Just for fun - with the year coming to a close, would this be an accurate top 15 for the system, excluding players that graduated? 1. Carlos Correa - hope the injury doesn't set him back long term 2. Mark Appel - encouraging end to the season 3. Mike Folty - I see him staying in the bullpen if he can't improve his offspeed stuff and command 4. Vince Velazquez - I've been very high on him, and he's done nothing to prove me wrong 5. Domingo Santana - poor first stint in the majors, but more upside than Moran 6. Colin Moran - seems like he's the 3B of the future, need to see more power 7. Josh Hader - great season, has a lot to work on but young for AA 8. Lance McCullers - looks more and more like he'll be a setup guy/closer 9. AJ Reed - probably higher than most have him, but I think he has the bset power in the system and could regularly put up .800+ OPS in the majors. He's going to be a monster in Lancaster next year. 10. Teoscar Hernandez - probably a beneficiary of the Lancaster effect, but tools alone keep him in the top 10. W 11. Preston Tucker - should be called up next year if he keeps it up 12. Mike Feliz - I''ve never seen him pitch or followed up much, but supposedly has great stuff and just needs more comman. 13. Rio Ruiz - solid season, is he behind Moran in the pecking order? 14. Brett Phillips - The most improved player this year in the system 15. JD Davis - showing great raw power in his first stint Honorable mention: Tony Kemp, Kyle Smith (the next McHugh/Keuchal? always solid), Tyler White (I'm high on him), Fontana (the next Eric Bruntlett?) Not mentioned: DDJ (I just dont see him becoming anything more than a fourth outfielder hitting below the Mendoza line), Derek Fisher (I'm not that high on him right now but he should have plenty of time to put it all together) Graduated in my Mind: Tropeano, Stassi
I like your list. Mine would be as follows: 1. Correa 2. Appel 3. Hader 4. Moran 5. Velasquez 6. Folty (not sold on his makeup) 7. Santana 8. McCullers 9. Reed 10. Kemp
Riuz had an arguably better season than Moran. Both should start the season next year in AA. We will see. Luhnow may have to start Moran in AAA next year.
Ruiz played in Lancaster though, so must be taken with a grain of salt. Neither is a stud defensively, they both actually are very similar in that they are corner infielders with a good hit tool but still developing power.
Players who were not on the preseason top 20 list and need to strongly considered for next year's top 20 list: Brett Phillips Tony Kemp Jamie Ritchie* Tyler White Conrad Gregor AJ Reed* Derek Fisher* JD Davis* Tyler Brunnemann Joe Musgrove Troy Scribner Tommy Shirley Agapito Barrios * 2014 draftees I think Reed and Fisher both made the top 20 after the draft. Kemp played himself onto the top 20 midseason. Outside of Kemp, Reed and Fisher, I expect two or three players from above, to make next year's preseason top 20 list.
Ruiz somehow had fewer HR in Lancaster than he had in Quad Cities, despite more PAs. I'd put Moran in AAA & have Rio at AA. Kind of disappointed they aren't sending Moran to the Arizona Fall League, which could have substituted for a lot of AA at bats.
Phillips is easily into the top 20. My list 1. Correa 2. Appel 3. Velasquez 4. Foltynewicz 5. Feliz 6. Moran 7. McCullers 8. Ruiz 9. Hader 10. Santana 11. Phillips 12. Tropeano 13. Kemp 14. Reed 15. Fisher 16. DDJ 17. Smith 18. Tucker 19. Fontana 20. Hernandez (Probably too low, but his lack of walks in CC scare me so much)
OUTRAGE!!! <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Mark Appel works at MMP for special ass't to GM Doug Brocail & Astros pitching coach Brent Strom:"I saw some thunder coming out of his hand"</p>— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkBermanFox26/status/512773884240605187">September 19, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Astros pitching coach Brent Strom on Mark Appel's bullpen today at MMP: "I saw some fastballs today that could have played last night"</p>— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkBermanFox26/status/512773998766092289">September 19, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Astros special ass't 2 GM Doug Brocail on Mark Appel's bullpen today <a href="https://twitter.com/mmp">@MMP</a>:"Very important.He's continuing 2build on the success that he had"</p>— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkBermanFox26/status/512774167867826176">September 19, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Baseball America began their League Top 20 Prospects series with the GCL. Francis Martes was the Astros' representative on the list; he checked in at #19. <script type="text/javascript" src="http://widgets.sports-reference.com/wg.fcgi?css=1&site=br&url=%2Fminors%2Fplayer.cgi%3Fid%3Dmartes000fra&div=div_standard_pitching"></script>
Weird review of Rio Ruiz at Fangraphs. I wouldn't expect a guy who hit .293/.387/.436 to garner a 20 present hit grade. That's a substantial Cali-league correction.
Random BA Astros prospect mentions Was browsing the BA website and came across some good stuff on Astros prospects. Season's over but its nice to hear about system's success. Top 10 Power-Speed Prospects Appy League Top 20 Prospects: No Astros prospects. Not all that surprising as the team was packed full of IFA's with few high round draft picks. NYPL Top 20 Prospects: 8. Derek Fisher, of, Astros 11. A.J. Reed, 1b, Astros 16. Joe Musgrove, rhp, Astros Aaron Fitt talked about them in the NYPL chat:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>carlos correa, one of the best prospects in baseball, has hired greg genske/legacy. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/astros?src=hash">#astros</a></p>— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) <a href="https://twitter.com/JonHeymanCBS/status/518082857894686720">October 3, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Same agent as George Springer RT <a href="https://twitter.com/JonHeymanCBS">@JonHeymanCBS</a>: carlos correa, one of the best prospects in baseball, has hired greg genske/legacy. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/astros?src=hash">#astros</a></p>— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) <a href="https://twitter.com/EvanDrellich/status/518086853535096832">October 3, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
More Baseball American League Top 20 Astros mentions Midwest League Top 20: 4. Michael Feliz, rhp, Astros 8. Brett Phillips, of, Astros Top 20 Chat:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Correa in stmt "The rehab of my broken fibula is proceeding as expected & I look forward to being at full strength in the very near future"</p>— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) <a href="https://twitter.com/EvanDrellich/status/519161395976216576">October 6, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Shocking that Drellich tweeted something Astros related and didn't take swipe at the organization somehow.
Hey, I've got this mat, and it has different "conclusions" printed on it, you know, words and stuff...and you can stand there and then...jump to the various squares with the various "conclusions" printed on them. I call it my "Jump To Conclusions Map". This is my retirement plan, so I'd appreciate any feedback.
Is that the one where I get to fight Donald Trump in Thunderdome or is that the one where I get to fight Mark Cuban in Thunderdome? I get my reality shows mixed up. Or can I fight them both at the same time? Odds?
