Gary Brown - Giants CF DOB: 09/28/88
Brown played in the Futures Game last week and for good reason. He has 80 speed on the 20-80 scale but he also has a decent bat that will ensure he can make it to the majors as a regular. He is hitting .313/.380/.466 with 37/14 SB/CS. the 14 times caught stealing are a lot for a guy with his speed so he clearly has some work to do on reading pitchers and getting good jumps. He still has 2 levels to go through before the majors so he should learn a few things along the way that should help his baserunning efficiency. With Tyler Skaggs moving to AA I have bumped Brown into the #1 spot among California League prospects.
Michael Choice - A's CF DOB: 11/10/89
Choice has struggled to hit for a decent AVG until he reached the month of July. After hitting .247, .254, .263 the first 3 months and is now at .441 for July. Over his past 10 games he is hitting 22-44 with 4 home runs. He may have struggled to get hits the first 3 months but he didn't struggle to hit home runs. He is at 24 HR for the year and is the top power prospect in High-A. Unless he falls into a slump I expect Choice to be promoted soon. I currently have him as my #2 prospect in the California League, narrowly behind Brown and gaining.
Tyler Skaggs - Diamondbacks SP DOB: 07/13/91
The Diamondbacks have seen enough of Skaggs in the lower minors and promoted him to AA as a teenager. He left the Cali League with a 3.22 ERA and 125 strikeouts in 100.2 innings. His first start in AA was a bumpy one. He allowed 5 runs (4 earned) in 4 innings. He is still a year or two away from the majors but should be one of the youngest pitchers in the game when he makes his debut. Skaggs is definitely among my top 10 prospects for dynasty leagues and long term keepers.
David Holmberg - Diamondbacks SP DOB: 07/19/91
6 days younger than Skaggs, Holmberg is only half a season behind him in development. After 14 games in Low-A where he had a 2.39 ERA he has a 3.44 ERA in 3 High-A starts. His first start saw him get hit around a bit but he has been stellar in his 2 starts since. If Skaggs reaches the majors in a year or two I would expect Holmberg to be close behind, barring any unforeseen injuries.
Chad Bettis - Rockies SP DOB: 04/26/89
Tyler Matzek has been a catastrophe this season so Rockies fan can find some comfort in Bettis and his strong season. He is walking only 2.5 per 9 innings and striking out 9.6. He recently strung together a series of starts where he allowed 4 earned runs in 28 innings. Bettis started the season with a 5.14 ERA in the first 2 months but has that number down to 3.74 now.
Nolan Arenado - Rockies 3B DOB: 04/16/91
Arenado has been very good all year and he keeps getting better. He is hitting .301 with 33 extra base hits and a superb 26/37 BB/K ratio. With so few strikeouts he is a safe bet to provide AVG to your fantasy team when he reaches the majors. He doesn't have big time power but could hit 15-20 in the majors, possibly a bit more since he will be playing half his games at Coors. He could be an All-Star one day.
Jonathan Galvez - Padres 2B/SS DOB: 01/18/91
Galvez is probably wishing it was June again since he hit .380 that month. His .265 July AVG is his second highest month of the season yet he is hitting .299 for the year. The middle infielder has 22 2B, 5 3B and 7 HR so he has some decent pop for the position. His biggest fantasy tool, however, is his speed. He has 26/4 SB/CS.