It’s Week 23 of minor league action, and the buzz around prospect Theo Gillen is hitting an all-time high. FanGraphs has him topping the entire system, and he’s not just a top prospect; he ranks 4th among *all* minor leaguers across baseball. This guy is legitimately in the running for Minor League Player of the Year, and honestly, it’s easy to see exactly why everyone’s so hyped.
The Farm System Is Loaded With Talent
Gillen isn’t the only name making waves, either. Caden Bodine is right there with him, ranking 11th among all minor leaguers, which is just insane for a single farm system. Bodine has been on an absolute tear this year, starting in Single-A where he put up a ridiculous .379 batting average and a .614 slugging percentage over 152 plate appearances. He earned a promotion to High-A on May 19, then to Double-A on June 30, and finally reached Triple-A on August 25. He hasn’t skipped a beat, still hitting .311 with a .533 slugging percentage in Triple-A. Theo Gillen, meanwhile, has been tearing it up. In High-A, he slashed .342/.449/.589 with 12 homers and 28 stolen bases in 265 plate appearances. After moving to Double-A, he still crushed it with a .288 batting average, .390 on-base percentage, and .504 slugging percentage, adding another 10 homers and 16 stolen bases.
On the pitching side, Aidan Cremarosa is the system’s top hurler. In his first professional season down in Single-A, the 22-year old has been flat-out dominant. He boasts a stellar 2.82 ERA and a 3.02 FIP over 76.2 innings pitched, all while punching out 29.8% of hitters and walking only 6.0%. FanGraphs even pegged him as the 30th top prospect in the system midseason. That’s a serious arm, folks.
Playoff Battles and Big League Dreams
It’s been a busy week across the minor league affiliates. The Bowling Green Hot Rods saw their season end, falling to the Winston-Salem Dash in the South Division playoffs for the South Atlantic League. Over in the Single-A Carolina League Championship Series, the Charleston River Dogs are in a tough spot, currently down 1 game in their best of 3 series against the Fayetteville Woodpeckers. And the Montgomery Biscuits’ season is officially over, tough break for them.
We’ve also seen some player movement and injury updates. Jacob Melton has landed on the Injured List, which is never good news. But there’s good stuff happening, too. Jackson Baumeister got a shout-out on Baseball America’s Hot Sheet, and Xavier Isaac was featured on Baseball America’s Statcast Standouts. Isaac, specifically, has been on fire since getting called up to Triple-A, hitting a superb .286/.417/.571 with 3 home runs in just 60 plate appearances. And get this: prospect Brody Hopkins even got promoted to the big leagues on September 12, though he only saw 1 inning of work with an 18.00 ERA. Hey, you gotta start somewhere, right?
The Charleston River Dogs are fighting to extend their season and claw their way back in that championship series, so that’s definitely one to keep an eye on. But all eyes are really on Theo Gillen and his push for Minor League Player of the Year. Can he close it out strong? We’re all gonna be watching.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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