Minor League Monitor - South Atlantic League

Edwar Cabrera has made a slow climb up the organizational ladder but he could accelerate his ascent with the way he is playing. His 103 strikeouts are 27 ahead of the next closest competitor and he has an excellent 1.8 BB/9. 50th round pick Nik Turley is turning into a huge bargain and ranks third in the league with 70 strikeouts. All of his numbers are good but he doesn't have one skill that stands out. Still, he is young enough and performing well enough that he may have a major league future. A.J. Cole (10.6), Jacob Petricka (10.4), Chase Huchingson (10.4), Manuel Rivera (9.8) and Anthony Ranaudo (9.8) have all posted strong K/9 numbers. Ranaudo and Cole have the highest upside of the group but Huchingson is making a name for himself with a 1.97 ERA.

Matt Curry and Bryce Bentz hit their way out of the SAL and there could be a few young hitters who could follow them out. Bryce Harper remains hot with a .338/.434/.601 triple slash. First baseman Miles Head .327/.399/.587, catcher David Freitas .308/.418/.493, left fielder Corey Dickerson .283/.357/.610, and shortstop Jurickson Profar .280/.389/.503 have also put up promising stat lines.

Player profiles after the jump...

Mark Canha – Marlins  1B  DOB: 02/15/89  .333/.416/.623

Canha was a 7th round pick in 2010 after a college career where he was solid but unspectacular. In his first full season as a pro he is changing that and as a result earning himself more playing time. Hitting for power is his forte. He has a .290 ISO on the season and in the past ten games that number has been .462.  It will take more than 39 strong games to convince me he is anything more than a fringe prospect but he is definitely on my radar with what he has accomplished so far.

Manny Machado - Orioles  SS  DOB: 07/06/92  .298/.397/.532

Machado was one of the hottest hitters in the minors before going down with a knee injury in early May. Since returning on June 5th he has hit just .206/.250/.324 with 2 walks and 8 strikeouts. He is likely rusty after missing a month and he has actually hit in 7 of 8 games since returning. A few multi-hit games and his stats will be back on track.

Edward Salcedo – Braves  3B/SS  DOB: 07/30/91  .273/.356/.433, 12/7 SB/CS

Salcedo has hit well this year but has been plagued by inconsistency. He has the tools to be a solid fantasy third baseman but is still a raw 20 year old who will need plenty of development time.

Christian Yelich – Marlins  LF  DOB: 12/05/91  .274/.360/.409, 14/3 SB/CS

The Marlins first round pick last year is having an excellent start to his pro career. He has shown enough speed and OBP skills to project as the top of the order hitter the Marlins hoped for when they grabbed him last year. He could storm through Florida's farm system due to his advanced bat and is looking like a good pick-up in keeper leagues.

Garett Claypool – Phillies  SP  DOB: 08/21/88  2.69 ERA, 6.5 H/9, 10.7 K/9, 2.7 BB/9

In a league full of great pitching prospects, Claypool has been the best of them all. He has given up the fewest hits per 9 innings among starters while striking out the second most per 9. Claypool had a great debut in Low-A last season and has carried that success into this season. He should be promoted within the next month or two and will face an excellent test in High-A.

Robbie Ray – Nationals  SP  DOB: 10/01/91  1.03, 33 K, 11BB, 35 IP, 17 H

Ray got off to a late start this season but has been explosive since making his debut. In 7 starts he has given up runs in only 2 of them. I'm not too familiar with his arsenal so it's hard to know what to make of his insane numbers. If the Nationals decide to test him in High-A we may be able to get a better read on what the young lefty is capable of.