Top 100 Prospects Review (30-21)
30. OF Jason Heyward (Atlanta Braves)
Year In Review: I’m such a fan of this guy. He just turned 18 this year, so it’s as if a guy was drafted out of high school, placed in full-season baseball and hit .340/.400/.497. Obviously a BA like that requires some luck with BABIP, and he has a very unsustainable .397. However, he has a 22% line drive rate (that’s into Mike Young/Derek Jeter territory) so you would expect his BABIP to be well above the usual .300. With 50 Ks and 32 BB in 326 PAs, his plate approach is very advanced. The home run power isn’t there yet, with only 8, but at this age it rarely is. He will even steal you a lot of bases, going 12/13 so far this year. This guy is just an all-around ballplayer.
Prospect Status: Slightly up.
29. 1B Angel Villalona (San Francisco Giants)
Year In Review: Villalona has the hitting ability of Heyward, and he’s a year younger, but he’s not nearly as advanced. He has all the power you could want out of a seventeen-year-old and then some, as 27 of his 66 hits have gone for extra bases, including 10 HR in 276 games. Unfortunately, in 291 PAs he has 77 Ks and 13 BB, neither of which being what you’d hope for. However, he’s still very raw with a ceiling as high as anybody on this list, so it’s not like his career is over.
Prospect Status: Slightly down.
28. LHSP Jacob McGee (Tampa Bay Rays)
Year In Review: McGee and Wade Davis both had the same unexpected loss of command at the same level, with Mcgee putting up 67 Ks and 35 BB to 325 batters. In McGee’s case, the reason may have been found, as he will undergo Tommy John Surgery. (Today, in fact). Born 08/06/86, with a likely return date of late next season, he’ll still be plenty young enough, it all depends on how he reacts to the surgery.
Prospect Status: Down.
27. 3B Mike Moustakas (Kansas City Royals)
Year In Review: Moustakas appeared to be well on his way to a terribly disappointing season, putting up a .479 OPS in April. However, he’s put up .835 and .783 OPSes in May and June which have brought him back to respectability. Moustakas was recently moved to 3B, as was inevitable, but he certainly has both the arm and the bat to play there, as he seems to be everything the scouting reports expected him to be. He makes good contact (54 in 347 PA) and already has excellent power (12 2B/2 3B/12 HR). Even his walk total of 25 is about average. Expect this guy to tear it up for a long time.
Prospect Status: Neutral.
26. RHSP Johnny Cueto (Cincinnati Reds)
Year In Review: Cueto, of course, got off to an absolute blistering start. Since then, the strikeouts have gone down and the homers have gone up. That’s partly a product of his park, but an inability to keep the ball in the park was a bit of a concern for Cueto in the minors as well. Still, Cueto possesses the excellent command he was lauded for, and I don’t think there’s any way he continues to give up HR at this rate.
Prospect Status: Neutral, graduated.
25. C Jeff Clement (Seattle Mariners)
Year In Review: Clement made AAA pitchers look silly. A .337/.457/.680 line will do that. He’s really a complete hitter, with 14 BB, 29 K and 35 BB in 210 PA. If his season ended there, he could challenge for a top 10 spot on this list. However, he’s struggled terribly in the major leagues. Also, he’s still quite possible a 1B in the future.
Prospect Status: Neutral, graduated.
24. RHSP Ian Kennedy (New York Yankees)
Year In Review: Kennedy was an extremely polished 23-year-old starter who was expected to come in and produce right away. He certainly helped other team’s production with his 7.41 ERA and 1:1 K:BB ratio. Whatever was wrong with him in the majors is hopefully gone now. At rehab starts at various minor league levels, Kennedy has compiled 19 K, 1 BB and 0 HR in 16.1 IP. Hopefully he’s good and ready to be a mid-rotation starter for the Yankees.
Prospect Status: Slightly down, graduated.
23. 1B Chris Marrero (Washington Nationals)
Year In Review: Marrero is one of the greatest frustrations on this list. A low BABIP caused a slow start for Marrero and a .637 OPS in April. He was back to his old form with .262/.350/.466 and .294/.338/.559 lines in May and June respectively, then… poof. Broken ankle. 6 weeks. Still, he’s only 19 and there’s definitely no rush. Chances are he’ll come back in August, mash, and everybody will love him again, including fantasy owners who spent a prospect pick on him this June. Not like I’d know anything about that.
Prospect Status:
22. CF Jordan Schafer (Atlanta Braves)
Year In Review: Speaking of frustration and prospect picks, man. Schafer missed 50 games due to an HGH suspension, and since his return he’s been a mixed bag. Schafer will gives you a lot of walks and a lot of power (25 BB and 14 XBH in 36 G). He just can’t stop striking out, with 41 already. He’s a potential gold-glove defender, so if he can cut those strikeouts down to a more reasonable rate (~20-22% would be acceptable), he could be an absolute five-star prospect.
Prospect Status: Neutral.
21. LF Chase Headley (San Diego Padres)
Year In Review: See: Jeff Clement. Headley hit AAA pitchers to the tune of .305/.383/.556, leading the Padres to appoint Headley as the starting LF. He’s continued to hit for power (5 HR in 19 G) but has an eye-popping 22 Ks and ZERO walks. Not many people can do that. Headley’s an excellent hitter, expect him to turn it around.
Prospect Status: Neutral, graduated.
Now we’re REALLY going to get into the cream of the crop, or so I thought they were. Should be fun.
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