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The last twenty comments in true blog fasion, with the links to their authors and the player commented upon.
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Are you listening, Kole?
2. Brandon Marsh, OF
DOB: 12/18/97
Height/Weight: 6’4” / 215 lbs
Bats/Throws: L/R
Drafted/Acquired: Drafted 60th overall in the 2016 draft, Buford HS (Buford, GA); signed for $1,073,300.
Previous Ranking(s): #4 (Org), #94 (Top 101)
2019 Stats: .053/.053/.053, 0 HR, 1 SB in 5 games for AZL Angels; .300/.386/.424, 7 HR, 19 SB in 100 games for Double-A Mobile
The Report: Selected in the second round in 2016, Marsh is an intimidating and agile athlete, standing 6-foot-4 with an extra-large frame. He missed a bunch of Double-A seasoning in 2019 due to a leg injury, but showed off his improving hit tool when healthy. His bat-to-ball skills make him a true gap-to-gap hitter, and plenty of strength lets him drive the ball with some sizzle. Once he finds a gap, his plus wheels are a sight to see. He moves very well for his size, and should remain a threat to swipe a few bags through maturity. His power tool is tracking to play about average, but there is plenty of muscle and strength that points to some potential for swing-change-induced growth with launch angle adjustments. Patrolling the outfield, Marsh can play all three spots, with plus potential in the corners. There’s enough to profile as a true center fielder, but as with Adell it might not be enough to supplant Trout, and he will likely slide to right in Anaheim. That challenge will not be a problem, as he has a plus arm to keep runners at bay. Marsh has an intriguing tool set that retains some room for growth and projection. He could very well find himself in an outfield next to Trout and Adell one day.
OFP: 60 / Above-average everyday outfielder
Variance: High. As mentioned, his ability to make hard contact has been impressive of late. But with just average power, Marsh will need to max out his hit tool to be a consistent threat offensively. —Forest Stulting
Major league ETA: Late 2020
Ben Carsley’s Fantasy Take: For how toolsy he is and how close he is to the majors, I’m not sure why Marsh doesn’t get more love in fantasy circles. Even if the power never fully materializes and he’s only a 15-homer guy, Marsh has the bat and legs to serve as a well-rounded OF4. If he is able to leverage his big boy frame into more pop, we could be looking at a high-end OF3 instead. Given that he should challenge for MLB plate appearances late this year or early next, that makes Marsh a borderline top-50 dynasty prospect for me. I’m a fan, even if part of me still worries the Angels will block him by re-signing Kole Calhoun to a 12-year extension.
From BP today...
1. Jo Adell, OF
DOB: 4/8/99
Height/Weight: 6’3” / 215 lbs
Bats/Throws: R/R
Drafted/Acquired: Drafted 10th overall in the 2017 draft (Ballard HS, Louisville, KY); signed for $4,376,800.
Previous Ranking(s): #1 (Org), #2 (Top 101)
2019 Stats: .280/.333/.560, 2 HR, 0 SB in 6 games for High-A Inland Empire; .311/.399/.587, 10 HR, 8 SB in 46 games for Double-A Mobile; .264/.321/.355 0 HR, 1 SB in 27 games for Triple-A Salt Lake
The Report: There aren’t many pages of Adell’s prospect story left to read that aren’t already slathered in drool, and he will enter the 2020 season perched again—for a final time—among the best couple prospects in the entire world. That he is even still eligible for this list resulted not from a lack of level-appropriate offensive prowess, but from lost developmental time after a gruesome leg injury in the spring and the negative subsequent effects that shelving allegedly had on his ability to track fly balls in a corner spot. This is a true five-tool talent, however, and those types don’t wallow well or for long against Triple-A competition. He’ll flank Mike Trout in Anaheim rather than supplant him in center, but the glove and speed for a theoretical up-the-middle assignment remain. The bat is now seasoned and cooked to perfection, and he’ll have as much of a chance as any rookie to hit the ground hitting against the best pitchers in the game. On-base skills, power, and value-added baserunning and defense is some kind of package.
OFP: 70 / All-Star outfielder
Variance: Low, at least insofar as any young player’s risk factor can be discounted. Loads of talent and plenty of track record make him one of the “safer” high-end prospects around, and it would be quite a shock to the system if a healthy Adell does not go on to at least a first-division career.
Major league ETA: 2020, hopefully on Opening Day.
- From BA today...7. Jay Groome | LHP
BA Grade: 55. Risk: Extreme
Track Record: One of the best prep pitchers in the 2016 draft, Groome has thrown just 66 pro innings due to injuries, including a torn ulnar collateral ligament that required Tommy John surgery and cost him all of 2018 and most of 2019. Still, he returned to games by the end of 2019, showed flashes of swing-and-miss stuff, and continues to feature a ceiling that arguably surpasses that of any other pitcher in the Red Sox farm system.Scouting Report: Groome received strong marks for the strength and conditioning work he did over his rehab from Tommy John. He has a prototypical starter’s build, generating power stuff with an easy delivery. In his return, Groome sat at 92-94 mph and topped out at 96. His signature offering, however, is a hammer curveball—a pitch for which he was still looking to regain his feel in his return from Tommy John. Groome’s changeup improved from fringy to average during his rehab, and his natural ability to manipulate the ball makes it easy to imagine the development of a cutter.The Future: : Groome likely will start 2020 in low Class A Greenville. If healthy, he could move quickly to high Class A Salem. At age 21, he’s young enough to believe that his top-of-the-rotation upside remains intact, even if his poor health track record raises questions about whether he’ll realize it.
Tool Grades: Fastball: 60. Slider: 60. Cutter: 55. Changeup: 50. Control: 50.
Has ascended from No. 5 to No. 1 in Baseball America's rankings of Red Sox prospects.
BA Grade: 60. Risk: High
Tool Grades: Hit: 55. Power: 60. Run: 40. Fielding: 60. Arm: 50.
Track Record: After reclassifying to enter the draft a year earlier than his peers, Casas emerged as one of the top high school position prospects in the 2018 draft by displaying standout all-fields power both with aluminum and, while playing in international competition for Team USA, wood bats. In 2019, he cemented his status as a standout player for his age and experience level, primarily at low Class A Greenville. He ranked in the top three of all 2018 high school draftees in OPS and homers while also joining Xander Bogaerts as the only Red Sox teenager in the last 50 years to hit at least 20 homers in one year at any level.
Went for 20 in one league last year. My other league has him available for 2020 ... goes to $25 I'm sure at least. Maybe closer to $28.
You lose some, you win some. Here's the player Sickels ranked third.
(Follow-up on the post just now under Tatis Jr.)
Good call by Sickels in his top 100 prospects rankings last February.
2) Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres, (Grade A): Originally signed by White Sox, traded to Padres for James Shields, a trade that will go down in infamy; hit .286/.355/.507 in Double-A at age 19, with 16 homers and 16 steals; you can make a good case for Tatis at No.1 ahead of Vlad; explosive athlete with power, speed; doesn’t have Vlad’s supernatural strike zone judgment but is more athletic and has greater defensive value; ETA 2019.
From Rotowire:
He hasn't pitched in a game for two full seasons, after suffering a
setback in his recovery from Tommy John surgery. The Rays remain
optimistic that Honeywell will be a part of the long-term pitching
staff, but they will be cautious with him in 2020. Honeywell will open
the year in the minors or in extended spring training.
From Rotowire:
He logged a couple innings in the instructional league, which completed
his rehabilitation from Tommy John surgery. While Kopech will be handled
carefully in 2020, he will ramp up in spring training like any other
healthy pitcher.
Run support breakdown
Rodriguez
| Avg | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Other Game Totals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.05 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 11, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 runs |
Perez
| Avg | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Other Game Totals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.78 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 11, 12, 15, 16 and 16 runs |
Cole
| Avg | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Other Game Totals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.67 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 11, 11, 11, 11, 14, 15 and 21 runs |
Top five OPS vs Curveballs in the NL (minimum 50 PA):
Javier Baez 1.132
Freddie Freeman 1.122
Charlie Blackmon 1.108
Juan Soto 1.104
Anthony Rendon 1.102
Just thumbing through the Handbook on a gray Sunday afternoon in November...
Top five OPS vs Curveballs in the AL (minimum 50 PA):
Andrew Benintendi 1.476
Alex Bregman 1.304
Matt Olson 1.220
Jonathan Villar 1.160
Yuli Gurriel 1.144
Went with $22M extra over 2 extra years to set himself up for life. I'm more shocked by the Braves than I am by Smith.
Accepted the qualifying offer. The MLB radio morning show considered him worth around $36-45M over 3 years. He'll get almost $18M of that upfront in 2020. We'll see if he gets more than $18-27M over two years after this year. I'm guessing he will. I think he's more likely to get $45M over 3 years without a QO after 2020, making this an especially good decision.
Best Run Support Among AL starting pitchers (minimum 162 IP):
Eduardo Rodriguez 7.88
Martin Perez 7.68
Gerrit Cole 7.50
Rick Porcello 7.49
Homer Bailey 6.45
Best Run Support among NL starting pitchers (minimum 162 IP):
Max Fried 7.50
Clayton Kershaw 7.17
Robbie Ray 6.97
Jon Lester 6.92
German Marquez 6.41
In a less than stellar year for the Marlins, generally speaking, they had two of the top five hitters in the NL batting Close and Late.
Christain Yelich .443
Tommy Edman .397
Neil Walker .367
Garrett Cooper .362
Jose Iglesias .360
(minimum 50 PA)
Accepted the qualifying offer from the White Sox.
In 166 AB with runners in scoring position, he slashed .337/.368/.590.
In 61 AB with two outs and runners in scoring position, he slashed .393/.464/.770.
Without the drag of draft-pick compensation, would he have accepted the qualifying offer?
I'm thinking not.
Has opted for three years and $39 million over the qualifying over. Gets a fourth year at the same per-annum if the Braves think he's worth it, a $1 million buyout if they don't.
Remains to be seen if he's the closer or shares the job with Melancon or pitches the 8th ahead of him.
We just hope it's cleared up before we pay.
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The Angels have solved one problem by not picking up Kole's option, but there still is the Justin Upton contract that they need to resolve to open up a spot for Marsh. They're still on the hook for three-years and $72 mill with Upton. I really liked what I saw from Marsh last Fall in Arizona. First player that came to mind on a comp was Jayson Werth. Kid has some serious skills and here's hoping they sort out the Upton situation, as an outfield of Trout, Adell, and Marsh could prove to be one of the best in the game a couple years down the road.