After today, I will have hit the top MLB prospects from every angle.
I've laid out my top 100 prospects, with profiles, heading into the 2016 season, plus a "just missed" list. I've also ranked every farm system, ranked the top-10 prospects (or more) for all 30 clubs, and discussed prospects in three videos.
Now it's time to rank them by position, adding players to fill out a position when it's warranted, and offering up a few sentences on the status/depth of that position right now. If the prospect is in the Top 100, his ranking is in parentheses, and clicking on his rank will take you to the page his scouting profile is on.
Catcher
1. Willson Contreras, Chicago Cubs (27)
2. Gary Sanchez, New York Yankees (57)
3. Chance Sisco, Baltimore Orioles (81)
4. Jorge Alfaro, Philadelphia Phillies (82)
5. Tyler Stephenson, Cincinnati Reds (Just missed)
6. Austin Barnes (C/2B), Los Angeles Dodgers
7. Reese McGuire, Pittsburgh Pirates
8. Tom Murphy, Colorado Rockies
9. Jacob Nottingham, Milwaukee Brewers
10. Francisco Mejia, Cleveland Indians
The current crop of catching prospects is lighter than in previous years, although I might argue there's as much long-term offensive upside as ever -- it's just that few of these guys are going to impact any major league lineups in 2016.
First base
1. Dom Smith, New York Mets (29)
2. A.J. Reed, Houston Astros (44)
4. Cody Bellinger, Dodgers (92)
5. Bobby Bradley, Indians (93)
6. Sam Travis, Boston Red Sox
7. Matt Olson, Oakland Athletics
8. D.J. Peterson, Seattle Mariners
9. Tyler White, Astros
10. Jake Bauers, Tampa Bay Rays
What's particularly interesting to me about this group of first-base prospects is how low their home run totals are. Some of these guys have more raw power to come, like Smith or Bell, but the group as a whole skews more toward hitting polish than traditional 30-homer projections.
Second base
1. Yoan Moncada, Red Sox (17)
2. Ian Happ, Cubs (47)
3. Scott Kingery, Philadelphia Phillies
4. Alen Hanson, Pirates
5. Forrest Wall, Rockies
6. Alex Blandino, Reds
7. Jose Peraza, Reds
8. Micah Johnson, Dodgers
9. Josh Morgan (2B/SS), Rangers
10. Omar Estevez, Dodgers
There are always relatively few top-end second-base prospects in the minors because so many big league second basemen converted late from shortstop. The first few guys on this list are exceptions; Moncada moved to second base upon signing, Happ played a lot of first base and right field in college, and Kingery moved from center field to second base in his junior year at the University of Arizona. Wall ended up at second because of shoulder surgery that limited his throwing arm. Look for a number of guys on the shortstop list, like Bregman or Christian Arroyo, to move to second before they're established in the majors.
Shortstop
1. Corey Seager, Dodgers (1)
2. J.P. Crawford, Phillies (4)
3. Orlando Arcia, Brewers (10)
4. Brendan Rodgers, Rockies (11)
5. Dansby Swanson, Atlanta Braves (13)
6. Gleyber Torres, Cubs (15)
7. Alex Bregman, Astros (19)
8. Ozhaino Albies, Braves (20)
9. Franklin Barreto, A's (22)
10. Kevin Newman, Pirates (23)
11. Trea Turner, Nationals (28)
12. Javier Guerra, Padres (34)
13. Amed Rosario, Mets (42)
14. Tim Anderson, White Sox (45)
15. Jorge Mateo, Yankees (55)
Shortstop is always the most loaded position in the minors because it's where the best athletes typically start out (there or center field), but many will eventually move to another position before they reach the majors. Seager still looks very unlikely to stay at short long-term, with third base his probable destination, and Bregman and Albies might end up at second. They're all high-ceiling players because of their mix of skills, with the potential to hit and to provide defensive value somewhere in the infield.
Third base
1. Rafael Devers, Red Sox (7)
2. Joey Gallo, Rangers (12)
3. Ryan McMahon, Rockies (62)
4. Ke'Bryan Hayes, Pirates (Just missed)
5. Matt Chapman, A's
6. Brandon Drury (3B/2B), Arizona Diamondbacks
7. Richie Shaffer, Rays
8. Colin Moran, Astros
9. Jeimer Candelario, Cubs
10. Jomar Reyes, Orioles
Third base is often pretty light in the minors, but this crop is pretty good, even without considering current shortstops who might move here. Devers, McMahon, Hayes and Chapman can all field the position well, and Gallo and Candelario could end up moving to the outfield. This group of guys and the next few who just missed look as if they'll contribute a lot on offense, be it via power (Gallo has a little) or contact (like Hayes or Moran).
Outfield
1. Byron Buxton, Minnesota Twins (2)
2. Nomar Mazara, Rangers (9)
3. Austin Meadows, Pirates (16)
4. Andrew Benintendi, Red Sox (18)
5. Bradley Zimmer, Indians (21)
6. Manuel Margot, San Diego Padres (25)
7. Lewis Brinson, Rangers (32)
8. Max Kepler, Twins (33)
9. Aaron Judge, Yankees (36)
10. Jesse Winker, Reds (41)
11. Brett Phillips, Brewers (46)
12. Victor Robles, Nationals (49)
13. Alex Verdugo, Dodgers (51)
14. Anthony Alford, Blue Jays (52)
15. David Dahl, Rockies (58)
I'm struck by the huge number of highly athletic outfielders we have in the minors right now; as much as it seems as if baseball is losing athletes to football or basketball, where scholarships are easier to come by and the glory on campus might be greater, we've got some elite athletes roaming around minor league outfields. What will be interesting to watch is how many of the bigger players -- like Judge, Zimmer or Meadows -- stay in center field in the high minors.
Starting pitcher
1. Lucas Giolito, RHP, Washington Nationals (3)
2. Julio Urias, LHP, Dodgers (5)
3. Tyler Glasnow, RHP, Pirates (6)
4. Alex Reyes, RHP, St. Louis Cardinals (8)
5. Blake Snell, LHP, Rays (14)
6. Braden Shipley, RHP, Diamondbacks (24)
7. Jose Berrios, RHP, Twins (26)
8. Sean Newcomb, LHP, Braves (30)
9. Robert Stephenson, RHP, Reds (31)
10. Taylor Guerrieri, RHP, Rays (35)
11. Steven Matz, LHP, Mets (37)
12. Anderson Espinoza, RHP, Red Sox (38)
13. Aaron Blair, RHP, Braves (39)
14. Francis Martes, RHP, Astros (40)
15. Kolby Allard, LHP, Braves (43)
16. Michael Fulmer, RHP, Detroit Tigers (48)
17. Dillon Tate, RHP, Rangers (50)
18. Kohl Stewart, RHP, Twins (53)
19. Cody Reed, LHP, Reds (54)
20. Sean Manaea, LHP, A's (59)
Here's a weird stat: Only three of these 20 pitchers have had Tommy John surgery. I suppose the pessimist would say that's just because the other 17 haven't gotten there yet, but I think there's a weeding factor at work too, where some pitchers don't come all the way back from the operation or end up in relief. The fact that Giolito, Guerrieri and Matz are still here and working as starters might imply something about their bodies or their mechanics.
Relief pitcher
1. Alex Meyer, RHP, Twins
2. Sam Tuivailala, RHP, Cardinals
3. Nick Burdi, RHP, Twins
4. Jharel Cotton, RHP, Dodgers
5. Carl Edwards, RHP, Cubs
6. Miguel Castro, RHP, Rockies
7. Jacob Lindgren, LHP, Yankees
8. Mychal Givens, RHP, Orioles
9. Joe Jimenez, RHP, Tigers
10. Jake Reed, RHP, Twins
Relief prospects are a big shoulder shrug; there are lots of kids in the minors who throw hard, with triple-digits becoming increasingly common, but the attrition rate is so high that identifying relievers who'll have long-term value in the majors is a bit of a fool's errand. I've limited this list to pitchers who are already working in relief, so a starter I project as a high-end reliever like Carson Fulmer isn't here -- the White Sox intend to continue developing him in the rotation. The Twins actually have more power relief prospects than only the three mentioned here, so if you can truly build a homegrown bullpen from prospects who entered pro ball as relievers (like Burdi and Reed did), the Twins are well on their way.