With the Single-A and Double-A playoffs underway, let’s look at some of the top international prospects who have taken the field this postseason.
Travis Bazzana, Lake County Captains (Guardians High-A affiliate)
Bazzana, the number one pick in this season’s amateur draft, predictably experienced some ups and downs in his first taste of professional baseball. The Australian infielder hit just .238 in 27 regular season games but still flashed the advanced hit tool that has been his defining trait as a prospect, posting a solid 13.5% walk rate.
Bazzana has also played a big part in Lake County’s run to the championship series. He collected two hits, including a home run, in the Captains’ division-series clinching win over the Dayton Dragons, then collected three walks and a double to help Lake County stave off elimination in the Championship Series against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Bazzana and the Captains will square off against the Timber Rattlers in a winner-take-all Game 3 tonight at 6:35 pm.
Angel Genao, Lake County Captains
Though he may be the main attraction, Bazzana is hardly the only Guardians prospect making waves. Signed from the Dominican Republic in 2021, Genao has dominated in his first extended look in full-season ball. The switch-hitter hit .341 with a .936 OPS with the Low-A Lynchburg Hillcats, earning a promotion to Lake County that hasn’t slowed him down. In 110 total games this season between the two affiliates, Genao is hitting an impressive .330/.379/.499 with ten home runs and 25 stolen bases.
Genao started slowly in Lake County’s postseason run, as he collected just one hit in their first three games. Yet much like Bazzana, Genao showed up with the season on the line and collected three hits, including a pair of doubles, to force a decisive Game 3 against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Genao will look to help the Captains clinch the Midwest League Championship, but no matter the result tonight, the Guardians struck gold on another switch-hitting infielder.
Starlyn Caba, Clearwater Trashers (Phillies High-A affiliate)
Despite the Trashers quick exit from postseason play, they have a lot to feel good about with their 18-year-old shortstop. Signed for $3 million out of the Dominican Republic, Caba tore up rookie ball with a .427 on-base percentage and 37 steals in 45 attempts. Though Caba didn’t quite have the same success upon promotion to Clearwater, he still drew 16 walks against just 15 walks, a remarkable feat for a teenager in his first taste of full-season ball.
In Clearwater’s two postseason games, Caba was one of the many Trasher hitters who struggled against Lakeland Flying Tiger pitching. Still, he managed to swipe another base while scoring one of the Trasher two runs. Headed into next season, Caba will likely need to add more strength and improve his batted ball metrics, but with a lightning-quick speed and elite plate discipline, it’s clear that the Phillies have something special on their hands.
Adael Amador, Hartford Yard Goats (Rockies Double-A Affiliate)
MLB.com’s 28th-ranked prospect entering the season, Amador, has predictably gone through the struggles of young prospects adjusting to the New England cold for the first time. In 100 games at Double-A Hartford, Amador has hit just .230 with a .719 OPS, a nearly 200-point drop from last year with High-A Spokane last season. Despite this, the 20-year-old from the Dominican Republic has still shown the loud tools that have made him such a highly-regarded prospect, homering 14 times and swiping 35 stolen bases. Most importantly, he has gotten better as the season has gone along, batting .293/.378/.493 in his last 38 games.
Amador got a surprising 10-game cup of coffee with the Rockies in the middle of June but has returned to the Yard Goats in time for their postseason run. The second baseman led off in Hartford’s postseason opener, but despite reaching base twice, his Yard Goats fell to the Somerset Patriots in a hard-fought, 3-2 battle. Amador will look to spark the offense when the series shifts to Hartford on Thursday.
Sebastian Walcott: Frisco RoughRiders (Rangers Double-A Affiliate)
It hasn’t been a banner year for Texas Rangers prospects at the major league level. Wyatt Langford has produced only league-average production after a dominant spring training, and postseason hero Evan Carter has played just 45 games in his official rookie season. Down on the farm, however, there are much more encouraging signs, most notably with Sebastian Walcott.
A 2023 international signing from the Bahamas, Walcott impressed in his first look at the state-side ball last season with a .849 OPS with the FCL Rangers. This season, Walcott showcased his elite power-speed combo at High-A Hickory, homering ten times and swiping 26 bags despite being four years younger than the average player. The 18-year-old earned a late-season promotion to Double-A Frisco and hit a remarkable .348/.375/.509 in his first five games.
Despite being the youngest player to appear in Double-A this season, Walcott started at DH in Frisco’s postseason opener, going 0-for-2 with a walk in a 2-0 loss to the Midland Rockhounds. Walcott and the Roughriders will look to stave off elimination when they return home for Games 2 and 3 of the series this weekend.
Winston Santos, Frisco RoughRiders
Santos took the loss in Frisco’s playoff-opening loss to the Midland Rockhounds, but it was hardly the fault of the Dominican right-hander. The 22-year-old allowed just one run over seven fantastic innings while tying a career-high with 12 strikeouts.
The dominant performance was the culmination of a breakout season for Santos. After posting a 6.29 ERA last year in Single-A Hickory, Santos cut that mark to 2.80 with a terrific 81/20 strikeout-to-walk ratio. That earned him a promotion to Double-A, and while his ERA rose to 4.89, he still maintained his excellent strikeout and walk ratios. He finished his regular season by allowing just two runs over his final two starts, a performance that foreshadowed his dominant postseason performance.
With the RoughRiders now facing elimination, Santos will need some help to get another start this season. Yet even if he doesn’t take the hill again this season, it’s been a remarkable season for the Rangers #8 prospect, who has established himself as one of the best pitchers in a talented system.
Photo Credit: Travis Bazzana #37 of the Lake County Captains takes a lead at first base during the third inning against the Beloit Sky Carp at Classic Auto Group Park on July 31, 2024 in Eastlake, Ohio. This is the continuation of the July 30 game which was suspended due to inclement weather. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)
