Top-100 Showdown Redux: AL East

Putting together a Top-100 prospect list is a massive undertaking and any site that takes on the challenge deserves to be recognized for their efforts. Just about a month ago I did a 7-part series comparing the lists of six sources – Baseball Instinct, MLB.com, MLB Prospect Portal, Project Prospect, Scout.com, and S2S.

Now that I’m done with my portion of our team prospect lists, I can revisit this comparative series by looking at another grouping of Top-100 lists from seven new sources. Just as I did the first time around I will tackle one division at a time and then cap it off with a conclusion piece with some final thoughts and system rankings. The sources I have selected for the showdown “redux” series are:

The AL East had 34 players make at least one of the seven Top-100 lists while 11 of the 34 were consensus selections.

Baltimore Orioles [3]

Position	Player	BA	BP	Bant	JS	Spec	MD	TPA
RHP	Dylan Bundy	10	6	9	19	33	12	10
SS	Manny Machado	11	8	8	8	9	7	11
2B	Jonathan Schoop	82	85	81	77		94	74

Really not much to dissect here. Bundy and Machado are almost universally slotted between #8 and #20 on these lists and Schoop lands on the back half. Outside of those O’s prospects, only Parker Bridwell (#96 according to Baseball Instinct) has cracked a top-1oo.

Most curious ranking(s): Nothing stands out. Schoop was left off 3 of 13 lists examined so his omission by Full Spectrum Baseball is hardly shocking. Similarly while their ranking of Bundy at #33 stands out from the other six sources above, Dylan was slotted in the 30s on both the Seedlings to Starts and Scout.com lists I looked at last time.

Boston Red Sox [10]

Position	Player	BA	BP	Bant	JS	Spec	MD	TPA
3B	Will Middlebrooks	51	55	60	78	77	70	60
SS	Xander Bogaerts	58	32	25	30	26	56	67
C	Blake Swihart	72		93			95	72
OF	Brandon Jacobs		46		89
C	Ryan Lavarnway		98		97	61
RHP	Matt Barnes			67	74
SS	Jose Iglesias					57
OF	Jackie Bradley					94
3B	Garin Cecchini			65			100
RHP	Anthony Ranaudo							85

After 13 lists one thing we know for certain is that Bogaerts is a stud prospect – and Boston’s only player to make all the lists. Middlebrooks, with 11/13 came close but missed the cut for the Seedlings to Stars and Project Prospect Top-100s.

Most curious ranking(s): Jose Iglesias at #57 is beyond a stretch but to be fair I love Full Spectrum’s rankings of the other Red Sox prospects and really love the inclusion of Jackie Bradley.

New York Yankees [6]

Position	Player	BA	BP	Bant	JS	Spec	MD	TPA
LHP	Manny Banuelos	29	29	30	45	21	25	22
RHP	Dellin Betances	63	63	82		51	52	36
C	Gary Sanchez	81	40	47	61	68	46	43
OF	Mason Williams	85	99		92		75	86
RHP	Jose Campos			86			84
C	Austin Romine					49

There are a lot of mixed opinions on Betances’ prospect standing but all those opinions still wind up with him ranked in a top-100. At least that’s true until you get to Sickels’ list. I can’t disagree with John, or anyone else, that may exclude him as the walk rate has to give you pause and a probable move to the bullpen will further lessen his potential impact. Banuelos and Sanchez, on the other hand, made it through the second round of lists to remain consensus selections.

Most curious ranking(s): Still no love for Dante Bichette Jr the second time around? Of the 13 sources, only Baseball Instinct saw fit to include him in their rankings and I have a sneaking suspicion that they’re going to wind up looking brilliant in the long run.

Tampa Bay Rays [6]

Position	Player	BA	BP	Bant	JS	Spec	MD	TPA
LHP	Matt Moore	2	1	3	2	1	3	2
SS	Hak-Ju Lee	44	65	61	58	32	79	44
RHP	Chris Archer	89
RHP	Taylor Guerrieri	90		84		95	88	92
LHP	Enny Romero			97			86
OF	Mikie Mahtook				94	99

The Rays are obviously anchored by the presence of Matt Moore – a player that everyone ranks as one of the three best prospects in baseball. Everyone that is aside from Seedlings to Stars, but in fairness to Nathaniel, he did rank him 4th. The game’s best pitching prospect will lose his prospect status this season barring a disaster, but Tampa Bay as a system may be in a better place overall next offseason after their 2011 draft class – which included 12 of the first 89 selections – has a full season of experience under their collective belt.

Most curious ranking(s): Bullpen Banter was the only site to leave Hak-Ju Lee off their list. That’s a little odd for a guy who was in the Top-50 on half of the other twelve lists. He’s a SS with good defensive skills and has shown an ability to hit. I can’t get my head around the omission unless you happen to be convinced that his 24 game struggles in Double-A are more indicative of his future than the other 287 games of his career.

UPDATE: I came across Lee on the Bullpen Banter list after all. He was still listed under the Cubs which is how I missed him during my search … so I rescind the above curiosity comments related to the Rays SS prospect.

Toronto Blue Jays [9]

Position	Player	BA	BP	Bant	JS	Spec	MD	TPA
C	Travis d’Arnaud	17	16	12	26	16	19	21
OF	Anthony Gose	39	68	41	51	43	47	58
OF	Jake Marisnick	67	28	46	48	55	59	46
LHP	Daniel Norris	91	54	71	70		73	62
RHP	Noah Syndergaard		93	79	67		82
LHP	Justin Nicolino			72	68		76	80
RHP	Drew Hutchison				73	52
RHP	Deck McGuire				80
RHP	Aaron Sanchez						78

Marisnick and d’Arnaud are the only two consensus players in the Jays system but Gose just missed (12/13) and several others had a strong showing. That grouping includes Norris (7), Syndergaard (8), Hutchison (7), and Nicolino (5). Just more proof that this is hands down one of the elite systems heading into the 2012 season.

Most curious ranking(s): I continue to be stunned by the lack of love/respect for Drew Hutchison. Aside from that, it’s extremely curious that Daniel Norris made 6 of 7 lists after barely making just 1 of the 6 I looked at last time around.

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For a truly great resource for all your prospect rankings be sure to check out Fantasy Rundown.

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