The Salem farm system ain't what it used to be. Last year at this time, we owned the #3 farm system in the BDBL. This year, one man is preventing us from finishing dead-last. That man, Adley Rutschman, is our #1 prospect for the third -- and hopefully last -- year in a row. He is the unanimous #1 prospect in all of baseball, which is the fifth time in history that our franchise has owned the #1 prospect.
Once Adley finally graduates to the big leagues, we will be banking on a second wave of prospects to graduate from high school, college, and international leagues to the pros, replenishing our system. That's the plan, anyway.
Salem's Top Ten Prospects
1. Adley Rutschman, cBorn: February 6, 1998 (age 24). 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 after a stellar career with at the University of Oregon. He is FanGraph's only 70-grade prospect, with above-average scouting grades for hitting, power, defense, and arm. In addition to his on-field tools, he is also reported to be a leader in the clubhouse.
Stats: Although he was ready for the big leagues the moment he left Oregon, Adley has now wasted three of the prime years of his career in the minor leagues. He split last year between Double-A (.271/.392/.508 in 295 AB) and Triple-A (.312/.405/.490 in 157), where he proved, once again, that he belongs in the big leagues.
The Future: Now that it appears that Adley will finally get his chance to make the big club, we now have to wait to see if there is a big league season in 2022. The moment he makes his MLB debut, he will be the best catcher in MLB. He is a once-in-a-generation talent. We have grown unbelievably impatient to add his bat to our lineup. Enough is enough. Let's go.
2. Brooks Lee, ss
Born: February 14, 2001 (21.) B-T: S-R. Ht: 6-1. Wt: 190. Acquired: winter farm draft, 2021 (2nd round).
Background: Lee is currently ranked as the #5 prospect in the 2022 MLB draft by MLB.com, and is ranked #6 by FanGraphs. A shortstop with Cal Poly, Lee was the co-winner of the Big West Player of the Year award last year. He then followed that impressive spring with an even more impressive summer for Team USA and the Cape Cod League.
Stats: With Cal Poly, Lee hit .342/.384/.626 with 10 homers in 222 at-bats. In one 21-game stretch in the Cape League, he hit .405/.432/.667 with six homers in just 84 at-bats.
The Future: Lee is poised to become a very early pick in the MLB draft this year. By the time he reaches the big leagues, Trea Turner's Cowtippers contract will be nearing its end, and Lee can slip right into the shortstop position. Of course, it's more likely that Lee moves to another position before then. It's even more likely that we trade him before he reaches his superstar potential. Because that's how we roll in Salem.
3. Jace Jung, 2b
Born: October 4, 2000 (age 21.) B-T: L-R. Ht: 6-0. Wt: 205. Acquired: mid-season draft (pick #2), 2021.
Background: Jung is currently ranked as the #6 prospect in the 2022 MLB draft by MLB.com and #3 by FanGraphs. A second baseman with Texas Tech, Jung is a bat-first middle infielder with 30-home run potential according to some scouting reports. He owns plus raw power and plate discipline, with few weaknesses at the plate.
Stats: In his sophomore season in '21, Jung hit .337/.462/.697 with 21 home runs and a 49/45 BB/K ratio.
The Future: Baseball America ranks Jung as the best player in the '22 college class. It seems like a safe bet that he will be selected very early in the MLB draft in July. His older brother Josh played at the Triple-A level last year, two years after he was drafted in the early first round. We expect Jace to follow in his footsteps.
4. Brock Wilken, 3b
Born: June 17, 2002 (age 19). B-T: R-R. Ht: 6-4. Wt: 225. Acquired: 1st round, 2022 winter farm draft.
Background: Ranked by FanGraphs as the #2 prospect in the 2023 MLB draft, Wilken had an outstanding freshman season with Wake Forest, tying the school freshman record for home runs (17). He carried that impressive campaign into the summer, where he was named the Cape Cod League MVP.
Stats: Wilken hit .279/.365/.617 as a freshman, with 17 homers and 11 doubles. He then hit .302 in the Cape League, with 10 doubles and 6 home runs. He also led the summer league in walks.
The Future: Wilken is off to a hot start already, homering twice in Wake Forest's first four games. A lot can happen between now and the 2023 MLB draft, but at the moment he looks like a lock for the early first round.
5. Asa Lacy, p
Born: June 2, 1999 (age 22). B-T: L-L. Ht: 6-4. Wt: 214. Acquired: mid-season farm draft (pick #2), 2019.
Background: Lacy was the fourth overall pick of the 2020 MLB draft following his second season of dominance at the college level. With a fastball that touches triple digits, a wipeout slider, and two other plus pitches, Lacy was expected to move quickly up the ladder in pro ball. In last year's BDBL Farm Report, he was ranked at #27 overall.
Stats: In his pro debut at High-A Quad Cities, Lacy posted an ugly 5.19 ERA in 14 starts. In 52 innings, he allowed 41 hits and a whopping 41 walks, with 79 strikeouts. His walk rate of 7.1 per nine ranked among the highest in baseball last year.
The Future: What to make of Asa Lacy? History is filled with pitchers who walked a shit-ton of batters for a year or two in the minors, straightened it out, and became dominant big league pitchers. History is also filled with pitchers who couldn't find home plate in the minors and never made The Show. The KC Royals invested $6.6 million in Lacy, so needless to say, they will do everything they can to get him there. How he develops as a pro rests entirely on whether or not he can get his control back to where it was in his college days.
6. Ricardo Cabrera, ss
Born: October 31, 2004 (age 17). B-T: R-R. Ht: 5-11. Wt: 178. Acquired: mid-season farm draft (pick #5), 2021.
Background: Cabrera is currently ranked by both Baseball America and MLB.com as the #3 international prospect in the Class of '21. A natural shortstop with five above-average tools, Cabrera stands out most for his advanced approach at the plate. He is said to have the best bat in his class, with the potential to hit for both average and power at the big league level.
Stats: None to date.
The Future: International prospects are always a crapshoot. Sometimes they become Wander F'ing Franco. More often than not, they become Kevin Maitan. We're obviously hoping that Cabrera falls into that first group -- and that we're not stupid enough to trade him before he gets to that point.
7. Sal Frelick, of
Born: April 19, 2000 (age 21). B-T: L-R. Ht: 5-9. Wt: 175. Acquired: trade, winter, 2022.
Background: A first-round pick (15th overall) in the 2021 draft, Frelick shot up the charts in his pro debut last year, beginning the year in rookie ball and ending it at the High-A level. As a collegiate player with Boston College, Frelick became one of the most exciting players in college ball with his blazing, 70-grade, speed, athleticism, and contact skills at the plate.
Stats: Sal hit .359/.443/.559 for BC before hitting a combined .329/.414/.466 at three different levels of pro ball. He drew nearly as many walks (21) as strikeouts (25) and stole 12 bases in 14 attempts.
The Future: With his on-base skills and speed, Frelick fits the mold of a prototypical leadoff hitter. He is moving quickly up the ladder, and could reach the big leagues as early as 2023. This year, we hope to see him build on the skills that were on display a year ago, and position himself for a promotion in '23.
8. Benny Montgomery, of
Born: September 9, 2002 (age 19). B-T: R-R. Ht: 6-4. Wt: 200. Acquired: midseason draft (round 4), 2021.
Background: Benny was a first-round pick (8th overall) in the 2021 MLB draft out of high school. He was considered by some scouts to have the best tools in the high school class, with grades in the 60's and 70's across the board. He is a 70-grade runner with a plus arm and plus raw power.
Stats: In his pro debut at the rookie-level Arizona Complex League, Monty ranked as the #8 prospect in the league by league managers and scouts. He hit .340/.404/.383 in only 14 games (47 AB's), with no home runs and five stolen bases.
The Future: Monty's skills are so raw that it's difficult to know with any degree of certainty how his career will progress from here. The tools are without question. Applying those tools in game situations is another issue entirely. Some scouts feel his long swing will lead to difficulties down the road. Others believe he is athletic enough to adjust to any level of pitching. With his lanky build and long swing, he is often compared to Hunter Pence, which is both good and bad.
9. Thomas White, p
Born: February 1, 2005 (age 17). B-T: L-L. Ht: 6-5. Wt: 200. Acquired: midseason draft (3rd round), 2021.
Background: Baseball America calls White "one of the best lefties his age to come around in years." A junior at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, White still has another year of high school ball before he reaches draft eligibility. As of now, he ranks as the fourth-best high school player in the Class of '23 by BA and #18 on the FanGraphs 2023 draft list.
Stats: N/A.
The Future: There are few types of prospects that are more of a crapshoot than high school pitchers. A high school junior is 1,000 times the crapshoot of a senior, so it is far too early to speculate about White's draft slot, never mind his pro career. Still, it's nice to have the "best lefty to come around in years" stowed away on the farm club, just in case we win that lottery.
10. Felnin Celesten, ss
Born: September 1, 2006 (age 15). B-T: S-R. Ht: 6-2. Wt: 180. Acquired: mid-season farm draft (2nd round), 2020.
Background: Celesten has been at the very top of the 2023 international class since he was 13 years old. Scouts place him among the "Mount Rushmore of international free agents" signed over the past decade, along with Wander F'ing Franco, Marco Luciano, and Orelvis Martinez. He has drawn Francisco Lindor comps, and is expected to sign with the Mariners in September for more than $4.5 million.
Stats: N/A.
The Future: Who knows? The only thing I know for certain about Celesten is that I'M NOT FUCKING TRADING HIM! Trading Franco keeps me awake at night, and will continue to haunt me for the next twenty years. I'm not making that same mistake again. If Celesten crashes and burns, I still won't trade him. I will carry his useless carcass on my roster until the end of time if need be.
