We already ran down the top 100 prospects in baseball, so now it's time go deeper by division. We've already done the NL East and Central, and next up is the NL West.
To jump to the other teams, click here -- Rockies | Dodgers | Padres | Giants
Division overviews: NL East | NL Central | AL East | AL Central | AL West
Editor's note: Age is the player's age as of July 1, 2018. Players with experience in foreign major leagues such as Japan's NPB or Korea's KBO -- think Shohei Ohtani -- are ineligible for these rankings.
Arizona Diamondbacks
The cupboard was close to bare when GM Mike Hazen took over, but a few prospects he inherited took steps forward last year, and the team added a lot of talent with the new regime's first draft class and a big splash on the international market.
1. Jon Duplantier, RHP (ranked No. 64)
2. Pavin Smith, 1B (ranked No. 92)
3. Jasrado Chisholm, SS
4. Marcus Wilson, OF
5. Taylor Clarke, RHP
6. Drew Ellis, 3B
7. Anthony Banda, LHP
8. Daulton Varsho, C
9. Cody Reed, LHP
10. Kristian Robinson, OF
Non-top 100 prospects
The Bahamian-born Jasrado Chisholm played in just 29 games for low-A Kane County before tearing the meniscus in his knee, requiring surgery that ended his season. He did return for Arizona's Dominican instructional league and was running and fielding at 100 percent. His tools remain unchanged, with strong hands and plus bat speed, projecting to hit -- and hit with power -- and will probably move to second base in the long term. Marcus Wilson was the team's second-round pick in 2014 out of the same high school that produced Mets first baseman Dom Smith, and followed his modest breakout in 2016 with an excellent full-season debut for Kane County, hitting .295/.383/.446 at age 20. He has drawn walks at a solid clip, but this year improved his overall approach and started to make better contact, growing into some of the power projected for him in high school. He can play center and is a plus defender in left.
Taylor Clarke, the D-backs' third-round pick in 2015, reached Triple-A last summer and continued to miss bats, working at 92-94 now from a high three-quarter slot and using his changeup more effectively. He's a strong fly-ball pitcher, though, which might not be a great fit in Phoenix or even in Reno. Drew Ellis -- no relation to Michael -- was their second-round pick in 2017, a third baseman for the University of Louisville who has pull power and can turn on a fastball, swinging early in the count with rough footwork at the hot corner. He may end up at first base. Anthony Banda was their No. 1 prospect last winter, when they didn't place anyone on the top 100, and saw his velocity improve but his performance drop, especially when he had to pitch from the stretch, a problem that continued in his brief major league time. He still has the mix and control to be a starter, but if you can't keep the ball in the yard with men on base, that's going to be a problem in any role.
Daulton Varsho earned very mixed reviews last spring from area scouts, but the Diamondbacks loved what they saw from the son of former big-league outfielder Gary and took Daulton with the 68th overall pick. He's a plus runner with quick actions, a solid receiver behind the plate with a 45 arm but a fast release, and has a good eye at the plate with some power. He may not stay a catcher long-term, but the power/speed combination is intriguing. Cody Reed returned healthy after he missed the last half of 2016 with shoulder soreness, dominating low-A and missing bats in high-A but becoming homer-prone in the Cal League, especially at home, even though Visalia's ballpark isn't one of that league's extreme hitting environments. He works with average-ish stuff and has some deception, but his command needs to be finer for him to profile as a big-league starter, and he will have to continue to improve his changeup to get right-handed batters out.
Kristian Robinson signed for $2.55 million in July, another Bahamian prospect, and is a physical monster with plus speed and plus raw power along with a simple swing that should let him make plenty of contact ... but he hasn't played in games yet to give anyone a sense of his patience or pitch recognition.
Socrates Brito (11) dislocated a finger in spring training and missed about seven weeks to start the Triple-A season, still flashing some of the power and speed but not putting it together enough at the plate to profile as more than an extra outfielder. Right-hander Matt Tabor (12) was their third-round pick, a prep arm out of Massachusetts who has size and velocity, up to 95 as a starter with a good changeup. His arm is late in his delivery and he lands on his heel, while he needs to develop a viable breaking ball.
Andy Yerzy (13) showed progress in his receiving last year as an 18-year-old in the Pioneer League, but it was his power output that gained him attention -- he hit 13 homers in 54 games, tying for sixth in the league, after hitting just one homer in his pro debut in 2016. Brazilian outfielder Gabriel Maciel (14) shows above-average speed and defense in center, with good bat-to-ball skills, projecting to hit for average but not much power, with a good leadoff hitter profile if he continues to show he can get on base (.389 last year, 14th in the Pioneer League at age 18). He's further along as a hitter than Eduardo Diaz (15), who can also play center with above-average speed, but has a big frame that should lead to more power as he fills out while also increasing the likelihood he moves to a corner.
Jose Almonte (16) punched out 26 percent of opposing batters in the high-A Cal League last year despite pitching with average stuff, so scouts are skeptical of him as a long-term starter. Lefty Jared Miller (17) looks like a solid setup man, if not more, as a three-pitch guy who can get hitters on both sides out. Right-hander Jimmy Sherfy is a fastball/curveball guy who lacks a pitch to make him more than a specialist. Shortstop Domingo Leyba played in just 23 games due to shoulder surgery and might miss the start of 2018, so we'll have to see how he looks when he's back on the field and throwing again.
2018 impact: Anthony Banda might get another crack at the rotation and Jimmy Sherfy should appear in the bullpen for much of the year. Socrates Brito would be a solid fourth outfielder if he's healthy.
Sleeper: It's still Jasrado Chisholm, who was my sleeper last year but didn't play enough to justify bumping him up the rankings just yet.
The fallen: Outfielder Anfernee Grier was their top pick, 39th overall, in 2016, out of Auburn University, but brought concerns about his ability to pick up breaking stuff; he hit just .251/.340/.331 in low-A at 21 and is looking like an extra outfielder or up-and-down guy.
Colorado Rockies
A system full of teams playing in hitters' parks can skew impressions of players -- the hitters look better than they are, the pitchers look worse -- and the Rockies also had miserable luck last year with injuries to pitchers and position players alike.
1. Brendan Rodgers, SS (ranked No. 29)
2. Ryan McMahon, 1B (ranked No. 31)
3. Peter Lambert, RHP (ranked No. 63)
4. Riley Pint, RHP
5. Ryan Vilade, SS
6. Tyler Nevin, 1B/3B
7. Colton Welker, 3B
8. Ryan Castellani, RHP
9. Will Gaddis, RHP
10. Garrett Hampson, 2B
Non-top 100 prospects
Riley Pint was the fourth overall pick in 2016 and went to low-A Asheville in his first full year out, where he did Riley Pint things, like hitting 100 mph as a starter, walking too many guys (almost 14 percent), and not missing enough bats (18.2 percent). He's athletic, blessed with a golden arm, and still is a sort of lottery ticket, in search of a consistent breaking ball or even fringe-average command. He just turned 20 in November and has time to get there, but there's a substantial probability he either ends up a reliever or never gets to the majors at all.
Ryan Vilade was their first pick in 2017 after they gave up their first-round pick for Ian Desmond, and had a tremendous debut in 33 games in the advanced-rookie Pioneer League, hitting .308/.438/.496, even doing more on the road than he did in hitter-friendly Grand Junction. It was a small sample, but still impressive for an 18-year-old straight out of high school. He's a smart player with good feel on both sides of the ball, an average runner or a tick better, probably not a shortstop in the long term but with the projected average/OBP skills to profile as a regular anywhere.
Tyler Nevin had all of one at-bat in 2016 around a hamstring injury he reaggravated when he doubled, so getting into 82 games last year makes for real progress, although he was slowed by a wrist injury midseason. He did hit .336/.381/.523 after his DL stint with a high contact rate, and shows a real ability to use the opposite field. He has played first and third, and could go to a corner outfield spot as well; there should be above-average power in here as well to help him profile at any of those spots.
Colton Welker missed about half of last year with a back injury, continued to hit (boosted by a good home park), with mixed reviews on his defense and body type; if he stays healthy and keeps producing at the plate, that latter part won't matter much. Ryan Castellani can touch 94 and sits 90-91 with a hard mid-80s slider, with command above-average in some starts and below in others. He extends well over his front side when his delivery is "right," but can get underneath the ball at times, which is when he gets hit. His changeup is below average now, too close to his fastball in velocity without the action that might help him fool left-handed hitters. He has fourth-starter potential, with a specialist-reliever floor.
Will Gaddis was the team's third-round pick in 2017 out of Furman, and the right-hander shows plus control of a fastball-cutter-curveball mix. He has a changeup but it is still a below-average pitch, and developing that will be key to keeping him a starter, with league-average upside if he gets there. Garrett Hampson is a plus runner with good instincts, lacking power and probably needing to develop more hand strength, but has a good idea at the plate and should be an above-average defender at second who is always a candidate to move to center for his speed.
Catcher Tom Murphy (11) missed two months with a hairline fracture in his forearm and ended up in only 50 games last year, continuing an unfortunate history of injuries (including a shoulder problem that wrecked his 2014 season). He didn't hit well when healthy, although his strength in the affected arm was probably down. He'll turn 27 in April and already has a year of service time, mostly from DL stints, with just 103 major league at-bats ... and yet he's still something as a prospect because he's a catcher with power. Just don't forget about him.
Outfielder Sam Hilliard (12) struck out 154 times in high-A at age 23 last year, but he does have tools -- 6 raw power, 6 run, 6 arm, average defense in right -- and he's got size, so while the 26 percent strikeout rate is too high for his age and level, he does have the upside of an above-average big-leaguer if he cuts it down just enough to project as a .250-ish hitter for average.
The Rockies gave $2 million to Venezuelan outfielder Daniel Montano (13) in 2015, and he had a solid summer in the Dominican last year, probably leading to a U.S. debut in 2018. He has good feel to hit, with a line-drive swing that should produce doubles power, while his eventual position is up in the air between center and left field. Right-hander Yency Almonte (14) is a fastball/slider guy up to 96 without much life on the pitch, most likely a reliever in the long run. Breiling Eusebio (15) had a brief stint as a starter for low-A Asheville at age 20 last year; the southpaw is a two-pitch guy right now, fastball/curveball, effective against left-handed batters but needing a viable changeup to stay a starter.
Second baseman Forrest Wall (16) injured his left shoulder diving for a ball, requiring surgery that ended his season. He has speed and some feel to hit, but has been bedeviled by injuries all the way back to his senior year of high school. Right-hander Pearson McMahan (17) was their fourth-round pick in 2017, up to 93-94 as a starter with a power slider, a project arm who has stuff but not command or control. Southpaw Nick Kennedy (18), their fifth-rounder, is also up to 94 and has a solid curveball, but needs to show he has the third pitch to get right-handers out to remain a starter. Lefty Ben Bowden missed the year with a bulging disc in his back; he projects as a middle reliever when healthy.
2018 impact: Ryan McMahon should be their first baseman this year; he's got nothing left to prove or learn in the minors, and the Rockies don't have an incumbent at the position.
Sleeper: Ryan Vilade is very exciting because his bat might be as advanced as advertised, and he seems athletic enough to be above-average at second or third unless he outgrows the infield completely.
The fallen: Mike Nikorak (27th overall pick, 2015) had Tommy John surgery and should be back in 2018, while Robert Tyler (38th overall, 2016) missed all of 2017 with a shoulder injury. Both had trouble throwing strikes before their injuries, so there's at least hope their control will improve once they're fully recovered.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers' system remains strong if slightly shallower than it has been in recent years, as they've promoted several superstar prospects and traded some of that depth to fuel playoff runs.
1. Walker Buehler, RHP (ranked No. 12)
2. Alex Verdugo, OF (ranked No. 36)
3. Yadier Alvarez, RHP (ranked No. 52)
4. Keibert Ruiz, C (ranked No. 97)
5. Yusniel Diaz, OF
6. Mitch White, RHP
7. DJ Peters, OF
8. Edwin Rios, 1B
9. Gavin Lux, SS
10. Will Smith, C
Non-top 100 prospects
Yusniel Diaz started slowly, but in mid-May the Dodgers' player development staff gave him a little leg lift to help keep him more closed at the plate, after which he took off, hitting .308/.357/.495 the rest of the season. He has played all three outfield spots, is capable in center but is not a regular there, and as a right or left fielder his bat makes him either an average regular or an above-average one, but not a star. He was somewhere in the 101-120 range for me. I saw Mitch White throw lights-out in spring training, 95-97 with a hammer curve and slider, but after he returned from a foot injury his stuff and command were both down, adding to a history of durability problems that kept him off my top 100 more than anything else. He needs to show he can bring plus stuff every time out and still make 25 starts a year.
Everyone compares DJ Peters to Jayson Werth for their physical resemblance and combination of power and athleticism, although Peters doesn't have Werth's eye or pure bat-to-ball skills. He was second in all of minor league baseball with 189 strikeouts last year, but when he put the ball in play, stuff happened, with a .276/.372/.514 line that put him in the top 10 in the Cal League in doubles (eighth), homers (third) and walks (second). His swing is long and contact might always be an issue, so he's going to have to find a way to keep the strikeout rate from rising as he faces better pitching.
Edwin Rios has done nothing but hit in two-plus years since the Dodgers took him in the sixth round in 2015 out of FIU; he hit .309/.362/.533 last year between Double-A and Triple-A, has all-fields power, posts good exit velocities, and is hopelessly blocked at first base in L.A. by Cody Bellinger. He has played third in the minors but first is his ideal spot. He looks like a future regular. Gavin Lux, the team's first-round pick in 2016, had a solid full-season debut, going to low-A at 19 and showing some plate discipline, improving as the season went on as he adjusted to better velocity. He's got a chance to be average or better at shortstop and would be plus at second. The biggest hurdle for him seems to be left-handed pitching, as he probably didn't see any quality southpaws as a Wisconsin high schooler. Will Smith is a plus framer and throwing catcher who puts the ball in play a lot but doesn't project to hit for any power or much average, a high-floor guy who should be a very good backup, with a non-zero chance to be a regular if he surprises with the bat.
Starling Heredia (11) tore apart two short-season leagues (.427/.492/.764) and ended 2017 in the low-A Midwest League as an 18-year-old, showing why the Dodgers gave him $2.6 million back in July of 2015. He's a bit stocky but can run solid-average and has obvious power with a plus arm, playing mostly corners in 2017 and probably ending up in right. The hit tool will determine his future, as he has the secondary tools; he was overmatched in Great Lakes but was so young for the league it doesn't seem worth worrying about.
Jeren Kendall (12) was the Dodgers' first-round pick in 2017, with 70 speed, plus power, above-average or better defense in center, and a disastrous swing that requires an overhaul if he's ever going to hit. It was a lottery ticket selection -- if he develops a real swing that uses his lower half and that he can repeat, he will be a star, but there's a good chance he never gets to the majors, too. Dustin May (13) is very athletic with a loose arm, 91-95 with good life up in the zone and a hard tilting slider at 85-86; the Dodgers have cleaned up his delivery a little bit, although he can still land stiffly, and his changeup is a work in progress. He has grade 80 hair, though.
The Dodgers took catcher Connor Wong (14) in the third round out of the University of Houston because he's a good framer with bat-to-ball skills and at least an average arm. He's a little undersized for a catcher, so amateur scouts worried about his durability behind the plate. Right-hander Dennis Santana (15) is 94-96 with a slider up to 90 where he drops down a little to create more angle, pitching well as a starter through Double-A but running into more trouble with lefties due to his arm slot and lack of a viable third pitch. He projects as a right-on-right reliever.
Right-hander Jordan Sheffield (16), brother of Yankees lefty Justus, was a fastball/changeup guy in college, but lefties killed him this year, .285/.375/.448 in low-A and then .368/.395/.442 in five outings in high-A, and he didn't throw enough strikes overall. He's athletic and competitive, but he's also 5-foot-10 and has already had TJ surgery, so there's a lot of bullpen potential here with the poor first-year performance.
Caleb Ferguson (17) was a holdover from the previous regime, in Logan White's last draft for the Dodgers; they took him in the 38th round out of an Ohio high school after he'd had Tommy John surgery, and he posted an 8.59 ERA with 21 walks in 14 innings the following summer in his pro debut. Last year, the Dodgers jumped him from short-season to high-A Rancho Cucamonga and he broke out, touching 96 and sitting 92-93 with some sink, while striking out more than a quarter of the guys he faced. He improved as the season went on and had three straight 10-strikeout games in August, killing lefties with an above-average curveball.
Omar Estevez (18) is still young but hasn't hit yet since signing for $6 million in 2015; the Cuban middle infielder will turn 20 in February, but other than a solid contact rate he was disappointing in high-A last year. Right-hander James Marinan (19) was in the low 90s most of the spring but ticked up to 97 close to the draft and the Dodgers popped him in the fourth round; he'll show an above-average curveball, has a changeup, but is still fairly raw as a pitcher and doesn't have much present command. Drew Jackson (20) might get some big-league time as a backup infielder who can handle shortstop and run but doesn't project to hit.
2018 impact: Walker Buehler is a starter long-term despite his relief stint in the majors in September, and with all of the injury problems the Dodgers' current starters have had, he should get an opportunity to join the rotation this year. Rios is blocked, but if Bellinger were to get hurt, he'd be ready to fill in. Alex Verdugo is also ready but blocked at all three outfield spots, at least for now.
Sleeper: If White is healthy and does what I saw him do for even ¾ of a season, he's an easy mid top-100 guy. If you want someone further away, Starling Heredia is pretty fascinating given what he showed last summer at 18.
The fallen: The Dodgers gave Mitchell Hansen just under $1 million to buy him out of a Stanford commitment in 2015, but his full-season debut last year at age 21 -- old for low-A -- was awful (.198/.288/.312) and he's limited to left field or first base.
San Diego Padres
You might want to fix yourself a snack before you sit down to read this team report. Maybe get a lovely beverage. Hit the bathroom first, just in case. You're going to be here for a while.
1. Fernando Tatis Jr., SS (ranked No. 3)
2. MacKenzie Gore, LHP (ranked No. 14)
3. Luis Urias, SS/2B (ranked No. 38)
4. Michel Baez, RHP (ranked No. 51)
5. Adrian Morejon, LHP (ranked No. 72)
6. Cal Quantrill, RHP (ranked No. 81)
7. Logan Allen, LHP (ranked No. 89)
8. Eric Lauer, LHP
9. Jorge Oña, OF
10. Anderson Espinoza, RHP
Non-top 100 prospects
Eric Lauer is a four-pitch lefty with above-average control and average command, killing left-handed batters last year at two levels, becoming a bit vulnerable to right-handed power after he got to Double-A. All 10 homers he allowed last year were to right-handers, six of those coming after his promotion at the end of June. He comes a little across his body, which makes him deceptive against left-handed batters but might be part of the issue he had last year with righties, and cross-body guys do have some added injury concerns. He looks like a likely fourth starter who could see the majors as soon as this summer.
Jorge Oña signed as a free agent for $7 million in 2016, then made his debut last year at age 20 in low-A Fort Wayne, hitting .277/.351/.405 but playing the field less as the season went on due to a sore shoulder. He also seemed to tire out in August, but his swing still looked good and he showed some feel for working the count. There's enough here to be optimistic he'll still end up a regular, maybe an above-average one, in right field.
Anderson Espinoza was a high top 100 prospect but missed all of last year with an elbow injury that eventually required Tommy John surgery; he probably won't be back until instructional league. Even in spring training last year, Espinoza was 94-98 with good life down in the zone and a pretty easy delivery, showing a curveball and changeup, with just a little cutoff in his landing to concern you. He has, or at least has showed, No. 1 starter potential, but we might not know until 2019 if that has changed.
Right-hander Joey Lucchesi (11) gets guys out with a funky delivery and crazy extension out front, letting his average stuff really play up. He'll sit 91-92 with a good changeup, curve and slider, throwing strike after strike because he repeats his delivery immaculately. There's still reliever risk, in part because he doesn't have a truly above-average pitch, and in part because it's weird, but he wrecked high-A hitters and held his own in Double-A last year. You have to at least let him continue to start.
Tirso Ornelas (12) has been a favorite of mine since he signed because I loved his swing, and he has already started filling out his 6-4 frame well and showing big-league-caliber power. He's more than average in right field, and showed a great approach as a 17-year-old in the AZL, finishing second in the league in walks (behind a 21-year-old) and 10th in OBP.
Esteury Ruiz (13) was the critical piece in the midseason trade that sent Trevor Cahill, Brandon Maurer and Ryan Buchter to Kansas City. He's an offensive second baseman, shredded physically with serious juice when the ball leaves his bat, too aggressive at the plate and far from a finished product on defense. He's still got clear room for improvement, but massive upside, and will go to low-A this year at age 19.
Pedro Avila (14), acquired from the Nationals for Derek Norris, is a 6-foot right-hander who struck out 170 men in 129 innings last year, a bright kid with good feel for pitching and some stuff to back it up. He'll pitch up to 94 with a slider, curve and changeup; can sink the fastball a little; and pounds the strike zone with everything. He started the year in high-A, had four bad starts (15 R allowed in 15 IP), then was better for a month, but the Padres sent him back to low-A anyway because they had too many starters. He posted four double-digit strikeout games for Fort Wayne in 14 starts, including a 17K performance against Great Lakes on Aug. 8 when he faced just 27 batters in eight innings. He just turned 21 in mid-January and could still gain a little velo, with league-average starter a reasonable ceiling right now.
Chris Paddack (15) should be back and 100 percent by spring training after he missed half of 2016 and all of 2017 while recovering from Tommy John surgery. The Padres acquired Paddack for Fernando Rodney but he blew out three starts after the trade -- and bear in mind, the Padres were forced to give back Luis Castillo in a later trade with the Marlins over Colin Rea's elbow, but no one forced the Marlins to make good on this deal. Paddack was up to 95 with a grade-65 changeup and no average third pitch before the injury, someone who could be a No. 2 or 3 if he finds a usable breaking ball and a 4 or 5 without it.
Jacob Nix's (16) season started late due to a groin injury, but he was excellent in high-A Lake Elsinore and earned an August promotion to Double-A, where he was fine outside of one disaster start where he gave up eight runs in 0.2 innings. Nix will work in the 93-95 range with an improved breaking ball and above-average changeup, throwing strikes but not missing as many bats as his stuff should. He can stay too upright in his delivery, but if he can finish out over his front side more -- closer to the plate -- he'll get a little more zip on his fastball.
Luis Campusano (17) was their second-round pick in 2017, a Georgia high school catcher who has some real juice in the bat, an average to above-average arm, and good blocking skills behind the plate. He might be a level-a-year guy as he works on receiving, game-calling and developing his approach as a hitter, but has above-average regular upside because of the power potential.
Reggie Lawson (18) has more upside than Avila but is further away, still working at 91-94 with a better curveball than he had his senior year in high school. He has trouble working deeper into games and facing hitters multiple times, which could be the lack of stamina of a 19-year-old pitcher or a sign that hitters see the ball too well from him. He's very athletic and his stuff still misses so many bats (28 percent in 2017) I think this is more about durability than stuff or deception.
Hudson Potts (19) went to Fort Wayne as an 18-year-old and was awful early, but made more contact as the season went on and finished with 23 doubles and 20 homers, with 18 of those bombs coming from June 1 onward as he cut his strikeout rate. His range at third will probably always be his weak spot, but his hands are good and he has the arm to stay there. He didn't walk much, and has to continue to refine his eye and swing decisions.
San Diego added Edward Olivares (20) in the trade that sent Yangervis Solarte to Toronto after Olivares had a breakout year as a 21-year-old in low-A. A speed/power guy who should stay in center field, Olivares was behind most players his age because injuries limited him to 15 games in 2016, all in the Appy League, which was his only experience above the complex league coming into last year. This will be an important year for him, with everyday upside based on his tools and position as well as a solid fourth-outfielder floor.
Shortstop Gabriel Arias (21), born Feb. 27, 2000, finished the year in the low-A, full-season Midwest League after a solid two months in the Arizona Rookie League, and actually hit an empty .240. To put it another way, Arias is 15 months younger than Austin Beck, the sixth pick in last year's draft out of a North Carolina high school, and ended up in Fort Wayne. He has a good swing that right now just produces contact, with average power to come. At short, he has a hose with good hands and the lateral range to stay at the position and even end up a plus defender. He may be pushed back to Fort Wayne as a result of the Padres' "what if we signed all the shortstops?" strategy.
Josh Naylor (22), a former first-round pick of the Marlins acquired in trade, had his best year at the plate but has gotten big enough that he might have to be a DH. He does have power and his plate discipline is fine; he has shown a modest platoon split that might worsen as he advanced but so far doesn't tag him as just a platoon player.
Justin Lopez (23) went to the advanced short-season Northwest League as a 17-year-old because the Padres had Too Many Shortstops, and he scuffled at the plate, as you'd expect from a kid that young, from Venezuela, in his first pro experience. He is an excellent defensive shortstop, the best of the group the Padres signed last year, and he does have a good swing for contact, but might find himself pushed past his present ability because they need to find places for all these dudes to play.
Jeison Rosario (24) finished ninth in the AZL in OBP, just five points ahead of Ornelas, with less power but better defense. Rosario is a no-doubt center fielder who might end up a 70 there with good OBP skills and some doubles. He didn't turn 18 until after the 2017 season.
Franchy Cordero (25) has been a bit overlooked in the flood of younger prospects coming into the system, but he could be a part of the Padres' outfield this year, a power/speed guy with dubious plate discipline who struggled with fastballs up in the big leagues. He's probably an extra guy in the end, but it's worth giving him some time the next two seasons to see if he can be selective enough to let the plus power play.
Shortstop Luis Almanzar (26) got the biggest bonus of their July 2 haul outside of the Cuban defectors, taking $4.05 million home, but his debut last year for Tri-City was underwhelming, although like many of their other prospects he was just 17 and young for anything but complex-league ball. He does have a beautiful swing with good loft and plenty of hip rotation, so if he doesn't hit and hit for some power, it'd have to be about plate discipline, and Almanzar's wasn't awful enough to write him off. He's probably going to move to third in the near future.
Andres Munoz (27) is just 18 but has hit 102 mph and will pitch at 94-98 with a plus curveball. He's a pure reliever with an arm action reminiscent of Craig Kimbrel's. His control isn't good enough yet to race him up the system, but if it gets there, the Padres might as well promote him aggressively because the stuff is so good and might not last.
Trey Wingenter (28) kept adding velocity the past two years and has hit 100, often sitting 96-99 with a power slider, getting touched up a little by lefties but overpowering most of them. At worst he looks like a good right-on-right guy.
Brad Wieck (29) is a 6-9 lefty who dominated Double-A last year with a solid-average fastball and good changeup, with reverse platoon splits the past two years, although he scuffled in a midyear promotion to El Paso and finished up back in the Texas League. The Padres swiped him from the Mets to complete a 2015 trade for Alex Torres, who threw 31 innings for New York that year and was out of baseball before the following season.
Tucupita Marcano (30) is a 6-foot, left-handed-hitting shortstop whose father played in the minors for several years, and who, as far as I can tell, was named for the Venezuelan town in which he was born. His swing works, and while he didn't hit for average in the DSL last year at 17, he rarely struck out and worked the count well, just lacking the strength to do enough when he put the ball in play. He's not a shortstop long-term, but should be fine on the dirt and does project to really hit.
But wait, there's more: Jordy Barley plays a bit out of control, but the ball absolutely flies off his bat because his hands are so strong. He's not a shortstop -- especially not in this system -- and he needs to walk more than once a week, but there's some explosive ability here if he can get to it. ... Mason Thompson's year was a disappointment as he made just seven mediocre starts around shoulder injuries; he'd been 91-94 in the spring when I saw him with a power curveball and too-firm changeup. Thompson only threw one inning his senior year of high school while recovering from Tommy John, so he's missed most of the past three years now with arm problems. ... Right-hander Michell Miliano threw just 15 innings in the AZL and gave up 16 runs, but the 17-year-old is 90-92 with a tight 75-77 mph curveball that projects to plus. He's about 6-4, athletic, and super projectable, but obviously a ways off from being a top 20 guy in this system. ... They took a very interesting if long-term prospect in the fifth round in 2017 with Alaska prep infielder Johnny Homza, a natural third baseman who they're converting to catcher. The swing is good, but inconsistent, and he's going to need time to learn to be a catcher and to hit pro pitching. He's the highest-drafted player ever to sign out of an Alaska high school. ... I have to mention just one more right-handed reliever, even though he's probably a middle guy at best. He's 92-95 with plus life, has a decent little slider around 79-81, but the delivery is pure relief, with no stride or use of his lower half and gate-swinging motion like Tyson Ross'. I wouldn't even include him, but this 19-year-old, who started for short-season Tri-City last year, is named ... Henry Henry. And I very much want him to get to the big leagues.
2018 impact: As strange as it might sound for a team with the No. 3 farm system, the Padres probably won't get much production from rookies this year, as they may have only one or two on their entire Opening Day roster. Franchy Cordero could make the club as part of an outfield rotation, since they don't have a true incumbent in left. Maybe Eric Lauer or Cal Quantrill gets a call-up late in the season, and I would hope Luis Urias would get that chance after he rakes in Triple-A, but for now their roster is set.
Sleeper: Do I have to pick just one? I'm a believer in Tirso Ornelas' bat, both the swing and the approach, and he impressed scouts who saw him in the AZL last summer (where the Padres had to field two teams to get everyone some reps). It will also be interesting to see what Chris Paddack looks like when he returns.
The fallen: You take the good, you take the bad, as Mrs. Garrett would say. Their 2016 second-rounder Buddy Reed always had a bad swing, and hit just .234/.290/.396 as a 22-year-old in low-A. Their first pick in 2015, second-rounder Austin Smith, repeated Fort Wayne, then was demoted to short-season and moved to relief.
San Francisco Giants
There's no sugar-coating it -- this is a bad system, stripped by trades, promotions and some high draft picks that haven't panned out, along with a near-total lack of prospects from the international side.
1. Heliot Ramos, OF (ranked No. 95)
2. Stephen Duggar, OF
3. Tyler Beede, RHP
4. Garrett Williams, LHP
5. Jacob Gonzalez, 3B
6. Aramis Garcia, C
7. Chris Shaw, 1B
8. Austin Slater, IF/OF
9. Sandro Fabian, OF
10. Shaun Anderson, RHP
Non-top 100 prospects
Stephen Duggar has made himself into a good defensive outfielder at all three spots, and might get a shot at the center field job -- at least as a platoon player -- this spring. He missed most of 2017 with a flexor strain and then a hamstring issue, but when healthy shows a solid approach at the plate, above-average speed, and below-average power. Tyler Beede's year ended in late July with a groin injury, but he'd been struggling in the PCL, some of which was the league's extreme hitters' parks (he gave up five homers in one outing at Las Vegas, some of which was command-related). He might have too many pitches, with a four- and two-seamer, slider, change and curveball, and could benefit from simplifying his mix and using his four-seamer, which can reach 97, up top of the zone as a chase pitch.
Garrett Williams was the biggest surprise in the system last year, his first full year in pro ball after an injury-plagued career at Oklahoma State, coming into camp in great shape and flashing three average-or-better pitches. His fastball will touch 95, his change shows plus, and he can vary his breaking ball depending on the hitter's handedness. The Giants limited his innings last year but he should be good for a full slate in 2018, starting in Double-A.
Jacob Gonzalez was their second-round pick in 2017 out of a Scottsdale High School. The son of Luis Gonzalez, Jacob is a bat-first prospect with projected power, a third baseman now likely to end up at first. He raked in the Arizona Rookie League, rarely swinging and missing, but was already 19 when the schedule began. Aramis Garcia looks like a solid backup catcher with some pop; he had mechanical issues with his throwing this year but normally is solid-average against the running game. Chris Shaw has 70 power with a below-average hit tool and is a mediocre first baseman; I don't think he sees the ball well at all and he was overmatched in Triple-A last year.
Austin Slater is a promising multi-position player, probably not good enough defensively to start in the middle and lacking the power for a corner, but with the ability to make a lot of contact and fill in at second, third or anywhere in the outfield. Sandro Fabian played in the Sally League at 19 last year, hitting .277/.290/.408, with 41 extra-base hits but just 10 walks in 503 plate appearances. He's a plus defender in right with a 65 arm, a slightly below-average runner, and projects to above-average power. It's really all projection given his youth and lack of any patience at the plate. Shaun Anderson, acquired from Boston for Eduardo Nunez, was a closer at the University of Florida but has a chance to start, with a fastball up to 95, a cutter and a changeup.
Andrew Suarez (11) is a command lefty, up to 95 with an above-average changeup, throwing strikes with four pitches, almost certainly a back-end starter who might get to league average. Seth Corry (12) was their third-rounder in 2017, a baby-faced lefty from Utah who'll touch 93-94 and can spin a curveball, with some recoil in his delivery; he's an interesting long-term project.
Heath Quinn (13) strained an oblique muscle coming out of spring training, missing six weeks, and later in the season had some shoulder soreness, so his miserable year might have been the product of injury. He'll turn 23 in June and probably needs to get to Double-A this season; the most likely outcome is fourth outfielder but he has a chance to be a regular with sneaky power. Garrett Cave (14) was their fourth-round pick in 2017 out of the University of Tampa, a right-hander with arm strength and the makings of an average slider, but he's crude as a pitcher and more akin to a high school or junior college arm in his development. Joan Gregorio (15) was underperforming a bit as a starter in Triple-A when he tested positive for PEDs, ending his season at 74 innings in 13 starts. He might be a fifth starter or middle reliever.
2018 impact: Stephen Duggar may be a platoon center fielder with Austin Jackson, and Slater will probably be on the bench. Tyler Beede and/or Garrett Williams will be competing for starting spots in camp.
Sleeper: Garrett Williams is enticing if he's healthy, as he has the pitch mix to start and at least average present command.
The fallen: The Giants' top two picks from 2015 both debuted in the majors last year and were not good. Christian Arroyo hit .192/.244/.304 and was traded for Evan Longoria in the winter. Ryder Jones hit .173/.244/.273 in 53 games, losing his prospect eligibility for this year. Adding injury to insult, their third-rounder from that year, Chase Johnson, had Tommy John surgery in April.