Top-100 Prospect List Disclaimer/Process Explanation:
I have compiled this list through a number of different avenues. First, I’ve seen a great number of these ballplayers in live game action throughout last season. In no way can you make a clear scouting call on a player by seeing him play one or even two games, but you can get a good feel for a player’s bat speed, especially around the batting cage, as well as the raw stuff a pitcher possesses. However, I have watched extensive video on every prospect I could, in some cases video wasn’t readily available. On prospects that I haven’t seen personally or on video, I have read every scouting report I could get my hands on from sources I respect. I have also talked to as many people as I could to get a good grasp on the players and their future projections. For fantasy purposes I will include a fantasy note on a players that I feel have a shot to stick on an MLB roster in the next year or two. In the end, I am going to try and keep my scouting reports, especially on the players lower on this list, concise but thorough.
When ranking prospects, if there is a pitcher and a hitter that could possibly be ranked in the same spot, I will always put the hitter higher on the list. There are a couple reasons for this but the biggest reasons are risk of injury and the higher bust rate seen in pitchers, especially young pitchers, before or when they reach the Big Leagues.
You can find prospects 100 through 91 here Finally, here are the LWOS prospects 90 through 81:
LWOS Top 100 MLB Prospects for 2015: 90-81
90) Stephen Piscotty – OF – St. Louis Cardinals – ETA 2016
Piscotty is entering his age 24 season and has shown up on prospect lists since he was drafted back in 2012 out of Stanford. Piscotty’s ability as a pure contact hitter has never been in question and he should continue to develop into an above average contact hitter that rarely strikes out and has a solid knowledge of the strike zone. Piscotty is listed at 6-3 and 210 pounds, so there is some chance he adds strength and hits for average power (15-20 homers), but his biggest strength will always be putting the ball in play regularly. Defensively, Piscotty has a strong arm, but could not stick as a third baseman coming out of college. Piscotty immediately shifted to the outfield in his first minor league season and he has the athletic ability to be an average defender with an above average arm. There is nothing that has happened since Piscotty was drafted to suggest he won’t translate into a solid everyday player, he has a high floor and an average ceiling, but he will most certainly be productive for the Cardinals starting in 2015 when he’s called up, and claiming a full-time job in 2016.
89) Justin O’Connor – C – Tampa Bay Rays – ETA 2017
O’Conner was drafted with the 31st pick in the 2010 draft out of a smaller Indiana high school and quickly showed that he has the ability to be an elite defensive catcher when he makes it to Tampa. O’Conner’s arm is unmatched in the prospect ranks currently and he threw out a whopping 50% of baserunners in 2014. Mix O’Conner’s top shelf arm with an above average receiving ability and you have the potential for a stellar backstop for the Rays when O’Conner finally hits the Big Leagues. The biggest question for O’Conner moving forward will be his ability to hit advanced pitching and squeak out even a few walks. O’Conner struck out at around a 23% clip in 2014 which is actually an improvement on his first three seasons of pro ball, but he has only walked at a 6.6% rate in his just over 1,500 minor league plate appearances. O’Conner has the raw power to hit 15-20 homers a season, but he will have to continue to improve to become an all-around threat. In the end, even if O’Conner doesn’t ever hit for a great average he will be an asset to the Rays for his defense alone.
88) Amed Rosario – SS – New York Mets – ETA 2019
Rosario is entering his age 19 season and will be taking his first crack at full-season pro ball, and expectations are high for the young prospect out of the Dominican Republic. Rosario is supremely athletic and has drawn some pretty high praise throughout the scouting community and while he is debuting at #88 on this list he could be a prospect that rises quickly as he progresses throughout 2015. Rosario stands at 6-2 and 170 pounds with the frame that will allow him to grow into his body and add more strength. Right now, at 19, Rosario is all projection but right now everything appears to be there for the shortstop. Rosario possesses quick hands, raw power and the ability to use all fields from the plate. If Rosario reaches his potential he could hit in the .270 range with 20 homers, which is extremely valuable production from the shortstop position, especially in this offensively starved climate in Major League Baseball. Defensively, I personally see no reason why Rosario cannot stick at shortstop. Rosario may not have the most range for a shortstop but he has a great arm. The only question regarding Rosario’s position in the future is the kind of size and strength he develops, and if he really adds some muscle a move to third would not be out of the question. We are going to have to keep a keen eye on Rosario this season as he has the ability to shoot up these lists in the near future.
87) Marco Gonzales – LHP – St. Louis Cardinals – ETA 2015
Gonzales made his MLB debut in 2014 just 13 months after being drafted in the first round out of Gonzaga by the St. Louis Cardinals. Gonzales does not possess the elite stuff that the pitchers in the upper rankings of this list but he does possess an above average changeup. an average fastball that sits in the low 90s and an average curveball. Gonzales is also developing a slider that has flashed the ability to be an above average Major League offering, which could give him four average to slightly above average pitches. Gonzales’ command continues to develop, and it was considered a strength of his coming into the draft, and he has climbed through the Cardinal organization quickly and he appears to be ticketed for a mid-rotation spot for years to come.
Fantasy Outlook: Gonzales is battling for the fifth and final spot in the Cardinals’ rotation and has thus far been stellar in Spring Training. No matter how he performs, Gonzales won’t be any higher than a number five in their rotation this year, barring any injuries to guys like Adam Wainwright, Michael Wacha. Lance Lynn and John Lackey. If Gonzales can lock down a rotation spot for 2015 he is going to be the classic more valuable in real baseball than fantasy baseball guy mainly due to his average K-rate, which was 8.7 per nine innings during his minor league career. Beyond this year, Gonzales will never be an elite K guy but he could develop into a serviceable depth starter in most formats.
86) Max Fried – LHP – Atlanta Braves – ETA 2017
Fried was the main piece in the trade to Atlanta that sent Justin Upton to the San Diego Padres, but he won’t see a mound until after the regular season is over as he underwent Tommy John in August of last year. Mechanically, Fried is extremely smooth with an easy low 90s fastball that touched 95 before his surgery. Fried’s fastball was developing into an above average offering along with his curveball and changeup which also flash as plus pitches. If Fried can continue to work on his control and consistency, which historically is the last piece to come back after Tommy John, then he has the ability to develop into a solid mid-rotation guy for Atlanta. Fried’s body is still developing and it could allow him to add some strength and velocity, but everything seems to rest on how he recovers from his torn UCL.
85) Dalton Pompey – OF – Toronto Blue Jays – ETA 2015
Pompey was drafted as a Canadian high schooler in the 16th round of the 2010 draft and quickly ascended through the Blue Jays’ system in 2011 and 2012. Pompey has all the tools to be a steady regular all around, including at the plate, and is currently battling for a spot in the Blue Jays outfield for 2015. If Pompey reaches his ceiling I see an above average regular with solid contact skills, plus speed, below average power, with plus defensive skills. Pompey made his MLB debut in 2014 and appeared in 17 games for the Blue Jays so the organization appears ready, or at least close to ready, to hand the centerfield reigns over to him full-time this season.
Fantasy Outlook: As I mentioned in my scouting report, Pompey will never wow you with his ability at the plate, but his plus speed should play in leagues that reward stolen bases. Since Pompey has shown the ability to progress quickly he may be a player that is most useful in deep leagues and keeper or dynasty formats, but he could outplay my projections for him, as he has done with all previous expectations, and become even better than expected as a Major Leaguer.
84) Raisel Iglesias – RHP – Cincinnati Reds – ETA 2015
Iglesias is the most recent Cuban signee for the Cincinnati Reds, and was exclusively used as a reliever before defecting. The Reds see Iglesias as a possible future starter, and if the organization truly believes that I would like to see Iglesias start the season in Triple-A so he can continue stretch out and work on maintaining his stuff in longer outings. However, there are some reports Iglesias might break camp in the Reds’ bullpen and later given a shot to grab a rotation spot later in the season. However, we’ve seen this experiment before with Aroldis Chapman, and it’s not commonplace for relievers to transition successfully into a starter once a Big League career begins. Iglesias possesses a plus fastball, a solid slider and a developing curveball, so his three pitch mix should play as a starter unless his command fails him, but personally I would like to see him get a legit chance to start full-time even if that means starting this year in the minors.
Fantasy Outlook: As mentioned before, Iglesias’ future role is in doubt and much of his 2015 value is tied to how the Reds decide to use him this season. If Iglesias doesn’t get developed into a starter, then in future seasons he has the ability to be high K late innings reliever.
83) Brandon Drury – 2B – Arizona Diamondbacks – ETA 2016
Drury was originally drafted by Atlanta in 2010, but eventually moved to Arizona the first time that Justin Upton was traded. I see a little more upside in Drury’s bat than most prospect prognosticators and I even think he is athletic enough to stick at second base and not be forced to move to third base, but others aren’t sold on that being the case. No matter where Drury ends up on the field it’s his bat that is his primary tool, and I think it will develop into an above contact hitter with solid plate discipline and very real above average power. Drury’s power was on full display last year as he smacked 26 homers between Class-A Advanced, Double-A and the Arizona Fall League. Drury is just about MLB ready and I am excited to see how his bat plays once he makes his way to the hitter friendly Chase Field full-time.
Fantasy Outlook: As I stated in my report, I like Drury’s bat more than most and see it as a potential plus tool to go along with above average power. If Drury is given the opportunity to play at some point in 2015 I will be adding him in all formats, but especially excited about him in keeper in dynasty formats as his power continues to develop,
82) Albert Almora – OF – Chicago Cubs – ETA 2017
Our first player from the Chicago Cubs rich farm system is former 2012 first round pick, Albert Almora. Almora was drafted with the sixth overall pick and has seen his stock slide after his first season in the Cubs’ organization. Many of Almora’s struggles have stemmed from his inability to stay healthy and his approach at the plate, which is extremely aggressive. Once Almora was promoted to Double-A last year he really struggled to make contact, so he will have to show some serious improvement in this area because all of the raw tools are there offensively even if they are unspectacular. Defensively, Almora is elite and plays at a Gold Glove level, so even if the bat doesn’t develop as originally expected he will still be a solid contributor at a premium defensive position. However, if Almora does develop offensively he has the ability to be an above average contact hitter with 15-18 home run ability even if taking walks is never in his game, and if that happens he will make an all-star team or two in his career.
81) Mike Foltynewicz – RHP – Atlanta Braves – ETA 2016
Foltynewicz was the 19th overall pick in the 2010 draft by the Houston Astros and was traded this past January to Atlanta for slugger Evan Gattis after making his debut with Houston in 2014. When you see Foltynewicz in person the velocity is impressice, he sits anywhere between 95 and 98 MPH and will occasionally touch triple digits, so it’s undeniably a plus pitch that flashes plus-plus. Foltynewicz has also flashed an above average curveball, but his changeup hasn’t developed as expected, which leads some to question his ability to stick in a Major League rotation. If the Braves can get Foltynewicz’s changeup to develop along with more consistency out of his curveball then he should stick in the rotation and the stuff will start to result in better K rates than he’s shown in his minor league career. I still feel like Foltynewicz ends up in the pen as a high-leverage reliever, but the Braves are convinced he will land in their starting rotation.
Fantasy Outlook: Keep an eye on Foltynewicz during Spring Training because if he impresses, which he hasn’t yet, then he might be a nice late round gamble in standard draft leagues. If Foltynewicz continues to struggle then he will either end up in the bullpen or in Triple-A which wouldn’t make him an attractive fantasy addition as he won’t be closing any games for Atlanta with Craig Kimbrel firmly ensconced as their closer. The stuff is there for fantasy production, it’s just a matter of the Braves finally helping Foltynewicz to put it all together at one time.
If you have any questions about the prospects in this list or in the previously released portion of the list, feel free to leave a comment, send me an email, or tweet at me.
