Khalil Lee Can Do Damage At The Plate

Best Player: OF Khalil Lee

Normally a player who hits .237 and leads the low Class A South Atlantic League with 171 strikeouts would not be a candidate here. The 19-year-old Lee is an exception. He was one of the youngest players in the league, yet his 17 home runs tied for second in the SAL and his 65 walks ranked third.

“We’re really happy with what he did this year,” assistant general manager J.J. Picollo said. “He gives you that feeling that Hos (Eric Hosmer), Moose (Mike Moustakas) and Wil Myers gave you as a young player. Hey, this guy can do damage. He’s going to be a run-producer for us. He’s a very gifted guy.

“We haven’t had many (players) with a lot of walks and a lot of strikeouts. We (think he will be able to) develop the mental approach; he’ll cut those strikeouts down.”

Best Pitcher: LHP Foster Griffin

The 2014 first-round pick struggled in his first three seasons, logging a 5.19 ERA, but the 22-year-old excelled in 2017. Griffin went 16-7, 3.22 in 29 starts at high Class A Wilmington and Double-A Northwest Arkansas, which included a playoff victory against Tulsa in which he allowed two singles and struck out eight over 6.1 scoreless innings.

“I think the emotional control, the emotional maturity took a step forward this time,” Picollo said. “From a delivery, physical standpoint, he sped everything up. He used to be a little slow and methodical. (The changes) sped his arm up, and he made more quality pitches down in the zone.”

Griffin’s fastball works comfortably in the 90-92 mph range.

“I don’t think (big velocity is) necessary for him to be a successful pitcher,” Picollo said. “He has feel to pitch, makes pitches, holds runners and fields his position . . . If he gets to 94-95 (mph), that’s great, but that’s not our intent with him.”

Keep An Eye On: 3B Emmanuel Rivera

Rivera won the SAL batting title with a double in his final at-bat for low Class A Lexington, which raised his average to .310. The 19th-round pick in 2015 out of junior college in Puerto Rico led the league with 144 hits.

“He went to the Puerto Rican League (last offseason) and showed signs of even being more advanced than we had seen in 2016,” Picollo said. “He’s a very good offensive player. He hits the ball to all fields. He’s got power. He’s got presence in the batter’s box. Defensively, he’s a very good third baseman. He’s got really good hands. He profiles very well for the position.”