myworldofbaseball

Not a great exodus of Korean players, which bulked up this list last year. This made the 2017 list tough to put together. Almost all the players who made the list last year are no longer eligible after playing in the major leagues. Kenta Maeda was the top prospect, but his second year has not gone so well. Byung-Ho Park struggled to make contact and has been sent to the minor leagues to get his swing back. Hyun Sun Kim was in a platoon role for the Orioles. His power has not translated to the major leagues and it would surprise myworld if the Orioles resign him. Dae-Ho Lee, the sixth rated prospect is back playing in Korea after one season in the major leagues. The seventh rated prospect Seung-Hwan Ho took over the closer job for the Cardinals but the 2017 season isn’t going as well even though he maintains the closer position.

This whittles the prospect list to five. Rob Refsnyder did not return to the list because of his paucity of tools. Sean-Reid Foley, who was born in Guam jumped up to be the number one rated Asian prospect. Most of the other players are fringe prospects.

1. Sean Reid Foley (RHP) Guam/Blue Jays - Sean was born in Guam to American parents. His brother, who was a catcher in the Dodgers system taught him a curveball, which he broke out last year. That, along with a fastball that sits in the low 90s but can hit the mid-90s and a slider gives him a good selection of pitches to choose from. Last year he had a break out season at Low and High A with 21 starts and ERAs below 3.00. The opposition hit him at less than .200. This year a promotion to AA has not been kind to him. Hitters are slaying him at a .272 pace, his command is off with a walk every two innings pitched which leaves his ERA at a ugly 5.40. It appeared he had turned things around when he pitched six innings of shutout ball on his 11th start, but his last start he was smacked around for 6 runs in three innings. A September call up may have to wait until he turns his season around.

2. Chih-Wei Hu (RHP) Taiwan/Rays - It is rare to see Taiwan pitchers hit the upper 90s with their fastball, but Hu has that ability. He stands only 6′1″ but he mixes his change with his fastball well to stymie AA hitters last year. There are not a lot of strikeouts to his game but an improvement in a breaking pitch could change that. The Rays have moved him to the bullpen after three early starts to begin the season. They called him up for four bullpen sessions with the major league club where he only gave up three hits in his eight innings of work. Expect a return to the major leagues if he continues with his success in the bullpen in 2017. His fastball shows mid to high 90s velocity in the pen.

3. Jae-Gyun Hwang (3B) Giants/Korea - In his last two years in the KBO he hit 26 and 27 homeruns. Prior to that the power did not show. His career average in the KBO was only.286, which is below average for a hitter’s league where almost everyone shoots for .300. His last year he did hit .335. The Giants signed him, but despite their weakness at third base Hwang was sent to the minor leagues. The Giants needs have not really been addressed at the position and Hwang is hitting .291 at AAA. The power is not there with only 6 homeruns and a .478 slugging average. Christian Arroyo struggled in his major league opportunity, hitting just .192. He is hitting better than Hwang in AAA with a .417 average and a .643 slugging. At some point the Giants have to give him an opportunity.

4. Yu-Cheng Chang (SS) Taiwan/Indians - In 2016 Chang made the Carolina League All star team, hitting .259 and showing some pop for the middle infield position with 13 homeruns. This year he is struggling with a .211 average. The power is there with 11 homeruns and a .464 slugging but there are too many whiffs in his game (66 in 54 games). He is also committing too many errors for the shortstop position (12 in 51 games) but a move to third has not reduced those errors (5 in 16 games). Chang needs to improve his contact, become more consistent with the glove and find a position where his power bat can benefit a lineup before he can sniff the major leagues.

5. Hoy-Jun Park (SS) Yankees/Korea - The Yankees are very crowded at short. Park has the glove for the position but his bat is a little too quiet. He has also had trouble with the glove this year with a fielding percentage less than .900. They have played him a little at second base. Unless they trade Gleyber Torres or Didi Gregorius the best spot for Park looks to be second base. His power is not there to play third. This is his second season in Low A. His bat appears to be improved (.250/.349/.370) but his fielding has been more inconsistent and his stolen base percentage has dropped from 32 of 35 last year to just 8 of 12 this year. While his homerun numbers have increased his triple numbers have dropped.

6. Tzu-Wei Lin (SS) Red Sox/Taiwan - The Red Sox shelled out just over $2 million for Lin. His glove is solid and he has some speed, but that is what they said about Hak-Ju Lee who was last seen playing in Japan in the Independent Leagues. The bat needs to start showing some spark if he is to separate himself from some of the other Red Sox shortstops. After hitting just .223 with a .580 OPS in AA last year Lin is back there for the 2017 season. His bat seems to have found some life with a .306 average and a .866 OPS. The Red Sox have also played him a few games in centerfield. If he can keep his offense at this level some team will find a spot for his glove if the Red Sox lack the room.

7. Wei-Chieh Huang (RHP) Taiwan/Diamondbacks - Durability concerns have moved Huang to the bullpen. It could improve the velocity on his fastball, which sits in the low 90s and allow Huang to survive on a fastball/change repertoire. So far so good. In 14 relief appearances his ERA sits at 1.71 with a .177 opposition average. He recently returned from a one month stay on the disabled list.

8. Jin-De Jhang (C) Taiwan/Pirates - Jhang is a defensive catcher who the Pirates hope will develop with the bat. There is some pop in his swing, but that has not showed in games. His big year for the homerun was in 2013 and 2015 when he hit five. He makes good contact and can spray balls into the gap. This year he is struggling with a .197 average with only one extra base hit in his 16 games. The best Jhang can hope for if his bat does not develop is as a back up catcher. Or he can return to Taiwan and play in the CPBL.

9. Daniel Missaki (RHP) Japan/Brewers - He was born in Japan but he pitched in Brazil, playing for the 2013 World Baseball Classic team as the youngest player in the tournament. The Mariners signed him in 2013 after the WBC. He was traded last year to the Brewers in the Adam Lind trade even though Tommy John surgery had ended his 2015 season. Prior to that he had combined with two other pitchers to throw a no hitter. His fastball is not overpowering, sitting in the high 80s but his curveball and change are decent pitches. Daniel has not pitched since 2015 and will probably begin his comeback in the rookie league.

10.Shao-Ching Chiang (RHP) Taiwan/Indians - Durability issues have also plagued Chiang. He signed with the Indians in 2011 and saw a delay in the start of his career after Tommy John surgery limited him to two appearances in two games. Last year he did start 27 games, but he is a contact type pitcher with a fastball that can hit the mid-90s but mostly sits in the low 90s. He pitched for Taiwan in the 2017 World Baseball Classic. This year he has started strong with a 7-3, 2.57 ERA in 11 starts. The opposition is hitting him at a .238 clip, which would be the lowest in his career. He still doesn’t get a lot of swings and misses.

2016 Asian Prospects

Domenic Mazza LHP (Giants) - Not really considered a prospect. Players drafted in the 22nd round as Domenic was in 2015 fall far from that criteria, unless large bonuses are associated with their name to get them to sign. Mazza did make some press by throwing the second perfect game of the year and the first nine inning perfect game in South Atlantic League history. For Domenic that is a welcome start after lasting under three innings and giving up seven runs in his first start of the season. During that game he gave up Tim Tebow’s first professional career homerun, publicity he would just as soon avoid. The lefty needed only 85 pitches to toss his perfecto.

Dane Dunning RHP (Nationals) - It was pay back time for the ex-National as he threw six innings of two hit ball against Low A Hagerstown, a Nationals farm team. For Dunning that was his third consecutive shutout outing to lower his ERA to 0.35. He has only given up two runs in four starts with only one of them earned. He has a 2/33 walk to whiff ratio in 26 innings and the opposition is hitting him at a .143 clip. He was traded to the Nationals along with Reynaldo Lopez and Lucas Giolito for Adam Eaton. Dane is making the Nationals begin to regret that deal.

Nik Turley LHP (Twins) - In his fourth appearance and second start Nik Turley gave up his first run. He also struck out 14 in the seven inning outing, at one point striking out eight hitters in a row. In 20.1 innings he has now struck out 36 hitters with a 0.44 ERA and a .076 opposition average. At age 27 his prospect status is sagging but the Twins starting rotation could use some help.

Michael Kopech RHP (White Sox) - Michael was throwing bb’s in his six inning one hit shutout. The 2014 first round pick of the Red Sox struck out eight in his outing. The opposition is only hitting .145 against him but 14 walks in just 18 innings have plagued him. During his one hitter he walked four. The Red Sox traded him to the White Sox as part of the Chris Sale trade.

Dinelson Lamet RHP (Padres) - Myworld remembers writing about Dinelson a lot last year. After a 13 K performance in his third start he came back with a 9 K performance, throwing seven innings of shutout ball. Like Kopech, Lamet does not give up a lot of hits (.171 opposition average) but his walks could be tapered down (9 in 20 innings). After four starts the Dominican has seen his ERA lowered to 0.45.

Ronald Acuna OF (Braves) - After dominating in Australia Acuna is wreaking his wrath on Florida State League pitchers. The Venezuelan banged out three hits, including his second homerun of the year and five RBIs. Acuna was a double short of the cycle. Strikeouts have been a bit of a problem with 25 in 17 games, but his last two games in which he went 5 for 9 have come without a whiff. He has 10 stolen bases in 11 attempts.

Alex Jackson C (Braves) - Another Fire Frog, Jackson has seen his bat come alive now that he is no longer a Mariner. In the same game Acuna banged out three hits Alex collected three hits including a homerun and two RBIs. Alex was a double short of the cycle. The three hits raised his average to .338. While with the Mariners he struggled to get his average above the .250 neighborhood. The Braves have returned Alex back to his high school position as a catcher.

Willie Calhoun 2B (Dodgers) - The homerun drought has ended for Willie with his first yesterday. Last year the 5′8″ slugger bashed 27 over the fence. Despite the paucity of homeruns Willie has been hitting with his average at .333.

Jorge Alfaro C (Phillies) - The Phillies don’t have room for Jorge behind the plate for their major league team. So they will show patience with him as he assaults AAA pitching. Back to back three hit games in which he hit a homerun in each game raised his average to .377. The Phillies would like to see some improvement on his 1/17 walk to whiff ratio (22/105 in 2016).

Edward Olivares OF (Blue Jays) - With the two perfect games comes the first cycle that myworld has become aware of in the minor leagues. Edward singled, doubled, tripled and homered in a four RBI event a couple days ago. His batting average needed the outburst as it was sitting at .172 before the game. Edward now has a four game hitting streak to raise his average to .231. He has driven in 8 of his 14 runs during that streak.

Jason Vosler 3B (Cubs) - Jason is not considered one of the more touted Cub prospects. Last year he hit three homeruns. In a game last night Vosler equaled his 2015 homerun out put with three dingers to give him four for the year. The third baseman drove in six runs to double his RBI output for the year.

Myworld was coaching volleyball over the weekend in Minnesota. The Twins were in town but all my time was spent in the gym. Now that we are back it is time to look back to see who was hot over the weekend.

Christian Arroyo SS (Giants) - My world has never been enamored with Arroyo but his bat is certainly changing my mind. It is difficult to find a hitter hotter than Christian. He had his first 0 for of the season on Thursday but bounced back with a 4 for 6 Sunday that raised his average to .446. After that outburst the Giants promoted him to their major league team to help at both third base and shortstop. His OPS for his first 16 games in AAA is 1.171.

Demi Orimoloye OF (Brewers) - Unlike Christian Demi is a player who flashes some impressive tools. His challenge has always been in his ability to make contact with the ball. An 8 game hitting streak raised his average to .300. He hit four homeruns while driving in 9. What is most impressive about his at bats is only two whiffs in his last 24 at bats. For the year Demi has five homeruns with five stolen bases. Before the season is over his average will probably dip below .250.

Luis Urias 2B/SS (Padres) - Back to back four hit games raised his average to .357. Luis scored five runs in his second four hit game. The native from Mexico is not supposed to carry any power in his bat but a .650 slugging percentage includes a couple homeruns with six doubles and three triples. Eleven of his 21 hits have gone for extra bases. A second baseman coming into this season the Padres have used him 14 games at short early in the season.

Amed Rosario SS (Mets) - Met fans are clamoring for the promotion of Rosario. He is a better fielding shortstop than what they currently have on their major league roster. A 6 for 9 streak in his last two games has raised his average to .403. Only four of his 27 hits have gone for extra bases but the Mets will not complain about his 23 singles when combined with his gold glove fielding potential.

Marcus Wilson CF (Diamondbacks) - Marcus sprayed the Midwest league with four three hit games in a six game span to raise his average to .411. He drove in 11 runs during that streak with three homeruns. The Diamondbacks drafted Marcus in the second round of the 2014 draft, moving him up slowly because of his .244 career average coming into this season. His biggest challenge is an ability to make consistent contact.

Bo Bichette SS (Blue Jays) - The son of Dante has a 12 game hitting streak that has raised his average to .373. He was able to play for Brazil in the qualifier last year because of his Brazilian mother. Brazil failed to qualify for the 2017 WBC but Bo was not the reason hitting .400 with a .538 OBA. Bo has hit one homerun this year and that was on opening day as he splits his time between shortstop and second base.

Anthony Alford OF (Blue Jays) - Another Blue Jay prospect with a hot bat is Alford who had a streak of five games of two hits or more in six games to raise his average to .469. He hit two homeruns and drove in five during the streak with four stolen bases. Anthony has a potent combination of power and speed that will result in a quick ascent through the minors now that his focus is on baseball.

Tyler Mahle RHP (Reds) - Tyler threw the first nine inning no hitter of the season, a perfect game 1-0 win over the Mobile Bay Bears. He threw only 88 pitches in his complete game no hitter striking out eight. Tyler was a seventh round pick of the Reds in 2013 and has a checkered minor league career. The 2017 season has started out well with only two runs given up in his four starts for a 4-0 record and a 0.68 ERA. The opposition is hitting him at a .082 clip.

Jack Flaherty RHP (Cardinals) - Another pitcher who has started his season 4-0. In his four starts Jack has only given up one run for a 0.33 ERA. In his last two starts he has not allowed a run in 13.2 innings, giving up just eight hits. A 3/24 walk to whiff ratio and .161 opposition average could result in a promotion to the big club before the year is out.

Merandy Gonzalez RHP (Mets) - The Colombian has yet to give up a run in his three starts in the Low A South Atlantic League. The 20.2 shutout string has been because of a 1/18 walk to whiff ratio with a .143 opposition average. Merandy stands only 6′1″ but his fastball can still cross the plate in the mid-90s with an above average curve ball to keep hitters off balance.

Michael Chavis 3B (Red Sox) - The 2014 first round draft pick has come back from injury with his bat on fire. A three homerun game after a homerun the day before has given him four homeruns in two games. In four games he is hitting .467 with 8 RBIs. His third homerun in yesterday’s game was a two run walk off homer giving the Salem Red Sox a 7-6 win over the Wilmington Blue Rocks. At some point the Red Sox need to find a replacement for Pablo Sandoval. Chavez is hitting .467 in the four games.

Christian Arroyo SS (Giants) - Christian has not shown the power for third or the range to play short. His bat is rocking early in the 2017 season. He hit his third homerun, his second in two days to equal the number of homeruns he hit in 119 games in 2016 in 12 games in 2017. A four hit game gives him four multi hit games in five games to raise his average to .479. Christian currently has a 12 game hitting streak since the start of the season.

Cody Bellinger CF - 1B (Dodgers) - Cody is seeing more games in centerfield to get his bat in the lineup. That should have Joc Pederson looking in the rear view mirror. Cody blasted two homeruns yesterday to give him five for the year. 16 whiffs in 13 games is Joc Pederson like but his .360 average is not. He played his second game in centerfield during the two homer game.

Brett Phillips RF (Brewers) - Brett also hit two homeruns including a grand slam to drive in six runs on the same day. The two hits gave him four consecutive games with two hits or more to raise his average to .318. Brett also coaxed two walks in the game to double his total for the year.

Bobby Bradley 1B (Indians) - Bobby Bradley started the season 3 for 28. His power is starting to show his last two games with his second and third homeruns of the year. Last night he drove in five to almost double his RBI total to 11, four more than his hit total. A 4 for 10 spree in his last three games has raised his average to .184. Bradley has big time power with 83 homers his last three years.

Tyler Krieger 2B (Indians) - In the same game that Bobby Bradley hit a three run homer and drove in five runs Tyler was a triple short of the cycle in a four for five day. He was two RBIs short of Bradley in the RBI production. Tyler has slashed hits in seven of his eight games for a .419 average.

Jon Duplantier RHP (Diamondbacks) - Jon pitched 5.1 innings of no hit relief, walking just one and striking out six in a game Kane County eventually won 1-0. The 2016 third round pick has yet to give up an earned run in 15.1 innings, allowing just five hits. The opposition is hitting him at a .104 clip and he has an impressive 4/20 walk to whiff ratio.

Dylan Cease RHP (Cubs) - Dylan threw six no hit innings in his last start, walking three and striking out seven. With his triple digit fastball many think his best role could be in relief as a closer, but in three starts he has only given up one run, a solo homerun in 15 innings for a 0.60 average. The opposition is hitting .125 against him and he has struck out 22 in 15 innings. Great Lakes got a hit in the seventh inning in a game they lost 3-0.

Scott Copeland RHP (Marlins) - At 29 years of age Copeland is not considered a prospect. He still threw seven innings of no hit ball before being removed from the game in the top of the eighth for a pinch hitter. He walked one and struck out eight. Two different relievers came on to preserve the no hitter, though a couple walks spoiled the shutout.

Enyel de los Santos RHP (Padres) - Enyel pitched six innings of perfect ball, striking out seven. The bullpen failed to preserve the no hitter giving up a single in the ninth inning. San Antonio was still able to beat Arkansas 2-0. It was the second start for Santos, who has only given up one run in his 12 innings of work. The opposition is hitting just .053 against him. The Padres were able to steal the mid-90s fastball pitcher off the Mariners for Joaquin Benoit.

Ryan Olson RHP (Reds) - Ryan threw a complete game nine inning shutout, giving up just four hits in the first complete game shutout in the minor leagues this year. It was his second start of the year. In his first start he worked seven innings without allowing a run, giving up just two hits. After two starts the opposition is hitting him at a .122 clip. He has only walked one hitter in those 16 innings for a WHIP of 0.44.

Luis Escobar RHP (Pirates) - Luis Escobar struck out 11, which was one less than his first outing. That gives him 23 strikeouts in the young season, tops in the minor leagues. He allowed just one run in each of his starts to fashion a 1.64 ERA. Luis has only walked one hitter in his 11 innings of work with more than two whiffs per each inning of work.

Shane Bieber RHP (Indians) - Believe in the Bieber. He struck out 11 in six innings of work allowing just the one run. In two starts covering 10.2 innings Shane has yet to walk a batter, striking out 18. The fourth round 2016 pick is not overpowering but relies on his command to retire hitters.

Franklin Perez RHP (Astros) - In the low minors the Astros like to rotate their pitchers starting and relieving. Franklin gave up just one hit in 5.1 innings in his start. In a relief outing he picked up a save with four innings of perfect relief. That is one hit given up in 9.1 inning of work for an opposition average of .034.

Jomar Reyes 3B (Orioles) - Jomar has six multiple hit games in the nine games he has played. That has put his average at .444 to start the season. He is repeating his assignment in the Carolina League after hitting just .228 there last year. Last year Jomar stole three bases and he has stolen one base this year. Not noted for his speed Jomar has yet to be caught stealing in his minor league career going 7 for 7 in stolen bases.

Francisco Mejia C (Indians) - Last year Francisco put together a 50 game hitting streak in his two level performance hitting .342. He continues to hit this year with an 8 game hitting streak to start the season and a .414 average. Seven of his 12 hits have gone for doubles. If Yan Gomes struggles with the bat this year Francisco could find himself in the major leagues.

Chris Shaw 1B (Giants) - Chris is finding AA pitching to his liking, raking for a .382 average in 10 games. He is 8 for 12 in his last three games with homeruns in consecutive games and seven RBIs during that three game stretch. Brandon Belt will be a tough bat to replace and Chris does not have the foot speed to move to the outfield.

Christian Arroyo SS (Giants) - Christian has an eight game hitting streak and a 3 for 3 performance Friday raised his average to .467. Only four of his 14 hits have gone for extra bases.

Overview - The Giants streak ended. For the last three even numbered years they won the World Series. Not 2016. It was the Cubs destiny and they eliminated the Giants in the playoffs. A bullpen collapse was the Giants undoing, blowing 30 save opportunities, the most in the major leagues. They signed Mark Melancon to a free agent contract to address the bullpen needs. They also let go bullpen stalwarts Sergio Romo and Santiago Casilla.

Strengths - Their strongest position is having Buster Posey behind the plate. It was a down offensive year for Buster, but his defense behind the plate remains solid and his handling of the pitching staff always puts them in the top five in the major leagues. At 30 years of age he could be hitting the down side of his career. Brandon Crawford is about as solid a shortstop you can get. He was one of three Giants to win a Gold Glove. Second baseman Joe Panik was one and Buster Posey was the third. Crawford can also generate some offense with a .430 slugging percentage based on his 28 doubles, 11 Triples and 12 homeruns. The other Brandon, Belt did not win a gold glove but he has got the defensive tools to win one at first base. His bat lacks homerun power but he hit the gaps for 41 doubles and shows the patience to walk 104 times. The starting pitching has two aces at the top of the rotation in Madison Bumgarner and Johnny Cueto. After that it gets a little fuzzy. Mark Melancon has been one of the best closers in the game the last couple years. Last year he saved 47 games. It will be tough for the Giants to blow 30 leads with Melancon in the pen.

Weaknesses - The outfield lacks an impact player. Left field is a big hole. If Buster Posey plays first on the days the Giants want to rest him from his catching responsibilities Brandon Belt can always move to left field. Otherwise they will have to turn to unproven players in Mac Williamson, Jarrett Parker, Kyle Blanks or Gorkys Hernandez. Denard Span had some issues defensively in centerfield and failed to have a good year offensively. He hit .266 but only .217 against lefthanders. Hunter Pence failed to stay healthy for a second year in a row, limited to just 106 games. At 34 he is on the sliding scale down in his career. They lack a lefthander in the bullpen to get the tough lefthanders out late in the game. Will Smith is the only true commodity. Eduardo Nunez does not provide a lot of power at third. He also only hit .174 versus lefthanders in his 50 game trial with the Giants. With the Twins he finished with a .764 OPS. The Giants would like to see him turn into that kind of player. He may turn into a utility player with the Giants signing of Jae-Gyun Hwang. Hwang put up good offensive numbers in Korea but there was not a lot of offensive success with the three Korean bats who signed major league contracts last year.

Non-Roster Invitees - Myworld has to wonder if Michael Morse or Jimmy Rollins has anything left. If they can show they do in spring training they can be players who come off the bench. Rollins may have to learn to play a utility role, moving to defensive positions he is not familiar with. David Hernandez has a good enough arm to slot into the bullpen. If Kyle Blanks can stay healthy his bat would be interesting to put out in left field. The 6′6″ power hitter has not been healthy in the last couple years, bothered by foot problems.

Breakout Prospects - The rotation is pretty solid but a lot of that depends on the health and effectiveness of Matt Cain. Tyler Beede, Andrew Suarez and Ty Blach are all pitchers they can call on. Beede throws from the right side and Blach made his major league debut last year. None of the three has an overpowering fastball but rely more on command to get hitters out. Christian Arroyo, the teams 2013 first round pick should make his major league debut in 2017. He is more a utility player, with his power too light to play the hot corner and lacking sufficient range to play short on an extended basis.

Prospects to Watch - Chris Shaw has some power to play first. A major injury to Brandon Belt would need to happen for him to get any significant playing time in 2017. Last year he combined for 21 homeruns between High A and AA. The strikeouts are a bit frequent and his defense falls short of Belt. Reyes Moronta is a pitcher who can hit triple digits with his fastball. The Giants are grooming him to be a closer but he needs to keep his weight in check. Last year he saved 14 games and averaged 14.2 whiffs per nine innings. We can’t really get excited about anyone else down in their farm system.

Expected Finish - They will not catch the talented Dodgers roster but they should win enough games to slide into the wild card game.

They are not really our top 100 prospects. They are a collection of top 100 lists that we have put together and then assigned values, i.e. 10 points for a number 1 and 9.9 for a number 2 all the way down to a .1 for a number 100. The numbers are compiled and averaged. Below are the 100-91 prospects.

100. Bobby Bradley 1B (Indians) 0.85 - When Bradley is ready for the major leagues Carlos Santana will move to DH. There is pop in is bat, but also a lot of swing and miss. He will hit 30 plus homeruns in the majors but may also fall below .250 with his average. Don’t expect an upgrade over Santana at first base and his lack of speed makes the outfield not an option.

99. Casey Gillespie 1B/3B (Rays) 0.88 - Casey will have to hope for a better career than his brother Conner. The Rays drafted him in the first round but he appears to be more a gap hitter. The homeruns will not be frequent but he could hit for a decent average with lots of doubles. It doesn’t hurt that he is a switch hitter and can play two positions, though he appears to be more suited defensively for first base.

98. Franklin Perez RHP (Astros) 1.03 - The Venezuelan has increased his fastball to where it is now hitting in the mid-90s. At 6′3″ and 220 pounds he has a good frame for pitching. He also throws two breaking pitches (slider and curve) and a change so he has the repertoire to start. Another good season at High A will raise his profile.

97. Grant Holmes RHP (Athletics) 1.03 - Originally drafted by the Dodgers in the first round in 2014. They soured on his numbers and less than overpowering fastball (92-95) trading him to the Athletics in the Rich Hill and Josh Reddick trade. Lefthanded hitters had his way against him (.303) and in five starts California League hitters smacked him around for a .355 average. He will begin his Athletic career in High A.

96. Luiz Gohara LHP (Braves) 1.05 - The Brazilian pitcher can throw hard, his fastball zipping across the plate in the mid to high 90s, sometimes even hitting triple digits. His big issue is getting control of his pitches. Lefties with hard fastballs tend to take a bit longer to develop. His secondary pitches also need improvement (slider/change) otherwise he will end up in the bullpen.

95. Cody Reed LHP (Reds) 1.2 - Cody also has a slider/fastball combination, but his fastball sits more in the 93-95 range. He got beat and battered a bit in 10 starts with Cincy (7.39 ERA, .328 opposition ave) so it will be back to AAA where he needs to enhance the change to give him a third pitch. He also gave up 12 homeruns in the majors in just 48 innings of work.

94. Jahmai Jones OF (Angels) 1.23 - The Angels do not have the strongest farm system but the second round pick in 2015 has been a pleasant surprise. Speed is his best asset with developing power. He does not have any one outstanding tool, but he has five above average tools that will play.

93. Tyler Beede RHP (Giants) 1.25 - Beede was drafted in the first round of the 2013 draft. He’s been a bit slow to develop for a pitcher drafted out of college, but his fastball had dropped in velocity as he tried to acclimate to professional baseball and pitching twice a week instead of once. The fastball is back in the low 90s and there is more swing and miss in the hitter’s swing. He could make his major league debut this year after starting the season in AAA.

92. Ronald Acuna OF (Braves) 1.32 - Acuna had it rough over the winter having to play baseball in Australia. The Venezuelan has the potential to bring to the major leagues five impressive tools, with the speed to steal bases and play centerfield, the arm to play right and the hit tool to fit in the .300 neighborhood and as he matures the power to fit in a corner outfield.

91. Albert Almora OF (Cubs) 1.32 - With Dexter Fowler gone via free agency Cub fans will see a lot more of Almora patrolling centerfield. He has excellent defensive tools. The big concern is whether his bat can survive against major league pitching. In a brief major league 100 plus at bat debut Almora hit .270 with a .763 OPS. They will take that kind of production with his defensive tools.

Dae-Ho Lee decided it was better to go back home and play as a regular in Korea than to continue to pursue a major league career that was only offering him a part time opportunity. A record KBO contract of $12.9 million over four years offered by the Lotte Giants was a nice inducement. The Lotte Giants have not been a player in the post season for a long time but it is hoped with the return of Lee they can regain some of their playoff magic back in the day when Lee was one of the top sluggers in the KBO.

On the other side of the ledger the Lotte Giants lost a third baseman, losing Jae-gyun Hwang to the San Francisco Giants. That contract is for a little less money, $1.5 million if Hwang should make the major league roster. The Lotte Giants and KT Wiz in the KBO reportedly offered him more money to stay in Korea, but he took the lesser contract for the opportunity to play major league baseball. Last year he was posted by the Lotte Giants but did not receive an acceptable offer from a major league club to cut him loose. This year he was an unrestricted free agent and improved numbers (.335, .394, .570 with 27 homeruns) got major league teams more interested in him.

Hwang will be competing with Eduardo Nunez and Connor Gillespie for the third base job. Neither Nunez or Gillespie put up eye shattering numbers to guarantee them a starting position.

Myworld continues to look at prospects who will have a major league impact in 2017 and other prospects to watch to see if they will find themselves on the cusp of making the major league team in 2018. Some of these prospects to watch are veteran minor leaguers trying to over come surgery, former top prospects who have tripped in their minor league ascension or Cubans who have no history at the professional level in the United States but were stars in Cuba. Today myworld takes a look at the NL West.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Breakout Prospect (Socrates Brito OF) - He had his opportunity to make an impact last year but stumbled with a .179 average in 79 at bats. Above average speed and minimal power makes centerfield an ideal position for him, but his arm is suited for right. In AAA he showed the ability to hit for average (.294) but he needs to improve his patience (13/65 walk to whiff ratio). His lack of patience was even more pronounced in the major leagues (2/23). Despite his speed he does not seem to rack up a lot of stolen bases. If he can establish a little more power he could fit in the seventh or eighth spot in the batting order but a poor OBA makes it difficult for him to win a leadoff role. With very little in the outfield Brito has an opportunity to establish himself this year if he can improve on his ability to get on base.

Prospect to Watch (Andy Yerzy C) - Myworld was going to put Peter O’Brien on this list but the Diamondbacks traded him after putting him on waivers. So we will take a look at the Canadian Yerzy, who impressed at the high school homerun hitting contest at the 2015 All Star game in Cincinnati, making it to the finals. This upped his draft stock with the Diamondbacks selecting him in the second round of the 2016 draft. Teams are always looking for lefthanded hitting catchers and when one shows the power as Yerzy the eyes light up. He is a clone of O’Brien, needing a lot of work defensively and his plate discipline is below average (4/38 at two levels) but there are tools there that the Diamondbacks can work with. And he hits lefthanded.

Colorado Rockies

Breakout Prospect (Jeff Hoffman RHP) - It is always tough for pitchers to succeed in Colorado. The 2014 first round pick got six starts at the major league level last year and fared well finishing with a 4.88 ERA. The opposition tagged him at a .287 clip and his 17/22 walk to whiff ratio was disappointing. Those numbers will have to improve if he is going to have success in 2017. He throws three very good pitches in a fastball, curveball and change, though his fastball has not gained the high 90s it had prior to his Tommy John surgery. Jeff was drafted by the Blue Jays in the first round and the Rockies acquired him in the Troy Tulowitski trade. All Hoffman has to do is pull ERAs just above 4.00 and win games when Rockie bats score more runs than the opposition. After all, the altitude is not friendly to visiting pitchers either.

Prospect to Watch (Forest Wall 2B) - The Rockies drafted him in the first round supplemental draft in 2014. The defensive work at second base is below average but the bat is supposed to be good. There was some talk about moving him to centerfield but that has not come to fruition. If Wall is going to play his bat will be his ticket to the major leagues. Last year he hit .264 with a .355 slugging. That is not going to cut it with a below average glove at second base. In 2015 he slugged .438 at Low A with a better strikeout to walk ratio. He needs to bounce back to be a viable player for the Rockies in the future.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Breakout Prospect (Jose Deleon RHP) - The Twins want Deleon included in any trade for Brian Dozier. The Dodgers are reluctant to trade Jose. The 24th round pick out of Puerto Rico has given the Dodgers a number of reasons to want to keep him. His mid-90s fastball and excellent changeup give the Dodgers at least two reasons. There was a bit of a struggle in his major league callup (6.35 ERA and .288 opposition average) but his minor league numbers were dominant (2.61 ERA and .194 opposition average). Coming into the 2016 season he averaged 12.3 whiffs per nine innings. In AAA he struck out 111 in just 86.1 innings.

Prospect to Watch (Willie Calhoun 2B) - He is a small second baseman, standing just 5′8″, a little taller than Jose Altuve. The quick lefthanded bat managed to drive 27 balls over the fence in AA. This was a breakout season for him when you consider in 2015 he hit just 11 homeruns. He did show power in junior college with 31 homeruns in 61 games. It will be interesting to see if his small, powerful frame can continue to send balls over the fence. His defense is not exemplary and the fact he did not steal any bases last year says a lot about his foot speed. The Dodgers have yet to acquire Brian Dozier so second base is still an open spot for Willie.

San Diego Padres

Breakout Prospect (Manuel Margot OF and Hunter Renfroe OF) - It is tough for teams to compete for a playoff when they have two rookies patrolling their outfield. The Padres know they are in rebuilding mode and it is time to see what these two talented players can do. Margot has the greater set of tools with the speed and athleticism to play center field. His power is good enough to split the gaps. Last year in a September callup he hit .243 in 37 at bats. Five of his nine hits went for extra bases (four doubles and one triple), but he failed to draw a walk, giving him a low OBA. Renfroe is the slugger who mashed four homeruns in a brief 35 at bat September callup. He is a little more plodding than Margot, but he has enough speed to cover the outfield. His arm is one of his best attributes so right field appears to be the perfect position for him. The Padres have to hope this duo reminds them of when the Red Sox brought up Fred Lynn and Jim Rice as rookies.

Prospects to Watch (Josh Naylor 1B and Javier Guerra SS) - Josh Naylor was drafted in the first round by the Marlins. They traded him to the Padres shortly after he cut Stone Garrett with a knife that was classified as horse play but some reports have stated was a little more serious than that. Not a lot of players are packed with the power that Naylor possesses but there is also a lot of swing and miss to his game. Last year could be classified as a disappointing season for him with his 12 homeruns resulting in a ugly .407 slugging percentage. That is a little south of .500 that teams want to see from their first baseman. Slow foot speed would make a move to the outfield not wise. Guerra had an off season where his average dropped more than 100 points to a .202 clip. His OPS also fell below .600 and his walk to whiff ratio (34/141) was ugly. All of the tools exist for him to play a quality defensive shortstop, but the bat has to work to get him in the lineup.

San Francisco Giants

Breakout Prospects (Christian Arroyo SS. Clayton Blackburn RHP) - We can’t get really too excited about any Giant making an impact this year. Arroyo is more suited for a utility role. With Brandon Crawford staffing short his only opportunity to get a full time gig in the lineup will be at third base. Myworld doesn’t think he has the power for that position. A move to the outfield would not be to his advantage because of below average foot speed. He did have a career minor league average of .303 coming into 2016 but hit just .274 at AA, so he can hit. A more likely player to make an impact is Blackburn. The problem with Blackburn is his stuff is more back of the rotation starter. His fastball is in the low 90s with average breaking balls and change. What he does have is command with the ability to locate the pitches and miss the barrel of bats.

Prospect to Watch (Chris Shaw 1B) - We like his power bat, which could eventually move Brandon Belt to left field. The 2015 first round pick hit 12 homeruns in his rookie season in 2015. He slugged 21 homeruns last year, but struggled in he AA Eastern League only slugging .414. There is not any speed to his game so a move to the outfield is out of the question and his defense is a little stiff at first. Expect him to repeat AA. If he has some success first base may be his position in 2018, or he could become trade bait for another team to allow the Giants to stock up on veteran players in a playoff run.

Below would be the rosters for the two Bay area teams, the San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics if both teams relied solely on the domestic draft to stock their players. Oakland and their money ball philosophy has not born a lot of major league ball players and the Giants attempt to continue to draft solid starting pitching through the draft has seemed to dry up after the selection of Madison Bumgarner in 2007.

San Francisco Giants

2005 - Johnny Monell (27 - DNS) C, Sergio Romo (38) RHP
2006 - Tim Lincecum (1) RHP, Emmanuel Burriss (1) SS
2007 - Madison Bumgarner (1) LHP, Nick Noonan (1) UTL, Charlie Culberson (1) UTL, Johnny Monell (30) C, Paul Clemens (36 - DNS) RHP
2008 - Buster Posey (1) C, Conor Gillespie (1) 3B, Brandon Crawford (4) SS, Eric Surkamp (6) LHP
2009 - Zack Wheeler (1) RHP, Tommy Joseph (2) 1B, Brandon Belt (5) 1B, Chris Heston (12) RHP
2010 - Jarrett Parker (2) OF, Adam Duvall (11) OF, Alec Asher (23 - DNS) RHP
2011 - Joe Panik (1) 2B, Andrew Susac (2) C, Josh Osich (6) LHP, Ray Black (7) RHP, Derek Law (9) RHP, Kelby Tomlinson (12) 2B, Clayton Balckburn (16) RHP, Cody Hall (19) RHP
2012 - Chris Stratton (1) RHP, Mac Williamson (3) OF, Trevor Brown (10) C, Matt Duffy (18) 3B
2013 - Christian Arroyo (1) 3B

Roster

C - Buster Posey, Trevor Brown, Johnny Monelll, Andrew Susac
1B - Brandon Belt, Tommy Joseph
2B - Joe Panik, Emmanuel Burriss, Kelby Tomlinson, Nick Noonan
3B - Conor Gillespie, Matt Duffy, Christian Arroyo
SS - Brandon Crawford, Charlie Culberson
OF - Adam Duvall, Jarrett Parker, Mac Williamson
SP - Madison Bumgarner, Zack Wheeler, Tim Lincecum, Paul Clemens, Chris Stratton
RP - Sergio Romo, Eric Surkamp, Chris Heston, Alec Asher, Josh Osich, Ray Black, Derek Law and Cody Hall

Oakland Athletics

2005 - Cliff Pennington (1) SS, Vin Mazzaro (3) RHP, Justin Smoak (16 - DNS) 1B, Anthony Recker (18) C
2006 - Trevor Cahill (2) RHP, Andrew Bailey (6) RHP, Mike Leake (7 - DNS) RHP
2007 - Sean Doolittle (1) RHP, Collin Cowgill (29 - DNS) OF
2008 - Jemile Weeks (1) 2B, Tyson Ross (2) RHP, Preston Guillmet (22 - DNS) RHP, Chris Rusin (23 - DNS) RHP, J.R. Graham (46 - DNS) RHP
2009 - Grant Green (1) UTL, Max Stassi (4) C, Ian Krol (7) LHP, Sam Dyson (10 - DNS) RHP, Dan Strailey (24) RHP, Mike Zunino (29 - DNS) C, Mike Bolsinger (33 - DNS) RHP
2010 - Michael Choice (1) OF, A.J. Griffin (13) RHP, Aaron Judge (31 - DNS) OF, Andrew Knapp (41 - DNS) C
2011 - Sonny Gray (1) RHP, Blake Treinen (7) RHP
2012 - Addison Russell (1) SS, Matt Muncy (5) 3B/OF
2013 - Dillon Overton (2) LHP, Ryan Healy (3) 3B

Roster

C - Anthony Recker, Max Stassi, Mike Zunino, Andrew Knapp
1B - Justin Smoak
2B - Cliff Pennington, Jemile Weeks
3B - Matt Muncy, Ryan Healy
SS - Addison Russell, Grant Green
OF - Collin Cowgill, Michael Choice, Aaron Judge
SP - Sonny Gray, Mike Leake, Trevor Cahill, Tyson Ross, Chris Rusin
RP - Vin Mazzaro, Andrew Bailey, Sean Doolittle, Preston Guilmet, J.R. Graham, Ian Krol, San Dyson, Dan Strailey, Mike Bolsinger, A.J. Griffin, Balke Treinen, Dillon Overton