Baseball America's Top 20 Midwest League Prospects

[crazybob60]

Duran...Hard to really take him seriously yet. He can hit the ball a country mile but has areas of his game that...lets put it this way: If Billy Hamilton's speed is off the scouts' scale, Duran has some areas that are also off the scale only on the other end.

I have also wondered at times this season, and I may be completely off base on this, but if Duran wasn't 6'6" or whatever he is, would he really be having the hype around him that he did? Or if he wasn't signed as such a youngster. I know those are just hypothetical things, but it just makes me wonder sometimes. The times that I saw Duran play in person this season, I came away really unimpressed, but that's just me.

[dougdirt]

It is not the 103 steals that made Billy the #2 prospect. It is the once-in-a-lifetime athletic ability that shows up in all phases of his game. We don't know if any Single-A player can improve his skills enough to play in the majors. It will depend on a lot of things (in no particular order):

1) Tools
2) Skills
3) Work ethic
4) Staying healthy
5) Coaching
6) Ability to implement the coaching into on-field performance
7) Willingness to listen
8) Ability to adjust
9) Instincts
10) Baseball IQ

They all have a long way to go. Hamilton has something none of the rest of them have: A body capable of things that few have ever seen.

I bolded the very important part of what you said, and I agree. To a point. Hamilton is a prospect of his rank because of his athleticism that not many players can touch. I have said it before and will say it again, the guy gets to baseballs that other very good shortstops only dream about being able to get a glove on. He is just on a different level on that side of things. But baseball is still about hitting. You have to be able to do it. Right now, I don't see much that says that Billy Hamilton will ever become more than a 30 grade MLB hitter. I hope he does, but I am not sold on it at all. He struggles to determine pitches and he has next to no power. That isn't a good combo for a hitter, even as a raw player.

[Blitz Dorsey]

Tucker Barnhart was named to the Minor League Gold Glove team. The only player from the Midwest League or Reds organization. That's quite an honor, I'd say.

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/n...&tcid=fb_share

We are like the Roman Empire of catching prospects. (Minus the whole empire collapsing part.)