Breaking down the NL East Minor League Organizations
MLB.COM has been releasing it’s list of the top 20 prospects for each team in the month of March. At this point, the only division we have in full to look at and compare is that of the NL East teams. Although there is some talent within their systems, the East doesn’t appear to be very deep with either prospects ready to make an impact on the major league level nor with super star talent. Don’t get me wrong, players like Noah Syndergaard of the Mets and Maikel Franco of the Phillies could be All-Stars for their teams. But there is no one as of yet that stands as someone who could be the face of their franchise in a few years down the road. With that said, lets take a look, in order from least to first, how the teams break down.
5. The Atlanta Braves- The reason that the Braves rank last in the division is for two reasons. The first one being that they only have 2 players currently ranked in the top 100 and secondly, most of their talent lies in the lower class leagues. As a team that has perennially won over a 20 year span, they don’t generally draft in the top 10 at any point. Their top prospect, Lucas Simms, is only 19 years old and has only pitched in A Rome up to this point. If he progresses, he is projected to make the majors in about 2 years and has the potential of being a #1 or #2 starter in the rotation. Jason Hursh, their third rated prospect, was their top pick in last years draft but the Braves need to be careful with his progress. Taken with the 31st pick last year, Hursh had Tommy John surgery his sophomore year at Oklahoma State. With only 27 innings pitched in the Sally League last year, he had a 0.67 ERA and should start the season in Rome again. The Braves do have two players who could be on the roster on Opening Day. The first being Christian Bethancourt, a catcher who appeared in 1 game last year. It is unclear what Atlanta will do behind the plate having two catchers in Ryan Doumit who has had concussions in the past and Evan Gattis who is 27 but only had 170 at bats last year. Of all the players who could make an impact, Bethancourt would be the guy. He batted .277 last year in the minors and he is certainly ready to play at that position. He has a strong arm and could be the starter if either one of those guys ahead of him struggle. The other player who could make the team is David Hale. Hale pitched in 2 games last year and did fairly well. In 11 innings pitched, he went 1-0 with a 0.82 ERA and 14 strikeouts. It is unclear, however, how Atlanta views his future. If he makes the team it is possible it would be in the back part of the rotation or it could be out of the bull pen.
4. Washington Nationals- The Nationals are ahead of the Braves on my list but it could have been a toss up either way. Like the Braves, Washington only has 2 players ranked in the top 100 with very little help on the horizon. Lucas Giolito is their top ranked player coming in at #44 out of the top 100. He has a lot of talent and potential but he is 19 years old and was actually hurt at the time when he was drafted. He made one appearance before being shut down to have Tommy John Surgery. He actually came back in July of last year and pitched very well. In 36 innings, he went 2-1 with a 1.96 ERA and 39 strikeouts. Their 2nd ranked pitcher, A.J. Cole, can reach 98 on the gun and advanced as far as AA Harrisburg last year. He actually appeared to do better at the higher level after his call up. Before being called up to the Eastern League, Cole had an ERA of 4.25. In 45 innings pitched in AA he posted a 2.18 ERA. At this time he is being projected as a middle of the rotation type pitcher but he is at least a full year away before he pitches in Washington. After their top two prospects, there has to be some concern. Brian Goodwin started the season out last year ranked in the top 50 of best prospects. But due to inconsistency at the plate with 121 strikeouts in 122 games, he has dropped completely off this list. Michael Taylor is 22 years old, ranks as their 4th rated prospect but played the entire season in A Potomac of the Carolina League. From there you have to go all the way to Zach Walters, their 10th rated player, before you find any prospects that has Major league time. Walters hit 29 homeruns last year at AAA Syracuse and played in 8 games with the Nationals at second base. The problem is that Anthony Rendon, a top 10 prospect coming into last year, is already playing out of position at second base and there is some question as to if Walters can play SS.
3. Philadelphia Phillies: The Phillies organization is clearly the third best team in the division from the minor league stand point. They are an upgrade over the Braves and Nationals because they have 2 impact players that could step in at some point in 2014. But where they are alike is that the majority of their top 10 prospects are at single A and even lower. Their top prospect, Maikel Franco, has the potential of being the next best position player in the East. He ranks 26th over all and combined between A and AA ball last year he hit .320 with 31 homeruns, and 103 RBI. Franco will most likely be the Phils 3rd baseman of the future but there has been some talk of moving him to 1st. It is clear though that he should see some time in Philly, even if it is a September call up. If you have followed my blogs in the past you know how high I am in Jesse Biddle. Biddle ranks 53rd and is one of the highest rated left handed pitchers in the minors. Here’s the good news: He has a Hall of Fame curve ball. It’s not just the break of the ball but the speed. He can hit 94 on the gun with a fast ball and then hit 66 with a curve. He had 154 strikeouts last year in 134 innings. The bad news: He tends to be wild at times and when things don’t go his way, he doesn’t keep his head in the game. Saying that, if he can work on those two things he should also see some time in a Phils uniform. Their third rated player, J.P. Crawford, was their top pick in last years draft. The highest rated high school short stop started his minor league career in rookie ball and made an appearance in A South Atlantic League at the age of 18. If he is to be the heir apparent to Jimmy Rollins, it will be about 3 years before that happens. Ethan Martin (8th ranked) and Cesar Hernandez (9th) both made contributions to the City of Brotherly Love last year. Martin struggled going 40 innings with a 2-5 record and a 6.08 ERA, however he should have a spot in the back end of the rotation or in their bull pen. Hernandez, on the other hand, held his own and probably created a roster spot for him self for Opening Day. In 34 games in the majors, he batted .289 and showed that he could either play 2b or of. Even if he isn’t a starter, he could be a very good utility man until he finds a spot at as an everyday starter.
2. The New York Mets: The Mets could have easily been named the #1 minor league organization in the East. They have 2 players that should be major contributors for the team this year (including one who could contend for Rookie of the Year) but after that, the majority of their prospects aren’t close. They also aren’t very deep having 3 players in the top 100. The cream of their minor league system, Noah Syndergaard should be a #3 or #4 in their rotation. He ranks 11th over all and is rated as the #3 rated right hand pitcher in all the minors. He certainly got Mets fans excited last year when he was named the starting pitcher for the Futures Game which was held in Flushing. At AA Birmingham last year he pitched 54 innings going 6-1, a 3.00 ERA and 69 strikeouts. If the Mets decide to use him from the get go, he will make a very good rotation that much better. The second player who should start for them right away is catcher Travis D’Arnaud. D’Arnaud is ranked as the 22nd best player and as the #1 catcher. He would have been the Mets starting catcher much earlier then now and actually had 99 at bats last year but he has struggled with injuries the last two years that hampered his progress. In 31 games, he batted .202 with 5 RBI. Even with his struggles it is pretty safe to say he will be the Opening Day catcher unless another injury appears. Dominic Smith was drafted # 11 in last years draft. Even at the age of 18, he is already rated as the #2 1st baseman in the minors. Smith has All-Star potential showing early in Rookie League that he can hit for both power and average but it will be a good 2-3 years before he would be considered in New York. Wilmer Flores is the only other player ranked in their top 10 that has major league experience. The 9th rated 2nd baseman in the minors played in 27 games last year with the Mets and it looks like he would be the first person called up from AAA if Daniel Murphy goes down.
1. Miami Marlins: The Marlins have a mixture of both a deep minor league organization while having a couple players ready to contribute this year. They have 4 players ranked in the top 100 with one of them ready to take over their center field position. Their top prospect, Andrew Heaney, is the top rated left handed pitcher in the minors. Last year he combined for a 9-3 record with a 1.60 ERA and had 89 strikeouts in 95 innings. Although MLB.COM is stating that he could be in a Marlins uniform as early as this year, my belief is that he should take another full year in the minors, starting in AA Jacksonville. The one thing is certain: he could be the next best young pitcher in the game once he does make it to the big leagues. Colin Moran was the Marlins #1 pick last year, ranks as the 51st best player in the minors and 5th overall at 3rd base. Colins biggest asset is his arm. He has an absolute cannon and should be a weapon in the same form Manny Machado was last year for the Orioles. It is still unclear what type of hitter he will be. Right now in his brief time in the minors, he has not shown the ability to hit for much power (4 homeruns in 154 at bats) but he did hit .299. Jake Marisnick struggled mightily last year in 40 games with the Marlins. He batted .183 with 27 strikeouts in 109 at bats but he is still the best center fielder they have on the roster. If nothing else he is fast and should help a young pitching staff cut down on some fly balls. The only other player to have major league time is their #7 prospect, Brian Flynn. Like Marisnick, Flynn struggled having an 8.50 ERA but it was only in 18 innings. Since ESPN is reporting that the Marlins do not have a starting pitcher making over 510k on their roster at the moment, it is unclear who the 5 in their rotation will be. With that in mind, it is very possible that Flynn could be in that mix.
Breaking Down the Future: Minor Leagues top Prospects 