Innholdsfortegnelse for Friday, January 27 2017 i Baseball America

AUGUST 3 1997 » IN THIS ISSUE: Our Midseason Update ranks Mike Mussina and the Orioles as baseball’s best team. » ALSO: Dodgers third baseman Adrian Beltre leads the way in our list of the year’s best players in the majors. The no-hitter of the month club keeps growing in the American Association. Buffalo righthander Bartolo Colon was the latest to join, missing a perfect game by one batter as the Bisons defeated New Orleans 4-0 on June 20 at North AmeriCare Park. It was the league’s third no-hitter of the season. Omaha’s Jim Converse and Allen McDill combined to no-hit Oklahoma City on April 17. Then on May 24, Pedro Martinez, Felix Rodriguez and Scott Service combined to pitch a seven-inning no-hitter for Indianapolis against Louisville in the second…

Baseball Writer, ESPN.com PHILADELPHIA The Indians brought a big dose of baseball euphoria to Cleveland last summer amid some mixed signals disguised as empty seats. For all the talk of the city embracing Terry Francona and the Tribe, it’s hard to ignore the team’s 28th ranked attendance total of 1.59 million, or the shameless bailout by all those self-professed Indians “diehards” who sold their tickets to Cubs fans for Game 7 of the World Series at Progressive Field. The venue formerly known as Jacobs Field has shown some signs of fraying since its grand opening in 1994, when it was a crown jewel of a new era in ballpark construction and the Indians filled it with some star-laden lineups. The Tribe reeled off a streak of four straight seasons with…

Alford’s Boyhood Home Burns Down The Mississippi boyhood home of Anthony Alford—the Blue Jays’ No. 2 prospect—burned to the ground on Dec. 28. The cause of the fire was not known as of press time. Nearly all of the family’s material belongings— including Alford’s awards and memorabilia— were lost in the blaze in Columbia., Miss., where Alford’s mom, dad and pregnant sister lived. “Pretty much everything that I won from high school—trophies, plaques, my two state championship rings—were there,” Alford told the National Post. But no one was injured. Alford told the newspaper his sister woke up early on Dec. 28 to the sound of popping and realized the house was on fire. “She was able to grab one outfit, some pants, a shirt, some shoes, but that was all,”…

Editor in Chief Baseball America johnmanuel @baseballamerica.com What teams look for in scouts has certainly changed over the years. For a long time, the template for scouts was former players, either as amateurs or as professionals, who wanted to stay around the game. Now it’s often seen as a first step in the industry, a profession increasingly populated by younger area scouts whose playing experience is more limited than those who preceded them. That didn’t happen in the 20th Century but seems to happen regularly in the 21st. Then there are the Minasian brothers, Perry and Zack, who both served as pro scouting directors in 2016, Perry for the Blue Jays, Zack for the Brewers. Both were promoted this offseason, with Perry, 36, becoming a special assistant to Toronto general…

Luis Robert, one of Cuba’s best young prospects, is out of the country. Due to Major League Baseball’s new international rules, the timing of when Robert gets cleared to sign will have significant ramifications on how much he will get paid and which teams will be able to sign him. Robert is a 19-year-old outfielder scouts have followed since he was 15. While departures have drained Cuba’s talent pool in recent years, Robert was one of the five best players in Cuba. With a strong, powerful build at 6-foot-3, 185 pounds, Robert stands out for his physicality, athleticism and performance record, both in Cuba’s youth national leagues and in Serie Nacional. His bat speed and raw power from the right side are plus, with the speed to play center field…

NO. 1 PROS PECT BORN: Aug. 10, 1993. B-T: L-L. HT.: 6-2. WT.: 190. DRAFTED: San Jacinto (Texas) JC, 2012 (10th round). SIGNED BY: Brian Sankey (Brewers). BACKGROUND: Not every trade for prospects works out for the team trading away big league talent, but the Diamondbacks certainly benefited from the deal in which they sent veteran outfielder Gerardo Parra to the Brewers in 2014 in exchange for Banda and outfielder Mitch Haniger. The trade was the D-backs’ second attempt to bring Banda into the organization after previously drafting the Texas native in the 33rd round out of high school in 2011. Banda instead played one year at junior college powerhouse San Jacinto, where he went 6-0, 1.95 to help the Gators to a second-place finish at the Division I NJCAA…

Not only has a World Series title eluded the Dodgers, owners of the highest payroll in baseball, but all four of their National League West rivals have played in the World Series since Los Angeles last appeared in 1988. But the Dodgers have been able to accomplish a universal goal among front offices: they have constructed a team that is built to win both in the present and the future. With their fourth straight NL West division title in 2016, the Dodgers rank second in the league in wins in the past four seasons, trailing only the Cardinals. Homegrown ace Clayton Kershaw is on a Hall of Fame trajectory and remains the centerpiece of the team’s success, but the rest of the club is built around young talent, with more…

BORN: March 9, 1998. B-T: R-R. HT.: 6-0. WT.: 160. SIGNED: Venezuela, 2014. SIGNED BY: Eddie Romero/Manny Padron (Red Sox). NO. 1 PROS PECT BACKGROUND: While some teenage international standouts fly under the radar, Espinoza is one whose promise has been evident for some time. Considered the top available pitcher by a wide margin in the 2014 international class, he signed with the Red Sox for $1.8 million. If Espinoza felt any pressure from the lofty expectations he never showed it, zooming all the way from the Dominican Summer League to low Class A in 2015, his age-17 season, and ranking as one of baseball’s top prospects one year after signing. The Red Sox were reluctant to part with him but ultimately did in a one-forone swap for Drew Pomeranz…

NEW YORK | Yankees  For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ NEW YORK After an impressive 2016 season at Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, 24-year-old lefthander Jordan Montgomery is likely to get his first taste of big league life when he is invited to major league spring training. “He had a career-changing season,’’ general manager Brian Cashman said of the 6-foot-5, 225-pound lefty taken in the fourth round of the 2014 draft out of South Carolina and signed for $424,000. “He made a big step forward and picked up velocity. He is starting to honor what our amateur scouts saw.’’ A big part of that process has been an evolving fastball. “When he was a kid the velocity was 91- to 93-mph. He got it…

Ciuffo Among Rays Invites ST. PETERSBURG When given the opportunity to come over to major league camp last spring to help out the Rays’ injury-depleted catching crew for a few days, prospect Nick Ciuffo made clear how big a deal that was. “I call those The Doors to Narnia,” Ciuffo said after walking down the hall to the other side of the Rays’ spring training facility. “When you cross those doors, you go into Narnia, you go into a fairy tale land because of how nice it is over here.” The big league clubhouse and all its amenities won’t be a fantasy to Ciuffo this spring because the Rays made him one of 11 minor leaguers invited to major league camp. Pitchers Jeff Ames and Andrew Kittredge, catcher Jonah Heim,…

Mallex Moves Twice ATLANTA When the Braves acquired Mallex Smith in 2014, he was supposed to be the team’s leadoff man of the future. But that was before the Braves fleeced the Diamondbacks in the Shelby Miller trade. In addition to landing shortstop Dansby Swanson, the Braves acquired leadoff man of the present Ender Inciarte in the team’s December 2015 trade that sent Miller to the Diamondbacks. Inciarte hit .291/.351/.381 for the Braves in 2016 while also impressing with his defense in center field. Inciarte signed a five-year contract extension in December, which solidified his presence in the outfield. Veterans Matt Kemp and Nick Markakis are pencilled into the outfield corners. That meant Smith’s only options were a spot on the bench or back in Triple-A. So after an injury-plagued…

Change Is Good For Voth WASHINGTON After Austin Voth improved his changeup in the Arizona Fall League, Nationals officials are looking forward to seeing what he can do in 2017. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound righthander had a solid season at Triple-A Syracuse, going 7-9, 3.15 with 133 strikeouts and 57 walks in 157 innings. That workload ranked fifth in the International League, but he went to the AFL to refine his secondary pitches. In each of his final three starts with Glendale, he pitched five scoreless innings. Voth “improved the feel and command of his changeup throughout the course of the Fall League and really built the confidence needed to use it in any count,” farm director Mark Scialabba said. “With some minor adjustments during this time, Austin was able to…

Make Or Break Year For Moya DETROIT Steven Moya’s days as a minor leaguer for the Tigers almost certainly will come to an end by the time Opening Day rolls around. Moya is out of minor league options, so chances are he will either head north as a member of the active roster or he will end up with another organizatio. It seems unlikely that a young outfielder with his power would clear waivers if the Tigers were to try to send him to the minors at the end of spring training. “He does have tremendous power,” Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. “You can’t teach that.” Moya showed some of that power in limited action with the Tigers last season with five home runs in just 100 plate appearances. But…

CINCINNATI | Reds For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ CINCINNATI The Reds’ future and past sat together at a table during RedsFest in January. There, the man with the most hits in the history of Major League Baseball told the team’s top prospect something that sounded counterintuitive. “I was talking to Pete Rose—it’s easy for him to say, but he said the easiest level to hit in is the big leagues,” third baseman Nick Senzel said. “It’s easy for him to say because he got over a billion hits, but he just said the lights are better, pitchers are better. It’s comforting to hear that from him.” If that’s the case for Senzel, the No. 2 pick last year, he has quite the future…

Pirates Hope To End Drought PITTSBURGH Every organization has blind spots when it comes to drafting. One of general manager Neal Huntington’s staff has been an inability to select productive hitters from the college ranks. The Pirates picked Pedro Alvarez and Jordy Mercer in the 2008 draft, Huntington’s first. But since then, Brock Holt is the only college bat to post 300 major league at-bats. Admittedly, college bats hasn’t been a key target of the Pirates. From 2009-2014, Pittsburgh had 23 picks in the top three rounds, only six times did they select a fouryear college hitter. Those were catcher Tony Sanchez (first round, 2009), first baseman Alex Dickerson (third round, 2011), outfielder Barrett Barnes (supplemental first round, 2012), shortstop JaCoby Jones (third round, 2013), third baseman Connor Joe (supplemental…

Reed, Moran Face Stiff Climb HOUSTON Coming into last season, A.J. Reed and Colin Moran were regarded not only as two of the Astros’ best prospects but also two of their closest potential contributors to a team with World Series aspirations. Both would appear to need a lot to go their way to play a significant role in 2017, a season the Astros are poised to enter with arguably the best lineup in the American League. The busy offseason of general manager Jeff Luhnow means several young Astros who debuted last season are most likely slated to begin next season back in Triple-A. Reed, as recently as last summer viewed as the organization’s first baseman of the future, and Moran, a third baseman once regarded highly enough to go sixth…

Haniger Proves His Worth SEATTLE While much of the focus of the November trade between the Mariners and Diamondbacks was on the two known pieces, shortstop Jean Segura going to the Mariners and pitcher Taijuan Walker going to the Diamondbacks, the other pieces were just as important to general manager Jerry Dipoto, specifically outfielder Mitch Haniger. “For us, Haniger became a critical element of the trade,” Dipoto said. “We like the player. We like the upside. We like his physicality.” They like Haniger so much they are penciling him as the starting right fielder going into spring training with Leonys Martin in center field and the recently-acquired Jarrod Dyson in left. A first-round pick of the Brewers in 2012 out of Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo, Haniger enjoyed a breakout season…

Coaches On The Move DENVER The Rockies completed their big league coaching staff by promoting four members of their minor league staff, pleasing farm director Zach Wilson but adding to his offseason workload. Rookie-level Grand Junction development supervisor Tony Diaz will be the Rockies’ first-base coach. Double-A Hartford development supervisor Ron Gideon will work with the Rockies’ outfielders, among other responsibilities. Hartford hitting coach Jeff Salazar is the Rockies’ assistant hitting coach while minor league hitting coordinator Duane Espy becomes the Rockies hitting coach, a position he held from 2003-2006. Diaz, Gideon, Salazar and Espy combined have 83 years of professional coaching experience, including 53 years in the Rockies’ organization. “The dominoes fell, and there’s side effects to that, but I think they’re all very positive side effects,” Wilson said,…

USA Baseball unveiled perhaps the best field in the short history of the National High School Invitational, set to take place from March 29-April 1 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C. “As the National Governing Body for baseball in the United States, we are proud to put the spotlight on the high school game with the 2017 NHSI,” said Paul Seiler, USA Baseball’s executive director/CEO, in a press release. “We are excited to welcome 16 of the top high school programs to the National Training Complex for what is truly a one-of-a-kind competitive and developmental experience for these players and programs.” The NHSI field this year could be the best in the history of the event. The field includes 10 of the Top 100 Prospects in…

Stan Zielinski, an area scout in the Midwest with the Chicago Cubs, passed away suddenly Thursday at his home in Winfield, Ill. He was 64. Zielinski was inducted into the Midwest Scouts Association Hall of Fame in December and was the Cubs’ scout of the year in 2015. He previously worked for the Marlins, Expos and White Sox. He was listed as a signing scout for several prominent major leaguers, including Kyle Schwarber, Jeff Samardzija, Cliff Floyd and Kirk Rueter, with Rueter signing as an 18thround pick. He worked with the Cubs since 2001 and started with the White Sox as a scout in 1979. According to a 2009 Chicago Tribune story by Dan McGrath, Zielinski grew up in Chicago and played baseball at St. Mary’s (Minn.). “Stan was an…

Columnist, MLB Network BOSTON There has never been a clear guide to Cooperstown disqualification, except for gambling on baseball games and failed tests within a system that was bargained for and monitored by principled advocates such as Gene Orza. Baseball has a strong drug testing program, and suspicions, appearances or grandfathering in androstenedione—which many players, including Mike Piazza, admitting to using when it was not illegal or a banned substance in the game—isn’t a slammed door. Manny Ramirez twice was suspended for usage. Ramirez was a great hitter, but those highly publicized suspensions seemingly eliminate him, as they likely will Alex Rodriguez. Jeff Bagwell has been a victim of suspicions, although he never tested positive, his name never turned up in the Mitchell Report and when his body shrunk later…

ANAHEIM As the 2017 American Baseball Coaches Association Convention began Jan. 5, the Division I coaches held their annual meeting to discuss the pressing issues in the game. In addition to some upcoming legislative reform, the ABCA has formed a committee to study pace of play and ways to possibly speed up the game. Pace of play has become a growing concern at all levels of baseball, and is especially problematic at the College World Series, where the length of an average nine-inning game has increased by more than 25 minutes since 2012. Vanderbilt coach Tim Corbin, who is leading the committee, said the ABCA wants to be proactive in seeking solutions for the pace of play so that any changes can be made with the input of the coaches…

The transformation has been quick, but virtually unnoticed from afar. With the emergence of a new leadership approach in Colorado two offseasons ago, the Rockies’ focus returned to the basics of baseball. No more gimmicks. No more moaning about altitude. No more attempts to reinvent the wheel. And look what has happened. A franchise built on scouting and player development finds itself so confident in the talent it has developed—and the talent that is on the way—that it signed free agent Ian Desmond, not to patch a hole, but to play first base and bring playoff experience. In other words, the Rockies believe they will be a factor in the National League West in 2017. It all starts with the homegrown nucleus and confidence in the farm system. The Rockies…

BORN: July 13, 1995. B-T: L-L. HT.: 6-4. WT.: 210. DRAFTED: HS—Chandler, Ariz., 2013 (4th round). SIGNED BY: Dustin Yount. NO. 1 PROS PECT BACKGROUND: Bellinger’s father Clay played three seasons with the Yankees from 1999-2001 and two games with the Angels in 2002, batting .193 over 311 career at-bats. While Clay’s major league career was brief, his son Cody has a chance to develop into one of the game’s stars. Bellinger was 17 when the Dodgers drafted him in the fourth round of the 2013 draft and signed him for $700,000. His first two years in the system, Bellinger showed impressive pure hitting ability but mostly gap power as a first baseman. In 2015, Bellinger transformed himself into slugger who hit 30 home runs at high Class A Rancho…

As the 2017 season draws near, the Giants sit in the same position they occupied in each of the past five seasons. If they can just beat the Dodgers, the National League West should be theirs. The Diamondbacks, Padres and Rockies (who have never won the division) seem stuck in a perpetual rebuild. Not one of those three teams has posted a winning record since the Arizona won the division in 2011. Since then, it’s been the Giants and Dodgers battling for supremacy. Eventually that duopoly will have to end, though it may not change in 2017. But the most stable organization in baseball enters 2017 with the realization its current window of contention is closing slowly. The Dodgers are younger than the Giants. They have a better farm system…

O’s Hope Santander Is A-Grade BALTIMORE The Orioles will try again to keep a player on their roster who’s making the jump from A-ball. It worked in 2015 with pitcher Jason Garcia. Maybe it will happen again in 2017 after the Orioles chose outfielder Anthony Santander from the Indians in the Rule 5 draft. Santander, a 22-year old switch-hitter from Venezuela, batted .290/.368/.494 with 42 doubles, 20 home runs and 95 RBIs in 128 games at high Class A Lynchburg. He’s a career .271/.343/.449 hitter in five minor league seasons. “He’s a disciple of Victor Martinez,” general manager Dan Duquette said. “If you see him play, he has a lot of Martinez’s mannerisms. He has a similar stance. Excellent young hitter. He was the best young player in the Carolina…

Jays Eager To Watch Gurriel TORONTO Somewhat lost amid the Blue Jays’ more pressing offseason business was the signing of Lourdes Gurriel Jr., and how he might factor into the club’s 2017 picture. The 23-year-old from Cuba’s most prominent baseball family is one of the farm system’s few on-the-cusp players as spring training approaches. While he isn’t expected to head north with the big league team at camp’s end, he certainly has a chance to break through. “One of the best attributes that we’ve acquired is his aptitude and his pedigree,” Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said. “He’s been in an incredible baseball family his whole life and around some of the best Cuban baseball players ever. Excited about his aptitude, about the person. Excited about the athleticism, and…

Lusignan Finds Love, Power MIAMI Burned out, Colby Lusignan decided not to play his senior year at Eustis (Fla.) High, or the year after. His baseball career was seemingly over. Fortunately for Lusignan, he rediscovered his love for the game and was soon launching baseballs again. A 6-4, 235-pound lefthanded-hitting first baseman, Lusignan, 24, was the Marlins’ 28th-round pick in 2016 out of Division II Lander. He produced an .891 OPS in his pro debut in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League. When he quit baseball, Lusignan pursued a career in music production. One day, he accompanied his younger brother to batting practice, where he made a crucial discovery about himself. “I still had it,” Lusignan said of his power, “and I realized how much I missed the game.” Lusignan’s first…

CHICAGO | White Sox For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ CHICAGO The White Sox like all three young pitchers they got back from the Nationals in their trade of outfielder Adam Eaton. Lucas Giolito is the biggest name coming from Washington, and Dane Dunning is viewed as a potential top-end starter down the road. But when enough time passes, Reynaldo Lopez might be the best piece of the deal. Giolito and Lopez were the Nats’ top two pitching propects, and both righthanders made it to the major leagues last season. With Chicago in rebuilding mode, Lopez and Giolito are both likely to open the upcoming season in the minors. “There is still a fair amount of development with each of them, general manager Rick…

Mills Nearly Ready For Royals KANSAS CITY After being a 22nd-round draft pick in 2012 out of Tennessee-Martin and having Tommy John surgery in 2013, righthander Alec Mills is now a candidate for the Royals’ 2017 rotation. Mills went 5-5, 3.22 in 24 games for Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Triple-A Omaha last season. He made an inauspicious major league debut on May 18. He retired just two of the six Red Sox hitters he faced, allowing a run on a hit, two walks and a hit batter. “It was one of those things where I didn’t feel nervous,” Mills said. “I just couldn’t settle myself down mechanically and throw the way I knew I could throw.” Mills went back to the minors after the game. He went 2-0, 2.49 in…

Young Takes Big Stride CHICAGO Infielder Chesny Young, who came within an adjusted batting average of a second consecutive league batting title in 2016, took yet another big developmental stride during Dominican winter ball. And it wasn’t his .350 hitting with a .400-plus OBP that was most impressive to Cubs officials. “Most important he’s really come along defensively down there in the Dominican playing third base,” said farm director Jaron Madison. “We’re getting really good reviews about his play at third, which is really good for him because it opens up more opportunities around the infield. As you know, we like to move guys around.” Just ask Kris Bryant, Ben Zobrist and Javy Baez on the big league club. Young, 24, was a second baseman from Mercer when he was…

New Angle For Sherriff ST. LOUIS After several years of steady advancement but few breakouts, Ryan Sherriff decided to change the angle of his approach. To reach the higher levels, he had to drop down. “I used to throw over the top,” the lefty reliever said. “I figured, what do I have to lose? I was never a top prospect. I was never a guy on the radar. So, what do I have to lose? The gains have been obvious. Sherriff, 26, became a fixture in the Triple-A Memphis bullpen and went 7-1, 2.84 in 49 appearances last summer. That earned him an invitation to the Arizona Fall League, and he was considered for a spot on the 40-man roster before the Rule 5 draft. Sherriff, a 2011 28th-round pick…

Angels Intrigued By Duensing ANAHEIM High school draftees can be tentative, even timid, during their transition to pro ball, unsure how to carry themselves on and off the field and how to handle the everyday rigors of a game that is now a job. That wasn’t the case with Cole Duensing, a 6-foot-4, 175-pound righthander who signed for $501,300—almost double his slot value— after the Angels selected him in the sixth round out of Blue Valley Northwest HS in Overland Park, Kan., last June. Duensing, 18, threw just 13 innings in the Rookie-level Arizona League, going 2-0, 1.38 with 11 strikeouts and five walks in eight games, but his attitude and approach left as much of an impression on Matt Wise, his pitching coach, as did his stuff and potential.…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ SAN DIEGO | Padres SAN DIEGO Early in his tenure as a Padres owner, John Moores said Major League Baseball should think about expanding to Cuba. That day has not come, but the Padres themselves are finally now making a strong play in the Cuban market with five Cuban signees in this year’s international class. “We’re excited about all of them,” farm director Sam Geaney said from the Dominican Republic, where a few of the Cuban prospects are based at the team’s complex training in Najayo, San Cristobal. Three of the Cubans—lefthander Adrian Morejon, outfielder Jorge Ona and righthander Ronald Bolanos—took part in the team’s instructional league last fall in Arizona. They, along with two recent signees, pitchers…

Rios Rising in Deep System LOS ANGELES It is a sign of just how deep the Dodgers farm system has become that Edwin Rios can’t crack the list of its top prospects. That could change very soon if Rios continues the type of production he showed in 2016. It was Rios—not more heralded blue-chip prospects Cody Bellinger, Willie Calhoun or Alex Verdugo—who was named the 2016 Branch Rickey Award winner as the Dodgers’ top minor league position player. “We knew about Edwin’s sweet stroke and raw power when he entered our system,” Dodgers farm director Gabe Kapler said. “(Scouting director) Billy Gasparino and our scouting department did a sensational job of illuminating his strengths and sharing where he’d been. What we didn’t have was a full appreciation for his leadership…

Transactions Transactions involving minor league players, i.e. those not on 40-man rosters, covering the period Dec. 23, 2016–Jan. 5, 2017. ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS: Signed RHP Ivan Pineyro. Released 3B Kal Simmons. Traded OF Peter O'Brien to Royals for RHP Sam Lewis. ATLANTA BRAVES: Re-signed LHP Eric O'Flaherty. BALTIMORE ORIOLES: Signed RHP Trey Haley. BOSTON RED SOX: Signed RHP Shawn Haviland, 2Bs Heiker Meneses and Jose Rosario and OF Brian Bogusevic. CHICAGO CUBS: Signed C Carlos Corporan and 3B Chris Dominguez. Resigned 2B Munenori Kawasaki. CHICAGO WHITE SOX: Signed 3B Cody Asche. Released RHP Jorge Rondon. CINCINNATI REDS: Signed RHPs Geoff Broussard and Deunte Heath and C Adrian Nieto. CLEVELAND INDIANS: Signed C Roger Marmol and 1B Chris Colabello. DETROIT TIGERS: Signed RHP Edward Mujica and 1Bs Sean Halton and Efren Navarro.…

TED KENDRICK, NEW YORK I found this question interesting because it’s a useful illustration of how much difference there is between ceiling and where we actually rank a player. In the Prospect Handbook, we include BA Grades, our swing at projecting a likely ceiling for a player. But a likely ceiling for a player is vastly different than their absolute top-of-the-scale ceiling, even if they have just a 1 percent chance of reaching it. A ranking based solely on top-end ceiling would look very different from the Reds Top 10 Prospects list that appeared in the previous issue (Issue 1703). A Reds all-ceiling Top 10 would be led by Taylor Trammell (No. 5 on the actual Top 10), followed by Tony Santillan (ranked in the teens), Cody Reed (No. 2),…

Columnist, MLB.com DENVER While the Chicago Cubs were putting an end to a 108-year World Series championship drought in 2016, the baseball public became engrossed with the way managers Terry Francona of the Indians and Joe Maddon of the Cubs turned the seven-game Series into a chess match with bullpens. Relievers combined to work 58.1 innings, with Francona calling on the bullpen to work more innings (32.1) than the rotation (30.2), and speculation grew about whether the World Series would create a radical philosophical change in bullpen usage. Not likely. With a New Year having been rung in, Opening Day just 90 days away, and teams moving ahead in their focus on the 2017 regular season, don’t look for a major overhaul of how the game is played come April.…

Power is such an important component of today’s game that a scout recently told Baseball America that he hesitates to recommend any player for whom he cannot project at least fringe-average power. That’s a 45 on the 20-80 scouting scale, and it translates to roughly 10 to 12 home runs per season. This pertains to corner players, of course, but even up-the-middle players hit for power today. Here are the seasonal rates for players at all eight field positions over the past three seasons, 2014 to 2016, where DT stands for doubles-plus-triples: The scout is not only correct in his valuation of power—even the league-average shortstop hits 13 homers per season today—but if anything he undersells the importance of power. That’s because the complete data set in the table above…

The Diamondbacks came out of spring training in 2016 with a Cactus Leaguebest 24-8 record and a huge wave of optimism, largely due to what was expected to be a bolstered rotation after the free-agent signing of Dodgers ace Zack Greinke and the controversial trade to acquire Shelby Miller from the Braves. With their rotation fortified, Arizona was supposed to thrive in 2016 and catapult into contention for the National League West title. Instead, everything fell apart. The D-backs finished 69-93, which was quite the fall from the club’s optimistic preseason outlook. They barely squeaked by the Padres to finish one game out of the NL West cellar. Center fielder A.J. Pollock fractured his elbow in the next-to-last spring training game and missed most of the season. With the outfield…

NO. 1 PROS PECT BORN: August 6, 1996. B-T: R-R. HT.: 6-0. WT.: 185. DRAFTED: HS—Lake Mary, Fla., 2015 (1st round). SIGNED BY: John Cedarburg. BACKGROUND: Rodgers grew up in a family that had a focus on soccer, but his attention turned to baseball at the age of 5. His best friend’s father, Ralph Nema, introduced Rodgers to baseball and coached him a good part of his youth. He was a multisport participant during his youth, but in kindergarten he proclaimed he would be a baseball player when he grew up. He certainly had big league touches to his development. While Nema was his youth coach, former big leaguers Dante Bichette, an original Rockies outfielder, and all-star closer Tom Gordon also coached Rodgers. He was considered the top prospect in…

Everything that could go wrong for the Padres did go wrong in the major leagues in 2016. The Padres not only suffered their sixth straight losing season, but posted their worst record in that time with a 68-94 mark. First-year manager Andy Green injected energy and optimism into the clubhouse, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the calamities that struck the franchise. After a 16-4 shellacking at the hands of the Mariners on May 31 that dropped the Padres’ record to 20-33, executive chairman Ron Fowler publicly called the team “miserable failures” on their flagship radio station. And so began a fire sale, with veterans James Shields, Matt Kemp, Fernando Rodney, Melvin Upton, Andrew Cashner and Drew Pomeranz all traded by August, starting the latest rebuilding process in a franchise…

BORN: May 23, 1993. B-T: R-R. HT.: 6-4. WT.: 210. DRAFTED: Vanderbilt, 2013 (1st round). SIGNED BY: Andrew Jefferson. NO. 1 PROS PECT BACKGROUND: A two-time first-round pick, Beede turned down the Blue Jays out of high school as the 21st overall pick in 2011. He went to Vanderbilt and dominated as a sophomore, going 14-1, 2.32 and leading Division I in wins. He also ranked in the top 10 in the nation for hit rate per nine innings (5.7) despite plenty of wildness (5.6 walks per nine). He threw more strikes as a junior, but wasn’t as effective. The Giants selected Beede 14th overall in the 2014 draft and signed him for a shade more than $2.6 million. San Francisco reworked his delivery in 2015 by slowing down his…

Dalbec Has Power To Spare BOSTON Bobby Dalbec entered his junior year at Arizona as a potential first-round pick based on monster offensive numbers in college and in the Cape Cod League as a sophomore. He was a power hitting third baseman first who, based on team necessity, moonlighted as a pitcher. His offense faltered during the season, however, with a modest .260/.370/.429 line combining with a troubling 31 percent strikeout rate, marks that allowed him to slip to the Red Sox in the fifth round. While his offense hurt his draft stock, his work on the mound helped carry Arizona to the brink of a national title with a dominant performance in the College World Series. Yet as rewarding as Dalbec found his college team’s success, his preference going…

PHILADELPHIA | Phillies For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ PHILADELPHIA A player’s first year in professional baseball is a series of lessons. Among the many No. 1 overall pick Mickey Moniak learned in 2016 was he needed to add strength to his rangy, 6-foot-2 frame. “There were a lot of positives that came out of the first year,” said Moniak, 18. “I felt like I jumped in there and really competed. I hit well in July. In August, I started to fatigue and I wasn’t prepared for that, being my first season. It was a good learning experience. I needed to get stronger.” In the fall, Moniak spent three weeks at the Phillies’ strength and conditioning camp in Clearwater. By early December, the lefthanded-hitting…

Evans Still Around NEW YORK The Mets left infielder Phillip Evans unprotected in the Rule 5 draft and were fortunate when he went unselected. As such, the 24-year-old remains with the organization after winning the Eastern League batting title in 2016. A 15th-round pick in 2011, Evans hit .335 with eight homers and 39 RBIs in 361 at-bats with Double-A Binghamton. To win the batting title, Evans actually needed an extra decimal place. He topped Portland’s Aneury Tavarez .3352 to .3351 after Evans went 4-for-6 in a 13-inning inning game on the final day of the regular season. “From the start of the season until the end of the season is kind of like a roller coaster,” Evans said. “I had not been able to get many opportunities in the…

Tribe Seeks To Shore Up ‘Pen CLEVELAND By the end of last season, the Indians’ bullpen was considered one of the best in the majors. Manager Terry Francona, an adroit bullpen handler, rode the bullpen hard through the postseason, with good results. As the team looks ahead to next season, the bullpen again figures to be a key component. “We look at our bullpen as a position of strength,” president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said. “It’s a group of highquality relievers we feel very confident turning the ball over to.” Unfortunately for some of the younger pitchers in the organization, there aren’t many openings in that bullpen. At the start of the new year five spots in the bullpen appear set: Cody Allen, Andrew Miller, Bryan Shaw, Dan Otero…

Baddoo Brushes Off Slow Start MINNEAPOLIS Two months into his professional career, Akil Baddoo is already drawing comparisons to Torii Hunter. The Twins aren’t worried. “Torii hit one-something (actually .190) in the GCL. It doesn’t mean a thing,” Mike Radcliff, the Twins’ vice president for player personnel, said of the five-time all-star’s 1993 pro debut. “We have zero doubts about Akil. Forget the numbers. He impressed us in a lot of ways.” Baddoo, drafted with the 74th overall pick last June, collected only 19 hits—precisely as many as Hunter did, by coincidence—in 38 Gulf Coast League games last summer, finishing with an ugly .178/.299/.271 slash line that nevertheless encouraged his new employers. Baddoo, like Hunter a speedy outfielder, was just 17 years old, with a body still growing and a…

Charles Finally Finds A Home MILWAUKEE After the ups and downs of 2016, Art Charles figures he’s ready to handle just about anything. “It was definitely the craziest year of my career,” the 26-year-old first baseman said. “But some good things came from it.” Charles’ year began on a somewhat shocking note when he was released by the Phillies during spring training. The left-handed slugger, who was originally a 20th-round pick in 2010 out of Bakersfield (Calif.) JC by the Blue Jays, signed with the Laredo Lemurs of the independent American Association but was immediately traded to the New Jersey Jackals of the independent Can-Am-League . “I didn’t even know you could do that, trade across (indy) leagues,” he said. “It was a strange feeling, especially after being released by…

TEXAS | Rangers For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ ARLINGTON Jonathan Lucroy will be the Rangers’ catcher in 2017, and for a few more if he agrees to a contract extension this offseason. Keeping Lucroy long-term is a front-burner item for general manager Jon Daniels, even though the top defensive catcher in the minor leagues in 2016 is poised to jump to Double A and perhaps beyond in 2017. But nothing more than this season is on the mind of Jose Trevino, who was awarded a minor league Rawlings Gold Glove after a terrific season with high Class A High Desert. His goal is to win another. “Can I do it again? That’s the biggest question,” said Trevino, who spent a second straight postseason…

Overton Learns While Waiting OAKLAND A funny thing happened to Dillon Overton on his road to recovery: He learned how to pitch. Overton had Tommy John surgery shortly after the A’s drafted him in the second round in 2013, and he has been gradually building strength since the surgery. He threw just 37 controlled innings in 2014, then 126 in 2015. That all served as prelude to a very interesting 2016. At Triple-A Nashville, he went 13-5, 3.29 with 105 strikeouts in 125.2 innings. In the majors, however, he went 1-3, 11.47. He allowed 12 homers in 24.1 innings with the A’s after giving up just six with Nashville. The lefty threw in the mid-90s at Oklahoma, and had been projected as a high first-round pick before it became apparent…

Lewis Now On The Radar PHOENIX Righthander Sam Lewis is used to flying under the radar, but it was a welcome change to find himself targeted by another club in a trade. Lewis, 25, was sent to the Diamondbacks for slugger Peter O’Brien in a deal with the Royals on Jan. 3. “It’s awesome,” Lewis said. “Being on a club’s radar and knowing they traded for you is a pretty good feeling. I’m going to do my best and try to make a good first impression.” Lewis, a 6-foot-4, 195-pound reliever, has taken a backroads path to pro ball. He went to high school in remote Horseheads, N.Y., then played college at another small school, NAIA Indiana Wesleyan. He went undrafted in 2012 but threw well enough the following summer…

Slater Finds His Power SAN FRANCISCO During his first two professional seasons, spanning 145 games and 576 at-bats, Austin Slater hit a grand total of five home runs. Last season, which he split between Double-A Richmond and Triple-A Sacramento, Slater ripped 18 homers over 109 games and 390 at-bats. That power increase is one reason Slater, 24, has a decent chance to make his major league debut with San Francisco at some point in 2017. Slater, a 2014 eighth-round pick from Stanford, attributes his home run jump in large part to “pitch selection, being more aggressive in hitters’ counts. “Early in the count, you might see a fastball right on the corner of the plate,” he said. “You might be thinking to yourself, ‘I can hit that ball,’ but is…

Baseball Analyst, Senior Writer ESPN.com PHILADELPHIA So here it is, the dead of winter. And you know what I can’t get out of my head? Bartolo Colon’s home run. Yeah, really. What the heck is wrong with me anyway? And then I realize. Nothing is wrong with me. I’m thinking about Bartolo’s magical home run because it makes me laugh—but also because it reminds me of something I never want to forget. That baseball is awesome. And this totally goofy, totally exhilarating, totally out-of-the-blue home run was one of those OMG moments that sums up the strange but true beauty of this incredible sport. So what better time to savor those beautiful moments than now, when there is no baseball at all—other than the awesome memories that get us through…