Stock Up, Stock Down on MLB's Top 10 Prospects at 3-Quarters Mark
There's no doubt that 2015 will live on forever as the Year of the Prospect. At the three-quarters mark of a season full of youthful contributors, let's check on the stocks of MLB's current batch of top-10 prospects.
Of MLB.com's top 50 prospects at the beginning of the season, a whopping 23 have debuted in 2015. By succeeding in the majors, many of these talents have lost their prospect statuses this season.
But another crop of outstanding players is developing in the minor leagues, awaiting an opportunity to make its mark on the big leagues.
While the Carlos Correas and Kris Bryants of the world have already moved on to The Show, names like J.P. Crawford, Corey Seager, Tyler Glasnow and Yoan Moncada are continuing a fantastic year for all the young talent around baseball.
There are, however, a handful of big-name talents struggling to live up to expectations in 2015. Byron Buxton and Joey Gallo weren't able to adjust to big league pitching, while Julio Urias missed nearly a month after undergoing elective eye surgery.
We'll take a look at those players and a handful of others in the slides to come. Make sure to let your voices be heard in the comments section below. Do you agree or disagree with our assessments? Why?
Without further ado, here are MLB.com's top 10 prospects!
Stock Up: Yoan Moncada, Boston Red Sox
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2015 Stats (A): .286/.379/.444, 6 HR, 31 RBI, 48 R, 35 SB
When Yoan Moncada hit the international market earlier this season, there was no shortage of interested suitors. Eventually, the Boston Red Sox won the sweepstakes for the Cuban sensation with a record $31.5 million signing bonus.
After a slow start in A-ball, Moncada has shown why the baseball world raved about him this winter. The 20-year-old has done it all offensively, hitting for average, getting on base at a high clip, flashing some pop and wreaking havoc on the bases.
The Boston brain trust has also been pleased with how Moncada has adapted to baseball in the States.
"I think it's been a good year," Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington told Christopher Smith of MassLive.com. "I think we know that with guys like this that first year's going to be—there's a lot on their plate, they're dealing with a lot on the field, off the field.
"He didn't really have a real spring training. He started playing, got off to a decent start and then hit a little speed bump. But over the last four to six weeks, he's been a very good player and one of the better players at that level for his age. He's doing a lot of different things on the field: running the bases, showing great range, having much more consistent at-bats."
Moncada will likely finish the season in Single-A, but he could begin next season as high as Double-A depending on how he finishes. Regardless, Red Sox fans should be ecstatic about the upside he's flashed this year.
Stock Up: Tyler Glasnow, Pittsburgh Pirates
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2015 Stats (AA/AAA): 5-4, 2.35 ERA, 84.1 IP, 106 K, 31 BB, .196 BAA
Pittsburgh Pirates pitching prospect Tyler Glasnow has progressed all the way to Triple-A this season, but don't expect the 21-year-old to be promoted to the big leagues anytime soon.
Pirates pitching coach Ray Searage told 93.7 the Fan's Morning Show that Glasnow is still raw and has some things he could work on in the minors:
"I really believe that he needs development. He's a tall, lean, long-limbed son-of-a-gun. The ball comes out of his hand really nice and easy. Right now, he's so green a cow wouldn't eat him, so that's why they've got him in Triple-A. He needs to make sure that he gets his reps in, he gets a little bit of competition different than Double-A, and we'll go from there. So, we'll see how it happens. This guy is definitely in our future, but he's got to go through the growing up phase and the learning phase of professional baseball at the different levels.
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While Glasnow may be unpolished, he's proving to be one of the top pitching talents in baseball.
At 6'8", he throws extremely hard. His heater reaches the upper 90s, and he is able to maintain that velocity as the game progresses. But long limbs often make it hard to repeat a delivery, and that's been an issue for Glasnow during his career. The right-hander did, however, post a career-low walk rate in 12 starts in Double-A this season, which indicates he could be turning the corner.
He may not get an opportunity to help the Pirates in 2015, but Glasnow is well on schedule to debut as early as the start of next season. Impressive command in Triple-A to close the year would go a long way in that regard.
Stock Down: Joey Gallo, Texas Rangers
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2015 Stats (AA/AAA): .254/.355/.562, 22 HR, 59 RBI, 37 R
When Joey Gallo made his major league debut earlier this season, his jaw-dropping power was on full display. The Texas Rangers' top overall prospect mashed five homers in just 25 games.
Sounds good, right?
Unfortunately, Gallo's slugging prowess wasn't the only thing Rangers fans caught a glimpse of. He struck out 43 times in 87 at-bats and posted an on-base percentage of .306.
Gallo was sent down to Triple-A, where he's been focusing on ironing out the details of his swing.
"It's something I'm not focused on or too worried about," Gallo told Alex Kraft of MiLB.com earlier this month. "I know the power's going to be there, I'm just trying to become a better overall hitter in general. Trying to be a little more patient at the plate and take what they give me. I'm starting to feel a little bit better the last two games doing that...just trying to get my swing back to where it was earlier in the season."
Gallo's attitude is in the right place, but his production hasn't followed suit. His Triple-A batting average has fallen to .206 (he does have a .297 OBP), and he's whiffing over 37 percent of the time.
On the bright side, Gallo is playing in Triple-A at just 21. His power is unreal, and he's still nowhere near the hitter he'll be during his prime.
But the enormous strikeout numbers are worrisome and have hurt his stock in 2015.
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Stock Up: Kyle Schwarber, Chicago Cubs
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2015 Stats (MLB): .315/.403/.586, 8 HR, 27 RBI, 28 R
Kyle Schwarber was ranked 72nd among prospects by MLB.com at the beginning of the season. Just a few months later, the Chicago Cubs slugger has jumped all the way to seventh on that same list.
Schwarber's ascent began with a torrid 58 games at Double-A, where he slashed .320/.438/.579 and mashed 13 homers. Once he was promoted, Triple-A pitchers could do nothing to slow him down: He posted another .400-plus OBP and 1.000-plus OPS in 17 games.
Surely major league pitchers would be able to find a chink in Schwarber's armor. Nope. Schwarber has become a key component of the Cubs offense, slashing .315/.403/.586 with eight homers and 27 RBI in just 33 games.
The Cubs front office knew Schwarber had a fantastic hit tool, but even they have been surprised by his contribution this season.
"It's an incredible transition he's made," Cubs president Theo Epstein told Bob Nightengale of USA Today. "We certainly didn't call him up with the thought of carrying our offense, or even sparking our offense."
If he continues his tremendous start, Schwarber won't be able to claim prospect status for very long. But for now, there's not a young player with a higher stock than Chicago's 22-year-old catcher.
Stock Up: J.P. Crawford, Philadelphia Phillies
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2015 Stats (A+/AA): .282/.377/.402, 6 HR, 34 RBI, 54 R, 8 SB
The Philadelphia Phillies have a gem on their hands in shortstop prospect J.P. Crawford.
Crawford started 2015 in High-A, but he quickly made it evident he had no plans of staying there long. In 21 games, he hit .392 and walked more than he struck out.
Since being promoted to Double-A, Crawford has continued to play well. His average has fallen below .250, but he's still touting an on-base percentage of .343 and walking more than he's swinging and missing.
The 20-year-old is also a smooth defender and shouldn't have much trouble sticking at shortstop. Kiley McDaniel of FanGraphs reported that the Phillies have been pleased with Crawford's work on his backhand and other defensive mechanics.
Crawford will be 21 at the start of next season. Due to a fantastic 2015, he'll have a legitimate shot to start at shortstop for the Phillies out of spring training.
Stock Even: Julio Urias, Los Angeles Dodgers
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2015 Stats (A+/AA): 2-4, 3.38 ERA, 64 IP, 72 K, 15 BB, .224 AVG
At just 19, there's not a prospect with more upside than Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Julio Urias.
Urias is already in Double-A and has posted a 3.20 ERA with more than 10 strikeouts per nine innings in 11 starts. That performance comes on the heels of a 2.36 ERA in 25 games, including 20 starts, in High-A in 2014.
The southpaw has a nasty trio of offerings—a mid-90s fastball, tight-breaking curveball and changeup that falls off the table. By significantly reducing his walk rate this season, Urias is rapidly approaching a major league debut.
However, Urias missed nearly two months of action this season after undergoing surgery to remove a benign mass from his left eye.
"It really didn't ever affect me. I was born like that," Urias told Kevin Henry of the Tulsa World. "The Dodgers wanted me to have surgery this year. I accepted it and had it done. Now I'm moving forward."
Urias has been dynamite when he's been on the mound this season, doing nothing to hurt his stock as one of the game's top pitching talents. But the eye surgery may have derailed a potential 2015 debut, which had looked like a distinct possibility.
Stock Up: Miguel Sano, Minnesota Twins
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2015 Stats (MLB): .279/.392/.533, 7 HR, 25 RBI, 17 R
Kyle Schwarber isn't the only slugger to come up and make a significant impact this season, as Minnesota Twins third baseman Miguel Sano has blasted opposing pitchers in his fledgling career.
In 36 games, Sano has hit seven homers and driven in 25 runs for the Twins. More importantly, he's been able to mask a high strikeout rate with a 16.2 percent walk rate for a near-.400 on-base percentage.
Due to the fantastic start to his major league career, Sano has earned high praise from Twins veteran Torii Hunter.
"I like what he's going to bring now, and I really like what he's going to bring in the future," Hunter told Jorge L. Ortiz of USA Today last month. "He reminds me a little of Miguel Cabrera, but he's got a long way to go to get there. He could be that guy. His plate discipline is unbelievable."
Obviously that's an extremely optimistic outlook, but the 22-year-old has the power to become one of MLB's top slugging threats. With better plate discipline, the sky is the limit for Sano.
Stock Up: Lucas Giolito, Washington Nationals
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2015 Stats (A+/AA): 4-6, 3.09 ERA, 93.1 IP, 109 K, 31 BB, .242 BAA
The Washington Nationals have another talented hurler on the way to the big leagues in Lucas Giolito.
Giolito has dominated between High-A and Double-A this season. In 11 High-A starts, the right-hander posted a 2.71 ERA and struck out over 11 hitters per nine innings.
Giolito's heater can reach 100 mph and sits in the upper 90s. As if that's not enough, the 21-year-old's 12-to-6 curve is a devastating out pitch. An improving changeup gives Giolito three plus pitches.
While the strikeouts are impressive, Giolito's command is also phenomenal for a pitcher with such standout stuff. Giolito posted walk rates of under eight percent in Single-A in 2014 and High-A this season.
Finishing 2015 in dominating fashion in Double-A could position him to debut early next season.
Stock Up: Corey Seager, Los Angeles Dodgers
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2015 Stats (AA/AAA): .293/.346/.476, 14 HR, 61 RBI, 64 R
When will the Los Angeles Dodgers promote Corey Seager to the big leagues?
After all, the talented shortstop prospect can't accomplish much more in the minors. Seager became a household name in 2014 by blitzing High-A pitching. In 80 games, he hit .352 with 18 homers and drove in 70 runs.
Seager was equally as dangerous this season. The 21-year-old began 2015 in Double-A but stayed for only 20 games after hitting .375. He slowed down following a promotion to Triple-A, but Seager has since raised his average to .274 and has hit nine home runs.
In Seager, the Dodgers have one of the most polished bats in the minors. He hits the ball with authority to all fields and could eventually become a .300 hitter capable of launching 30 home runs in the big leagues.
Seager has done nothing to lower those expectations this season. With Jimmy Rollins struggling, Seager's big league opportunity should come by the end of the month.
Stock Down: Byron Buxton, Minnesota Twins
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2015 Stats (AA/AAA): .299/.362/.486, 6 HR, 41 RBI, 52 R, 22 SB
When Byron Buxton hit over .330 with 12 homers and 55 steals between Single-A and High-A in 2013, the baseball world started to realize just how good he could be.
But an injury-filled 2014 raised questions about Buxton's status as the top overall prospect in baseball. The 21-year-old regained his form between Double-A and Triple-A this season but struggled mightily in a cup of coffee with the Minnesota Twins in June.
In 11 games, Buxton slashed just .189/.231/.270 and struck out over 38 percent of the time. Buxton also only stole one base, but the bigger issue was a complete lack of competence against major league pitching.
Is Buxton destined to be a bust? Absolutely not. At just 21, he's well ahead of schedule and has as much raw ability as any player in the minors.
But the injuries and mounting strikeout totals are starting to diminish his value.
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