Bernie on the Scene: Keeping Busy

LEADING OFF

• I have to admit that I actually like having time to think, read, watch movies and go over all my baseball scouting notes during this time at home. Of course, I'd love to be going to games, eating in restaurants and going out with friends, but so far ... so good. My wife is a great person to be around, and that really helps. I hope you are doing well.

• I received a phone call last week from a good friend of mine who is very connected to baseball. He is on the front lines and knows what is going on. His owner had a conversation with him and indicated real doubts there will be a major league baseball season at all. That's terribly alarming, but possible. The owner indicated there were a tremendous number of hurdles to climb before any plan can be put in place.

• April 17, 1960, was a terrible day in Cleveland Indians history. That was the day the Indians traded Rocky Colavito to the Detroit Tigers for Harvey Kuenn.  Yes, it was 60 years ago, but this old guy remembers it like it was yesterday. All my friends wore arm bands to school. That trade really did change the face of the franchise for years.

• I keep hearing more and more talk that Commissioner Manfred's top priorities are to expand to two new cities so leagues can be balanced at 16 teams each. His dream has become more important when the industry is looking at incredible revenue losses if the season doesn't start soon. Regardless when it begins, it is highly, highly likely stands will be empty. Even though they say ticket revenue isn't that important anymore, owners will get to discover what zero ticket revenue, no concession revenue, no parking revenue and on and on means to their bank accounts.

• I have also heard the going rate for a new franchise was to be $1B. Given the fact Forbes has just valued the Marlins at $98M, the lowest of any club, that $1B may not be realistic.

By the way, the New York Yankees are valued the highest at $5B, followed by the Dodgers at $3.4B.

THE STARTING LINEUP

Alex Kirilloff, Twins, OF/1B, BL, 6-2, 215, Age 22

Kirilloff was a first-round pick in the 2016 draft as the 15th player overall. He was chosen out of Plum High School in Pittsburgh.

I got to see Kirilloff in several games this spring in Fort Myers. I also saw him in the July Futures Game. I remain impressed with his game, and I do think he has first-round tools.

Kirilloff had Tommy John surgery in 2017. Then a 2019 wrist injury set Kirilloff back a bit, virtually ruining his 2019 season. It wasn't great. He hit .283 at Double-A Pensacola in 411 plate appearances. He hit only nine homers and drove in 43 runs. To look at those statistics, one wouldn't get too excited about his future. But again, that wrist came into play. Even though most players would take that batting average, he's better than a .283 minor league hitter. In his 2018 season, Kirilloff hit a combined .362 with 20 home runs and 101 RBIs in 561 plate appearances. 

This coming season will be critical for Kirilloff to get back on track and use his normally good hitting mechanics to recover from flaws in his post-injury swing. His best and most advanced skill is his hit tool. He profiles as a high batting average hitter with emerging power.

Kirilloff should be able to climb back up to being a leader among minor league players in 2020 due to good reflexes, good eye-hand coordination, solid pitch selection and a selective approach. He makes good, barrel of the bat, hard contact and without question, he can hit.

His future could be either as an average corner outfielder with good enough arm strength to play in right field, or as a first baseman with enough range and agility to play solid defense.

There has been recent talk that the Twins may want to trade one of their bigger bats for younger pitching and less expensive position players. If that's the case, Kirilloff may be on a fast track to the parent club.

Kirilloff will join Royce Lewis and Trevor Larnach in forming a future nucleus of young Twins players. GRADE: 55

Royce Lewis, Twins, SS/3B/OF, BR, 6-2, 200, Age 20

Simply put, Royce Lewis was the best athlete I saw in the 2019 Arizona Fall League, and there were plenty of good athletes.

Taken out of JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano, Calif., Lewis was the first player chosen in the 2017 draft. 

Lewis signed with the Twins for $$6,750,000, which was below the money Hunter Greene (Reds) MacKenzie Gore (Padres) and Kyle Wright (Braves) received. Each of them came away from the draft with more than $7M signing bonuses.

Lewis has incredible reflexes and agility. He is capable of playing anywhere in the infield and anywhere in the outfield. His most natural position is at shortstop, but I have seen him at third base and center field as well. In each position, he has great range and outstanding baseball instincts. 

I didn't appreciate Lewis until I saw him play in multiple games, most recently in the Arizona Fall League. He won the MVP Award in the league by hitting a robust .353 in 95 plate appearances. He hit three homers and drove in 20 in the short season. He also stole five bases in six attempts, showing the tremendous burst he has running the bases.

Lewis' performance last fall in Arizona was a far cry from his 2019 season, when he played for High-A Fort Myers ( .238/10/35 with 16/24 stolen bases in 418 plate appearances) and Double-A Pensacola where he hit .231 with two home runs and 14 RBIs in 148 plate appearances. He stole six bases in eight tries. Finishing with a .236 combined average in 566 plate appearances had some Twins brass concerned. He erased those fears in the fall.

Lewis has some uneven mechanics in his swing. He has a hitch in his swing and he uses a high leg kick for timing, both of which I think he should scrap. He may not hit for a great major league average due to inconsistent contact and that unorthodox approach. However, his power/speed combination are real. 

Lewis should blossom as a power hitter as he physically matures. He is already strong, but there is more depth to come in his frame. He remains one of the fastest players in the minor leagues, and I don't think additional bulk will impact his speed. GRADE: 60

Evan White, Mariners, 1B, BR, 6-3, 205, Age 23

Evan White was the 17th overall pick in the 2017 draft. Signed out of the University of Kentucky for a $3,125,000 bonus, White recently signed a six-year, $24M contract without playing a single inning for the parent Mariners. It was a shocking deal, but one general manager Jerry Dipoto made because he believes in White's future.

White spent three years at Kentucky, finishing with a .356 batting average in 159 games and 739 plate appearances. He hit only 17 home runs in those three years.

I was fortunate to see lots of Evan White in the recent Arizona Fall League where he hit .257 in 78 plate appearances playing for Peoria. He hit two homers and drove in 14. He also stole two bases without getting caught.

White's most advanced tool is his outstanding defense at first base. He has very quick hands and feet and excellent reactions and range. He's really a Gold Glove candidate in the making.

But his bat has left me wanting more out of a first baseman, especially in fantasy.

He reminds me of the type of player Daric Barton was for the Oakland Athletics. He finished his career hitting .247, but he played for eight seasons. How? Why? Barton hit 30 career home runs. White could be a similar guy with a bit more pop.

Most scouts see White as a player with a big offensive future due to terrific knowledge of the strike zone and excellent plate discipline. I get that. I see that. However, as a first baseman in three minor league seasons, White has hit 32 home runs in 1011 plate appearances. I doubt he is capable of driving in 80 runs.

White has a compact swing and is capable of using the entire field. Still only 23, maybe, and that's a big maybe, he will gain more power as he progresses at the big league level. Playing his home games in Seattle won't help.

While Evan White gets rave reviews for his stellar Grade 70 defense, he will have to prove his bat is ready for prime time as such a young hitter facing the best pitching in the world. I have my doubts. I do, however, think White will gain an offensive presence as he becomes accustomed to major league pitching. That might be three seasons from now. He is graded above average by me due to his defense. Right now for me, meh. GRADE: 55

Logan Gilbert, Mariners, RHP, 6-6, 225, Age 22

Logan Gilbert will turn 23 in May, and he is the best pitching prospect on the Mariners.

Signed out of Stetson University in DeLand, Fla., as the 14th player taken in the first round of the 2018 draft, he didn't pitch in 2018 after being drafted.

Gilbert is a huge presence on the mound. 

Starting 33 games in his 52-game, three-year career at Stetson, Gilbert threw to a 23-3 record with a 2.48 ERA and 1.02 WHIP.

Last season, Gilbert pitched at three classifications, illustrating the Mariners' desire to get him to the big leagues quickly. He had a combined 10-5 record with a 2.13 ERA and 0.94 pitching for Low-A West Virginia, High-A Modesto and Double-A Arkansas. Gilbert is definitely on the Mariners' fast track.

Gilbert has a very refined and complete repertoire that includes a grade 60-plus fastball, a better than average slider, a better than average changeup and a major league average curve. That repertoire plays well because he can mix and match according to the count.

In the mid-90s, Gilbert's fastball isn't that powerful, but his command and control of the pitch allow him to sequence his other pitches by getting ahead in counts. His fastball darts and flows and sets up his secondary pitches very well. Movement is king in baseball. Gilbert's pitches all move.

His outstanding command and control are unusual for a pitcher his age. But his collegiate experience has made a tremendous difference in his preparation against quality hitters.

Clearly, Gilbert's long arms and legs might offer him some hiccups as he tries to coordinate his delivery with that great size. However, he knows exactly how to use his size to his advantage and it shows in his results.

If we hadn't had a delay in the season, we may have seen Gilbert in 2020. We still may. He knows how to pitch, and I project him to be a mid-rotation starter. He is being rushed to the big leagues. Maybe too soon. Time will tell. GRADE: 55

Jarred Kelenic, Mariners, OF, BL, 6-0, 196, Age 20

The Mets took Jarred Kelenic with the sixth overall pick in the 2018 draft. A star at Waukesha West High School in Wisconsin, Kelenic was considered the best high school hitter available in the draft.

The Mets traded him to the Mariners six months after the draft in the deal that sent Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz to New York.

I scouted Kelenic in the Arizona Fall League and in the 2019 Futures Game. I have become impressed with his game, but also his character. When I spoke with him, his emphasis was on helping his team win games. He stressed that several times. That's the type of intangible scouts admire and look for.

Kelenic hits well and runs well. He's not as powerful as some other outfield prospects, but he should be able to get on base and steal his share of bases as he matures and learns the pitchers.

Kelenic finished the fall hitting .300 in 11 plate appearances. But I got to see all 11 of those at-bats, and he looked like he was pressing a bit.

He made an adjustment in the placement of his hands and it resulted in overall excellent in-season results last year, as he combined to hit .291 over three levels of the Mariners organization. He spent time at Low-A West Virginia ( .309-11-29 in 218 plate appearances with 7 out of 11 stolen bases) and High-A Modesto (.290-6-22 in 190 plate appearances with 10 stolen bases in 13 attempts) and hit .253 with six home runs and 17 RBIs at Double-A Arkansas. He stole threee bases without getting caught.

A hard contact, line-drive hitter, the ball jumps off Kelenic's bat. He uses the entire field and to this point of his career, he's been more interested in solid hitting than just hunting home runs. I hope that doesn't change. His baseball instincts and his drive to succeed may help him become a star in the game.

Still only 20, Kelenic is being pushed for several reasons. First, the Mariners gave up closer Edwin Diaz along with Robbie Cano to get him. And most important, the team needs help everywhere on the field as soon as possible. I think rushing him will be a mistake, but the Mariners appear to be doing just that as they try to get more athletic. Kelenic is a good, center-field type athlete with agility, range, speed and a solid bat. GRADE: 60

HEADING TO THE DUGOUT

• If there are any players you would like me to profile, please let me know in the comment section. I will try to get to them.

• Never missing a chance to market merchandise, sports franchises are now selling team virus protection masks. I saw a Diamondbacks mask. It looked great. I don't know if my friend had it made or if it is for sale on the open market. I do know the NBA is the first to get them to market.

• Scouting grade definitions may be found in previous BERNIE ON THE SCENE articles.

• Stay safe and healthy out there.

• Follow me on twitter @BerniePleskoff and read my baseball columns at forbes.com