Minor League Baseball 2017 League Top Ten Prospects Midwest League

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With the minor league baseball season over, it’s list season, and we’ll continue the league top 10 lists with the Midwest League

Minor league baseball has concluded its regular season and playoffs at this point, so we will be starting our series of league top 10 prospects here at Call To The Pen. This series will be keyed by Benjamin Chase through extensive video research and discussion with scouts and those within the game. Certainly, there are other opinions on these players and the order, but this is his list. Each list will start with a review of the season for that league and some of the leaders in each league. One note: to be eligible to be on this list, a player must have qualified for the league stat leaders (2.7 PA/league G for hitters, 0.8 IP/league game for pitchers) in order to be considered.

Season Wrap

West Michigan dominated the Midwest League this season during the regular season with 91 wins (no other team eclipsed 75 wins), but they were upset in the first round by Dayton, leaving the field wide open. Quad Cities beat a tough Cedar Rapids squad, and Fort Wayne pitched two shutouts to close out Dayton. Quad Cities then swept through the championship 3 games to none, outscoring Fort Wayne 23-5 in the three games to take home the title in spite of only one player on the entire roster having been

Some of the league leaders:
AVG – Bo Bichette, Lansing, .384 (won title due to rule 9.22(a))
OBP – Fernando Tatis, Jr., Fort Wayne, .390
SLG – Jose Siri, Dayton, .530
HR – Emmanuel Tapia, Lake County, 29
SB – Jose Siri, Dayton, 46

W – Manuel Rondon, South Bend, 14
SV – Hector Lujan, Cedar Rapids, 17
K – Scott Moss, Dayton, 156
ERA – Clark Beeker, Cedar Rapids, 2.03
WHIP – Clark Beeker, Cedar Rapids, 0.92

Now to the top 10…

10. Hudson Potts, 3B, San Diego Padres

Many were confused when the Padres backed up their early selection of righty Cal Quantrill with lesser-known high-school infielder Hudson Potts when they had a huge pool in the 2016 draft. Potts was considered a likely college commit to Texas A&M, so for the Padres to get him and to get him for a below-market deal was impressive, though still confusing as to why they went with Potts versus other options in that spot.

Then Potts went out in his first season with the Arizona Rookie League and couple of weeks in the Northwest League in his draft season, hitting .280/.338/.366 with 12 doubles and 10 stolen bases, flashing more ready power and athleticism than was assumed to be there.

Potts simply built on that this season with Fort Wayne, hitting .253/.293/.438, with 23 doubles, 4 triples, and 20 home runs. The big issue that he showed this season was an aggressive approach that led to a 4.4% walk rate and a 26.8% strikeout rate.

Potts has legit raw power that could rate as plus, but he has a bit of load into his swing and he struggles with his lower half getting out of position in his swing due to pitch recognition issues, so his contact skills lag behind his power currently, but there is the bat speed there to believe he could have average contact skills once he builds on that pitch recognition.

The impressive move was how well he played defensively at third base. A high school shortstop, Potts played around the infield last season, but moving to third this season was quite natural. Potts has the arm to handle the position certainly as well as quick-trigger movements at third.

Potts does have solid athleticism, but he filled out plenty into his frame over the last year, likely bumping his speed to below-average, but he still shows solid instincts at the hot corner.

He’ll likely open next to his infield mate Tatis in high-A in 2018.

9. Lewin Diaz, 1B, Minnesota Twins

A 2013 signing out of the Dominican Republic, Diaz has worked his way up the system slowly before exploding with Elizabethton in 2016, where he hit .310/.353/.575 with 9 home runs over 46 games. This season’s numbers at first glance may not inspire, as Diaz hit .292/.329/.444 with Cedar Rapids.

A deeper look at Diaz shows that while he only had 12 home runs, he was the league’s leader in doubles with 33. He has a swing that can punish the ball, yet Diaz is not someone who has big strikeout rates, whiffing in just 15.7% of his plate appearances.

Seeing him hit is where you immediately see what the Twins love in Diaz. He could be an absolute dead ringer for another lefty-swinging hitter that came up through the system before the organization made the regrettable decision to let him head to Boston and become a legend there.

Diaz is much more athletic than Ortiz ever was, however, and he’s a legit fringe-plus defender at first base in the way he can move around the bag and ensure nothing gets past him from his fielders in the infield. He’ll not likely ever be stolen base threat, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t athletic for a 1B.

Diaz is still completely growing into his power and turns 21 in the offseason, so the Twins would like to see him jump a couple levels soon, but he’ll likely open with high-A Fort Myers in 2018.

8. Marcus Wilson, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks

When Wilson was selected in the second competitive balance round in 2014, he was known to be a developmental project that could take multiple seasons at low levels before he was ready for full season ball.

Wilson spent all of 2014 with the Arizona Rookie League and all of 2015 with the advanced rookie Pioneer League. He spent 2016 with the short-season Northwest League before bumping up to low-A Kane County to finish his season.

Wilson spent all of 2017 with Kane County in his first full season in his age 20 season (Wilson turned 21 in mid-August). He hit .295/.383/.446 with 21 doubles, 5 triples, 9 home runs, 15 stolen bases, a 12.4% walk rate, and a 20.2% strikeout rate.

He’s seen his pitch recognition and zone recognition take significant steps forward to the point where it’s a positive aspect of his game. Wilson has a quick bat through the zone that uses his natural athletic build to generate above-average power.

The best attribute of Wilson’s athleticism is his natural speed, able to cover ground in the outfield very well and run the bases well. He needs to develop his instincts for base stealing, but he could be a guy to steal 20-30 bases if he were to hone his craft. Wilson may work in center as an average center fielder due to his speed and average arm, but he could play as an above-average defensive left fielder if he were to slide over.

Now that he’s seen the success of his first full season, the Diamondbacks will likely push him as much as his performance merits, though he’ll open 2018 in high-A in the Cal League.

7. Tony Santillan, RHP, Cincinnati Reds

Coming into the 2015 draft, Santillan was a guy that jumped up draft boards due to his solid build and present velocity, able to work into the upper 90s with his fastball and seeing his slider move forward a lot in his senior year of high school.

Santillan is a guy who has a lot of divide among scouts, but I suppose I count myself among one who is on the high side of his evaluation. What nearly no one disputes is that Santillan has a double-plus fastball that can run to triple digits. His slider is also universally considered a plus pitch, though some scouts even see it as a double plus pitch as well, though I’d grade it as more of a pure 60.

Where disputes are with Santillan lie are in his change up. Some view it as below average overall. Personally, I’d grade the pitch at more of a 50-55 as he has good arm deception on the pitch, but the action and location with the pitch can get off at times. However for a 20 year old with a longer development time frame expected when he was selected in 2015, that’s not terribly surprising.

Santillan stands 6’3″ and is listed at 240 pounds, though he’s struggled some to keep that weight as he’s added bad weight at times in season, which has hurt his stamina in getting deep into games. He also sees his mechanics get off when his weight is heavier, and that can see him lose his command to some degree.

Santillan had an excellent season with Dayton in 2017, throwing 128 innings, with a 3.38 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, and a 56/128 BB/K ratio. His ability to get through a full season and keep his walk rate reasonable is a good stride forward for him, and he will get a chance in the Florida State League in 2018 to keep pushing forward.

The Reds showed in 2018 that a pitcher doing well will get promoted within their system, so Santillan could work his way to the high minors by the end of 2018 with continued progress.

6. Jose Siri, OF, Cincinnati Reds

The breakout star of 2017, Siri set the Midwest League record for a hit streak this season, which really belied his preseason grades, which viewed him as a high-tools athlete without much polish.

Siri has worked for a few years to really iron down what are high-level tools. This season, he was able to explode in what was his age-21 season, turning 22 in late July. He hit .293/.341/.530 with 24 doubles, 11 triples, 24 home runs, and 46 stolen bases in just under 500 at bats with Dayton. He did still have a 33/130 BB/K ratio that showed his issues with pitch recognition creeping in at times, but they were much better than they have been in the past.

Siri is a tremendous defender that should work in either corner as a plus outfielder with a plus arm that plays up even more with his high-level accuracy. Siri does have explosive raw power and plus speed that he can use to maximize balls in the gaps.

Siri is still raw in some of his game beyond his plate approach, including his reads on balls in the outfield and his reads on pitchers when he wants to steal. However, there may not be a player in the Reds system that has a higher ceiling than Siri.

5. Daz Cameron, OF, Houston Astros/Detroit Tigers

Part of a big money play in the 2015 draft, Cameron dropped to the 37th overall selection due to his bonus demands based on a promise that Houston had made with him. He struggled in 2016 in his first full season, however, and many wrote him off as someone with early talent that peaked too soon.

Instead, Daz put things together bit by bit over the season in 2017, hitting well for two clubs in the Midwest League on the season. Overall, he hit .271/.351/.463 with 29 doubles, 8 triples, 14 home runs, and 32 stolen bases. He flashed power and speed both on the season.

Cameron excels in center field, akin to his bloodlines and father Mike Cameron, though he has a much better contact stroke than his father ever did. Cameron does possess the power/speed combo that his father did, though, and as he finishes filling out, he could be an asset both in power and speed offensively.

He’ll be part of the Tigers long-term plans as he is moved up to high-A in 2018 and likely given the time to develop his skills fully along the way with the Tigers.

4. Jahmai Jones, OF, Los Angeles Angels

Jones is arguably the highest-ceiling prospect to come through the Angels system since a certain legendary outfielder on their big league club. The Angels were overjoyed to get the Georgia product in the 2nd round of the draft in 2015.

Jones began to open eyes in 2016, as he excelled for Orem in the Pioneer League and finished with a two-week stint in the Midwest League, hitting .302/.379/.422 combined with 13 doubles, 3 triples, 4 home runs, and 20 stolen bases, posting a 8.8% walk rate and a 14.2% strikeout rate.

He opened the season in Burlington in the Midwest League and he got enough plate appearances before moving up to high-A Inland Empire to qualify for this list. With Burlington, he hit .272/.338/.425, and he hit even better with Inland Empire, finishing with a combined .282/.348/.446 line with 29 doubles, 7 triples, 14 home runs, and 27 stolen bases with a 7.8% walk rate and 18.3% strikeout rate.

Jones has a physically stout build, looking like a running back with his low, stocky build that still has excellent speed yet generates explosive power. Jones has impressive bat speed that allows him to contact the ball throughout the zone, and while he’s done well in zone recognition, he struggles a bit in putting the good part of the bat on hard breaking stuff, but he is able to still contact it.

The best tool of all for Jones, though is his plus to fringe double-plus defense in center field. For a guy with a stronger build, he is able to cover tremendous ground and gets great reads on balls. He does have just an average arm in strength, but he plays it up with tremendous accuracy on his throws.

The Angels could return Jones to high-A to open 2018, or they could take his 172 at bat excellent performance at the level in 2017 to show he’s ready to go straight to AA in 2018 at age 20.

3. Taylor Trammell, OF, Cincinnati Reds

A two-sport star in high school, Trammell was thought to be in play as early as the top 15 in mock drafts before the 2016 draft. He ended up in the first competitive balance round, 35th overall. Many believed that he was raw due to his two-sport background, but that wasn’t true at all, as he had a refined approach on the diamond.

Trammell was able to move immediately to advanced rookie Pioneer League and hold his own in 2016, hitting .303/.374/.421 with 9 doubles, 6 triples, 2 home runs, and 24 stolen bases over 61 games with a 9.1% walk rate and a 22.4% strikeout rate.

This season, Trammell moved up to low-A Dayton for his first full season, and he showed very well, hitting .281/.368/.450 with 24 doubles, 10 triples, 13 home runs, and 41 stolen bases, posting a 12.5% walk rate and 21.6% strikeout rate.

Trammell has played a significant amount of his time in left field, but he has legit defensive skills to handle center field. His speed and average arm may make him a more impressive defender in left field, however, down the line. He’s also a double-plus runner with above-average power, so he could end up being a guy who matures into a 20/20 or better player, and his frame and athleticism would lend to Trammell building in more strength to his frame and adding further power that could develop into more of a middle of the lineup hitter, tapping into his plus raw power.

Trammell will open 2018 with high-A Daytona in the Florida State League most likely, though his mature approach and quality skills across the board could allow him to move up to AA by the end of the season.

2. Jesus Sanchez, OF, Tampa Bay Rays

A well-rounded outfielder from the 2014-2015 signing class, the Rays signed Sanchez for just $400K at nearly the end of signing period, then hitting .335/.382/.498 in the DSL in 2015 in his first time hitting as a professional.

Coming state-side, Sanchez was tremendous across two rookie levels in 2016, hitting .329/.351/.549 with 25 extra base hits in 56 games, though he did see his BB/K ratios balloon to a 4% walk rate and 19% strikeout rate. He did hit well this season with Bowling Green, posting a .305/.348/.478 line with 29 doubles, 4 triples, 15 home runs, and 7 stolen bases. He put up a 6.3% walk rate and 17.8% strikeout rate.

Sanchez is a physical specimen that stands 6’3″ and 215 pounds with five tools all above average. His raw power is impressive, definitely plus and perhaps more. His best tool overall is very likely his defense, as he’s a legit plus defender in center field, which is an impressive skill set to have with the power and bat speed he brings to the table.

Sanchez has pushed himself forward as a legit top-50 prospect in the entire game at this point. He’s got some work to do in his pitch recognition to allow him to draw more walks, but he has kept his strikeout rate quite manageable in spite of his developing power.

Sanchez will turn 20 this month and spend the 2018 season opening at high-A. The Rays may move their pitchers one level at a time, but if a hitter pushes his way forward, they are usually willing to allow that player to move up, so if Sanchez keeps hitting like he did this season, he could be in AA by the end of the season.

1. Fernando Tatis, Jr., SS, San Diego Padres

One of the most recognized names of the 2015 class, Tatis carried the name of his slugging father into the signing period before signing for just $700K with the White Sox after being rated roughly 25th-30th in that season’s class. The White Sox traded him to the Padres the next June before he’d had a professional appearance for James Shields.

More from Call to the Pen

Tatis opened the 2016 season with the Padres’ Arizona Rookie League team, showing well before moving up for a quick bust with the short-season A-ball club. Altogether, he hit .273/.311/.432 with 17 doubles, 3 triples, 4 home runs, 15 stolen bases, 5.5% walk rate, and 24.2% strikeout rate over 236 plate appearances. The performance was good for a 17 year-old kid, but nothing that blew anyone away, which is why he wasn’t on any preseason top 100 lists.

That changed during the season, however. Tatis opened the season with Fort Wayne and spent nearly the whole season there before getting a two-week promotion all the way up to AA San Antonio for their playoff run. The jump in level was tough on the 18 year-old, but in his time with the Midwest League saw Tatis put up a .281/.390/.520 line with 26 doubles, 7 triples, 21 home runs, and 29 stolen bases while also posting a 14.5% walk rate and 23.9% strikeout rate.

Tatis has plus power that could even add a tick more. He has incredibly quick actions at the plate, in the field, and on the bases. His overall speed is more average to a tick above-average, in spite of excellent first step quickness, so he likely is going to be a good stolen base guy, but only if he chooses his spots well, which he did get a bit sloppy with this season, as he was caught 15 times in 44 attempts.

Tatis has been thought to grow off of shortstop as he’s 6’3 with a solid frame. However, that explosive first step and plus to double-plus arm allowed him to handle short very well this season. He did make some errors, and there are some questions on his pure hands at the position, especially around the second base bag, which is why he’s considered a possibility to slide over to third base long term. However, for right now, he’s playing a very solid shortstop.

Tatis will likely open with high-A in the Cal League next season, but he’s established himself as one of the top 10-20 prospects in all of baseball.

Next: 2017 Minor League Awards team

Some of the top prospects who didn’t make the minimum time in the league this season included Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., Bo Bichette, Michel Baez, Forrest Whitley, Yordan Alvarez, Dylan Cease, Jon Duplantier, Logan Allen, Keibert Ruiz, Tyler Stephenson, Monte Harrison, Lucius Fox, Jordan Hicks, Pedro Avila, Gregory Soto, Jordan Sheffield, and Kyle Funkhouser. All of those players would have merited consideration for this list, but none had the requisite time for the list.

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