Yesterday we used this space to dive into the resurgence of both Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker in the Rangers’ farm system. Don’t forget about Alejandro Rosario. The Rangers righty has yet to reach the upper minors, but his strong performance has Geoff Pontes wondering where Rosario stacks up against the better starting pitching prospects in all of baseball. More below.

Aidan Miller, SS, Phillies: After hitting .195/.317/.317 over his first 32 games with High-A Jersey Shore, Miller has been on a tear in August. Over 17 games this month he’s hitting .353/.413/.632 with 10 extra-base hits. On Thursday, Miller had one of his most impressive performances to date with the BlueClaws. He went 3-for-3 with a home run, three runs, two RBIs and a walk. His strong combination of bat-to-ball skills and power, make him one of the more exciting players in the lower minors.

Drake Baldwin, C, Braves: Baldwin continues to impress for Triple-A Gwinnett. He went 2-for-4 with a go-ahead grand slam Thursday night in the top of the 10th inning. After the Louisville staff silenced the Stripers bats for eight innings, Gwinnett tied it up in the ninth before taking the lead on Baldwin’s blast in the 10th. Baldwin had three balls in play at 100+ mph throughout the night while catching all 10 innings. The Braves have Sean Murphy under contract until 2028 and Travis d’Arnaud available on a club option in 2025, so Baldwin might be on the outside looking in for playing time next season. How they handle d’Arnaud’s option will be telling.

Alejandro Rosario, RHP, Rangers: It’s getting harder and harder to not rank Rosario among the best starting pitching prospects at the moment. Rosario has been elite throughout 2024, with a 2.29 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, and 123 strikeouts to 12 walks over 82.2 innings. On Thursday night, Rosario tossed five scoreless innings on 71 pitches, striking out nine with no walks. Rosario allowed just two hits in the outing and continued to show power stuff and command. Baseball America’s Josh Norris was onto Rosario earlier in the season, which you can read and watch here.

Garrett Martin, OF, Yankees: Martin slugged three home runs across a doubleheader on Thursday. Martin’s first home run came in the first game before hitting two in the second game of the double up. Martin has had an uneven season, but he’s a hyper-athletic outfielder with good exit velocity numbers. Martin certainly showed his power potential on Thursday.

Rhett Lowder, RHP, Reds: After a rough May and June, Lowder has really turned it on in the second half of the season. He continued his impressive run in his Triple-A debut on Thursday. Lowder dazzled over six scoreless innings, allowing three hits, and no walks, striking out seven. Lowder sat 93-95 mph on his fastball, mixing a high-spin slider at 84-86 mph and a mid-80s changeup. Lowder is unlikely to debut in September, but should compete for a spot in the Reds’ rotation next spring.

Jhostynxon Garcia, OF, Red Sox: Garcia, nicknamed “the password,” has enjoyed a breakout 2024. That continued last night. Garcia went 2-for-4 with a go-ahead two-run home run. Garcia began the season with Low-A Salem and has slugged his way up to Double-A, hitting .291/.363/.517 with 23 home runs over 86 games. After nine games with the Sea Dogs, Garcia is 9-for-35 with two home runs.

15 Young Power Hitters With Excellent 90th Percentile Exit Velos

Earlier this week, Geoff Pontes dialed up BA’s Stuff+ metric to pair starting pitching prospects with plus stuff and performance. Now, he turns his attention to young sluggers, identifying 15 hitters with burgeoning power skills and some of the best 90th percentile exit velocity across the minors.

Baseball America Helium Pick Of The Day

Robert Calaz, OF, Rockies: Calaz is one of the 15 hitters highlighted above. The Rockies have scouted the international market as well as anyone in recent years, and Calaz is their most recent IFA product. The slugger made his stateside debut in the Arizona Complex League this season hitting .349/.462/.651 with 10 home runs. Calaz led the ACL in home runs, batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. Despite contact and chase rates that rank in the bottom 30th percentile, Calaz was productive due to outstanding power and the ability to elevate on his best struck drives. Calaz’s .415 xwOBAcon ranks in the 97th percentile, pointing to his elite power and angles on contact. If Calaz can improve his bat-to-ball skills and swing decisions, it’s not hyperbole to state there is 40-homer power lurking.

In Case You Missed It

Check out this slow-mo shot of Yoniel Curet’s delivery.

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