2016 New York-Penn League Top 20 Prospects
| LEAGUE SUPERLATIVES |
|
|
| Best Record State College (Cardinals), 50-26 (.658) |
| Most Valuable Player* Tyler Hill, of, Lowell (Red Sox) |
| Pitcher of The Year* Harol Gonzalez, rhp, Brooklyn (Mets) |
| Did Not Qualify Logan Shore, rhp, Vermont (Athletics) |
| *As selected by Baseball America |
See Also: New York-Penn League Top 20 Prospects Chat With Michael Lananna
See Also: 2016 League Top 20 Index
See Also: League Top 20 Prospects Historical Index
Johnny Rodriguez and his State College Spikes are on their way toward building a short-season New York-Penn League dynasty. For the second time in three years, the Spikes won the league title, dispatching Hudson Valley in two games to take home the crown.
The Spikes were led this season by 2016 Cardinals draftees Tommy Edman, a scrappy shortstop taken from Stanford in the sixth round, and catcher Jeremy Martinez, a fourth-rounder from Southern California who played a pivotal role as both a game-caller and middle-of-the-order bat. Meanwhile, the Spikes’ pitching staff featured hard-throwing righthanders Jordan Hicks and second-rounder Connor Jones, the latter of whom did not throw enough innings to qualify for the Top 20 Prospects list.
Jones was one of several high-profile arms who didn’t qualify, including lefthander Brady Aiken (Indians), righthander Logan Shore (Athletics), lefthander Jason Groome and righthander Mike Shawaryn (Red Sox). Indians fourth-rounder Shane Bieber fell only one inning shy of qualifying, but the righthander drew rave reviews from opposing managers for his polish, sound mechanics and command, allowing just one earned run and striking out 21 to two walks in 24 innings with Mahoning Valley.
Unlike in 2015 with Red Sox prospect Andrew Benintendi, there wasn’t a clear, unanimous top prospect in the league among managers. International talent in the NYP also was down in 2016, because many of the league’s bigger international names underperformed in their first exposure to short-season ball.
1. A.J. Puk, lhp, Vermont (Athletics) | 
Age: 21. B-T: L-L. Ht.: 6-7. Wt.: 220. Drafted: Florida, 2016 (1).
Puk had a somewhat bizarre spring for the Omaha-bound Florida Gators. In 16 starts, he got just five decisions, going 2-3, 3.05 with 101 strikeouts and 37 walks in 73.2 innings. He didn’t make it out of the fifth inning eight times. That limited workload continued with Vermont, where the No. 6 overall pick didn’t throw more than 75 pitches in a game. Still, the buzz with Puk has always been more about potential than performance.
A 6-foot-7, 220-pound lefthander, Puk throws in the mid- to upper 90s with downhill angle to his fastball. His mid-80s slider is his best secondary offering, but both his slider and changeup remain works in progress. His command is inconsistent, but when he’s locating, his stuff makes him tough to square up. With his frame and velocity, Puk has a No. 2 or 3 starter ceiling, and his floor is that of a dominant, late-inning reliever.
“It’s all projection,” said one NYP manager. “His command was very spotty, and we not only hit him but scored runs. He’s got a great body, touched 98 (mph). Now you’re hoping, with minor league training, the command comes along.”
| W | L | ERA | G | GS | SV | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | AVG |
| 0 | 4 | 3.03 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 33 | 23 | 18 | 11 | 0 | 12 | 40 | .185 |
2. Triston McKenzie, rhp, Mahoning Valley (Indians) |
Age: 19. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-5. Wt.: 165. Drafted: HS—Royal Palm Beach, Fla., 2015 (1s).
Drafted 42nd overall in 2015, McKenzie simply dominated NYP hitters at Mahoning Valley, allowing just three earned runs and striking out 55. He earned a promotion to low Class A Lake County on Aug. 3, where his ERA rose (3.18) but his walk and strikeout rates spiked.
Long and lanky, McKenzie still has plenty of room for projection, and he pitches beyond his years. Throwing with an easy, repeatable delivery, his 90-92 mph fastball plays up due to his extension and natural deception. He touched 95 mph this summer and could reach that velocity more consistently as he fills out. McKenzie can elicit ugly swings with his curveball, which plays off his fastball well and has depth. Both his curve and changeup have above-average potential.
Physically raw but advanced in terms of his pitching feel and makeup, McKenzie has a high ceiling as a potential frontline starter.
“He was to me the best pitching prospect (in the league),” State College manager Johnny Rodriguez said. “He’s got the age, the body, the build, and he’s tough on the mound. His fastball and his secondary stuff have very good finish and action, and he doesn’t get rattled. The one time we almost got to him, you could tell he just continued to pitch.”
| W | L | ERA | G | GS | SV | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | AVG |
| 4 | 3 | 0.55 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 49 | 31 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 16 | 55 | .180 |
3. Justin Dunn rhp, Brooklyn (Mets) |
Age: 21. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 185. Drafted: HS—Boston College, 2016 (1).
Dunn was at the center of Boston College’s super-regional run this spring, pitching the Eagles to their best season through his work in the bullpen and later in the weekend rotation. It was the midseason shift from closer to starter that elevated his draft stock to the first round, where the Mets plucked the Long Island native with the 19th overall pick.
Though a closer for most of his college career, Dunn has a starter’s arsenal, throwing a slider, curveball and changeup to complement his mid-90s fastball that touches 98 mph. Scouts agree his slider is the better of his two breaking balls, though there’s disagreement on whether it’s a future plus or average offering. Limited to just three innings per outing with Brooklyn, Dunn threw his changeup sparingly. It’s firm but could develop into a serviceable pitch.
Athletic with a quick arm, Dunn has No. 2 or 3 starter upside, though some evaluators suggest he might ultimately end up back in the bullpen.
“He’s everything you look for when you’re drafting a young pitcher,” said Brooklyn manager Tom Gamboa, who scouted for 10 years. “He’s got a very good delivery. He’s got a very, very loose arm. Now managing him for a season, as good as he is talent-wise, his personality and makeup is even better. He’s just a real outstanding kid and the way you want your son to grow up.”
| W | L | ERA | G | GS | SV | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | AVG |
| 1 | 1 | 1.50 | 11 | 8 | 0 | 30 | 25 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 10 | 35 | .227 |
4. Desmond Lindsay, of, Brooklyn (Mets) |
Age: 19. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-0. Wt.: 200. Drafted: HS—Sarasota, Fla., 2015 (2).
Lindsay was the Mets’ first pick in the 2015 draft, and they’ve had to be patient with him. He strained his hamstring in back-to-back years—first in the spring leading up to the draft and again at the beginning of this year. That led to a late start to his 2016 season, but he wasted little time in showing the tools that made him a lucrative pick.
Lindsay has an advanced offensive approach for his age and a quick bat that allows him to spray line drives to all three fields. His power is geared more for the gaps, but he has the chance to develop plus raw power. A plus runner, Lindsay has enough speed and arm for center field, but he’s still learning the nuances of the position. Lindsay played third base in high school.
One scout said he thought Lindsay looked tentative in the outfield and on the basepaths as he came back from his second hamstring injury in two years.
Lindsay flashes five-tool potential, but the key going forward will be health. The Cyclones handled him carefully, working him into the DH spot to spell him after multiple games in the outfield. Barring injury, Lindsay appears ticketed for low Class A Columbia in 2017.
| AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | CS | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| 111 | 18 | 33 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 17 | 20 | 26 | 3 | 1 | .297 | .418 | .450 |
5. Cody Sedlock, rhp, Aberdeen (Orioles) |
Age: 21. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 190. Drafted: Illinois, 2016 (1).
After pitching sparingly as an underclassman, Sedlock moved front and center to the Friday role as an Illinois junior this spring, pitching his way into the first round as he produced 116 strikeouts to 31 walks in 101.1 innings. He carried a heavy load in college—he threw two complete games—but the load was much lighter at Aberdeen, where he was limited to three innings per start and didn’t throw more than 54 pitches. He walked a few too many—4.3 per nine innings—but he showcased the stuff that made him the 27th overall pick this June.
Sedlock features a four-pitch mix, touching 96 mph and working in the low 90s with his late-sinking fastball. His curveball and slider flash above-average and show plus potential, but he doesn’t always have both working at the same time. His changeup is a work in progress, but it flashes average.
Listed at 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, Sedlock’s frame and potential for three plus pitches give him a high ceiling as a starter at the next level.
| W | L | ERA | G | GS | SV | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | AVG |
| 0 | 1 | 3.00 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 27 | 16 | 11 | 9 | 1 | 13 | 25 | .158 |
6. Dane Dunning, rhp, Auburn (Nationals)
Age: 21. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-4. Wt.: 200. Drafted: Florida, 2016 (1).
On any other college pitching staff, Dunning would have likely been in the weekend rotation, but Florida used him in a relief role, at times piggybacking for fellow first-rounder A.J. Puk. Dunning was an invaluable weapon for the Gators. He went 6-3, 2.29 with 88 strikeouts to 12 walks in 78.2 this spring and pitched his way into the first round.
Dunning’s body and stuff fit a starter’s profile, and the Nationals are developing him in that role. He can touch 96 mph with armside run, but he typically lives a few notches lower than that. His changeup has the chance to be a plus pitch, and his slider, while inconsistent, has the chance to be average.
He throws a lot of strikes, gets a lot of groundballs (2.89 groundout-to-airout ratio) and showed the ability to go through a lineup more than twice—including a nine-inning complete game Aug. 13, in which Dunning threw 125 pitches and struck out eight.
| W | L | ERA | G | GS | SV | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | AVG |
| 3 | 2 | 2.14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 34 | 26 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 29 | .208 |
7. Will Craig, 3b, West Virginia (Pirates) |
Age: 21. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 212. Drafted: Wake Forest, 2016 (1).
Craig, a two-way star at Wake Forest, was one of the more divisive college prospects heading into the 2016 draft, where he was taken with the 22nd overall pick by the Pirates. Scouts questioned his defense at third base, and due to the hitter friendliness of Wake Forest’s home ballpark and a lackluster showing in the Cape Cod League last summer, some wondered how much of his power would translate to a wood bat.
After a loud .379/.520/.731, 16-homer spring, Craig struggled out of the gate at West Virginia, but he turned his summer around and finished second in the league in on-base percentage (412). Craig’s best assets are his raw power and discipline. He has the arm to play third base, but his thick body and lack of mobility suggest an eventual move to first.
“He was exactly what I heard he was,” said one scout who saw Craig this summer. “He can hit it a long way. He controls the zone well. It was a mess at third. But if you put him at first, I think he has a chance to hit.”
| AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | CS | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| 218 | 28 | 61 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 23 | 41 | 37 | 2 | 0 | .280 | .412 | .362 |
8. Peter Alonso, 1b, Brooklyn (Mets)
Age: 21. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 225. Drafted: Florida, 2016 (2).
In his college career with Florida, Alonso hit an impressive three home runs at the homer-stifling T.D. Ameritrade Park in Omaha, including the two longest in the six-year-old ballpark’s history, with one being the first-ever homer hit to dead center. His power has long been his standout tool, with one scout who saw him grading his power a 70 on the 20-80 scouting scale.
However, scouts place lower grades on Alonso’s hit tool. His power comes more from strength than bat speed, and he tends to leak out on his front side, which could be exposed by upper-level pitching. He will need to hit because he is limited to first base, where he is a capable defender.
Injuries have been a bugaboo for Alonso. He dealt with a broken foot and nose in 2015 and a broken left hand in spring 2016. This summer at Brooklyn, he broke the little finger on his left hand in two places as he slid into second base on a hustle double. If he can stay healthy and make enough contact, Alonso has the potential to be a middle-of-the-order power bat at the next level.
“I haven’t managed anybody with his type of power and impact ability on a team since I’ve had Mike Napoli back in Double-A ball with the Angels,” Brooklyn manager Tom Gamboa said. “It’s that rare type of power, like Napoli had, that is pole to pole and not just over-the-fence but literally out-of-the-stadium-type power.”
| AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | CS | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| 109 | 20 | 35 | 12 | 1 | 5 | 21 | 11 | 22 | 0 | 1 | .321 | .382 | .587 |
9. Bobby Dalbec, 3b, Lowell (Red Sox) |
Age: 21. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-4. Wt.: 225. Drafted: Arizona, 2016 (4).
Dalbec was a hero for College World Series runner-up Arizona—as a starting pitcher. Featuring a low-90s fastball and an effective breaking ball and changeup, Dalbec was a postseason workhorse, tallying the second-most strikeouts in the CWS in the last 30 years, with 26. But the two-way player has always preferred hitting, and that’s what the Red Sox drafted him in the fourth round to do.
Dalbec struggled this spring at the plate, batting .260/.370/.429 with 85 strikeouts in 231 at-bats, but he put those struggles behind him as a pro, where he found a more consistent, quieter offensive approach at the plate. He led Lowell with seven homers in just 34 games.
Strikeouts always will be an issue for Dalbec, but he flashed 70-grade righthanded power on the 20-80 scouting scale and could be a middle-of-the-order bat if he’s able to make contact consistently.
Dalbec’s defense at third base has steadily improved, and evaluators are optimistic he’ll be able to stick there. He certainly has the arm strength for third.
| AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | CS | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| 132 | 25 | 51 | 13 | 2 | 7 | 33 | 9 | 33 | 2 | 2 | .386 | .427 | .674 |
10. Jordan Hicks, rhp, State College (Cardinals)
Age: 20. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 185. Drafted: HS—Houston, 2015 (3s).
Taken with pick No. 105 in 2015, Hicks didn’t make his pro debut until this season as he dealt with shoulder inflammation. The MRI was clean, but the Cardinals proceeded cautiously. He started 2016 at Rookie-level Johnson City before earning a promotion to State College. His rawness showed as he walked 4.3 batters per nine innings overall, and control is something he’ll need to tighten. But if he can corral his command issues, Hicks has the ingredients to be a dominant force on the mound.
Hicks worked mostly 92-94 mph with sink and was able to touch as high as 98. His 78-83 mph breaking ball has a tight 10-to-4 break and is a swing-and-miss pitch for him. His changeup is a firm 88-90 mph pitch with armside run that he throws primarily to lefthanded batters.
Hicks throws with an athletic delivery, but he’ll need to repeat it more consistently, which could come as he gets more innings.
| W | L | ERA | G | GS | SV | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | AVG |
| 4 | 1 | 1.76 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 31 | 25 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 15 | 22 | .217 |
11. Adonis Medina, rhp, Williamsport (Phillies) |
Age: 19. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 185. Signed: Dominican Republic, 2014.
Medina has matured physically and added a few ticks to his then-90-mph fastball since signing as a 17-year-old. He now works consistently in the low to mid-90s, touching as high as 97 mph with some armside run and late sink. He pairs that velocity with a hard, late-breaking slider that has plus potential and an upper-80s changeup that has sinking action and should be a serviceable third pitch.
Medina didn’t allow an earned run in his first three starts and came two outs from a no-hitter in start No. 3. Given his stuff, he posted a curiously low strikeout rate of 4.7 per nine innings. But he did strike out three batters in his one-inning all-star game appearance and should miss more bats as he learns to command his weapons. He has mid-rotation starter upside.
| W | L | ERA | G | GS | SV | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | AVG |
| 5 | 3 | 2.92 | 13 | 13 | 0 | 65 | 47 | 26 | 21 | 5 | 24 | 34 | .203 |
12. Keegan Akin, lhp, Aberdeen (Orioles)
Age: 21. B-T: L-L. Ht.: 6-0. Wt.: 225. Drafted: Western Michigan, 2016 (2).
Though he came to campus with lefthanded velocity, Akin didn’t blossom as a pitcher until his junior year at Western Michigan, where he had one of the best seasons in school history. He went 7-4, 1.84 and eclipsed Pat Misch’s school record of 99 strikeouts in a season with 133. The season propelled Akin to the second round of the draft, where he went 54th overall to the Orioles.
Akin continued to excel with Aberdeen, albeit in shortened three-inning stints. He finished his season with 20 consecutive scoreless innings—a stretch in which he allowed just seven hits and struck out 23.
Skeptics point to his stocky build, but Akin has no shortage of velocity. He leverages his thick lower half to touch as high as 97 mph, though he works more in the 92-94 mph range. To stick as a starter, he’ll need to continue to refine his command and develop his secondary stuff. His slider could be an average pitch and his changeup has flashed above-average, but he’ll need to find consistency with both offerings to reach his ceiling.
| W | L | ERA | G | GS | SV | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | AVG |
| 0 | 1 | 1.04 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 26 | 15 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 29 | .161 |
13. C.J. Chatham, ss, Lowell (Red Sox)
Age: 21. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-4. Wt.: 185. Drafted: Florida Atlantic, 2016 (2).
College shortstops reigned supreme in the 2015 draft, led by Dansby Swanson and Alex Bregman going with the top two picks. The class was thinner in 2016, with Chatham the first college shortstop taken. A three-year starter at Florida Atlantic, Chatham led the Owls in hitting this spring, batting .357/.422/.554 with eight home runs in 249 at-bats.
Hampered by a hand injury, Chatham got off to a slow offensive start with Lowell, though he got into a better rhythm by the end of the summer. He has at least solid-average power, though his swing can get long at times. An aggressive hitter, he needs to learn to see more pitches and work the count.
Some scouts have questioned whether Chatham too big to stick at shortstop. His actions are long, but he has a solid first step and instincts and a plus arm. He handled the position well for Lowell and should have every opportunity to play there as he moves up the system.
| AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | CS | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| 108 | 19 | 28 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 19 | 8 | 20 | 0 | 1 | .259 | .319 | .426 |
14. Austin Hays, of, Aberdeen (Orioles)
Age: 21. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 195. Drafted: Jacksonville, 2016 (3).
Hays made a huge jump his junior season—his second year at Jacksonville after transferring from Seminole State JC (Fla.). He batted .350/.406/.655 with 16 home runs—13 more than he hit the year before—in 223 at-bats. The Orioles took Hays with the 91st overall pick, and he continued to swing with authority once he got to the NYP.
Hays packs strength into his 6-foot-1, 195-pound frame. He has above-average bat speed and creates leverage with his righthanded swing, producing a .178 isolated slugging percentage this summer after a .305 mark at Jacksonville. He has above-average power and has shown the ability to make consistent contact at the plate. With his above-average arm strength and power, Hays fits the prototype right-field profile.
“He’s got some tools,” said one scout who saw him this summer. “He’s definitely the best one of their guys they’ve had roll through there.”
| AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | CS | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| 140 | 14 | 47 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 21 | 11 | 32 | 4 | 4 | .336 | .386 | .514 |
15. Tyler Hill, of, Lowell (Red Sox)
Age: 19. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-0. Wt.: 195. Drafted: HS—Wilmington, Del., 2014 (19).
Hill was the first name out of a few managers’ mouths when talking about the prospects who impressed them most in the league this year. Not a big name out of high school—the Red Sox took the Delaware prep product in the 19th round in 2014—Hill impressed with his bat this summer, leading the league in hitting at .332.
Hill’s bat is his clear standout tool—and potentially a plus tool—because he showed a loose, athletic swing and the ability to hit the ball to all three fields. He has pull power but mostly gap power to the opposite field. That power has the potential to blossom and will likely need to for Hill to stick as a righthanded-hitting corner outfielder.
Hill profiles best in left field because the rest of his tools are fringy to average, and his arm isn’t playable in right. His ceiling is directly tied to his bat.
| AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | CS | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| 232 | 43 | 77 | 14 | 5 | 4 | 38 | 24 | 41 | 11 | 11 | .332 | .400 | .487 |
16. Josh Pennington, rhp, Lowell (Red Sox)
Age: 21. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-0. Wt.: 175. Drafted: HS—Cape May, N.J., 2014 (29).
The Red Sox took a chance on Pennington in the 29th round in 2014 even though the righthander had Tommy John surgery just before the draft. That pick is looking more prudent now. After a superb 2-1, 0.82 pro debut in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League in 2015, he continued to showcase electric stuff in the NYP.
Despite his slight 6-foot, 175-pound frame, Pennington generates premium 94-98 mph velocity due to his quick arm action. He pairs the pitch with an upper-70s curveball that flashes above-average potential but lacks consistency and a firm work-in-progress changeup. At present, he pitches primarily off of his fastball, which he’s still learning to command, as evidenced by a walk rate of 4.3 per nine innings.
Pennington has plenty of arm strength, but he could end up as a late-inning reliever depending on the development of his command and his inconsistent secondary offerings. For the time being, the Red Sox are grooming him as a starter.
| W | L | ERA | G | GS | SV | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | AVG |
| 5 | 3 | 2.86 | 13 | 13 | 0 | 56.2 | 39 | 19 | 18 | 2 | 27 | 49 | .200 |
17. Aaron Civale, rhp, Mahoning Valley (Indians)
Age: 21. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 215. Drafted: Northeastern, 2016 (3).
After working primarily out of the bullpen his first two seasons at Northeastern, Civale transitioned to the weekend rotation in the spring and flourished. The well-built 6-foot-2, 215-pound righthander went 9-3, 1.73 with a 121-to-15 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 114.1 innings en route to a third-round selection by the Indians.
Civale continued to pitch at a high level in the NYP, where he was limited to three innings and 55 pitches per start. The righthander exhibits excellent feel for manipulating the baseball, cutting and sinking his fastball while also throwing a true four-seamer that sits in the low 90s and has been up to 95 mph with a high spin rate. He adds a hard, tight-breaking slider that produces swings and misses and a firm 84-86 mph changeup.
Civale commands that five-pitch arsenal well, though at times he can lean on his cutter a little too much. He fits a starter’s profile with his varied pitch mix and advanced feel for pitching.
| W | L | ERA | G | GS | SV | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | AVG |
| 0 | 2 | 1.67 | 13 | 13 | 0 | 37.2 | 23 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 28 | .180 |
18. Garrett Whitley, of, Hudson Valley (Rays) |
Age: 19. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-0. Wt.: 200. Drafted: HS—Niskayuna, N.Y., 2015 (1).
The No. 13 overall pick in 2015, Whitley is still learning how to best utilize his raw tools and started out of the gate slowly this year, due in part to lingering hamstring issues. He went 30-for-135 (.222) in the first two months of his season before finally finding an offensive rhythm in August, during which he batted .324/.400/.500 in 102 at-bats.
Whitley has plus bat speed and shows plus raw power in batting practice, but that power hasn’t yet translated into games. He opened up his batting stance this season, which has made it more difficult for him to get to pitches on the outside corner. “He’s got a very, very open stance—almost Tony Bautista-like,” a scout said. “Anything on the outer half he couldn’t reach.”
Though he showed plus run times in high school, Whitley is more of an average runner now. But he has enough speed and the instincts to handle center field, and his fringy arm strength has shown improvement. Far from a finished product, Whitley has plenty of upside as a center field prospect with power, but he’ll need to find a more workable approach at the plate.
| AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | CS | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| 256 | 38 | 68 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 31 | 30 | 75 | 21 | 5 | .266 | .356 | .379 |
19. Daz Cameron, of, Tri-City (Astros) |
Age: 19. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 185. Drafted: HS—McDonough, Ga., 2015 (1s).
The son of Mike Cameron—a Gold Glove-winning center fielder who hit 278 home runs in 17 big league seasons—Daz signed for $4 million as a supplemental pick in 2015. And fairly or not, he faces constant comparisons to his father. He isn’t quite the defender his father was, nor does he hit for the same kind of power, but he has the body control and speed to play at least an above-average center field and projects to hit for average power. The problem has been making contact.
Cameron had a disappointing 2016 season. He opened with a .143/.221/.221 showing with 33 strikeouts in 77 at-bats at low Class A Quad Cities. After the Astros sent him back to extended spring training, he joined Tri-City in June and had better results, going 16-for-39 in his last 10 games. Unfortunately for him, he broke his left pointer finger on a hit-by-pitch that ended his season prematurely.
The Astros remain bullish on the 19-year-old’s tools, but like his father—who once led the American League with 176 strikeouts in a season—he has a tendency to swing and miss, striking out 28 percent of time in his pro career.
| AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | CS | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| 79 | 13 | 22 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 14 | 6 | 26 | 8 | 2 | .278 | .352 | .418 |
20. Alex Wells, lhp, Aberdeen (Orioles)
Age: 19. B-T: L-L. Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 190. Signed: Australia, 2015.
Wells is the rare prospect from Australia—and the even rarer prospect from Australia whose twin brother also plays professionally. His brother Lachlan Wells, who also is a lefthander, signed with the Twins as an international free agent in August 2014. Alex signed with Orioles a year later.
An athletic lefthander from Newcastle, Alex finished first in the NYP with a 0.91 WHIP and third with a 2.15 ERA in his first pro season. He commanded his 87-90 mph fastball to both sides of the plate and could add velocity as he adds to his lean frame. He throws a low-70s, 1-to-7 curveball with good shape but inconsistent bite. It has the potential to be an average offering. Wells also has feel for an 82-84 mph changeup, but he can get on the side of the pitch at times.
Wells throws with a clean, repeatable delivery and arm action, and he profiles as a potential back-of-the-rotation starter because of his command and pitch mix.
| W | L | ERA | G | GS | SV | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | AVG |
| 4 | 5 | 2.15 | 13 | 13 | 0 | 63 | 48 | 17 | 15 | 1 | 9 | 50 | .216 |
Comments are closed.