2017 Top 100 Prospects

Below is my list of the top-100 prospects in baseball. Each prospect has a brief scouting summary here with links to the full team reports embedded in their names where applicable. Those without links will have them added as I cover the remaining farm systems. Scouting reports are compiled with information provided by industry sources, as well as from my own observations. For more information on the 20-80 scouting scale by which all of my prospect content is governed, you can click here. For further explanation of the merits and drawbacks of Future Value, read this.

Note that prospects below are ranked overall and that they also lie within tiers demarcated by their FV grades. I think there’s plenty of room for argument within the tiers, and part of the reason I like FV is because it can illustrate how an on-paper gap that seems large may not actually be. The gap between prospect No. 3 on this list, Amed Rosario, and prospect No. 33, Delvin Perez, is 30 spots but the difference between their talent/risk/proximity profiles is quite large. The gap between Perez and prospect No. 63, Kyle Tucker, is also 30 numerical places but the gap in talent is relatively small. Below the list is a brief rundown of names of 50 FV prospects who didn’t make the 100. This same comparative principle applies to them.   -Eric Longenhagen

70 FV Prospects

Scouting Summary
The tools are deafening. Moncada is a plus-plus runner with plus-plus arm strength, plus raw power and an advanced idea of the strike zone. He’s going to strike out, and there are some within the industry concerned about how much. That said, I think it’s important to consider that while Moncada was K-ing a lot late last year he was also a 21-year old who had played for just a month and a half above A-ball and, during a large chunk of that time, was learning a new position. The stat-based projection systems, KATOH and otherwise, seem comfortable with it, and so am I. I think he’ll provide rare power and patience while playing a premium position — he’s looked fine at second base in my looks this spring — and, while it might take adjustment at the big-league level, I think he’ll eventually be the best of this crop of minor leaguers.

(Author’s Note: This is the tier in which Shohei Otani would appear, and likely at the very top. I’ve seen him up to 99 and think he has a chance for three plus secondaries and plus command.)

65 FV Prospects

Scouting Summary
Though he’s unlikely to produce home-run totals commensurate with elite corner outfielders, Benintendi is going to be a doubles machine with elite on-base and contact skills. His natural feel for squaring pitches in various parts of the strike zone and generating hard, all-fields contact is sublime, and 40-plus annual doubles is in range. He could play center field, and play it well, if a cataclysmic deluge of injuries tear through Boston’s outfield, but for now he projects as a plus defender in either corner. Even at age 22, Benintendi’s modest stature belies physical projection and the cement on his physical tools is more or less dry, but his polish and proverbial (but also literal) baseball acumen are terrific, and he’s as close to a finished product as any prospect on this list.

Scouting Summary
An exceptional athlete who has become more explosive and coordinated as his body has matured, Rosario projects as a plus defender at shortstop. His recent physical maturation has also aided his offensive output, though his raw power (which was on par with all but the game’s best power-hitting prospects at the Futures Game) hasn’t shown up on paper yet. If he starts to get to it in games, and if more raw power comes as Rosario’s frame continues to mature, he’s going to be a monster. I consider him the best bet to top this list next year.

Scouting Summary
A polished and underrated defender, Swanson’s contact/power profile is modest in a vacuum but is very favorable at shortstop. His plate discipline vaults his overall value skyward.

Scouting Summary
Meadows’ ability to hit for power without sacrificing his ability to make contact would profile at any position, but his speed and ability to play a viable defensive center field — or to be plus in a corner — make him a potential four-tool star. Pittsburgh’s log jam in the outfield complicates his path to playing time.

Scouting Summary
Owner of a potentially dominant three-pitch mix headlined by elite starter’s velocity, Reyes’s full-season coming-out party is being delayed by Tommy John. Routine though TJ may be, it still represents risk and missed development time, something with which Reyes is familiar after dealing with shoulder trouble in 2015 and then a marijuana suspension last year. He’s never thrown more than 109 innings in a given year, and the missed reps have cost him curveball and command consistency. When his stuff is on, however, he’s utterly dominant.

60 FV Prospects

Scouting Summary
Torres is built like a late-60s Camaro and packs a similar wallop, possessing rare power on contact for a middle infielder. His defensive actions are sexier than they are effective at this point. While I think he’ll eventually be fine at shortstop, scouts are not unanimous in that regard, either because they want to see him tighten up fundamentally or think he’ll lack range at physical maturity. If that happens — or if New York employs a superior defensive shortstop — Torres’s bat still profiles anywhere and he’s a potential star at second or third base, too.

Scouting Summary
One of the few true potential five-tool talents in the minors, Robles has advanced feel for all-fields contact and wreaks havoc on the bases while possessing the speed to play high-end defense in center field. That’s the skill set of a plus regular, and if he ever grows into game power (either with a mechanical adjustment or simply via physical maturity), he’s a potential perennial All-Star.

Scouting Summary
While Crawford is unlikely to impress with counting stats like homers or stolen bases, his discerning eye for the strike zone, solid contact profile and potential elite defense at shortstop should generate high-end real-world value. Those concerned by his statistical output at Triple-A last year should examine the possibility that Reading’s hitter-friendly haven may have artificially engorged their expectations beyond what’s reasonable. One should also remember that Crawford was just 21. He could be a one- or two-hole hitter and play great defense at a premium position.

Scouting Summary
Espinoza was the best prospect I saw during instructional league in either Florida or Arizona, sitting 95-97 with movement and flashing two dominant secondary offerings. He’s short but not small, his arm works well, he’s athletic and only turned 19 a few days ago.

Scouting Summary
A wholly unique entity and one of minor-league baseball’s most entertaining prospects, Albies epitomizes the concept of “twitch,” and that characteristic pervades his entire style of play. He may lack the in-game pop we’re beginning to see from second basemen in the majors, but his combination of speed and bat-to-ball ability should provide favorable offensive output for second base. He’s a potential plus defender there because he’s taking shortstop range, actions and athleticism with him to the other side of the bag.

Scouting Summary
I’ve never seen someone generate elite velocity with as much ease and grace as Alvarez, who was untouchable in the AZL last year despite tinkering with his secondaries. He began to harness fastball command in Low-A after his promotion. The premium velocity is complemented by a hard-biting slider that flashes plus. Alvarez’s smooth delivery and athleticism dictate heavy projection on the command and changeup.

Scouting Summary
Bellinger’s swing is so explosive and cacophonous that it looks like he’s going to corkscrew himself into Earth’s upper crust as he finishes it. Some worry he might strike out an awful lot in the majors, more than is acceptable for a first baseman. But he’s never had issues with huge K totals in the minors, has good ball/strike recognition, and when he does make contact, he hits bombs. He’s also a 70 defender at first base, capable of playing either outfield corner if he needs to, and I’ve spoken with scouts who think he could pass in center field.

Scouting Summary
Note how the tool grades compare to those of Gleyber Torrres. Rodgers has a bit less bat control, isn’t quite as flashy a defender and is barbecuing in the low minors for a bit longer, but the physical traits to hit, hit for power and play a viable shortstop are all there. And Rodgers’ track record of hitting at or above his age level dates back to 2013, so I think the profile is relatively stable compared to other position prospects in the lower minors.

Scouting Summary
Jimenez’s body has matured more quickly than I anticipated when I saw him make his stateside debut in the AZL. He’s got 70 raw power right now, flicking lasers over the left-field wall with ease during BP and stumbling into wall-scraping homers he barely squares up in games. I think he’s going to have elite power in his mid-20s and there’s solid feel for contact here, too.

Scouting Summary
Always a volatile prospect because of his penchant for strikeouts and trips to the disabled list, Brinson has made adjustments to his swing as he’s moved up the ladder, a testament to his athleticism and ability to manifest his coaches’ wishes on the field. He has big raw power (into which he’s tapping more readily in games) and speed, and a chance for some 20/20 seasons while playing good defense in center field.

Scouting Summary
The barrel-chested Adames might ordinarily project to move off of shortstop given his build, but it seems to me that Tampa has a rather liberal organizational philosophy about what constitutes a viable defensive shortstop and Adames isn’t going to be any less competent there than aging Asdrubal Cabrera and Yunel Escobar have been in recent years. If Adames does have to move off of shortstop (I have a future 50 on him there), then he’s probably grown into enough power to profile anywhere he moves. He has good feel for contact and a bat path that should produce power and contact. If his body matures in the Goldilocks Zone and, when he’s 25, he’s added power but simultaneously retained the physical agility to stay at shortstop, he’ll be among the growing collection of young Uber Shortstops we all get to watch for the next decade.

Scouting Summary
I watched Martes’s fastball get spanked during the Fall League, but it’s clear he’s a special talent with sneaky athleticism for a pitcher with his build. He was 94-98 for me in the AFL, a 70 fastball on pure velo but docked a grade due to a lack of movement. He varies the shape of his power curveball depending on situation/location. Once his command of it is fully realized (something I’m betting on because, again, we’re talking about a good athlete), I think it’s going to be a dominant, plus-plus pitch. The changeup flashes and once Martes’ fastball command improves a bit, I think the changeup will follow shortly after it, as he’ll find himself in changeup-friendly counts more often and should be able to develop that pitch. He conservatively projects as a No. 3 starter, the type of arm most teams run out on Opening Day. If that fastball starts moving, though, and plays at its velo, he could be more than that.

Scouting Summary
Giolito’s 2016 was disappointing, but there are several potential explanations for it, ranging from purported mechanical changes to hellish travel (Double-A to MLB to Low-A to Triple-A to MLB, back to Triple-A, back to MLB, back to Triple-A, back to MLB… I think that’s it) to just the simple fact that this is a giant 21-year-old with big stuff that he hasn’t yet harnessed. At his best, Giolito sits mid-90s with a big curveball and improving changeup, which I saw him use quite deftly this spring (though he was just 90-93 that day).

Scouting Summary
Ray is a physical speedster with great bat speed and is far toolsier than your typical college-draftee outfielder. He’s a bit raw in center field and may have to move to left, but should carry the offensive weight required to play there should the move occur — especially if he can adjust his approach to hit for more power than he did in college, as I have him projected to do.

55 FV Prospects

Scouting Summary
It comes at the expense of effort and violence, but Kopech has one of the planet’s hardest fastballs and flashes a dastardly slider. He also projects for an impact changeup based on his elite arm speed. Some think his command issues will force a move to the bullpen, where he’d be dominant; others see a unique specimen who can handle abnormal physical stress for 100-plus pitches every fifth day and think he’ll at least be an inefficient mid-rotation starter.

Scouting Summary
Devers’ swing mandates that he catch balls out in front of the plate in order to lift them in the air and utilize his considerable raw power, but his hand-eye coordination and bat speed are so good that, even when he’s making sub-optimal contact, it’s hard and to all fields. He’s more agile than he appears over at third and has a decent chance to stay there for a while, but he’s a potential plus-hit, plus-power prospect. That profile holds water at first base, too.

Scouting Summary
A plus-plus runner who can go get it in center field, Margot has solid contact skills, as well, and could probably hit for more game power if an adjustment were made to his swing. Doing so proactively seems unwise, however, when he’s already a high-probability above-average regular.

Scouting Summary
I’ve spoken with several sources (both with Toronto and without) who think Guerrero will be in the big leagues before he turns 21. He has elite bat speed and power potential with surprising bat control for such a high-effort swing. His approach at the plate is, predictably, epicurean. But embedded deep within his genealogy is an ability to make this approach viable, and when Guerrero is poking at balls just a few inches above the dirt, his strength/bat speed is so good that the ball still jumps off his bat and into the gaps. At this age with this build, he’s likely ticketed for first base or an outfield corner in the future, but nobody seems to care.

Scouting Summary
If not for an elbow injury and subsequent surgery that robbed him of his entire junior year, Quantrill could have gone 1-1 in last year’s draft. His fastball sits in the low- to mid-90s, his changeup is already plus. It will be key for Quantrill to find breaking-ball consistency but it need only progress to average for him to be a good No. 3 starter.

Scouting Summary
While I’ve been apprehensive about Glasnow’s ability to remain a starter, it’s clearly correct to continue developing him as if it were a foregone conclusion. He has a few late-bloomer traits. He’s an ectomorphic 6-foot-8 with a mid-90s fastball, and it’s perfectly reasonable that he still has trouble throwing strikes. He also has great curveball feel. Huge, athletic, hard-throwing righties with good breaking balls are universally loved by scouts, no matter their control, but Glasnow has been that, and only that, for nearly half a decade now. He remains one of the higher-upside arms in the minors but needs to find a better changeup and command in the next year or two before he’s relegated to the bullpen. If he does he’s a front-end arm.

Scouting Summary
Scouts see Moniak’s slight frame and wonder if he’ll ever grow into more than 40 game power, but if he hits as well as he’s expected to, it isn’t going to matter. Moniak’s swing is loose and effortless, his feel for moving the bat head around the zone is advanced. He’s a potential plus-plus hitter who runs well enough to play center field, and his instincts for the position make him a potential above-average defender there.

Scouting Summary
Lopez’s elite arm acceleration produces a plus-plus fastball and plus breaking ball. He’s athletic and has shown improved pitchability this spring. Some scouts think he ends up in the bullpen due to size/command. I think the changeup and command will grow enough that he’ll be an above-average big-league starter.

Scouting Summary
Some teams removed Groome from their 2016 draft board because of off-field issues. Just on talent he was arguably the best prospect in the 2016 draft. He’s a big, athletic lefty with a low to mid-90s fastball, plus a curveball and projectable changeup and command. Boston will have to surround him with the proper infrastructure for him to succeed, but he has top-of-the-rotation potential.

Scouting Summary
Senzel entered his junior spring as a dark-horse candidate to go 1-1 if he could show more consistent defense at third and/or prototypical corner-infield power. The former came and he went No. 2. He was arguably the draft’s most advanced bat and is the odds-on favorite to be the first hitter from the class to debut in the majors. Though Senzel doesn’t have the lofty ceiling typically associated with a draft’s No. 2 pick, he’s very likely to hit for high average, yank out 18-plus homers annually and even provide some value on the bases, as he runs well enough that some amateur scouts were intrigued by the idea of trying him at second base.

Scouting Summary
The violence in Pint’s delivery and the control issues it propagates had some scouts worried, pre-draft, that he might end up a reliever. He’s an exceptional athlete (also an excellent high-school basketball player) with terrific makeup and, ho hum, was touching 100 during instructional league and flashing a 70 breaking ball. There’s some changeup feel, too. Pint has issues holding his velocity deep into games and with throwing strikes, but if both are remedied he’s a front-end arm.

Scouting Summary
Arguably the most physically gifted catching prospect of this century, Alfaro has plus-plus raw power, elite arm strength and rare straight-line speed for a catcher. His issues with strikeouts and inconsistent defensive fundamentals had long hindered his on-field output, but the latter issue has largely been solved. He’s likely an above-average everyday catcher despite a K-filled future with low OBPs.

Scouting Summary
A positive PED test tanked Perez’s draft stock just ahead of selection day, and he fell to the back of the first round, but all the physical characteristics of stardom are here. Perez easily runs and throws well enough for shortstop and has very promising defensive footwork and athleticism. He also has plus bat speed, though his feel to hit is raw.

Scouting Summary
Elite bat speed has long been the calling card for Frazier, who has hit and hit for power all the way up the minor-league ladder and whose batted-ball profile should play favorably in Yankee Stadium.

Scouting Summary
Acuna has the straight-line speed to stick in center field for a while and should eventually have the hit/power combination worthy of a corner spot should he one day need to move. He was the best outfield prospect I saw during my Florida tour last fall. (I didn’t see Robles.)

Scouting Summary
Honeywell’s deep, unique collection of pitches is bolstered by artistic sequencing, and he essentially never has to pitch off of his fastball (though he could if he wanted to, I’ve seen it up to 98) because he always has new looks to show hitters. The best of these is a cutter and changeup. The screwball is more than a gimmick and can miss bats. Like chocolate cake, though, its best in moderation — not only because it arguably adds to the violence inherent in Honeywell’s delivery (the only thing keeping him from the 60 FV tier) but because it seemed to me that good Fall League hitters were able to recognize it after seeing it multiple times in the same at-bat.

Scouting Summary
Though his approach is aggressive and can result in some ugly swings, Mejia is as twitchy a catching prospect I’ve ever seen, with terrific bat speed, bat control and explosive lower-half usage from both sides of the plate. Defensively he’s unkempt with manic, overactive movements behind the plate and stabby receiving, but that should be ironed out with reps, and I’m not moving a 70 arm out from behind the plate unless I really need to.

Scouting Summary
Lewis tore his ACL late last year and, if he weren’t already likely to move to right field, he is now. The good news is he has more than enough power to profile there — and potentially hit in the middle of a good lineup, provided he makes enough contact to get to the power. Scouts and analysts alike were mixed about his ability to do this pre-draft, the former citing the excessive mechanical noise in Lewis’s hands and struggles versus well-located breaking balls, the latter skeptical of his college numbers due to weak competition. Those willing to bet on the bat speed (including myself) think he’ll be fine.

Scouting Summary
One of 2016’s more prominent pop-up prospects, Gsellman had long been a fastball/fastball-command pitcher with little else to offer. Then he caught Sliders Disease, which seems to be an epidemic among upper-level Mets arms. Now, Gsellman has the wine of an above-average slider to pair with humming mid-90s cheddar. That slider has also made his decent curveball a more interesting and effective change-of-pace pitch. I think he’s a low-risk, mid-rotation starter.

Scouting Summary
Rutherford’s fall on draft day was not due to talent but due to the gravitational pull of signability issues created by pool-rich teams picking in the 30s and 40s. Though old for his high-school class, Rutherford has always hit against his elite peers and often with power. He’s not a center fielder for me, but rather an advanced prep bat with enough offensive prowess to profile in left field and hit in the middle of the order.

Scouting Summary
I thought Allard merited consideration near the top of the 2015 draft before a stress reaction in his back ended his senior year. He was nails on the summer-showcase circuit, flashing mid-90s velocity, a plus curveball and some changeup feel, all wrapped in an athletic, repeatable delivery. He has, more or less, tracked as exactly that guy, making 11 starts in full -ason ball at age 18 last year and largely having success.

Scouting Summary
Verdugo’s body has rapidly matured since draft day but nobody denies his ability to hit, which he has done all the way into the upper minors after just one full pro season out of high school. It’s a corner-only body now and scouts are mixed about how much power Verdugo’s going to have in games, as his approach to hitting doesn’t prioritize it. In aggregate, he should be fine.

Scouting Summary
He looked terrific in the Fall League after missing much of the year due to injury, sitting 93-plus with his fastball during most of his starts in Arizona while showing a unique and effective repertoire of secondaries led by a plus slider.

Scouting Summary
Yet another fastball/changeup/command arm in Tampa, DeLeon’s ceiling is capped by a lack of an impact breaking ball and potentially by a fastball some view as flat and relatively easy to hit in the air. Unless the issue becomes Miltonesque, he’ll be a fine mid-rotation starter.

Scouting Summary
Zimmer gallivants from gap to gap using long, efficient strides and is a good defensive fit in center field. He has rare power for the position, the booming thwack of his contact only rivaled in the AFL by Eloy Jimenez and Franklin Barreto. The strikeout issues are real, mostly due to swing length, and it wouldn’t surprise me if Zimmer had career-long issues with contact, at least against lefties. But I’ll live with it if it means getting the glove and pop into the lineup every day.

Scouting Summary
Keller throws hard, has an impact curveball and throws a high volume of strikes. There’s some disagreement about his changeup projection, something he may not end up needing very much if his curveball command keeps improving. There are concerns about his injury history, which largely kept him off the field until last year. If he’s healthy for another year and the cambio starts improving, he’ll rocket up this list.

Scouting Summary
Early results in MLB have been discouraging for Hoffman, who was babying his curveball into the zone when I saw him late last year. But his the breaking-ball combo and velocity (he has been up to 98 this spring) are vicious when they’re on, and I’m cautiously optimistic that Hoffman eventually finds his way toward the top of Colorado’s rotation, probably by riding his slider as his put-away pitch rather than the curveball. I see the latter as more of a nasty way for him to get ahead in counts the second and third time through the order.

Scouting Summary
Though Maitan is likely to move to third base as his body matures (a process that appeared to have begun already when I saw him in the fall), he might hit for average and power from both sides of the plate. He’s the youngest player on this list, having just turned 17 a few weeks ago.

Scouting Summary
His right-handed swing needs significant polish but, from the left side, Taveras has the most advanced bat I’ve seen from a prospect in the AZL in the (admittedly brief) period of time I’ve lived in Arizona. He’s a plus runner with great instincts in center field and has a chance to produce impact value with his bat and glove, all while playing in the middle of the diamond.

Scouting Summary
Bell’s well-rounded combination of on-base ability, bat-to-ball skills and in-game power is strong enough to profile at any position, including first base. He’s a bad defender and hasn’t made the strides many hoped he would during the year and a half he’s taken reps there. Purely on offensive value, he projects as an above-average regular. If he ever becomes a competent defender at first or somehow moves back to the outfield, he’ll be more than that. I’m not sure either of those is going to happen.

Scouting Summary
There’s some dissent among scouts about Happ’s ability to play second base, but modern infield positioning should help allow for it. Though he sometimes fails to get the bat head out into the zone in time to pull the ball with authority, Happ has enough bat speed to do damage the other way. A .270 hitter with 18-plus homers profiles just about anywhere, and that’s where I believe Happ is headed.

Scouting Summary
Marquez made his major-league debut last year at age 21, the age of many college draftees. His delivery is relatively effortless, producing a running mid-90s fastball and plus-flashing two-plane curveball. The delivery is indicative of future changeup and command projection.

Scouting Summary
Lanky and projectable, Alcantara has a chance for three plus pitches but carries significant reliever risk because his present command is quite raw.

Scouting Summary
The platonic ideal of a power prep righty, Anderson has a tailing mid-90s fastball, precocious curveball feel and enough athleticism to generate optimism about his chances of developing good control. He’s also a relatively fresh, northeastern arm who never needed a changeup in high school but showed some feel for it during showcases.

Scouting Summary
Scouts are unsure about McKenzie’s physical projection because a lot of them have never seen a pitcher quite this skinny. I’m in, though, and it’s encouraging that McKenzie has been able to hold his velocity deep into games and throughout a 15-start season at his size. He has mature curveball feel and strike-throwing ability, and the natural deception in his delivery allows for some extra changeup projection.

Scouting Summary
A big, hard-throwing righty with a potential plus curveball, Manning’s command projection exists in abstraction, as does that of his changeup. But Manning, who was committed to Loyola Marymount to play baseball and basketball, is exactly the type of athlete who merits an optimistic forecast for both.

Scouting Summary
At age 21, Ortiz’s four-pitch mix is quite advanced. While he lacks the physical projection of the pitching prospects surrounding him on this list, he’s a solid bet to become a mid-rotation starter, provided he can stay healthy and keep his body in check.

Scouting Summary
An overwhelming majority of second-base prospects are of the hit-before-power variety, while Diaz is the polar opposite. Despite his strikeout issues, he’s likely to get to his power in games because of his uppercut swing. His ball/strike recognition has been good throughout his career, so there’s some on-base ability here as well. Jonathan Schoop was a 2.5 WAR player last year hitting for power without patience. Diaz should be able to do both.

Scouting Summary
I give Hader a good shot to start because he’s shown glimpses of the command that will be necessary for him to do so and has had success up through Triple-A as a starter. His slider’s effectiveness waxes and wanes, as he sometimes fails to get on top of the ball and drive it down, something that happens more frequently when he tries to locate it to his arm side. But his funky arm slot gives him significant margin for error against left-handed hitters, and I think he’ll develop a changeup that will allow him to deal with righties.

Scouting Summary
Garrett sits in the low 90s with an above average curveball and mature command for a high-school arm. The changeup should come, and potentially very quickly. If it does, I think Garrett will be the fastest moving prep arm from the 2016 draft. He lacks the physical projection many of the other teenage pitchers on this list possess, but many of the ingredients necessary for success are already in place.

Scouting Summary
Judge has shown an ability to make adjustments and deal with his lever length multiple times at various levels of baseball. He’ll probably be playing chess with opposing pitchers throughout his career. He has tremendous power, most of which should translate to games, and enough athleticism and arm strength to be a defensive asset in right field, as well.

Scouting Summary
Fried’s early pro career was slowed by Tommy John, but if you buy that his late-season performance in 2016 is indicative of the pitcher he’s going to be moving forward, then he’s probably too low on this list. He was mid- to upper 90s and flashing a 70 curveball late in the year, with a changeup that was plus on movement but easy to ID out of his hand.

Scouting Summary
One of the sweetest swings in prospectdom belongs to Tucker, who is likely to grow into more game power as his frame fills out with age. How much he adds will dictate what kind of offensive force he’s going to be. It should play nicely in right field, where he’s likely to end up as the physical maturation begins.

Scouting Summary
Athletic and loose, Mendez’s mid-90s fastball and complementary plus changeup are an excellent foundation on which to build. If either breaking ball takes a step forward (the slider is most likely at this point), he’ll be a good mid-rotation arm. Some scouts are concerned about how often he works up in the zone with his fastball, and there are durability questions to answer here, as well.

Scouting Summary
While Garrett lacks monster stuff, he’s on the precipice of the big leagues and has been remarkably healthy throughout his career. His arm has very few miles on it, as Garrett, a former college basketball player, only began pitching full time in 2014. That, along with his athleticism, affords him late-blooming pitch quality and command projection.

Scouting Summary
Gordon’s actions at shortstop were not as polished in the Fall League as I’d hoped to see, but he clearly has the physical ability to play a solid shortstop while being competent, but not impactfiul, with the bat.

Scouting Summary
Barreto has the straight-line speed and arm strength to play anywhere on the diamond, but his actions on the infield are poor and I have him speculatively projected to center field. His bat will play there comfortably, as his plus bat speed produces lots of hard contact. He could run into 12-15 homers, too.

Scouting Summary
Puk has a potentially dominant two-pitch combination, but much of his profile is very much in flux for a college arm. Scouts questioned his delivery and physical conditioning at Florida, where he had some back issues. His changeup and command are both raw, although he’s also adding a curveball this year. If it’s effective and Puk is able to command it, he may never need the change. He showed up in good shape this spring and has been able to get out over his front side more regularly, which should help him keep his fastball down this year.

Scouting Summary
Arroyo’s numbers at Double-A last year were mediocre, but he was just 21 and playing half of his games in an extreme pitcher-friendly park at Richmond, where his OPS was more than .200 lower than it was on the road. I still believe in his bat and future defense at third enough to consider him a potential above-average, everyday player who is relatively close to the majors.

Scouting Summary
Jettisoned from Seattle as part of their winter purge of players with off-field issues, Gohara is one of the more talented left-handed pitching prospects in baseball, with a mid- to upper-90s fastball and late-breaking plus slider. He’s also flashed command of the fastball, especially to his glove side, and keeps his slider down consistently. He’ll be, at worst, an inning-eating ground-ball machine if he can keep his body in check.

Scouting Summary
Cotton is athletic, throws hard, has a plus-plus changeup and above-average cutter. He has had rashes of command issues in the past, and his full-body delivery makes it unlikely that Cotton will ever have surgical command, but Oakland’s staff seemed to remedy his strike-throwing issues after his acquisition from Los Angeles last year.

Scouting Summary
I’m on Strahm as a starter not just because I think his changeup will progress to average as he continues to make up for lost development time due to injury, but also because he has excellent command of a vicious curveball that he regularly works inside to right-handed hitters. He’ll also run his fastball up to 96.

50 FV Prospects

Scouting Summary
While he’s not likely to produce the lofty home-run totals frequently associated with first base, Smith’s ability to reach base, hit for average and collect a high volume of doubles should still be viable there. Though his lateral range is limited, Smith’s soft hands and strong arm should help make him a defensive asset at first, as well.

Scouting Summary
If Buehler can sustain what we saw in limited looks last summer (upper 90s, touching 100, plus curveball, plus slider/cutter), he’ll be one of baseball’s best pitching prospects by midseason. He was coming off of Tommy John last year and only deployed in abbreviated outings, so we have no idea if he can do this over the course of an entire season or even if he can maintain that sort of stuff deep into starts.

Scouting Summary
I, too, am concerned about Renfroe’s combination of natural swing and miss and aggressive approach at the plate, but I think he gets to enough of his huge raw power that he’ll be an average everyday player at maturity. He could make an impact in cavernous Petco with his arm, as well.

Scouting Summary
Morejon was up to 96 last fall during instructional league and not only showing an impact slider but mature usage of it, too. He lacks much physical projection but already throws hard and could move quickly.

Scouting Summary
Dunn’s move from Boston College’s bullpen and into their rotation allowed him not only to show scouts that he could maintain his stuff deep into games, but it allowed him shine light on a four-pitch mix that was hidden underneath a bushel in his closer role. He’s athletic and has a strong lower half, but some are concerned about his size.

Scouting Summary
Tatis looked good during extended spring training (before he was traded) and then continued to improve throughout the summer, showing impressive infield actions, arm strength and burgeoning raw power. He’s likely to move off of short and over to third, but he could be a black hole there while hitting a bunch of homers.

Scouting Summary
Alford has plus raw power, is a plus-plus runner and still has lots of baseball skill projection remaining because he spent 2012-2014 playing college football. He dealt with injuries in 2016, which limited his reps, but Alford looked fine in the AFL. I think the game power will start to show up, though I anticipate strikeouts to remain an issue. If Alford can continue to walk the way he has early in his pro career, the offensive profile will be fine for center field.

Scouting Summary
Woodruff broke out in 2016 by throwing his heavy sinker for strikes with consistency and locating his above-average slider to his glove side. He’s a physically mature 24-year-old and there likely isn’t much more coming in the way of stuff, but there’s already a solid fourth-starter profile here.

Scouting Summary
A rock-solid defensive catcher with limited but inoffensive offensive ability, Kelly is a low-risk everyday catcher, one of few in the minors. If there’s more to the bat (which I suppose is possible since he’s spent the last several years focusing on his defensive conversion), it’s likely in what is already a favorable contact profile rather than what I think will be limited game power.

Scouting Summary
Advanced in all facets, Gimenez spent 2016 dominating the DSL. None of his tools have especially remarkable projection, but you could say the same for many of the shortstops at or near the top of this list who are simply much closer to actualizing their ceilings than Gimenez is. There’s a chance for a plus bat and enough range and athleticism to stay at short, but there’s extreme risk here because of Gimenez’s proximity to the majors.

Scouting Summary
Varied opinions about Newman’s overall projection surround his defense. If a given scout thinks Newman fits defensively at shortstop, then it’s difficult to deny the likelihood that he becomes at least an average everyday player. If the scout finds Newman’s defense there to be subpar and prefers him at either second or third base, then suddenly the offensive bar Newman needs to clear to profile as an everyday player becomes ambitiously high. I think he’s fine at short and will hit.

Scouting Summary
A first-round talent who fell due to off-field concerns, Erceg has terrific feel to hit and future plus raw power coupled with good defensive actions and a cannon arm. His approach to hitting is more double-oriented than it is geared for home runs at present.

Scouting Summary
Sisco passes behind the plate despite fringe arm strength because he’s made himself into a solid receiver and game-caller. He tracks pitches like a hawk and has a quiet, comfortable swing and good bat control. There’s some room on the frame for more power as he enters his mid-20s, but it may rob him of his mobility behind the plate.

Scouting Summary
Beede’s coffer of four average-or-better pitches, led by a resurgent fastball, should allow him to attain mid-rotation starter status even if he doesn’t improve upon his fringey command.

Scouting Summary
Fowler runs well enough to play a good defensive center field and has the bat speed and hand-eye to generate a lot of strong contact. Despite an aggressive approach that limits his ability to reach base a bit, I think he’s a likely average everyday player.

Scouting Summary
Banda has been up to 96 this spring and has two viable offspeed weapons in his curveball and changeup. The changeup’s projection receives mixed reviews depending on the scout with whom you talk. Some (who are smitten with Banda’s arm speed) think it might one day miss bats, while others (who don’t like the length of his arm action) do not.

Scouting Summary
A man without a position, Calhoun’s blend of hit and power is still enough for him to profile as a DH but obviously his overall value takes a significant hit because hitting is all he can do. The Dodgers are hoping he’s passable at second base, but I can’t find a scout who thinks he will be. Those who saw him play all over the place as an amateur don’t think it works in the outfield, either.

Scouting Summary
Scouts are enamored with but conflicted by Tapia’s eccentric mannerisms, which are highly entertaining to watch but not necessarily effective — and arguably detrimental to what is otherwise an excellent feel for contact. I think he’s going to hit and provide value on the bases.

Scouting Summary
Though somewhat polarizing, Mateo is undeniably gifted. He’s an 80 runner with the physical tools to stick at shortstop, and he has more power than has shown up in games because his strideless approach to hitting doesn’t allow for it. If he stays at shortstop or moves to center field, the bat will play. At second base, I’m not so sure.

Scouting Summary
Jones is short back to the baseball and rockets head-hunting contact back up the middle at opposing pitchers. He’s a plus runner and great athlete with high-end makeup who should stay in center field and hustle his way to 20 annual doubles while hitting .280 or so.

Scouting Summary
Though he doesn’t project to miss as many bats as most of the other arms on this list, Soroka is a big-bodied sinker/slider horse with high-end makeup and advanced pitchability for a Canadian prep product with just one full pros season under his belt.

Scouting Summary
I’m not sold Collins sticks behind the plate. If he does, though, this ranking will be too low. He has big raw power and grandfatherly patience but also some swing-and-miss issues that might undo his profile if forced to move to first base or DH. I’m betting the power and OBP will still be enough for everyday duty if he does have to move and, should a transition occur, it would probably get Collins to the big leagues more quickly.

Scouting Summary
Plate discipline is difficult to scout in Latin America, where showcase environments and workouts are far more common than game reps. It turns out Soto has an advanced idea at the plate and enough raw power to make opposing pitchers pay when they make a mistake. He’s on the low end of the defensive spectrum as a likely right fielder, but there’s enough bat here to make that work.

Scouting Summary
Foley has improved his arm action to the point where scouts who had seem him earlier and considered him a reliever are more receptive to the idea of him starting. It appears as though his command improvements are more than a small-sample mirage. He mixes in two solid breaking balls that play up due to his consistent ability to locate them down and to his arm side. The changeup needs to develop. With a new and improved arm action, it’s more likely to.

Scouting Summary
Sheffield’s command backed up on him last year as he began working with a slider instead of a curveball during games. The slide piece is promising but raw, which can pretty much be said for his entire repertoire including a low-90s fastball that needs to be kept down in the zone to be effective.

Scouting Summary
We’re now almost two years removed from Carson Fulmer’s junior year at Vanderbilt — when he was one of the more polarizing draft prospects of the decade — and nothing has been solved. His velo backed up a bit in 2016, sitting more around 93 than up at 96, but he began working with a promising cutter, and his curveball and changeup were still effective. Unless we see a grade’s worth of progression on the control, Fulmer likely winds up in the bullpen where he’d likely be dominant.

Scouting Summary
Terrific defense and feel for contact lead the way for Hayes, who’s unlikely to ever develop impact game power.

Scouting Summary
A future plus-plus hitter, Winker has always lacked the power typical of big league left fielders, but the issue was especially alarming in 2016, likely because of a nagging wrist issue. He lacks an impact tool aside from the bat but I think he’ll hit enough to play every day, even in left field.

Other Prospects in Consideration

RHPs
Jacob Nix, RHP, San Diego Padres
Zack Burdi, RHP, Chicago White Sox
Oscar de la Cruz, RHP, Chicago Cubs
Marcos Diplan, RHP, Milwaukee Brewers
Luke Weaver, RHP, St. Louis Cardinals
Jack Flaherty, RHP, St. Louis Cardinals
Dakota Hudson, RHP, St. Louis Cardinals
Erick Fedde, RHP, Washington Nationals
Forrest Whitley, RHP, Houston Astros
David Paulino, RHP, Houston Astros
Franklin Perez, RHP, Houston Astros (Perez was my last cut among pitchers)
Ariel Jurado, RHP, Texas Rangers
Grant Holmes, RHP, Oakland Athletics

LHPs
Kyle Freeland, LHP, Colorado Rockies
Stephen Gonsalves, LHP, Minnesota Twins
Tyler Jay, LHP, Minnesota Twins
Joey Wentz, LHP, Atlanta Braves
Sean Newcomb, LHP, Atlanta Braves
Cole Ragans, LHP, Texas Rangers

INF
Hunter Dozier, 3B, Kansas City Royals
Shed Long, 2B, Cincinnati Reds
Jeimer Candelario, 3B, Chicago Cubs
Matt Chapman, 3B, Oakland Athletics

OF
Bryan Reynolds, OF, San Francisco Giants
Greg Allen, OF, Cleveland Indians
Alex Kirilloff, OF, Minnesota Twins
Christin Stewart, OF, Detroit Tigers
Aristides Aquino, OF, Cincinnati Reds
Christian Pache, OF, Atlanta Braves (Pache was my last cut among bats)
Tyler O’Neill, OF, Seattle Mariners
Ramon Laureano, OF, Houston Astros
Jesus Sanchez, OF, Tampa Bay Rays

The Full Top 100