Baseball America Prospect Rankings: The Top 10

The Top 10 prospects in baseball according to Baseball America’s Prospect Rankings.

Introduction

Baseball America Prospect Rankings: The Top 10 is a list compiled and published by Baseball America annually. The list ranks the top baseball prospects in the Minor Leagues by their estimated future potential on a scale of 20-80.

The Top 10 is comprised of eight Position players and two pitchers, all of whom are currently playing in the Minor Leagues. The rankings are based on evaluations from professional scouts and scouting directors, as well as Baseball America’s own expert opinion.

This year’s list is led by shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres followed by outfielder Victor Robles of the Washington Nationals third baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Mackenzie Gore of the Padres, and catcher Keibert Ruiz of the Los Angeles Dodgers rounding out the top five.

The Top 10 Prospects

1. Royce Lewis, SS, Twins
The top overall pick in the 2017 draft, Lewis is an athletic shortstop with a chance to stay at the position long term. He has a plus arm and good range, and his speed should allow him to be an above-average defender at the position.

2. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 3B, Blue Jays
The son of Vladimir Guerrero Vlad Jr. is one of the best pure hitters in the minor leagues. He has a quick bat and plus raw power, and he projects as a middle-of-the-order hitter who can also play a solid third base.

3. Eloy Jimenez, OF, White Sox
Jimenez has plus power from the left side of the plate and should hit for a high average as well. He’s a solid defender in left field with a strong arm, and he has the potential to be a five-tool player at the Major League level.

4. Forrest Whitley, RHP, Astros
Whitley is one of the best pitching prospects in baseball thanks to his plus stuff and advanced feel for pitching. He has a mid-90s fastball that he can throw for strikes, as well as two secondary pitches that are already plus: his curveball and changeup.

5.). Brent Rooker, OF/1B, Twins
A first-round pick in 2017 out of Mississippi State Rooker is a physical specimen with plus power from the right side of the plate. He’s likely to move to first base or DH long term due to his lack of defensive ability in the outfield, but his bat will play anywhere.

6.) MacKenzie Gore, LHP ,Padres
Gore was the third overall pick in last year’s draft out of High School ,and he already has plus stuff across the board . His fastball sits in the low 90s but touches 95 mph ,and he complement s it with two potential plus secondary pitches in his curveball and changeup . He also throws a slider that could be an above-average pitch at the Major League level .

The Next 10 Prospects

1. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 3B, Toronto Blue Jays
2. Fernando Tatis Jr., SS, San Diego Padres
3. Eloy Jimenez, OF, Chicago White Sox
4. Bo Bichette, SS, Toronto Blue Jays
5. Nick Senzel, 3B, Cincinnati Reds
6. Gavin Lux 2B/SS/3B, Los Angeles Dodgers
7. Jarred Kelenic, OF, Seattle Mariners
8. Mackenzie Gore, LHP, San Diego Padres
9. Jo Adell, OF, Los Angeles Angels
10. Brendan McKay, LHP/DH Tampa Bay Rays

The Rest of the Top 100

80. Pedro Avila, RHP, Padres
$.5 million bonus as an international amateur in 2016
Avila, 21, made it all the way up to Double-A in his first full pro season and recorded a 3.40 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 132 strikeouts in 127 innings between three levels. He has a low-90s fastball that he can ramp up to 96 mph along with a wipeout slider that helped him rack up a 36 percent strikeout rate last season. Avila will need to improve his changeup to have continued success against advanced hitters, but he has the potential to be a No. 3 starter if everything comes together.

81. epileptic Seager, RHP, Mariners
$.4 million bonus as an international amateur in 2012
Seager, 23, put up solid numbers across three levels of the minors last year, posting a 2.95 ERA and 1.15 WHIP with 134 strikeouts over 152 innings of work. He doesn’t have any one plus pitch but throws strikes with all four of his offerings and should be able to eat up some innings at the Big League level as a back-end starter or long reliever.

82. Deivi Garcia, RHP Yankees
Signed for $200,000 as an international amateur in 2015
Garcia made it all the way up to Double-A at age 20 last season and posted a 3.88 ERA with 163 strikeouts in 124 innings between two levels. He doesn’t have overwhelming stuff but mixes five pitches well and throws strikes with all of them, helping him rack up a 29 percent strikeout rate last season. Garcia could develop into a No.. 4 starter or swingman type if everything comes together for him.

The Toolshed: Grading the Prospects

The Toolshed is going to take a quick break from its deep dives on individual prospects to do something a little different. In this edition, we’ll be grading all 30 farm systems on the strength of their top 10 prospects alone. To do this, each player on the Top 10 list will be given a score from 60-100, with 100 reserved for true Star Prospects 90-99 for blue-chip talents, 80-89 for potential all-stars, 70-79 for above-average regulars and 60-69 for fringe big leaguers or high-upside lottery tickets.

The 2017 Draft Class

Every June, baseball fans turn their attention to the MLB Draft The draft is a three-day event in which each of the 30 teams select amateur players who have not yet signed a professional contract. In recent years the draft has become increasingly important, as teams look to build their rosters through the acquisition of young, talented players.

One of the most respected publications when it comes to Draft Prospect Rankings is baseball America Below is their list of the top 10 prospects in the 2017 Draft Class

1. Brendan McKay, LHP/1B, Louisville
2. Hunter Greene, RHP, Notre Dame HS (CA)
3. MacKenzie Gore, LHP, Whiteville HS (NC)
4. Royce Lewis, SS/OF, JSerra Catholic HS (CA)
5. Austin Meadows, OF, Grayson HS (GA)
6. Bubba Thompson OF/RHP, McGill-Toolen Catholic HS (AL)
7. Adam Haseley, OF/LHP, Virginia
8. Jordon Adell, OF/RHP, Ballard HS (KY)
9. Heliot Ramos, OF/C, Leadership Christian Academy (PR)
10. Shane Baz, RHP/3B Tompkins HS (TX)

The International Prospects

The Top 10 International Prospects as ranked by Baseball America.

1. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 3B, Toronto Blue Jays
2. Fernando Tatis Jr., SS, San Diego Padres
3. Eloy Jimenez, OF, Chicago White Sox
4. Royce Lewis, SS, Minnesota Twins
5. MacKenzie Gore, LHP, San Diego Padres
6. Ezequiel Carrera, OF, Cleveland Indians
7. Luis Robert, OF, Chicago White Sox
8. Heliot Ramos, OF, San Francisco Giants
9. Juan Soto OF, Washington Nationals
10. Wander Franco, SS/2B Tampa Bay Rays

The 2017-18 J2 class

The 2017-18 J2 class is loaded with top international prospects, led by Shohei Ohtani the 23-year-old right-handed pitcher/outfielder from the Yokohama Baystars of Japan’s Nippon professional baseball Ohtani is followed by 19-year-old Cuban shortstop Lazaro Armenteros, who signed with the Oakland A’s for $3 million in January, and 17-year-old Venezuelan shortstop Kevin Maitan, who signed with the Atlanta Braves for $4.25 million in July 2016.

The 2017-18 Rule 5 class

The 2017-18 Rule 5 class is loaded with talent, as it features several players who have a chance to be everyday Major Leaguers for years to come. Here’s a look at the top 10 prospects in the class, according to Baseball America:

1. Victor Robles, OF, Washington Nationals
2. Patrick Wisdom 3B, St. Louis Cardinals
3. Brad Keller, RHP, Kansas City Royals
4. Luke Farrell RHP, Los Angeles Angels
5. Jordan Milbrath, RHP, Cleveland Indians
6. Ryan Meisinger, LHP, Baltimore Orioles
7. Nestor Cortes Jr., LHP, New York Yankees
8. Connor Sadzeck, RHP, Texas Rangers
9. Taylor Hearn, LHP, Pittsburgh Pirates
10. Luis Torrens, C, San Diego Padres

The 2017-18 Free Agents

With the 2017-18 Major League Baseball season now underway, fans across the country are looking forward to potentially seeing their favorite team make a run at the playoffs. But for some fans, the focus has shifted to next offseason and the crop of free agents that will be available.

There are some big names set to hit the open market, including Bryce Harper Manny Machado Clayton Kershaw and David Price. These players will no doubt command hefty contracts, but they are not the only ones who will be available.

Below is a list of the top 10 free agents that will be available next offseason, according to Baseball America’s Prospect Rankings:

1. Bryce Harper OF, Washington Nationals
2. Manny Machado, 3B/SS, Baltimore Orioles
3. Clayton Kershaw SP, Los Angeles Dodgers
4. David Price, SP, Boston Red Sox
5. Josh Donaldson, 3B, Toronto Blue Jays
6. Andrew McCutchen OF, San Francisco Giants
7. Aroldis Chapman RP, New York Yankees
8. Craig Kimbrel RP Boston Red Sox9. Matt HarveySP New York Mets10 Dallas KeuchelSP Houston Astros