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.