Minor League Baseball League Top 10 Prospects: Southern League
8. LaMonte Wade, OF, Minnesota Twins
Wade is another guy who went significantly under the radar in the draft because his skills really didn’t bring out “flash”. However, he’s really the version of McCarthy of Montgomery but with defensive skill in the outfield.
Wade was a 9th round selection out of Maryland in 2015 by the Twins, and he signed for more than a typical senior sign, so the Twins knew they were getting more than just a filler player. He opened with Elizabethton, but after putting up a 46/34 BB/K over 231 at bats in the Appy League, he finished with low-A Cedar Rapids.
Wade played across both A-ball levels in 2016, not hitting for a ton of power, but showing elite zone and pitch recognition as well as quality contact skills. He combined for a .293/.402/.438/.841 line with 14 doubles, 4 triples, 8 home runs, and 6 stolen bases in 388 plate appearances while posting a 54/44 BB/K.
Bumped up to AA this season, Wade perhaps didn’t flash the power or speed development that some were hoping, but he was still elite in his zone recognition and finished with a .292/.397/.408/.805 line for Chattanooga while playing all three outfield spots.
Wade looks the part of an athlete, and he handles center field well, though his overall skills would likely best be suited for left as his arm is average to a slight tick above-average. He does show very good range and instincts regardless of where he plays in the outfield.
While he hasn’t tallied a high stolen base total in his minor league career, Wade is an exceptional base runner, and his stolen bases actually hint some at that as he’s been around an 80% success rate throughout his minor league career, in spite of not exactly stealing often. However, Wade does have plus speed that he can use very well on the bases and does take an extra base very well once on base.
While not a guy who profiles as a superstar, Wade has the profile of a player who should find his way into a starting lineup and near the top of the order for a number of years, and that’s still plenty valuable.
7. Justin Williams, OF, Tampa Bay Rays
If you want to go from polished to raw at time of entry to minor league baseball, Wade to Williams would be an excellent comparison. An exceptional raw talent in the 2013 draft that the Diamondbacks took in the 2nd round based on his potential double-plus raw power along with the athleticism to possibly profile in center at draft time.
Williams was acquired by the Rays when they traded Jeremy Hellickson to Arizone, and as he’s filled out, he’s lost some of that defensive ability, but the raw skill is still there, and he’s really taken a leap forward the last two seasons after some notable swing adjustments allowed him to cover the zone more fully and access his power more freely.
Just 22 at the end of August, Williams did take some significant time in rookie to low-A ball in his development, but whatever it was that has turned on for Williams has been significant. He missed time this season due to injury, but he put up impressive numbers, going .301/.364/.489 over 366 at bats with 21 doubles, 3 triples, 14 home runs, and 6 stolen bases.
Williams is likely best served in left field as his arm is barely above-average and his range is more average-ish as well, but he does have excellent first step instincts, both in the field and on the bases, which is one reason he was able to steal the 6 bases that he did in the time that I watched him, as his in-motion speed is not elite, but his first few steps are tremendous.
Williams needs a full season of health under his belt in the upper minors, but it wouldn’t surprise to see him in Durham’s outfield in 2018 and pushing for a late-season look.