MLB: Top Ten Prospects In the Northwest and New York-Penn League
New York-Penn League
1. A.J. Puk, LHP, Vermont (Athletics) – Puk was rumored as a top-2 selection for the 2016 draft at this time in 2015. He had a spring that really didn’t show a ton of production, though at the same time it continued what Puk does – flash big potential, striking out 101 in 73 2/3 innings in college. The 6’7, 220-pound lefty has the stuff and the size to be a guy who could eat up a ton of innings with repeatable mechanics and high-end stuff, slotting perfectly as a #2 sort of guy, perhaps even a “staff ace” in the mold of a James Shields when he was with the Rays. However, the potential out-weighed the production again in the NYPL, not going deep, but showing a high-90s fastball that has excellent downward plane along with flashes of brilliance from his slider. He put up a 3.03 ERA with 40 strikeouts in 33 innings in the NYPL.
2. Triston McKenzie, RHP, Mahoning Valley (Indians) – If Puk is a guy all about potential, McKenzie is a guy who started putting some potential into production in 2016. The 2015 42nd overall pick out of high school only allowed 3 earned runs the entire season in 49 innings, striking out 55 batters. He showed some solid smarts on the mound, setting up hitters well with his fastball/curve combo to get them flailing at his change. He has projection left physically in his 6’5 frame, which could add a tick of velocity as well. This isn’t a typical 1-2 ranking, it’s definitely a 1a-1b, and the only difference is that Puk has the velocity already that McKenzie will need to be that front line guy.
3. Dane Dunning, RHP, Auburn (Nationals) – I’m a bigger fan of Dunning than most, and when he was selected in the first round by the Nationals, many thought it was a “cheap” pick to save money. Dunning would have been a #1 starter for nearly any other college in the nation other than Florida. He’s got a fastball that reaches upper 90s, but he usually sits more like 93-94 with good movement low in the zone. He has a very good change along with an excellent slider, if not inconsistent righ tnow. I’m a big fan of his ability to pound the zone right now, and his slider flashes the ability to develop into a swing-and-miss pitch. He’s got the build of a prototypical #2/#3 starter that eats a ton of innings.
4. Desmond Lindsay, OF, Brooklyn (Mets) – Two hamstring injuries have slowed the progress of Lindsay. He was a third baseman in high school, but the Mets have moved him to the outfield upon his pro debut, and he’s still picking up the nuances of picking up the ball off the bat in center field, though he has the speed and arm to handle center well as he develops the ability to pick up the ball off the bat. Lindsay’s offensive profile is quite mature for a teenager. He could develop raw power in the future, but at this point, he has excellent gap power with a solid eye and pitch recognition. He’s also an elite runner. Lindsay could end up being a leadoff type with power as he develops, but with his injury history, he’ll be given time to develop in 2017.
5. Justin Dunn, RHP, Brooklyn (Mets) – A college closer until his final year of college, when Boston College moved him to the mound, Dunn had a wide variety of opinions in pre-draft evaluations. Many worried about his uptick in innings this year, others were blown away by the raw skills in the transition to starting. He has a mid-90s fastball that can touch 98-99 along with a curve, slider, and change. Dunn is a tremendous athlete, which also is a positive as far as maintaining his move to the rotation from the bullpen. I heard a lot of good things about his pitches, but I’ve also heard more than one scout wonder aloud about his ability to hold up in another year or two after the drastic increase in innings he faced this year.
6. Will Craig, 3B, West Virginia (Pirates) – Craig was the highest-rated college bat in the draft, but concerns about his defensive future dropped him below a few other fellow college hitters. He did struggle some initially in his pro debut, but he caught fire as the season wore on, flashing his power bat and showing excellent strike zone judgement. I am a little concerned about the reports on his defense, which some said was possible average at third and others said was bad enough that he’d have to be a DH-only. Still, hitting 14 extra base hits and walking 41 times in 218 at bats is a pretty impressive first season and should give Craig more chances to find a spot to play his glove in order to get that bat in the lineup.
7. Bobby Dalbec, 3B, Lowell (Red Sox) – I was flabbergasted when Dalbec slipped all the way to the 4th round. While he struggled in the spring at the plate, Dalbec was leaned on incredibly hard by his team off of the mound all the way to being the NCAA runner up. However, this is a guy who led the Cape Cod League in home runs last summer and was well-regarded for his big power with solid grades at third base. He led his team in home runs with 7 in just 132 at bats in his pro debut. He will strike out plenty at the plate, but he has good contact skills and monster power as well.
8. Cody Sedlock, RHP, Aberdeen (Orioles) – Here’s one guy that I differ from a lot of consensus writing I’ve seen so far. While Sedlock’s raw talent is undeniable, I’ve never seen a starter profile in Sedlock. I do think he’ll be an incredible reliever, worthy of a ranking this high, even. He had pitched very little before this year, and suddenly, he was the workhorse for his college, and while the Orioles handled him wisely by limiting him to 3 innings per start, I do think that he’ll eventually have to have the training wheels taken off as a pro, and I think it will be a bumpy ride as a starter. He walked 4.3 BB/9 in his pro debut, one of the things I noted in his college performances. He has a three pitch mix that is all above-average in a fastball, curve, and slider.
9. Brady Aiken, LHP, Mahoning Valley (Indians) – The 2014 #1 overall selection by the Astros before contract squabbles led to Aiken enrolling in IMG Academy in order to be eligible again in 2015. Aiken ended up with surgery before the 2015 draft, and the Indians took a chance on him in the first round. He made his debut in 2016, and the NYPL was his second stop on his season. His numbers weren’t amazing for sure, with a 4.43 ERA and 1.25 WHIP, but he did have 22 strikeouts in 22 1/3 innings, showing his pre-surgery velocity was back that made him a legit #1 selection.
10. Kyle Funkhouser, RHP, Connecticut (Tigers) – After turning down the Dodgers in 2015, Funkhouser really struggled in the spring with Louisville to find his top-end stuff. This caused him to fall all the way to the 4th round to the Tigers, and they are already very pleased that they made the decision to take the gamble on Funkhouser. He posted a 2.65 ERA and 1.13 WHIP over 37 1/3 innings in his pro debut, all in the NYPL. He also struck out 34 to just 8 walks after struggling with location in his college season. Funkhouser got glowing reports from 2/3 guys I asked about him, one going so far as to say that he thought Funkhouser looked better now than he did pre-draft in 2015 when he was selected in the first round by the Dodgers.
Next up will be the full-season low-A leagues, the South Atlantic League and the Midwest League, so look forward to those!