The BA Prospect Handbook, Part Two
No sense wasting any time…
| 16. Tres Barrera | 21. Jackson Tetreault (16) | 26. Tomas Alastre |
| 17. Jose Sanchez (23) | 22. Kyle Johnston (22) | 27. Gabe Klobosits (31) |
| 18. James Bourque | 23. Brigham Hill (17) | 28. Malvin Peña |
| 19. Nick Raquet (21) | 24. Tanner Rainey | 29. Ronald Peña |
| 20. Ben Braymer | 25. Joan Adon | 30. Drew Ward (19) |
IFAs still make up a third of the list, but as mentioned yesterday, pitching is almost two-thirds. The question is, how much of that is BA’s “girl-watching” bias (the prettiest one is the last one that walked by).
I’m sure many of you are also confused by some of the inclusions:
• Ronald Peña. Allegedly, he can throw high-90s heat, which, even if true, is not that big a deal anymore. While his time in AA was brief, it was the first 25 innings of his seven-year career and five HRs and 13BBs is pretty typical for “AA-” pitcher.
• Alastre was a watchlister last year, he gave up a ton of hits (135 in 118⅓ IP) and got strikeouts like Brad Pitt at a singles bar at a subpar rate, averaging 6.1 per 9IP in a league where batters struck out at 8.9 per 9IP.
• Adon, also a 2018 watchlister, did pile up the whiffs (40 in 30⅓ IP) but also gave up walks like they were coupons (22) and more than a hit per IP (33).
• Klobosits was effective when he was healthy, but it’s questionable that he should still be ranked when he’s coming off surgery, never mind move up in the rankings. This is, of course, why I brought back the M*A*S*H category for 2019.
Lastly, instead of mocking BA for their projection for the Nats’ 2019 lineup they projected in 2016, we can instead mock them for their 2022 lineup:
C – Yan Gomes
1B – Anthony Rendon
2B – Luis Garcia
SS – Trea Turner
3B – Carter Kieboom
LF – Juan Soto
CF – Victor Robles
RF – Adam Eaton
#1SP – Max Scherzer
#2SP – Stephen Strasburg
#3SP – Patrick Corbin
#4SP – Mason Denaburg
#5SP – Wil Crowe
CL – Erick Fedde
I’m not sure why they even bother with this. Prospect followers and fantasy-league owners alike know that free agency, injuries, and skill declines make it hard to predict 2019’s lineup in 2019, never mind three years from now. That’s part of what fuels the interest of “Who’s next?” for both.
I’ve been expecting Alastre to slide off the MLB Pipeline top 30, so strange to see the herding effect at work as he cracks the BA top 30.
There’s always a few surprises on these lists toward the bottom, though. Different things excite different prospect-watchers.
Ronald Pena. That’s amazing. This is literally the first time he’s EVER appeared in any prospect list for this system.
I was going to ask if they confused him with Malvin. Alas, Malvin is just one spot ahead of him…
If they’re going to rank 27 year olds, at least they could have gone with McGowin, right??
R. Pena’s inclusion makes no sense. There’s like ten 2018 drafted pitchers they could have included instead (Fletcher, Karp, Day, Bartow, Teel, E. Lee, Tapani, among others)
R. Pena hits 98.
The retirement of Josh Edgin almost certainly opens the door for Jordan Mills to audition for the Fresno F-troop bullpen brigade with Bourque, Ro Pena, Tanner Rainey, Brady Dragmire ( maybe one of those AAA/AA shuttle guys), Adams, JJ Hoover, and maybe Barrett rehabbing in the northern Cali air?
LuCroy’s bullpen might involve Taylor Guillabeau, Steven Fuentes, Ryan Brinley ( rehab from 18?), Dakota Bacus, and whichever swing guy doesn’t stretch out into a true 6-7 starter-?- Reyes, Baez, Crownover, Braymer, Raquet??
Well, I knew years before the Expos moved to DC that this first window for the Nats would play out. The superstar could not be affordable so they shopped smart and fleshed out the roster as the superstar left town. Now the Nats next window will rely on much anticipated and un-anticipated Latin talent. some of those DSL18 kids hopefully will blossom especially Fernandez and Arias. Pedro Gonzalez and Bryan Pena would be nice , too.
I don’t expect too much shuttling between Harrisburg and Fresno. It’s too expensive for the Nats. It was much easier/cheaper for guys to just get in their cars/trucks and get reimbursed for mileage than expensive airfare between two smaller cities.
One always has to ASK the question with Latin names: Would recently signed Aldo Lora berelated to Potomac IF Edwin Lora?
How about this, Luke, for a stretch? If Densburg is on your mock 2022 line-up then maybe pencil in young A. Arias OF for bench if he glides up the chain starting @ GCL this summer . ( Very interesting GCL club possible with B. Fernandez, D. Hernandez, Tovar& Tatis, Tristan Hansack, Chris DeLaCruz, Jorge Hurtago.
Luke: or chorus in the background: Knorr’s bullpen in Fresno in April? Adams, Edgin, J-x astroLHP, Hoover, Bacus, Brinley, Tyler Mapes, Copeland, Harper -if bro resigned-.
I’m patiently waiting on MLB Pipeline’s (my personal fav go to prospect place) top 30. I’m hoping they get it more correct.
Lol at Erick Fedde being the closer in 2022. That’s not going to happen with his stuff. His best bet is to stick in the back end of a rotation otherwise he’s a middle reliever at best.