Tag: MLB Prospects

Top MLB Prospect Call-Up Radar Report, Week 20

How about another batch of B/R’s top prospect call-up radar report? 

Last week, we profiled six minor league bats who figure to be impact players one day in the big leagues. In this edition, we’ll take a look at a solid mix of hitters—Clint Frazier, Dalton Pompey, Javier Baez—and pitchers—Frankie Montas, Sean Newcomb, Robert Stephenson.

But first, check out our handy radar system. Since the season is well into the second half, we’ve had to make some adjustments. Here’s a radar color scheme guide that we’ll use to predict the following prospects’ anticipated debuts:

  • Red: 2017 call-up
  • Orange: Mid/late 2016 call-up
  • Yellow: Early 2016 call-up
  • Green: September 2015 call-up

Make sure to let your voice be heard in the comments section below. What other prospects do you think are ready for the big leagues? When would you like to see the players on this list make their debuts?

By the end of this slideshow, you’ll hopefully have a better idea of where some of the top minor league talents stand in their journeys to the major leagues.

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MLB Futures Game 2015: Top Prospects to Watch at All-Star Showcase

Before the current MLB All-Stars take the field Tuesday in Cincinnati, the next generation of stars will be on display Sunday at the 2015 MLB Futures Game.

This exhibition—unlike the other All-Star Game, this one doesn’t “count” for anything—pits the top minor league prospects from the United States against those originating from everywhere else in the world. This ends up creating a chance for scouts and fans alike to see the young players who are truly the future of the sport.

Considering you only have to look back to last year’s version to see contributing players like Maikel Franco, Noah Syndergaard and 2015 MLB All-Star Kris Bryant, you know there will be some stars to watch this time around.

Out of the entire roster, though, these are the players you really want to watch for in the upcoming game.

 

Lucas Giolito, RHP, Washington Nationals

Based on talent alone, Lucas Giolito was a steal for the Washington Nationals with the 16th pick in 2012. Everyone knew he had the pure stuff to succeed at the highest levels, but he slipped from a potential top-three pick due to an injury that caused him to immediately get Tommy John surgery.

Fortunately, he is back on track and starting to dominate the minor leagues. He recently pitched seven no-hit innings in relief of rehabbing starter Aaron Barrett and doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon.

The pitcher recently discussed his improvements since the start of the season, per Alex Kraft of MiLB.com:

I had a little bit of a rough start, especially since I kind of had an augmented Spring Training throwing program. I showed up to the team late, but I feel like I’ve definitely been able to internalize some things and make some good adjustments on some of the things I was doing incorrectly earlier this year — both from the mental side and the physical side. I’m feeling very good right now.

Giolito can blow hitters away with his upper-90s fastball, although he also has both a curve and a developing changeup. If he can put it all together, there is no question he has the potential to be an elite starter in the majors.

 

Orlando Arcia, SS, Milwaukee Brewers

Considering he is just 20 years old, Orlando Arcia has been quite impressive playing the full year at Double-A. 

While he doesn’t walk much, he gets hits with power that is only improving as he grows. Right now, the quality hits are doubles instead of home runs, but eventually, these balls will leave the park and Arcia will become a truly feared hitter around baseball.

Additionally, Arcia has showcased plenty of speed in the minors, totaling 51 stolen bases over the past two seasons at various levels.

There is clearly a lot for the shortstop to work on, from consistency to having a more patient approach at the plate to improving his stolen-base rate, but the fact that he is performing so well against much older competition is very encouraging. Baseball America already named him “the best player in the Southern League as a 20-year-old.”

If the Brewers give him time to develop, Arcia could become a star.

 

Kyle Schwarber, C, Chicago Cubs

It seems like the Chicago Cubs have an endless supply of top prospects. Just when you thought all of their minor league talent was already playing at Wrigley Field, Kyle Schwarber reminds people there are still big names on the way.

Although he needs to improve his defensive work behind the plate, Schwarber is one of the best hitters currently in the minors.

In 58 games in Double-A, he hit .320 with a .438 on-base percentage and 13 home runs. When the Cubs needed him at the big league level, the catcher more than held his own, going 8-for-22 (.364 batting average) with a home run and six RBI.

While he is now back in the minors destroying Triple-A pitchers, it is only a matter of time until Chicago brings up the 22-year-old star for good.

 

J.P. Crawford, SS, Philadelphia Phillies

Hitting is obviously an important part of having a successful baseball career as a position player, but playing great defense at a premium position will ensure you stick around for a long time.

This is the case with J.P. Crawford, who is one of the best defenders at any spot in the minors and could match quite a few major league shortstops with his glove. Mike Drago of the Reading Eagle recently quoted manager Dusty Wathan discussing the shortstop’s play:

He is smooth on routine plays and makes the tougher ones look easier than they really are.

Although he hasn’t blown anyone away with the bat since his promotion to Double-A, he hit .392 in 21 games in High-A ball to start the year, so the talent is clearly there to succeed at the plate as well. Considering he is just 20 years old, Crawford has a lot of upside with seemingly very little risk.

 

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Mets Prospects: B/R’s Top 15 Breakdown Post-2015 Draft

After 40 rounds of the 2015 MLB draft, the New York Mets‘ already strong farm system could be that much stronger now.

The Mets did not have their first-round pick this season. The Colorado Rockies got that pick as compensation for the Mets signing Michael Cuddyer in the offseason. The Rockies selected pitcher Mike Nikorak with the pick.

The Mets do not have too many weak areas in their farm system, but hopefully, the additional depth they now have can help in the future.

Here are the Mets’ top 15 prospects and where they stand now in comparison to 2014.

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MLB Prospects Who Are Taking Biggest Steps Forward, Backward This Year

Because the baseball season is so long, it’s often unwise to put too much stock in early-season performances before teams and players have a chance to find themselves. This is particularly true for prospects, who can be even more volatile while needing even more time to figure things out.

The other angle, however, is that these young players have provided less to go on in their still-nascent careers—they are prospects for a reason—making any noticeable change in production that much more stark.

On the pages to follow, there are 10 prospects whose early 2015 performances stand out—for better or for worse—and could indicate a new path.

Keep in mind that these players are still eligible as prospects—meaning, they have not exceeded 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched in the majors—and also are currently in the minors. That rules out, say, Preston Tucker, the Houston Astros outfielder who was leading the minors in home runs and RBI at the time of his call-up this week to help cover while George Springer is out.

Here’s another key, not-to-be-glossed-over aspect to all of this: In finding prospects who are taking big steps forward so far, the choices were limited only to those who either struggled or were hurt last year; conversely, in picking youngsters who are taking big steps backward to date, the criteria considers only those highly regarded players who were good and healthy in 2014.

In other words, there’s no Carlos Correa or Corey Seager here. Both are off to fantastic starts that could be called steps forward, but they already were great in the first place. Same goes for others such as, say, Alex Reyes, Steven Matz and Raimel Tapia, who were good in 2014 and look even better in 2015; or Robert Stephenson, Lucas Sims and Chris Stratton, who were shaky last year and haven’t done much about it yet this season.

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10 Unknown MLB Prospects Who Will Take a Huge Leap Forward in 2015

With all the access and information—and accessible information—out there now compared to even a few short years ago, it’s harder that ever to come across a prospect who can truly be classified as “unknown.” But we’ll try to highlight a batch of somewhat-off-the-radar youngsters who are primed to take a big step in their development in 2015.

To that extent, any prospect who made a top-100 list for Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus, ESPN or MLB.com was not eligible.

In short, we’re trying to uncover the next big thing to become the next big thing.

For context, some prospects who might have qualified for a list like this a year ago include Dalton Pompey (Toronto Blue Jays), Nomar Mazara (Texas Rangers), Manuel Margot (Boston Red Sox), Dilson Herrera (New York Mets) and Luis Severino (New York Yankees).

With further improvements and a little luck, these 10 lesser-known prospects could put themselves on the map.

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Predicting 5 Top Prospects Who Will Fall Short in Opening Day Roster Push

One of the hottest topics of this spring training centers around Kris Bryant, the Chicago Cubs’ uber-prospect who is blowing up and lapping the field with nine home runs during the exhibition season so far.

In case you’re wondering, no other player has more than five homers.

The shame of it is, Bryant has become such a story not because of the hype and buzz he has created with his mammoth power and promising career about to get underway, but because he probably won’t start the 2015 regular season in the majors.

The Cubs can couch that likelihood all they want, saying Bryant still needs a little more Triple-A time to improve his ability to make contact at the plate or his defense at third base and/or in the outfield. But it’s no secret that the underlying reason why Bryant might not debut until late April is because doing so allows Chicago to tack on an extra year of team control through the 2021 campaign.

But what about other nearly MLB-ready prospects who are still in big league camps and on the verge of getting to The Show?

Some rookies-to-be are positioned to be in the bigs at the start of the 2015 season, like Joc Pederson of the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Toronto Blue Jays’ Daniel Norris, Aaron Sanchez and Dalton Pompey, and Jorge Soler, Bryant’s soon-to-be Cubs teammate.

There are many prospects, though, who are this-close to the majors but ultimately might not be there on Opening Day for any number of reasons, from the need for more development in the minors to service time machinations to mediocre spring performances.

And despite strong showings, Francisco Lindor of the Cleveland Indians, Corey Seager of the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Texas Rangers’ Joey Gallo already have been sent down. We could—and probably should—see all three of them before 2015 is up.

But remember, not being there on Opening Day doesn’t mean these top youngsters won’t be there—and making an impact—soon enough.

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Team-by-Team Top Prospect Report Cards Midway Through Spring Training

With spring training halfway over and the start of Major League Baseball’s regular season a little more than two weeks away (yay!), now is the time when teams start making cuts and sending prospects to minor league camp.

Those youngsters still with the big league club actually have something of a legitimate shot to crack the 25-man roster come April.

With that in mind and with a focus on prospects who could contribute in 2015, it’s time to grade all 30 farm systems based on prospect performance this spring.

Sure, the sample size is tiny and the competition is inconsistent, but the exhibition season provides at least a little something to go on. So join us as we break out our red pens.

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Cincinnati Reds: 5 Hyped Prospects to Watch in Spring Training

The Cincinnati Reds have a bevy of medium/high-risk and high-upside prospects in their farm system. Some of these young players will have a chance to showcase their talents against advanced competition at spring training in Goodyear, Arizona.

In this piece, we’ll take a look at five of these players and why fans should keep a close eye on them throughout their stay in camp. Some names will be familiar to fans, but each of these players, regardless of his name recognition (or lack thereof), deserves a great deal of attention this spring.

The group will take us through the starting rotation and the outfield, and all five players could develop into major pieces of the Reds’ blueprint for the future.

To begin, we’ll take a look at a relative newcomer to the American professional ranks, Raisel Iglesias.

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5 Sleeper Rookies Who Could Make Impact in 2015 MLB Season

Hope. Everyone enters spring training full of it, including—and perhaps especially—rookies looking to make an impression.

You know about the big names, blue chips like the Chicago Cubs’ Kris Bryant who trail the weighty “can’t miss” label.

Every year, though, at least a few lesser-known youngsters emerge to help the big club. Maybe not right away, but at some point during the 162-game grind.

What follows is by no means an exhaustive list; by definition sleeper prospects are tough to identify and tougher to predict.

But here are five rookie-eligible players to watch out for, under-the-radar talents with the ability and opportunity to make an MLB impact in 2015.

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3 Hyped Red Sox Prospects to Watch in Spring Training

I’ve cautioned in the past about the perils of overvaluing prospects. Because of that, there’s a nasty misnomer out there that I’m anti-farm system.

On the contrary, I completely recognize the worth of having a young stable of up-and-comers. It’s paramount to develop that talent for the future of any franchise. My quibble is that when you’re a team with the payroll ceiling of the Boston Red Sox, you’re not always nurturing the skills of those prospects for yourself.

Small-market clubs like the Houston Astros and Miami Marlins have to stockpile as many promising players from the most recent generation that they can. Strapped with a lack of funds and being in non-destination cities for free agents, that’s their best chance to construct a contender.

However, for general manager Ben Cherington and company, cashing in on the seductive potential of youngsters is equally as important as building up the farm system in the first place. 

There will always be the Mike Trouts and Bryce Harpers who are untouchable. But peruse the archives of Baseball America’s rankings and it becomes apparent that evaluating prospects is still a crapshoot. If a contending club has the ability to take on salary to address a need and can turn a dice roll into a proven, high-caliber entity, then that’s a no-brainer. 

Don’t interpret that as an endorsement to rush a trade, as playing hardball when trying to acquire someone is commonplace. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports Boston isn’t the only team waiting out Philadelphia Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. in the Cole Hamels sweepstakes. To those who still doubt the validity of the three-time All-Star, here’s a nice stat from BaseballSavant.com‘s Daren Willman. 

Even after dealing away young pieces in multiple trades this offseason, the Red Sox still have a strong group of prospects at their disposal. ESPN’s Keith Law ranked Boston’s farm system the fifth-best in baseball entering 2015.

There are two late-bloomer candidates to keep an eye on this spring in Garin Cecchini and Matt Barnes. Cecchini is an on-base machine transitioning to a new position in 2015. With Pablo Sandoval now entrenched at third base, the soon-to-be 24-year-old will work to learn how to play the outfield. 

Barnes, on the other hand, will try to regain some of his value after a lackluster 2014 season in Triple-A. The right-handed pitcher is still ranked among Boston’s top 10 prospects, but he’s approaching 25 years old with only nine innings of MLB experience and a big league rotation spot looking highly unlikely. 

While those two have promise, three exciting youngsters on the cusp of big things warrant greater attention. Whether it’s auditioning for Boston’s 25-man roster or showing well for a potential trade partner, spring training will be crucial for the following three players.

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