The strength of our farm system lies in the players we trade away (Wander F'ing Franco, Yordan F'ing Alvarez, and Will Smith are only the three most recently traded that come to mind.) But another factor that prevents our farm system from ranking highly in the Farm Report is the fact that many of our top farm players aren't yet eligible for the report.
The core of our 2020 team (Andrew Benintendi, Trea Turner, Shohei Ohtani, Jon Gray, Stephen Strasburg, Rafael Devers) all came from our farm system. Which makes you wonder if the annual farm report is truly reflective of a franchise's farm strength.
Salem's Top Ten Prospects
1. Adley Rutschman, cBorn: February 6, 1998 (age 21). B-T: B-R. Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 208. Acquired: mid-season farm draft (pick #3), 2018.
Background: Rutschman was the #1 overall pick of the 2019 MLB draft following another completely dominant season (.411/.575/.751) with Oregon State University. In addition to his bat, which grades 60+ for hitting ability and power, he is also an outstanding defensive catcher. Despite playing only 20 games in the New York Penn League, he was ranked as the league's #1 prospect by opposing managers.
Stats: Rutschman's pro career got off to a rocky start, as it was delayed for several weeks by a case of mono. Once he finally got underway, it took him a while to shake off the rust. He hit just .267/.353/.467 in six Gulf Coast League games. He was quickly promoted to the New York Penn League, where he hit .325/.413/.481 in twenty games. He then finished the year in the Low-A Sally League, where he batted a paltry .143/.245/.310. Overall, he hit just .261/.354/.425 in 39 games (134 AB's), with 4 home runs, and a 20/28 BB/K ratio.
The Future: Give Rutschman a mulligan for his 2019 stats. In the end, they will be completely irrelevant. He will hit for average and power, from both sides of the plate, for many years to come. It is very tempting to want to rush him straight to the big leagues, but we expect he won't be starting every day for us until at least 2023. We can wait.
2. Austin Martin, 3b
Born: March 23, 1999 (age 20.) B-T: R-R. Ht: 6-0. Wt: 170. Acquired: mid-season farm draft (pick #1), 2019.
Background: Martin is projected to be among the top picks in the 2020 MLB draft, and could very well be the first pick overall. (If so, he would be the second #1 overall pick from Salem in the past two years, and third top-five pick in the past three years.) He is considered to be the best pure hitter in this draft class, with the ability to make consistent hard contact. He has played every infield position except shortstop during his college career, with above-average range at second and third base. There is speculation that he could also end up in center field.
Stats: In his sophomore season last year, Martin hit .407/.495/.635 overall, with 10 home runs, 18 stolen bases, and a 36/31 BB/K ratio.
The Future: Some pundits have compared Martin to another former Salem farmhand, Alex Bregman. We stupidly traded Bregman for a chance to "win now." We won't be making that same mistake with Martin. If he ends up sticking at third base, he could face a roadblock with newly-franchised Rafael Devers entrenched at the hot corner, but we'll deal with that "problem" if and when it arises.
3. Nick Madrigal, 2b
Born: March 5, 1997 (age 22.) B-T: R-R. Ht: 5-7. Wt: 165. Acquired: mid-season farm draft (pick #3), 2017.
Background: The reviews are mixed on Nick Madrigal. Some scouts and pundits believe he'll be nothing more than a slap-hitter. A short, slightly-speedier, Placido Polanco. Others believe there is something more to his game. They see his elite batting eye and bat control and believe he could be something special.
Stats: After a fairly mediocre 2018 debut, Madrigal seemed to get off on another mediocre start in 2019, hitting just .268/.341/.371 in the High-A Carolina League. The White Sox organization challenged him with a promotion to Double-A, and he responded in a big way. In 44 games (171 AB's), he hit .351/.410/.439, earning a ranking as the #17 prospect in the Southern League. He was then promoted to Triple-A, where he just kept raking: .342/.411/.439 in 114 AB's.
The Future: The power isn't there yet -- if it ever comes. In 634 career at-bats in the minor leagues, Madrigal has hit just 3 home runs, with 34 doubles, and 5 triples. We didn't draft him for his power-hitting, though. We drafted him for his on-base ability (.375 career OBP in the minors), his defense, and his base-stealing ability (45 career steals, 19 caught stealing.) We still believe he can become an all-star at the second base position. And since that is one of the only positions on our team that isn't locked in with a franchise player, that's a good thing!
4. Spencer Howard, p
Born: July 28, 1996 (age 23). B-T: R-R. Ht: 6-3. Wt: 205. Acquired: 3rd round, 2019 winter farm draft.
Background: It's difficult to think of another minor league pitcher who raised his stock as much over the 2019 season (and it was only the second half of the season, really) as Howard. He was barely a top-100 prospect at the beginning of the year (#96 in our BDBL Farm Report), but will likely be ranked among the top 50 this coming February.
Stats: Howard missed most of the first half of the 2019 season with a shoulder injury. He seemed to return stronger than ever, and finished the season with his best efforts of the year. He split his 2019 season between High-A and Double-A. Combined, he allowed 39 hits in 65+ innings, with only 13 walks, and 86 strikeouts. He then capped his year with a stint in the Arizona Fall League, where he posted a 2.11 ERA in 21+ innings, with 27 K's, and an opponents average of just .137.
The Future: There is now talk of Howard being the Philadelphia Phillies' ace of the future. That's a long way to come from being ranked #96 just a year ago! There was considerable interest in Howard throughout the 2020 winter trading season in the BDBL. We resisted the temptation to trade him, because we believe in him, and because we need fresh, young, arms in our big league rotation. If Howard continues the career arc he set last season, he could be helping our club in some capacity as early as 2021.
5. Asa Lacy, p
Born: June 2, 1999 (age 20). B-T: L-L. Ht: 6-4. Wt: 214. Acquired: mid-season farm draft (pick #2), 2019.
Background: Lacy ranked among the top ten in NCAA Division I in opponents batting average (.162) and strikeout rate (13.2 per nine) as a sophomore last year. He is considered to be among the most polished pitchers in the 2020 MLB draft class, and the top left-handed pitcher in the class. He has four pitches that grade 50 or higher, including a fastball that grades 65.
Stats: In 88+ innings last year, Lacy allowed just 49 hits, with 43 walks and 130 strikeouts.
The Future: Lacy projects to be selected in the upper half of the first round of the 2020 MLB draft. Fangraphs currently has him ranked as the #16 prospect in the draft, while MLB.com has him ranked at #5. Regardless of where he is picked, Lacy projects as a top-of-the-rotation left-handed power pitcher.
6. Garrett Mitchell, of
Born: September 4, 1998 (age 21). B-T: L-R. Ht: 6-3. Wt: 204. Acquired: mid-season farm draft (pick #7), 2019.
Background: Mitchell is currently ranked as the #6 prospect in the 2020 MLB draft by MLB.com and #20 by FanGraphs. He is a pure power/speed prospect, grading 60+ in both areas of the game. He is likely to stick in center field as a pro. His only downside, it seems, is that he suffers from Type 1 Diabetes.
Stats: As a sophomore with the UCLA Bruins last year, Mitchell hit .349/.418/.566, with 14 doubles, 12 triples, 6 home runs, and a 27/41 BB/K ratio. He also stole 18 bases in 22 attempts.
The Future: If Mitchell achieves his full potential, it sounds as though he can become a Brett Gardner type of player in the big leagues, only with a much better arm.
7. Luis Rodriguez, of
Born: September 6, 2002 (age 17). B-T: R-R. Ht: 6-2. Wt: 175. Acquired: 1st round, 2020 winter farm draft.
Background: Rodriguez was among the top prospects available in last July's "J2" international class. He is a well-rounded ballplayer with a plus bat, plus power potential, athleticism, speed, and defensive ability. He hits to all fields and is said to have an advanced approach at the plate.
Stats: None available.
The Future: Any 16-year-old prospect is a wildcard, one-in-a-million, lottery ticket. Some are less risky than others, and we believe Rodriguez is one of them. His scouting reports remind us a lot of Rafael Devers, back when he was a 16-year-old Latin America lottery ticket. Somehow, despite all the odds, we managed to hang onto Devers and didn't trade him away like so many others. We hope Rodriguez's career takes the same path.
8. Jackson Kowar, p
Born: Oct 4, 1996 (age 23). B-T: R-R. Ht: 6-5. Wt: 180. Acquired: via trade, winter 2019.
Background: Kowar has done nothing but post impressive numbers everywhere he has pitched, from college to the pros. Last year, he seemed to step it up a notch while facing tougher competition, and yet we still don't hear much about him from the prospect pundits.
Stats: Kowar split his time almost exactly between High-A and Double-A last year. He tossed 74 innings at High-A, allowed 68 hits and 22 walks, with 66 strikeouts, and was ranked the #3 prospect in the league at the end of the season. He threw another 74+ innings at Double-A, in a tough hitters league, and continued his solid performance: 73 hits, 21 walks, 78 strikeouts. For his career, he has pitched 174+ innings, has allowed 160 hits, 14 homers, 55 walks, and has struck out 166 batters.
The Future: We assume Kowar will return to the Double-A Texas League to start the 2020 season. It would not surprise us to see a mid-season promotion to Triple-A, followed by a short stint in the big leagues -- probably in the bullpen. It would be nice to see the pundits notice what's happening with his career.
9. Garrett Crochet, p
Born: June 21, 1999 (age 20). B-T: L-L. Ht: 6-6. Wt: 218. Acquired: 3rd round, 2020 winter farm draft.
Background: You can pretty much just copy-and-paste Asa Lacy's scouting report into this section. They're both left-handed. They both throw hard. They both are ranked among the top ten prospects in the 2020 MLB draft. The big difference is that Lacy has performed at a high level longer than Crochet -- but Crochet is catching up quickly.
Stats: As a sophomore at the University of Tennessee, Crochet allowed 67 hits and 22 walks in 65 innings, with 81 strikeouts. His season was cut short by a line drive that broke his jaw in the middle of the season.
The Future: According to reports, Crochet showed significant gains in fall practice, adding a couple miles of hour to his fastball. That led some outlets to bump him up on the prospects ranking. If he can maintain those gains, he could very well find himself among the top ten picks in the 2020 draft.
10. J.T. Ginn, p
Born: May 20, 1999 (age 20). B-T: R-R. Ht: 6-2. Wt: 192. Acquired: mid-season farm draft (pick #3), 2019.
Background: Ginn is a draft-eligible sophomore at Mississippi State University. He was selected in the first round of the 2018 draft, but did not sign. He is now projected to be a first round pick for the second year in a row. Ginn flashes two plus pitches, a fastball and slider, that each grade 60 on the 20-80 scale.
Stats: Ginn tossed 86+ innings as a freshman. He allowed 72 hits, only 19 walks, and just one home run, while striking out 105.
The Future: Combing the scouting reports with his outstanding performance as a freshman, it's difficult to believe Ginn isn't ranked higher by the punditry. That could change by Draft Day.
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