Innholdsfortegnelse for 12-22 AL EAST TOP 10S/WINTER MEETINGS WRAP i Baseball America

HAVE A QUESTION? @jjcoop36 askba@baseballamerica.com Q If Shohei Ohtani signed with the team with the worst farm system in baseball, how much would he improve their ranking all by himself? —BRYAN RAMSEY, CHICAGO A The Angels ranked 30th in our organizational talent rankings when the Prospect Handbook came out in 2017, 2016 and 2014. Even without signing Ohtani, the Angels weren’t going to rank 30th this year. Drafting multi-faceted high school outfielder Jo Adell and solid seasons by promising young outfielders Jahmai Jones and Brandon Marsh would have given the Angels a system that ranked in the No. 20-25 range. That already would have been Los Angeles’ best ranking since 2013, when the Angels ranked 18th. But since the offseason began, the Angels have signed ex-Braves shortstops Kevin Maitan and…

1. JAY GROOME, LHP BORN: Aug. 23, 1998. B-T: L-L. HT.: 6-6. WT.: 220. DRAFTED: HS—Barnegat, N.J., 2016 (1st round). SIGNED BY: Ray Fagnant. TRACK RECORD: Groome was viewed as a potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 draft as a standout talent who as a teenager had a big league frame, low-effort velocity and a swing-and-miss curveball that made it easy to imagine an impact starter. He fell to No. 12 due to both signability and off-field concerns, but the Red Sox felt comfortable with his makeup and were thrilled at the chance to select someone with such a high ceiling, and they signed him for a just-aboveslot $3.65 million. Groome’s full-season debut in 2017 proved rocky. He left his first start at low Class A Greenville with…

1. VLADIMIR GUERRERO JR., 3B BORN: March 16, 1999. B-T: R-R. HT.: 6-2. WT.: 225. SIGNED: Dominican Republic, 2015. SIGNED BY: Ismael Cruz/Sandy Rosario/Luciano Del Rosario. TRACK RECORD: Vladimir Guerrero hit 449 home runs for his career, which included an American League MVP award in 2004. Vladdy Jr. followed his father around to big league ballparks but grew up in the Dominican Republic and trained with his uncle Wilton, also a former big leaguer. His bat stood out at an early age and he was the No. 1 international prospect when the Blue Jays signed him for $3.9 million in 2015. After dominating the Rookie-level Appalachian League in his pro debut in 2016, Guerrero was just 18 but looked like a man among boys by clobbering two Class A leagues…

Baseball America periodically surveys college coaches to compile a list of assistants with bright futures as head coaches. The first list, compiled in 2001, included future coaching stars, such as Vanderbilt’s Tim Corbin, Virginia’s Brian O’Connor and Texas Christian’s Jim Schlossnagle. Half of the coaches who made the most recent list, compiled in 2012, are now head coaches, including East Carolina’s Cliff Godwin and Auburn’s Butch Thompson. We once again asked current Division I head coaches from around the country to list three top coaching prospects among the ranks of current assistants, excluding their own staffs. More than 75 coaches responded, and here we list the top five vote-getters. A full top 10 can be found at BaseballAmerica.com. As we have done in the past, assistants with prior Division I…

PETER GAMMONS COLUMNIST, MLB NETWORK peter.gammons@ baseballamerica.com Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has executed big deals, such as those for free agents Mike Mussina, Mark Teixeira and C.C. Sabathia. He worked for mercurial owner George Steinbrenner, which meant living in the immediate, and when he and Hal Steinbrenner set out to make over the Yankees as a younger team less dependent on free agents, he did it with patience, modesty and detail. Steinbrenner once said that he appreciated that, in the end, “Brian Cashman always tried to do what was in the best interest of the Yankees.” That carried weight when it came time to run the Yankees with regards to the franchise’s best interests—and not the back pages, talk radio or social media. Since Sabathia and Teixeira helped the…

When Brad Komminsk reflects on a major league career that never lived up to its billing, he has only one regret. He came along a few decades too soon to realize the abundant money associated with being a big-time prospect today. As the fourth player selected in the 1979 draft, Komminsk signed with the Braves for a $70,000 bonus. In the seventh of eight big league seasons, he earned $170,000 as a .238-hitting outfielder for the Orioles. His bonus and earning power would easily reach into the millions of dollars in today’s market. These days, Komminsk is a wholesale car purchaser for Bobb Automotive in Columbus, Ohio, continuing a family tradition started by his father, who once owned a Pontiac dealership in Lima, Ohio. Coming out of Shawnee High in…

PRESENTED BY We continue division-by-division Top 10 Prospects rankings this year with the American League East. For each organization, we identify the 10 prospects with the highest ceilings, with consideration given to the likelihood of reaching those ceilings. To qualify as a prospect, a position player cannot exceed 130 big league at-bats, while a pitcher cannot exceed 50 innings or 30 relief appearances. For top prospects and draft picks of the decade, we display Baseball-Reference.com estimates for wins above replacement (WAR). ORIOLES NOTABLE GRADUATIONS: OF Trey Mancini (5) came from out of nowhere to hit .293 with 24 home runs. TRENDING: Impact bats make the difference. RED SOX NOTABLE GRADUATIONS: OF Andrew Benintendi (1) and 3B Rafael Devers (2) produced like the blue-chippers they are. TRENDING: Trades and graduations hurt…

1. GLEYBER TORRES, SS/3B BORN: Dec. 13, 1996. B-T: R-R. HT.: 6-1. WT.: 175. SIGNED: Venezuela, 2013. SIGNED BY: Louie Eljaua/Hector Ortega (Cubs). TRACK RECORD: Torres ranked as the No. 2 prospect available on the 2013 international market when the Cubs signed him for $1.7 million. Chicago traded Torres to the Yankees in July 2016 as part of the four-player package for closer Aroldis Chapman. Chapman returned to the Yankees as a free agent for 2017 on a five-year, $96 million deal, and Torres put together a torrid first three months of the season and looked like he could soon be in line to make his major league debut. Then, on one freak play, everything derailed. After a mid-June promotion from Double-A Trenton to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Torres tore his left…

For all the comings and goings from this year’s Winter Meetings in Orlando, including an exclusive interview with Minor League Baseball president Pat O’Conner, visit BaseballAmerica.com/industry Red Sox righthander Joe Kelly likes the fashion statement and comfort. But other professionals and amateur ballplayers might opt for prescription sunglasses for on-field play simply for the protection. “They are kind of like outfits,” Kelly said. “You have to have fashion-forward eyewear, and if you have to wear glasses, show it off.” Kelly mixes and matches his eyewear options, working with California-based prescription eyewear retailer SportRx to ensure he has a variety of choices, both for days he takes the mound and those days he simply needs to look cool while going through his pregame routine. “Obviously I have the clear lenses for…

MINOR LEAGUE CARDS ADD MAJOR VALUE TO TOPPS SET When Topps wanted to create a new subset for its 2017 Heritage minor league baseball cards, they turned to us for inspiration. All of the players selected for the Baseball America All-Star set have appeared in the pages of BA—and many have even graced our covers. This year’s card set pays tribute to the classic 1968 Topps design and is loaded with various inset subsets. BA executive editor J.J. Cooper recently conducted a hobby box break for eager viewers wanting to see the highly desired special inserts cards. Check out J.J.’s unboxing video at BaseballAmerica.com/toppsheritage HIGH SCHOOL TOP 100 PROSPECTS Georgia righthander Ethan Hankins overtook California shortstop Brice Turang on the top 100 ranking of high school prospects. BaseballAmerica.com/high-school 2018 GUIDE…

1. AUSTIN HAYS, OF BORN: July 5, 1995. B-T: R-R. HT.: 6-1. WT.: 195. DRAFTED: Jacksonville, 2016 (3rd round). SIGNED BY: Arthur McConnehead. TRACK RECORD: Hays’ ascent from an unheralded and undersized amateur player to becoming the first 2016 draftee to make the majors has been a testament to his dedication and the benefit of playing baseball regularly, no matter the level. A four-year starter at Spruce Creek High in Port Orange, Fla., Hays spent a year at Seminole State (Fla.) JC and was the team’s MVP before transferring to Jacksonville. There, he blossomed into a star, hitting 16 home runs and shooting up draft boards as a junior. The Orioles selected Hays in the third round in 2016, and despite him missing time with a wrist issue after the…

1. BRENT HONEYWELL, RHP BORN: March 31, 1995. B-T: R-R. HT.: 6-2. WT.: 180. DRAFTED: Walters State (Tenn.) JC, 2014 (2nd round supplemental). SIGNED BY: Brian Hickman. TRACK RECORD: Honeywell displays the necessary arrogance to succeed in the major leagues. That confidence was evident in 2017, when he shined as the MVP in the Futures Game and helped guide Durham to the Triple-A national championship. Honeywell has had success at every level and has ranked among the top prospects in every league in which he has pitched, while posting a career 2.88 ERA in 79 minor league outings. After two dominant starts at Double-A Montgomery to open 2017, Honeywell made a seamless transition to Triple-A, becoming one of the youngest starters in the International League. He registered a 4.91 ERA…

In 2015, Major League Baseball issued a recommendation to its clubs about improving fan safety. Specifically, MLB asked that all clubs strongly consider installing netting that would protect fans sitting within a 70-foot radius of home plate. The issue remained mostly dormant until September, when a young fan at Yankee Stadium was severely injured by a foul ball. Todd Frazier, who hit the ball, called for more protective measures. Frazier’s words echoed those of Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis a year prior, who implored MLB to mandate enhanced netting. “It’s 2016 and fans keep getting hit by foul balls, when you’re supposed to have a net to protect the fans,” Galvis told reporters at the time. “The fans give you the money, so you should protect them, right?” Nearly two years…