Monday Morning Ten Pack
10 Prospects Who Turned Heads in Spring Training
by Jason Parks

OF Raimel Tapia (Rockies)
We ranked Tapia no. 97 on the Baseball Prospectus Top 101, and after watching the 20-year-old in workouts and game action this spring, it’s clear to me that we were too low on the Dominican outfielder. Tapia has impact potential on all sides of the ball, with plus speed, plus glove potential in center, a strong arm, and the type of stick that could carry a player without any additional physical attributes. The setup is a little peculiar, with a Jim Thome-esque bat point toward the pitcher before loading his hands high in a wide, balanced stance. The hands have a calm drift into a lower swing position, and once he triggers, it becomes clear to even novice eyes that the bat speed and stroke are of high quality.
I see a plus hit tool and solid-average power potential, although the power could arrive much later, as Tapia’s body is underdeveloped at present and he still needs to add strength to his skinny, narrow frame. Tapia is going to emerge as a nationally recognized prospect in 2014, and with a strong full-season debut, he has all the necessary characteristics to jump into the top 50 prospects in the game by the end of the season.

SS Tim Anderson (White Sox)
I’m quite smitten with Tim Anderson. If I worked for a team, he would rank high on any must-acquire list I compiled, and I would stick my neck out to stand up for the choice. It starts with his hands at the plate, as they are incredibly quick and controlled, and he attacks the ball at the plate, showing excellent contact ability and loud pop.
In the field, he’s clearly athletic but not especially smooth at shortstop, with some stiffness in his fielding actions despite the fast-twitch athletic profile. Through repetition and more experience, Anderson could make shortstop work, but I saw him as a better long-term fit at second base, with a plus arm for the position and the type of coordination and reaction ability to develop into a plus defender at the keystone. Anderson is still finding his way and is in need of refinement in all aspects of his on-field performance, but this is a future role 6 player at the highest level, a first-division talent regardless of his future defensive home.

LHP Sean Manaea (Royals)
With so many questions surrounding the health of Manaea, most outlets avoided going too high on the former supplemental first-round pick on off-season lists, but strong reports from instructional league action placed the 22-year-old at no. 78 on the BP 101. After an even stronger spring, that aggressive placement seems too conservative.
A healthy Manaea is a future no. 2/3 starter at the major-league level, with the body and delivery to log innings, the stuff to keep bats off the barrel, and the pitchability and command to keep hitters off-balance multiple times through a lineup. In multiple viewings this spring, the fastball worked 91-94, with surgical command at times to both sides of the plate. In addition to the velocity and command, the fastball is very difficult to pick up and track out of the hand, giving it ghost-ball qualities that allow the 60-grade pitch to play up beyond its paper grade. Mix in a slurvy slider and a bottom-heavy changeup that Manaea can command, and you have a pitcher who should carve up the minors on his fast-track to the majors.

SS Franchy Cordero (Padres)
In off-season discussions for the Padres top 10 list, Cordero’s name came up quite a bit, with several sources pushing for his inclusion in the rankings. Because I wasn’t given enough love as a child and have a cold, empty heart, I didn’t include Cordero on the top 10, instead listing him as a prospect on the rise, which already looks incredibly foolish and short-sighted. The 19-year-old shortstop is an incredibly talented offensive threat, with well above-average hands at the plate and the type of projectable power rarely seen in a middle infielder. I could watch his swing for hours: the way he keeps his hands in a good, low hitting position regardless of the pitch and the way he stays balanced as his hips explode and he throws the bat into the zone.
Cordero can play shortstop for now, but after watching him in the field during numerous workouts and five-plus games this spring, I project a move off the position down the line, with third base or right field looking like strong possibilities given his athleticism and arm strength. Regardless of his position, the bat will carry him a long way, and if he shines in his full-season debut in 2014, he could emerge as a top 101 prospect in the game at this time next season.

LHP Ricardo Sanchez (Angels)
After a strong pre-J2 buzz and an impressive post-signing instructional league campaign, 16-year-old Ricardo Sanchez was very much on the prospect radar coming into the spring, which made him a must-see on the backfields. In a limited look, it was clear that Sanchez is both raw and legit, with the type of arm speed you can’t teach even if the location ability is still underdeveloped at present.
Short but sturdy, the southpaw worked the fastball in the 89-92 range and hit 93 and 94 on a few occasions, showing cutting action. The secondary arsenal was poorly executed in the outing I saw, but he has a good delivery to work with and shows good feel for craft despite the rough edges. Sanchez will pitch the entire 2014 season as a 17-year-old, most likely at the complex level, and is likely to climb prospect lists as he proceeds through the developmental process. Forced comps are counterproductive, but the similarities between Sanchez and fellow Venezuelan southpaw Martin Perez are appropriate.

IF/OF Samir Duenez (Royals)
Signed out of Venezuela in 2012, Duenez had a strong stateside debut in 2013 at the complex level but is still an unknown entity to most. His anonymity won’t last. The 17-year-old is a natural hitter, with fantastically fast hands and an ease about putting his barrel on the ball, regardless of the pitch type or location. The power is going to arrive, as I see a plus bat in the making, the type of hitter who doesn’t have to sell out for the long ball but allows it to flow through his hard contact.
The defensive profile is a question mark, as Duenez played first base both in his professional debut and when I saw him in multiple looks on the backfields, but I don’t think he’s necessarily locked into that position in the long term. Despite a mature body, Duenez runs well for his size, clocking times in the 4.25-4.3 range home-to-first, and he showed good athleticism and coordination in infield drills and game action. I can see left field being a possibility, but at the end of the day, Duenez will make his bones with his bat, and based on what I saw, he has the plus bat speed and natural feel for hitting to stand out regardless of where he plays in the field.

Prospects on the roster to start the 2014 year

POS	Name	Team	BA Top 100	BP Top 101	Sayer 101	Scout 100	Sickels 75+	MLB 100	MILB 100	Law 100	League top 20
C	Luis Torrens	NyY									10th GCL
1B	Samir Duenez	KC									16th Arz
2B	Ryan Brett	TB
SS	Tim Anderson	Chw			#61	#91				#98
SS	Franchy Cordero	SD									3rd Arz
SS	Amed Rosario	NyM									1st App
SS	Sergio Alcantara	Ari									4th Arz
SS	Marten Gasparini	KC
3B	Rafael Devers	Bos
3B	Matt Skole	Was
3B	Matt Davidson	ChW	#72	#93	#75		Top 75-100	#80	#64	#88	14th PCL
OF	Raimel Tapia	Col		#97	#54						3rd Pio
OF	Phillip Ervin	Cin		#79		#63					2nd Pio
OF	Harold Ramirez	Pit									1st NYP
OF	Jose Urena	SD									5th Arz
OF	Reydel Medina	Cin
SP	Mark Appel	Hou	#39	#21	#26	#12	#20	#17	#25	#11
SP	Jameson Taillon	Pit	#22	#19	#21	#32	#12	#16	#10	#27	6th EL
SP	Robert Stephenson	Cin	#19	#22	#23	#29	#13	#19	#17	#29	3rd MWL
SP	Lucas Giolito	Was	#21	#13	#17	#17	#31	#44	#70	#21	2nd GCL
SP	Yordano Ventura	KC	#26	#12	#16	#23	#25	#35	#35	#50	3rd Texas
SP	Kyle Crick	SF	#33	#38	#53	#33	#48	#32	#43	#69	3rd Cal
SP	Sean Manaea	KC		#78	#64	#90
SP	Mike Foltynewicz	Hou	#59	#43	#71	#47	#37	#54	#62	#70	2nd Texas
SP	Miguel Almonte	KC		#46	#56	#48	#55			#81	6th Sal
SP	Lance McCullers	Hou	#77		#92	#62	#43	#52	#60		5th MWL
SP	Erik Johnson	ChW	#63	#67		#34	#67	#70		#59	11th SL, 11th IL
SP	Alex Gonzalez	Tex		#70	#85	#82
SP	Casey Kelly	SD			HM	#89		#87	#65
SP	Nick Kingham	Pit	#64	#80		#72	Top 75-100			#73	11th FSL, 15th EL
SP	Mauricio Cabrera	Atl				#91					10th Sal
SP	Alberto Tirado	Tor		#76							8th App
SP	Luis Heredia	Pit							#76
SP	Trevor May	Min
SP	Marcus Diplan	Tex
SP	Ricardo Sanchez	LaA
SP	Jonathan Crawford	Det

Parks talking Heroes

Jason Parks chatted about several Hero Prospects today:

Sean Manaea (Royals): Multiple looks so far in camp; live batting practice session/two innings of live game action. Big, strong body; carries the size well; upright posture with straight/high leg lift; arm is slightly lower than standard 3/4 slot; works well; clean action and quick arm; creates good angle despite lower slot; stays over the ball; fastball has ghost qualities at any velocity; hard to square up/track; in game action, worked 93-94 in first inning; spotted east/west; best pitch was lefty-lefty with 93 on the outside black for called strike; second inning was mostly 92; some arm-side run; secondary stuff showed in live batting practice session; fastball was 89-90 (early in camp), slider was slurvy but effective; hard to track and square; changeup flashed high-end quality; could see a plus-plus future; fastball arm speed with heavy vertical life; limited look but no doubt an effective offering.

With runners on and from the stretch, Manaea lifts lead leg while rocking up hands; does not come fully set before returning leg to the ground. Idiosyncratic move will be very effective in disrupting running game. Small sample, but fastball grade will play above raw velocity; should settle in with a 91-94 mph fastball (60-grade) but command and deception could push the pitch to 70 grade; changeup will be a weapon pitch in minors/majors; slider is a little slurvy and loose, with more sweep than sharp life, but command should allow it to play above average. Number two starter profile; injury red flags but workhorse potential with plus arsenal and well above-average command.

Robert Stephenson (Reds): Body has yet to reach physical maturity; all legs; athletic on the mound; arm strength is elite; some effort in the delivery; creates some angle from the slot; fastball worked 92-97; below-average command of the offering; better pitch with more movement and command in lower velocity register; was struggling to finish out front and was working up; pitch was often flat and susceptible to hard contact; two-plane breaking ball (curve/slurve) flashed in the low 80s but was often loose and pulled across his body; swing-and-miss pitch but he was starting it on the outer third and losing effectiveness; limited look at 87 mph changeup; was noticeably flustered when he couldn’t make outs and failed to adjust; reverted to throwing/not pitching; 1.3 to the plate with runners on; held well; no PFP looks; struggled but ceiling unchanged; 70 future on FB and CB; changeup will take time but should get there; command is fringe at present; athleticism and delivery allow for average command projection; no. 2 starter type; electric arm capable of missing bats.

Franchy Cordero (Padres): Wow talent; highly projectable frame; sweet swing from the left side; very loose; starts with a slightly open stance; closes on the ball without falling out of his line; very fluid with his load and trigger; seems to see/track the ball very well; shows plus bat speed at present; good lift in the stick; power potential is easy plus; capable of long bombs; shows potential to develop both hit and power tools; not sharp in the field; shows okay actions and a strong arm, but doesn’t show the instincts of a higher level shortstop; physical projection could push him to third before he reaches majors; role 6 potential as a third baseman.

Jose Urena (Padres): Very impressive present strength; body could be high maintenance; not bad (at present) but hips/midsection show expansion potential; good stroke at the plate; plus raw power; swing looks the part for power; some plane; comes under the ball; hits the fastball well; feasted on middle-up; fooled on soft/spin away; limited look in the outfield; didn’t show arm; made routine catches without significance; intrigued by the power potential; could be prototypical corner player with over-the-fence bat. —Jason Parks

Hero Ring of Honor

Roy Halladay is the first player to be named into the Hero Ring of Honor.

Hallday spent parts of 5 seasons with the Heroes and won Ace of the Year twice (2007 and 2009)
2007
2008 (3rd in NL CPL CY Young)
2009 (6th in NL CPL CY Young)
2010 (3rd in NL CPL CY Young)
2013

He also won the CPL NL Cy Young in 2011

Heroes on BP top 101

Here are the Heroes on BP 101 that hit today

12. Yordano Ventura

13. Lucas Giolito

19. Jameson Taillon

22. Robert Stephenson

38. Kyle Crick

43. Mike Foltynewicz

46. Miguel Almonte

67. Erik Johnson

76. Alberto Tirado

80.Nick Kingham

93. Matt Davidson

Heroes on the Top 100 From MILB

16 Jameson Taillon RHP (PIT)

19 Robert Stephenson, RHP (CIN)

32 Kyle Crick, RHP (SF)

35 Yordano Ventura RHP (KC)

44 Lucas Giolito, RHP (WAS)

52 Lance McCullers Jr., RHP (HOU)

54 - Mike Foltyniewicz, RHP (HOU)

80 Matt Davidson 3B (CWS)

87 Casey Kell RHP (SD)

Misses from offer list

SP James Paxton @jimcallisMLB Thoughts on #Mariners’ James Paxton? At 25, not really a true prospect, but pretty talented.

SP Miguel Almonte ‏@jimcallisMLB Love him. Unhittable fastball. @youwannasoda: High upside Miguel Almonte? #mlbpipeline @Royals

SP Nick Kingham ‏@jimcallisMLB Very close. I had him on mine Top 100. @ndbrian: See Kingham didn't make the list. Was he close? #mlbpipeline @Pirates and @Sawchik_Trib
Six Pirates ranked in http://MLB.com 's top 100 prospects and that might be light as Reese McGuire and Nick Kingham have arguments

Top 100 From Scout

Here are the Hero's that made the top 100 on Scout's list that hit there website today. With 9 player on the list the Hero's had a good showing.

#23 SP Yordano Ventura
#32 SP Jameson Tailon
#33 SP Kyle Crick
#47 SP Mike Foltynewicz
#48 SP Miguel Almonte
#56 SP James Paxton
#62 SP Lance McCullers
#79 SP Nick Kingham
#89 SP Casey Kelly
#91 SP Maurico Cabrera

TOP 20 Little Heroes

Here is the ranking of the top 20 little Hero's and there MILB top ranks as well.

1. SP Jameson Tailon  #10 on milb and #12 on Sickels
2. SP Yordano Venture #34 on milb and #25 on Sickels
3. SP Kyle Crick #42 on milb and #48 by Sickels
4. SP Lance McCullers #59 milb and #43 by Sickels
5. SP Mike Foltynewicz #61 on milb and #37 by Sickels
6. SP Miguel Almonte #55 by the Sickels
7. 3B Matt Davidson #66 on milb and ranked 76-100 on Sickel's list (only top 75 were in order the next the 25 were not)
8. SP Casey Kelly #64 on milb not huge upside but milb ready
9. SP James Paxton was #75 by Sickels
10. SP Luis Heredia #75 on milb, still very young but moving fast
11. SS Amed Rosario was the number one player in his league when BA did league breakdowns
12. 3B Matt Skole comes in at the #3 Was prospect on BA list
13. SS Franchy Cordero big upside SS prospect that ranked ahead of many 1st round picks in his league
14. OF Jose Urena, ranked 5th in his league and younger then most of the high picks he was up against
15. SP Alberto Tirado stock on the rise after making his pro debut, still long ways away but huge ceiling
16. SP Mauricio Cabrera top 5 in his league as well as top 5 on Atl, stats were not that great last year
17. C Luis Torrens, bonus baby from the 2012 summer of IFA, ranked 10th in his league, skipped DSL
18. SP Trevor May, former top 100 prospect maybe a better RP we will see, lacks game to game control
19. SP Carlos Contresas, pitched in the futures game and ranked on BP top 10 Reds at #7
20. SP Zach Petrick made his way through the minor leagues in his first season after signing as UDFA