2017 DRaysBay Community Prospect No. 4

Jake Bauers had a somewhat convincing win over the weekend. Will Bauers voters shift right to another first baseman, or will they go elsewhere?

As a reminder, I’m only going to take up to three testers per poll. There are a lot of choices now. Not everyone requested over the weekend made it in for this one.

RHP Jacob Faria (6'4 200, 23 in 2017)

2016 statistics with Double-A Montgomery and Triple-A Durham: 151 IP, 3.99 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 11.0 BB%, 25.3 K%

While the bevy of early picks in the 2011 draft isn't working out as well as the Rays hoped, it could be their 10th-rounder, Faria, who helps salvage the class. As he's gotten older and stronger, his stuff has gotten better, and his fastball now sits in the low-90s. His changeup is his top secondary offering, but his curveball is inconsistent. While his stuff has gotten better, his walk rate has also climbed.

1B Casey Gillaspie (S/L, 6'4 240, 24 in 2017)

2016 statistics with Double-A Montgomery and Triple-A Durham: 560 PA, .284/.388/.479, 54 XBH, 18 HR, 14.3 BB%, 20.9 K%

With a healthy season, Gillaspie reestablished himself as the slugger the Rays took with the 20th pick in the 2014 draft. He socks his dingers with pure strength and not bat speed, but thanks to his strike-zone judgment, he's able to jump on pitches he knows he can hit from both sides of the plate. He's not going to rack up a ton of strikeouts either. Unlike Jake Bauers, Gillaspie is limited to first base.

RHP Chih-Wei Hu (6'1 230, 23 in 2017)

2016 statistics with Double-A Montgomery and Triple-A Durham: 147 1/3 IP, 2.75 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 6.3 BB%, 18.9 K%

Hu earned a spot in the Futures Game with a strong 2016 season. He throws a lot of strikes, and they're quality strikes. His palmball stands out in his deep arsenal, but recent reports indicate that pitch has been put on the back burner in favor of a conventional changeup. His low-90s fastball plays up in short stints like in the Futures Game. He has a couple fringy breaking balls.

3B Joshua Lowe (L/R, 6'4 190, 19 in 2017)

2016 statistics with the Gulf Coast League Rays and rookie-level Princeton: 214 PA, .249/.374/.405, 14 XBH, 5 HR, 17.3 BB%, 27.6 K%

Lowe's pro career got off to a poor start, but he quickly rebounded and was named a top-20 prospect by Baseball America in both leagues he played in. With good bat speed and room on his frame to add strength, he has the power projection of a classic hot-corner profile. Eventually, those strikeouts will have to come down. As a successful pitcher, he has a strong arm and has the athleticism to play in the outfield if third base doesn't work out.

3B Kevin Padlo (R/R, 6'2 205, 20 in 2017)

2016 statistics with Class-A Bowling Green: 509 PA, .229/.358/.413, 16 HR, 41 XBH, 14-for-23 SB, 15.5 BB%, 26.3 K%

Padlo was acquired in the minor league portion of last year's trade that sent Jake McGee to Colorado, and his second attempt at full-season ball was much better than his first, despite a slow start. He already hits for power, particularly to his pull side with many of his home runs going to straightaway left field. He should play above-average defense with a strong arm. Perhaps he could hit for a higher average if he got a little more aggressive early in counts.

IF Daniel Robertson (R/R, 6'1 205, 23 in 2017)

2016 statistics with Triple-A Durham: 511 PA, .259/.358/.356, 29 XBH, 11.4 BB%, 19.6 K%

Since a hand injury in 2015, Robertson has kind of muddled along at the plate. For a player with his feel for contact, it's disappointing to bat just .259, which was his worst average since his pro debut season. He did, though, finish the season hot, batting .282 with a .425 OBP and 10 extra-base hits in his final 23 games. His power will likely be limited to mostly doubles. He got more experience playing third base and second base in addition to his usual shortstop in 2016.

SS Adrian Rondon (R/R, 6'1 190, 18 in 2017)

2016 statistics with rookie-level Princeton: 210 PA, .249/.301/.430, 19 XBH, 7 HR, 6.2 BB%, 27.6 K%

Rondon's pro debut as a 16-year-old in 2016 was poor, but he followed up with a much better sophomore season. He really showed off his power potential and cut down on his strikeouts. However, he still has a lot of work to do in that regard and could stand to make more contact. He began playing third base in instructs which could be where he ultimately ends up as he grows older.

OF Jesus Sanchez (L/R, 6'2 185, 19 in 2017)

2016 statistics with the Gulf Coast League Rays and rookie-level Princeton: 226 PA, .329/.351/.549, 25 XBH, 7 HR, 4.0 BB%, 19.0 K%

Adrian Rondon headlined the Rays' 2014 international class, but Sanchez could be his equal now. He has the power potential and arm to profile at any position in the outfield, so it's not the end of the world if he moves off center field. Unlike a lot of young hitters, it's not all projection for him; he came to the U.S. in 2016 and kept on hitting. He's a decent athlete. At some point, he may need to become more patient, but his approach hasn't hurt him yet.

RHP Jaime Schultz (5'10 200, 26 in 2017)

2016 statistics with Triple-A Durham: 130 2/3 IP, 3.58 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 12.3 BB%, 29.5 K%

For most of 2016, Schultz was in much more control than usual, and that's always been the key to his development. He has two plus-or-better pitches which have allowed him to strike out 160-plus batters in consecutive seasons. After leading the minors in walks in 2015, he cut down quite a bit but still has work to do. He has missed time with injuries as a professional and amateur, so he still has time to straighten out his mechanics and stick in the rotation.

CF Garrett Whitley (R/R, 6'1 205, 20 in 2017)

2016 statistics with short-season Hudson Valley: 292 PA, .266/.356/.379, 21-for-26 SB, 20 XBH, 10.3 BB%, 25.7 K%

After a poor pro debut and rough start to 2016, anxiety began to set in among fans in regard to Whitley, but with a July stretch of hits in eight of nine games sparked the raw outfielder to a nice finish. He's patient, but he needs to cut down on his strikeouts to tap into his offensive tools. His impressive bat speed gives him plus power potential, and he has the athleticism and arm to be an above-average center fielder.