Toolshed: Playoff prospects to watch

There aren't too many big days remaining on the Minor League calendar, but Wednesday is definitely one of them. Eleven league playoffs -- International, Pacific Coast, Eastern, Southern, Texas, California, Carolina, Midwest, South Atlantic, New York-Penn and Northwest --  get underway with the Florida State, Appalchian and Gulf Coast League playoffs already in full swing and the Pioneer League postseason set to begin Friday. (The Arizona League crowned its champion -- the AZL Mariners -- last Friday.)

You can find playoff previews for the International, Pacific Coast, Eastern, Southern and Texas Leagues at those links. The focus here are the circuits at the Class A Advanced level and below and the prospects to keep an eye on in their respective postseasons. (All prospect rankings come from MLB.com.)

California League

Will Smith, catcher, Rancho Cucamonga (LAD): If there are two teams a neutral fan should root for, they are High Desert and Bakersfield, both of which are going for a Cal League title in their last season of existence. If there's a prospect to watch, it's Smith -- the No. 32 overall pick in this year's Draft and the No. 11 prospect in a deep Dodgers system. The Louisville product hasn't shown much at the plate in his first 25 games with a .216 average and .650 OPS, but he's coming off a full college campaign in which he led the Cardinals with a .382 average and .480 on-base percentage. Sure, that's against college arms and with a metal bat in his hands, but Smith is better offensively than he's shown in one month of Cal League play. What's more, he's considered above average on defense and is more likely to stick behind the plate than fellow first-round backstops Zack Collins and Matt Thaiss. As such, the Quakes will lean on Smith heavily as he works to get a title in his first taste of pro ball, starting in the first round against Lancaster.

Carolina League

Victor Robles, outfielder, Potomac (WSH): There was never any doubt that Robles could have an effect on the P-Nats' march to the postseason. Ranked as the No. 12 overall prospect in the game, the 19-year-old outfielder is perhaps the toolsiest teenager in the Minors. However, he had struggled in his first taste of Class A Advanced action and had even missed a couple weeks with a hand contusion. As of Aug. 27, he had just a .221 average and .677 OPS in 33 Carolina League contests. He's caught fire since, though, going 15-for-37 (.405) with four extra-base hits and six steals over eight games to close out the season. A Robles that has hit his stride offensively and can add plenty of value defensively in center should have a major say in who gets crowned Carolina League champions.

Florida State League

Gleyber Torres, shortstop, Tampa (NYY): This may feel like cheating after Torres doubled twice -- including once in the 13th -- to give Tampa a 2-1 win in Game 1 of its best-of-3 semifinals series with Dunedin on Tuesday. But you had to know MLB.com's No. 19 overall prospect would figure here anyway. The 19-year-old shortstop, dealt in the Cubs-Yankees trade involving Aroldis Chapman, finished his first season at the Class A Advanced level with a .270/.354/.421 line, 11 homers and 21 steals in 125 games between Myrtle Beach and Tampa. He certainly has the chance to be better offensively than your average shortstop and could be better defensively as well. (There's a reason why the Yanks moved speedster and former top prospect Jorge Mateo to second base when they acquired Torres.) What's more, Torres got Class A Advanced playoff experience last year after he was called up in time for the Carolina League postseason to help Myrtle Beach claim a championship. He went just 3-for-19 (.158) during that run, but more experience is already doing him a world of good down in the Sunshine State as he looks to repeat the trick with the Yanks.

Midwest League

Eloy Jimenez, outfielder, South Bend (CHC): What is there to say about the Cubs' No. 2 prospect that already hasn't been said in 2016? Just look at his list of accolades: Midwest League MVP, Midwest League Prospect of the Year, Futures Game participant, Midwest League All-Star Game Top Star, Midwest League mid- and end-of-season All-Star teams, future Arizona Fall League player. None of those honors went unearned. Jimenez led the Class A circuit in slugging (.532), OPS (.901) and doubles (40) and ranked third with a .329 average. The Midwest League playoffs, which can be a bit onerous with eight of the 16 teams qualifying, offer the 19-year-old outfielder another challenge, and based on his resume, you'd be a fool to bet against him in 2016.

South Atlantic League

Rome Braves (ATL) pitching staff: Rome has already announced that No. 7 Braves prospect Mike Soroka (3.02 ERA, 125 strikeouts in 143 innings) will get the start in Game 1 on Wednesday in a best-of-3 series against Charleston, and No. 4 prospect Kolby Allard (3.73 ERA, 62 strikeouts in 60 1/3 innings) will take the ball in Game 2 on Friday. The Game 3 starter is TBA, but No. 10 prospect Touki Toussaint (3.88 ERA, 128 strikeouts in 132 1/3 innings) and No. 11 prospect Max Fried (3.93 ERA, 112 strikeouts in 103 innings) loom as options, though it should be noted the former's last outing was out of the bullpen, where he could be quite good. Perhaps no other pitching staff in this year's Minor League playoffs boasts a rotation quite as prospect-laden as Rome's, and as we all know, pitching can get you quite far, especially in a shorter series like the Sally League's best-of-3 semifinal and best-of-5 final round.

New York-Penn League

Jason Groome, left-handed pitcher, Lowell (BOS): We stick with pitching here because the concept of Groome getting a playoff start is too tantalizing to ignore. The Red Sox scooped up the southpaw, who was seen as one of the best talents in this year's Draft, with the 12th overall pick and, after some minor signing drama, inked him to a $3.65 million signing bonus. The 18-year-old made two starts in the GCL before getting the bump to Lowell last Friday, just in time for the Spinners to clinch the Stedler Division. He did struggle with control in that debut with four walks in 2 2/3 innings, but with plus offerings in his fastball and curve, Groome is capable of giving lower-level hitters fits. Even if Groome doesn't go past the third, which has been the case in each of his first three pro starts, it'll be fascinating to see how he performs on the playoff stage, given his talent level and young age.

Northwest League

Leody Taveras, outfielder, Spokane (TEX): Speaking of young age, it doesn't get much younger than Taveras, who turns 18 on Thursday. He'll get a chance to celebrate by taking on Everett in a best-of-3 semifinal series. Any playoff success the switch-hitting outfielder can find in the next week will be gravy on an impressive 2016 campaign. After signing for $2.1 million out of the Dominican Republic last July, Taveras climbed from the Dominican Summer League to the Arizona League to the Northwest League all in his first professional season. The No. 4 Rangers prospect has hit a bit of a wall since joining Spokane, where he's hit just .228 with a .563 OPS in 29 games, but he's got speed to burn (as evidenced by his 18 steals across the three levels) and gives the Indians some defensive flexibility with his experience in all three outfield spots, though he carries his weight in center. Some personal postseason success and a team run at the title would provide an exclamation point on what's already been a statement year by Taveras.

Appalachian League

Allen Cordoba, shortstop, Johnson City (STL): Again, a little bit of cheating. (OK, a heavy bit of cheating.) The Appy League is already in its championship series, and Cordoba's Johnson City squad already owns a 1-0 lead in that best-of-3 series. Beyond that, Cordoba has already gone 7-for-19 (.438) with three runs scored in his first four playoff games with the Cardinals. You're just going to have to take our word that he would've been the feature prospect anyway. One year after being named the GCL MVP, the 20-year-old shortstop won the Appy League batting title with a .362 average and ranked third in the circuit in OPS (.922), runs scored (49) and stolen bases (22), making him an easy selection for the Appy League end-of-season All-Star team. The Cardinals' No. 20 prospect was one of the biggest drivers of a Johnson City offense that tied for the league lead in runs scored during the regular season, and he has as good a chance as anyone to play the role of hero when the Cards try to wrap up the title in Game 2 Wednesday night. 

Pioneer League

T.J. Friedl, outfielder, Billings (CIN): Though the Pioneer League postseason doesn't begin until Friday, three of the league's four playoff spots are already accounted for, and thankfully, the man behind one of the Minors' most fascinating stories from 2016 is on one of those teams. Friedl was signed by the Reds back in August after an impressive year at Nevada and with the US Collegiate National Team only after it was discovered that he should've been eligible for the 2016 Draft. (Hear Friedl discuss his story on the Minor League Baseball podcast.) That story would be crazy enough, but Friedl has hit the ground running in his pro debut with the Mustangs as well, producing a .354/.425/.566 line with 16 extra-base hits and six steals in his first 27 pro games. The Reds' No. 12 prospect isn't just an interesting story. With a plus-plus run tool and some solid offensive skills, he's a legitimate talent. A Pioneer League title would be the perfect ending for what's been a whirlwind summer for the 21-year-old outfielder.