MLB Top Prospects: Top 10 RHP prospects for 2018
8. Brent Honeywell, Tampa Bay Rays
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 3/31/1995 (23)
2018 level: Disabled List
Info: Most have recognized Honeywell due to his screwball for the last few seasons as so few pitchers throw the pitch that it’s a bit of a novelty to see him throw one. Honeywell has established himself as an MLB top prospect, dominating in the Futures Game in 2017 with an array of pitches, not just a “trick” one.
Not blessed with tremendous size at 6’2″ and 185-190 pounds, Honeywell has built up his body and worked hard on developing his entire pitch mix to be something that can keep hitters off their game even facing him multiple times in a season. He can touch 97 with his fastball, but it’s the movement and command of the pitch that makes it a borderline plus-plus pitch.
His offspeed collection of weapons is vast and can even be manipulated to create more wrinkles. He works with an above average curve and slider. His screwball is a plus pitch, but primarily because he throws it just a few times per game as while it is a quality pitch, it’s not so much so that he could throw it 30% of the time and not have hitters sit on the pitch. His change has taken the biggest step forward over the last two seasons, really working as a plus pitch, able to mimic either his four-seam or two-seam fastball.
Honeywell had Tommy John surgery this spring and will miss the entire 2018 season and likely some of the start of the 2019 season, but he’s young enough that he should be considered a prime prospect still when he makes his debut next season for the Rays.
7. Triston McKenzie, Cleveland Indians
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 8/2/1997 (20)
2018 level: Disabled List
Info: Often seeing a listing of 6’5″ and 165 pounds on a player card when a player is entering his third full professional season and fourth overall is brushed away as a draft listing and likely not close to accurate currently. With McKenzie, it’s quite close to the right number, though he’s not seemed to show any negative effects from his long, super-lean frame.
(McKenzie) gets plenty of whiffs on his fastball due to extension from his incredibly long arms and the spin his long fingers put on the ball
This spring, McKenzie faced soreness in his arm, but he attributed that to ramping up his arm too hard, too fast this spring. He’s rested and done exercises and should return soon, which is very, very positive news for Indians fans.
When he’s at his best, McKenzie’s stuff is simply not fair. He can touch 95-97 with his fastball and works in the 92-93 range deep into starts, though he tends to lose some of his “reach back” velocity deeper into games. He gets plenty of whiffs on his fastball due to extension from his incredibly long arms and the spin his long fingers put on the ball.
His offspeed stuff is headlined by a curveball with tremendous depth and spin as well, though it tends to tally more weak grounders and pop ups than swing and miss. His change has come along plenty, and he showed the ability to manipulate the change with some cut to the pitch late in the season that could be an incredible weapon for him going forward.
McKenzie should take the hill in AA this season, getting his first taste of the upper minors in his age 20 season, and he could push for some big league time in 2019. With Carlos Carrasco hitting free agency after 2020 and starters Danny Salazar and Trevor Bauer into the expensive end of arbitration by that point, the Indians would love to have McKenzie establish himself as the next big arm in Cleveland sooner rather than later.
Next: #5 and #6