Fun to take a look back at this list of past winners, for anybody who missed it around draft-time last year. Jason Jennings and a couple others aside, a rather impressive list. It amazes me that 41 players could get drafted ahead of the best collegiate player + most prolific HR hitter in the country. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Spikes_Award
And wow, in a sport where it's so hard to predict who will and won't "make it", there are very few busts on that list of players, and a lot of absolute mlb studs Maybe we should have taken Benintendi
It makes sense that Luhnow is going after pitching. This doesn't seem like a good year for getting what we need - contact-hitting 1B, OF, or C. Lind has been mentioned - it's great that he's a contact hitter, but his splits against lefties are horrendous. We would be better off recalling Santana (who has been excellent against RHP) and welcoming Lowrie back next week than trading the prospects necessary to get Lind. Luccroy would be amazing, but he will cost a ton of prospects and I don't think he's seriously on the market anyway. All the other hitters on the market are redundant with someone we already have on the roster. It's unfortunate that Lowrie and Springer got injured, but those guys will return and our offense will get better with them. I'm all for hanging around and seeing with Price/Hamels will cost, and then if it's too rich pick up some relief help for the stretch run.
Is AJ Reed the first player on that list to be drafted by the Astros? My baseball history knowledge gets pretty hazy prior to the 90s.
MLB's list is up: 1. Bregman (#27/60 rating) 2. Phillips (#39/55 rating) 3. Appel (#51/55 rating) 4. Cameron (#62/55 rating) 5. Tucker (#65/55 rating) 6. Velasquez (#68/55 rating) 7. Santana (#87/55 rating) 8. Reed (50 rating) 9. Feliz (50 rating) 10. Martes (50 rating) 11. Fisher (50 rating) 12. Musgrove (50 rating) 13. Moran (50 rating) 14. Hader (50 rating) 15. Kemp (50 rating) 16. Davis (50 rating) 17. Ferrell (50 rating) 18. Eshelman (45 rating) 19. Sierra (45 rating) 20. Gudan (45 rating) 21. Houser (45 rating) 22. Hernandez (45 rating) 23. Devenski (45 rating) 24. Paulino (45 rating) 25. Vasquez (45 rating) 26. Wojchiechowski (45 rating) 27. Rodgers (45 rating) 28. Aplin (45 rating) 29. Fontana (45 rating) 30. Bostick (45 rating) Swanson was #12 and Rodgers was #11, Tropeano was a 50 and ranked 7 on Angels list, Ruiz was a 50 and ranked 10 on Braves list, Nottingham 50 overall and ranked 7 on A's and Catcher list, Mengden rated 45 and ranked 24 on A's list.
Santana 7th? If that is the industry view, trade him ASAP! Surprised Bregman is rated higher than Phillips. Just didn't think the prospect lists would like him that well until he was hitting AA pitching well.
As amazing as having 7 top 100 is, I think the 8-14 guys could all sneak onto the top 100 with strong finishes. Luhnow just keeps stacking them. He graduates/loses one and 2 take his place, we've got the Hydra farm.:grin:
A.J. Reed - #3 1B Overall Tony Kemp - #9 2B Overall Colin Moran - #9 3B Overall Alex Bregman - #9 SS Overall Brett Phillips - #9 OF Overall
The other cool thing is that, with the possible chances of "aggressive" promotion for some of these guys, they'll have MLB success prior to being a top 3 organizational prospect (Sorta like how McCullers and VV would have been headed that way this year, if they weren't called up earlier than expected).
Considering how long Reed destroyed the California League, I think the Astros aggressive promoting may be overstated.
Eh, I don't get bogged down about minor league promotions.... if Reed is called up next week, its "aggressive", regardless of how much time he spent at a certain level. Also, sometimes there just isn't enough room at a given level... without DFA's at higher levels.
It seems strange to me that Kyle Schwarber is the 7th overall prospect in all of baseball and AJ Reed isn't even top 100 when their scouting grades are so similar. Schwarber: Scouting grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 65 | Run: 40 | Arm: 45 | Field: 40 | Overall: 65 Reed Scouting Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 60 | Run: 30 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Overall: 50 Schwarber (apparently) has a bit more of a hit tool and a bit more power. He's slow vs. Reed's 30 which I guess means that he always looks as though he's running underwater. Reed has a cannon of an arm and is an average fielder while Schwarber is below average at one of the most important defensive positions on the field.
