Devils Top 100 Prospects(Midseason-AL Central)

[Texansfan713]

Good write up.  Hector Perez isnt in our system anymore. We traded him to the Jays for Osuna. Not really a Framber Valdez fan like that.  I do think he can be a useful left handed reliever on a team. Josh James is an intriguing name. He is 25 in AAA ball but his stuff has greatly improved from when he got drafted especially his FB and slider. He has 147 K's in 93 IP between AA and AAA.  Thats insane regardless of age.

If I was to rank the top 10 it would be

SP Forrest Whitley

OF Kyle Tucker

OF/1B Yordan Alvarez

SP Cionel Perez

OF/1B Seth Beer

SP Corbin Martin

SP JB Bukaukas

SP Josh James

SS Freudis Nova

SP Jario Solis

[Texansfan713]

Also the Astros still have the 2 best prospects in the division (tucker and whitley) and the best farm system IMO. Only team comes close is Oakland. If you want to say Oakland does then thats fine.  Astros at worst is 2nd IMO. When Tucker gets off prospects lists then the farm will be 3rd or 4th in the AL West.

[deltarich87]

I'd probably bump Maitan or Soto and put Luis Rengifo in there on the Angels list.

[devils1854]

Chicago
1.Miguel Amaya||C||A
2.Brailyn Marquez||LHP||A
3.Adbert Alzolay||RHP||AAA
4.Brendon Little||LHP||A
5.Alex Lange||RHP||A+
6.Nico Hoerner||SS||A
7.Justin Steele||LHP||A+
8.Aramis Ademan||SS||A+
9.Oscar De La Cruz||RHP||AA
10.Cole Roederer||OF||R

Chicago is definitely in the process of rebuilding their system. There is still a long way to go, but there is some interesting guys on the farm. I will go ahead and say that I have never been a fan of their drafting. I was low on Schwarber and Happ, and I dont think Lange or Hoerner are special guys either. Both are still somewhat high on the list mainly because I really dont see much below them. Miguel Amaya is definitely their top prospect and could possibly be a top 100 guy at the end of the year. The defense definitely plays at catcher, and he has shown surprising power so far at a 19 year old. Marquez could be the next breakout guy in 2019. I think he has two potential plus pitches at his age.

Cincinnati
1.Nick Senzel||3B/2B||AAA
2.Taylor Trammell||OF||A+
3.Hunter Greene||RHP||A
4.Jeter Downs||SS||A
5.Tyler Stephenson||C||A+
6.Vladimir Gutierrez||RHP||AA
7.Jonathan India||3B||A
8.Tony Santillan||RHP||AA
9.Shed Long||2B||AA
10.TJ Friedl||OF||AA
11.Mike Siani||OF||R
12.Stuart Fairchild||OF||A+
13.Jose Israel Garcia||SS||A
14.James Marinan||RHP||R
15.Keury Mella||RHP||MLB

Cincinnati is a system that I really like. You want high upside? Then you can look at Senzel, Trammell, and Greene. You want guys that are safer and have a nice floor, but not as much ceiling? Santillan, Friedl, and Fairchild look to be those types. You have international guys like Garcia and Jonathan Willems(not on list) that have some intrigue. Another reason that I really like this system is that all the guys are spread out across all levels. They have guys that can be on a major league roster next season, but that wouldnt weaken their system that much. The future defninitely looks bright for the Reds.

Milwaukee
1.Keston Hiura||2B||AA
2.Corbin Burnes||RHP||MLB
3.Corey Ray||OF||AA
4.Brice Turang||SS||R
5.Tristen Lutz||OF||A
6.Zack Brown||RHP||AA
7.Lucas Erceg||3B||AA
8.Joe Gray||OF||R
9.Marcos Diplan||RHP||AA
10.Mauricio Dubon||2B/SS||AAA

If I would have done this exercise a few weeks ago, then there would have been a good chance that the Brewers would be in the top ten. They did not trade any major prospects at the trade deadline, but the organization did lose some descent depth, but it is a price to pay for a playoff push. I really want to highlight Corey Ray here. I hated the pick in the 2016 draft, and he really did not show anything until this season. I have seen him in person twice this year, and I have been impressed both times. He attacks the ball at the plate, and in turn, the ball rockets off his bat. He is a little too aggressive at times, and that is causing him to still strike out a little too much. If he can continue to lower that number, then he can be a very good player in the majors. He's probably a left fielder because of his arm, but he shouldnt be a detriment out there defensively.

Pittsburgh
1.Mitch Keller||RHP||AAA
2.Travis Swaggerty||OF||A
3.Shane Baz||RHP||R
4.Oneil Cruz||SS|A
5.Ke'Bryan Hayes||3B||AA
6.Kevin Newman||SS/2B||AAA
7.Calvin Mitchell||OF||A
8.Kevin Kramer||2B||AAA
9.Bryan Reynolds||OF||AA
10.Jason Martin||OF||AAA

In doing research for the Pirates, I have noticed that they definitely have a type that they look for. You see it in their infield prospects when you look at Newman, Kramer, Cole Tucker, and Stephen Alemias. You see it in their outfield prospects. Calvin Mitchell, Jason Martin, Lolo Sanchez, and Conner Usleton. Its a defensively sound prospect that can play multiple positions, who doesnt show much power, makes contact, and doesnt strike out. These guys dont have much projection, but they only have to hit on one or two ever few years to make this strategy work(see Jordy Mercer). I do like the top of their system. Keller can be a top of the rotation guy if he can continue to improve his secondary pitches. His change up is going to be make or break for him. Travis Swaggerty was a guy I loved heading up to the draft, and he is showing promise already in short season A ball. He could be a fast riser in the system, and could be the reason the organization decided to trade Austin Meadows.

St Louis
1.Alex Reyes||RHP||N/A
2.Tyler O'Neill||OF||MLB
3.Nolan Gorman||3B||R
4.Dakota Hudson||RHP||MLB
5.Andrew Knizner||C||AA
6.Elehuris Montero||3B||A
7.Ryan Helsley||RHP||AAA
8.Genesis Cabrera||LHP||AA
9.Griffin Roberts||RHP||R
10.Justin Williams||OF||AAA

Harrison Bader, Carson Kelly, Luke Weaver, and Jack Flaherty are all guys that were top 100 prospects that graduated this season, but that doesnt mean that the system is bare. It might not be a top 10 system now, but there are still a lot of potential in the minors. I loved their draft this year. Nolan Gorman is already showing his plus(maybe plus plus) power in rookie ball. There is a long way to go, but if he can stick at third, he will fly up prospect lists. Griffin Roberts(CBA 1st) is a college arm that could be a great closer with two potential plus pitches. He will be given the chance to start, but he will need a third pitch, and better command to stay there. Luken Baker and Steven Gingery are two other college draft picks that have some interesting tools. I will finish with Tyler O'Neill. I watched two games of his earlier in the season in Nashville. The power is real. He generates great bat speed in his compact body, but it has been said many times that he will need to cut down on the strike outs. Can he do that? Who really knows, but I think its possible. Ive seen his swing get longer when he gets home run happy, and I think thats the main cause for so many misses. If he can just stay within himself, and within the ball, the number will go down.

Division Top 25
1.Nick Senzel||3B/2B||Cincinnati
2.Keston Hiura||2B||Milwaukee
3.Taylor Trammell||OF||Cincinnati
4.Alex Reyes||RHP||St Louis
5.Mitch Keller||RHP||Pittsburgh
6.Hunter Green||RHP||Cincinnati
7.Corbin Burnes||RHP||Milwaukee
8.Tyler O'Neill||OF||St Louis
9.Corey Ray||OF||Milwaukee
10.Nolan Gorman||3B||St Louis
11.Jeter Downs||SS||Cincinnati
12.Travis Swaggerty||OF||Pittsbugh
13.Miguel Amaya||C||Chicago
14.Shane Baz||RHP||Pittsburgh
15.Tyler Stephenson||C||Cincinnati
16.Brice Turang||SS||Milwaukee
17.Brailyn Marquez||LHP||Chicago
18.Vladimir Gutierrez||RHP||Cincinnati
19.Dakota Hudson||RHP||St Louis
20.Jonathan India||3B||Cincinnati
21.Tony Santillan||RHP||Cincinnati
22.Oneil Cruz||SS||Pittsburgh
23.Ke'Bryan Hayes||3B||Pittsbugh
24.Adbert Alzolay||RHP||Chicago
25.Tristan Lutz||OF||Milwaukee

Ranking the Systems
1.Cincinnati
2.Milwaukee
3.St Louis
4.Pittsbugh
5.Chicago

[hrubes20]

10 hours ago, devils1854 said:

Chicago
1.Miguel Amaya||C||A
2.Brailyn Marquez||LHP||A
3.Adbert Alzolay||RHP||AAA
4.Brendon Little||LHP||A
5.Alex Lange||RHP||A+
6.Nico Hoerner||SS||A
7.Justin Steele||LHP||A+
8.Aramis Ademan||SS||A+
9.Oscar De La Cruz||RHP||AA
10.Cole Roederer||OF||R

Chicago is definitely in the process of rebuilding their system. There is still a long way to go, but there is some interesting guys on the farm. I will go ahead and say that I have never been a fan of their drafting. I was low on Schwarber and Happ, and I dont think Lange or Hoerner are special guys either. Both are still somewhat high on the list mainly because I really dont see much below them. Miguel Amaya is definitely their top prospect and could possibly be a top 100 guy at the end of the year. The defense definitely plays at catcher, and he has shown surprising power so far at a 19 year old. Marquez could be the next breakout guy in 2019. I think he has two potential plus pitches at his age.

 

Amaya already cracked the top 100 in at least one national list.  I think it was BA.  But yeah, he's legit.  Should be able to take over for Contreras when his team control is up.  Really good all-around catcher.

I'm really impressed that you (correctly) have Marquez so high.  Most people that don't specifically follow the Cubs' system know how big of a leap he has made this year.  He's been clocked at 99 several times this year, and sits 95 as a LH starter (was mostly 90-92 at Fall Instructs).  Changeup is making strides to go along with the curve that flashes plus.  As with most tall teenagers, his mechanics won't get repeated all the time which leads to some command issues.  Easily the highest pitching ceiling in the system though.  Good work.

Alzolay was hit with a lat injury and cost him the season, which is a shame.  He may get some innings in the AFL though.  Good fastball/curve combo.  The changeup will determine whether he's a reliever or a starter.

The system is not pretty, but I still have no room for Brendon Little or Oscar De La Cruz in my top 10.  Little's velocity has never gotten back to his predraft form (sitting 89-92 these days), and his plus curve hasn't been consistent. ODLC saw his stuff regress across the board, and then he got popped for PEDs.  

Lange is super meh.  I hated the pick when it was made, and his first full professional season hasn't changed my mind.  Still 90-92 with the plus curve, and although the development of a solid changeup was nice to see, the lack of fastball or plus command holds him back.  BOR starter for me.

I wasn't a big fan of the Hoerner pick either.  He hurt his elbow making a diving play at SS in like his 15th game or so and will miss the rest of this year, which is a huge shame.  He was killing it in that small sample size and was showing positives in the areas with the 2 biggest question marks for me (power and ability to stay at SS).  But as I mentioned, it was only a 15 game sample.  We'll see if the good SS defense and power sticks next year.

Justin Steele is looking really good after finally making it back on the mound after TJS.  Fastball is in the mid-90's again and the curve is sharp.  As with many guys like this, the development of the changeup will determine his ultimate role.  Could be a MOR starter if the change gets there.

Ademan has been overmatched after an aggressive promotion to High A after only 29 games in A ball as an 18 year old.  He will surely be repeating High A next year and that should give us a better idea as to what his bat will be.  He will stick at SS, but it doesn't matter if you can't hit a lick.

Cole Roederer should probably be in the top 5 right now, but I would never hold it against someone if they wanted to wait and see him do this in full season ball before hopping on the bandwagon.  He wasn't ranked highly by any national publications and the Cubs took him in the 2nd based largely on their new cognitive skills testing.  He's been absurdly good so far though.  Showcasing all 5 tools and playing a great CF.  He's been the talk of the AZL for multiple scouts and someone that every prospectphile needs to know going forward.  Very excited about him.

The biggest omission for me is David Bote.  Some of the St. Louis voodoo rubbed off on him at some point, as the Cubs finally have a later round pick JAG turn into something useful.  I think he could start for quite a few teams as a 3B or 2B, but will be a nice utility player for the Cubs for the next 6 years.  I'd probably throw Brennen Davis in my top 10 as well, based solely off of potential.  

 

[CWood21]

13 hours ago, devils1854 said:

St Louis
1.Alex Reyes||RHP||N/A
2.Tyler O'Neill||OF||MLB
3.Nolan Gorman||3B||R
4.Dakota Hudson||RHP||MLB
5.Andrew Knizner||C||AA
6.Elehuris Montero||3B||A
7.Ryan Helsley||RHP||AAA
8.Genesis Cabrera||LHP||AA
9.Griffin Roberts||RHP||R
10.Justin Williams||OF||AAA

Harrison Bader, Carson Kelly, Luke Weaver, and Jack Flaherty are all guys that were top 100 prospects that graduated this season, but that doesnt mean that the system is bare. It might not be a top 10 system now, but there are still a lot of potential in the minors. I loved their draft this year. Nolan Gorman is already showing his plus(maybe plus plus) power in rookie ball. There is a long way to go, but if he can stick at third, he will fly up prospect lists. Griffin Roberts(CBA 1st) is a college arm that could be a great closer with two potential plus pitches. He will be given the chance to start, but he will need a third pitch, and better command to stay there. Luken Baker and Steven Gingery are two other college draft picks that have some interesting tools. I will finish with Tyler O'Neill. I watched two games of his earlier in the season in Nashville. The power is real. He generates great bat speed in his compact body, but it has been said many times that he will need to cut down on the strike outs. Can he do that? Who really knows, but I think its possible. Ive seen his swing get longer when he gets home run happy, and I think thats the main cause for so many misses. If he can just stay within himself, and within the ball, the number will go down.

Nothing really too crazy here.  Probably for the most part would consist of guys I've got ranked in the top 13.  Just a few things I'd tweak.

Ryan Helsley is a top 5 prospect in our farm system, although I can certainly understand if you're hesitant to rank him that high based on that shoulder fatigue.  In terms of upside and floor, he's probably the best combination in the farm system.  His fastball sits in the mid 90s range, but he'll touch it as high as 98 or 99 MPH.  He's paired that with his curveball which is a real out pitch.  He's also tinkered with a cutter, which has been effective and his change-up should at least be average.  He needs to continue to improve his command, but that will likely come in time.  I've thrown out a Trevor Rosenthal comp before, and I still like that.  I think they could slot him into the bullpen immediately if they wanted to, but they're going to keep him as a starter.

Dylan Carlson absolutely should be rated in the top 10.  The numbers on the board don't look overly impressive, but when you take into context it's incredibly impressive.  He's about 2 years younger than the league average, and the only prospects that are in his age group (19-20) who are posting higher OPS than him are Isaac Paredes, Jesus Sanchez, Taylor Trammell, and Andres Gimenez who are all top 100 prospects.  Dylan Carlson isn't that far behind if he keeps this up.  He's shown strong strike zone judgement, and his power has gone up as the weather has gone up.  He was viewed as a future 1B prospect, he's been playing CF but projects more as a corner OF especially as his body continues to fill out.  This kid will be a top 100 prospect sooner rather than later.

[THE DUKE]

13 hours ago, devils1854 said:

Cincinnati

1.Nick Senzel||3B/2B||AAA
2.Taylor Trammell||OF||A+
3.Hunter Greene||RHP||A
4.Jeter Downs||SS||A
5.Tyler Stephenson||C||A+
6.Vladimir Gutierrez||RHP||AA
7.Jonathan India||3B||A
8.Tony Santillan||RHP||AA
9.Shed Long||2B||AA
10.TJ Friedl||OF||AA
11.Mike Siani||OF||R
12.Stuart Fairchild||OF||A+
13.Jose Israel Garcia||SS||A
14.James Marinan||RHP||R
15.Keury Mella||RHP||MLB

Cincinnati is a system that I really like. You want high upside? Then you can look at Senzel, Trammell, and Greene. You want guys that are safer and have a nice floor, but not as much ceiling? Santillan, Friedl, and Fairchild look to be those types. You have international guys like Garcia and Jonathan Willems(not on list) that have some intrigue. Another reason that I really like this system is that all the guys are spread out across all levels. They have guys that can be on a major league roster next season, but that wouldnt weaken their system that much. The future defninitely looks bright for the Reds.

I think you're overselling Jeter Downs and underselling Tony Santillan.  I'm a total believer in Downs bat, but he is a 2B only.  I think his batting average will go up a good bit next year, and he is already showing solid power, but he's an average defender at 2B, let alone a SS.  Garcia is the real deal at SS, and the tools are real.  I can see him in the top 15 as he has been playing much better lately now that the rust is falling off of his 2 year post defection lay off.   Santillan's K numbers are down a bit this year as he has focuses on his control, but notice they are going back up in AA.  The raw stuff is very very good.  He usually sits 94-96, and on some nights he's been 96-98 this year.  The breaker is plus now, and the changeup is above average with a chance to be plus.  His big knock out of HS was control, and that's what he's focused on improving this year.  Jose Siri is an ultimate boom/bust player, and he's shown some big improvements in plate discipline this year, i'd have him ahead of at least Mella and Marnian, probably Fairchild too.  He'll always K a lot, but he's a double plus defender in CF with a plus arm, plus speed and plus power.  If he can be merely not terrible at the plate, he's got star tools.  2018 second round compensatory pick Josiah Gray is also worth following.  He's had a very nice start since being drafted and while he's sat 91-93, he's been up to 96 and he's only pitched full time for a little over a year.

All in all not a bad ranking of the system.  Don't agree with everything, but I can see the reasoning behind it all.  My personal Reds top 15 is:

1. Nick Senzel, 3B/2B (Word is they may try him at CF if they extend Gennett, but not sure if I believe they actually extend Scooter)
2. Taylor Trammell, OF, A+
3. Hunter Greene, RHP, A
4. Tony Santillan, RHP, AA
5. Jonathan India, 3B/SS, A (He's been getting some starts at SS and has looked decent there so far, I could see him sticking as an offensive minded SS with average D)
6. Vlad Gutierrez, RHP, AA
7. Tyler Stephenson, C, A+
8. Mike Siani, CF, Rk
9. Jeter Downs, 2B, A
10. Shed Long, 2B, AA
11. Josiah Gray, RHP, Rk
12. TJ Friedl, OF, AA (has handled the jump from A to AA very well)
13. Lyon Richardson, RHP, Rk (Raw, but the pitches are there and has been up to 98)
14. Jose Siri, CF, AA
15. Keury Mella, RHP, MLB

Notables worth keeping an eye on: Miguel Hernandez/SS/Rk, Stuart Fairchild/OF/A+, Jonathan Willems/2B/Rk, Jesus Reyes/RHP/MLB, Jose Garcia/SS/A, Scott Moss/LHP/A+, Mariel Bautista/OF/Rk, Jimmy Herget/RHP/AAA, Rylan Thomas/1B/Rk, Bren Spillane/RHP/Rk

[holt_bruce81]

32 minutes ago, CWood21 said:

Nothing really too crazy here.  Probably for the most part would consist of guys I've got ranked in the top 13.  Just a few things I'd tweak.

Ryan Helsley is a top 5 prospect in our farm system, although I can certainly understand if you're hesitant to rank him that high based on that shoulder fatigue.  In terms of upside and floor, he's probably the best combination in the farm system.  His fastball sits in the mid 90s range, but he'll touch it as high as 98 or 99 MPH.  He's paired that with his curveball which is a real out pitch.  He's also tinkered with a cutter, which has been effective and his change-up should at least be average.  He needs to continue to improve his command, but that will likely come in time.  I've thrown out a Trevor Rosenthal comp before, and I still like that.  I think they could slot him into the bullpen immediately if they wanted to, but they're going to keep him as a starter.

Dylan Carlson absolutely should be rated in the top 10.  The numbers on the board don't look overly impressive, but when you take into context it's incredibly impressive.  He's about 2 years younger than the league average, and the only prospects that are in his age group (19-20) who are posting higher OPS than him are Isaac Paredes, Jesus Sanchez, Taylor Trammell, and Andres Gimenez who are all top 100 prospects.  Dylan Carlson isn't that far behind if he keeps this up.  He's shown strong strike zone judgement, and his power has gone up as the weather has gone up.  He was viewed as a future 1B prospect, he's been playing CF but projects more as a corner OF especially as his body continues to fill out.  This kid will be a top 100 prospect sooner rather than later.

Yeah I like His top 10, can’t really complain to much. A bit surprised that Randy Arozarena isn’t on there. And of course I think Carlson should be on everyone’s top 10 cardinals list. Been really impressive to see what he’s doing in the FSL as a 19-year old. @devils1854 I’m really interested to hear your opinion on Andrew Knizner and Elehuris Montero. Knizner is quickly becoming everyone’s favorite catching prospect in the system, I’ve heard his bat is similar to Allen Craig’s before the injuries. What are your thoughts on him and Montero? 

Great work! 

[CWood21]

3 hours ago, holt_bruce81 said:

Yeah I like His top 10, can’t really complain to much. A bit surprised that Randy Arozarena isn’t on there. And of course I think Carlson should be on everyone’s top 10 cardinals list. Been really impressive to see what he’s doing in the FSL as a 19-year old. @devils1854 I’m really interested to hear your opinion on Andrew Knizner and Elehuris Montero. Knizner is quickly becoming everyone’s favorite catching prospect in the system, I’ve heard his bat is similar to Allen Craig’s before the injuries. What are your thoughts on him and Montero? 

Great work! 

Randy Arozarena isn't for everyone.  If you're getting the good Arozarena, you're talking about a 20/20 threat that can play 2B or CF.  If you're a bit more skeptical, he's probably a fringe starting CF with a questionable hit tool.

[ramssuperbowl99]

18 hours ago, devils1854 said:

Milwaukee
1.Keston Hiura||2B||AA
2.Corbin Burnes||RHP||MLB
3.Corey Ray||OF||AA
4.Brice Turang||SS||R
5.Tristen Lutz||OF||A
6.Zack Brown||RHP||AA
7.Lucas Erceg||3B||AA
8.Joe Gray||OF||R
9.Marcos Diplan||RHP||AA
10.Mauricio Dubon||2B/SS||AAA

If I would have done this exercise a few weeks ago, then there would have been a good chance that the Brewers would be in the top ten. They did not trade any major prospects at the trade deadline, but the organization did lose some descent depth, but it is a price to pay for a playoff push. I really want to highlight Corey Ray here. I hated the pick in the 2016 draft, and he really did not show anything until this season. I have seen him in person twice this year, and I have been impressed both times. He attacks the ball at the plate, and in turn, the ball rockets off his bat. He is a little too aggressive at times, and that is causing him to still strike out a little too much. If he can continue to lower that number, then he can be a very good player in the majors. He's probably a left fielder because of his arm, but he shouldnt be a detriment out there defensively.

Zack Brown at 6 is a little weird to me, honestly. And I'd probably have Lutz 3rd. He's been raking for the past month. But yeah in general those are the guys.

[devils1854]

Been a little busy

Cleveland
1.Triston McKenzie||RHP||AA
2.Ethan Hankins||RHP||N/A
3.Nolan Jones||3B||A+
4.Yu-Cheng Chang||SS/3B||AAA
5.Noah Naylor||C||R
6.Lenny Torres||RHP||R
7.George Valera||OF||R
8.Luis Oviedo||RHP||A
9.Bobby Bradley||1B||AAA
10.Oscar Mercado||OF||AAA

In the Cleveland system, you have a potential top of the rotation arm, a potentially 2018 draft class, and not much else. There has been a lot of failure in the system this year. Bobby Bradley is still showing plus power, but the hit tool is looking worse and worse, and the strike outs are popping up eve more. 2017 top pick, Quentin Holmes, was horrendous in rookie ball in his first season, and has only played one game thus far in Arizona this year. Will Benson, the teams top selection in 2016, is striking out 30% of the time in A ball, and is hitting .160. You could even lump in Brady Aiken, who hasnt pitched this season, but he looked to potentially be a lost cause before the season started. With Bradley Zimmer languishing on the bench in Cleveland, and Francisco Mejia being traded away for a reliever, there is going to be a lot of pressure on the 2018 draft class to exceed expectations, and restock the system.

Chicago
1.Eloy Jimenez||OF||AAA
2.Dylan Cease||RHP||AA
3.Nick Madrigal||2B||A+
4.Dane Dunning||RHP||AA
5.Michael Kopech||RHP||AAA
6.Luis Robert||OF||A+
7.Jake Burger||3B||N/A
8.Blake Rutherford||OF||A+
9.Alec Hansen||RHP||A+
10.Micker Adolfo||OF||A+
11.Kodi Medeiros||LHP||AA
12.Zack Collins||C||AA
13.Luis Alexander Basabe||OF||AA
14.Zack Burdi||RHP||AAA
15.Laz Rivera||SS||A+

There is a lot of potential in the Chicago system, but its the one system that are towards the top of the rankings that I think could fail in putting quality players in the majors. We've already seen it in the players that they have called up the past two years. Eloy Jiminez and Dylan Cease are two guys at the top that are exempt from my criticism. Jiminez has the best hit/power tool combo in the minors, and Cease is developing a major league level change up to go along with his two other plus pitches. After that? There are a lot of question marks. The more I see Kopech, the more I am convinced he is a reliever. Command is not getting better, and he still has no third pitch. Luis Robert cant stay on the field, and still only has roughly 50 games played in two years in the system. Alec Hansen got injured, and looks more like the Oklahoma Hansen, and not the one that dominated two levels last year. Zack Collins has a great eye, walking 20% in AA, but he still cant hit for average, strikes out almost a third of the time, and its looking less likely that he will be a catcher in the majors.

Detroit
1.Casey Mize||RHP||A+
2.Matt Manning||RHP||A+
3.Franklin Perez||RHP||A+
4.Daz Cameron||OF||AA
5.Beau Burrows||RHP||AA
6.Isaac Paredes||SS||AA
7.Alex Faedo||RHP||AA
8.Parker Meadows||OF||R
9.Jake Rogers||C||AA
10.Willi Castro||SS||AA

Any time you add the best player in the draft, your organization is going to get a big boost. During his junior season at Auburn, Mize showed three potential plus pitches, and plus command. Its possible that he could be in the Detroit rotation come next spring, but they will probably want to give him some time in the minors, and not start his clock on a bad Detroit team. The Tigers other top pick in the 2018 draft is Parker Meadows, brother of Austin. I am extremely high on Parker, and see a lot of Drew Waters in him. Prior to the draft, the organization had four pitchers that look to be the future. Out of Manning, Perez, Burrows, and Faedo, only Manning is a guy that I am high on. Command has been the major issue for Manning, but he has pitched at two levels in 2018, and it looks like his delivery has become cleaner, and in turn, the walks are down. If this is permanent, he will fly up prospect lists. 2018 is a lost season for Perez, and I dont believe in multiple plus pitches. Burrows is probably a back of the rotation arm(at best), and Faedo is still a high effort guy that is going to end up in the bullpen.

Kansas City
1.MJ Melendez||C||A
2.Seuly Matias||OF||A
3.Brady Singer||RHP||N/A
4.Nick Pratto||1B||A
5.Khalil Lee||OF||AA
6.Jackson Kowar||RHP||A
7.Josh Staumont||RHP||AAA
8.Nicky Lopez||2B/SS||AAA
9.Kris Bubic||LHP||R
10.Michael Gigliotto||OF||A

What is Kansas City doing? 7 of their top 10 pick in 2017 were junior college or college guys. This year, their first five picks were college arms. Maybe it will work out, but to me it seems like the front office is looking for a quick fix to a major, long term problem. The ironic part of all this is that the most promising guys in their system this year were either high school draftees from last year, or are young international signees. The more I see of MJ Melendez, the more confident I get that he has the tools to be an above average catcher in the majors. His athleticism can play at other positions. He has a plus arm. He is already showing that there could be plus power in his body. The hit tool is what is going to hold him back. Seuly Matias and Nick Pratto are the other teenagers in A ball that could be the backbone of the rebuild. Like Melendez, both could be very good defenders, and like Melendez, both are striking out at an alarming rate for A ball. Its still a long way to go for all three.

Minnesota
1.Royce Lewis||SS||A+
2.Alex Kirilloff||OF||A+
3.Brusdar Graterol||RHP||A+
4.Brent Rooker||1B/OF||AA
5.Nick Gordon||SS||AAA
6.Stephen Gonsalves||LHP||AAA
7.Trevor Larnach||OF||A
8.Wander Javier||SS||N/A
9.Akil Baddoo||OF||A
10.Lewis Thorpe||LHP||AA

Minnesota probably has my favorite system, outside of the Braves. I think they are close to being in that top tier in baseball. The only thing they are missing is a little more depth, and probably one more top tier guy. Royce Lewis is the best player I have seen in person this year. Every single tool jumps out at you. Speed is a plus. Defense is a plus. Hit tool is a plus, and I see a surprising amount of power in his body. Im confident in saying that he might have the highest ceiling in minor league baseball. After him, you have Alex Kirilloff. He was kind of forgotten after missing all of last year because of injury. He played the first half of the year in the Midwest League, and he might have been the second best player in the league, only behind Lewis. The power might not be a plus once he reaches higher levels, but he could be a double machine. He looks like a young Nick Markakis. There is one forgotten guy in the system in Wander Javier. He was signed for over $4 million three years ago. Injuries have hampered him from breaking out. He's lost all of 2018 because of a torn labrum. If he is healthy, then he is one of the guys that is poised for a breakout next year.

Division Top 25
1.Eloy Jiminez||OF||Chicago White Sox
2.Royce Lewis||SS||Minnesota
3.Triston McKenzie||RHP||Cleveland
4.Dylan Cease||RHP||Chicago White Sox
5.Casey Mize||RHP||Detroit
6.Matt Manning||RHP||Detroit
7.Alex Kirilloff||OF||Minnesota
8.Ethan Hankins||RHP||Cleveland
9.Nick Madrigal||2B||Chicago White Sox
10.Dane Dunning||RHP||Chicago White Sox
11.Michael Kopech||RHP||Chicago White Sox
12.Franklin Perez||RHP||Detroit
13.Daz Cameron||OF||Detroit
14.Luis Robert||OF||Chicago White Sox
15.Brusdar Graterol||RHP||Minnesota
16.Jake Burger||3B||Chicago White Sox
17.Blake Rutherford||OF||Chicago White Sox
18.MJ Melendez||C||Kansas City
19.Brent Rooker||1B/OF||Minnesota
20.Beau Burrows||RHP||Detroit
21.Nick Gordon||SS||Minnesota
22.Nolan Jones||3B||Cleveland
23.Seuly Matias||OF||Kansas City
24.Alec Hansen||RHP||Chicago White Sox
25.Stephen Gonsalves||LHP||Minnesota

Ranking the Systems
1.Chicago
2.Minnesota
3.Detroit
4.Cleveland
5.Kansas City

[Canadian Saint]

Nice write up. I'm interested to hear your thoughts on RHP Graterol. In my time in following the Twins, I don't think I've seen us have a prospect quite like him, definitely one of my favorites. Overall I'm pretty happy with the system, I think it has good potential throughout and decent depth. I do think Falvine has made their mark on the minor league team. We'll see if any of their guys work out but I like the talent we've acquired.

[THE DUKE]

On ‎8‎/‎11‎/‎2018 at 5:58 AM, devils1854 said:

Chicago

1.Eloy Jimenez||OF||AAA
2.Dylan Cease||RHP||AA
3.Nick Madrigal||2B||A+
4.Dane Dunning||RHP||AA
5.Michael Kopech||RHP||AAA
6.Luis Robert||OF||A+
7.Jake Burger||3B||N/A
8.Blake Rutherford||OF||A+
9.Alec Hansen||RHP||A+
10.Micker Adolfo||OF||A+
11.Kodi Medeiros||LHP||AA
12.Zack Collins||C||AA
13.Luis Alexander Basabe||OF||AA
14.Zack Burdi||RHP||AAA
15.Laz Rivera||SS||A+

There is a lot of potential in the Chicago system, but its the one system that are towards the top of the rankings that I think could fail in putting quality players in the majors. We've already seen it in the players that they have called up the past two years. Eloy Jiminez and Dylan Cease are two guys at the top that are exempt from my criticism. Jiminez has the best hit/power tool combo in the minors, and Cease is developing a major league level change up to go along with his two other plus pitches. After that? There are a lot of question marks. The more I see Kopech, the more I am convinced he is a reliever. Command is not getting better, and he still has no third pitch. Luis Robert cant stay on the field, and still only has roughly 50 games played in two years in the system. Alec Hansen got injured, and looks more like the Oklahoma Hansen, and not the one that dominated two levels last year. Zack Collins has a great eye, walking 20% in AA, but he still cant hit for average, strikes out almost a third of the time, and its looking less likely that he will be a catcher in the majors.

Ahem....

 

I agree with pretty much everything else you wrote about their system though.  If Kopech ever gets his control together, look out, but I agree that Cease and Dunning are much better bets to be starters.