re not qualified hitters at their levels). He could be the next big Dodgers prospect.
Cooper Ingle, C, Cleveland Guardians
Stats: 323 PA, .309/.433/.491, 19 2B, 9 HR, 56/44 BB/K
The Guardians drafted Ingle in the fourth round last summer out of Clemson, where he hit .329/.425/.476 in two-plus seasons as a starter. He showed excellent plate discipline in his summer on the Cape, posting a .401 OBP and a 30/28 BB/K.
So far, that plate discipline has persisted into his pro career. He hit .289/.464/.385 over 17 games in High-A in his debut last summer. He began this year back at the level and hit well all season, finally earning a promotion this week to Double-A Akron.
While Ingle has certainly shown with the bat this season, he’s worked hard to improve behind the plate. He’s average-ish against the run game but is excellent at blocking and receiving, and now he’s working with one of the best minor league pitching staffs at Akron, which should be a good indication of how quickly he can move next season.
Even with below-average raw power, Ingle’s bat control and strike zone judgment allows him to pepper the gaps for doubles and his overall offensive profile has allowed him to rank fourth among
Luis Pena, IF, Milwaukee Brewers
Stats: 184 PA, .393/.457/.583, 23 XBH, 39 SB, 15/15 BB/K
Pena was part of an excellent international class for the Brewers this January, signing an $800,000 bonus out of the Dominican. The Brewers sent him to the DSL, where he’s been part of one of the most talented teams in the DSL this season.
Pena is a tweener in the infield. He has been a shortstop before this year, so his work at second and third is raw, but he fits in both spots better than at short. He has an above-average arm that could work at third and has soft hands that could work at second, but the first step instincts are likely not there to stick at short.
Pena is not a plus power guy, but he may have the best speed in the Brewers’ farm system, which is saying a lot. He also has one of the lowest strikeout rates and swinging strike rates among all qualified hitters this year, giving him raw skills that should allow him to succeed as he moves stateside next season.
Pitchers
Steven Zobac, RHP, Kansas City Royals
Stats: 105 IP, 3.43 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 106/21 K/BB
The Royals drafted Zobac in the fourth round in 2022 out of Cal-Berkeley, where Zobac was a two-way player until his final collegiate season when he worked as a swingman, pitching to a 4.09 ERA and 1.22 WHIP with 72 strikeouts over 61 2/3 innings. The Royals held him from making his debut in his draft year, but he flashed impressive raw stuff at fall instructs.
Last summer, Zobac pitched across both A-ball levels. He put up a 3.47 ERA and 1.22 WHIP over 90 2/3 innings with a 98/24 K/BB ratio. This year, the Royals sent the righty back to High-A, but he has really hit his stride since his promotion to Double-A, posting a 2.15 ERA and 0.82 WHIP with an incredible 4.4% walk rate and 37.7% strikeout rate. He’s also posted a 14.5% swinging strike rate, among the highest rates for pitchers in full-season ball this year.
Zobac works with a mid-90s fastball that can touch 97 and has above-average ride through the upper part of the zone. He works with a plus sharp slider and a changeup that has taken a step forward this year with improved location. He profiles as a mid-rotation starter, though he is still getting his pitching legs underneath him as he’s not focused on moundwork until recently, so he’ll very likely be a guy who doesn’t debut until he’s 25, but he could have a strong career in the right role.
Rafael Sanchez, RHP, Toronto Blue Jays
Stats: 101 1/3 IP, 3.64 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 104/31 K/BB
The Blue Jays signed Sanchez out of Cuba after the righty pitched four seasons in Serie Nacional out of the bullpen. Toronto moved him immediately into a starting role, and he pitched 59 innings in 2022 in his debut season, accumulating a 3.20 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, and a 60/16 K/BB rate.
Sanchez pitched across both A-ball levels in 2023, tossing 114 innings with a 4.26 ERA and 1.33 WHIP, posting a 119/28 K/BB rate, though he struggled notably after his promotion to High-A. The Blue Jays returned him to the level to open this year, and he earned a recent promotion to Double-A, where his numbers have even been sharper.
The arsenal here isn’t going to overpower, so Sanchez relies on strong control, which he does have. The fastball works up to the mid-90s, but sits more 91–93 with an elite changeup and an average slider. The profile is a mid-rotation arm or a middle relief piece going forward, but Sanchez has been achieving a 14.3% swinging strike rate this year, among the highest for full-season starters, so there could be more if his stuff continues to play up.
Dominic Perachi, LHP, Pittsburgh Pirates
Stats: 94 IP, 3.16 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 98/34 K/BB
The Pirates snagged Perachi in the 11th round of the 2022 draft out of Salve Regina University in Rhode Island, a Division III school. Perachi certainly had a frame to draw pro scouts, at 6'4" from the left side, and as you’d expect, his stats in his draft season were incredible, with 120 strikeouts over 71 2/3 innings and a 1.00 ERA.
The Pirates held him from making his pro debut until last year, when he worked with Bradenton in Single-A, tossing 90 2/3 innings with a 4.76 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, and a 96/48 K/BB ratio. This year, he opened in High-A, but he’s made his last half-dozen appearances in Double-A in the pitching-rich Pirates system.
Perachi has excellent raw numbers, but he has an even better FIP this year, which is why he popped up this week, along with one of the best home run suppression rates for a full-season arm, allowing just one long ball over the season. While Perachi may not have elite velocity, working more in the upper-80s with his fastball, he has a tremendous array of offspeed and breaking offerings, with the ability to shape his curve and slider in multiple ways to give hitters different looks.
The ceiling is limited for Perachi, but he could work as a backend starter or a swingman from the left side if he can continue to keep the ball in the park and miss bats.
Dylan Carmouche, LHP, San Francisco Giants
Stats: 107 IP, 2.86 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 107/43 K/BB
A tall (6'6") lefty that the Giants drafted in the 15th round last summer out of Tulane, Carmouche began his college journey at Mississippi State, but the Baton Rouge native moved closer to home and showed strikeout stuff but got his hard over his two seasons at Tulane. After pitching 90 innings his final two years, the Giants let his arm rest last year after he was selected.
Carmouche has pitched across both A-ball levels this year, and he shows up across advanced metrics, with his 15.8% swinging strikeout rate ranking in the top 10 of full-season arms. He uses his height and comes from an over-top arm angle to add additional depth to his sinker, his sweeping slider, and his curve. He works well in the top of the zone with his four-seam, though it isn’t an elite velocity pitch. His best pitch is a changeup that likely has some split grip to it in the way it just falls off the table.
There’s a good frame here to potentially add some velocity with an offseason program and if he could do that with keeping the difficult arm angle where the ball seems hidden behind his ear until just before he releases, he could play above his raw pitch metrics into a #3/#4 type of starter.
Cade Smith, RHP, New York Yankees
Stats: 93 2/3 IP, 3.65 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 118/43 K/BB
A stout 6'1" righty from Mississippi, Smith matriculated to Mississippi State and was set up for a strong draft year after joining the rotation as a sophomore, but his junior year was a struggle as Smith worked around injury to pitch to a 5.23 ERA over 43 innings.
The Yankees had Smith rest after he was drafted, but now he is beginning to look like another college arm that ends up in New York’s system and finds another gear in his arsenal as he’s been excellent all year long, especially in his ability to miss bats, posting a 15.1% swinging strike rate. He’s also posted a FIP this year that’s 30 points better than his raw ERA.
The walks are still concerning with an 11.1% walk rate, but allowing a sub-.200 batting average certainly helps. Smith works with a mid-90s fastball with impressive vertical break, pairing it with a sharp mid-80s slider and a low-80s power curve. The fading changeup has its moments, and when it’s on, you can squint and see a future mid-rotation arm. If he can’t land the change consistently, there’s plenty of reliever risk, but it could be a very useful relief profile if that move is made.
As we get toward playoff time in the minor leagues, next week’s post will look at the top performers on some of the top teams in the minors this year.
