Friday, September 12, 2014

Prospect Plus: Summer's Best

It's been a busy summer for Only Time Will Tell. Baseball games in three different states, two trips and ton of golf. But over the summer, I've been able to see some of the best prospects in baseball in the South Atlantic League and the Florida State League.

Here are the list of the top prospects I've seen during my travels this summer:

  1. Dominic Smith, 1B, Savannah (SAL): The former Mets first round pick looks the part of major league power hitter despite just being a year out of high school. Smith is still a couple of years away but could be the power bat the Mets have been waiting for. 
  2. Adam Brett Walker, OF, Fort Myers (FSL): While there is the concern of a college player still playing in the Florida State League, Walker has both the power and the speed that scouts crave. When we say him he had an inside the park home run. A week or so earlier he won the home run derby at the All Star game. 
  3. JP Crawford, SS, Lakewood (SAL): The former first round pick of the Phillies really grew during his second year in pro ball. Last year he looked over matched, but now he seems like he has a solid bat to go along with his plus glove.
  4. Chance Sisco, C, Delmarva, (SAL): This is what top catching prospects look like. Sisco has a good arm and soft hands, as should be expected, and his body does indeed look more like a catcher than infielder. At the plate, he should be able to bring his solid contact skills and quick bat to bear in the minors, while power may take a few years to really show up.
  5. Wendell Rijo, 2B, Greenville (SAL): Rijo hits from a wide-open stance, with his hands high, before taking big step to close to even in his stride. Quick hands, solid batspeed.
  6. Dylan Cozens, OF, Lakewood (SAL): The raw power is impressive and he gets it from everywhere in his swing and strength.Cozens is a giant human being with a classic slugger profile, with nothing left to projection at this point. At the plate he has huge raw power and a good approach, he made decent contact in his debut but he will need to make more to reach his power ceiling. Regardless of what position Cozens finishes at his bat will be the tool that carries him.
  7. Carlos Tocci, OF, Lakewood (SAL): His bat is still an issue but his glove is major league ready right now. Took great steps this year after a second year in Lakewood.
  8. Avery Romero, 2B, Greensboro (SAL): He's almost as valuable a prospect as a second or third baseman, because his bat is the real appeal here. He has good bat speed which should give him above average power down the road.
  9. Nick Petree, Palm Beach (FSL): While his fastball is nothing special, his change up already looks like a plus pitch, and he shows great command in deploying a decent slider and curve when necessary to further confuse hitters.
  10. Austin Urban, P, Delmarva (SAL): While not being mentioned on any top prospect list, Urban impressed me during his stint as a closer with the Shorebirds. During his visit to Lakewood, Urban topped at 95 mph with a good breaking ball.


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