The Prospect/Minor Leagues Thread

[burlingtonbandit]

I like Hoffman's makeup

 

 

Hoffman's right forearm is like 5 times bigger than his left in that pic.

[baubau]

Hoffman's right forearm is like 5 times bigger than his left in that pic.

 

http://new1.fjcdn.com/thumbnails/comments/He+has+a+life+inside+of+him+too+_cc675ef7e9d7adb11cb2c328463ef8b1.png

[Spanky99]

Daniel Norris

 

 

Roberto Osuna

 

 

Devon Travis

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTmemk_BzFQ

 

Aaron Sanchez

 

 

Dalton Pompey

 

 

Thanks Ace, you da man!!

[G-Snarls]

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=25592

 

Farm System Ranking for 2015:

 

Red Sox 6th-- but with pending graduations of Swihart, Owens, etc.. there's huge downside with the system.

Jays 10th

Yanks 21st

O's 22nd

Rays 24th

 

Gonna put this in the minor league thread

[G-Snarls]

I like Hoffman's makeup

 

 

NICE

 

Hoffman > Dan Duquette

[G-Snarls]

BP updated list Feb. 16:

 

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=25592

 

10. Toronto Blue Jays

 

Farm System Ranking in 2014: 12

2015 Top Ten Prospects: Link

Top Prospect: Aaron Sanchez (25)

Prospects on the BP 101: 4

 

State of the System: Consistently known for having a deep arsenal of boom or bust prospects, the Blue Jays continue to impress the scouting community with high-ceiling talents that are beginning to reach the major-league level. Led by big-league ready prospects Aaron Sanchez, Daniel Norris, and Dalton Pompey, and the addition of first-rounder and potential front of the rotation arm Jeff Hoffman, the top of the Blue Jays system could offer some awe-inspiring talent. Coming behind that impressive group, Jays fans can look forward to the development of left-hander Jair Labourt, right-handers Miguel Castro, Roberto Osuna, and Alberto Tirado, and the wild card that is Anthony Alford. Even with the impending graduations of Sanchez, Norris, and Pompey, the Blue Jays still should have one of the top systems in the game.

 

Must-See Affiliate: Low-A Lansing

 

Prospects to See There: Jairo Labourt, Max Pentacost, Sean Reid-Foley, Matt Smoral, Alberto Tirado

[Angrioter]

BP updated list Feb. 16:

 

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=25592

 

10. Toronto Blue Jays

 

Farm System Ranking in 2014: 12

2015 Top Ten Prospects: Link

Top Prospect: Aaron Sanchez (25)

Prospects on the BP 101: 4

 

State of the System: Consistently known for having a deep arsenal of boom or bust prospects, the Blue Jays continue to impress the scouting community with high-ceiling talents that are beginning to reach the major-league level. Led by big-league ready prospects Aaron Sanchez, Daniel Norris, and Dalton Pompey, and the addition of first-rounder and potential front of the rotation arm Jeff Hoffman, the top of the Blue Jays system could offer some awe-inspiring talent. Coming behind that impressive group, Jays fans can look forward to the development of left-hander Jair Labourt, right-handers Miguel Castro, Roberto Osuna, and Alberto Tirado, and the wild card that is Anthony Alford. Even with the impending graduations of Sanchez, Norris, and Pompey, the Blue Jays still should have one of the top systems in the game.

 

Must-See Affiliate: Low-A Lansing

 

Prospects to See There: Jairo Labourt, Max Pentacost, Sean Reid-Foley, Matt Smoral, Alberto Tirado

Albertico Tirado

[Laika]

BP ranks the Jays' farm 10th.

 

10. Toronto Blue Jays

Farm System Ranking in 2014: 12

2015 Top Ten Prospects: Link

Top Prospect: Aaron Sanchez (25)

Prospects on the BP 101: 4

State of the System: Consistently known for having a deep arsenal of boom or bust prospects, the Blue Jays continue to impress the scouting community with high-ceiling talents that are beginning to reach the major-league level. Led by big-league ready prospects Aaron Sanchez, Daniel Norris, and Dalton Pompey, and the addition of first-rounder and potential front of the rotation arm Jeff Hoffman, the top of the Blue Jays system could offer some awe-inspiring talent. Coming behind that impressive group, Jays fans can look forward to the development of left-hander Jair Labourt, right-handers Miguel Castro, Roberto Osuna, and Alberto Tirado, and the wild card that is Anthony Alford. Even with the impending graduations of Sanchez, Norris, and Pompey, the Blue Jays still should have one of the top systems in the game.

Must-See Affiliate: Low-A Lansing

Prospects to See There: Jairo Labourt, Max Pentacost, Sean Reid-Foley, Matt Smoral, Alberto Tirado

 

Cubs

Twins

Dodgers

Rangers

Mets

Red Sox

DBags

Pirates

Rockies

Jays

...

21. Yankees

22. Orioles

24. Rays

[King]

Literally posted right above you

[GD]

lol

[fireballW]

I haven't been reading as closely as usual lately, but in case people don't know it seems pretty sure that Dwight Smith Jr will continue on at second base.

 

http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/jays-prospects-osuna-castro-earn-spring-invites/

[Laika]

Literally posted right above you

 

Sorry, I have the mods on ignore.

[Frank Menechino]

Wittiest bastard up in this bitch ^

[G-Snarls]

NJH wins. That's funny.

[G-Snarls]

Dwight Smith Jr going to get a look at 2B

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/jays-give-smith-shot-second/

[fireballW]

Dwight Smith Jr going to get a look at 2B

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/jays-give-smith-shot-second/

 

Pffft I just posted about this, albeit a different article.

[TheHurl]

Must-See Affiliate: Low-A Lansing

 

Prospects to See There: Jairo Labourt, Max Pentacost, Sean Reid-Foley, Matt Smoral, Alberto Tirado

 

Midwest League is always one of my faves, seems to be a wealth of future stars there every year. I'd like to see Lansing get cameras (and thus be on MiLB.tv) but at least Dayton, Wisconsin, Great Lakes, Quad City and Western Michigan all have their home games on.

[King]

Dwight Smith Jr going to get a look at 2B

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/jays-give-smith-shot-second/

 

Fangraphs article

 

Dwight Smith, Jr. dabbled at something new in the Arizona Fall League. The Blue Jays outfield prospect took ground balls at second base, a position he’d never played before. The 22-year-old saw time at shortstop as a youth, but hadn’t played the infield since he was 14.

 

Smith told me a position switch isn’t in the offing; the organization simply suggested he add to his defensive arsenal. The son of former Cubs outfielder Dwight Smith, Sr. was on board with the idea, saying he’s open to anything that helps get him to the big leagues. He’s got a solid shot. Smith hit .284/.363/.453 in high-A Dunedin, and is ranked the No. 14 prospect in the Toronto system.

 

I asked Smith if it’s hard to adapt to an unfamiliar spot.

 

“Everything is more fast-paced than it is in the outfield,” said Smith. “So it is different, but hard? Not much. If I keep working at it, I’ll adjust. Turning double plays, cut-offs, knowing where to go with the ball — a lot of it is getting that time clock in your head.”

 

Internal time clocks are important when a runner is bearing down, spikes high, in your rear-view mirror. I asked Smith if he was familiar with a former outfielder who shares his surname, and also dabbled at turning double plays. The player in question is a good lesson in self-protection.

 

Reggie Smith – this is a great trivia question – started at second base on opening day for the 1967 Impossible Dream Red Sox. A 22-year-old rookie at the time, Reggie had been drafted as a shortstop but converted to the outfield in the minors. Filling in for Boston’s regular second baseman, who was out with an injury, Smith barely escaped a handful of takeout slides. A week later he was back in the outfield, never to see action at second base again.

 

Dwight hadn’t heard of Reggie, but the cautionary tale struck a cord.

 

“I’m not afraid of contact, but I definitely need to protect myself,” said the youngster. “I need to be able to get rid of the ball and get out of the way. I don’t want to get killed out there.”

[Mikeleelop]

not sure if this is thread worthy, but here's top 20 prospects to compete in majors in 2015 - 3 Bluejays (from Keith Law)

 

To balance that out, I produced another list, this one ranking the top 20 prospects in baseball based solely on how much value I think they might produce in 2015. This list includes one of my least favorite kinds of forecasting (because I don't do it well and have no idea how to do it well): estimating playing time for the next seven months. So you're getting my best guesses -- guesses is the operative term here -- for probably 30 or 40 players underlying the rankings below and my decisions on which players to include. If a prospect you like isn't listed here, it might be only because I don't think he gets the playing time in 2015 to make the list.

 

I don't consider Boston outfielder Rusney Castillo or Arizona outfielder-maybe-third-baseman Yasmany Tomas as "prospects" due to their ages (27 and 24, respectively) and lengthy experience in Cuba's Serie Nacional, but were I to rank them, I'd have Castillo third on this list and Tomas sixth. I believe more in Castillo's athleticism and glove; Tomas is bigger and stronger, but he's not a great athlete and doesn't have Rusney's bat speed.

 

With that, let's look at the top impact prospects for 2015:

 

1. Kris Bryant, 3B, Chicago Cubs

 

Bryant probably won't head north with the Cubs on April 5, but he'll be at Wrigley Field maybe two weeks later as the Cubs look to push off his eventual free agency by a year. He's my pick right now to win NL Rookie of the Year, likely to hit 20-plus homers and get on base at a strong clip even with a strikeout rate that will probably top 25 percent.

 

2. Jorge Soler, RF, Chicago Cubs

 

If Bryant doesn't win the ROY award, maybe his teammate will. Soler hit the majors like he was fusing deuterium and tritium nuclei, but it lasted only about a week before he discovered the travails of a hitter facing the major league strike zone. His hands are explosive, and he's a more disciplined hitter than the raw strikeout rate he had with the Cubs last year might indicate. He should have 25 homers in him this year, but with a modest OBP and average to above-average defense in right.

 

3. Joc Pederson, CF, Los Angeles Dodgers

 

Pederson also fell victim to that strike zone, as well as the gigantic gap between hitting at 5,300 feet above sea level in Triple-A Albuquerque and hitting at the bottom of a ravine in Los Angeles. He's a power/speed player, without quite as much present raw power as Soler or Bryant but with more defensive value. He'll have to become more aggressive within the strike zone to succeed in the majors this year, as well as just making more contact overall.

 

4. Steven Souza, RF, Tampa Bay Rays

 

It's not Souza's fault he has been so widely overrated. He's been a bit of a late bloomer, has been old for his leagues just about every year of his career until 2014, and has never played 130 games in a single season. He's a good athlete who can run a little, has very strong hands, and a short, mostly linear swing that should produce a ton of doubles but not huge home run totals. Among AL rookies, he has the best chance to get 600 plate appearances in the majors this year.

 

5. Aaron Sanchez, RP/SP, Toronto Blue Jays

 

I prefer Sanchez as a starter because he'll show three-plus pitches at times, and he could end up at the top of the Jays' rotation. But he has had delivery issues that the Blue Jays haven't been able to fully address, and he might need to work in relief in the short term due to both command woes and the higher injury potential because of his short stride and abrupt finish. If they lengthen his stride and let him make 25 or so starts, he'd be a solid bet to win AL Rookie of the Year. If not, he might be a Dellin Betances-caliber reliever with 75 or so innings out of the bullpen.

 

6. Christian Bethancourt, C, Atlanta Braves

 

Bethancourt has a grade-80 arm and should control the running game right away. He has the potential to be a plus receiver, but has shown a tendency to take pitches "off" and lose focus, costing his team some strikes and even leading to some passed balls/wild pitches. At the plate, he has plus power but needs to show some plate discipline to get himself into hitters counts that will allow that power to play.

 

7. Andrew Heaney, SP, Los Angeles Angels

 

Heaney is one of the few rookie pitchers in either league to have a firm grip on a rotation spot entering spring training, but he has a lot of work to do to improve on his 2014 showing, when major league hitters jumped on his fastball before he could get to any of his quality off-speed offerings. I think he's about a 1-WAR starter this year, below-average but better than the Hector Santiago/Nick Tropeano group behind him on the depth chart.

 

8. Marco Gonzales, SP, St. Louis Cardinals

 

Gonzales' spot in the rotation might depend on the health and performances of others this March -- how Michael Wacha holds up, whether Carlos Martinez throws enough quality strikes as a starter -- but I feel confident there will be 20-25 starts for him in 2015. He'll give up some hard contact on the fastball, but he has a swing-and-miss changeup, an above-average curveball and the feel to pitch with the stuff he actually has.

 

9. Maikel Franco, 3B, Philadelphia Phillies

 

It's a sink-or-swim moment for Franco, who doesn't have much left to learn in Triple-A, so while his approach isn't ready for major league pitching, it's probably in his best interests to let him struggle in the majors rather than sending him back to rake in the minors again. I could see 15-18 homers with an OBP around .290 from a full season for him in the majors.

 

10. Nathan Karns, SP, Tampa Bay Rays

 

Karns has two legit plus pitches in his fastball and curveball, but needs to work on staying in his delivery better, a problem that sabotaged his 2014 season in Triple-A. He's fifth or sixth on Tampa's current rotation depth chart, but he'll miss more bats than Jake Odorizzi and is better able to turn over a lineup three times than Alex Colome, so I expect him to get 20-odd starts even if he's not their fifth starter on April 5. He'll be among AL rookie leaders in strikeouts if he gets a chance.

 

11. Dalton Pompey, CF, Toronto Blue Jays

 

Pompey should get a majority of the at-bats this year among Blue Jays center fielders, although he could start the year in Triple-A; he's just such an advanced hitter that he should be able to hold his own in the majors enough to let his speed and defense produce for Toronto. He'll draw some walks and grab some extra hits with his speed, but even in a full season, he isn't likely to get to double-digit homers. Speaking of the Jays, they also could give Devon Travis a trial at second base, a position of great need for them right now, but I'm not a big believer in Travis' bat or glove.

 

12. Alex Meyer, SP, Minnesota Twins

 

Meyer is not penciled in as a starter for the Twins just yet and might have to wait his turn behind fellow rookie (but lesser prospect) Trevor May, but Meyer has the highest upside in 2015 of any potential Minnesota starter after Phil Hughes and Ervin Santana. Meyer is a two-pitch guy, both plus, generating ground balls and missing right-handers' bats, and he made some progress at year-end with a new changeup that should at least keep lefties from lighting him up the second and third time through the order. He's already 25 years old, so the time for him is likely now, or as soon as the Twins have a need for him.

 

13. Daniel Norris, SP, Toronto Blue Jays

 

Norris is more likely to spend time in Toronto's rotation than Sanchez is, but Sanchez is higher on this list because I think he's more likely to spend the whole year in the majors than Norris. Norris has similar upside to Sanchez's, but while the latter's delivery has gone a bit backward in the minors, Norris' has improved to the point where he's throwing more strikes and will show a plus slider and changeup. He has the potential to rack up a ton of strikeouts even if his walk totals this year are higher than you'd like.

 

14. Mike Foltynewicz, SP, Atlanta Braves

 

Foltynewicz is probably Atlanta's fifth-best rotation option right now, but given where the team is in the contention cycle, it makes some sense to hold him in the minors for a few months to push off his free agency by a year and get him to work on throwing more strikes and getting more consistency with his changeup. He'll miss a lot of bats, as the aforementioned Norris will, but I think Folty gets only 15-18 starts in the majors this year.

 

15. Eddie Butler, SP, Colorado Rockies

 

Butler joined the Rockies' rotation in June of last year but got hurt in his first major league start, returning to the big leagues in late September and preserving his rookie status. At the moment, the Rockies have five major league starters on their roster -- this includes Jordan Lyles, who missed most of last year with a broken hand -- but no franchise has ever cycled through starters the way the Rockies do, so there should be work for Butler soon enough.

 

16. Micah Johnson, 2B, Chicago White Sox

 

Johnson might have seen the majors in September if he had been healthy, and now that his hamstring is fully healed, he's probably the best internal option at second base. He hasn't had much high-minors experience and could use some work on his footwork, so a couple of months at Triple-A makes sense for his development. But I think he almost has to be Chicago's second baseman by the All-Star break, given what else they have available.

 

17. Matt Wisler, SP, San Diego Padres

 

Wisler is a lower-upside starter, but he's major league-ready, and while the Padres ostensibly have six other starters on the roster right now, three of them could charitably be called injury-prone, and Wisler seems very likely to get 20-25 starts in the majors this year, with which he should be worth 1 WAR or more.

 

18. Noah Syndergaard, SP, New York Mets

 

Thor is ready, but the Mets don't need him just yet; they have six potential starters already on their major league roster. But Jon Niese is not a great bet to stay healthy, Matt Harvey is coming off Tommy John surgery, and Bartolo Colon is one of just two major leaguers older than I am -- that's just not a good thing anymore -- so the opportunity will come for Syndergaard, just not right away. I think he has 18-20 solid starts in him this year, but he has shown he's a gradual adjustment guy, so I expect he'll have several areas to work on in the majors, such as fastball command and learning to locate his curveball to be a swing-and-miss pitch when he needs it to be.

 

19. Carlos Rodon, SP, Chicago White Sox

 

The No. 3 pick in last year's draft and the first college player taken couldn't have asked for a better organization. The White Sox move their top prospects aggressively, and they're among the best at keeping arms healthy. Rodon isn't on the 40-man yet, so I don't think we'll see him in the majors before the White Sox have a viable role for him, but I also wouldn't be surprised to see him spend more than half the year in the White Sox's bullpen as a tuneup for him to be in their rotation to begin 2016, much as they did very successfully with Chris Sale four years ago.

 

20. Raisel Iglesias, RP, Cincinnati Reds

 

The Reds are looking at potentially losing Aroldis Chapman to free agency after the 2016 season, and may want to trade him next winter to maximize their return, which would in turn leave them looking for a shutdown reliever to replace him. Iglesias could work as a starter, but he's 24, already on the 40-man roster, and hit 97 in short-relief work in the fall, while the Reds don't have a clear right-handed setup option already on their depth chart. I'm betting they put Iglesias in the major league bullpen to start the year and see if they can build him up to handle the eighth inning, with an eye toward making him Chapman's ultimate replacement if the need arises.

[ScientificReason]

If nothing else, the Jays have some intriguing young guys to watch this season.

[Laika]

That would be pretty f***ing awesome if Aaron Sanchez pitches like a "Dellin Betances caliber reliever" this season.

 

I'd have to put Norris above Karns, Franco, and Gonzales.

[Angrioter]

That would be pretty f***ing awesome if Aaron Sanchez pitches like a "Dellin Betances caliber reliever" this season.

 

I'd have to put Norris above Karns, Franco, and Gonzales.

 

Over Nate Karns?

Are you on crack or Mexican weed?

[KingKat]

That would be pretty f***ing awesome if Aaron Sanchez pitches like a "Dellin Betances caliber reliever" this season.

 

I'd have to put Norris above Karns, Franco, and Gonzales.

 

Law has a history of liking Karns more than anyone else. He was the only one who ever put him in a top 100 list. That was back when he was an obscure 25 year old prospect in the Nats system. He also, of course, has a well documented history of liking Sanchez more than anyone else.

[Nafro]

Here are my prospects that I am excited to see if they take a step forward this year.

 

LHP's Matt Smoral, Jairo Labourt and Grayson Huffman. RHP's Miguel Castro and obviously Hoffman. Position players Lane Thomas, Richard Urena and darkhorse Ryan McBroom. Hopefully Max Pentecost will get back and healthy.

 

Does anybody have an update as to what is in store for Juan Meza this year. Any other sleeper prospects?

[Angrioter]

Here are my prospects that I am excited to see if they take a step forward this year.

 

LHP's Matt Smoral, Jairo Labourt and Grayson Huffman. RHP's Miguel Castro and obviously Hoffman. Position players Lane Thomas, Richard Urena and darkhorse Ryan McBroom. Hopefully Max Pentecost will get back and healthy.

 

Does anybody have an update as to what is in store for Juan Meza this year. Any other sleeper prospects?

 

http://www.bluejaysmessageboard.com/threads/261-Blue-Jays-prospects-Sleeper-bust-and-new-legit-guy/page6?highlight=sleeper%2C+legit

 

http://www.bluejaysmessageboard.com/threads/4394-2015-BJMB-Offseason-Top-Prospects-List-27

[Angrioter]

I should have this guy in every fantasy league

 

[Deadpool]

And one last player on the 'likely a bust' pile...Adonys Cardona. I'm probably the only person left who still thinks the kid might surprise...but I want to see if he can get past this latest elbow surgery and stay healthy for one full season. I think he might be able to put something together as a reliever. I'm not holding my breath, but I'm more curious than anything.

 

Far too many great names have come through this system, only to bust horribly. Please don't pull a Balbino, Adonys!

[glory]

I was never on the Sanchez bandwagon, but now that Law has endorsed him, I've officially given up on him.

 

Law has a horrendous track record with Jays prospects. The fact that he hates Travis makes me like Travis even more.

[KingKat]

I was never on the Sanchez bandwagon, but now that Law has endorsed him, I've officially given up on him.

 

Law has a horrendous track record with Jays prospects. The fact that he hates Travis makes me like Travis even more.

 

Law has consistently ranked Sanchez higher than anyone else from day one so if you truly consider Law's endorsment a kiss of death, you never should have been on the bandwagon in the first place

Edited March 2, 2015 by KingKat

[HERPDERP]

Alford interview:

http://news.nationalpost.com/2015/03/01/toronto-blue-jays-prospect-anthony-alford-who-aspired-to-be-two-sport-star-now-happy-to-focus-on-just-baseball/