Who is Redszone's #9 prospect?

[camisadelgolf]

#1 C Devin Mesoraco
#2 1B/OF Yonder Alonso
#3 C Yasmani Grandal
#4 SS Billy Hamilton
#5 SS Zack Cozart
#6 RHP Dan Corcino
#7 RHP Robert Stephenson
#8 RHP Brad Boxberger

[bubbachunk]

Soto for his power displayed this season and his pedigree coming in. Still wish he could have stayed at 3B though.

[dougdirt]

Yorman Rodriguez. Still has all of the tools you want to see. He was one of three 18 year olds in the Midwest League this year and held his own. Too much upside here for anyone else to go before him.

[Ohayou]

Yorman Rodriguez. He's got a lot to improve on, but he's only 18, and he held his own in the MIDW. Not many guys his age can boast that.

[fearofpopvol1]

I can't believe Sappelt is still on the board here. The guy is a major leaguer...it's just a matter of is he a starter or not.

[Superdude]

Originally Posted by fearofpopvol1

I can't believe Sappelt is still on the board here. The guy is a major leaguer...it's just a matter of is he a starter or not.

That's kind of a significant matter isn't it?

[dougdirt]

Originally Posted by fearofpopvol1

I can't believe Sappelt is still on the board here. The guy is a major leaguer...it's just a matter of is he a starter or not.

I am with you.... but I am in even more shock that Yorman is here. Both would be off the board for me by this point.

[Kc61]

Originally Posted by fearofpopvol1

I can't believe Sappelt is still on the board here. The guy is a major leaguer...it's just a matter of is he a starter or not.

I think those of us who haven't voted for Sappelt watched him play with the Reds last year. Didn't play like a top ten prospect.

Yorman Rodriguez, based on overall talent level, needs to be in the top ten. I've got him here.

[chicoruiz]

For me it came down to trying to guess which is more likely to happen: Torreyes to physically mature a bit or Yorman to emotionally mature a lot. I went with Torreyes.

[lollipopcurve]

I think those of us who haven't voted for Sappelt watched him play with the Reds last year. Didn't play like a top ten prospect.

Yorman Rodriguez, based on overall talent level, needs to be in the top ten. I've got him here.

I watched him play and I've been voting for him for several rounds now. Great swing, very good defense and his baserunning looked under control. Solid skills in all facets of the game. This is a guy who will have a long major league career, and his ceiling is as a regular who will hit .300 at least once.

Mistake to dismiss him after 100 major league ABs.

[HokieRed]

I agree on Sappelt. I've liked him for two years and I thought he showed progress in his at-bats this year with the Reds. I think he'll win the CF contest if no one is brought in from the outside. That said, I can't have him in front of Yorman, my number 6.
A couple of interesting things to consider about the year Yorman had as a 19 year old in the Midwest League.
1. Here are Mesoraco's 20 year old stats from that league: very very similar to Yorman's. Mes: .261/.311/.399/.710, 64 K/20W, 23 extra base hits out of 80, around 30%; Yorman: .254/.318/.393/.711 84 K/25W, 21 extra base hits out of 71, around 30%. Very comparable numbers. Some, of course, thought this was a bad year for Mes, but some of us at the time didn't think that at all.
2. Average age of the Dayton pitching staff (just averaging the yearly figures and dividing by the number of pitchers): 22.2 years. Assuming a roughly equivalent figure throughout the league, that means Yorman was consistently facing pitchers who are more than 3 years older than he is. For a player at Yorman's age (or for Mes when he was 20), that kind of difference is enormous.

[lollipopcurve]

A couple of interesting things to consider about the year Yorman had as a 19 year old in the Midwest League.
1. Here are Mesoraco's 20 year old stats from that league: very very similar to Yorman's. Mes: .261/.311/.399/.710, 64 K/20W, 23 extra base hits out of 80, around 30%; Yorman: .254/.318/.393/.711 84 K/25W, 21 extra base hits out of 71, around 30%. Very comparable numbers. Some, of course, thought this was a bad year for Mes, but some of us at the time didn't think that at all.
2. Average age of the Dayton pitching staff (just averaging the yearly figures and dividing by the number of pitchers): 22.2 years. Assuming a roughly equivalent figure throughout the league, that means Yorman was consistently facing pitchers who are more than 3 years older than he is. For a player at Yorman's age (or for Mes when he was 20), that kind of difference is enormous.

No doubt he's got great tools. But he couldn't stay on the field. And now he's not on a winter league roster. That tells me one of two things must be true (and both may be true):

1. He's got a significant injury. We were hearing shoulder, but the reports always sounded somewhat ambiguous.

2. His off-field issues are continuing. Whatever they may be.

He's out of my top 10. There's something not quite right with Yorman's career right now, and until he's back playing every day my confidence in him as a prospect will remain decidedly adjusted.

[Kc61]

Originally Posted by lollipopcurve

I watched him play and I've been voting for him for several rounds now. Great swing, very good defense and his baserunning looked under control. Solid skills in all facets of the game. This is a guy who will have a long major league career, and his ceiling is as a regular who will hit .300 at least once.

Mistake to dismiss him after 100 major league ABs.

I haven't dismissed Sappelt, I just wasn't that impressed.

His best attribute is his ability to make contact. This is his best skill and I think it will help him stay in the major leagues.

Sappelt also plays good defense. But he doesn't have a very good throwing arm and this limits him as a defender.

My biggest concern was that DS didn't show much power; nor did he show much patience. Either one would help him enormously. But if he doesn't walk and doesn't homer, then he's totally dependent on striking balls that fall in for base hits.

In the minor leagues, he hit for a high BA, true. In 1781 plate appearances he hit 31 homers and walked 129 times. So - in the major leagues - I don't see him as a top of the order OBP guy; nor do I see him as a middle of the order power guy.

So I haven't voted for DS well aware of his excellent contact ability. I just don't think the whole package will make him a major league regular.

Guys improve after facing a lot of MLB pitching, so hopefully I'm wrong and Dave becomes a star player.

P.S. - If Stubbs had Sappelt's ability to make contact, he'd be a perennial all star.

[lollipopcurve]

Guys improve after facing a lot of MLB pitching, so hopefully I'm wrong and Dave becomes a star player.

So, guys you have ranked above him you have pegged as future stars?

[Kc61]

On Soto, now that he's a first baseman, I think this hurts his rating. I'll take Yorman based on all around ability.

Soto had a good year at AAA. For sure. But his overall minor league record does not reflect a player who can become a solid regular at first base. First base requires superior offense against MLB pitching.

If Soto had remained at third, he would be a more valuable prospect.

Yorman R is still very raw and a kid, but he is well ahead of the game for such a young prospect. So I prefer him right now.