1 - Rick Porcello
2 - J.P. Arincibia
3 - Logan Morrison
4 - Jeremy Jeffress
5 - Adrian Cardenas
6 - Jeremy Hellickson
7 - Sean West
8 - Wilson Ramos
9 - Scott Cousins
10 - Michael Taylor
11 - Todd Frazier
12 - Drew Stubbs
13 - Chris Valaika
14 - Jose Ceda
15 - Juan Francisco
16 - Taylor Green
17 - Cale Iorg
18 - Francisco Samuel
19 - Jonathan Lucroy
20 - Zach McAllister
Not out on the website yet, but available via the newsprint issue that came out yesterday.
Discuss.
I personally like Todd Frazier more than any other position prospect on that list except for maybe Logan Morrison.
I think we'll look back on these rankings in 3-4 years and get a good laugh. The Reds' system is going back to being very underrated by BA, I think.
Weird...it's like they got to #10 and remembered that the Sarasota Reds existed so they just threw them all in there together.
Baseball America revealed the scouting reports on the FSL top 20 today. Here are just a few highlights from each player:
11. Todd Frazier:
Excellent bat control and drives ball well to all fields. 20-25 home run power in the majors. Lacks range to be full time SS. Strong enough arm to handle 3B or right field. Some think he could play everyday in the bigs while rotation between different positions.
12: Drew Stubbs
Changed his batting stance. He now spreads out more to improve his balance. Improved his awareness at the plate, and doesn't chase as many bad pitches as before. His power is still raw power rather than productive power. Hit a couple moon shot homers but most of time hit line drives to gaps. Has plus-plus speed and runs the bases aggressively. Well above average range in CF and has a plus arm and instincts.
13. Chris Valaika
Lacks great tools but makes up for it with performance. Great bat control. Positions himself well in the field. Aggressive at the plate. His power and hitting ability grade out as a 55 on the 20-80 scale. Slightly below-average speed. Lost weight which slightly improved range but still profiles best at second base. Average arm.
15. Juan Francisco
Some of best raw power in minors. Puts on a show in batting practice. Has one of the worst batting eyes in the minors. He cut down on his strikeout rates by working the count better than he has in the past. His strength allows him to turn check swings and mis-hits into balls off the wall. May be forced off third base as he continues to get bigger. May end up in left or right field. Run wells for his size and has a plus-plus arm.
Last edited by OnBaseMachine; 09-29-2008 at 01:06 PM.
I like the writeup on Stubbs. Can't wait to see him get a shot in Cincinnati.
I'm not liking the report on Francisco. The worst batting eye in the minors? What that means to me is that he needs to improve a WHOLE LOT to even have a shot at a big league career. It's not impossible but it definitely may take a while.
Here's the exact quote on Francisco:Originally Posted by BRM
owner of one of the least discerning batting eyes in the minors
That doesn't make me feel much better.
Q: Kyle from Middletown asks:
Is Drew Stubbs a better prospect now than he was at this time last year? Do you think that he will again sneak into the top 100?
A:
J.J. Cooper: Yes, he's definitely a better prospect now. At this time last year, Stubbs was a 22-year-old coming off of a mediocre year in low Class A. Now he's a 23-year-old who has produced in Double-A and Triple-A. More importantly, he has tightened up his swing a little and developed a better understanding of what pitchers are trying to do. His power dipped as he focused on making solid contact, but his power should continue to develop and he's a great defensive center fielder. There's a lot less bust potential to Stubbs now than there was a year ago.
Q: Kyle from Middletown asks:
How much higher on this list would Francisco rank if he drew 30 walks? How good is his power potential?
A: J.J. Cooper: If he had shown better strike zone awareness he would have been in the top 10. His power potential is massive, but there's a nagging worry that as he moves up the ladder, pitchers will carve him up unless he learns that it's best to swing at strikes. He does have a knack for putting the bat on the ball, and even his check swings can travel to the wall, but he's going to have to learn to mix his aggressiveness at the plate with improved pitch recognition as he moves to Double-A and beyond.
Q: Kyle from Middletown asks:
Did Chris Heisey garner any consideration for the top 20? Can he be more than a fourth outfielder in the big leagues?
A: J.J. Cooper: It was hard to find an FSL manager who didn't like Heisey, and his tools ended up being better than I had expected going in. There's not any one thing about Heisey that stands out, but he does a lot of things well. He is an excellent defender in the outfield who can play all three spots, he runs well and is an excellent base stealer. He knows how to draw walks, hits for average and has a little power. That being said, he probably projects best as a fourth outfielder. His tools are good, but they're not great. I can't help but see some similarities between him and Chris Denorfia, another Reds late-round pick from a small school.
Q: Kyle from Middletown asks:
Does Chris Valaika have the bat to start at second or third base? How long will it be until he is ready for Cincinnati?
A: J.J. Cooper: He has the bat to be an offensive second baseman. The bat isn't the concern with Valaika, the glove is. I'd say he's still a year away, especially if he moves off shortstop at some point, but if Jerry Hairston Jr., and Jeff Keppinger can play shortstop for the Reds, who's to say that Valaika can't?
Denorfia a comp for Heisey? How does the RedsZone minor league crowd feel about that one?
I would hope the idea would be to actually improve the defense at SS. If Valaika is in Keppinger or Hairston's class defensively, then I hope he never plays SS for the Reds. Put him at 2B now if that's the case.
Q: Roy Hobbs from Buffalo, New Yotk asks:
Where would Yonder Alonso have been slotted had he been around long enough?
A: J.J. Cooper: He barely got into a game, so it's impossible to even start to think about ranking him.
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