MLB: Eastern, Southern, Texas Leagues Top Prospects
Texas League
1. Alex Bregman, SS, Corpus Christi (Astros) – If he was still eligible, Bregman would give Yoan Moncada a run for the top prospect in the game. He showed incredible power and contact ability along with plenty of defensive ability at shortstop, arguably enough to bump Carlos Correa to third, but Correa is the established star, so Bregman will be moving to another position, and he profiles as a high-end defender at second or third. Bregman’s swing would lead to a high batting average going forward, but he also is able to generate plus power in his high-contact swing.
2. Francis Martes, RHP, Corpus Christi (Astros) – Martes has some of the most wicked stuff in the Texas League this year, which is incredible considering he was just 20 years old at AA. He has rough control at times, but his 131 strikeouts in 125 innings was evidence of just how difficult his stuff was to hit. Martes has a fastball that has triple digit velocity with a split change that is difficult to read and a curve that’s above average.
3. Cody Bellinger, 1B, Tulsa (Dodgers) – Bellinger showed the biggest power tool in the league on the season, but he also showed the ability to take a walk. He’s a very good defender at first base, but he’ll be carried by that big left handed power swing that generated 41 extra base hits over 399 at bats. He’s 6’4 and 210, but his swing is not a big loopy swing that you’d expect from a guy his size. He could certainly profile as a guy who hits .275-.300 with power.
4. David Paulino, RHP, Corpus Christi (Astros) – Paulino makes 3 Corpus Christi players in the top 4, none of whom finished the season on their roster. Paulino is a long, lanky pitcher who has a fastball that he runs up to the mid-90s with tremendous downward plane. His change is a weapon against opposite side hitters and his curve needs work, but it flashes as high as plus grades. He has had health issues, but if he can stay on the mound, he’ll be an impact arm in Houston in 2017.
5. Franklin Barreto, SS, Midland (Athletics) – Barreto may not stick at short long term, but he would be elite at second base if he does get moved there. He has shown excellent growth in his pitch recognition, posting a .340 OBP this season. He also showed a unique blend of 50-55 power along with 65-70 speed on the 20-80 scouting scale for each, as he hit 10 home runs as part of 38 extra base hits along with 30 stolen bases. He needs to add polish to his game in most facets, and that will come as the 20 year-old ages, which will help him in picking his spots to steal better and making better choices in the field at short (or second, if he moves there).
6. Luke Weaver, RHP, Springfield (Cardinals) – Weaver missed a chunk of the season as he recovered from a broken wrist, but it didn’t affect his pitches. In fact, his off speed stuff has actually improved pretty heavily to go with a fastball that only runs 92-95 but has above-average movement. Weaver got tremendous results in the league before heading up to the big leagues. He had a 1.40 ERA and a 10/88 BB/K ratio over 77 innings on the season. Weaver is a guy who consistently works on improving his pitches and adding pitches, so his work ethic could certainly take him beyond his raw pitch grades.
7. Lewis Brinson, OF, Frisco (Rangers) – Downgraded this season due to issues with his contact skills, Brinson did show significant progress in his strikeout rate. He has the ability to be an above average corner outfielder or pass in center field. Brinson’s biggest issue is pitch recognition. While he was able to make better contact with pitches, he still struggled to lay off pitches out of the zone, which led to a low walk rate. Brinson may have the most raw talent of any player in the Texas League, which has often been the case for Brinson. Soon he’ll need to start turning that talent into production.
8. Matt Chapman, 3B, Midland (Athletics) – Chapman has ridiculous power…and not much else. He swings and misses a ton, doesn’t walk much, and struggles to have consistent contact. He did show excellent defense, but he’s a guy who could be a 30 home run guy with a .210-.230 hitter. Chapman has a lot of load into his swing, and he could mitigate some of the batting average concerns if he could shorten his path to the ball, which would allow him to adjust better.
9. Ryon Healy, IF, Midland (Athletics) – Healy may have saved his best for the major leagues, interestingly enough, and that’s saying something, considering he hit .338/.409/.628 in 145 at bats with Midland. Healy is passable at third, but he fits better as a first baseman in the majors due to a fringy arm and instincts. Healy took a big leap forward as a hitter this season after he made an adjustment to his swing path to generate more lift, which ended up helping his batting average plenty as well as he was able to get more solid contact on all balls, not just balls he hoped to plant in the seats.
10. Alex Verdugo, OF, Tulsa (Dodgers) – So Verdugo may look different when he is at the plate due to an unorthodox swing, but he has made it work. He’s not a traditional body that you’d dream on at 6′ and 205 pounds, but he actually plays a plus center field at that size with extremely good instincts off the bat. He has a very good contact profile in the minors in spite of his “odd” swing, and he’s shown the ability to drive the ball, with 13 home runs this year. Verdugo is only 20, so he has time to adjust his approach if it’s going to be an issue.
Next up will be the AAA leagues, the International League and the Pacific Coast League, so look forward to those!