We already ran down the top 100 prospects in baseball, so now it's time go deeper by division. Today it's the National League East, starting with the Atlanta Braves.
To jump to the other teams, click here: Marlins | Mets | Phillies | Nationals
Division overviews: AL East | AL Central | AL West | NL Central | NL West
Editor's note: Age is the player's age as of July 1, 2019. Players with experience in foreign major leagues such as Japan's NPB or Korea's KBO are ineligible for these rankings.
Atlanta Braves
The Braves are still loaded, and I think they'll remain a top-five system for another year even with some graduations and their ongoing penalties in the international market, since their A-ball clubs were just as loaded as Double-A and Triple-A were last year. Plus these pitchers can't possibly all graduate from the rankings in 2019.
1. Kyle Wright, RHP (ranked No. 22)
2. Touki Toussaint, RHP (ranked No. 26)
3. Ian Anderson, RHP (ranked No. 30)
4. Cristian Pache, OF (ranked No. 45)
5. Bryse Wilson, RHP (ranked No. 51)
6. Mike Soroka, RHP (ranked No. 57)
7. Drew Waters, OF (ranked No. 75)
8. William Contreras, C (ranked No. 81)
9. Austin Riley, 3B (ranked No. 87)
10. Patrick Weigel, RHP
Patrick Weigel missed the year after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2017 but was hitting 99 mph in instructs again, and he's hard to hit as it is thanks to his 6-foot-6 frame and extension out front. His breaking ball was showing above average before he got hurt, his changeup was solid-average and he was throwing strikes, enough of a package that he was probably going to see the majors before 2017 was out had he stayed healthy. Don't be surprised if he spends a chunk of 2019 in Atlanta in some role.
Lefty Joey Wentz (11) missed about half of 2018 (by workload) with a lat strain that Atlanta handled very cautiously. He's still a promising mid-rotation starter with great extension in his delivery and good spin rates, with an above-average fastball and changeup and a slower curveball that is probably just a good left-on-left weapon. Right-hander Kyle Muller (12) also was in the Anderson/Wentz/Wilson draft and made some real progress this year after an underwhelming 2017. Muller is still up to 98 mph, sitting 93-96, with a tighter mid-80s slider, viable changeup and average, downer curveball. His fastball command took a step forward, and another half-grade or so probably locks him into a starting role, although he could be a shutdown reliever too. Right-hander Freddy Tarnok (13) is the highest-upside guy among Atlanta's second tier of pitching prospects, a shortstop until his senior year of high school who has power stuff, with a riding fastball he can move up and down in the zone, and feel to spin the curveball but no consistency with the pitch yet. There's still projection left, enough to think he will eventually sit in the mid-90s instead of just touching it, and his command is about where you'd expect it from a pitcher who's new to the craft.
Kolby Allard (14) made his major league debut last year and it went ... not great, Bob. His fastball is light, still in the upper 80s without much life, and he relied way too heavily on that pitch instead of using his above-average to plus curveball more. He still has offspeed weapons to be a fifth starter or more than just a lefty specialist reliever, with good enough control for either role, but he probably can't work off the fastball. Huascar Ynoa (15) came over from the Twins for Jaime Garcia and projects as a power late-game reliever who should sit mid-90s, getting close to triple digits, but he needs a better breaking ball than his current slurvy curveball. He has the arm speed for a good slider, but his command and control are unlikely to ever see starter quality.
Jefry Ramos (16) played at 19 in low-A and ended up in the top 15 in the Sally League in isolated power and 11th in extra-base hits with 46. He's a corner outfielder only, limited on defense, but has plus raw power from the right side and real bat-to-ball skills, albeit without much patience (.290 OBP, 5.4 percent walk rate). Tristan Beck (17) was their fourth-round pick last year, a big fall from his sophomore year at Stanford when he seemed like a certain first-rounder. He missed his junior year with a stress fracture in his back and wasn't his old self last spring. Before that, he was a command guy who showed three average pitches and had some projection for more velocity. It was a good value pick in that round, and Atlanta just has to hope he gets healthy and can regain the core strength he might have lost in the interim.
Greyson Jenista (18) was a surprising choice for Atlanta in the second round, as he might end up a DH, certainly not playing anywhere other than first, and had some trouble picking up offspeed stuff in the spring. Right-hander Jacob Webb (19) should pitch in the major league bullpen this year, with a plus fastball/slider combination that makes him a good right-handed specialist option, although his changeup isn't there yet and he got torched by lefties (six HRs in 96 batters faced) last year. They took an interesting flier in the 17th round on outfielder Justin Dean (20) from Division II Lenoir-Rhyne College. He's an athletic kid, an 80 runner with some strength and good bat-to-ball skills, although his fringy arm might push him from center to left.
2019 impact: Any or all of Touki, Soroka, Wilson, Wright or Allard could make starts for the major league club this year, and you might throw Weigel in there now that he's healthy. Any of those guys could end up working in the bullpen, too, along with Webb. Riley is blocked at the moment, but I think he'll spend half the year in the majors after an injury or some reshuffling.
Sleeper: Tarnok is still a work in progress, but his ceiling exceeds that of Wentz, Allard, Muller or Weigel.
The fallen: Alex Jackson had a little uptick in 2017, but he was awful at two levels last year, hitting .201/.286/.360 between Double-A and Triple-A, and despite a plus arm, he's only around average at throwing out runners. There's no consensus on whether he can stick at catcher -- I have seen him receive poorly in pro ball, but some scouts think he can stay at the position -- which may not matter if he can't even hit enough to get to his power.
Miami Marlins
The Marlins' previous ownership group was so cheap that the club was always behind the curve in the draft, internationally and even in trades, since it was always more important to dump salary than acquire talent. The new regime has at least signaled it will be more innovative and, now that the big contracts are gone, more focused on adding talent, with better trades, a new direction in last year's draft class (and now a new scouting director) and a big splash on the international front. They're still a few years away from having a top-tier system, but Thursday's trade of J.T. Realmuto for two solid if risky pitching prospects (Sixto Sanchez and Will Stewart) helps build the depth of arms in their low minors.
1. Sixto Sanchez, RHP (ranked No. 35)
2. Victor Victor Mesa, OF
3. Connor Scott, OF
4. Edward Cabrera, RHP
5. Isan Diaz, IF
6. Monte Harrison, OF
7. Braxton Garrett, LHP
8. Will Stewart, LHP
9. Jordan Holloway, RHP
10. Sandy Alcantara, RHP
Victor Victor Mesa signed with the Marlins last fall for $5.25 million, with his younger brother getting a bonus of roughly $1 million, after a big workout at the Marlins' stadium. Mesa is a potential defensive standout, a plus runner with good range in center and has a plus arm, but scouts came away from the workout with real questions about his bat, both his ability to make contact and potential for power. He's 22 and has barely played in the past two calendar years, so he may need to start in high-A. Connor Scott was Miami's first-round pick in 2018, a plus runner and also a potentially plus defender in center, with a good, functional swing that looks like it should let him tap into power down the road. He was injured on and off during his senior year of high school and just needs a full year of reps in 2019.
Edward Cabrera has been up to 101 mph and can hold upper 90s deep into games, with the ability to spin a curveball at 79-82 but lacking the feel for the pitch right now, and a potentially average changeup at 89-92. He's behind some of these other arms in terms of his development but has as much upside as any pitcher in the system. Isan Diaz had yet another season marred by injury, suffering a concussion in May, after which he went on a tear, hitting .288/.403/.494 in 45 games before a promotion to Triple-A, where he struggled mostly on balls in play. He's an average defender at second and makes hard contact with strong exit velocities, with a good eye at the plate and at least above-average raw power, even the other way. I'm still bullish on Diaz as at least a solid regular, but he has to have a full, healthy season at some point.
Monte Harrison is an all-or-nothing prospect who led the minors last year with 215 strikeouts, a 36.8 percent rate, but does damage when he puts the ball in play and was a homer short of a 20/20 season. He's going to swing and miss, but some of his problem in 2018 was being too passive, taking too many fastball strikes early in counts rather than ambushing those pitches. He's 23 but was always a bit behind for his age because he played multiple sports in high school. Braxton Garrett had Tommy John surgery in 2017 and missed all of 2018, returning in instructs, where his stuff was back and he seemed fully healthy. Left-hander Will Stewart was mostly 89-93 from a low three-quarters slot that helps him generate sink, with ground ball rates over 60 percent the past two years, along with a plus changeup that helped him avoid any platoon split this year. The former 20th-round pick out of an Alabama high school has outstanding control, and hitters, especially lefties, don't see the ball well out of his hand. He doesn't have an average breaking ball and his arm action isn't pretty, so there's some question about him as a starter. Sinkerballers who never walk anybody are still intriguing even in this era of the high four-seamer, and I'd like to see Stewart stretched out for 25 starts next year after he just reached a career high with 113 innings.
Jordan Holloway was on roughly the same schedule, but got in a few games late in 2018 before tweaking his shoulder when he fell on it trying to make a play. Garrett is the more advanced pitcher, with a plus curveball, average fastball and exceptional command for a teenager, while Holloway was up to 99 before the surgery with less of a breaking ball. They're both promising, potentially No. 2 starters, but both need to go pitch. Sandy Alcantara came over in the Marcell Ozuna trade and remains an enigma as a pitcher, working 96-100 but getting hit because the fastball lacks life or spin, with better results on both the power slider and changeup. If he had better command or even control, he could still project as a mid-rotation starter, and the Marlins' new front office is very Trackman-focused and could see if they can find a way to improve his fastball quality, but at this point it's a bit more likely he ends up in relief.
Nick Neidert (11) was part of the return from Seattle for Dee Gordon and had a tremendous year at 21 in Double-A, walking just 31 in 152 2/3 innings with 154 strikeouts despite a mostly average repertoire besides a plus changeup. He's a deception/command right-hander, an unusual profile in today's game, and carries some risk between the light fastball and lack of an above-average breaking ball to get more swings and misses from right-handers, but if he doesn't become too homer-prone he should be a fourth starter. Trevor Rogers (12) was their first-round pick in 2017, came in hurt after the draft, then struggled last year in his first pro experience, with a 5.82 ERA in low-A driven by too much contact against his quality of stuff. Rogers is typically 92-95 with a slider and changeup, either of which can show above-average or plus, and good extension out over his front side, but his fastball plays down and his command is well below average. Pro scouts were bearish, putting him in a relief role, although he's so inexperienced I'd give him at least another two years of starting.
Jorge Guzman (13) was the main prospect in the Giancarlo Stanton contract dump, pitching at 98-100, going back and forth between a curveball and slider, but lacking the changeup command or really a delivery that would allow him to start. He'll continue to work as a starter but is very likely a reliever in the end. Will Banfield (14) was one of their two second-round picks in 2018, signed away from a commitment to Vanderbilt, and is a hard-throwing, athletic catcher who projects to hit for power if he hits enough to get to it. He threw out 38 percent of runners in pro ball between the Gulf Coast and Sally leagues, and showed some of that power over the summer despite some normal issues with contact.
Tristan Pompey (15) was the Marlins' third-round pick in 2018, a fringe first-round talent on tools who also shows some plate discipline. The switch-hitting outfielder missed some time at Kentucky last spring with an injury and there were questions about both his makeup and his instincts, as he's a below-average defender in the outfield despite his athleticism and speed. His older brother, Dalton, is still in the Jays' system but has yet to live up to his promise. The Marlins added Bryson Brigman (16) in a deadline trade for Cameron Maybin, and finally bumped the 23-year-old infielder to Double-A about two weeks later. He belonged at that level all year, and probably could have been their utility infielder this year if he'd had enough experience facing high-minors pitching. He runs well, has a 60 arm, can play three infield spots and puts the ball in play, lacking any power but doing enough to help a club off the bench.
Osiris Johnson (17) was the Marlins' other second-round pick in 2018, a raw, toolsy high school kid from near Oakland who hadn't faced great competition, which made the decision to send him to full-season Greensboro in August a bit hard to fathom; he had 88 plate appearances there and punched out 34 times with one walk. He's a shortstop now but won't stay there, and probably will need more time than most high school players to learn to hit pro pitching, but he has athleticism and quick, loose hands at the plate. Jose Devers (18) remains a favorite of the new Marlins' front office, who acquired him as an extra piece in the Stanton trade, even though other teams' scouts don't see it. He played at 18 in the Sally League, which is very young for that level, and was a fine singles hitter, .273/.313/.332, showing no power whatsoever, although his swing may eventually lead to more pop as he fills out. He's an average defender at short and 45 runner. The Marlins may see something others don't, but Devers was so young for full-season ball he hasn't had much chance to prove them right.
Zac Gallen (19) was the third player in the Ozuna trade along with Alcantara and Magneuris Sierra, a right-hander with average or slightly better stuff that plays up thanks to good spin and some extension in his delivery. He might be a back-end starter or a very good long man. They also picked up right-handers Jordan Yamamoto (20) and Robert Dugger (21) in trades over the past year, both minor league starters who project as relievers or emergency call-ups.
Others to note: Shortstop Chris Torres, acquired in the Gordon trade, missed most of the year due to injuries and hit only singles (and drew a lot of walks) in the little he did play. He has always needed to get stronger, but he will play at 21 this year and is young enough to grow into a utility infielder role. Right-hander Kyle Keller, an 18th-round pick in 2015, is 94-96 from a three-quarters slot and gets on top of the ball well enough to make his power curveball a potential swing-and-miss pitch. He walks too many guys, but his arm slot makes it hard for hitters to elevate the ball against him, and he's a half-grade of control away from major league value.
2019 impact: Alcantara is a candidate for a rotation spot this spring, and Gallen could be as well. Rule 5 selection Riley Ferrell, who has a power fastball/slider combination but has had control issues and injuries, probably will make the team in the bullpen. Either Diaz or Harrison could debut later this summer.
Sleeper: Cabrera has enormous upside and a wide range of potential outcomes, but just staying healthy will probably put him on track to be a power bullpen arm, with a starting role still very much a possibility, depending on how his secondary stuff progresses.
The fallen: Tyler Kolek, the second overall pick in 2014, is still here, and at least got his walks per inning under 1 last year, but he threw only 15 2/3 innings, all in short-season, and his fastball, which once touched 99, is now just average. He was unprotected in the Rule 5 draft, and of course no team selected him.
New York Mets
This would have been a great system, but new GM Brodie Van Wagenen already has traded away their top two prospects and another from their top 10 to try to make the major league team competitive in 2019. If it works, that's great, and then it might have been worth the cost, but if it doesn't work, the moves could set the club back several years.
1. Mark Vientos, 3B (ranked No. 60)
2. Peter Alonso, 1B (ranked No. 90)
3. Andres Gimenez, SS (ranked No. 97)
4. Ronny Mauricio, SS (ranked No. 99)
5. David Peterson, LHP
6. Anthony Kay, LHP
7. Simeon Woods-Richardson, RHP
8. Thomas Szapucki, LHP
9. Shervyen Newton, SS
10. Junior Santos, RHP
David Peterson had an up-and-down first full season in pro ball, trying at one point to throw harder, which may have been related to the dead-arm period he had midyear. But by season's end he was his normal self, back to 90-92 with huge sink, giving up just a single unearned run in his last four starts over 23 innings. His slider can be plus and he has an above-average changeup, but he may not miss a lot of right-handed bats, succeeding instead with control and sink. He's an innings-eating fourth-starter type, without a lot of upside but with good probability of pitching in a rotation for a while. Anthony Kay has a wider range of outcomes, throwing harder now, up to 96, showing an above-average curveball one outing, an above-average change in a different one, but rarely putting everything together in one start. This was his first year back from Tommy John surgery in 2016, which he needed shortly after he'd been badly overused by UConn in its conference tournament, and he tired as the year progressed. He could be a mid-rotation starter, but he still has bullpen risk depending on fastball command and where his offspeed pitches end up. His changeup was regularly his best pitch pre-surgery, often plus.
Simeon Woods-Richardson looked to me like a reach in the second round, but the former shortstop saw his stuff tick up after he started pitching full time in pro ball, hitting 97 with a plus curveball in the GCL, and he may still have room left to fill out on his athletic, 6-foot-3 frame. He was a young senior who won't turn 19 until September, and his delivery looks smooth enough for future command. Thomas Szapucki was a top-100 guy two years ago, but he missed most of 2017 and all of 2018 after Tommy John surgery. He's expected to be ready to go for spring training this year and at least prior to the surgery had No. 3 starter upside.
Shervyen Newton was born and raised in the Netherlands, where baseball is fairly popular but the caliber of pitching isn't that strong, so he's behind the curve as a hitter. But he's a gifted defensive shortstop, perhaps behind only Luis Guillorme in the system in that regard, with a body that projects to plus power as long as he can make enough contact. Junior Santos signed for $250,000 in 2017 and pitched at 16 almost all of last summer, already up to 92-96 with a good delivery and plane from a 6-foot-8, athletic frame. The secondary stuff isn't there yet, although Santos has the arm speed for a good slider, with a below-average curve and change right now, but he throws a ton of strikes and has size and athleticism you can't teach. He'd be a Day 1 draft prospect if he were a U.S. high school senior this year at 17, with projection for more velocity and the belief that he'll be able to improve his off-speed weapons with experience.
Right-hander Jordan Humphreys (11) blew out his elbow right around when Szapucki did the same and also should be back this spring, with back-end starter stuff in a four-pitch mix of average offerings, boosting it with some deception and excellent control. Franklyn Kilome (12) came over in the trade for Asdrubal Cabrera but blew out his elbow right afterward and will miss 2019 recovering from Tommy John surgery. He's a big kid with starter stuff, limited feel to pitch and reliever command.
Outfielder Freddy Valdez (13), signed for $1.45 million in July, has enormous raw power, huge bat speed and a plus arm, with some questions about how much he might swing and miss. He's a below-average runner who'll end up in a corner even if he starts in center. Catcher Francisco Alvarez (14) signed for $2.7 million in July thanks to a plus arm, above-average power and strong makeup, although his receiving needs work and he has to work on his conditioning to ensure he can stay behind the plate.
Right-hander Tony Dibrell (15), the Mets' fourth-round pick in 2017, tied for the Sally League lead in strikeouts last year, working 93-95 with an above-average changeup and an average if slurvy breaking ball. There's starter potential here, but he's already 23 and should have finished last year in high-A. Sidearmer Stephen Villines (16) is 89-91 but blows it by batters thanks to his low slot, punching out 37 percent of the batters he faced across three levels last year. He's a right-hander who will probably end up a specialist, although he didn't have trouble with left-handed batters in low-A or high-A last year.
Former second-round pick Desmond Lindsay (17) continues to struggle to put the ball in the air, swinging down at the ball, so while there's some power in his body, he can't get to it during games and makes too much weak contact either on the ground or as pop-ups. Adrian Hernandez (18) signed for $1.5 million in 2017, in the same class as Mauricio, and had a solid debut in the Dominican league last summer. He's a plus runner who could stay in center field, but he has real swing concerns that might lead to a lot of swings and misses. Third-round pick Carlos Cortes (19) has a short, direct left-handed swing and a solid eye at the plate, but he made almost no hard contact last spring at South Carolina and he can play only left field.
2019 impact: Alonso could be the Mets' first baseman this year, although they have too many options for that one roster spot right now. Villines should see time in the big league bullpen. If Amed Rosario doesn't perform this year (I'm still a believer), Gimenez's glove is ready for the majors now, although his bat probably isn't.
Sleeper: Woods-Richardson looks ready to explode after a summer that exposed how much better he could be now that he's not trying to be both a position player and a pitcher.
The fallen: Lindsay was their top pick in 2015, the year they coughed up their first-round pick to sign Michael Cuddyer, but has never hit for more than a few weeks in pro ball, even after getting new glasses to help his vision in 2017 and multiple attempts to rework his swing over the past few years.
Philadelphia Phillies
What a bummer of a year for the Phillies' system, with just about every major prospect from last year's rankings taking a step backward, including the now-traded Sixto Sanchez's ongoing trouble staying healthy, big disappointments from top names Adonis Medina and Jhailyn Ortiz, and a string of first-rounders who aren't working out. Fortunately for Phillies fans, they had a few new names step up to fill in the gaps.
1. Spencer Howard, RHP (ranked No. 52)
2. JoJo Romero, LHP (ranked No. 66)
3. Luis Garcia, SS (ranked No. 69)
4. Adonis Medina, RHP
5. Alec Bohm, 3B
6. Francisco Morales, RHP
7. Simon Muzziotti, OF
8. Ranger Suarez, LHP
9. Adam Haseley, OF
10. Jhailyn Ortiz, OF
Adonis Medina hasn't quite taken the step forward scouts have anticipated from him for at least two years now, and multiple scouts told me they saw him "quit" midgame or simply be noncompetitive. It's not a stuff question, as he's up to 96 with a power breaking ball that can be 12/6 or show some two-plane break, an upper-80s slider and a hard changeup, more than enough stuff to start, but he has 40 fastball command and doesn't utilize his secondary stuff well. Maybe it's a question of maturity, as he has at least mid-rotation quality stuff, probably more like a No. 2 starter if you think the curveball is plus. Alec Bohm was the Phillies' first-round pick last year, third overall, but earned negative reviews from pro scouts this summer who said he couldn't stick at third base and questioned whether he could hit quality pitching at all. He is a big guy, but athletic for his size, and his hands are more than good enough for the hot corner. At the plate, he has a big strike zone and some length to his swing, but his hands work well and he has a good angle to his finish for 25-plus homer power. I do think he eventually moves off third, but would give him at least another year or two there to see if he can improve enough to stick.
Francisco Morales is next in the wave of promising Latin American arms in the Phillies' system who still has a long way to go; several of these guys have turned into top prospects but none has become a big-league starter yet. He's athletic with a good delivery and great body, and now has to learn to repeat his delivery. He'll pitch in the low 90s, occasionally touching 94-95, with a slider that ranges from above-average to plus, and a split-change as a third pitch. He looks the part, but now has to fulfill his physical projection and also develop as an actual pitcher. Simon Muzziotti was one of the players the commissioner's office set free when the Red Sox were found to have bundled international amateur players to skirt the league's bonus restrictions and signed with the Phillies for another $750,000. He's a 70 runner and 60 defender right now, a chance to be a 70 in center, with a short, quick swing. He squares up a lot of pitches but doesn't have the strength yet to drive the ball. He plays a little out of control, in a good way on the bases or in the field, but could probably stand to slow things down at the plate, where he swings at everything because he knows he can make contact with so many pitches. I think he could grow into an average regular pretty easily with the defensive and positional value.
Ranger Suarez had a miserable MLB debut last year, and obviously wasn't ready for the call, but still projects as a back-end starter with a three-pitch arsenal where the fastball backed up a little last year, so he was 89-93 much of the year, but with an above-average changeup and a slider that's very effective against lefties but ineffective against righties. His pitch selection has to be good for him to succeed, and he has the control for that role but not yet the fastball command. Adam Haseley's swing has gone to pieces in just over a year in the system; it's all hands and he's just waving at the ball, cutting through average velocity in the zone from right-handers, the stuff he should be hitting already. He's fine in the outfield, but barring an overhaul to his entire swing, from his lack of lower-half usage to how he starts his hands, I think he's an extra outfielder. Jhailyn Ortiz collapsed last year in Lakewood, the biggest tumble in their system, and even though he's only 19 the industry sentiment on him seems to be way out. He still has a great right-handed swing for hard contact with the ideal angle for power, but he's a 40 defender in left if you like him, and scouts across the board are questioning how well he's seeing the ball as a hitter.
Enyel De los Santos (11) is a fastball/changeup reliever, even with the good year starting in Triple-A, with a delivery and lack of breaking ball that point to a bullpen role -- still a nice pickup for a year of Freddy Galvis, though. Haseley has been a lot better than the first-rounder taken before him, Mickey Moniak (12), whom one scout called an "emergency call-up" after a year of light production and declining chances of staying in center field, where he might be average but nothing more. He's still trying to pull and yank too many pitches, with a stiff front hip and too little rotation, as if there's some idea of getting to power here that he doesn't have. He did improve his contact rate as the season went along, if you're looking for silver linings.
Jhordany Mezquita (13) is a three-pitch lefty, 91-93 with a solid changeup, but needs a better breaking ball and better overall command. There's some starter potential here for the former eighth-round pick -- originally signed as an international free agent until MLB realized he was draft-eligible -- but he has several more boxes to check, notably that breaking pitch to get lefties out. Cole Irvin (14) keeps succeeding despite average stuff, with a sub-3 ERA in Triple-A Lehigh Valley and solid if unspectacular peripherals. He's a command lefty with a fringe-average fastball and a bunch of average secondaries, rarely walks guys, but probably lacks the swing-and-miss pitch needed to be more than a fifth starter in the majors. Still, he's worth a shot given his success through Triple-A.
Fifth-rounder Matt Vierling (15) started driving the ball more in low-A, even with the wood bat, than he had in the spring for Notre Dame. He played the outfield all summer but could try to move to third base, as he pitched some in college and has the arm and general athleticism for it. Lefty Kyle Dohy (16) is a pure reliever who has ridiculous stuff -- plus velocity, a plus slider, arguably a plus changeup -- with a very tough-to-repeat long-arm action, like a catapult but coming from a low three-quarters slot. He dominated low-A and high-A without having to throw a lot of strikes, then walked 22 in 22 innings for Double-A Reading.
Zach Warren (17) is a fastball/curveball reliever who punched out 100 guys in 56 2/3 innings in low-A Lakewood (44 percent of batters faced), but he doesn't throw enough strikes and was experienced for that level as an SEC product. He needed to be challenged with better hitters who'd force him to come toward the zone more. Daniel Brito (18) has the pure tools -- swing, speed, agility -- to turn into a prospect again, but he still is way too slight to impact the ball as a hitter, and this year he seemed to play with less energy as he repeated low-A, hitting .252/.309/.340, after not being ready for the level in 2017.
Lefty Kyle Young (19) is fascinating because he's listed at 6-11, and obviously is hard for hitters to see, but he missed most of 2018 with a sore elbow. He's 88-92 with a slider that plays up because it looks like it's coming from the third floor. Connor Seabold (20), the Phillies' third-round pick in 2017, is 92-93 without much life and became very homer-prone in Double-A. He has a fringy slurve of a breaking ball and drops down for his changeup. My gut feel when watching him was that he might throw 96 in relief just by airing it out, but regardless, I don't see him as a starter.
Others of note: Arquimedes Gamboa signed for $900,000 in 2013 and had a reputation for big tools without skills, but he doesn't have much left in the way of tools; he's almost certainly not a shortstop, runs below average and has real trouble with changing speeds. ... Lefty David Parkinson had a great year between low-A and high-A, working with above-average control of three average pitches, but he was another SEC product who didn't belong in low-A. ... Shortstop Nick Maton, younger brother of Padres reliever Phil, was a bit old for low-A last year at 21, but his body is still underdeveloped. His actions at short are promising and he might have a utility infielder future. ... Mauricio Llovera might hit 100 at some point with a plus curveball when the Phillies move him to the bullpen, which seems inevitable given how far below average his command has been to date. ... Catcher Rafael Marchan, a converted shortstop, is a solid catch-and-throw guy and switch-hitter who rarely strikes out but has to get a lot stronger just to make more quality contact. ... Kevin Gowdy, for whom the Phillies went over slot at the top of the second round in 2017 only to have him blow out his elbow immediately, pitched in the last game of instructional league in 2018 and should be ready to go in March. He had an average fastball and very promising curveball before the injury.
2019 impact: Probably nobody. Irvin could end up with some spot starts, as could Suarez or de los Santos, although de los Santos certainly fits better in relief.
Sleeper: Muzziotti isn't even that well known yet within the industry, since he missed the early part of the year with a broken finger, but his floor is high with his speed and defensive value. If he gets stronger and starts to more consistently hit the ball harder, he'll make a big leap.
The fallen: Cornelius Randolph was the team's first-round pick, 10th overall, in 2016, as a bat-first high school prospect without a clear position. Now he not only has no position, but he has stopped hitting, and his swing has disintegrated. He hit .241/.324/.322 last year in hitter-friendly Reading and is a 30 defender at best in left.
Washington Nationals
The Nats' system is deeper than you might expect given their history of trading prospects for major league help and drafting near the end of the first round just about every year since the arrivals of Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper. But they've taken some gambles in the draft that seem to be paying off and have a huge crop of Latin American prospects, mostly shortstops and power arms, who at least give them the promise of future value.
1. Victor Robles, OF (ranked No. 10)
2. Mason Denaburg, RHP (ranked No. 96)
3. Carter Kieboom, 2B (ranked No. 98)
4. Luis Garcia, SS
5. Telmito Agustin, OF
6. Wil Crowe, RHP
7. Yasel Antuna, SS
8. Tim Cate, LHP
9. Seth Romero, LHP
10. Reid Schaller, RHP
Luis Garcia was very young for full-season ball last year, and won't turn 19 until May, but he hit for average at both low-A and high-A (.297 and .299) without much else. He doesn't use his lower half at all and his hands have a little shake to them before contact that seems to be contributing to lower-quality contact. He has solid hands at short and should be a 50-55 defender there, with a plus arm that would work at third. He could be an average regular at short or a good utility player. Telmito Agustin was off to a very promising start in high-A when a leg injury interrupted his season and cost him about two months. He came back to show the same improved eye but none of the power that had appeared in the first few weeks of the season. The Virgin Islands native is a potential 25-homer guy with average speed and a real approach, although it breaks down a bit with two strikes, and should be above average on defense in a corner. (He could play center, but likely be a 45 defender there.)
Wil Crowe throws four pitches for strikes, nothing plus, and had his healthiest season in years, eventually running out of gas late in the summer when he moved up to Double-A. He's had Tommy John surgery and issues with both knees, so durability will always be a question, but I think he can be a fifth starter in a year. Yasel Antuna went to low-A Hagerstown at 18 last year, didn't hit well, then hurt his elbow, requiring Tommy John surgery. Signed in 2016 for $3.9 million, he's an average defender at short, although whether he stays there may depend on how his throwing comes back, and he tries to switch hit but has been awful batting right-handed and may end up batting exclusively from the left side. The one bit of good news is that his power projection might be better than originally forecast.
Lefty Tim Cate had one of the best breaking balls in the 2018 draft class, but he missed time in the spring with arm soreness, pushing him to late in the second round (65th overall). He's touched 95 but won't pitch there, at least not as a starter, where he's more 90-92, but has the mix to change speeds as long as his small frame holds up. Seth Romero was suspended during spring training last year for being an idiot ("violating club policy") and eventually blew out his elbow. He's been up to 95-96 with a wipeout changeup, functional breaking ball and erratic control. Reid Schaller was a redshirt sophomore at Vanderbilt who hit 99 in the spring in relief after missing two years around Tommy John surgery, and has the body, delivery and enough of a breaking pitch to move to the rotation.
Right-hander Sterling Sharp (11) is a big-time sinkerballer with an above-average changeup, lacking a real swing-and-miss pitch or average breaking ball, but getting ground balls at a high enough rate that he's a half-grade of control from being a major league starter. Right-hander Malvin Pena (12) missed 2015 and almost all of 2016 after surgery, then was just so-so in 2017, but had a modest breakout in 2018 with 50 innings in 10 starts between short-season and low-A, where he was 94-95 with a potentially average curve and changeup, and walked just seven guys with 47 strikeouts. He'll pitch at 22 this year and, if he holds that stuff for a full season, will be a top-10 prospect in the organization next year. Catcher Israel Pineda (13) played just 46 games in short-season before a broken hamate bone ended his summer. He has an above-average arm and at least solid-average receiving skills, with a good swing that keeps his bat in the zone for a long time and the build to eventually get to 15-20 homer power. He turns 19 in April and should see time in low-A.
Outfielder Gage Canning (14), their fifth-round pick in 2018, has above-average speed and average power, possibly sticking in center, but with too much swing-and-miss to project him as a solid-average everyday player. Catcher Raudy Read (15) was suspended 80 games for a positive test for an anabolic steroid and wasn't as good in 53 games after his return as he had been the year before. He's a catch-and-throw guy who might end up with 15 homers in a full season but probably won't get on base enough to be a regular.
Jose Sanchez (16) is an above-average defender at short with smooth actions and an average-to-55 arm, and is likely to stay there even though he's a below-average runner, but he needs to get a lot stronger to hit enough for any significant major league role. He won't turn 19 until July. Right-hander Jake Irvin (17), the Nationals' fourth-round pick last year, faded near the end of his junior year at Oklahoma, but earlier in the spring was working with a plus fastball and threw strikes. He could end up a starter with a better second pitch somewhere, as everything he has is pretty average. Chandler Day (18) was a projectable right-hander in high school four years ago, went to Vanderbilt instead, and is now a less projectable right-hander (by age) whose stuff hasn't ticked up yet. He'll sit 89-91 even in relief, but he has a 70 changeup and throws both pitches for strikes. If the Nats can get any kind of muscle on him or otherwise boost his velocity, he should be a good major league reliever.
Lefty Ben Braymer (19) started the year in the low-A Hagerstown bullpen and finished it in high-A Potomac's rotation, although he probably still projects as a long reliever, with a downer curveball that likely would be more effective once through the order. Joan Baez (20) repeated high-A last year as a starter but still doesn't throw enough strikes. He was 95-97 over the winter and should hold that velocity as a reliever, which seems to be his most likely role going forward.
Others of note: Right-hander James Bourque saw his stuff tick up in 2017, after he'd returned from Tommy John surgery, and then did so further when he moved to the bullpen full time last year. He's 90-94 but will touch 97 with a hammer curveball, all tough to hit thanks to a funky delivery and very high arm slot. His control isn't great, and repeating that delivery will never come easily to him, but he could miss a lot of bats in a bullpen role. ... Jackson Tetreault has a plus fastball but needs to gain strength and develop both his offspeed stuff and his command. ... Lefty Taylor Guilbeau was 93-95 in the Arizona Fall League and kills left-handed batters but slipped through the Rule 5 draft unselected. ... Lefty Nick Raquet saw his velocity slip last year, his first full year in pro ball, enough that he may not be able to succeed as a starter. ... Ronny Pena is 27, but last year seemed to find a little more control of his premium stuff, with a fastball up to 100 and a hard slider, and could surface as a bullpen option this summer. ... Righty Gabe Klobosits has premium stuff that might put him in high-leverage relief work, but he had Tommy John surgery and might miss 2019.
2019 impact: Robles could be in the Nats' starting outfield on Opening Day unless they re-sign Bryce Harper.
Sleeper: Agustin might have made the top 100 or the "just missed" list had he played a full season and carried over his production into Double-A. He has the tools to make that leap, but his half-season surge for high-A Potomac was an outlier compared to his earlier performance, particularly in strikeout and walk rates.
The fallen: Romero went from possible top-10 pick to 25th overall to suspended multiple times (including getting kicked off his University of Houston team) to the disabled list in the span of about 15 months. I've ranked him here on what he could still become, but I can't say I'd want to acquire him if I were another GM, even in a deal that I thought was fair value for his talent.