keith law top 100

[Mikeleelop]

three jays

 

Norris #18

Pompey #42

Sanchez #51

[Mikeleelop]

18 Daniel Norris

AGE: 21

DOB: 4/25/93

B/T: L/L

HT: 6-2

WT: 180

W-L: 3-1 ERA: 3.18 IP: 22.2 SO: 38 BB: 8

 

The Blue Jays have done an excellent job turning raw teenage pitchers into legitimate starting-pitcher prospects, whether for trade (Syndergaard) or their own uses, as in the case of Norris, who entered their system as an erratic arm-strength guy who needed major delivery help just to be able to throw strikes. On any given night, Norris can show you four average or better pitches, with a plus slider and changeup and the ability to touch the mid-90s (though at the risk of coming out of his delivery).

 

At 90-92, Norris can stay on line to the plate and maintains some fastball command, but when he humps up to try to throw harder he tends to land on the side of his foot and spin off, which is when he loses his command. He's athletic enough to be able to maintain a consistent delivery, and the raw stuff is certainly there -- he was fifth in the minors in strikeouts in 2014 -- for him to be a front-line major league starter.

 

Top level: MLB (Toronto) | 2014 rank: Unranked

[Mikeleelop]

42 Dalton Pompey, CF

AGE: 22

DOB: 12/11/92

B/T: B/R

HT: 6-2

WT: 195

AVG: .317 OBP: .392 OPS: .861 HR: 9 SB: 43

 

Pompey will try to accomplish the Herculean task of going from low Class A to major league leadoff hitter inside of two years, no small feat for the 22-year-old Canadian prospect who came to pro ball without a tremendous amount of playing experience. Pompey has an extremely advanced approach at the plate for someone so young, combining excellent pitch recognition with the ability to know what pitches to take. He's a switch-hitter with a shorter, simpler swing from the left side, much more balanced but using his lower half less, while on the right side he gets a little longer but with more rotation, likely to make somewhat less contact but hit for more power when he does.

 

He's a plus runner with good instincts in center, and the Jays were impressed enough by his confidence and lack of panic (such as when he started out 3-for-36 in Double-A) that they were willing to promote him to the majors, his fourth level of the season, at the end of 2014. He needs to get stronger, but otherwise his bat and glove appear to be ready for the majors right now, with his eventual peak being that of a high-OBP, 40-steal leadoff hitter who plays plus defense in center field.

 

Top level: Majors (Toronto) | 2014 rank: Unranked

[Mikeleelop]

51 Aaron Sanchez, RHP

AGE: 22

DOB: 7/1/92

B/T: R/R

HT: 6-4

WT: 200

W-L: 2-2 ERA: 1.09 IP: 33 SO: 27 BB: 9

 

Sanchez was filthy as a short reliever for the Jays (stats listed above) at the end of the year, pumping 96-98 mph bat-breaking fastballs that hitters just pounded into the ground when they could hit them at all, throwing the occasional plus breaking ball just for kicks and leaving his changeup, itself not a bad pitch, in the minors. Sanchez has shortened his stride substantially in the past two years, and although it hasn't impacted his stuff, his command isn't what it once was and he's putting the health of his arm at unnecessary risk. The Blue Jays are working on trying to get his arm back up a tick so that his elbow isn't so low and so he can work downhill more by staying on top of the ball through his delivery, a process that coincidentally means lengthening his stride a little. (Two other notable prospects to have this problem in recent years: Tyler Skaggs, who blew out his elbow out after the Angels restored his old stride, and Taijuan Walker, who has had a few bouts of shoulder soreness since shortening his own stride.)

 

The Blue Jays believe he can be a starter, and they should, given his chance for three plus pitches. Sanchez has shown the capability to become a shutdown reliever, but that's a waste of his ultimate potential to pitch near the front of a rotation.

 

Top level: Majors (Toronto) | 2014 rank: 30

[TwistedLogic]

#3 (Correa), #4 (Russell), #5 (Seager), #6 (Lindor) and #7 (Crawford) on Law's list are all shortstops. This is after Bogaerts, Baez and Owings having recently been promoted.

 

I remember when I didn't want the Jays to draft Crawford. Ha. Good times.

[NorthOf49]

#3 (Correa), #4 (Russell), #5 (Seager), #6 (Lindor) and #7 (Crawford) on Law's list are all shortstops.

I remember that Grant Green was the top shortstop prospect three or four years ago and everyone was talking about how and why the shortstop era was over. It's crazy how quickly that has changed. And these top five guys don't even include the top two shortstop prospects from last year, Bogaerts and Baez.

[metafour]

I remember when Law was adamant that Norris' streak of improved starts "meant nothing", now he ranks him #18. Dude is a wad; can't stand people who take black/white stances on things they absolutely can't predict either way.

[TwistedLogic]

I remember that Grant Green was the top shortstop prospect three or four years ago and everyone was talking about how and why the shortstop era was over. It's crazy how quickly that has changed. And these top five guys don't even include the top two shortstop prospects from last year, Buxton and Baez.

 

I think you meant Bogaerts, and yeah I tried to quickly edit my post to make mention of that. This also doesn't include Peraza (ranked 24) who had to move to 2nd because of Simmons, Mondesi (at 38) or Gordon (at 43). There's also guys like Barreto on the way, and Kang, who can technically be considered a prospect.

 

Insane depth at the position right now.

[SpeedyGose]

I remember that Grant Green was the top shortstop prospect three or four years ago and everyone was talking about how and why the shortstop era was over. It's crazy how quickly that has changed. And these top five guys don't even include the top two shortstop prospects from last year, Bogaerts and Baez.

 

The players are becoming more and more athletic as the years go by - I don't think there will be a shortage of SSs for a very long time

[NorthOf49]

I think you meant Bogaerts, and yeah I tried to quickly edit my post to make mention of that. This also doesn't include Peraza (ranked 24) who had to move to 2nd because of Simmons, Mondesi (at 38) or Gordon at (43).

 

Insane depth at the position right now.

Alcantara is probably also a capable shortstop and ranked very high in mid-season lists before graduating.

 

Orlando Arcia is a good prospect too and can stick at the position.

[SpeedyGose]

Can anyone post the full list? Maybe not the descriptions but the rankings would be awesome

[Laika]

lol @ Tyrell Jenkins in the top 100. C'mon, Keith.

[Angrioter]

Finnegan

[TwistedLogic]

http://i.gyazo.com/89e7225f02e1756abe2657d5972621d4.png

 

Why I'm so high on Hoffman.

[blurnandez]

Damn you Bryant for not signing with the Jays. Blah.

[burlingtonbandit]

Keith Law has gone really downhill the last few years. I remember his list used to be one of the ones I would check first now he's below Baseball America, Prospectus, Kiley McDaniel etc..

[Boxcar]

Can't understand why Berrios is 97 and a guy like Eddie Butler is 33. Actually don't understand Butler's appeal at all. Frazier is really low for a guy who had a pretty decent first full season with the kind of tools he possesses.

[Boxcar]

lol @ Tyrell Jenkins in the top 100. C'mon, Keith.

 

Remember that time you laughed at me for drafting Matt Olson? Suck eggs!

[TwistedLogic]

http://i.gyazo.com/2905d2af64ad9f57a57771365d6894fe.png

 

He's about to take him over. http://i.imgur.com/GkHkVKq.gif?1

 

The dream is real.

[Laika]

Remember that time you laughed at me for drafting Matt Olson? Suck eggs!

 

Why don't you go suck Keith Law's little eggs?

[flafson]

Why don't you go suck Keith Law's little eggs?

 

How do you know they are little?

[TwistedLogic]

Why don't you go suck Keith Law's little eggs?

 

[baubau]

Damn you Bryant for not signing with the Jays. Blah.

 

And Paxton. Though I think that turned into Syndergaard...

For now, Bickford is the only one I am thankful that didn't sign with the Jays lol

[Laika]

How do you know they are little?

 

Just a hunch

 

http://larrybrownsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/keith-law-espn.jpg

[NorthOf49]

Can't understand why Berrios is 97 and a guy like Eddie Butler is 33.

KLaw severely dings pitchers who he doesn't think can start. It's why Luis Severino is off the list.

 

Rafael Devers at 55 is interesting. This list is very upside-heavy.

[Captain Adama]

Pretty aggressive ranking for O'Connor.

[Angrioter]

Not having Severino is egregious.

 

Severino, Finnegan, Hoffman, Sims out

[Boxcar]

I can't believe they left off Albert Almora. You can't just leave off a guy with Delmon Young upside.

[Angrioter]

I can't believe they left off Albert Almora. You can't just leave off a guy with Delmon Young upside.

 

Save that quote for later, Dr-Dinger isn't here.

[Mikeleelop]

Severino, Finnegan, Hoffman, Sims out

 

severino and Finnegan are pegged as relievers

 

Hoffman has not thrown game pitch after TJ