Arizona Diamondbacks Top 5 Prospects
This once-proud farm system is not quite up to its old standards. Luckily, it’s not because they’re top prospects have busted, but for all the good reasons. First of all, former highly-ranked prospects like Chris Young, Mark Reynolds, Connor Jackson, Chris Snyder and Miguel Montero are all up producing with the big team. Also, it’s really hard to maintain a top system after you trade away prospects like Brett Anderson (8th overall), Chris Carter (72nd overall), Carlos Gonzalez (graduated to the majors) and Aaron Cunningham (unranked, but good enough to be worth mentioning) for Dan Haren. It’s nice to have a good farm system, but I’m sure that the D-Backs prefer how their former prospects are helping them now.
1. RHSP Max Scherzer
Who?: This system does still have some hope left, led by Max Scherzer. He must be the single biggest riser of the 2008 season; Scherzer went from being unranked in the pre-season list to the being 4th overall and the 2nd overall pitcher at mid-season. What changed? He’s a completely different pitcher! He’s throwing harder with more consistency than he did last season, and with far more confidence. At AA last year, he struck out 23.8% of batters while walking 12.5%. This season, he feels free to pepper the strike zone with a mid-90s FB in combination with an excellent slider with much improved command over last year. He’s made a mockery of AAA hitters, striking out 37.3%, and he even struck out 24.8% in his major league stint. Arizona has been quite cautious with his shoulder, but since returning to the AAA rotation he’s struck out 26 in 18 IP. His future might still be in the bullpen, and if it is his prospect status would obviously take a serious shot, but since he’s gone all Joba on us, he deserves to have a good, long shot as a starter.
Projection: Joba’s not a bad comparison. He certainly has that potential.
2. RHSP Jarrod Parker
Who?: The 9th overall pick last year hasn’t been bad by any stretch of the imagination, but he hasn’t been dominating either. He’s been holding his own with decent strikeout totals (105 in 108.2 IP) and decent command (32 BB), but he’s not as polished as people thought he was. His FB sits around 92-94, touching 95-96, with a mid-80s slider and a change. He’s had issues commanding everything, leading him to get hit around a little more than you’d expect from a guy with this kind of arm pitching in Low-A. (106 H and 8 HR).
Projection: Parker’s far too young and far away from the majors to read too much into this season. You certainly can’t say that he no longer has front-of-the-rotation potential. He does. The only thing that’s changed is that perhaps he’s seen as less likely to reach that ceiling than before this year.
3. LHRP Dan Schlereth
Who?: Schlereth is exactly the kind of pick you’d expect from a team in a win-now mode; he was a college closer ranked 25th on my value board. Schlereth has an injury history, but he was healthy in his final year, where he dominated to the tune of 76 K and 20 BB in 52.2 IP, pushing him to the end of the 1st round. He throws a ~92-95 MPH FB with a power curve and a change.
Projection: Not much mystery with relief prospects. Arizona probably hopes he’s ready for a bullpen spot sometime around Opening Day 2010.
4. 1B Ryne White
Who?: White possesses a good plate approach, a very quick bat, and good defense. What’s missing? Well, listed at 5′11″ and 205 lbs, White has never been the power hitter that you like at 1B - his season-high in HR was 12. That’s carried over to pro ball, as in 264 PA he has 21 XBH (7 HR), 41 K and 26 BB.
Projection: If White can develop his power to the point where he can hit 20+ HR annually, he can definitely be a good starting 1B. If not, he’ll be more of a bench player type.
5. CF Collin Cowgill
Who?: Collin Cowgill is definitely the type of prospect who has something to prove. He hit .361/.483/.687 in his final year of college, while showing decent speed and playing a very good CF - he’ll be able to stay at that position. The problem is that that production came from a player listed at 5′9″ and 195 lbs. Scouts just have serious doubts about his abilities carrying over to pro ball. He had an impressive short-season debut - assuming you agree a 1.200 OPS is impressive - but he’s struggled since his promotion to Low-A. It’s possible that he can produce a lot of offense from a small frame - a la Kellen Kulbacki or Mike Moustakas-lite - but he has to prove it first.
Projection: He could be anywhere from a complete bust to a well-above-average CF. He’ll be one of the more interesting prospects to watch next year.
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