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Devils Top Prospects(2019 Midseason Complete)


devils1854

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Cleveland
1.Triston McKenzie||RHP||AAA
2.Ethan Hankins||RHP||R
3.Nolan Jones||3B||AA
4.Yu Chang||3B||AAA/MLB
5.Lenny Torres||RHP||R

Player to Watch:Nick Sandlin||RHP||AA

-I really, really, really liked Cleveland's draft in 2018. It was probably top two with Detroit for me. Ethan Hankins has the most potential of any pick from the draft, and if it wasnt for the shoulder tightness, he would have went either #1 or #2. He is going to make a lot of people look stupid. Their third first round pick, Lenny Torres, blew scouts away once he made it to the AZL Indians. Fastball is plus. Slider flashes plus, and he did all of this at 17 years old(birthday is in October). The Indians first draft pick in 2018, not even in the top 5, was Noah Naylor. As a catcher, he could be one of the best offensive ones in the game, but much like former farm hand Francisco Mejia, he is very athletic and might move to another position to maximize his offensive value, and get him moving up the ladder quicker. The teams second rounder was reliever Nick Sandlin, and all he did last year was make it through four levels. He is a very advanced pitcher from the college ranks. He has four pitches that are probably major league average that he throws from multiple arm slots. Dont be surprised if he is the first guy from the 2018 draft to make it to the majors.

Cincinnati
1.Nick Senzel||INF/OF||MLB
2.Taylor Trammell||OF||AA
3.Hunter Greene||RHP||A+
4.Vladimir Gutierrez||RHP||AAA
5.Tony Santillian||RHP||AA

Player to Watch:Nick Hanson||RHP||R/A

-Im glad Cincinnati is joining the small ranks of teams that are trying to win. I just think that they have gone about it the wrong way. Through two trades, they have lost Jeter Downs, Shed Long, and Josiah Gray. Two players in my rankings, and another that is a 2018 draftee that has some descent upside. Because of this, the farm system has taken a bit of a hit. They do have three players that are in my top 50. Senzel is going to play somewhere in Cincinnati in 2019. You have to give him credit. He has played so many positions, trying to get him in the lineup, and he has been at least serviceable at all of them. I think his approach at the plate is a lot like Reds great Joey Votto. He is going to be a on base machine, with adequate power. Hunter Greene is a guy that you just want to cheer for. Look up what he has done for his community for the past few years as a teenager. He has the makeup you want, and it helps that he has a 80 fastball. The secondary stuff and the command have a ways to go, but he doesnt even turn 20 until August, so his ceiling is sky high. Nick Hanson is a guy that has 20 career innings in three years. He was a cold weather arm(Minnesota) that could have went higher than the third round in 2016. He was babied after being drafted, and then had TJS before the start of the 2017 season. This year will be his first full one in professional baseball. He is a big kid at 6'6 that has a plus fastball and not much else right now. Who knows what will come of him, but he is pretty intriguing.

Los Angeles Angels
1.Jo Adell||OF||AA
2.Brandon Marsh||OF||AA
3.Jahmai Jones||2B||AA
4.Griffin Canning||RHP||AAA/MLB
5.Matt Thaiss||1B||AAA

Player to Watch:Livan Soto||SS||A

-Just a few years ago, the Angels had one of the worst farm systems that might have been one of the worst ever. Thaiss and Marsh were drafted in 2016. Adell and Canning were drafted in 2017, and they benefited from the Braves scandal to get Kevin Maitan and Livan Soto. Add in some great athletes in the 2018 class, and Mike Trout might actually have some help in Los Angeles soon. Adell and Marsh are two guys that were great athletes with raw tools when drafted, but have been able to develop them during their time in the organization. Adell is as close as you can get to a true 5 tool player. He has shown the ability to hit for both average and power so far as a teenager to go along with potential Gold Glove ability in the field. He will turn 20 in April and will be in AA. Marsh might not have quite the potential with the bat as Adell, but he still looks to be a solid contributor at the plate, and he does have the speed and defensive ability to be great. At 18 years old, Livan Soto should make his debut in full season ball this year. He is a guy that will definitely stick at shortstop, and has shown a advanced approach so far. If he can show he has any power, he could be on his way to the majors.

Philadelphia
1.Adonis Medina||RHP||AA
2.Luis Garcia||SS|R
3.Adam Haseley||OF||AAA
4.Alex Bohm||3B||A
5.Spencer Howard||RHP||A+

Player to Watch:Jhailyn Ortiz||1B||A+


-The Philadelphia Phillies arent good at the draft thing. Only one of their players drafted in the past 10 years is on their roster(Nola), and only three are even in the majors(Crawford, Biddle). 2015 first rounder Cornelius Randolph is a non-prospect. 2016 first pick, Mickey Moniak, has been a non-factor so far. 2017 first round pick, Adam Haseley, is one of their better prospects but he is going to be limited to left field, and he doesnt have the power to really be a big impact there. I was not high on Alec Bohm in the 2018 draft. I do not think his raw power will translate to games. He also isnt too athletic, and will likely end up at first before he reaches the majors. I do like Adonis Medina, and I think the Marlins might regret taking Sanchez over him in the Realmuto trade. Medina just turned 22 in December, but he already has an advanced feel for the strike zone for his age. His fastball has nice movement to it, and he has two secondary pitches that can flash plus at times. I would not be surprised to see him in the majors by the end of this season. Jhailyn Ortiz is a bad body first baseman that possibly has 80 raw power. Besides that, he is still very raw. He doesnt have a good idea of the strike zone, and he is obviously stuck to first base. If he can somewhat put it together at the plate, and harness the power, he could be a prospect to watch for.

Washington
1.Victor Robles||OF||MLB
2.Carter Kieboom||SS||AAA
3.Luis Garcia||SS||AA
4.Mason Denaburg||RHP||R
5.James Bourque||RHP||AAA

Player to Watch:Tanner Rainey||RHP||AAA/MLB

-No team in the majors has as much disparity in their system. They have three prospects that could rank in the top 50, but after that? They have a 2018 draft pick with promise, and not much else. Victor Robles probably has four elite tools. He is uber athletic and fast. Add that to good instincts, and you have a guy that could be one of the best defenders in center for years. He's also a guy that has a good eye at the plate. He doesnt strike out much, and he takes plenty of walks. The only question mark I have is his power. He's never really show it in the minors, but he could be a good gap hitter, and with his speed, he could be a doubles machine. Up until last year, Luis Garcia was overshadowed by fellow 2016 signee Yasel Antuna, but he broke out in a big way in A/A+. He doesnt turn 19 until May, but he could already be headed to AA ball. He somewhat surprisingly hit 7 HRs last season, and he could have a little more power in his body as he matures. He also only struck out 15% of the time in over 500 plate appearances. He solid, not spectacular, at short, but he will definitely stick at the position. Tanner Rainey is your prototypical reliever in today's game. He has a fastball that can hit triple digits. A slider that flashes as a above average major league pitch, and lots of problems throwing strikes. If he can somehow find the strike zone, he could be a high leverage guy for the Nationals.

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3 hours ago, devils1854 said:

Cincinnati

1.Nick Senzel||INF/OF||MLB
2.Taylor Trammell||OF||AA
3.Hunter Greene||RHP||A+
4.Vladimir Gutierrez||RHP||AAA
5.Tony Santillian||RHP||AA

Player to Watch:Nick Hanson||RHP||R/A

-Im glad Cincinnati is joining the small ranks of teams that are trying to win. I just think that they have gone about it the wrong way. Through two trades, they have lost Jeter Downs, Shed Long, and Josiah Gray. Two players in my rankings, and another that is a 2018 draftee that has some descent upside. Because of this, the farm system has taken a bit of a hit. They do have three players that are in my top 50. Senzel is going to play somewhere in Cincinnati in 2019. You have to give him credit. He has played so many positions, trying to get him in the lineup, and he has been at least serviceable at all of them. I think his approach at the plate is a lot like Reds great Joey Votto. He is going to be a on base machine, with adequate power. Hunter Greene is a guy that you just want to cheer for. Look up what he has done for his community for the past few years as a teenager. He has the makeup you want, and it helps that he has a 80 fastball. The secondary stuff and the command have a ways to go, but he doesnt even turn 20 until August, so his ceiling is sky high. Nick Hanson is a guy that has 20 career innings in three years. He was a cold weather arm(Minnesota) that could have went higher than the third round in 2016. He was babied after being drafted, and then had TJS before the start of the 2017 season. This year will be his first full one in professional baseball. He is a big kid at 6'6 that has a plus fastball and not much else right now. Who knows what will come of him, but he is pretty intriguing.

I'm higher on Santillan than Gutierrez.  Santillan has a better fastball, and has made large strides in his control and command over the past couple seasons.  

I think the Reds sold high on Jeter Downs and sold low on Josiah Gray.  Downs defense needs to make significant improvements if he wants to stick in the dirt.  He's definitely not a SS, and he doesn't have the arm for 3B or CF/RF.  He's 2B or bust.  Good plate discipline, good pop, and good speed.  Was surprised his average was as low as it was last year, I think that rebounds, but it's a concern.

Shed Long was a redundancy.  He's 2B or LF, and the Reds have plenty of those to go around.  Didn't exactly light AA on fire last year either.

Josiah Gray is still relatively new to starting, but he was dominant in rookie ball.  Was excited to see what he's do in full season ball this year.  He could be a fringe top 100 guy if things go right this year.

Hunter Greene started off 2018 rough, but he was dominant the last 6-8 weeks until injury ended his season.  He avoided the knife, hopefully it's not a recurrence.

Tyler Stephenson was tearing up the Florida State League until nagging injuries slowed him down in the second half.  Showed above average defense at catcher despite his size last year though.  

Some other guys to keep an eye on in 2019: Mike Siani, Mariel Bautista, Scott Moss (velo is up this spring), Packy Naughton

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On 3/22/2019 at 12:05 AM, THE DUKE said:

I'm higher on Santillan than Gutierrez.  Santillan has a better fastball, and has made large strides in his control and command over the past couple seasons.  

I think the Reds sold high on Jeter Downs and sold low on Josiah Gray.  Downs defense needs to make significant improvements if he wants to stick in the dirt.  He's definitely not a SS, and he doesn't have the arm for 3B or CF/RF.  He's 2B or bust.  Good plate discipline, good pop, and good speed.  Was surprised his average was as low as it was last year, I think that rebounds, but it's a concern.

Shed Long was a redundancy.  He's 2B or LF, and the Reds have plenty of those to go around.  Didn't exactly light AA on fire last year either.

Josiah Gray is still relatively new to starting, but he was dominant in rookie ball.  Was excited to see what he's do in full season ball this year.  He could be a fringe top 100 guy if things go right this year.

Hunter Greene started off 2018 rough, but he was dominant the last 6-8 weeks until injury ended his season.  He avoided the knife, hopefully it's not a recurrence.

Tyler Stephenson was tearing up the Florida State League until nagging injuries slowed him down in the second half.  Showed above average defense at catcher despite his size last year though.  

Some other guys to keep an eye on in 2019: Mike Siani, Mariel Bautista, Scott Moss (velo is up this spring), Packy Naughton

A guy I like is TJ Friedl. Not flashy by any means, but he uses every ounce of talent he has to succeed.  He is the type of guy that will find a role on a major league team for multiple years.

 

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20 minutes ago, devils1854 said:

A guy I like is TJ Friedl. Not flashy by any means, but he uses every ounce of talent he has to succeed.  He is the type of guy that will find a role on a major league team for multiple years.

 

Friedl has a good overall skillset, but not much power there.  Can play all three OF spots well, and has excellent plate discipline.  Hit tool is average, maybe a tick above average.

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Oakland
1.Jesus Luzardo||LHP||MLB
2.AJ Puk||LHP||AA
3.Sean Murphy||C||AAA
4.Austin Beck||OF||A+
5.Lazaro Armenteros||OF||A+

Player to Watch:Marcos Brito||SS||A

-Im not going to even start with them wasting their first round pick in the top ten on a player that shouldnt have even been picked in the first round which pretty much made them punt the 2018 draft. What they have in their system is some guys that could vault them into one of the better systems if they come back from injury. James Kaprielian(16th overall in 2015) hasnt pitched since 2016. Grant Holmes(22nd overall in 2014) threw 6 innings last year. Daulton Jefferies(CBA 2016) has thrown 20 innings in three years. All three guys have nice potential, but they have to stay healthy, and if they can finally do that, the A's could have a nice problem. This isnt even counting AJ Puk, who broke out big time in 2017, but had to have TJS last year. Now top prospect Jesus Luzardo is dealing with some shoulder discomfort. It would be a huge blow to not only the organization, but the major league team, if he has to miss significant time because he was going to be looked to as a guy to make a impact in 2019. The system really needs guys like Jorge Mateo and Sheldon Neuse to take that next step in AAA. Both showed major glimpses last season in Nashville, but  both ultimately had disappointing years. Mateo has true 80 speed, and is a good defender at short, but has a sky rocketing K%, and if he cant make contact, he cannot show off the blazing speed(16 triples in 2018). Neuse is a under the radar guy that had a breakout year at the plate in 2017, but couldnt recreate it in AAA in 2018. He has the arm and is adequate enough at third to profile as a good defender, but he struck out almost a third of his at bats last year and the power left. He did show some offensive ability in the last few months of the season last year, so maybe he has turned the corner and is in line for a big 2019.

Pittsburgh
1.Mitch Keller||RHP||AAA
2.Oneil Cruz||INF||A+
3.Travis Swaggerty||OF||A
4.Ke'Bryan Hayes||3B||AAA
5.Calvin Mitchell||OF||A+

Player to Watch:Lolo Sanchez||OF||A+

-Oneil Cruz. He turned 20 years old in October. He is 6'7. He wasnt this big just over a year ago. Is he going to keep growing? There's no way he can stick at short is there? No one knows. He is a physical freak with a cannon(80) of an arm. He will find a spot to play either in the infield or outfield. He also has plus raw power that could be plus plus. He could be a top ten prospect in a year, or we could be laughing at me hyping him up so much. The floor to ceiling to so big for him right now because of his size. Ke'Bryan Hayes is a gold glover at third. He needs to hit more because neither his power nor his speed will be above average in the majors. Travis Swaggerty was one of my favorite players in the 2018 draft. He doesnt have one tool that really stands out, but he has five tools that look to be above average, and that is extremely valuable. Because he is an advanced player. He needs to go up the ladder pretty quickly. Pittsburgh has a lot of 4A players that fit their organizational profile in Cole Tucker, Kevin Newman, Bryan Reynolds, and Kevin Kramer. Its good for organizational depth, but these guys arent going to help the big league club that much. Lolo Sanchez has a lot of issues right now. He has no power. He has problems with the breaking ball. His hit tool looks pretty bad at the moment, but he hasnt hit 20 years old yet and he has already played a full year in A ball. He will stick in center and he can be above average there. His speed plays. He just needs a breakout season at the plate to show that he can be a guy that can start at the big league level in the future.

St Louis
1.Alex Reyes||RHP||AAA
2.Andrew Knizner||C||AAA/MLB
3.Nolan Gorman||3B||A
4.Elehuris Montero||3B||AA
5.Jhon Torres||OF||R

Player to Watch:Ivan Herrera||C||A

-St Louis was another organization that I thought knocked it out of the park in the 2018 draft. There was no reason for Nolan Gorman to slip to the 19th pick, but the Cardinals will benefit from the stupidity of other teams. He dominated the Appalachian League as a 18 year old and was even pushed to full season A ball. He looked absolutely lost there, but thats not uncommon for someone just months out of high school. He had the best prep power in the draft and showed it. The swing and miss is the biggest concern, and that is probably why he dropped so low, but in today's game, even striking out over a third of the time is ok if you can get on base and hit the ball a long way. I was high of Griffin Roberts out of Wake Forst because his slider might have been the best off speed pitch in the draft. He is a future closer, but the team is going to try and develop him as a starter first. He will be out a while for a failed drug test. Luken Baker is a monster, and I mean that literally. I dont think Ive ever met a bigger person trying to play baseball. He was a uber prospect out of high school but decided to go the college route. A few injuries later, and it cost him a lot of money, but if his short showing in A ball is any indicator, he will be just fine. Gorman might have had the best pure power in HS, but Baker has the best power from the college ranks. He is going to be a prototypical power 1B as long as he can stay healthy and his body doesnt get worse. Finally, we get to Steven Gingery. A lefty from Texas Tech, that was one of the better college pitchers for his first two seasons, but got the TJ bug in 2018, and was lost for the season. He is a lefty that doesnt blow you away, but knows how to pitch, and already has three pitches that are almost major league ready, and he can command them, which helps since he sits around 90 during starts. Ivan Herrera. 18 years old until June. Played so well in the Gulf Coast, that he was called up to AA for two games when injuries depleted their catchers. He could make a huge impact in full season ball in 2019.

Texas
1.Bubba Thompson||OF||A+
2.Cole Winn||RHP||R
3.Hans Crouse||RHP||A
4.Julio Pablo Martinez||OF||A
5.Cole Ragans||LHP||R

Player to Watch:Eli White||2B||AAA/MLB

-As you can see, every prospect of note in the Texas system is in the lower levels. This team has almost no one of note between AA and AAA. They did make a couple of trades for pitchers bringing in Taylor Hearn(Pittsburgh) and Brock Burke(Tampa Bay) into the organization. This helps their putrid depth, but I dont think either is a long term solution in the Texas rotation. The organization has started to take high ceiling high school picks in the past few drafts, and it could be rewarding in a couple of years. Cole Ragans might be my favorite pitching prospect in the organization. A first round pick in 2016. He was poised for the breakout year in 2018 before he went down and had to have TJS before the season started. Before the injury, he showed a plus fastball and changeup that helped to dominate the Northwest League in 2017. Its not sure if he will be back this year. He could be a 22 year old starting A ball in 2020. The Rangers two big international names, Leody Taveras and Julio Pablo Martinez, had disappointing seasons in 2018, and look nothing like the prospects that many thought the were before 2018. Taveras just hasnt hit. Everyone keeps thinking the next year will be the one that he breaks out, but it hasnt happened yet. As a supposed advanced 22 year old out of Cuba, Julio Pablo Martinez looked just ordinary during his 60 games in the Northwest League in 2018. Maybe it was adjusting to playing ball in America, or maybe he was rusty from not playing high level competition, but the tools didnt look as great as advertised, and since he is probably going to be strictly a left fielder, he is going to have to hit to justify playing in the majors. 2019 could be make or break years for both prospects.

Toronto
1.Vlad Guerrero Jr||3B||MLB
2.Bo Bichette||SS||AAA
3.Danny Jansen||C||MLB
4.Eric Pardinho||RHP||A
5.Nate Pearson||RHP||A

Player to Watch:Hagen Danner||C||A

-Everyone knows about Guerrero and Bichette. Vlad might be a better prospect that Ronald Acuna was, and thats saying a lot, and Bichette is a consensus top 20-25 prospect. I have one concern for both players, and that is position. Both will lose some value if they cannot stay on the left side of the infield. It shouldnt hurt Vlad at all if he hits as much as everyone thinks he will, but it is a small knock on Bichette. He will still very valuable at second because of his offense, but he would be much higher if he found a way to stick at short. After those two, the Blue Jays have two very intriguing right handed pitching prospects. Eric Pardinho just hit 18 years old in January, but he was dominant during his stint in the Appalachian League last year. He struck out a lot of guys, and walked hardly any. He has a fastball and curveball that are very advanced for his age, and as you can see, he already has an idea of the strike zone. He could be a fast riser in the system and in rankings if he can get that third pitch to major league average. Pearson might have the best fastball in minor league baseball. Its a true 80 that clocked in at 104 in the AFL during the all star game. The problem is that he isnt healthy and has only thrown 21 professional innings(not counting AFL). He's wild. The plus slider doesnt know where its going at times. He has lights out closer written all over him, but the Jays will try to make him a starter first. Hagen Dagger was primarily a pitcher for most of his high school career, but he showed enough behind the plate for the Jays to take him early in 2017. He looked advanced for the Appalachian League last year as a 19 year old. If he can show the ability at the plate in full season ball that he did last year, then he could be a viable prospect because he is going to stick at catcher for his career.

 

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On 3/3/2019 at 11:51 PM, devils1854 said:

St Louis
1.Alex Reyes||RHP||AAA
2.Andrew Knizner||C||AAA/MLB
3.Nolan Gorman||3B||A
4.Elehuris Montero||3B||AA
5.Jhon Torres||OF||R

Player to Watch:Ivan Herrera||C||A

-St Louis was another organization that I thought knocked it out of the park in the 2018 draft. There was no reason for Nolan Gorman to slip to the 19th pick, but the Cardinals will benefit from the stupidity of other teams. He dominated the Appalachian League as a 18 year old and was even pushed to full season A ball. He looked absolutely lost there, but thats not uncommon for someone just months out of high school. He had the best prep power in the draft and showed it. The swing and miss is the biggest concern, and that is probably why he dropped so low, but in today's game, even striking out over a third of the time is ok if you can get on base and hit the ball a long way. I was high of Griffin Roberts out of Wake Forst because his slider might have been the best off speed pitch in the draft. He is a future closer, but the team is going to try and develop him as a starter first. He will be out a while for a failed drug test. Luken Baker is a monster, and I mean that literally. I dont think Ive ever met a bigger person trying to play baseball. He was a uber prospect out of high school but decided to go the college route. A few injuries later, and it cost him a lot of money, but if his short showing in A ball is any indicator, he will be just fine. Gorman might have had the best pure power in HS, but Baker has the best power from the college ranks. He is going to be a prototypical power 1B as long as he can stay healthy and his body doesnt get worse. Finally, we get to Steven Gingery. A lefty from Texas Tech, that was one of the better college pitchers for his first two seasons, but got the TJ bug in 2018, and was lost for the season. He is a lefty that doesnt blow you away, but knows how to pitch, and already has three pitches that are almost major league ready, and he can command them, which helps since he sits around 90 during starts. Ivan Herrera. 18 years old until June. Played so well in the Gulf Coast, that he was called up to AA for two games when injuries depleted their catchers. He could make a huge impact in full season ball in 2019.

Interesting that you omitted Dakota Hudson, since he still qualifies as a rookie you'd think he'd qualify for your list.

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On 3/23/2019 at 1:44 PM, devils1854 said:

St Louis
1.Alex Reyes||RHP||AAA
2.Andrew Knizner||C||AAA/MLB
3.Nolan Gorman||3B||A
4.Elehuris Montero||3B||AA
5.Jhon Torres||OF||R

Player to Watch:Ivan Herrera||C||A

-St Louis was another organization that I thought knocked it out of the park in the 2018 draft. There was no reason for Nolan Gorman to slip to the 19th pick, but the Cardinals will benefit from the stupidity of other teams. He dominated the Appalachian League as a 18 year old and was even pushed to full season A ball. He looked absolutely lost there, but thats not uncommon for someone just months out of high school. He had the best prep power in the draft and showed it. The swing and miss is the biggest concern, and that is probably why he dropped so low, but in today's game, even striking out over a third of the time is ok if you can get on base and hit the ball a long way. I was high of Griffin Roberts out of Wake Forst because his slider might have been the best off speed pitch in the draft. He is a future closer, but the team is going to try and develop him as a starter first. He will be out a while for a failed drug test. Luken Baker is a monster, and I mean that literally. I dont think Ive ever met a bigger person trying to play baseball. He was a uber prospect out of high school but decided to go the college route. A few injuries later, and it cost him a lot of money, but if his short showing in A ball is any indicator, he will be just fine. Gorman might have had the best pure power in HS, but Baker has the best power from the college ranks. He is going to be a prototypical power 1B as long as he can stay healthy and his body doesnt get worse. Finally, we get to Steven Gingery. A lefty from Texas Tech, that was one of the better college pitchers for his first two seasons, but got the TJ bug in 2018, and was lost for the season. He is a lefty that doesnt blow you away, but knows how to pitch, and already has three pitches that are almost major league ready, and he can command them, which helps since he sits around 90 during starts. Ivan Herrera. 18 years old until June. Played so well in the Gulf Coast, that he was called up to AA for two games when injuries depleted their catchers. He could make a huge impact in full season ball in 2019

That's a pretty aggressive spot for Torres IMO. I think I'd have a handful of guys over him...Dylan Carlson and Ryan Helsley for sure. 

And Montero > Gorman for me.

 

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1 hour ago, holt_bruce81 said:

And Montero > Gorman for me.

Montero is probably a safer bet to hit for average and won't K as much, but Gorman might be top 5 raw power in the minors, and will walk more.  Gorman is probably always a higher K guy, but I think it'll be more 150 k's/year as opposed to 180-200.  Couple that with 40 bombs and 100 walks and he's going to be a monster in the middle of the order.  Can start out at 3B and then slide over to 1B once Goldy's contract is up.  

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9 hours ago, holt_bruce81 said:

That's a pretty aggressive spot for Torres IMO. I think I'd have a handful of guys over him...Dylan Carlson and Ryan Helsley for sure. 

And Montero > Gorman for me.

 

Player 1:.350/.443/.664, 22 XBH, 22.2 K%, 14.4 BB%, 18 yrs 10 months old

Player 2:.397/.493/.683, 10 XBH, 17.3 K%, 10.7 BB%, 18 yrs 11 months old

Gorman did his damage in the App League and Torres did his in the GCL, but since Torres grew and matured so much between 2017 and 2018, he looks like a legitimate prospect now. Maybe Im a little bullish on him, but Fangraphs has him at #6. I cant believe the Cards got him for nothing from the Indians.

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Philadelphia
1.Adonis Medina||RHP||AA
2.Luis Garcia||SS|R
3.Adam Haseley||OF||AAA
4.Alex Bohm||3B||A
5.Spencer Howard||RHP||A+

Player to Watch:Jhailyn Ortiz||1B||A+


-The Philadelphia Phillies arent good at the draft thing. Only one of their players drafted in the past 10 years is on their roster(Nola), and only three are even in the majors(Crawford, Biddle). 2015 first rounder Cornelius Randolph is a non-prospect. 2016 first pick, Mickey Moniak, has been a non-factor so far. 2017 first round pick, Adam Haseley, is one of their better prospects but he is going to be limited to left field, and he doesnt have the power to really be a big impact there. I was not high on Alec Bohm in the 2018 draft. I do not think his raw power will translate to games. He also isnt too athletic, and will likely end up at first before he reaches the majors. I do like Adonis Medina, and I think the Marlins might regret taking Sanchez over him in the Realmuto trade. Medina just turned 22 in December, but he already has an advanced feel for the strike zone for his age. His fastball has nice movement to it, and he has two secondary pitches that can flash plus at times. I would not be surprised to see him in the majors by the end of this season. Jhailyn Ortiz is a bad body first baseman that possibly has 80 raw power. Besides that, he is still very raw. He doesnt have a good idea of the strike zone, and he is obviously stuck to first base. If he can somewhat put it together at the plate, and harness the power, he could be a prospect to watch for.

 

We have been pretty poor at drafting but don't think this is accurate. 

Maybe you meant 1st round picks?

 

Adam Morgan - 2011 3rd

Rhys Hoskins - 2014 5th round

Andrew Knapp (catcher) - 2013 2nd round

Kingrey - 2015 2nd round

Roman Quinn - 2011 2nd

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On 3/3/2019 at 9:51 PM, devils1854 said:

San Francisco
1.Joey Bart||C||A
2.Heliot Ramos||OF||A+
3.Chris Shaw||OF||AAA/MLB
4.Jake Wong||RHP||A
5.Marco Luciano||SS||R

Player to Watch:Jacob Gonzalez||3B||A+

-The Giants have gone from maybe the worst organization in baseball to maybe the second or third worst after the past two drafts. Joey Bart and Heliot Ramos are both top 100 players, but after them, there really isnt much else. Chris Shaw has proved himself in AAA the past two seasons. He is probably nothing more than a fourth outfielder, but his huge power is at least intriguing. The team really doesnt have too many intriguing guys lower in the rankings, so I will highlight Jacob Gonzalez. Played most of his 19th year in full season A ball, and while it didnt turn out great, he still showed some glimpses of being a good player. If he can tap into his power, he could be legit. This organization is going to stay in limbo as long as they do not trade off their high profile guys for prospects, and thats not good for the long term future of the club.

Logan Webb RHP, Tyler Beede RHP, Melvin Adon RHP, Jalen Miller 2B, and Sean Hjelle RHP are some prospects I know a lot of giants fans are pretty excited about with ETA's in 2020/2021. 

Solid pitching in the Farm system for the giants, though its typical thats overlooked. Position players are really just Bart and Ramos with Luciano way down the road. Jake Wong isnt on anyones top 10 list for the system from what I've heard but he does have some intriguing early #'s. 

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On 3/14/2019 at 7:15 PM, devils1854 said:

Top 5 Per Team

Chicago Cubs
1.Miguel Amaya||C||AA
2.Brailyn Marquez||LHP||A
3.Nico Hoerner||SS||A+
4.Cole Roederer||OF||R
5.Adbert Alzolay||RHP||AAA

Player to Watch:Yovanny Cruz||RHP||A

-The Cubs are a organization that knows what works for them and stick to it. College hitters and international free agents. They veered off that path for a couple of drafts, but their farm looks better now than it has in three years. Miguel Amaya doesnt have any plus tool, but he can be above average with his hit tool, power, arm, and defense, and in this age of catchers, that means he could be one of the best in baseball. He still looks to be a few years away, but he is firmly one of the best catching prospects in the game. Nico Hoerner and Cole Roederer were both selected in the first two rounds in the 2018 draft, and both impressed in their short time in the Cubs system. Yovanny Cruz is an interesting international signee. He wont be 20 until the end of August, but he was great in his first year in the states in rookie ball. His fastball has a sink to it and could settle into the mid 90s as he matures. He also has an advanced changeup for his age. If he matures physically, and continues to get a feel for his off speed pitches, he could have a legitimate shot at the majors.

I'm really impressed, devils.  There are some reasonably knowledgable Cubs fans I know that wouldn't have a clue about who Cruz is.  The reports on him this Spring have been glowing.  94-96 with sink, the change that flashes plus, and a slider that has made great strides (but still really inconsistent).  Definitiely one to watch.  Cubs have really brought him along slowly.

I have those same 5 names in my Top 5, but I put them Nico/Amaya/Marquez/Roederer/Alzolay.  I could see putting Amaya 1st as well, but Nico is clearly a top 2 for me.  He's done everything asked since being drated, including having success right away in the AFL and this spring at ST.  The Ian Kinsler comps being thrown out last fall are really looking apt these days.  He's not a SS due to his arm, but he has GG chops at 2B.  A Javy/Nico MIF is looking really likely for 2020 if all goes as planned this year.

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Detroit
1.Casey Mize||RHP||AA
2.Matt Manning||RHP||AA
3.Daz Cameron||OF||AAA
4.Franklin Perez||RHP||A+
5.Beau Burrows||RHP||AA

Player to Watch||Dustin Peterson||OF||AAA

-I mentioned Detroit as one of the teams that I loved from the 2018 draft. Its easy to love their first pick. Casey Mize is the best college pitching prospect since Carlos Rodon in 2014. He's already shown a plus fastball, splitter, and cutter at Auburn, while showing at least average MLB command. He should move fast, and depending on when Detroit wants to start to bring their wave of talent up, he could be in the majors as early as this year. Parker Meadows was easily a first round pick in my eyes. The brother of Austin, Parker shows elite speed, along with a body that is built for potential. He could be a power hitting corner infielder before he is done growing. He is a better prospect than his brother at this age. Kody Clemens was an all american at Texas. He did come on late in his career in Austin, but he has enough power to be a above average second baseman if the hit took catches up. Adam Wolf is a name to watch. He was a dominant pitcher in college the past few seasons, but as a 6'6 lefty, he only sits around 90-91. If the organization can get a few more mphs out of him, then he could be an intriguing prospect. Watch for Dustin Peterson to get some meaningful time in Detroit this year. He was released by Atlanta this past offseason. While at Atlanta, he should lots of promise before a team bus accident injured him, and he never was the same after.

Houston
1.Forrest Whitley||RHP||AAA
2.Kyle Tucker||OF||AAA
3.Cionel Perez||LHP||AAA
4.Josh James||RHP||MLB
5.Yordan Alvarez||OF||AAA

Player to Watch:Peter Solomon||RHP||AA

-The Houston system is littered with pitchers that have plus fastballs. The organization has certain attributes that they look for, and it has done them well in the past couple of years. Forrest Whitley might just be the best pitching prospect in baseball, even after missing most of 2018 because of suspension and injuries. He has a plus fastball. He has a plus changeup. He has a curve that flashes plus. He even has a slider that looks to be a plus pitch. He has great stuff, but he needs to learn to command it better. His command is descent as is, and he could probably get away with it and be a pretty descent pitcher in the majors at the moment, but if he can get better with locations, he could be a true ace. Cionel Perez is a guy that has pitched both as a starter and out of the pen. He is a small guy that can reach 98, but he isnt max effort pitcher like fellow Astro farmhand JB Bukauskas. Because of this, I really think his future is in the rotation. Along with the fastball, he has a slider that just keeps getting better, and could be a plus pitch soon. Josh James is starting the season from the pen in Houston. He has a plus plus fastball that hits 100, and a slider that he is still working on, but it at least flashes major league average. He is a guy that will probably get a chance as a starter in the future, but his control is a huge issue, and it could lead to him being a pen arm. Peter Solomon went through two levels in his first full year with the organization in 2018. He is another guy that fills what the Astros are looking for. He has a big arm and a curve with a high spin rate. He was successful in 2018 because he was able to limit his walks. If he continues to do this as he climbs the ladder, he could be in a spot where he could see himself in the Houston rotation.

Kansas City
1.MJ Melendez||C||A+
2.Brady Singer||RHP||A+
3.Nick Pratto||1B||A+
4.Seuly Matias||OF||A+
5.Daniel Lynch||LHP||A+

Player to Watch:Michael Gigliotti||OF||A

-In the 2018 draft, the Royals chose college players with their first eleven picks. It seemed strange at the time, but a number of the guys were able to make it full season ball and made a impact. The best of the bunch was lefthander Daniel Lynch. He was unhittable across two levels last year. He showed a plus fastball that he had never really shown in college, along with two good offspeed pitches, and he walked 8 batters in 50 innings. If he can continue this, he will fly up prospect charts. Jackson Kowar followed Lynch up to Lexington in 2018. He is a right hander with mid 90s fastball. His change up is his best pitch, and he has not much of note after that. He could be a pen arm as he rises in the organization, although he will be given the chance to start. The 2018 Lexington Legends(A) won the Sally League Championship. Lynch and Kowar were both big reasons why, but the rest of the top prospects in the organization were there as well. MJ Melendez, Nick Pratto, and Seuly Matias spent all of 2018 in Lexington, and it gives the Royals some great potential in a couple of years since all their top guys are advancing at the same time. The lost name in all of this is Michael Gigliotti. He was drafted in 2017 and advanced up the ranks with a stellar first campaign. He was set to start his 2018 in Lexington, but he tore is ACL at the beginning of the season and lost the year. He is healthy in 2019. His calling card is speed and defense, but if he can show the hitting ability that put him on the radar in 2017, then he has a chance to rise up the prospect rankings.

Minnesota
1.Royce Lewis||SS||AA
2.Alex Kirilloff||OF||AA
3.Brusdar Graterol||RHP||AA
4.Brent Rooker||1B||AAA
5.Trevor Larnach||OF||A+

Player to Watch:Akil Baddoo||OF||A+

-Royce Lewis is the best player that I saw in person in 2018, and that includes names like Kyle Tucker, Jo Adell, Alex Kirilloff, and Keston Hiura. He has such a quiet swing, and you dont expect power from a guy his size, but I saw him hit a lazer about 390 feet off a right field wall. After that, I saw him easily steal a base, and play excellent defense. He has every tool you would hope for, and he reminds me so much of Derek Jeter. After a lost 2017, Alex Kirilloff broke out in a big was last season. He followed Lewis from Cedar Raids to Ft Myers. All he did was hit 20 home runs and 44 doubles while having a .970 OPS. He is a right fielder, and while he isnt going to wow you with his defense, he should be able to do enough out there to be average. Outside of the top five, you have Wander Javier, who the Twins signed for 4 million in 2015. He missed most of 2016 and all of 2018, and still hasnt played full season ball. Javier is a potential plus defender at short, and he looks like he could be a gap hitter once he matures physically. At 20 years old, he could follow Lewis and Kirilloff with a midseason promotion to Ft Myers in 2019. Akil Baddoo had 11 homers, 11 triples, and 22 doubles last year in A ball. He walked 14% of the time. He plays center with plus speed, but a below average arm. He has the tools to be a major league player but he needs to cut down on his strike outs and be a little more selective with what he swings at.

Seattle
1.Julio Rodriguez||OF||R
2.Jarred Kelenic||OF||A
3.Evan White||1B||AA
4.Justus Sheffield||LHP||MLB
5.Shed Long||2B||AAA

Player to Watch:Wyatt Mills||RHP||AA

-The Seattle Mariners went from one of the two or three worst organizations in the majors to a upper half one during the offseason because of trades(hint hint San Francisco). They added Jarred Kelenic, Justus Sheffield, Shed Long, Justin Dunn, and Jake Fraley this offseason. All of who are in their top fifteen prospects. One guy they didnt add through trades is Julio Rodriguez. Rodriguez turned 18 years old this past December, and while Wander Franco gets all the love for being a top teenage prospect, Rodriguez isnt that far behind. The kid is about 6'3 180, but we do not know where his body will end up. He already shows potential plus power. He had 27 extra base hits in only 59 games in the DSL last season. Its not known if the Mariners will push him to full season ball, but if they do, he is one to look out for. Wyatt Mills is a guy that could be in the majors soon with a good start to 2019. He was a senior sign in 2017 out of the bullpen, and he was able to dominate at two levels after being drafted. He continued his dominance last year in A+ before being moved up to AA. He is prototypical reliever, with two potential plus pitches, but unlike most relievers, he is a side-armer that actually throws strikes.

Edited by devils1854
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Surprised to see someone outside of the M's fan base so high on Rodriguez.

His size doesn't seem like much of concern anymore. Getting glowing reviews for his work ethic and conditioning. I know when he signed some reports anticipated him growing out of the OF into a potential 1B/DH. Still tempering expectations until he hits outside of the DSL though.

 

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