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Midseason Top 50 MLB Minor League Prospects: 11-20

By Benjamin Chase

KISSIMMEE, FL - JANUARY 28: Baseball gloves and a baseball lie in the dirt during the Jim Evans Academy of Professional Umpiring on January 28, 2011 at the Houston Astros Spring Training Complex in Kissimmee, Florida. Jim Evans was a Major League Umpire for 28 years that included umpiring four World Series. Many of his students have gone on to work on all levels of baseball including the Major Leagues. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
KISSIMMEE, FL - JANUARY 28: Baseball gloves and a baseball lie in the dirt during the Jim Evans Academy of Professional Umpiring on January 28, 2011 at the Houston Astros Spring Training Complex in Kissimmee, Florida. Jim Evans was a Major League Umpire for 28 years that included umpiring four World Series. Many of his students have gone on to work on all levels of baseball including the Major Leagues. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /
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18. Austin Meadows, OF, Pittsburgh Pirates

A four-tool prospect (his arm is below-average), Meadows has been considered among the elite athletes and prospects in all of the minor leagues since he was drafted #9 overall in 2013. However, if health was a tool, Meadows would be in trouble.

In spite of the injury issues in his career, Meadows’ production pushed him all the way to AAA by age 21 last season, so he’s moved quickly in his career, even though he’s been hurt. This offseason saw Pirates superstar and “face of the team” Andrew McCutchen shopped in the trade market, and a big reason was that Meadows was up to AAA in 2016 and didn’t make a terrible showing.

I noted in 2016 that the smooth, line drive swing that made Meadows such a tremendous hitter in his minor league career previously seemed to be replaced by a swing seeking more loft. That has seemed to hurt Meadows’ contact rate, though his excellent zone recognition has kept him from seeing his strikeout rate going through the roof.

Health will be the biggest thing for Meadows, as he doesn’t seem to have any one issue that repeats, but he seems to find a new one every year, and that is concerning as injuries have certainly derailed the careers of many brilliant talents in the history of the game.

17. Brent Honeywell, RHP, Tampa Bay Rays

Anyone watching the Futures game understands that Honeywell has moved into the realm of one of the top pitching prospects in the entire game. Honeywell is throwing well in AAA and while he has seen his ERA go up, it is in large part due to BABIP issues.

Honeywell has multiple pitches at his disposal, led by his mid-90s sinking fastball. Honeywell’s change is easily a plus pitch, and sometimes it gets mistaken for his trademark screwball, a pitch that only a few pitchers in all of baseball even throw at this point.

Honeywell throws a cutter, a curve, and he’s even toyed with a straight slider in the last year as well. While the curve and slider are fringe-average pitches, mixing them in with the plus fastball, plus screwball, and plus change along with an above average cutter and plus control, and Honeywell has an entire arsenal of weapons at his disposal against hitters.

In the majors, he may be asked to cut down to 4-5 pitches each game, though he could keep all his pitches in use in general. Honeywell should be able to get to the majors this year, if just for a September call up and could challenge for a 2018 spot, likely encouraging a trade for the Rays this offseason.

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