Astros Minor League Depth - Left Field

[4/13/14 UPDATE: Brandon Meredith has been converted to first base.]

In my ongoing series covering the Astros minor league depth, this week we're looking at outfielders. I will be dividing them into center, left and right based on where they played the most games in 2013, but most of the players spent time at more than one position.  I am sorting their 2013 stats according to on-base percentage with those who finished the season at Advanced A or higher shown first and Low A or short season players below. Today, we cover left fielders. (Here is my post on center fielders from earlier in the week.) I did not include Michael Burgess as he is currently a free agent unsigned by the Astros or Ruben Sosa who I will include in my utility players category.



Brandon Meredith had an excellent season in Lancaster, putting up excellent on-base numbers and ranking in the top 10 in the Astros system in terms of runs scored, home runs, RBI, walks and slugging percentage. He was the sixth round pick by the Astros in 2011 and just turned 24 in December.

Brandon Meredith - May 2013

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Leo Heras' stats include his time in the Mexican League before he was signed by Houston in August. He only appeared in ten games with the Hooks after the signing. Baseball America's Prospect Handbook for 2014 has Heras debuting at #25 in the Astros system, citing his good defense and his ability to hit for average against both RHP and LHP as assets. He will be 24 in May.

Leo Heras - September 2013

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Austin Wates, drafted in the third round in 2010, gets an incomplete for the season. After starting the season in Corpus Christi and then receiving a quick promotion to Oklahoma City in early May, Wates was hit by a pitch and suffered a fractured forearm that shut him down for the season on May 24th. Wates did appear in the Puerto Rican Winter League during the off-season, giving him a chance to shake off the rust. His biggest strength, when healthy, is hitting consistently for good average.

Danry Vasquez probably has the highest profile of those at the lower levels of the system. He came to Houston in the July 2013 Jose Veras trade and went from the #7 prospect in the Tigers system last year to the #29 prospect in the Astros system this year (mostly due to the depth in the Astros system). Baseball America sees him as a good pure hitter with fringy defense. He just turned 20 in January and definitely held his own in the Low A Midwest League both before and after the trade.

Marc Wik led the entire Astros minor league system in on-base percentage (but for one player who only appeared in two games). The 21st round 2012 draft pick sometimes struggled in 2012 due to a shoulder injury, but fared much better offensively in 2013 when he repeated at Greeneville. I look for the 21-year old Wik to develop more power as he matures as a hitter. Defensively, Wik is a solid player and had the versatility to play at all three outfield positions in 2013. Wik's Greeneville teammate Edwin Gomez played half of his 34 games at DH.

Jordan Scott, a 14th round pick in 2010, is a very capable defender, but has been unable to distinguish himself offensively in his two full seasons playing in Low A Lexington and Quad Cities. What he does have is speed. The 22-year old ranked fourth in the Astros system with 25 stolen bases and managed seven triples for the season as well.

Jon Kemmer was drafted in the 21st round in 2013 and spent his first professional season with the Tri-City team. He was very good defensively but struggled somewhat at the plate in his inaugural season.

Alexander Melendez, an 18-year old from Puerto Rico, had a solid first season with the Dominican Summer League team. He will turn 19 in April.

Astros Minor League Depth - Left Fielders

As Spring Training approaches, I've been looking at the Astros minor league depth, position by position. Today, we look at the left fielders in the organization who had the best seasons in 2012.

Austin Wates - Corpus Christi June 2012

Photo by Jayne Hansen

The embedded chart shows left fielders in the organization ranked from high to low in terms of OPS. I have noted their current age, the last level at which they played and, if they spent significant time at multiple positions, that information is included as well. I am not including players such as J.D. Martinez and Fernando Martinez who spent substantial time on the major league roster in 2012.



Marc Krauss leads the list in terms of OPS. He simply dominated in his brief time at Corpus Christi after coming into the organization in the Chris Johnson trade with two doubles, five home runs and 16 RBI in only seven games. He was promptly promoted to Oklahoma City where he struggled at the end of a long season.

After a disappointing injury-beset first season in 2011, Brandon Meredith showed us what he can do when healthy. The power that we had hoped for when he was drafted in the sixth round in 2011 was on full display. I am eager to see what he can do in a full 140 game season in 2013.

Austin Wates just continued to do what he's always done -- hit. He inched up in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging over his 2011 numbers, erasing any doubts that his Lancaster numbers wouldn't translate to Corpus Christi. Now, he just needs to stay healthy in 2013.

Grant Hogue missed large chunks of the season due to injury but what he accomplished in 43 games, including 27 stolen bases, was remarkable. Chris Epps was one of the players to fill in for the injured when he was called up from Lexington to Lancaster and had a solid season both offensively and defensively.

Telvin Nash may have hit 29 home runs, but he also struck out 198 times and only drove in 75 runs. That is not a formula for long-term success as better and better pitchers exploit the holes in his swing. He will need to make adjustments in 2013 in order to continue his progress in the system. If he can make those adjustments, he could very well be a very effective DH.

Terrell Joyce had a good solid debut season offensively, but he will need to work on his defense in order to become a better all-around prospect.

There are a few other left fielders that I will be keeping an eye on in 2013. Dan Gulbransen showed promise in his first season, displaying some good power potential. He will simply need to be more consistent at the plate. If Wallace Gonzalez can cut down on the strikeouts in 2013, he could have a breakthrough year. Marc Wik is pretty much an unknown quantity for me, but it is my understanding that the 21st round draft pick was not even close to being 100% healthy in 2012. And finally, I am looking for Jordan Scott to regain his 2011 mojo at the plate and have a good season.

Coming Wednesday: Center Fielders