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  "description": "Trevor Hooth shares the prospects on he's watching closely on the Complex",
  "path": "/hooths-complex-spotlight/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-06-09T11:00:06.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.prospectslive.com",
  "tags": [
    "pic.twitter.com/ot6ORH68hE",
    "June 6, 2026",
    "pic.twitter.com/KCVA4iel6Y",
    "May 15, 2026",
    "pic.twitter.com/1ctYdgJszi",
    "March 11, 2026",
    "Angels",
    "pic.twitter.com/i8IbeOz49d",
    "January 15, 2025",
    "pic.twitter.com/J3IkIvatFD",
    "June 2, 2026",
    "MNTwins",
    "pic.twitter.com/pl89loKo0H",
    "May 24, 2026",
    "pic.twitter.com/qqeQp8wcFs",
    "May 18, 2026",
    "https://t.co/HF6BzEImEf",
    "pic.twitter.com/z3ed65IyXe",
    "June 25, 2025",
    "@smichaelis234",
    "@ItsRickyLogan",
    "@Jesus_Cano88",
    "@Jared_Tims",
    "@tigersMLreport",
    "@TwinsPlayerDev",
    "@JasonPennini",
    "@MiLBAngelsHR"
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  "textContent": "The Complex season is in full swing and it's chock full of prospects who are showing they deserve some attention. There isn't any consistent video at this level, but every so often there are glimpses into the world of the Complex. It's irresponsible to truly make any huge statements based on a video here and there, but there are some Complex prospects who are standing out.\n\nI've been splitting Complex duties on the Daily Sheet with Alex Jensen, which has provided the opportunity to follow along closely with what is going on. There are prospects I'm paying very close attention to as the season progresses.\n\nThe idea isn't to highlight the most popular prospects on the Complex. While Luis Hernandez and Josuar Gonzalez are extremely talented names to watch, they are not listed here. A few weeks ago Michael Martinez and Luis Arana would've been here. However, since they have been promoted to Single-A they will not appear. There are many others I could've included, shoutout to Sebastian Dos Santos and Johnny Slawinski.\n\nThe truth is there are 20-25 prospects who could've landed here. I tried to whittle it down to just 10 names, but I was bad at that so there are 11 here. Between names that are garnering plenty of attention, to potentially some deeper cuts, these are the prospects that have been entrenched on my list of players to keep up with. These players are in no particular order.\n\n### HOU Adrian Ardines, RHP\n\nIf stats told the whole story then Adrian Ardines would be skyrocketing up lists. After two seasons on the DSL Ardines is pitching on the Complex. The 19 year old is listed at 6-foot and 186 pounds. As of writing he holds a 31.1 percent strikeout rate with a 4.4 percent walk rate along with a 3.47 ERA.\n\nArdines throws from a high slot with his fastball is up to 96 MPH, though will sit between 93-95 MPH. As of now, his most often used secondary is a changeup that garners some swing and miss. He also utilizes a sweepy slider. It's unclear, but there is a curveball that is in his arsenal as well, but he throws it much less than the rest of his pitches. When Ardines is giving up contact it's generally been pretty hard. All that said, there are some very solid numbers mixed with an interesting looking arsenal to be excited about.\n\n### MIL Alexander Frias, OF\n\nOne of the buzzier names on the Complex right now is Alexander Frias. There's good reason for that. His EVs are eye popping, particularly for a teenager. He's popped massive EV numbers, even getting up to 117 MPH. What's more impressive is that he isn't swinging and missing a ton.\n\nAt the plate the lefty swinging Frias has a good presence, listed at 6-foot-2 and 177 pounds. He generates power by leveraging his body during his swing, combined with some really nice bat speed. There are signs that he will keep growing his ability to pull the ball in the air, but for now he's hitting the ball on the ground a lot. That being said, he's making the most of his opportunities. At 93 plate appearances, Frias is hitting .403 with an 18.3 percent strikeout rate and a 16.1 percent walk rate. As we've learned, the Brewers are very good at the whole development thing which adds even more intrigue to Frias's performance.\n\n> Alexander Frias hit a walk-off HR for the ACL Brewers today, and he did it on a pitch that looked like it might hit him in the leg (see the gameday zone in the upper left)\n>\n> Here’s an angle from the open side, via his IG story: pic.twitter.com/ot6ORH68hE\n>\n> — Spencer Michaelis (@smichaelis234) June 6, 2026\n\n### CIN Jirvin Morillo, C\n\nWithout a doubt, this is one of my major breakout picks for the season. The Reds signed Jirvin Morillo for $420,000 in 2024, where he then spent a couple years in the DSL. He came stateside this year at 19 years old and he started off hot, slashing .333/.451/.587 with three homers through his first 92 plate appearances.\n\nEven though Alfredo Duno is taking the catching prospect world by storm in the Reds system, Morillo has the tools to take some of that spotlight. The switch hitting catcher is hitting the ball hard when he does make contact and not chasing a ton. There is a lot of pull in the profile right now, but he showed in the Spring Breakout game that he can get to some pop the other way. If the starts to lift a bit more Morillo will get to some more power output at the plate. Between his knowledge of the zone and penchant for finding the barrel, there's a lot to like on the offensive side of the ball.\n\n> In 21 at-bats in the ACL, catcher Jirvin Morillo is batting .429 with 4 extra-base hits and a 1.282 OPS. He needs to improve defensively. He reported to the US early to learn English to work with pitchers. He’s currently the Reds’ 21st-ranked prospect and is just 19 years old. pic.twitter.com/KCVA4iel6Y\n>\n> — Ricky Logan (@ItsRickyLogan) May 15, 2026\n\n### CIN Ryjeteri Merite, LHP\n\nThere is a big element of stat line scouting with some of these guys, and Ryjeteri Merite is one of them. His 38.8 percent strikeout rate is a standout number that is cause for some dreaming. It's only been 18.1 innings and his walk rate is high, but strikeouts have taken a step forward each season since he debuted in 2024.\n\nMerite has been living off his slider in the small sample, throwing it nearly 50 percent of the time. By most accounts it's his best pitch at present. He has a fastball and sinker that makeup most of the rest of his pitch usage. Both pitches are around 93 MPH, but there is projection of more to come. The lefty is listed at 6-foot-3 and 150 pounds, which gives a lot of room to build on his frame. The other aspect of his operation that is cause for some excitement is the extension he gets on his pitches. There is a changeup present, but everything points to it being a distant fourth offering right now. The command questions are very much part of the profile, but he's getting a lot of whiffs in the zone. There's quite a bit to dream on here.\n\n### COL Cristian Arguelles, OF\n\nOne of the more famous names to come out of the DSL last season was Cristian Arguelles, which he earned by hitting .422 with five homers and more walks than strikeouts in 2025. Fast forward to his stateside debut in 2026 and through his first 110 plate appearances he's still walking more than he's striking out while hitting .352 with five homers.\n\nThe hit tool leads the way on this profile in a big way. Arguelles is showing an immense knowledge of the zone, rarely chasing and being aggressive in the zone. That aggression isn't hurting him because of his advanced ability to get the bat to ball. Sometimes that kind of aggression can lead to poor quality of contact, which he does have a 46 percent ground ball rate. Arguelles is showing more power, matching his home run total from the DSL in half the plate appearances. He may wind up with 40-45 power, but his hit tool is going to lead the profile. Arguelles was an exciting prospect coming into the season and he's done nothing but double down of that as the Complex season has progressed.\n\n> A pair of MVPs for the Rockies:\n>\n> Roldy Brito, who skyrocketed to the club’s No. 5 prospect, took home the ACL MVP.\n>\n> Cristian Arguelles, making his stateside debut this year, won the DSL MVP.\n>\n> Here they are in action yesterday ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/1ctYdgJszi\n>\n> — Jesús Cano (@Jesus_Cano88) March 11, 2026\n\n### LAA Yilver De Paula, SS\n\nLast year Yilver De Paula's season was cut short in the DSL. He played just 10 games after signing for $900,000 in 2025. De Paula was a buzzy name, but never got the chance to show what he can do. Although he did hit .387 with a homer in that short time. Things have started rough on the Complex for him, but he is hitting .273 with a trio of homers.\n\nThis is a case of betting on tools than a true standout performance. The 18 year old shortstop is lifting the ball well this year, particularly to his pull side. While his numbers don't stand out and he's performing to a 99 wRC+ at time of writing, he's made the most of the contact he is making this year. It's not even a contact issue, he's just not hitting the ball all that hard in a consistent way yet. That is to be expected considering it was a shoulder injury that ended his 2025 season. The thing about shoulder injuries is that it can take time to get back to making hard contact. As the season progresses he may be able to hit the ball harder and really breakout like he was anticipated to a year ago.\n\n> #Angels have signed SS Yilver De Paula out of the Dominican Republic 🇩🇴\n> He is the 2nd best prospect for the Halos this int’l signing period pic.twitter.com/i8IbeOz49d\n>\n> — Jared Tims (@Jared_Tims) January 15, 2025\n\n### DET Jhonan Coba, RHP\n\nAn underrated name in the Tigers system has been off to an exceptional start in Complex play this season. The 19 year old righty, who will turn 20 in July, has been good for a 40.7 percent strikeout rate and a 1.15 ERA through 15.2 innings. He is also posting an 11.9 percent walk rate.\n\nJhonan Coba takes a very fastball heavy approach with some interesting release traits. It sits around 93-94 MPH and it's touched 97 MPH. His most used secondary pitch is a slider that is garnering a lot of whiffs, and beyond that a lot of chase. There is a changeup and cutter present in the arsenal, as well. His changeup is another pitch that is an interesting weapon. Coba works over the top with his delivery, adding deception to his operation. There are some command questions, but overall Coba is really showing some excellent potential each time he toes the rubber. If he keeps this up he's going to raising his prospect stock and climbing Tigers organization lists in no time.\n\n> Three scoreless innings for FCL Tigers 19-year-old pitcher Jhonan Coba this morning. His season numbers now:\n> 5GS, 15.2IP 6H 2ER 7BB 24K pic.twitter.com/J3IkIvatFD\n>\n> — Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) June 2, 2026\n\n### MIN Jhomnardo Reyes, OF\n\nAnother standout prospect from the Complex is Jhomnardo Reyes. At time of writing he's slashing .345/.463/.727 with four homers and six stolen bases. He's walking nearly as much as he's striking out, as well. The 18 year old lefty stands 6-foot-3 and 186 pounds. He's done nothing but hit since coming stateside. Reyes hit pretty well in the DSL last season, however his strikeout rate has dropped significantly to start the 2026 season.\n\nEverything he's doing is working right now. Reyes is hitting the ball hard, he's not striking out, and he's swinging at the right pitches. His max EV and his average EV are both extremely impressive. That itself makes him a super intriguing prospect. The approach appears to be to pull the ball, which he's doing at a 58.2 percent clip. Combined with his ability to get the ball in the air and his EVs, that's a formula for success. As he refines his skillset, ideally he'll get to some of this power to the opposite field. The fact remains that Reyes has been a man on a mission and is doing everything he needs to do so far on the Complex.\n\n> Jhomnardo Reyes, a $300K int’l sign in 2025, has been unstoppable to start the FCL season🔥\n>\n> In 10 games:\n> .385 AVG\n> .529 OBP\n> 1.000 SLG\n> 1.529 OPS\n> 3 HR (8 total XBH)\n> 3 SB\n> 7 BB / 6 K#MNTwins pic.twitter.com/pl89loKo0H\n>\n> — Twins Player Development (@TwinsPlayerDev) May 24, 2026\n\n### SD Lan-Hong Su, RHP\n\nAs much as I'm invested in Jhonan Coba, I think Lan-Hong Su might be my favorite Complex arm right now. The 19 year old righty signed with the Padres for $775,000. It was a much anticipated debut after putting up great numbers for Chinese Taipei in the 18U World Cup. To start his Padres career he's posted a 0.90 ERA through 10 innings with a 32.5 percent strikeout rate.\n\nIt's a very small sample size, but things have been going well. Su's fastball is in the mid-90's in part due with some interesting arm action. The fastball dominates the usage, followed by a pair of breaking balls. His slider gets slightly more use than the curveball. There is also a changeup, sinker, and cutter in his arsenal. Beyond the deep arsenal, Su gets really good extension. It's clear his stuff, albeit in not that many innings, is playing really well right now. Mix all of that in with his feel for the zone and Su has the foundation to build on and could turn into a really interesting pitching prospect for the Padres. The next step is getting deeper into games, but that will come with time.\n\n> Saturday in Goodyear – Padres Taiwanese RHP Lan-Hong Su made his professional (and stateside) debut. Uber projectable 19 year old. Very good athlete with explosive arm speed. Worked 94-95 and flashed a comfortably plus splitter. 1/x pic.twitter.com/qqeQp8wcFs\n>\n> — Jason Pennini (@JasonPennini) May 18, 2026\n\n### NYY Wilberson De Pena, OF\n\nWhen the Yankees sent Oswald Peraza to the Angels they received international bonus pool money and Wilberson De Pena. At the time it seemed the Yankees were taking a flier on a struggling bat in the DSL, which is true. At 19 years old De Pena has come stateside and he's hitting much better, at least by the surface stats. Through 113 plate appearances he's hitting .350 with seven homers and 11 stolen bases.\n\nThere are some very interesting things in this profile. It starts with a physical, powerful swing at the plate. That shows through in the EVs he reaches when he does make quality contact. He can truly make an impact on the baseball when he squares it up. There was a stretch of games where he did and was an extra base machine, which is a testament to his penchant for pulling the ball in the air. The frequency of the solid contact needs to improve, however. De Pena can struggle in the zone at times. Still, there are some interesting traits here that signal the Yankees made got a potentially good prospect out of that trade. On top of all the money.\n\n> Wilberson De Pena - DSL Angels (3)https://t.co/HF6BzEImEf pic.twitter.com/z3ed65IyXe\n>\n> — MiLB Angels HR Video (@MiLBAngelsHR) June 25, 2025\n\n### NYY Sabier Marte, RHP\n\nBefore he went on the IL for the entire 2025 season following surgery on his elbow, I was a big fan of Sabier Marte. It was hard not to be with his 6-foot-5 frame and a 2.76 ERA with a low walk rate. The missed season means he is now 22 years old and on the Complex getting back in the swing of things. Marte's first three outings back yielded a 12.27 ERA with six walks and eight strikeouts in 7.1 innings. Since then he has thrown another three outings with a 1.86 ERA with 17 strikeouts and just five walks. It seems he's gotten more comfortable very quickly. He's reportedly been up to 97 MPH with his fastball.\n\nWorking with small samples is never easy, but he could be someone who moves up sooner than later if this keeps up. Marte's presence on this list is more for monitoring how he looks to see if he's on the road to getting back to where he was two years ago.",
  "title": "Hooth's Complex Spotlight",
  "updatedAt": "2026-06-09T11:00:08.643Z"
}