For the American League, everyone seems to be chasing the Houston Astros in the league’s quest back to the World Series. By utilizing the final season of allowing 40 players to be up with each team at a time, franchises are using September to gain a better understanding of their minor league system and its prospects.
Anytime a prospect is called up from the minor league, it is a very impressive feat, even if they have been up and down before. For teams like the Tampa Bay Rays, Oakland Athletics and Minnesota Twins, they are fighting for their playoff lives as we speak, so any sort of reinforcements are welcomed.
Included in this list are two players from the Athletics and Rays alike, and there is a final entrant on this list from the Twins, who currently are holding onto a 5.5 game lead over the surging Cleveland Indians.
Both the Rays and the Athletics are in the playoffs if the regular season ended today, as the Rays currently lead the A’s by one game. Hot on their tails is the Indians, who currently sit 1.5 games back. All other teams are eight games ore more back, show the Wild Card race is strictly comprised of three contenders who are trying their best to not be pretenders.
Nate Lowe – Tampa Bay Rays
The young first baseman for the Rays is back up in the major leagues for his third stint this season, with his debut having occurred all the way back in May. For the Rays, Lowe has made the most of his stints with the big-league squad, showing both his offensive and defensive skill sets.
At the plate, Lowe has hit .294 across 102 at-bats, including five home runs and 13 runs driven in. His 10 walks and a 0.64 WAR has also shown his patience and value at the plate, showing that the team is right to have brought Lowe back up from Triple-A.
30 games and 26 starts also show the importance that the team has put on Lowe and his role in this playoff-chasing team, as the front office and manager Kevin Cash have entrusted Lowe with a decently-large role in the team’s plans going forward.
The 24-year-old, 13th-round pick in 2016 looks to solidly be in this team’s plans, as they continue to compete for both the playoffs this season and next.
Brendan McKay, Tampa Bay Rays
The other high-profile member of the Rays, Brendan McKay has been a really bright spot in the team’s minor-league pitching ranks, and he also translated those results to the big leagues too.
Drafted as a dual-purpose player out of the University of Lousiville, the former pitcher and first baseman was on a strict pitch count against the Toronto Blue Jays, going 3.2 innings and striking out seven of the 12 batters that he faced, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
Having thrown 59 pitches in his return from a small stint of the injury list, McKay looks to be a valuable weapon for the Rays down the stretch, similar to the type of impact that Lowe can bring to the team as well. For McKay, he is looking to be a steadying force for the Rays in their injury-ravaged starting rotation, as both Tyler Glasnow and 2018 Cy Young award winner Blake Snell are back on their return path from injuries.
As a left-handed starting pitcher, McKay brings a valued element to the team’s rotation down the stretch, and even if he is not in the rotation as the playoffs grow closer, he will be a solid contributor out of the bullpen as a dominant long reliever.
Sean Murphy – Oakland Athletics
As the first of two prospects on this list from the Athletics, catcher Sean Murphy brings a valued set of defensive skills to the big league team, while his offensive skills are improving just in time for the stretch run.
Murphy, who just made his MLB debut Sept. 4 against the Los Angeles Angels, helps provide the A’s with a much-needed boost in their catching ranks. He was drafted in the third round in 2016 by the A’s out of Wright State, and his major-league debut occurred by catching for starting pitcher Tanner Roark, the former Washington National and Cincinnati Reds.
Outside of Murphy, both Josh Phegley and Chris Herrmann have been holding down the catching position. While neither of the 31-year-old catchers jumps off of the page, Phegley and Herrmann can be viable options behind the plate while Murphy gets accustomed to the speed of the big leagues, while also being great veteran mentors.
Jesus Luzardo – Oakland Athletics
The second of two called-up prospects for the A’s, left-hander Jesus Luzardo is one of the prizes of the A’s system, and the 21-year-old is coming up in a time of need for Oakland.
Sidelined by both a shoulder and lat strain earlier this season, Luzardo is back to full health and ready to help this team in their quest to make it back to the postseason. While a starter in the minor leagues, the thought is that Luzardo will most likely help this team out of the bullpen.
The former Nationals prospect that was sent along with Blake Treinen and Sheldon Neuse to the A’s in a deal that sent relievers Ryan Madson and Sean Doolittle back to D.C., Luzardo has produced a very small sample size at the Triple-A level this season, one that apparently has not made upper management leery of putting him in big moments for this playoff-chasing team.
Ranked as high as the ninth-best prospect at the midseason check-in point, Luzardo is a big-time player that will have a huge role for the A’s in 2020 and beyond. By getting his first taste of MLB baseball in a playoff chase, Luzardo’s development can only be improved, something that will pay major dividends in the future.
Brusdal Graterol – Minnesota Twins
The final prospect to watch on this list, Brusdar Graterol has made a trek through three levels of the minor leagues all the way up to the big show, where he debuted against the Detroit Tigers in the ninth inning this past Sunday. Mostly looking to work out of the bullpen, Graterol is a fireballer who is a solid option when the Twins need a high-octane arm to get them out of tough situations.
Manager Rocco Baldelli looks to be handling Graterol’s arm very cautiously, not wanting to overuse the rookie but also wanting to keep him fresh and available on consecutive day’s notice if need be. Graterol is another addition to an already solid bullpen, and he can provide multiple innings if need be, a very useful weapon down the stretch of September.
Graterol, who was signed from Venezuela on August 29, 2014, as a 15-year-old by the Twins, is for sure a part of the team’s core in 2020 and beyond, adding yet another interesting piece to the Twins’ core.
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