5 intriguing prospects from the NL West, 1 from each team
As the baseball season's halfway point approaches, the sample sizes for prospects continue to expand. The MLB Pipeline crew is taking the opportunity to dig a little deeper to highlight players who are balling out, but might still be flying under-the-radar.
On the latest MLB Pipeline Podcast, Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo, with host Jason Ratliff, continued to identify the most intriguing prospects across the Minors landscape by division. With the AL East, AL Central, AL West, NL East and NL Central in the rearview, the gurus conclude their series in the NL West this week.
Here are the five most intriguing prospects from the National League West:
Rockies: 3B Kyle Karros (COL No. 18)
The skinny: The son of Eric Karros was a fifth-round pick out of UCLA in 2023 and performed well in his full season debut last year. This season, he's hitting .312/.440/.462 over his first 28 games at Double-A.
Mayo's take: Last year at High-A Spokane, he almost won the Triple-A crown, but he was the Northwest League MVP. He's missed some time this year, but all he's done is hit. The power profile is a little bit in question, but he may be one of those third basemen who hits and gets on base and has enough power to keep people honest. He is a very, very good defensive third baseman. He won a Minor League Gold Glove last year. He's big, but he moves well and has a plus arm. I think he ends up being the Rockies third baseman at some point.
Dodgers: RHP Patrick Copen (LAD No. 29)
The skinny: A seventh-rounder in 2023, Copen rose gradually and reached Double-A this season. He has an eye-popping 14.5 SO/9 this season mostly at High-A.
Callis' take: First, credit to him for what he's had to overcome: last year during his first full season, Cooper Pratt hit a line drive that struck Copen in the face, and he lost vision in his right eye. But it's full-speed ahead. He's not letting this hold him back and it hasn't held him back. ... He needs to harness his stuff a little better. Control is probably his biggest issue. But man, he's 95-97, touching 99 with all kinds of good fastball metrics. He's got as mid-80s slider that can be a plus pitch. He's got a low-90s cutter that can be a plus pitch. His cutter can touch 95, which is just absurd. He might be a reliever in the long run, but if he continues to dominate like he has, it would not shock me if we saw Patrick Copen pitch in the Dodgers bullpen by the end of the season.
D-backs: INF LuJames Groover (AZ No. 10)
The skinny: A second-round pick in 2023, Groover reached Double-A last year in his first full pro season and is back at the level now, hitting .307 with an .863 OPS.
Mayo's take: I love guys who just can hit, and Groover just hits. The question is will he hit for enough power to be an infield corner? And where will he play? He's moved around some, got some reps at second in the Fall League ... he's definitely hit over power. I think he feels that the power is going to come. He's just more of a doubles hitter now. But he just keeps hitting.
Padres: RHP Bryan Balzer (SD No. 17)
The skinny: Balzer grew up in Japan and was more of a position player as an amateur, and signed for $10,000 after blowing his arm out. The 20-year-old is in his first season at Single-A Lake Elsinore, where he's pitching to a 6.98 ERA over his eight appearances.
Callis' take: He's 93-96, touches 98, with a lot of run on his fastball. He has a mid-80s, sweeping slider. He's still young and inexperienced, only 20 years old and he's only pitched 36 innings of pro ball. But a super intriguing arm. He seems like a very good international scouting find for the Padres.
Giants: OF Bo Davidson (SF No. 9)
The skinny: The Giants signed Davidson out of a North Carolina junior college and watched him hit .316 with 19 homers as a pro since debuting in 2023. He's been a force at High-A Eugene this season, slashing .312/.410/.532.
Callis' take: He was basically the best hitter in the California League in the second half of last year, did fine in the Fall League. Comes back this year at High-A and he's one of the best hitters in the Northwest League. He's so tooled up, plus runner, solid arm. I think he's going to get better in center field the more he plays there. He has bat speed. Makes a lot of contact, draws his walks. He was a great find.
Giants: RHP Trent Harris (SF No. 11)
The skinny: The 26-year-old Harris isn't a spring chicken, but he's reached Triple-A and has the kind of swing-and-miss stuff that can make him a big league reliever relatively soon.
Callis' take: He was the Coastal Plains League pitcher of the year (in 2023). He's the son of a big leaguer, Greg Harris, who could spin the ball. And Trent can spin the ball. Curveball can be plus, slider can be plus, fastball can be plus, 94-97. He had a 1.81 ERA with 105 strikeouts in 80 innings last year. I think he will right the ship in Triple-A and I think we will see him in the big leagues.