Marcus Stroman & Aaron Sanchez makes AFL Top 20 Prospects list

[ace3113]

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article/tor/minnesota-twins-byron-buxton-chicago-cubs-kris-bryant-head-arizona-fall-league-top-20-prospects?ymd=20131120&content_id=64054236&vkey=news_tor

 

Twins' Buxton, Cubs' Bryant head AFL Top 20

 

MLBPipeline.com ranks prospects who played in this fall's league in Arizona

 

The Arizona Fall League came to a close with its championship game on Saturday, effectively wrapping up the year for prospects playing in the United States (there's still winter ball to follow, after all).

 

The 22nd edition of the Arizona Fall League was once again chock full of exciting young talent, though the league was younger than it typically has been, as more players who have yet to play above Class A participated. That's reflected in the Top 20 AFL Prospects list, which includes four teenagers.

 

The list was derived with the help of the MLBPipeline.com team -- Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo, Bernie Pleskoff and Teddy Cahill -- along with feedback from a number of scouts who covered the league this fall. The players were ranked by considering this question: If you were building a team, who would you take based on what you saw in the AFL this year? As a result, the list is largely based on long-term potential, though AFL-specific performance was certainly given consideration.

 

1. Byron Buxton, OF, Twins (Glendale): Baseball's best prospect strained his left shoulder swinging a bat, which hampered him before he was shut down after 12 games. That still was enough time to show off five tools that grade as plus or better, the worst of which might be his merely above-average power -- he slugged three homers in 52 at-bats.

 

2. Kris Bryant, 3B, Cubs (Mesa): If this were a list based solely on top prospects' performances in the AFL, Bryant would be No. 1. The No. 2 pick from the 2013 Draft won the AFL MVP Award, and he has legitimate power that should put him in the bigs soon, though he has to prove to some he can stay at third base.

 

3. Addison Russell, SS, Athletics (Mesa): Russell is the rarest of all prospects, a legitimate five-tool shortstop. A 19-year-old, he had no problems handling AFL pitching, and he showed the range and arm to make all the plays at short.

 

4. Aaron Sanchez, RHP, Blue Jays (Salt River): The best starter in the AFL, Sanchez dominated hitters. He has top-of-the-rotation stuff and is ready for a move to the upper levels of Toronto's system.

 

5. Alex Meyer, RHP, Twins (Glendale): Meyer recovered from a shoulder strain that limited him to 78 regular-season innings to throw an easy 94-97 mph in Arizona. Meyer showed a wipeout slider at times and good command for someone with a 6-foot-9 frame.

 

6. Austin Hedges, C, Padres (Peoria): Hedges showed off his defence in the Fall Stars Game, throwing out two would-be basestealers. There's still some question about how well he'll hit, but most believe he'll swing the bat well enough. Hedges' glove might be big league-ready now.

 

7. Andrew Heaney, LHP, Marlins (Glendale): Some evaluators named Heaney as the league's best pitching prospect, citing his three above-average pitches (fastball, slider and changeup) and his plus command. No AFL starter permitted fewer baserunners per nine innings (9.1).

 

8. Jorge Alfaro, C, Rangers (Surprise): Watching Alfaro, you wouldn't guess he was only 20 and coming off a season spent almost exclusively in the Class A South Atlantic League. He can hit, he's athletic and he has perhaps the strongest arm of any catcher in the Minors.

 

9. Kyle Crick, RHP, Giants (Scottsdale): Hitters had a tough time handling Crick's fastball when he threw it up in the zone -- it hit 98 mph in multiple starts -- and he topped AFL starters with 15.9 strikeouts per nine innings. Crick's slider is a potential out pitch, though his secondary offerings and command still need work.

 

10. Albert Almora, OF, Cubs (Mesa): At age 19, Almora was the second-youngest player in the AFL, but he certainly didn't play like it. The centre fielder more than held his own, hitting for average and playing solid defence all while continuing to show how plus-rated makeup can maximize one's tools.

 

11. Corey Seager, SS, Dodgers (Glendale): The AFL's youngest player struggled more than any prospect on this list, batting .181 with 25 strikeouts in 72 at-bats. Once Seager calms down a little at the plate, he should hit for both power and average, and could be a Gold Glove winner if he moves to third base.

 

12. Marcus Stroman, RHP, Blue Jays (Salt River): Stroman had a solid turn in the Rafters' bullpen, holding hitters to a .186 batting average and striking out 10.03 per nine, but his future is as a starter. A 2012 first-round Draft pick, he should be able to help Toronto's rotation at some point next season.

 

13. Jorge Soler, OF, Cubs (Mesa): The third Cubs position player on this Top 20, Soler has top-of-the-scale raw power that rivals that of any AFL player. "He hits the ball to Yellowstone, he has a fabulous body and he's a poster for what you want the body to be," one scout said, "though the day-to-day focus isn't there."

 

14. Colin Moran, 3B, Marlins (Glendale): The 2013 No. 6 pick started slowly but finished by hitting in eight of his last nine games. An advanced former collegian, the left-handed hitter showed a solid approach, albeit without any power.

 

15. C.J. Cron, 1B, Angels (Mesa): Cron recovered from a down year in Double-A to lead the AFL in hitting (.413) and total bases (56) while finishing second in homers (five) and RBIs (20). Cron also made progress with his plate discipline, the key to him becoming a big league regular.

 

16. Garin Cecchini, 3B, Red Sox (Surprise): Cecchini won the AFL's Stenson Award for sportsmanship and work ethic, but he can also hit, run and play third. He has an advanced approach at the plate, which led him to finish in the top 10 in the league in on-base percentage.

 

17. Delino DeShields Jr., OF, Astros (Peoria): DeShields' main point of emphasis in Arizona was transitioning from second base to centre field, and though he still needs work on his outfield play, he has the plus-plus speed to make it work. With his wheels, on-base skills and surprising pop, DeShields can be a catalyst as a leadoff hitter.

 

18. Stephen Piscotty, OF, Cardinals (Salt River): Piscotty, a Stanford product, finished the Fall League with a 12-game hitting streak, including a four-hit game that helped him finish fourth in the AFL in batting average. He showed an innate ability to square up the ball, run the bases well and play a decent outfield, a position he's still learning.

 

19. Mookie Betts, 2B, Red Sox (Surprise): Having put together one of the biggest breakout performances of the Minor League season, Betts continued to display his all-around ability. He controls the strike zone, has double-digit homer and steal potential, and plays a solid second base.

 

20. Tyler Naquin, OF, Indians (Surprise): While there's always been concern about where on the field Naquin profiles -- he has the arm but not the power to be a right fielder -- he's always hit wherever he's played. That continued in the AFL, where he led the circuit in hits while also proving to many he can play centre field every day.

Edited November 21, 2013 by ace3113

[ace3113]

From Hardball Times (more at the link).

 

http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/marcus-stroman-the-mythbusting-machine/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

 

Marcus Stroman, the mythbusting machine

 

In the 2012 MLB Draft, there were many concerns about Marcus Stroman's ability to be a starter and questions about his "max effort" mechanics, leading a lot of analysts and pundits to project him as a future reliever/closer rather than a starter. This is interesting; Stroman is not a obvious college reliever like Jimmie Sherfy (Oregon, now Arizona Diamondbacks) who has plus stuff, spotty command, and questionable health. (For the record, I love Sherfy. But as a reliever.)

 

At Duke, Stroman showed the ability to take the ball every week and go the distance. In his draft year, Stroman punched out 136 hitters over nearly 98 innings, giving up just 83 hits and 26 walks with a 2.40 ERA. Stroman fell to the Toronto Blue Jays with the 22nd pick of the first round, where they promised to work him as a starter. Yet rumors and unfounded projection from other sources said he might be better off as a reliever.

 

In my write-up of the 2012 draft class, I rejected this ridiculous notion, saying:

 

Stroman has great rhythm and an aggressive lower body; there's a lot to love here. He gets the most out of his "undersized" body while other bigger/taller pitchers get away with being less efficient. Stroman's fastball has great life in the zone and hard arm-side run and flashes decent sink at times. He has a wipe-out slider but knows how to get lefties out as well.

 

Stroman has one of the best strikeout rates among draft-eligible college starters, so why are people talking about moving him to relief as a closer? Stroman worked out of the rotation throughout his junior year at Duke and maintained his fastball velocity deep into games, sitting 93-94 and touching 96 at times. It's a size issue again, as people think Stroman's height will stop him from being a prototypical starter. This advice makes no sense, and I hope he gets his shot to stay in the rotation as a professional pitcher.

 

Conclusion: Great value here, as I really like Stroman above [Andrew] Heaney, [Chris] Stratton, and a few of the high school pitchers. Size issues aside (they mean nothing), he should slot well into a pro rotation if he's given the chance.

 

I spoke to multiple scouts in the area. All said that he was too small—one called him "badly undersized" at 5-foot-6 (this actually appeared on a scout's report where he downgraded his Overall Future Potential out of the first round because of this). One scout told me he had two major league plus pitches (his fastball and slider) and two average major league pitches (change-up and curveball), yet he was adamant that he preferred him in a late relief role. What? How many pitchers in the big leagues right now have two plus pitches and two average pitches?

 

It was not so long ago that a diminutive Tim Lincecum won back-to-back Cy Young awards while being the best pitcher in baseball over a three-year span despite questions about his mechanics and size. You'd think scouts and front office executives would have learned by now. (For those who sling insults about how Lincecum is washed up and done, all I know is that if major league teams knew what they were getting into by drafting him, Lincecum would have gone first overall without question.)

 

Yet here we were in 2012, railing on someone who had excellent collegiate statistics and elite-level stuff (fastball up to 96-97 mph with a wipe-out slider and a change-up that flashes plus movement; Stroman also had very good command of all of his pitches) just because he was short. As another pitching coach I know likes to say: "Aside from beauty pageants, ice skating and pitching mechanics, what other fields value form over function?"

 

But people are starting to notice after Stroman's crazy good 2013 (111.2 IP, 129 K, 27 BB, 99 H, 3.30 ERA at Double-A New Hampshire—Major League Equivalency: 112 H, 35 BB, 117 K). They see the stats and they see the stuff: ...and they believe. Well, some of them do, anyway.

 

The wrap-up

 

I assume that Stroman will spend a few months in Triple-A in 2014 with the idea of delaying his service time in addition to getting him some extra work as a starter. Not that he really needs it.

 

My bet is on him proving that the detractors who talked him down in 2012 were wrong. His stuff and his command were comparable to anyone in the draft—even Kevin Gausman and Michael Wacha (who had seriously diminished stuff and looked nothing like he does now, I might add).

 

Stroman dropped because of myths he's about to shatter. The issue, of course, is that Lincecum already did this and we haven't yet learned our lesson. Fortunately, lessons that go unlearned allow for market inefficiencies to be exploited by teams who are willing to see the truth.

[L54]

Please please please AA, hold onto Sanchez.

[leaffie]

Please please please AA, hold onto Sanchez.

 

Hold onto both of them!!!!!!!!

[8D]

Go Stroman!!!

[Howard Roark]

Hold onto both of them!!!!!!!!

 

Hah. I was going to post the same thing. If there's one thing this team needs going forward, it's young, capable, cost-controlled starting pitching.

[Laika]

This is certainly a feel good list. Seeing Stroman over guys like Soler and Moran is very, very encouraging. And seeing Sanchez ahead of some of those other names is even more pleasing, even if I don't necessarily agree with taking him over a position player like Austin Hedges who has such amazing D at a premium position.

[kgm1]

We can't afford to trade either . Dooms us to the cellar in future years . The gutting of the minors last year was ugly and any more is just plain suicide .

[Chappy]

We can't afford to trade either . Dooms us to the cellar in future years . The gutting of the minors last year was ugly and any more is just plain suicide .

 

Unless they both bust.

[cusstown]

Who let zee on this board?

[ace3113]

Cause we can never get enough Stroman.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZoiSaVIPic

[leaffie]

Too late. A trade for cliff Lee already in works

 

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

AA is not going to trade what looks like it could be a #1 pitcher and possibly a #2. Have the Jays even had a #1 since Halladay.

[admin]

AA is not going to trade what looks like it could be a #1 pitcher and possibly a #2. Have the Jays even had a #1 since Halladay.

 

Syndergaard says hello.

[leaffie]

Syndergaard says hello.

 

Now I knew that was going to come up. But Sanchez is who AA kept. At the time of the trade I did read somewhere that Aa felt Sanchez was the best of the three.

[leaffie]

Respectfully disagree. AA will do whatever it takes to improve this team for next year. Right now, he does not care about 5-6 years when Sanchez/Stroman are in their prime. He cares about his job and the 2014 season.

 

If trading Sanchez/Stroman will improve the 2014 team, he will do it.

 

Sanchez and Stroman will be helping the Jays much sooner than 5-6 years.

 

I guess we will have to see, but I get the feeling from anything I read from AA that he is more willing to trade from the MLB team or go after FA's than give up anymore of the farm.

[Jimcanuck]

Sanchez and Stroman will be helping the Jays much sooner than 5-6 years.

 

I guess we will have to see, but I get the feeling from anything I read from AA that he is more willing to trade from the MLB team or go after FA's than give up anymore of the farm.

 

Don't forget the Beest who is running out of time.... he could drop dead any moment the old f***

[The Cats Ass]

They will pair up very nicely together in the rotation and save us a ton of money over the next few years. It's really good seeing Sanchez up there so high and as the top pitcher, especially after the subpar year he had this year.

 

Sanchez will be great for the Blue Jays and for my DDL team. Double bonus!

[Dr. Dinger]

Or he'll bust and disappoint you twice as much.

[GeorgiaPeach]

Respectfully disagree. AA will do whatever it takes to improve this team for next year. Right now, he does not care about 5-6 years when Sanchez/Stroman are in their prime. He cares about his job and the 2014 season.

 

If trading Sanchez/Stroman will improve the 2014 team, he will do it.

 

The dumb thing is, he's willing to save his job for one season at the cost of losing it in two years by taking on absolutely ridiculous contracts. What the f*** is with people?

[Sammy225]

The dumb thing is, he's willing to save his job for one season at the cost of losing it in two years by taking on absolutely ridiculous contracts. What the f*** is with people?

 

He is basically going to throw up a prayer and hope something sticks.

[Dr. Dinger]

He will sacrifice the future state of this team to make sure he sticks with the "all in" plan for 2014/2015

 

But then...What happens after 2014/2015? We are f***ed.

 

f*** you AA

 

Not really f***ed. We don't have much in salary obligations past then, so we should be able to rebuild rather quicky if necessary.

[Angrioter]

He will sacrifice the future state of this team to make sure he sticks with the "all in" plan for 2014/2015

 

But then...What happens after 2014/2015? We are f***ed.

 

f*** you AA

 

 

NO. Blue Jays are s*** right now and them will be s*** after 2015.

[Angrioter]

Not really f***ed. We don't have much in salary obligations past then, so we should be able to rebuild rather quicky if necessary.

 

How? --- Via free agency?

Blue Jays don't play in NYC

[G-Snarls]

There are hardly any players we could trade these guys for that will make the team better in the long run

 

Don't trade these guys for a 1 year rental or something foolish, please!

[Dr. Dinger]

Free agency, taking on contracts in trades, etc. Toronto has signed marquee free agents before, it's all about money. Most players don't give a s*** about location if we offer them the most money.

 

Point being, we don't have any albatross contracts weighing us down for 5+ years, which is something at least. If we tear it down next winter we can still get considerable returns for Bautista and EE.

[Angrioter]

Free agency, taking on contracts in trades, etc. Toronto has signed marquee free agents before, it's all about money. Most players don't give a s*** about location if we offer them the most money.

 

Point being, we don't have any albatross contracts weighing us down for 5+ years, which is something at least. If we tear it down next winter we can still get considerable returns for Bautista and EE.

 

Reyes $18M AAV - 2018

[z3r0s]

Free agency, taking on contracts in trades, etc. Toronto has signed marquee free agents before, it's all about money. Most players don't give a s*** about location if we offer them the most money.

 

Point being, we don't have any albatross contracts weighing us down for 5+ years, which is something at least. If we tear it down next winter we can still get considerable returns for Bautista and EE.

 

I don't think people consider this enough. We have so little money tied up long term. We do however need some nice young talent that we can building on with free agents. Stroman / Sanchez would be a good start. Hopefully we can get some impact bats coming through the farm.

[z3r0s]

AA "I will not sign free agents longer than 5 year deals"

 

But I will trade assets for them...(reyes)

 

No Logic

 

To be fair, he traded for 5 guaranteed years of Reyes. The last year is an option.

[z3r0s]

Fair, sure. Still a bad contract that he probably wouldn't have signed in free agency.

 

I don't think its a guarantee that Reyes won't be worth his contract. He only has to be worth 3-ish WAR per season to be worth it. Injuries will be the key to his worth. I don't see a bunch of surplus value to be had over the life of the contract.

[Angrioter]

Marcus Stroman

 

Velo

http://cdn.fansided.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/39/files/2013/11/Stroman-Velocity-Chart-590x317.png

http://cdn.fansided.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/39/files/2013/11/Stroman-Velocity-Table2-590x128.jpg