As the 2019 regular season winds down, so does prospect season, for the most part. There will be a handful of names that will be called up for supporting roles, but for all intents and purposes, the best days are behind us. With that, I would like to systematically take a look at what is to come.
Over the next few weeks, I will be breaking down prospects by their impact relative to the standard five scoring categories. In separate breakdowns, I will look hitters by home runs and run-creating potential and then by average and stolen bases. Moving to pitching, I plan to identify the impact starters you will want to know and the ones that may become late-inning weapons.
Next up in our series breaking down the top prospects for 2020 by impact on standard categories are the hitters and runners. These guys can put the bat on the ball or run like the wind. In some cases both. In others, they also have the power stroke I talked about last week.
1. Nick Madrigal, 2B, Chicago White Sox
The fourth overall pick in the 2018 draft -- the highest spot a second baseman has ever been taken -- is likely the best pure hitter in the minors. It is a double-plus hit tool with some willing to go all the way to 80 on the grade. He is a career .309 hitter since turning pro last summer and hit .311 across three levels this year with the last being Triple-A. Remember like 30 words ago when I said his contact skills were elite? He struck out just 16 times in 532 plate appearances this season. He is a solid defender at second and should hit 25 or more doubles with a handful or more going over the wall. Madrigal will likely make a short return to Charlotte next spring before heading to the top of the White Sox order.
2. Gavin Lux, 2B/SS, Los Angeles Dodgers
Lux is currently helping the Dodgers in their quest for their first World Series win since 1988 -- nearly a decade before he was born. Despite his current major-league status, Lux will carry rookie eligibility into 2020 and will be near the top of most prospect lists this winter. It is no different here. Lux is an above-average hitter that had a tremendous year. He hit .313 in the Texas League before recording a ridiculous .392 average in over 200 plate appearances in the Pacific Coast League. He is holding his own in the bigs right now and should be a solid source of average in a talented Dodgers lineup the rest of the way and into next season as well.
3. Alex Kirilloff, OF/1B, Minnesota Twins
Kirilloff has battled with some injuries, including Tommy John surgery. There are also questions about his ultimate home on the diamond and concerns if his power will ever fully develop. That said, he was arguably one of the best -- if not the best -- pure hitter in his draft class (2016) and has hit well every step of the way in the minors. He returned from surgery in 2018 to hit .348 across two levels of A-Ball. He was nicked up again earlier this season, but still hit .283 in 94 games at the Double-A level. He slugged just .413; however, that is not a concern for this exercise. Kirilloff can hit. If he can hit with power and play average right field or plus first base, he could be an all--star.
4. Cristian Pache, OF, Atlanta Braves
Pache continued to improve at the plate this year after making strides in 2018. He has a solid hit tool and should settle in as a nice .270-.280 hitter. That is a nice number, but what he is here for is speed. Pache has tremendous speed that plays on both sides of the ball. The wheels allow him to track balls with ease in center field making him a sure-fire middle of the outfield candidate at the highest level. The jets also allow him to fly around the bases. He collected nine triples and 36 doubled in 2019. Here is the caveat. He is fast, but thus far a terrible base stealer. After swiping 32 bags in 2017, he is just 15-34 since then. That is horrible by any standard, let alone someone with 70 speed. The good news is you can teach technique. You can't teach fast and Pache has that and more.
5. Luis Robert, OF, Chicago White Sox
This last spot came down to Robert and Jo Adell. There is no wrong choice there, but I will give the nod to Robert because he is closer to the majors and I have seen his speed used heavily in game action. Robert, as you may remember from last week, has incredible power. Upper-echelon pop if you will. He also has an abundance of speed too. He swiped 36 bases this season to go along with his 32 home runs and also collected 11 triples. While they made grade similar, Robert is using his legs in a real way while Adell is in flashes. Oh did I mention Robert .312 since leaving Cuba where he was a .314 hitter? Sounds like a legit 5x5 threat to me.