The NC State baseball program has produced many professional prospects in the past few years, many of whom are still in the minors working toward their major league dreams. With a few knocking on the door of the show and a few with their work cut out for them, let’s take a dive into the possible Pack Pros in the minor leagues.
Patrick Bailey, catcher, Eugene Emeralds (San Francisco Giants)
Despite a statistically terrible spring training, where he slashed .077/.235/.077, Bailey impressed Giants manager Gabe Kapler, who said “I think his intelligence level and his ability to slow the game down is interesting and in some cases rare for a player of his experience level and age,” per NBC Sports Bay Area.
Bailey currently plays high-A ball for the Eugene Emeralds, where he is slashing .233/.324/.383 through 14 games. The Giants’ No. 6 prospect is living up to his billing as a primarily defensive player, as he has struck out 22 times in 60 at-bats while only walking eight times.
It’s not all bad news for the switch-hitting Bailey, however, as his .333 BABIP (batting average on balls in play) and his propensity to hit the ball in the air are keeping his offensive numbers serviceable while the 21-year-old prepares for his projected MLB debut in 2023.
Will Wilson, shortstop/second baseman, Eugene Emeralds (San Francisco Giants)
Wilson was the 15th overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Angels, but is currently honing his craft alongside Bailey in high-A Eugene. The 22-year-old is faring much better in the batter’s box compared to his catching counterpart, sporting an OPS of .986 through 15 games. This stat is a far cry from 2019 when Wilson posted a .768 OPS in 46 games for rookie-level Orem.
A shortstop by trade, Wilson is projected to play second base at the professional level, but with his improvements in hitting, he shows promise either way. Wilson’s all-around average skill set is still adequate enough to earn himself the No. 12 rankings among Giants prospects and a projected debut in 2022.
Nick Swiney, left-handed pitcher, San Jose Giants (San Francisco Giants)
Joining the Giants organization a year after Wilson and a round after Bailey, Swiney completes a trio of San Francisco prospects to come from NC State. Swiney does not currently compete with his fellow Pack Pros in Eugene, however, as the southpaw currently plays for the low-A San Jose Giants.
Ranking 15th in the Giants’ top 30 prospects, Swiney is projected to eventually develop into a major-league starter if he can learn to hit his spots consistently, creating the possibility of Swiney forming a Wolfpack battery with Bailey as they share a projected MLB debut of 2023.
The 22-year-old is showing improvement in his control, as he struck out six batters while walking none over four shutout innings in his 2021 debut on May 7. This progress will be put on pause for now, though, as Swiney is currently on the seven-day injury list for a concussion.
Evan Edwards, first baseman, Bowling Green Hot Rods (Tampa Bay Rays)
Edwards has a new team in the high-A Bowling Green Hot Rods after the Miami Marlins traded him to Tampa Bay for right-handed pitcher John Curtiss on Feb. 17. The left-handed Edwards has not performed well in high-A, however, striking out 21 times in 47 at-bats. His batting average has suffered as a result, dropping 68 points from his 2019 campaign with the single-A Clinton LumberKings, when Edwards batted .285.
Whether his struggles at the plate are a consequence of the absence of a minor league season in 2020 or not being ready to make the jump to high-A ball is unclear. If Edwards is unable to bring his numbers up, he may be demoted to the low-A Charleston RiverDogs, where he was rostered prior to the start of the 2021 season.
Although Edwards is not one of the Rays’ top 30 prospects, being dealt for a quality pitcher like Curtiss, who sports a career ERA of 3.61 at the major league level, indicates that Edwards has solid potential.
Jason Parker, right-handed pitcher, Daytona Tortugas (Cincinnati Reds)
Taken 15 rounds after Wilson in the 2019 draft, Parker made his professional debut on May 7 for the low-A Daytona Tortugas. It did not go well for the righty, as he was relieved after giving up two runs on a hit and three walks in just one inning of work against the Palm Beach Cardinals.
Despite this setback, Parker rallied in his next start to toss four shutout innings, allowing just three hits and a walk while striking out seven. His start was in the middle of the first two, as Parker gave up one run on three hits with four strikeouts in four innings. Which rendition of Parker will prevail long-term remains to be seen, but Cincinnati’s crop of upper-level pitching prospects will keep the Reds from having to rush Parker’s development.
Alec Barger, right-handed pitcher, Augusta GreenJackets (Atlanta Braves)
Not long after Parker was selected by Cincinnati, Barger went in the 17th round to the Atlanta Braves in 2019. Unlike Parker, Barger was able to get some experience at the professional level in 2019, albeit struggling quite a bit. With rookie-level Danville, Barger posted a 5.85 ERA in 13 starts as opponents barreled up his pitches to the tune of a .308 opposing batting average.
Barger is making great strides in his second pro season, giving up only four earned runs in 11.1 innings pitched while striking out 15 batters. His opposing batting average has improved significantly as well, dropping to .209 in year two.
Andrew Blake, right-handed pitcher, Inland Empire 66ers (Los Angeles Angels)
Blake is another 2019 pick who struggled in his first season in the minors, putting up an abhorrent 8.72 ERA in 21.2 IP, all in relief appearances. But like Barger, Blake has improved drastically since his first year in the minors.
Blake’s 2021 debut resulted in a five-inning effort where he amassed eight strikeouts while walking none and allowing no earned runs on four hits, an outing that earned him Low-A West Pitcher of the Week honors from the week of May 9.
Michael Bienlien, right-handed pitcher, Lakeland Flying Tigers (Detroit Tigers)
Bienlien has surpassed his 24th-round pick status to put up solid numbers in the professional ranks. The right-hander bounced around the lower levels of the minors in 2019, but has settled in nicely with the low-A Lakeland Flying Tigers.
Bienlien has not allowed a single run in four appearances in 2021, accumulating 13 strikeouts and six walks in 9.2 innings pitched. Batters have struggled to make significant contact against Bienlien this season, as he has only allowed six hits, none of which were home runs, on the year.
Jack Conley, catcher, Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Philadelphia Phillies)
Conley is another late-round pick exceeding expectations, as he has put up solid stats within the Phillies’ system after Philadelphia took him in 27th round in the 2018 draft. The backstop showed promise in 2019 for double-A Reading, but has struggled to repeat that success this season.
Conley’s primary issue seems to be that he is not making contact consistently. In nine plate appearances for triple-A Lehigh this year, the 24-year-old has struck out seven times while holding only one hit to his name.
This weakness is not an isolated incident; Conley struck out 29 times in 128 plate appearances in 2019, when he bounced between low-A, high-A and double-A, but the issue seems to have been exacerbated by the jump to the highest level of the minor leagues.
It’s not all bad news for Conley however, as his one game with a hit is one of his only two starts of the season. With more consistent at-bats, it’s possible that Conley will develop more as a hitter.
Joe Dunand, shortstop, Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (Miami Marlins)
Dunand is part of a crop of up-and-coming prospects in the Marlins system headlined by second baseman Jazz Chisholm, Jr. and right-handed pitcher Sixto Sanchez. Dunand himself was taken in the second round of the 2017 draft by the Marlins, and has since made his way up to triple-A ball.
The 25-year-old has batted well in his limited time in 2021, knocking two doubles in six at-bats, but hasn’t played since May 5, since he is recovering from surgery to repair ligament damage in his thumb from a diving attempt.
Evan Mendoza, third baseman, Memphis Redbirds (St. Louis Cardinals)
Mendoza was taken by the Cardinals nine rounds after Dunand in 2017. Mendoza is primarily a defensive prospect, as his .361 slugging percentage over 61 at-bats in 2021 shows he does not have significant power.
What he lacks in power at the plate, Mendoza makes up for in defensive ability and hitting for average. In addition to a respectable .409 on-base percentage in those same 17 spring at-bats in 2021, Mendoza has impressed St. Louis club officials with his glove, particularly at shortstop. The Cardinals’ No. 26 prospect can also hit well for average, as his .295 batting average and .377 on-base percentage for triple-A Memphis shows.
Mendonza remains in Memphis for now, but it is only a matter of time before the 24-year-old makes his projected 2021 debut in the show.
Tommy DeJuneas, right-handed pitcher, Corpus Christi Hooks (Houston Astros)
The 2017 MLB draft saw several Wolfpack baseball alumni taken in the later rounds, including four of them going after round 20. The first of these four was DeJuneas, who was taken by Cleveland in the 26th round. The right-hander was traded to Houston for right-handed pitcher James Hoyt in July of 2018, and DeJuneas has stayed with the Houston organization since.
DeJuneas had a rough go of it in 2019, posting a 6.59 ERA in 54.2 IP between high-A Fayetteville and double-A Corpus Christi. The 25-year-old has adjusted in 2021, however, producing a 2.89 ERA in 9.1 IP. This figure may be unsustainable, however, as DeJuneas has walked nine batters while only striking out five in addition to giving up more air outs than ground balls, hinting at an inability to consistently hit his spots.
Cody Beckman, left-handed pitcher, Biloxi Shuckers (Milwaukee Brewers)
Beckman is another late pick from the 2017 draft, going to Milwaukee in the 30th round. Since spending 2017 in rookie ball, the southpaw grinded his way up the double-A level after two seasons in single-A.
Despite his advancement, Beckman has trouble preventing runs at the professional ranks. His ERA has increased each year since 2017, when he posted a 3.38 in rookie ball. Although the uptick in ERA was initially gradual, his 4.28 figure from 2019 has ballooned to 6.57 in five appearances for double-A Biloxi.
The root of Beckman’s struggles seems to be a lack of command. The 26-year-old has walked 10 batters in 12.1 IP and his strike percentage (percentage of pitches thrown for strikes) has dropped by over four percent from 2019. This trend was foreshadowed by Beckman’s six wild pitches in 2019, but in a season that is still young, Beckman still has time to turn it around.
Tim Naughton, right-handed pitcher, Bowie Baysox (Baltimore Orioles)
Naughton was the last Wolfpack alumni taken in the 2017 draft, going in the 34th round to the Baltimore Orioles. Since entering the professional ranks, Naughton has accumulated just over 100 IP in the minor leagues.
Naughton had a good start to his 2021 season for double-A Bowie, giving up only one run while notching 11 strikeouts in his first five appearances. The 25-year-old had his first bad outing of the year on May 21 though, giving up three earned runs on two hits and a walk against the Richmond Flying Squirrels.
Preston Palmeiro, second baseman, Salt Lake Bees (Los Angeles Angels)
Despite going in the same round as St. Louis Cardinals catcher and Pack Pro Andrew Knizner in the 2016 draft, Palmeiro did not impress in almost 400 games in Baltimore’s minor league system, maxing out his OPS at .718 for single-A Delmarva in 2017. The Orioles cut Palmeiro on May 20, 2020 and he remained unsigned for almost a year until the Los Angeles Angels signed him to a minor league deal on April 3, 2021.
Palmeiro still struggles at the plate, batting below the Mendoza line in 41 at-bats with triple-A Salt Lake. His ability to make contact isn’t terrible, only striking out nine times, but the 26-year-old seems unable to hit the ball in the air, posting a 2.00 in ground outs per air out. Palmeiro has been given a second chance in the Angels organization, but so far he isn’t capitalizing on it.
Jake Buchanan, right-handed pitcher Salt Lake Bees (Los Angeles Angels)
Buchanan, who is teammates with Palmeiro in Salt Lake, is another player struggling to produce in the upper minors. Taken in the eighth round by Houston in the 2010 draft, Buchanan’s career has seemingly peaked. The right-hander has 29 major-league appearances to his name, the last of which coming in 2016 for the Chicago Cubs, but the 31-year-old is still playing professional ball after signing a minor league deal with the Angles on May 13.
Buchanan’s 2021 debut was actually pretty good, giving up only one hit and no runs in 1.2 IP on May 16, but his next outing was anything but positive. In 2.2 IP, Buchanan surrendered five earned runs on eight hits against the Las Vegas Aviators on May 20.
Which version of Buchanan will prevail over the course of the season remains to be seen, but his current ERA of 10.38 is hardly a good start to the season.
