2014 Astros Minor League Thread

Rest of AL West:

13
21
26
29

Not that these mean a whole lot, but still fun to read after so many years of crap.

 

Can you post the entire 100?

 

4) Correa
11) Appel
19) Springer
70) Folty
78) Singleton
80) DDJ
82) Velasquez

No McCullers again.

 

1 Byron Buxton CF MIN
2 Xander Bogaerts SS BOS
3 Addison Russell SS OAK
4 Carlos Correa SS HOU
5 Oscar Taveras OF STL
6 Francisco Lindor SS CLE
7 Javier Baez SS CHC
8 Miguel Sano 3B MIN
9 Archie Bradley RHP ARI
10 Kyle Zimmer RHP KC
11 Mark Appel RHP HOU
12 Jonathan Gray RHP COL
13 Gregory Polanco CF PIT
14 Julio Urias LHP LAD
15 Kris Bryant 3B CHC
16 Taijuan Walker RHP SEA
17 Eddie Butler RHP COL
18 Corey Seager SS/3B LAD
19 George Springer CF HOU
20 Tyler Glasnow RHP PIT
21 Lucas Giolito RHP WAS
22 Raul Mondesi SS KC
23 Kevin Gausman RHP BAL
24 Noah Syndergaard RHP NYM
25 Braden Shipley RHP ARI
26 Jorge Soler RF CHC
27 Jameson Taillon RHP PIT
28 Albert Almora CF CHC
29 Robert Stephenson RHP CIN
30 Aaron Sanchez RHP TOR
31 Dylan Bundy RHP BAL
32 Nick Castellanos 3B DET
33 Austin Hedges C SD
34 Andrew Heaney LHP MIA
35 Austin Meadows CF PIT
36 Travis d'Arnaud C NYM
37 Dominic Smith 1B NYM
38 Hunter Harvey RHP BAL
39 Matt Wisler RHP SD
40 Lucas Sims RHP ATL
41 Joc Pederson CF LAD
42 Henry Owens LHP BOS
43 Eduardo Rodriguez LHP BAL
44 Jorge Alfaro C TEX
45 Clint Frazier OF CLE
46 J.P. Crawford SS PHI
47 David Dahl OF COL
48 Max Fried LHP SD
49 Eddie Rosario CF/2B MIN
50 Yordano Ventura RHP KC
51 Jackie Bradley Jr. CF BOS
52 Billy Hamilton CF CIN
53 Garin Cecchini 3B BOS
54 Rosell Herrera SS COL
55 Colin Moran 3B MIA
56 Blake Swihart C BOS
57 Stephen Piscotty RF STL
58 Marcus Stroman RHP TOR
59 Erik Johnson RHP CWS
60 Rafael Montero RHP NYM
61 Mookie Betts 2B BOS
62 Alex Meyer RHP MIN
63 Maikel Franco 3B/1B PHI
64 Rougned Odor 2B TEX
65 A.J. Cole RHP WAS
66 Taylor Guerrieri RHP TB
67 C.J. Edwards RHP CHC
68 Gary Sanchez C NYY
69 Kyle Crick RHP SF
70 Mike Foltynewicz RHP HOU
71 Arismendy Alcantara 2B CHC
72 Chris Owings SS ARI
73 Nick Kingham RHP PIT
74 Alen Hanson SS PIT
75 Zach Lee RHP LAD
76 Kohl Stewart RHP MIN
77 Jesse Biddle LHP PHI
78 Jonathan Singleton 1B HOU
79 Hak-Ju Lee SS TB
80 Delino DeShields CF/LF HOU
81 Miguel Almonte RHP KC
82 Vincent Velazquez RHP HOU
83 Brian Goodwin CF WAS
84 Jake Marisnick CF MIA
85 Tyler Austin RF NYY
86 Jonathan Schoop 2B/3B BAL
87 Mason Williams CF NYY
88 Matt Davidson 3B CWS
89 Matt Barnes RHP BOS
90 Christian Bethancourt C ATL
91 Kolten Wong 2B STL
92 Brandon Nimmo OF NYM
93 Justin Nicolino LHP MIA
94 Hunter Renfroe OF SD
95 Nick Ciuffo C TB
96 Chris Anderson RHP LAD
97 Josh Bell OF PIT
98 Tim Anderson SS CWS
99 Jose Peraza SS ATL
100 Rob Kaminsky LHP STL

 

I get the feeling were gonna have 8 guys on the BBA list.

 

Thanks

 

For a guy with two projected 70 pitches (FB and SL), McCullers doesn't get a whole lot of prospect lovin. There's not 10 guys in all of the minors with two 70 pitches. Heck based on the MLB top right and left handed starter lists, there's not even 5 right now.

 

There is wide spread skepticism that he will be a big league starter. If he starts and his secondary pitches improve he will rocket up the prospect list.

 

It's just bizarre to me given his talent (two potential 70 pitches) and age (20) he doesn't get the benefit of the doubt with regards to staying a starting pitcher. Even if he doesn't get a third good pitch he could still be a starter. Bud Norris is a two-pitch starter and his stuff isn't nearly as good.

Folty's claim to fame is solely his 80 FB. His secondaries are mediocre at best and he's consensus top 100.

 

Folty wasn't a top 100 prospect at 20 either.

 

Law absolutely loves Russell but I can't see putting him ahead of Correa.

 

Been out playing in the snow today, so I missed it.

And heck, my initials are JR, so it works for both of us.:grin:

4Carlos Correa, SS
AGE: 19DOB: 9/22/94B/T: R/RHT: 6-4WT: 205
AVG: .320OBP: .405OPS: .872HR: 9SB: 10
lastname
Correa played the whole year at 18 in the low Class A Midwest League, one of the youngest regulars in any full-season circuit, and after a rough April, blew everyone away with his combination of physical potential and on-field acumen.

He hit .338/.410/.479 after an early-May DL stint caused by a pitch taken off the wrist, improving his approach at the plate as the season went on, and making far more contact than you'd expect of a player his age in his first year of pro ball -- he ranked above the league median in strikeout rate even with the bad start to his season.

Correa is a big kid, already 6-foot-4 and more than 200 pounds, likely on his way to 220 or so, which will push the boundaries of what typically plays at shortstop in the majors. But he's very athletic for his size, with solid footwork and a 70-grade arm. The tradeoff with his size will be power, as he already shows plenty of raw power and could end up in the 25-30 homer range.

He's got a quiet approach, short to the ball with great hand acceleration, moderately rotational, producing more line drives now than big flies but with the hand-eye coordination to do so down the road. Other than a lack of speed, he's close to the ideal prospect, and if he ends up following the Manny Machado route to third base, his bat will still make him a star.

Top level: Low Class A (Quad Cities) | 2013 rank: 24

11Mark Appel, RHP
AGE: 21DOB: 7/15/91B/T: R/RHT: 6-5WT: 190
W-L: 3-1ERA: 3.79IP: 38.0SO: 33BB: 9
lastname
Appel came into last spring with an agenda on the mound after turning down a multimillion dollar offer from the Pirates, who took him eighth overall in the 2012 draft.

After hearing questions about his willingness to attack hitters and get swings and misses on his off-speed stuff, Appel tightened everything up for 2013, showing a little more velocity, a sharper breaking ball and a real willingness to claim the inner half of the plate and get into hitters' kitchens more than he had in the past. His decision to return to Stanford ended up paying off when the Astros selected him first overall in 2013.

On the right night, he'll show three plus pitches, sitting 92-97 mph on a fastball he complements with a wipeout slider and a low-to-mid-80s changeup with action and deception to it, but it's how he deployed those pitches last spring that impressed -- getting ahead with the fastball, changing eye levels, backing hitters off -- rather than just the pure stuff. Appel is a great athlete who repeats his delivery, getting out over his front side with a late release point and very clean mechanics.

Moving to every fifth day in pro ball might impact his stuff a little, but even if he loses 2 mph he's still a potential front-line starter with command and control of three above-average to plus offerings.

Top level: Low Class A (Quad Cities) | 2013 rank: Ineligible

19George Springer, OF
AGE: 24DOB: 9/19/89B/T: R/RHT: 6-3WT: 200
AVG: .303OBP: .411OPS: 1.010HR: 37SB: 45
lastname
Springer may be a mold-breaker, a player whose raw abilities are so outsized that he can overcome contact problems that would sink almost any lesser player.

He grades out highly in all five tools, with plus power already and 70 speed once he's underway. His swing has a ton of leverage in it, almost knocking him over at times, but his hands are so quick that he makes a lot of hard line-drive contact -- when he's not swinging and missing, which he does often, in large part because he makes no adjustment at all with two strikes.

He's continued to improve his routes in center field and probably will stay there unless Houston ends up with a 70- or 80-grade defender to replace him. Springer could be a 30/30 player who draws plenty of walks; his ultimate value will depend on the contact he makes still being hard contact.

I could easily see him being a consistently high-BABIP guy who strikes out 180 times a year and still hits .280 or better, because of how quick his hands are, and that player in center field would be an All-Star.

Top level: Triple-A (Oklahoma City) | 2013 rank: 43

 

70Mike Foltynewicz, RHP
AGE: 22DOB: 10/7/91B/T: R/RHT: 6-4WT: 200
W-L: 6-3ERA: 3.06IP: 129.1SO: 124BB: 66
lastname
Foltynewicz, which is Polish for "throws gas," had a strong showing in his second season at low Class A in 2012, and came into last season needing to show that his success there had nothing to do with his experience level. It's fair to say now that that's the case, as Foltynewicz was quickly promoted out of high Class A and pitched fairly well as a 21-year-old in Double-A, hitting 100 mph in every start of the year but his final one (when he topped out at 99, he must have been exhausted) and showing improvement in both secondary pitches.

His curveball and changeup are both developing, the curve (present grade of 55, future 60) more than the change (45/50), although with his impressive arm speed he could probably pick up a slider like it was a $20 bill lying on the pavement. For Foltynewicz, it's now about refinement -- improving his fastball command, working more to the bottom of the zone, and getting consistency with the two off-speed weapons.

It's an ace's fastball, but I think the overall package is more of a league-average to above-average starter, 200-plus innings of better performance than the Astros have seen from a starter in quite some time.

Top level: Double-A (Corpus Christi) | 2013 rank: Unranked

78Jonathan Singleton, 1B
AGE: 22DOB: 9/18/91B/T: L/LHT: 6-2WT: 235
AVG: .230OBP: .351OPS: .753HR: 11SB: 1
lastname
Singleton missed the first 50 games of 2013 after testing positive for mar1juana, a drug for which players on the 40-man roster aren't tested, meaning this is no longer an issue for Singleton going forward. After his return, however, he wasn't in great shape and never got going at the plate until going to Puerto Rico for winter ball. He's probably in line to return to Triple-A to start 2014.

Everything the industry liked about Singleton in 2012 is still there -- a beautiful left-handed swing with extension through contact for power and great balance from start to finish. He's ready to face right-handed major league pitching right now, but his recognition against lefties has long been a weakness, with 48 punchouts in 120 plate appearances against them in 2013.

The floor here is a platoon regular who destroys right-handers but needs a caddie against southpaws; he has just 600 plate appearances against lefties in his pro career, though, and might just need more reps to become a complete player who is capable of hitting .270-280 with 25-plus homers and a strong OBP.

Top level: Triple-A (Oklahoma City) | 2013 rank: 32

80Delino DeShields, OF
AGE: 21DOB: 8/16/92B/T: R/RHT: 5-9WT: 205
AVG: .317OBP: .405OPS: .873HR: 5SB: 51
lastname
DeShields didn't steal 100 bags again in 2013 but did have a solid season as a 20-year-old in hitter-friendly Lancaster, although, at this point, it's looking more like he'll end up in the outfield, most likely in left.

He can hit, with a short swing and strength to drive the ball to the gaps and maybe peaking as a 10-12 homer guy. An 80-grade runner in high school, he's more of a 65 runner now when underway, which is still plenty fast to rack up high stolen-base totals in the majors. His defense at second and in center remains below average, and his arm might limit him to left field down the road, where the Astros would hope he'd be a modern-day Tim Raines: getting on base with good defense and baserunning value.

His main issue, however, is a lack of effort -- his on-field effort level is often embarrassing and has many scouts I've talked to dismissing him as a top prospect entirely. I see a 21-year-old with a lot of physical ability who needs to grow up to reach his ceiling, but he's far too young to assume he'll never be able to do it.

Top level: High Class A (Lancaster) | 2013 rank: 83

82Vincent Velasquez, RHP
AGE: 21DOB: 6/7/92B/T: B/RHT: 6-3WT: 203
W-L: 4-3ERA: 2.99IP: 78.1SO: 100BB: 32
lastname
My sleeper prospect for Houston going into 2012 came back late in that season from 2010 Tommy John surgery but was back at full strength last season and quietly had an outstanding season for a kid making his full-season debut, even if it was a year later than expected.

Velasquez has filled out nicely since high school and now sits at 93-94 mph with his fastball -- touching 96. He's always had a good changeup, which now shows plus at times, with average command of both pitches and above-average control overall. Velasquez's biggest issue now is the breaking ball, which ranges from well below average to above average within the same game -- sometimes within the same inning -- because he hasn't found consistent feel for his release of that pitch -- a little surprising given his three-quarters arm slot and ability to stay on top of the ball.

He needs more reps -- he is 21 and has fewer than 200 innings of pro experience across three-plus seasons -- to see if the curve can become an average or better pitch; if it does, he's at least a mid-rotation guy, and, if not, I think he has the control and changeup to still be a No. 4 starter.

Top level: High Class A (Lancaster) | 2013 rank: Unranked

 

Clark (Metropolis)

Lance McCullers was ranked in your Mid-Season top 100 last year. He had a great first season as a pro, how is he not in your Top 100!?

Klaw (1:20 PM)

I don't do a midseason top 100, and I think it's probably more likely that he's a reliever than a starter at this point. Again, I like him, just not top 100.

 

Law's list is pretty good. Can't really complain about it. Would have been nice seeing McCullers on the list, but he's not a HUGE fan yet.

 

Desheilds

So that's where the debate comes from.

 

Houston Astros
Org rank: 1

Astros' Top 10
Player, POS (Top 100 rank)
1. Carlos Correa, SS (4)
2. Mark Appel, RHP (11)
3. George Springer, CF (19)
4. Mike Foltynewicz, RHP (70)
5. J. Singleton, 1B (78)
6. D. DeShields Jr. (80)
7. V. Velazquez (82)
8. Lance McCullers Jr., RHP
9. Rio Ruiz, 3B
10. Michael Feliz, RHP

Farm system overview

The best farm system in baseball, just edging out the MinnesotaTwins, has ceiling and depth, with three potential All-Stars up top and a slew of guys who grade out from above-average regulars down to quality role players well into the back of the team's top 20.

Carlos Correa, Mark Appel, and George Springer are all exceptional talents, with Springer in the top five overall if we're just grading out tools. The Astros had little pitching depth in the system when GM Jeff Luhnow took over, but he has quickly stocked up on arms to supplement Mike Foltynewicz and Vincent Velazquez, the two starter prospects who were already in the cupboard when the new front office started work.

Lance McCullers Jr. is still a prospect on the starter/reliever fence, but that floor, a closer who can hit 100 mph with sink, is fairly high. The Astros tweaked Rio Ruiz's front leg landing midyear, getting him to plant more firmly, and he hit .297/.354/.521 after the Midwest League's All-Star Break with just a 17 percent strikeout rate at age 19. Michael Feliz was originally signed by Oakland, but the deal was voided when he failed a drug test, and the Astros got him for less than half of the original bonus amount. He's a 6-foot-4, 220-pound monster, throwing up to 98 mph, with control over command, more feel for the change than for a breaking ball and has mid-rotation upside down the road.

Beyond their top 10, it's still exciting. Domingo Santana (No.11) would make every other org's top 10 as a huge, physical right fielder with big-time power and a plus arm, though he has a little too much swing and miss in his game. Teoscar Hernandez (No.12) has great bat speed and above-average power and speed potential, possibly moving from center to right field. Andrew Thurman (No.13), their second pick in 2013, has four pitches with command and feel. Asher Wojcieshowski (No.14) has been 91-94 with three average-ish pitches and could be a fourth/fifth starter or solid eighth-inning guy. And Nolan Fontana (No.15) drew 102 walks in hitter-friendly high-A Lancaster while playing average or fringe-average defense at short.

Houston also has a slew of power arms in short-season ball: Jandel Gustave is up to 101 mph but without a decent breaking ball right now. Lefty Reymin Guduan has hit 100 with a plus slider, although his delivery may have too much effort for him to start. Lefty Chris Lee was better, finally, in his third go-round in the rookie-level Appy League, hitting 95 mph and sitting 92 with a slider and curveball, throwing more strikes as the Astros have worked to sync up his delivery. And, because the Astros weren't loaded enough, they took ex-prospect Ravel Santana from the Yankees in the Triple-A phase of the Rule 5 draft (meaning they don't have to give him back); Santana has missed a ton of time with ankle and arm injuries, but still has enough tools to end up a big leaguer if he can stay on the field.

2014 impact

Springer and Jonathan Singleton should be up by mid-year at worst, with Springer ahead of Singleton developmentally but with less urgency at the position with Dexter Fowler on board. The Astros need pitching but seem unlikely to rush any elite prospects, so I expect Appel to arrive at his own pace, maybe for September roster expansion, with Wojcieshowski more likely to get the call early in the season if they need someone. Right-hander Nick Tropeano has had success as a starter through Triple-A and could come up in that role, but I think in the long run he's a reliever, as he's mostly fastball-changeup without an average third pitch.

The fallen

Nobody imploded last year. Singleton had the most disappointing year, missing 50 games after a positive test for mar1juana in 2012, then not performing after he returned. Their 2012 third-round pick, Brady Rogers, had a rough first full year for Houston, but he was in Lancaster the whole time, and that's a brutal environment for a pitcher who's more about command than stuff.

Sleeper

Of all their non-top 100 guys, Feliz is the most likely to jump up into next year's top 50, but it would take a big advance in at least one of his off-speed pitches. The next most likely is Domingo Santana, as Corpus Christi will give us a better read on where his plate discipline lies than Lancaster did.

http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/stor...an-league-west-top-10-prospects-team-2014-mlb

 

For some reason, he doesn't seem to realize Santana spent last season in CC, and that Tropeano hasn't been to AAA yet.