Hall of Fame 2020: My Ballot

There are a couple of big storylines here for the 2020 Hall of Fame ballot, so I'll list out my thoughts on those real quick before we get started.

First off, steroids. My take on steroid users in the Hall has evolved over time, but it's also stayed the same in a lot of ways. I don't think cheaters deserve to be in the Hall, and for a while, I strongly opposed the induction of Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens on that basis. I still do – the Hall is 90% about performance, but at least a small part should be about playing the game the right way, and I mean that in the loosest sense of the term, as in at the very least playing by the rules. Bonds and Clemens didn't meet that standard. However, neither did Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, or a lot of other Hall of Famers from that era who used amphetamines. And what about Hall of Famers like Ivan Rodriguez and Mike Piazza, who probably juiced but were never caught? The juicing question is something I'll never come to a satisfactory answer to, at least one up to my own satisfaction, so I landed on a compromise of sorts: I'll vote for Bonds and Clemens, but only in their tenth and final year of eligibility. That seems fair, I guess, right? Kind of? We'll go with that one.

Secondly, the Jeter-only ballots. A few writers have already released their ballots and showed that they voted only for Derek Jeter in the belief that he should be elected alone. Seriously?? Derek Jeter a) is not even close to being a Ruthian, Maysian, Ted Williams-ian inner-circle Hall of Famer, and b) far, far, far from the only deserving player on the ballot. Especially given that Larry Walker is in his last year of eligibility and can't simply "wait until next year" to get elected. Voting for Jeter alone might be the dumbest thing I've ever seen on a Hall of Fame ballot, and the bar was already pretty high on that one.

Now, here's my ballot, in the rough order of who I think is the most deserving. Wagner, Walker, and Schilling are all about equally deserving to me, so their order is more arbitrary. It's a shallower year for the HoF ballot and there are no true Griffey-like or Maddux-like standouts, and I'm a small Hall guy, so I went with six players.

1. Billy Wagner (1995-2010)

Career: 47-40, 2.31 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 198.17 RE24, 1196/300 K/BB in 903 IP

Best season (1999): 4-1, 1.57 ERA, 0.78 WHIP, 24.79 RE24, 124/23 K/BB in 74.2 IP

Billy Wagner is at least the third greatest closer of all time, and I'd even argue that he's number two behind Mariano Rivera alone. At the very least, I can't possibly wrap my head around any possible justification for electing Trevor Hoffman and leaving Wagner with less than 20% of the votes. Over the course of his 16 year career, he put up 13 seasons of at least 45 innings pitched, a sub-3.00 ERA, a sub-1.20 WHIP, and more than 50 strikeouts in relief. He did all this while pitching through the heart of the steroid era, and yet his career numbers still come up among the best ever. Among relievers with at least 500 innings pitched, he's fourth ERA (2.31), WHIP (1.00), and strikeout percentage (33.2%), despite all of those ahead of him in the latter category having pitched in a very different, much more strikeout-heavy era. He also has the second best relief-RE24 ever, behind only Mariano Rivera, meaning that he's kept more "expected runs" off the board than even Hoffman in more than 180 fewer innings. To say Wagner doesn't belong in the Hall is really to say that relievers in general don't belong in the Hall, because Rivera is the only one ever that we can confidently say was better.

2. Larry Walker (1989-2005)

Career: 383 HR, .313/.400/.565, 230 SB, 140 wRC+, 68.7 fWAR in 1988 games

Best season (1997): 49 HR, .366/.452/.720, 33 SB, 177 wRC+, 9.1 fWAR in 153 games

Walker is in his last season of eligibility, and it really shouldn't have taken this long. He hit nearly 400 home runs, held a .400 on-base percentage through his career, and stole over 200 bases while playing solid outfield defense. Of course some of those numbers are inflated by playing his home games at Coors Field, but really, could we stick some non-Hall of Famer in Coors Field from 1997-1999 and watch slash .369/.451/.689 over three full seasons? I'll answer that for you, no. And if we want to go to stats that alter for home park, Walker's 140 career wRC+ ranks 69th all time among players with at least 5000 plate appearances – that's ahead of mashers like Albert Belle (139), Reggie Jackson (139), and Vladimir Guerrero (136), among many others. Splitting his stats home vs road the traditional way, he did slash .348/.431/.637 with 215 home runs at home but also .278/.370/.495 with 168 home runs on the road – that's still a 336 home run pace with a high on-base percentage on the road, even though Coors Field has been shown to negatively affect hitters' road performance, not just positively impact their home stats. He's a Hall of Famer to me and a pretty clear one.

3. Curt Schilling (1988-2007)
Career: 216-146, 3.46 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 3116/711 K/BB in 3261 IP
Best season (2002): 23-7, 3.23 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 316/33 K/BB in 259.1 IP
A lot of people in the media won't vote for Curt Schilling because they don't like him. That's stupid and that's all I'm going to say on the matter. For a ten year period from 1995-2004, right through the heart of the steroid era, Schilling was untouchable for the Phillies, Diamondbacks, and Red Sox, going 148-86 with a 3.25 ERA and a 2241/423 strikeout to walk ratio over 2123.2 innings. In that decade-long span, 92 pitchers threw at least 1000 innings, and Schilling's 3.25 mark over 2000+ innings ranked behind only Pedro Martinez (2.67), Randy Johnson (2.70), Kevin Brown (2.79), Greg Maddux (2.89), and John Smoltz (2.96), the latter of whom spent time time as a closer anyways. Over that span, Schilling also ranked third in strikeouts (behind Johnson and Martinez), reached 300 strikeouts in a season three times, and out-pitched Roger Clemens (3.46 ERA, 2116/768 K/BB). He was also effective for his ten non-prime years, and he finished his career with a 3.46 ERA, a 1.14 WHIP, and 3116 strikeouts in 3261 innings despite pitching straight through the heart of the steroid era. He was even more effective in the postseason, going 11-2 with a 2.23 ERA, a 0.97 WHIP, and a 120/25 strikeout to walk ratio over 133.1 innings, picking up the 1993 NLCS MVP and the 2001 World Series MVP. To me, he's a no brainer.

4. Derek Jeter (1995-2014)
Career: 260 HR, .310/.377/.440, 358 SB, 119 wRC+, 73.0 fWAR in 2747 games
Best season (1999): 24 HR, .349/.438/.552, 19 SB, 156 wRC+, 7.4 fWAR in 158 games
Jeter's Hall of Fame case to me is more about longevity than peak value. Aside from a couple seasons here and there, he was never truly elite, reaching 5.0 fWAR in a season just five times in twenty years, but he was a consistently above average player for a very long time and put up 13 straight seasons with at least 3.4 fWAR from 1997-2009. He also had an extensive postseason career with a .308/.374/.465 line, 20 home runs, and 18 stolen bases (121 wRC+) in 158 games, about in line with his career averages, and he won five World Series as part of some stacked Yankees teams that also included Hall of Famers Mariano Rivera and Mike Mussina. Media coverage aside, while his on-field play looked pretty borderline Hall of Fame level for much of his career, the end result was well over 3000 hits, 500 doubles, 250 home runs, 350 stolen bases, 1000 walks, and 73.0 total fWAR over 20 years. The longevity and consistency he displayed earned him his spot in the Hall.

5. Andruw Jones (1996-2012)
Career: 434 HR, .254/.337/.486, 152 SB, 111 wRC+, 67.0 fWAR in 2196 games
Best season (2000): 36 HR, .303/.366/.541, 21 SB, 127 wRC+, 7.7 fWAR in 161 games
Jones doesn't get nearly the attention he deserves on this ballot, especially with the way voters talk about a similar player, Omar Vizquel. While Vizquel was an all-time glove with a mediocre bat, Jones was an all-time glove with an above average bat. While he wasn't a first tier or even a second tier hitter in his time, he was still a very valuable bat that was at least 12% better than league average eight times in nine years from 1998-2006. He also put up four straight 20-20 seasons, totaled seven 30+ home run seasons, and topped out with a 134 wRC+ in 2005. Of course, those offensive stats only qualify him for the Hall of Very Good, but when your glove is as absolutely elite as his is, I'd call him a Hall of Famer. Fangraphs only began tracking UZR in 2002, which cuts out five full seasons of his career, but his 126.4 UZR still ranks second only to Ichiro since then and his 17.4 UZR per 150 games is first by a long shot over second place Mookie Betts (14.3) and by an even longer shot over third place Jason Heyward (11.9). It's hard to prove, but there's a case to be made that Jones is up there with Willie Mays as one of the top couple of defensive outfielders ever to play the game, and unlike Omar Vizquel, he can actually hit.

6. Scott Rolen (1996-2012)
Career: 316 HR, .281/.364/.490, 118 SB, 122 wRC+, 69.9 fWAR in 2038 games
Best season (2004): 34 HR, .314/.409/.598, 159 wRC+, 9.0 fWAR in 142 games
I'm a small-Hall guy, and Rolen is pretty borderline for me. On this shallow ballot though, I'll include him in my sixth and final slot that I'm using. Rolen wasn't necessarily elite on either side of the ball – he was a very good hitter and a very good defender. Does that equal Hall of Fame? It's really close, especially since his career barely cracked 2000 games. I'll go with yes for now, as he still finished with over 500 doubles, 300 home runs, 100 stolen bases, a high on-base percentage, and great defense. From 1997-2004, an eight year period where he slashed ..287/.379/.524 with 222 home runs and 91 stolen bases, he was third in all of baseball with 48.0 fWAR, trailing only Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez and topping guys like Chipper Jones, Jeff Bagwell, Derek Jeter, and Manny Ramirez in their primes. He didn't have the longevity of some of his counterparts, but the more you look at his case, the harder it is to say that Rolen is not a Hall of Famer.

Close Calls

- Bobby Abreu (1996-2014)
Career: 288 HR, .291/.395/.475, 400 SB, 129 wRC+, 59.8 fWAR in 2425 games
Best season (2004): 30 HR, .301/.428/.544, 40 SB, 148 wRC+, 5.7 fWAR in 159 games
Abreu, like Rolen, is so close, but he falls just a bit short for me. He was a great player with a power/speed/on-base combination that few could match and he rarely got hurt, but the whole package is just a bit light for the Hall of Fame. He wasn't an elite power hitter, hitting more than 25 home runs in a season just twice, he wasn't an elite base stealer, cracking 35 stolen bases just twice, and he was just an okay defender in right field. Now on the other hand, he was a great on-base player who finished near .400 for his career. He was never elite, but he had an on-base percentage above .400 eight times in nine years from 1998-2006 and only narrowly missed it with a .393 mark in 2001, he had seven straight 20-20 seasons from 1999-2005 (and two more in 2008 and 2010), and he was a two time 30-30 player. He's a shoo-in for the Hall of Very Good, but unfortunately, he just misses the Hall of Fame for me.

- Todd Helton (1997-2013)
Career: 369 HR, .316/.414/.539, 37 SB, 132 wRC+, 54.9 fWAR in 2247 games
Best season (2000): 42 HR, .372/.463/.698, 5 SB, 162 wRC+, 8.3 fWAR in 160 games
Helton is another close one because he's probably the greatest player in Rockies history (while Larry Walker beat him in production, Helton made up for it in longevity with the team). And through 2005, even though he was a first baseman playing in Coors Field, he hit plenty enough to be on a Hall of Fame track with a .337/.433/.607 line, 271 home runs, and 44.3 fWAR in 1279 games. However, because all of his talent was tied to his bat and because his 148 wRC+ was 14th in baseball from 1998-2005, he probably had to keep hitting after his 32nd birthday in 2005 in order to get himself over the hump. However, from 2006 to the end of his career in 2013, he slashed .289/.388/.448 with 98 home runs and 10.6 fWAR over those final 968 games. Those aren't awful numbers for the end of a career, but for a first baseman who wasn't elite with the glove (though he was solid there for much of his career), I'd like to see a bit longer of a prime than eight years, or at least not see him taper off so quickly.

- Omar Vizquel (1989-2012)
Career: 80 HR, .272/.336/.352, 404 SB, 83 wRC+, 42.5 fWAR in 2968 games
Best season (1999): 5 HR, .333/.397/.436, 42 SB, 115 wRC+, 6.0 fWAR in 144 games
To me, Andruw Jones is a Hall of Famer, but Omar Vizquel is not. Both were elite, perhaps all-time defenders, but Jones could hit (111 wRC+) and Vizquel could not (83 wRC+). His glove was truly elite, and he's up there with Ozzie Smith as one of the greatest defensive shortstops of all time. And while Smith wasn't a great hitter either (90 wRC+), he played at a time where the game was a bit more pitcher-friendly and teams weren't scoring five to six runs a game. Vizquel's complete lack of power and average on-base skills were a black hole in the Mariners, Indians, and Giants lineups he was a part of when every team was launching the ball out of the park. Even in his best offensive season, 1999, he still failed to reach a .400 on-base percentage. I completely respect Vizquel's glove and I searched his offensive stats looking for something I could consider "good enough" to put him in the Hall, but stealing 30 bases a year isn't enough.

- Andy Pettitte (1995-2013)
Career: 256-153, 3.85 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 2448/1031 K/BB in 3316 IP
Best season (2005): 17-9, 2.39 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 171/41 K/BB in 222.1 IP
Pettitte is certainly in the 90's/00's Hall of Very Good rotation, as he was as reliable a mid-rotation starter as they came for the Yankees and Astros who also popped for a couple of ace-like seasons in 1997 (18-7, 2.88 ERA, 1.24 WHIP) and 2005 (17-9, 2.39 ERA, 1.03 WHIP). He threw over 3000 innings while keeping his ERA under 4.00 despite pitching through the steroid era, threw at least 175 innings in 15 separate seasons, and had plenty of postseason success (19-11, 3.81 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 183/76 K/BB in 276.2 IP). However, in an era that also included Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens, Curt Schilling, Mike Mussina, Kevin Brown, Roy Halladay, and Johan Santana, it's hard to justify Pettitte as a Hall of Famer despite being a mid-rotation talent for most of his career.

Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens: See top of article.

Gary Sheffield, Sammy Sosa, Manny Ramirez: These players all have varying levels of allegations of steroid use, and while a lot of it is speculation, they all have fairly borderline cases even without considering the steroid usage. I'm both extremely anti-cheater and anti-speculation at the same time, but with their cases already being borderline, the steroid usage knocks them off my ballot.

2020 Prospect Depth Chart: San Francisco Giants

The Giants' farm system was in pretty dire condition at this time last year, but a number of breakouts make this a greatly improved system. Up at the top, Conner Menez and Sean Hjelle now give Logan Webb a serious run for the top MLB-ready pitching prospect in the system, while Seth Corry's breakout down in A ball might be the most important among all the pitchers. On the offensive side, Heliot Ramos got it figured out like we all knew he would, but the real story of perhaps the entire farm system has been the success of the recent international signees. Franklin Labour (2015) and Alexander Canario (2016) put it all together in big breakout seasons, while Marco Luciano, Jairo Pomares, Luis Matos, and Victor Bericoto (all 2018) took complex ball by storm to make that 2018 international class look like a gold mine. However, the reality is aside from that trio of pitchers (Menez, Hjelle, and Webb) and a couple of guys like Ramos, Joey Bart, and Mauricio Dubon the vast majority of the talent in this system is a long way off.

Affiliates: AAA Sacramento River Cats, AA Richmond Flying Squirrels, High A San Jose Giants, Class A Augusta GreenJackets, short season Salem-Keizer Volcanos, complex level AZL and DSL Giants

Catcher
- Joey Bart (2020 Age: 23): Bart vaulted himself to the top of the 2018 draft with a huge junior season at Georgia Tech, ultimately going second overall to the Giants. In 2019, he slashed .278/.328/.495 with 16 home runs and a 71/21 strikeout to walk ratio over 79 games at High A San Jose and AA Richmond. He has a ton of pop from the right spot and he has proven he can get to it consistently, and it could ultimately translate to 25-30 or more home runs annually in the majors. His weak spot on offense is his hit tool, which he has worked hard to improve from below average to nearly average. He's still a free swinger and his plate discipline remains so-so, but he's trending in the right direction and it shouldn't be a problem at the major league level. Defensively, he's also trending in the right direction and he's now considered an above average defender behind the plate, and the whole package should make the Atlanta-area native a more than fitting replacement for Buster Posey, another Georgia native.
- Aramis Garcia (2020 Age: 27): It ain't easy when you're blocked by Buster Posey at your position and coming up behind you is arguably the best catching prospect in the game. Garcia spent most of 2019 at AAA Sacramento, where he slashed .271/.343/.488 with 16 home runs and a 114/34 strikeout to walk ratio over 89 games, and he's also slashed .229/.270/.419 with six home runs and a 52/6 strikeout to walk ratio over 37 games in his major league career between 2018 and 2019. That major league line is roughly what we can expect out of Garcia over the long run, if possibly a bit on the low side. He has good pop for a catcher and is capable of hitting 15-20 home runs annually, but he's a free swinger that has a few holes in his swing, so I wouldn't expect high on-base percentages. He would fit in as a solid back-up catcher for both Posey and Bart, though if he goes elsewhere and makes some adjustments in his approach, he may be able to start.
- Ricardo Genoves (2020 Age: 20-21): Genoves has always been known to scouts as a glove-first catcher who may or may not hit, but he did hit in 2019 and that's a good sign going forward. In 51 games, he slashed .265/.335/.469 with nine home runs and a 41/17 strikeout to walk ratio at short season Salem-Keizer and Class A Augusta, tapping into that moderate raw power he packs into his 6'2" frame and getting to the barrel often enough to be a productive hitter. It's hard to say whether those gains will translate up into the mid and upper minors, but he did slash .292/.361/.446 in his 19 games at Class A and he doesn't turn 21 until May. His glove will buy his bat plenty of time, and he projects as a back-up catcher.
- Keep an eye on: Brandon Martorano

 Corner Infield
- Chris Shaw (2020 Age: 26): Shaw finds himself in a somewhat similar position to Aramis Garcia in that he's blocked by Brandon Belt at his primary position, though he doesn't have a Joey Bart coming up behind him. This year, Shaw slashed .294/.360/.559 with 28 home runs and a 111/39 strikeout to walk ratio over 120 games at AA Richmond and AAA Sacramento, and like Garcia, he's spent parts of two seasons in the majors, slashing .153/.244/.222 with one home run in 38 games. The Boston College product has a lot of raw pop from the left side of the plate, and while he's been able to get to it in the upper minors, that hasn't been the case yet at the major league level. Always a free swinger, major league pitchers have exploited holes in Shaw's swing, much like they have with Garcia, and while he has more power than his catching counterpart, he doesn't provide nearly as much defensive value. He's fine as a first baseman, but the Giants have Belt there and he's worked to mediocre results in left field. He ultimately projects as a Matt Adams-like platoon bat.
- Logan Wyatt (2020 Age: 22): Wyatt was a second round pick out of Louisville this year, and I think he might be one of the better Day One bargains. Pushed across three levels in his brief pro debut, he slashed .278/.388/.377 with three home runs and a 29/26 strikeout to walk ratio over 44 games in the complex level Arizona League, at short season Salem-Keizer, and at Class A Augusta. Unlike all of the other names you've read here so far, he's an extremely patient hitter, and his excellent plate discipline helps him put up high on-base percentages while also handling advanced pitching. However, he's a first baseman who has still not proven he can hit for power, as he's 6'4" with great feel for the barrel but seems content with just lacing the ball into the dirt. If Wyatt joins the launch angle revolution over his first pro offseason and comes out lifting the ball in the spring, watch out – he could hit 20-25 home runs annually with those high on-base percentages and replace Brandon Belt as a very similar player.
- Luis Toribio (2020 Age: 19): Toribio spent most of 2019 down in the complex level Arizona League, and he slashed .296/.433/.454 with three home runs and a 59/47 strikeout to walk ratio over 54 games between there and three games with Salem-Keizer. He's an extremely patient hitter with good knowledge of the strike zone, especially for his age (he only turned 19 in September), and combining his high walk rates with very good feel for the barrel should help him post high on-base percentages in the majors. It's not yet known what kind of power he'll hit for, but he's got a projectable frame at 6'1" and he generates a lot of torque in his left handed swing, so more is certainly possible if not likely. He has high upside and with the way that fellow international signees Franklin Labour, Marco Luciano, and Alexander Canario broke out this year, he most certainly could be next.
- Keep an eye on: Zach Green, David Villar, Jacob Gonzalez, Garrett Frechette, Victor Bericoto

Middle Infield
- Mauricio Dubon (2020 Age: 25-26): This guy has been around forever. A 26th round pick by the Red Sox out of a Sacramento high school in 2013, Dubon was traded to the Brewers in the Travis Shaw/Tyler Thornburg deal following the 2016 season and then to the Giants for Drew Pomeranz at the 2019 deadline. After missing most of 2018 with an ACL injury, he got back on his feet this year and slashed .302/.345/.477 with 20 home runs, ten stolen bases, and a 68/28 strikeout to walk ratio over 123 games between the two AAA affiliates and also hit .274/.306/.434 with four home runs over 30 major league games. While he popped 25 home runs overall in 2019, that might set power expectations a bit higher than they should be, as the Pacific Coast League is extremely hitter-friendly and his build is more conducive to 10-15 home runs per year. He does show good feel for the barrel and has hit for high averages and on-base percentages everywhere he's gone, and he profiles well with good defense at second base and playable defense at shortstop. A plus runner before the ACL injury, it may have sapped some of his speed but he was still safely above average in that regard in his debut. If the Giants don't go out and sign a second baseman this offseason, Dubon should be able to take over as the starter on Opening Day and could put up a slash line similar to the .274/.306/.434 mark he had last season.
- Marco Luciano (2020 Age: 18): This is one of the most exciting young prospects in the system. Signed for $2.6 million out of the Dominican Republic in 2018, he skipped the DSL entirely and went straight to the complex-level Arizona League as a 17 year old in 2019, and all he did was slash .322/.438/.616 with ten home runs and a 39/27 strikeout to walk ratio over 38 games. He earned a late promotion to short season Salem-Keizer, where he was one of the youngest players in the league and slashed .212/.316/.333 with six strikeouts to five walks in nine games. Very athletically built at 6'2", he has a sweet right handed swing that produces nice leverage and power, which he combines with advanced plate discipline to consistently find pitches to attack and drive. For now, he's a shortstop with a strong arm and he has a good chance to stay there, but there's a chance he moves to third base down the line. For now, Luciano has everything going for him as a young prospect with no clear holes in his game, and he has one of the highest ceilings in the system.
- Tyler Fitzgerald (2020 Age: 22): It took Fitzgerald's highly regarded bat a few years to get going once he got to Louisville, but a big junior year pushed him into the fourth round in 2019 and he slashed .276/.358/.395 with one home run, six stolen bases, and a 41/24 strikeout to walk ratio over 48 games across three levels up to Class A Augusta. That line is just about accurate. He's not going to wow you with any big tools, but he's a competent hitter with some gap power who should grow into moderate home run power while getting on base at a solid clip. Defensively, he should be able to stick at shortstop, though his profile perfectly fits that of a utility infielder. If he has to move over to third base, Luis Toribio and maybe Jacob Gonzalez are his only real competition, unless of course if Marco Luciano slides over there as well. He should move through the minors relatively quickly.
- Keep an eye on: Abiatal Avelino, Jalen Miller, Dilan Rosario

Outfield
- Heliot Ramos (2020 Age: 20): A first round pick out of Puerto Rico in 2017, Ramos' first full season at Class A Augusta in 2018 was a bit disappointing (.245/.313/.395), but he broke out in a big way in 2019. Playing at High A San Jose, where he was one of the younger players in the California League, he slashed .306/.385/.500 with 13 home runs and an 85/32 strikeout to walk ratio over 77 games to earn a promotion to AA Richmond at just 19 years old. There, he added three more home runs and slashed .242/.321/.421 over 25 games, which is still impressive given his age. He's an explosive player with power, speed, and a strong arm in the outfield, giving him a classic right field profile if he has to move out of center. There are still raw elements to his game, as he still has some swing and miss and hasn't proven himself against advanced pitching. That's okay because very few 20 year olds have, and just tightening up his strike zone judgement and finding the barrel a little more could make him a 25 homer bat in the majors with some speed and good defense.
- Hunter Bishop (2020 Age: 21-22): Bishop rode an absolutely massive breakout season at Arizona State (22 HR, .342/.479/.748) to a first round draft selection, and the Giants are happy to bring home the kid from San Mateo who attended Junipero Serra High School. He had a relatively quiet pro debut, slashing .229/.438/.429 with five home runs and a 39/38 strikeout to walk ratio over 32 games between the complex level Arizona League and short season Salem-Keizer, but he did show some pop as well as stronger than expected plate discipline. He has a ton of power in his 6'5" frame, but questions loom over his ability to get to it consistently against advanced pitching as it never showed up in the Cape Cod League and didn't come often against Pac-12 pitching. He's a very patient hitter, which helps him maximize that power and get his pitches to drive, and he's trending in the right direction. With continued improvement in his hit tool, he could hit 30+ home runs annually in the majors, and he has enough speed to stick in center field. Overall, he could provide a lot of value on both sides of the ball.
- Sandro Fabian (2020 Age: 22): Fabian did a much better job in his second crack at High A, as he slashed just .200/.260/.325 as a 20 year old there in 2018 but bumped his line up to .287/.353/.413 with five home runs and a 33/14 strikeout to walk ratio over 44 games there this year (plus a .219/.366/.500 line and two home runs in ten games in complex ball rehab). He's not going to hit for a ton of power, but he has good feel for the barrel from the right side and his plate discipline is improving to the point where he could be a useful fourth outfielder in the relatively near future. He's a good defender that should be able to handle all three spots, and if he can stay healthy consistently, he could hit around ten home runs annually with solid on-base percentages.
- Alexander Canario (2020 Age: 19-20): Canario signed for just $60,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2016 but he's already smashing expectations, and his breakout 2019 saw him slash .318/.377/.623 with 16 home runs and an 80/20 strikeout to walk ratio over 59 games between the Arizona League and Salem-Keizer. He always had power potential, but he finally grew into it in 2019 and crushed balls all over the park both in complex and short season ball as a teenager with 38 extra base hits in 59 games. He's still a bit raw at the plate and can be overly aggressive, so full season ball will be a big test in 2020, but it's hard not to be excited about the big power and good feel for the barrel that he has. He should hit 20+ home runs annually in the majors while playing good defense in the outfield.
- Franklin Labour (2020 Age: 21-22): Perhaps even more under the radar than Canario was Franklin Labour, who signed for just $70,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2015 before spending three years in complex ball. Up at Salem-Keizer in 2019, he smashed 14 home runs in 41 games and slashed .307/.392/.639 with a 43/18 strikeout to walk ratio before being promoted to Class A Augusta, where he was a bit overmatched and hit .215/.282/.299 with one home run and a 40/8 strikeout to walk ratio over 31 games. He generates a ton of power and leverage from his right handed swing, and he got to it remarkably consistently in short season ball. However, as with Canario, the real test has to be full season ball, where he struggled in 2019. He's older than Canario and I'm less confident that his hit tool will translate up, but he has the upside as a power hitting left fielder.
- Jairo Pomares (2020 Age: 19-20)/Luis Matos (2020 Age: 18): I'm choosing to lump these guys together because they're both far, far away but have similar profiles and started their pro careers with a bang. Pomares, a Cuban import, slashed .368/.401/.542 in 37 Arizona League games but fell to .207/.258/.259 in 17 short season games with Salem-Keizer, while Matos, from Venezuela, hit .362/.430/.570 in 55 Dominican Summer League games before putting up a .438/.550/.500 line in five Arizona League games. Pomares stands 6'1", but it was the 5'11" Matos who showed more power in his pro debut, and both have shown exceptional bat to ball skills for their age while spraying line drives all over the park. Matos especially has shown very advanced plate discipline for his age, as he doesn't even turn 18 until January, and both are above average runners who have the ability to stick in center field. Pomares is more highly regarded at this point, but a part of me likes Matos better and wants to put my money on him.
- Keep an eye on: Bryce Johnson, Heath Quinn, Diego Rincones, Grant McCray, P.J. Hilson

Starting Pitching
- Logan Webb (2020 Age: 23): Somewhat of a hometown guy, Webb grew up in Rocklin, a Sacramento suburb, and had his breakout year in 2018 (2.41 ERA, 100/47 K/BB) four years after he was drafted. However, it turned out he was juicing and he was suspended for 80 games in 2019, but the results were still good; overall, he had a 1.85 ERA, a 1.15 WHIP, and a 69/15 strikeout to walk ratio over 63.1 innings across four levels, and he reached the majors in August and posted a 5.22 ERA and a 37/14 strikeout to walk ratio over 39.2 innings. He sits in the low to mid 90's and gets a ton of ground balls with that fastball, and he adds a power slider that has missed bats in bunches. His changeup is coming along and should be usable, and with his solid command, he should be able to make it as a #3 or #4 starter at the major league level if he can continue to refine that changeup. A move to the bullpen is not completely out of the question, but he's proven enough recently to earn a long look in the major league rotation.
- Conner Menez (2020 Age: 24-25): Born and raised in Hollister, which is just south of the Bay Area off 101, Menez was drafted in the 14th round out of The Master's University in 2016 and was all the way up in High A San Jose by the end of the year. However, it was 2019 that was his breakout season, as he posted a 3.79 ERA, a 1.21 WHIP, and a 154/50 strikeout to walk ratio over 121 innings at AA Richmond and AAA Sacramento, the latter of which was an extremely hitter-friendly context. He also made eight major league appearances with a 5.29 ERA and a 22/12 strikeout to walk ratio in 17 innings. He's a 6'3" lefty that sits in the low 90's with his fastball, two breaking balls, and a changeup, but everything plays up because he gets good angle on his pitches to create deception and a high spin rate to miss bats. His command has improved steadily as he's risen through the minors, and while he'll never be a pinpoint guy, he throws enough strikes now to be successful. Menez isn't a future ace but I feel like I'd be selling him short by describing him as just another #4 starter.
- Sean Hjelle (2020 Age: 22-23): It's hard to miss Hjelle (pronounced "jelly") on the baseball field, because he stands 6'11" and would match Jon Rauch as the tallest player ever if he makes the majors. However, after being drafted in the second round out of Kentucky in 2018, it was his performance on the mound that made him stand out even more. This year, he had a 3.32 ERA, a 1.32 WHIP, and a 139/37 strikeout to walk ratio over 143.2 innings across three levels all the way up to AA Richmond. He sits in the low to mid 90's with his fastball, but it gets on hitters quick due to his exceptionally long arms, and he adds a very good curveball that gets swings and misses. However, his best trait as a pitcher is his command, as he's walked just 41 batters in 165 pro innings so far and he can spot all of his pitches well. I'm not completely sold on Hjelle as an impact starter yet, but he has the chance to be a #3 starter with a more likely outcome as a #4 or #5.
- Seth Corry (2020 Age: 21): Corry was more of a projection guy than anything else when he was drafted in the third round out of a Utah high school in 2017, but that projection began to bear fruit in a breakout 2019. This year, he posted a 1.76 ERA, a 1.07 WHIP, and a 172/58 strikeout to walk ratio over 122.2 innings at Class A Augusta, showing greatly improved command to go with his power stuff. A 6'2" lefty, he's still likely below average with that command, but he's made enough progress that his low 90's fastball and excellent power curve can play up and miss bats by the bunches. There's still a lot more work to be done, but he's well on his way to reaching his ceiling as a #2 or #3 starter if he can tighten that command up a little more and continue to improve his changeup.
- Jake Wong (2020 Age: 23): Drafted one round after Hjelle out of Grand Canyon University, Wong had a solid first full season by posting a 3.90 ERA, a 1.21 WHIP, and a 101/35 strikeout to walk ratio over 113 innings between Class A Augusta and High A San Jose. His mid 90's fastball is his best attribute, and he adds an improving curveball and changeup to the mix, but it all plays down somewhat because his command is fringy and he lacks deception. I see him more as a reliever, where his fastball/curveball combination could sharpen and where he'll need less deception, but continued refinement of his command could make him a solid mid to back-end starter.
- Matt Frisbee (2020 Age: 23): A 15th round pick out of UNC-Greensboro in 2018, Frisbee was originally thought of as a reliever and was successfully used in that role in his pro debut last year (2.96 ERA, 36/13 K/BB). However, he transitioned back to the rotation in 2019 and the results were tremendous, as he posted a 3.13 ERA, a 1.07 WHIP, and a 154/28 strikeout to walk ratio over 132.1 innings at Augusta and San Jose. It's hard to find video or updated scouting reports on him, but coming out of college he sat in the low to mid 90's with his fastball but needed work on his secondaries. I can't confirm but I would guess that they took a step forward in 2019, as did his command, which went from solid to very good. A 6'5" righty, he has the chance to leapfrog some of the more highly-touted names on this list like Beck and Wong.
- Trevor McDonald (2020 Age: 19): The Giants have had a lot of success in their rotation with pitchers from Alabama (Tim Hudson, Matt Cain, Jake Peavy), and just a few miles over the border in George County, Mississippi, they grabbed 6'2" righty Trevor McDonald in the 2019 draft. McDonald only threw four pro innings in 2019 with a 2.25 ERA and eight strikeouts to two walks in complex ball, and he's all upside. He sits in the low 90's for now but with an incredibly quick arm, he could easily add velocity and get into the mid 90's, and he adds three offspeed pitches. They're all inconsistent for now, but he has shown a very strong feel for pitching, and he's the kind of guy who could take off with pro instruction. On the checklist are proving durability and getting more consistent with those secondary pitches, but he's a sleeper to watch.
- Keep an eye on: Tristan Beck, John Gavin, Kai-Wei Teng, Prelander Berroa

Relief Pitching
- Garrett Williams (2020 Age: 25): What do you make a guy who has posted ERA's of 5.01, 2.32, 6.06, and 3.60 in his four pro seasons, and who was equally inconsistent in college? Williams has always flashed big league stuff, but injuries and control problems have hampered him since his time at Oklahoma State. He can sit anywhere in the low to mid 90's with his fastball and he adds a curveball that is a true out pitch when he's on, but he loses the strike zone regularly and gets hammered when he does. In 2019, he had a 3.60 ERA, a 1.35 WHIP, and a 108/61 strikeout to walk ratio over 110 innings at AA Richmond, and the Giants finally moved him to the bullpen in August, where he had a 2.87 ERA and a 17/9 strikeout to walk ratio over 15.2 innings. This seems like a no-brainer to me, as the combination of injuries+unstable command+inconsistent stuff should be remedied.
- Blake Rivera (2020 Age: 22): Rivera still hopes to be next in the long line of Giants starters from Alabama, though he's looking more and more like a reliever. A fourth round pick out of an Alabama community college in 2018, he posted a 4.32 ERA, a 1.39 WHIP, and an 87/41 strikeout to walk ratio over 75 innings between Class A Augusta and complex ball rehab this year. He sits in the low 90's with his fastball and adds a very good curveball, but he hasn't proven to be consistent with either his strike throwing ability or his durability. He's still working on those things, and if he takes a step forward with either in 2020, he could stick as a starter, but for now he's looking like he could be a valuable two pitch reliever.
- Gregory Santos (2020 Age: 20): Santos, like Rivera, still has a shot at starting, but he's yet to eclipse 50 innings in a season while he's battled shoulder issues. In 2019, he posted a 2.86 ERA, a 1.24 WHIP, and a 26/9 strikeout to walk ratio over 34.2 innings at Augusta, sitting in the low to mid 90's with his fastball and adding a curveball that looks good at times but which lacks hard bite. He's done a good job throwing strikes in his small samples, which means he could eventually have above average command if he can stay healthy, though durability is a serious question and a move to the bullpen might be in his best interest. Set to play all of 2020 at 20 years old, he'll still have every chance to prove himself as a starter.
- Keep an eye on: Melvin Adon, Sam Selman, Caleb Kilian

2020 Prospect Depth Chart: Cleveland Indians

This Indians lacks a clear standout, as Nolan Jones and Tyler Freeman have good chances to be impact players but lacks an exciting ceiling, while Triston McKenzie has exciting stuff and polish but can't seem to stay healthy. Down lower though, there are quite a few electric arms like those of Ethan Hankins, Daniel Espino, Carlos Vargas, and Lenny Torres, though I find it just a bit odd that the Indians like to stockpile these high octane arms when they actually develop the opposite extremely well. They've recently graduated a ton of pitchability guys, most notably Shane Bieber, Aaron Civale, Adam Plutko, and Zach Plesac, and they have a few more coming up in Logan Allen, Scott Moss, Eli Morgan, and Adam Scott. On the offensive side, the system is more contact-focused than power-focused (sorry Bobby Bradley and Will Benson), with guys like Jones, Freeman, Ernie Clement, Brayan Rocchio, and Aaron Bracho seeming more focused on that part of their game.

Affiliates: AAA Columbus Clippers, AA Akron RubberDucks, High A Lynchburg Hillcats, Class A Lake County Captains, short season Mahoning Valley Scrappers, complex level AZL and DSL Indians plus DSL Indians/Brewers

Catcher
- Bo Naylor (2020 Age: 20): The Indians' first round pick out of a Toronto-area high school and the younger brother of Padres rookie Josh Naylor got off to a strong start to his pro career in 2019, slashing .243/.313/.421 with eleven home runs and a 104/43 strikeout to walk ratio over 107 games at Class A Lake County. Those numbers might not pop off the page, but high school catching (and catching in general) is so hard to develop that you'll take it most times. He out-hit the other two high-drafted high school catchers from his draft class in Anthony Seigler (.175/.328/.206 at Yankees Class A) and Will Banfield (.199/.252/.310 at Marlins Class A), showing a solid combination of power and plate discipline and even stealing seven bases. In fact, he was my favorite of the three on draft day, and his feel for the barrel should help him develop into a 15-25 homer, decent to solid on-base percentage catcher if things work out.
- Keep an eye on: Gavin Collins, Bryan Lavastida

Corner Infield
- Nolan Jones (2020 Age: 21-22): The best prospect in this system, Nolan Jones has the potential to be an impact bat in the near future. This year, the former second round pick out of a Philadelphia-area high school slashed .272/.409/.442 with 15 home runs and a 148/96 strikeout to walk ratio across 126 games at High A Lynchburg and AA Akron, showing plenty of patience and feel for the barrel. Strongly built at 6'2", he probably won't hit for a ton of power, but he could be a Michael Brantley-type hitter who swats 15-25 home runs per season with high on-base percentages, albeit with a few more strikeouts. He plays a solid third base and while he won't be spectacular there, he'll get the job done. Jones will likely spend a lot of time at AAA in 2020, but don't be surprised to see him called up to the majors at some point.
- Bobby Bradley (2020 Age: 23-24): You want power, Bobby Bradley will give you power. In 2019, he slashed .264/.344/.567 with 33 home runs and a 153/46 strikeout to walk ratio over 107 games at AAA Columbus, also spending 15 games in the majors and slashing .178/.245/.356 with one home run there. He has the chance to become something of a Joey Gallo-lite, as he probably won't get to his power enough to hit 40+ home runs per season, but he has a good chance to be at least a Matt Adams-type if not more. There's a lot of swing and miss in his game and he's not quite patient enough to offset it, so he's not a guarantee to be able to hit in the majors, but the big raw power means he'll get every opportunity to try, starting in 2020.
- Yu Chang (2020 Age: 24): Chang plays all over the infield, but with the depth of middle infield prospects in this system, we'll put him on the corner infield list. In 2019, he slashed .253/.322/.427 with nine home runs and a 67/26 strikeout to walk ratio over 68 games at AAA Columbus, also adding in a .178/.286/.274 performance over 28 major league games. He's got some power from the right side and doesn't strike out a ton, and he's worked to become a more balanced hitter in recent years. He profiles more as a useful, bat-first utility infielder than as a starter, but should earn a spot in 2020.
- Keep an eye on: Wilson Garcia, Ulysses Cantu, Jhonkensy Noel, Joe Naranjo

Middle Infield
- Ernie Clement (2020 Age: 24): Clement is a light hitting middle infielder who makes extremely easy contact from the right side of the plate, and he slashed .269/.323/.331 with one home run, 17 stolen bases, and a 34/28 strikeout to walk ratio over 101 games, mostly at AA Akron. He doesn't generate much impact at all, but he puts the ball in play consistently and should not have a problem doing so in the majors. He won't hit for nearly enough power to start, but he should provide a quality utility infielder in the near future.
- Tyler Freeman (2020 Age: 20-21): As a low walk, low power infielder, Freeman was always going to have to get the ball in play a lot to stay relevant, and he's done that about as well as you could hope. After slashing .352/.405/.511 in short season ball in 2018, he hit .306/.368/.410 with three home runs, 19 stolen bases, and a 53/26 strikeout to walk ratio over 123 games at Class A Lake County and High A Lynchburg. He finds the barrel extremely easily and hit 32 doubles and five triples despite knocking just three home runs, continuously taking extra bases and finding ways to help the team win. He lacks physical tools and simply relies on his exceptional feel for the game, and that should make him at least a strong utility infielder if not a starting second baseman at the major league level.
- Brayan Rocchio (2020 Age: 19): Rocchio is just a 5'10", 150 pound 18 year old kid out of Venezuela, but he surprised a lot of people by slashing .335/.390/.442 in complex ball last year. This year, his numbers were a bit down as an 18 year old in short season ball, but he slashed .250/.310/.373 with five home runs, 14 stolen bases, and a 40/20 strikeout to walk ratio over 69 games at Mahoning Valley. He's got great feel for the barrel and game for his age, and he's an explosive hitter despite his lack of physicality. Adding strength to his small frame could make him an impact hitter all around, and he'll stick up the middle either at second or shortstop.
- Aaron Bracho (2020 Age: 19): Bracho isn't much bigger than Rocchio at 5'11", and in 2019 he slashed .281/.402/.570 with eight home runs and a 29/28 strikeout to walk ratio over 38 games between the complex level Arizona League and short season Mahoning Valley. His ability to just drop the barrel to the ball and spray it around the park helped him beat up on the low level competition he faced in the Arizona League, though of course he was only 18 as well. He profiles better as a second baseman but his advanced bat should profile there.
- Christian Cairo (2020 Age: 18-19): The Indians fourth round pick out of a Tampa-area high school in 2019, Christian Cairo is the son of former major leaguer Miguel Cairo. The younger Cairo slashed just .178/.324/.212 with a 40/25 strikeout to walk ratio over 46 games in the Arizona League in his pro debut, though he had only just turned 18 in June. He's well known for his feel for the game and ability to make contact, and the Indians hope that at least some power will come. He's also a strong defender due to his instincts, though second base might be his better long term home, especially in a system deep with middle infield talent like this one.
- Keep an eye on: Ike Freeman, Raynel Delgado, Gabriel Rodriguez, Jose Tena, Yordys Valdes, Angel Martinez

Outfielders
- Daniel Johnson (2020 Age: 24-25): Acquired from the Nationals in the Yan Gomes trade before the season, Johnson had a successful first season in the Cleveland system by slashing .290/.361/.507 with 19 home runs, 12 stolen bases, and a 118/50 strikeout to walk ratio over 123 games at AA Akron and AAA Columbus. Despite standing only 5'10", he's one of the most tooled up players in this system, as he shows power, speed, and arm strength to be a net positive on both sides of the ball. While he can be inconsistent at the plate, he's an impact hitter when he's on, and he projects for 20+ home runs per season and middling on-base percentages if he can make it click up there. Defensively, he could win Gold Gloves in right field because of his cannon arm and good range.
- Ka'ai Tom (2020 Age: 25-26): Tom has flown a bit under the radar since being drafted in the fifth round out of Kentucky in 2015, but he had a breakout 2019 where he slashed .290/.380/.532 with 23 home runs and a 126/64 strikeout to walk ratio over 132 games in the upper minors at Akron and Columbus. Even at just 5'9", he has power from a quick left handed swing and it wasn't just a product of the juiced balls in AAA, as he still slashed .512 in AA. He doesn't necessarily sell out for power, but he does have to intentionally lift the ball if he wants to get one out, so his hit tool is a bit behind the power and probably means he'll be more of a fourth outfielder at the major league level, but the bat combined with solid defense in the outfield means he should be a valuable one.
- Will Benson (2020 Age: 21-22): It's hard to know exactly what to make of Benson, a first round pick in 2016 out of high school in Atlanta. He's been brought along slowly with mixed results, not reaching full season ball until 2018 and only slashing .180/.324/.370 for Class A Lake County that year. He repeated the level in 2019, with far different results: 18 home runs, a .272/.371/.604 slash line, 18 stolen bases, and a 78/37 strikeout to walk ratio over 62 games. That earned him a promotion to High A Lynchburg, where his numbers dropped again: four home runs, .189/.290/.304 slash line, 73/31 strikeout to walk ratio in 61 games. He has extremely quick hands through the zone that help him produce a ton of power from his 6'5" frame, and he's a selective enough hitter to pad his on-base percentage with plenty of walks. However, he seems to lack the feel for the barrel you'd hope to see in a power hitter like himself, resulting in too many popouts and strikeouts. If he can figure out how to get that barrel where it needs to go, he could hit 30+ home runs annually in the majors, but he isn't there yet. He's also a sound defensive right fielder that should provide positive value there.
- Steven Kwan (2020 Age: 22): Kwan is basically the outfield version of Ernie Clement. A fifth round pick out of Oregon State in 2018, he slashed .280/.353/.382 with three home runs, eleven stolen bases, and a 51/53 strikeout to walk ratio over 123 games at High A Lynchburg this year. He doesn't show much power but he can spray doubles and triples into the gap, and his exceptional knowledge of the strike zone helps him get the ball in play consistently. He profiles as a fourth outfielder at the major league level but that plate discipline gives him a very good chance of getting there.
- George Valera (2020 Age: 19): Valera is a Dominican outfielder who didn't get a chance to show what he could do until 2019, when he slashed .236/.356/.446 with eight home runs and a 52/29 strikeout to walk ratio over 46 games at short season Mahoning Valley before he slumped to .087/.192/.174 in a six game call-up to Class A Lake County. He's extremely talented with advanced feel for the strike zone and barrel, and that was apparent as he reached full season ball at 18 years old. He'll get another crack at it in his age-19 season in 2020, where he'll hope to take the next step towards developing into a high on-base hitter with some power potential despite his 5'10" frame.
- Keep an eye on: Oscar Gonzalez, Jodd Carter, Quentin Holmes, Will Brennan

Starting Pitching
- Logan Allen (2020 Age: 22-23): Allen has bounced around a lot, originally getting traded from the Red Sox to the Padres in the 2015 Craig Kimbrel deal before finding himself in Cleveland following the three-team Trevor Bauer/Yasiel Puig/Franmil Reyes trade in July. Spending the year at AAA, Allen had a 5.85 ERA, a 1.58 WHIP, and an 81/34 strikeout to walk ratio over 80 innings, also putting up a 6.18 ERA and a 17/13 strikeout to walk ratio over 27.2 major league innings. He's a 6'3" righty that sits in the low to mid 90's with his fastball and adds a full arsenal of secondary pitches, led by a plus changeup that functions as his out pitch. The lack of strong breaking balls limits his upside to that of a #4 starter, but he's just about there and with his solid command, he could contribute in the Indians rotation in 2020.
- Scott Moss (2020 Age: 25): Joining Allen in coming over in the three team trade is Scott Moss, a 6'6" lefty who posted a 2.96 ERA, a 1.29 WHIP, and a 159/70 strikeout to walk ratio over 130.2 innings at AA and AAA in what was an extremely dominant 2019 campaign. He only sits in the low 90's with his fastball and doesn't have a true out pitch or even great command, but he uses his size and knowledge of pitching to his advantage to get outs consistently. That makes his average stuff play way up despite his so-so command, and it gives him the chance to exceed expectations upon reaching the majors in 2020, where he's currently projected as a #5 starter.
- Triston McKenzie (2020 Age: 22-23): McKenzie might have the best combination of electric stuff and polish in this system, but injuries held him to just 90.2 innings in 2018 and off the mound completely in 2019. The Floridian righty is a 6'5" string bean that can sit in the low to mid 90's with his fastball and add in a curveball with a ton of vertical movement while also keeping lefties off balance with a diving changeup. Unlike most young pitchers with his profile, he can actually command everything pretty well, and when he's on the mound, he looks like a potential future ace or #2 starter. However, he has to figure out how to stay healthy (it was back problems that wiped out his 2019), because otherwise he may be ticketed for the bullpen despite the electric stuff and command.
- Eli Morgan (2020 Age: 23-24): An under the radar eighth round pick out of Gonzaga in 2017, Morgan has exceeded expectations every step of the way and posted a 3.39 ERA, a 1.17 WHIP, and a 146/40 strikeout to walk ratio over 140.2 innings at High A Lynchburg, AA Akron, and AAA Columbus. He's only a 5'10" righty with a 90 mile an hour fastball and a decent slider, but he mixes and commands his pitches very well and drops in an above average changeup that functions as his out pitch. There are certainly more exciting arms all over this system, but the Indians have done excepctionally well with developing this kind of crafty righty, recently graduating Shane Bieber, Aaron Civale, Adam Plutko, and Zach Plesac off of prospect lists and into their rotation.
- Jean Carlos Mejia (2020 Age: 23): Mejia had a big, breakout 2018 season in A ball (3.31 ERA, 100/21 K/BB), but he missed most of 2019 with a sports hernia and finished with a 4.09 ERA, a 1.12 WHIP, and a 36/9 strikeout to walk ratio over 33 innings at High A Lynchburg. When healthy, Mejia checks most of the boxes for a successful major league starter, showing some velocity (low to mid 90's fastball), two good breaking balls with plenty of feel to spin them, and good command from a 6'4" frame. However, he's missing one of the big ones, and that's durability. He set a career high with 98 innings pitched in 2018, and he otherwise has never broken 40 in a season, which is very concerning if you want to hand him 150 per season in the majors. If he can't hold up as a starter, he could be a quality three pitch reliever.
- Ethan Hankins (2020 Age: 19-20): Hankins has about as electric of an arm as you can find, and he used it to post a 2.55 ERA, a 1.22 WHIP, and a 71/30 strikeout to walk ratio over 60 innings between short season Mahoning Valley and Class A Lake County in 2019. His mid 90's fastball has a ton of running and riding action that makes it nearly impossible to square up, and his changeup is much more advanced than that of most teenage pitchers. Developing a good breaking ball could make him elite and get hitters' eyes going in the other direction, though he hasn't been able to do that yet and currently relies on merely decent sliders and curveballs. As it stands, with so-so command and a spotty injury history, Hankins is a total boom-bust prospect, though developing only two out of the three between command, durability, and a breaking ball should be enough to make him an impact starter.
- Luis Oviedo (2020 Age: 20-21): Oviedo dominated short season ball in 2018 (1.88 ERA, 61/10 K/BB), though he hasn't quite gotten the same results since reaching full season ball. This year, he had a 5.38 ERA, a 1.38 WHIP, and a 72/40 strikeout to walk ratio over 87 innings, showing a quality fastball in the mid 90's as well as a full array of secondary pitches, but his command regressed and he was hit hard when he missed spots. He's a projectable 6'4" and shows a lot of promise with his feel for multiple offspeed pitches, though there's clearly more work to be done in getting him more consistent with his mechanics and command. However, he's also the kind of guy who could break out at any point.
- Daniel Espino (2020 Age: 19): Ethan Hankins has the second most explosive arm in the system, and that's because 2019 first rounder Daniel Espino has the first. A Panamanian right hander who attended school in Georgia, Espino posted a 3.80 ERA, a 1.10 WHIP, and a 34/10 strikeout to walk ratio over 23.2 innings in the complex level Arizona League and at short season Mahoning Valley. He's generously listed at 6'2" and sits in the mid 90's with his fastball, which like that of Hankins, has excellent life. He can also get sinking action on his similarly fast two seamer, and unlike Hankins, he has not one but two excellent breaking balls that can miss bats. He still needs a changeup, but he has pretty decent command for someone who throws so hard so young and he's proven durable so far, so he has the potential to be a top of the rotation guy. However, hard throwing kids like him have had a spotty track record, with guys like Tyler Kolek, Riley Pint, Alex Speas, and Hunter Greene running into trouble and/or injuries in pro ball recently (and the jury is still out on Hankins).
- Hunter Gaddis (2020 Age: 22): A fifth round pick out of Georgia State in 2019, I noted Gaddis as more of an upside play than a safe bet despite coming from the college ranks. That might already be coming to fruition, as he had about as successful as a pro debut as you can imagine: 2.73 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 53/7 K/BB over 33 innings in complex ball and at Mahoning Valley. Gaddis brings four pitches to the table but was often inconsistent at Georgia State as his mechanics made his stuff play down, but the Indians have already quieted down his delivery and he did a much better job of hitting his spots in pro ball, also looking like he's getting better extension towards the plate. If he can maintain this progress, he could be a steal in the fifth round and provide Cleveland with a mid-rotation starter. Watch this one.
- Keep an eye on: Sam Hentges, Adam Scott, Cody Morris, Juan Hillman, Lenny Torres,

Relief Pitching
- James Karinchak (2020 Age: 24): Want to know what untouchable looks like? In 2019, Karinchak had a 2.67 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP, and a 74/17 strikeout to walk ratio over 30.1 innings between AA Akron, AAA Columbus, and some complex level rehab. Those numbers are skewed a bit by the juiced balls in AAA, but Karinchak's run through AA especially was nothing short of legendary: ten shutout innings, two hits, two walks, and 24 strikeouts. That's two thirds of his opponents going down via strikeout in AA and 59.2% overall. He sits in the mid to upper 90's with his fastball and gets some serious run on it, and his hammer curveball gets him swings and misses virtually whenever he wants them. However, he struggles to throw strikes consistently, which is just about the only thing keeping him from being a major league closer today. Landing his two plus pitches for strikes could get him there though, and even if he has only a rough idea where the ball is going, he'll be a successful major league reliever. In five appearances with the Indians this year, he had a 1.69 ERA, a 0.75 WHIP, and an 8/1 strikeout to walk ratio over 5.1 innings.
- Nick Sandlin (2020 Age: 23): A second round pick out of Southern Miss in 2018, Sandlin reached AAA in his first full season and might be just as interesting as Karinchak. After dominating, and I mean dominating (1.06 ERA, 0.71 WHIP, 144/18 K/BB) as a junior at USM, he spent 2019 in the upper minors and posted a 2.39 ERA, a 1.25 WHIP, and a 38/15 strikeout to walk ratio over 26.1 innings at Akron and Columbus. He's only 5'11" and sits in the low 90's with his fastball, but he gets by on 80-grade deception because he can and will throw all of his pitches overhand, sidearm, or even submarine, racking up awkward swings all over the place and keeping hitters as off balance as can be. His slider especially is a weapon, as it can dive clear across the plate, and he commands everything pretty well. Unfortunately, he was shut down with a forearm strain in July, so durability remains an important question.
- Carlos Vargas (2020 Age: 20): Vargas spent 2019 as a starter in short season ball, posting a 4.52 ERA, a 1.25 WHIP, and a 71/24 strikeout to walk ratio over 77.2 innings. He's got an extremely quick arm that produces and explosive mid 90's fastball and a hard, bat-missing slider, and the Indians are hoping to help him develop that changeup and command and keep him in the rotation. Even though he'll spend all of 2020 at 20 years old, his delivery, explosive stuff, and quick arm most likely point to the bullpen for me, where he could sit in the upper 90's and miss bats by the bunch.
- Keep an eye on: Aaron Pinto, Kellen Rholl, Matt Waldron

2020 Prospect Depth Chart: Los Angeles Angels

Obviously, every commentary about the Angels' farm system must be led by Jo Adell, the power hitting, speedy future star who will hopefully help Mike Trout actually get into the playoffs. Outside of him, it's actually a fairly imbalanced farm system, with a deep crop of maybe-could-be starting pitching, athletic but raw outfielders, and actually-pretty-interesting middle infielders, while the system is almost completely devoid of corner infielders and catching. Guys like Brandon Marsh, Will Wilson, Jeremiah Jackson, Hector Yan, and Jose Soriano have interesting upside, though only Marsh has actually played above Class A from that group. It's a really interesting system that has a good chance of turning out very little (beyond Adell, of course), but a lot of guys are just an adjustment or two away from becoming potential impact players.

Affiliates: AAA Salt Lake City Bees, AA Mobile BayBears*, High A Inland Empire 66ers, Class A Burlington Bees, rookie Orem Owlz, complex level AZL and DSL Angels
*AA affiliate will move from Mobile, AL to Huntsville, AL in 2020

Catcher
- Jack Kruger (2020 Age: 25): There's very little catching talent at all in this system, so potential backup Jack Kruger stands out as perhaps the best. A former 20th round pick out of Mississippi State, he had a strong 2018 season and slashed .299/.357/.413 between High A Inland Empire and AA Mobile, but a return to Mobile this year saw him slash just .240/.300/.309 with three home runs and a 69/24 strikeout to walk ratio over 92 games. He's supposedly a strong defender, and by stealing 13 bases in 2018, he showed some speed and athleticism that you don't see in every backstop. Rediscovering his 2018 swing could help him land as the Angels' backup catcher at some point. As a bonus, he grew up in Westlake Village, just northwest of Los Angeles.

Corner Infield
- Jared Walsh (2020 Age: 26-27): As with catching, the Angels are pretty shallow here in the corner infield too. Jared Walsh absolutely mashed in hitter-friendly AAA Salt Lake City in 2019, slashing .325/.423/.686 with 36 home runs and a 115/59 strikeout to walk ratio over 98 games, though those numbers were inflated a bit by the juiced balls and thin air. He also slashed .203/.276/.329 in a 31 game major league call-up, and he comes with plus raw power from the left side of the plate that should play in the majors once he gets acclimated. He'll likely never be more than a bench bat though, as his hit tool isn't strong enough to provide enough offense to start at first base, but the fact that he hits both lefties and righties well is a good sign. Walsh has also dabbled in pitching, and as a lefty reliever this year, he put up a 4.15 ERA, a 1.62 WHIP, and a 9/5 strikeout to walk ratio over 13 innings in AAA and even a 1.80 ERA and a 5/6 strikeout to walk ratio in five major league innings. A fastball/curveball guy with so-so command, he likely provides more value as a hitter but should be a useful mop-up reliever as well.
- Kevin Maitan (2020 Age: 20): Maitan was one of the top prospects in recent memory coming out of Venezuela, and he was compared to Chipper Jones and Miguel Cabrera from the time he was barely a teenager. Signed by the Braves at 16 for $4.25 million, he was freed in the team's bonus scandal and signed with the Angels for another $2.2 million. However, he has yet to really tap into that tremendous upside, and he slashed .214/.278/.323 with 12 home runs and a 164/39 strikeout to walk ratio over 123 games at Class A Burlington. He shows big raw power from both sides of the plate, but poor strike zone judgement and less feel for the barrel than expected has kept him from tapping it with any consistency. Originally projected to be a 30+ homer bat with on-base percentages north of .350, his upside is now more in the 20-25 home run range with mediocre on-base percentages, but the good news is that Maitan will play all of 2020 at 20 years old and he has plenty of time to reclaim that lost luster. He should stick at third base with a cannon arm and decent glovework.
- Keep an eye on: Jose Rojas, Jordan Zimmerman, Adrian Rondon

Middle Infield
- Jahmai Jones (2020 Age: 22-23): Jones was a second round pick out of an Atlanta-area high school in 2015, and he's followed up big 2016 and 2017 seasons with mediocre 2018 and 2019 seasons. This year, Jones slashed .234/.308/.324 with five home runs, nine stolen bases, and a 109/50 strikeout to walk ratio over 130 games at AA Mobile. He's a supreme athlete (if you're a football fan, you might know of his brother wide receiver T.J. Jones) with plenty of speed and quick hands that can help him avoid strikeouts. However, he's struggled to barrel the ball up much over the last couple of seasons, and he'll have to rediscover his all fields, line drive stroke if he wants to be a starting second baseman on this team, as there are a lot of middle infielders coming up behind him.
- Will Wilson (2020 Age: 21-22): The Angels' first round pick out of NC State in 2019, Wilson had a solid pro debut with rookie level Orem by slashing .275/.328/.439 with five home runs and a 47/14 strikeout to walk ratio over 46 games. He's an exciting talent with some serious pop to the pull side despite being a skinny six footer, and he's got enough bat speed and feel for the barrel to get the ball out to any field. Where he'll need to work offensively is on his plate discipline, as he's aggressive and that pull-oriented approach could be exploited in the minors. If he learns to trust his bat speed and improve his strike zone judgement, he could be a 20 homer, .350 on-base percentage type of hitter. Defensively, he's a bit raw at shortstop and may be able to stick, but his decent arm and quick reactions fit better at second base, where his decent range won't be as stretched.
- Jeremiah Jackson (2020 Age: 20): Originally thought of as a hit-over-power guy in high school in Mobile, Alabama, Jackson has bought into the launch angle revolution and while his hit tool has regressed slightly, his power has exploded. Spending 2019 in rookie ball, he slashed .266/.333/.605 with 23 home runs and a 96/24 strikeout to walk ratio in just 65 games with Orem. No other Pioneer League hitter had more than 19 home runs, and only two others hit more than 13. He gets great extension at the plate and his plus feel for the barrel has enabled 100% of his raw power to play up in games, though his home run-oriented swing led to a 33% strikeout rate against pitching that wasn't all that advanced. The good news is that when he gets a crack at full season ball in 2020, he can see if that home run swing works or if he'll need to dial it back a bit, which he is fully capable of doing. He'll be 20 for all of 2020 and he could play an above average second or third base if he moves off of shortstop, so he has time to figure it out.
- Kyren Paris (2020 Age: 18): One of the youngest players in the 2019 draft, Kyren Paris didn't turn 18 until shortly before this article was published and he therefore will have two full seasons in the minor leagues as a teenager. A second rounder out of high school in Oakley, California (about 30 miles west of Oakland), Paris is a natural ballplayer with smooth actions at shortstop as well as a smooth swing at the plate. He's so young and skinny that it's hard to know exactly what kind of power he'll grow into, but for now, he's hit over power with some speed and plate discipline. In the end, he could be a guy who hits 10-20 home runs per season with high on-base percentages and good defense at shortstop, though he obviously has a long, long way to go to get there.
- Arol Vera (2020 Age: 17): Even younger than Kyren Paris is Arol Vera, a Venezuelan shortstop who only turned 17 in September. He signed with the Angels for $2 million and hasn't played a professional game yet, but just watching some video of his swing, it's easy to see what the Angels like about the switch hitter. He's a wiry 6'2" with a very athletic frame, and he produces a ton of torque from both sides of the plate with good feel for the strike zone and barrel already. Of course, he has an even longer way to go than Paris, but he's definitely a name to watch as he begins play in the Dominican Summer League as a 17 year old in 2020.
- Keep an eye on: Roberto Baldoquin, Leonardo Rivas, Livan Soto, Justin Jones

Outfield
- Jo Adell (2020 Age: 21): If it weren't for Jo Adell, the Angels might have the worst farm system in the game. Adell is not only their headliner, but he might be the best outfield prospect in all of baseball. Injuries kept him off the field to start 2019, but he still came back and slashed .289/.359/.475 with ten home runs, seven stolen bases, and a 94/30 strikeout to walk ratio over 76 games for High A Inland Empire, AA Mobile, and AAA Salt Lake City. Those aren't the loudest numbers, but he reached AAA just a few months after turning 20 years old despite injuries keeping him off the field. He has light tower power, gets to it much more consistently than was originally expected when he was a first round pick out of high school in Louisville in 2017, and shows plenty of speed to make him an all-around offensive threat. Defensively, he uses his speed well in the outfield and could play center field if it weren't for Mike Trout, but his cannon arm makes him more than a fit for right field, where he could win Gold Gloves. Overall, he has the upside of a Christian Yelich-type player with a stronger arm, and even without hitting his ceiling he could still hit 25 home runs per season with solid on-base percentages, speed, and good defense.
- Brandon Marsh (2020 Age: 22): A second round pick out of an Atlanta-area high school in 2016, Marsh has been in Adell's shadow a little bit, but he's performed well under the radar. This year, he slashed .300/.383/.428 with seven home runs, 18 stolen bases, and a 92/47 strikeout to walk ratio over 96 games at AA Mobile. He has a quick barrel and generates good power from his 6'4" frame, but he's also been pounding the ball into the ground a lot and that has kept his power from playing up in games. Learning a thing or two from fellow Angels prospect Jeremiah Jackson could help him unlock a ton of power by lifting the ball more, though there's just enough swing and miss in his game that it wouldn't be an easy shift. He also has speed and a strong arm that helps him steal bases and play good defense, so Marsh provides close to a complete package, though obviously not with tools as loud as Adell's. If he can tap into that power, he probably ends up with 20-25 home runs per season, decent on-base percentages, and some speed.
- Jordyn Adams (2020 Age: 20): A two sport star who was committed to UNC as a four star wide receiver, Adams spent most of 2019 at Class A Burlington and slashed .257/.351/.369 with eight home runs, 16 stolen bases, and a 111/56 strikeout to walk ratio over 109 games. He has a quick barrel and a smooth swing, and his plate discipline ability to find that barrel has improved as he's developed. He doesn't have a ton of pop and likely never will have more than 15-20 home run power, but he does have the ability to spray balls into the gaps and use his plus-plus speed on the bases. Overall, he still has a lot to work on including continuing to refine his hit tool as well as his reads in the outfield, but he will also spend the entire 2020 season at just 20 years old.
- D'Shawn Knowles (2020 Age: 19): One of two toolsy Bahamian outfielders to play for rookie-level Orem this year, D'Shawn Knowles has outperformed Trent Deveaux so far. In 2019, playing the whole season at just 18 years old, Knowles slashed .241/.310/.387 with six home runs and a 76/26 strikeout to walk ratio over 64 games, numbers that were down slightly from 2018 but still respectable given his age. He's an explosive player who is still maturing physically, so it's hard to say exactly how much power he'll have down the line, but it's easy to see him at least spraying plenty of doubles and triples into the gaps while his plus speed does the rest. There are a lot of center fielders in this system, but Knowles can stick there as well. Overall, he projects as a run producing, high-ish on-base hitter who can pop anywhere from 15-30 home runs per season.
- Trent Deveaux (2020 Age: 19-20): While Knowles' feel for the game is more advanced at his age, Trent Deveaux is more tooled up. The Bahamian slashed .238/.320/.422 with with seven home runs, 15 stolen bases, and a 91/26 strikeout to walk ratio over 60 games this year, mostly in the complex level Arizona League but with a few games up at Orem. He's definitely got some raw power to tap into, though it's mostly to the gaps now, and his blazing speed rivals that of Jordyn Adams for the best in the system. However, it hasn't really translated onto the field yet, and he struck out in 31.1% of his plate appearances against lower level competition in the Arizona League and in 48.4% (15/31) in his small sample in the Pioneer League. If Deveaux wants to catch up to the other outfielders in this system, he has to start to learn the nuances. Fortunately, he reportedly has a strong work ethic and he's working hard to learn.
- Keep an eye on: Michael Hermosillo, Bo Way, Gareth Morgan, Nonie Williams, Alexander Ramirez

Starting Pitching
- Patrick Sandoval (2020 Age: 23): Sandoval dominated across three levels in 2018 with a 2.01 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP across 122.1 innings, though he wasn't quite as effective in 2019 when he pitched in more advanced, hitter-friendly environments. Between AA Mobile and AAA Salt Lake City, mostly at the latter, he had a 5.71 ERA, a 1.74 WHIP, and a 98/42 strikeout to walk ratio over 80.1 innings, then he was called up to the Angels in August and posted a 5.03 ERA and a 42/19 strikeout to walk ratio in 39.1 innings. Sandoval has plenty of classic starter traits, sitting in the low 90's with his fastball and adding three offspeed pitches in a curveball, a slider, and a changeup, all of which can be above average at times, and he showed great command in 2018. That command regressed a bit against better hitters in 2019, but he still has a good chance to be a solid left handed #4 starter as early as 2020.
- Oliver Ortega (2020 Age: 23): Ortega has improved slowly and steadily throughout his time in the minors, and this year he reached the upper minors after posting a 3.34 ERA and a 121/49 strikeout to walk ratio at High A Inland Empire. Because he struggled at AA Mobile (8.64 ERA), he finished the season with a 4.14 ERA, a 1.32 WHIP, and a 135/57 strikeout to walk ratio over 111 innings in all, but he's showing more and more that he could be able to stick as a starter. He's a fastball/curveball guy that sits in the mid 90's and needs to work on his changeup and command, though the command has been improving to the point where it's nearly average and could get there in time. Ultimately, it will be the changeup that determines whether he remains a starter, and for now he looks like a #3 or #4 guy at best.
- Kyle Bradish (2020 Age: 23): A fourth round pick out of New Mexico State in 2018, Bradish didn't pitch professionally that year but skipped all the way to High A Inland Empire for his pro debut this year. The results weren't spectacular, but he still exceeded expectations with a 4.28 ERA, a 1.42 WHIP, and a 120/53 strikeout to walk ratio over 101 innings against advanced competition in a hitters' league. Originally projected as a reliever, he delayed that potential move with his performance this year and by doing a better job of maintaining low 90's heat late into his starts. While nothing he throws grades out as a plus, his tilt and go delivery makes everything play up as it's hard to time and see his pitches. His command was a bit better than expected in 2019, and while a move to the bullpen is still possible due to the effort in his delivery, he might just be able to throw enough strikes to stick as a potential #4 starter.
- Aaron Hernandez (2020 Age: 23): Drafted a round before Bradish out of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Hernandez was also pushed aggressively to Inland Empire to begin his pro career. He didn't quite get the same results as Bradish, but the numbers were still solid as he had a 4.46 ERA, a 1.67 WHIP, and an 81/46 strikeout to walk ratio over 72.2 innings. He's 6'1" but his drop and drive delivery causes him to release the ball fairly low from the ground, which actually reduces his deception and makes it easier to pick his stuff up. That, combined with shaky command, has held him back somewhat, though his sinking low to mid 90's fastball and deep array of strong secondary pitches give him the chance to start in the majors. He's more durable than you'd expect given his slight frame, so there's less reliever risk than you'd think, but he might be forced into that role if he can't figure out a way to get better angle and/or deception on his pitches.
- Hector Yan (2020 Age: 21): Yan has gone completely under the radar up until this year, having thrown just 76.1 unremarkable innings over the first three years of his pro career. However, upon reaching full season ball in 2019, he took off in a huge way, posting a 3.39 ERA, a 1.16 WHIP, and a 148/52 strikeout to walk ratio over 109 innings in his age-20 season at Class A Burlington. He sits in the low 90's with his fastball and adds a good two-plane curveball, coming from a crossfire left handed delivery that makes it very difficult to pick up his stuff. His command improved to nearly average in 2019 as well, which made all the difference in the world, and he's now a legitimate mid-rotation starter if he can continue to improve that command and add a changeup. A year from now, he could be the best pitching prospect in this system – I like him.
- Jose Soriano (2020 Age: 21): Soriano dominated in his first two years of pro ball before getting knocked around a bit in his first taste of full season ball in 2018, but he bounced back in 2019 by posting a 2.51 ERA, a 1.32 WHIP, and a 92/51 strikeout to walk ratio over 82.1 innings, mostly at Burlington. While Yan is only 5'11", Soriano is 6'3" and sits in the mid 90's with his fastball with the promise of more velocity to come. He also throws a good curveball and a decent changeup, though his command has held him back to this point. He's got better raw stuff than Yan, and he has a higher ceiling if he can figure out his command, but I personally like Yan better as a prospect.
- Robinson Pina (2020 Age: 21): Pina was another breakout star in 2019, posting a 3.83 ERA, a 1.35 WHIP, and a 146/61 strikeout to walk ratio over 108 innings at Burlington. His fastball is down in the low 90's but he shows the potential for more at 6'4", and his hammer curveball helped him rack up the strikeouts. As has been the story with most of these Angels pitchers, command is what holds him back, and he carries a bit more reliever risk than Yan and Soriano.
- Jack Kochanowicz (2020 Age: 19): Drafted in the third round out of a Philadelphia-area high school in 2019, Kochanowicz has not pitched professionally yet but brings a low 90's fastball and a big curveball from a 6'6" frame while adding a changeup he has some feel for and solid command. He's fairly similar as a prospect to Stiward Aquino, except that he's a year and a half younger and doesn't come with the same injury history. For now, he's a rather generic projectable high school arm that's slightly more advanced than most kids his age, but it's still hard to say exactly what kind of starting pitcher he'll become.
- Keep an eye on: Andrew Wantz, Chris Rodriguez, Stiward Aquino

Relief Pitching
- Luis Madero (2020 Age: 23): Madero took a huge step forward in 2018 (3.49 ERA, 95/27 K/BB) to establish himself as one of the better arms in the Angels' system, though he was knocked around a bit this year and finished with a 5.03 ERA, a 1.54 WHIP, and a 98/31 strikeout to walk ratio over 105.2 innings, mostly at AA Mobile. Madero sits in the low 90's with his fastball and adds a good curveball, and while his command has improved up to average, his lack of a changeup or anything that really sets him apart caused him to get hit in AA. Taking a step forward with that changeup could help him remain a potential back-end starter, though a move to the bullpen could help his fastball/curveball combination play up and get him to the majors in 2020.
- Jeremy Beasley (2020 Age: 23): Beasley was excellent across three levels in 2018 (2.66 ERA, 104/32 K/BB), then came down to Earth with a 4.49 ERA, a 1.45 WHIP, and a 115/48 strikeout to walk ratio over 122.1 innings, mostly at Mobile but also with a few innings up at AAA Salt Lake City. He's more of a fastball/changeup guy with largely ordinary stuff across the board and average command, and he may still profile as a #5 starter if he can get that command to a tick above average, but ultimately the whole package might be a bit light for starting in the majors. He profiles well as a long reliever.
- Keep an eye on: Joe Gatto, Connor Higgins, Chad Sykes

2020 Prospect Depth Chart: Chicago Cubs

The Cubs have four prospects with serious impact potential, those being catcher Miguel Amaya, infielder Nico Hoerner, outfielder Brennen Davis, and pitcher Brailyn Marquez. However, aside from those four, there's not much to be excited about here. Ryan Jensen has that big fastball but hasn't proven much else, Chase Strumpf could be a useful bat, and Kohl Franklin has upside on the mound, but overall, it's a pretty shallow system that has long since been squeezed of big names like Kris Bryant, Addison Russell, Kyle Schwarber, Eloy Jimenez, and Dylan Cease. The good news is that a pair of late, late round arms in Jeffrey Passantino (40th round, 2017) and Jack Patterson (32nd round, 2018) have exceeded expectations in a big way.

Affiliates: AAA Iowa Cubs, AA Tennessee Smokies, High A Myrtle Beach Pelicans, Class A South Bend Cubs, short season Eugene Emeralds, complex level AZL and DSL Cubs

*Players are split by position and listed in order of a combination of closeness to the majors and prospect status. They are not ordered by prospect status alone.

Catcher
- Miguel Amaya (2020 Age: 21): There's not a lot to brag about in this system, but the Cubs do something a lot of teams don't, and that's a legitimate starting catching prospect. Miguel Amaya spent his age-20 season at High A Myrtle Beach, slashing .235/.351/.402 with eleven home runs and a 69/54 strikeout to walk ratio over 99 games. Those numbers may look fairly ordinary, but for a 20 year old glove-first catcher in the pitcher-friendly Carolina League, you'll take that every time. Amaya is a lock to stay behind the plate with his innate feel for catching, and he shows strong plate discipline that helps his otherwise average bat play up. Just 21 for all of 2020, the Panamanian has the chance to hit 15-20 home runs annually in the majors while playing above average defense behind the plate.
- Ethan Hearn (2020 Age: 19): It wasn't the smoothest pro debut for the 2019 sixth rounder, as he slashed .163/.286/.275 with two home runs and a 36/13 strikeout to walk ratio over 23 games in the complex level Arizona League, but he was also just 18 years old and fresh out of a Mobile, Alabama high school. Offensively, his power-oriented swing is his calling card, with the main question being how often he'll get to it against pro pitching due to so-so contact ability. He also has a strong arm behind the plate and is a good enough defensive catcher to stick there, but his game is raw overall and high school catchers don't have the strongest track record. This will be an interesting one to follow.
- Ronnier Quintero (2020 Age: 17): Turning just 17 years old right around the time this article is set to go out, Quintero is a long, long way off from the majors. He signed for $2.9 million out of Venezuela due to his big left handed power, though like Hearn, he will need to prove he can get to it because his swing has just a bit of length to it. He also has a strong arm and so-so defense, but it's not often you find catchers that young with that kind of power.
- Keep an eye on: Jhonny Pereda

Corner Infield
- Robel Garcia (2020 Age: 27): Garcia originally signed with the Indians in 2010, but he was released in 2013 and played in Italy for a few years. Back with the Cubs in 2019, he slashed .284/.369/.586 with 27 home runs and a 120/42 strikeout to walk ratio over 98 games with AA Tennessee and AAA Iowa, while a pair of major league call-ups in July and September saw him slash .208/.275/.500 with five home runs in 31 games. Playing every game like he has something to prove, Garcia can hit the ball a long way and was able to get to that power consistently even against advanced AAA pitching and a few times against MLB pitchers. He's played all around the infield, giving him a perfect power hitting utility infielder profile, even if his game does come with some swing and miss.
- Christopher Morel (2020 Age: 20-21): After a rough start to his pro career, Morel had a breakout 2019 with Class A South Bend, slashing .284/.320/.467 with six home runs and a 60/11 strikeout to walk ratio over 73 games. Despite being listed at just 140 pounds, Morel is adept at finding the barrel and can spray line drives all over the field. The hope is that as he gets stronger and fills out his six foot frame, those doubles and triples will translate into home runs, ideally making him an all-around threat in the batter's box. He's also a sound defender who may be able to handle shortstop in a pinch, but he'll also be above average at third base. Overall, there's a lot to like with the Dominican, and if he comes back stronger in 2020, he could leap up prospect lists.
Keep an eye on: Jared Young, Cam Balego

Middle Infield
- Nico Hoerner (2020 Age: 22-23): If you're going to read about one player in this system, it's probably Hoerner that you want to research. A 2018 first round pick out of Stanford, he slashed .284/.344/.399 with three home runs and a 31/21 strikeout to walk ratio over 70 games at AA Tennessee before earning a major league call-up at 22 years old, in which he slashed .282/.305/.436 with three more home runs and an 11/3 strikeout to walk ratio over 20 games. An early 2020 NL Rookie of the Year candidate, he has a great chance to grab either the starting shortstop or second base position in Chicago with his exceptional, innate hitting ability. He finds the barrel with ease and is tough to strike out, though at a stocky 5'11" and with a line drive-oriented swing, he likely never hits more than 10-15 home runs per season, perhaps popping for close to 20 once or twice. He also doesn't walk much, so his value will come from high, fairly empty batting averages potentially north of .300. He's a bit stretched at shortstop and probably fits better at second base, but his feel for the game could help him be adequate at the former if the Cubs need him there. Overall, expect production similar to what Starlin Castro produced early in his Cubs career, but with more consistency.
- Zack Short (2020 Age: 24-25): Short slashed .235/.363/.404 with six home runs and a 72/38 strikeout to walk ratio over 63 games between AA Tennessee, AAA Iowa, and rehab work in the Arizona League this year, showing power and sound infield defense while struggling to make contact consistently. That power and defense will help him get a shot at competing with Robel Garcia and Trent Giambrone for a utility infield spot, but he'll have to get to that power regularly if he wants to stick, and that may require him to tone down his swing a bit and focus more on contact. Expect him in the majors in 2020.
- Aramis Ademan (2020 Age: 21): For a kid who only just turned 21 in September, Ademan has sure been on prospect lists for a while. The kid who signed for $2 million out of the Dominican Republic in 2015 and who slashed .286/.365/.466 as an 18 year old in short season ball in 2017 has seen his bat stall a bit in High A, and he slashed just .221/.318/.334 with five home runs, 16 stolen bases, and a 92/48 strikeout to walk ratio over 112 games at Myrtle Beach this year. That's a slight improvement from .207/.291/.273 at the same level a year ago, but the Cubs would really like to get that bat going. He has a simple swing, an advanced approach, and good feel for the game, but he has yet to prove that his tools themselves are strong enough to warrant his top prospect status. Defensively, he should stick at shortstop, which takes some pressure off the bat but he still needs to hit.
- Chase Strumpf (2020 Age: 22): The Cubs' second round pick in 2019 out of UCLA, Strumpf is a bat-first prospect who slashed .244/.374/.400 with three home runs and a 42/23 strikeout to walk ratio over 39 games in his pro debut, mostly at short season Eugene but also with a few games in the Arizona League and at Class A South Bend. He's got some moderate pop and can find the barrel regularly, and his approach was a bit more advanced than expected once he got to pro ball. Strumpf will have to continue to make strides with his plate discipline in order to help his hit tool play up, as he's just an adequate defender at second base who can get the job done but not much more. Overall, he projects as a 15-20 home run bat with on-base percentages around .350 if he can indeed keep his aggressive approach in check.
- Keep an eye on: Trent Giambrone, Vimael Machin, Andy Weber, Pedro Martinez

Outfield
- Brennen Davis (2020 Age: 20): While Nico Hoerner is perhaps the system's top prospect, Brennan Davis has the highest upside of any hitter in this system. The 6'4" outfielder was all projection when he was drafted in the second round out of a Phoenix-area high school in 2018, and despite being limited by hand injuries in 2019, he still broke out to slash .305/.381/.525 with eight home runs and a 38/18 strikeout to walk ratio over 50 games at Class A South Bend. He's an exceptional athlete that possesses big time power and speed, and by getting to that power consistently in a small sample in full season ball in 2019, his bust-risk is shrinking by the day. There is still a lot of work to be done, and Davis only turned 20 this offseason, but he has the upside of a 25-30 home run bat who can stick in center field.
- D.J. Artis (2020 Age: 23): A seventh round pick out of Liberty in 2018, Artis had a solid if unspectacular pro debut by slashing .259/.371/.341 with a pair of home runs, 19 stolen bases, and a 67/35 strikeout to walk ratio over 64 games, mostly at Class A South Bend with a few in High A Myrtle Beach as well as complex level rehab work. Only 5'9", he's an extremely patient hitter who has posted high on-base percentages wherever he's gone, and his ability to find good pitches to hit helps his bat play up. On the flip side, he has virtually no power, so in order to provide value on offense, he has to continue to hit lots of singles, draw lots of walks, and steal bases when he can. A below average arm limits him to left field, but he's fast enough to be above average there and could work his way up as a fourth outfielder.
- Nelson Maldonado (2020 Age: 23-24): The Cubs may have gotten a steal here in the 21st round. Maldonado was a senior sign known for coming up with clutch hits at Florida, and he raked in his pro debut by slashing .332/.378/.456 with three home runs and a 35/17 strikeout to walk ratio over 56 games between the complex level Arizona League, short season Eugene, and Class A South Bend. He turned 23 in August but he's already made up for lost time by mastering Class A and should begin 2020 in High A with the chance to hit his way to AA. He's a stocky guy at 5'10" who can hit for average power, but he shows an advanced approach and has simply hit everywhere he's gone. His ceiling is that of a platoon or bench bat in the outfield, but don't sleep on him.
- Cole Roederer (2020 Age: 20): Projected similarly to Brennen Davis when they were drafted fifteen picks apart in 2018, Roederer didn't quite get off to the hot start that Davis did, slashing .224/.319/.365 with nine home runs, 16 stolen bases, and a 112/52 strikeout to walk ratio over 108 games at South Bend. He generates above average power from a smooth, clean left handed swing with the ability to get some serious loft and distance on the ball, but his raw approach at the plate held him back a bit in 2020 as pro pitching was able to get him to chase pitcher's pitches rather than finding his own pitch to hit. There's still a ton of upside here and he just turned 20 in September, so the upside remains intriguing even if the numbers haven't caught up yet.
- Nelson Velazquez (2020 Age: 21): Velazquez generates a ton of power from the right side of the plate, and few players in this system can make the ball jump off their bats like he does, but a raw approach has kept him from getting to that power consistently so far. In 2019, he slashed .288/.341/.441 with six home runs and an 82/23 strikeout to walk ratio over 78 games between rehab work and South Bend, giving some hope that 2020 could be a breakout year if he just hones that approach in a little bit. The shallowness of this system means that with only Brennen Davis truly ahead of him on the depth chart, increased production in 2020 could push him ahead of some of the other guys on this list and put an arrow next to his name.
- Keep an eye on: Donnie Dewees, Zac Taylor

Starting Pitching
- Adbert Alzolay (2020 Age: 25): Alzolay has been up and down and up and down for years, and while he's finally big league ready, it's hard to tell exactly what he's going to be. This year, he posted a 4.80 ERA, a 1.34 WHIP, and a 94/33 strikeout to walk ratio over 69.1 innings, mostly in the hitter-friendly AAA Pacific Coast League, and he also carried a 7.30 ERA and a 13/9 strikeout to walk ratio over 12.1 major league innings. Alzolay sits in the low to mid 90's with his fastball and adds a hammer curveball that's tough to square up, but his changeup and command have lagged just enough to keep him from putting it all together at the upper levels. He's athletic and has shown the ability to throw consistent strikes in the past, so the Cubs have not given up on him as a starter, and a bit more consistency could make him a #3 or a #4 guy. However, there is risk that he's moved to the bullpen, where he could settle in as a fastball/curveball guy and perhaps become a set-up man. Either way, expect to see him in the majors in some capacity in 2020.
- Brailyn Marquez (2020 Age: 21): There is no question that Brailyn Marquez is the best pitching prospect in this system, which is why I'm listing him ahead of some more advanced pitchers in AA and AAA. He's a 6'4" lefty who pitched the whole 2019 season at 20 years old, posting a 3.13 ERA, a 1.30 WHIP, and a 128/50 strikeout to walk ratio over 103.2 innings between Class A South Bend and High A Myrtle Beach. He sits consistently in the mid 90's while bumping the upper 90's with his fastball, which has been enough to blow away hitters in A ball. He also adds a diving curveball that generates plenty of swings and misses, and getting a bit more consistent with it would give him two easy plus pitches. He also throws a changeup, though his command has been inconsistent and is probably the biggest thing he needs to work on. Even if the changeup never gets better than average, just refining his command a little bit could make him a #2 or #3 starter, and he should get an extended crack at AA in 2020, potentially even forcing a call-up if he does well.
- Cory Abbott (2020 Age: 24): A second round pick out of Loyola Marymount in 2017, Abbott has had success throughout his minor league career and posted a 3.01 ERA, a 1.12 WHIP, and a 166/52 strikeout to walk ratio over 146.2 innings at AA Tennessee in 2019. What he lacks in velocity he makes up for in pitching savvy, as he mixes his fastball, cutter, curveball, and changeup well enough to keep hitters guessing despite the cutter being his only true out pitch. He's durable and throws plenty of strikes, giving him a high floor as a back-end starter or long reliever, though his ceiling is limited and he's probably a #4 at best.
- Tyson Miller (2020 Age: 24-25): Miller dominated at AA Tennessee this year (2.56 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 80/18 K/BB in 88 IP) but the story was not quite the same at AAA Iowa (7.58 ERA, 1.79 WHIP, 43/25 K/BB in 48.2 IP). He sits in the low 90's with his fastball and adds a good slider, and his good-enough command was enough to make it play up and avoid hard contact in AA. However, hitters squared him up too much in AAA, as he allowed 13 home runs in those 48.2 innings, so he'll have to continue to improve on locating his fastball and avoiding barrels, especially as a fly ball pitcher. He may be ticketed for the bullpen, but another crack at AAA in 2020 could yield better results and help him on his way to being a #4 or #5 starter.
- Riley Thompson (2020 Age: 23-24): An eleventh round pick out of Louisville in 2018, injuries had limited how often Thompson was able to get on the mound for the Cardinals so the Cubs have brought him along slowly so far. He spent 2019 with Class A South Bend, where he was a bit older than most of his competition, but his 3.06 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, and 87/31 strikeout to walk ratio over 94 innings meant that the season was still a success. Then in the Midwest League championship, he struck out ten over five perfect innings to put an exclamation point on his season. Now healthy, he sits in the mid 90's with his fastball and adds a plus curveball that really dives when he's throwing it right. The changeup is coming along nicely, and with average command and a clean delivery, he has the makings of a #4 starter now that he's got some consistent innings under his belt. He turns 24 in July, so there's a bit of minor urgency to start climbing the ladder, and he'll start with High A in 2020.
- Kohl Franklin (2020 Age: 20): The Cubs think they've found lightning in a bottle in Kohl Franklin, a sixth round pick out of a Tulsa-area high school in 2018. He's a 6'4" righty that posted a 2.36 ERA, a 1.19 WHIP, and a 52/19 strikeout to walk ratio over 42 innings, mostly at short season Eugene, and he did so with a low to mid 90's fastball and advanced changeup that were too much for short season hitters. He's still working on his breaking ball and has yet to prove any kind of durability, but there is a ton to like in the projectable kid from Oklahoma.
- Ryan Jensen (2020 Age: 22): Projected as more a third round pick heading into the 2019 draft, Jensen was the first surprise of the day when the Cubs picked him with the 27th overall pick before he posted a 2.25 ERA, a 1.75 WHIP, and a 19/14 strikeout to walk ratio over 12 innings with short season Eugene. He sits consistently and easily in the mid, and sometimes upper, 90's with his fastball, and he gets so much running action on it that it plays up to being a plus or even plus-plus pitch. He also adds a slider that looks like a plus pitch at times but which can flatten out, and he lacks much of a changeup at this point. The command is also very much a work in progress, as he was generally able to throw strikes at Fresno State but never could quite locate them, which will be hugely important in pro ball. It's more of a reliever-ish profile, especially considering he could hit 100 in short stints, but the Cubs obviously saw enough in him as a starter to take him in the first round and they will develop him as such for the foreseeable future.
- Richard Gallardo (2020 Age: 18): As far as 18 year old pitchers go, Richard Gallardo is pretty advanced. Pitching the 2019 season at 17 years old, the Venezuelan product had a 3.93 ERA, a 1.40 WHIP, and a 25/14 strikeout to walk ratio over 34.1 innings between complex ball and short season Eugene, while most pitchers his age are still in the Dominican Summer League. He comes in with a low 90's fastball, a good curveball, and an advanced changeup, all of which he commands moderately well. He'll likely return to Eugene in 2020 with the chance to pitch his way into full season ball, putting him ahead of schedule.
- Keep an eye on: Jeffrey Passantino, Justin Steele, Erich Uelmen, Jack Patterson, Keegan Thompson, Jeremiah Estrada, Yovanny Cruz

Relief Pitching
- Oscar De La Cruz (2020 Age: 25): De La Cruz signed with the Cubs way back in 2012, but he didn't reach full season ball until late in the 2016 season and was inconsistent in his first taste of AA in 2018. This past year, he spent most of the year with AA Tennessee while also making a few starts at High A Myrtle Beach, posting a 3.64 ERA, a 1.17 WHIP, and a 105/34 strikeout to walk ratio over 96.1 innings in 34 games (11 starts). He had his best performance in those 23 relief appearances, posting a 3.86 ERA and a 49/9 strikeout to walk ratio, and the Cubs will keep him there going forward. He's a 6'4" righty that comes at hitters with a mid 90's fastball and a good curveball, both of which have played up in the bullpen now that he doesn't have to worry about pacing himself. It will be interesting to see how he does in his first season as a full-time reliever in 2020, where he can hopefully keep his command above average while missing bats with his two above average pitches and potentially pitch his way into the Wrigley bullpen.
- Brendon Little (2020 Age: 23-24): Little has started 39 of the 40 games he's appeared in so far in his minor league career, but I'm preemptively moving him to the bullpen for this list because his profile fits much better there. Over 12 starts this year, he posted a 3.58 ERA, a 1.25 WHIP, and a 57/26 strikeout to walk ratio over 55.1 innings between complex level rehab, Class A South Bend, and High A Myrtle Beach, but he was hit around a bit at Myrtle Beach with a 5.95 ERA. Little can get into the mid 90's with his fastball consistently when he's at his best, but he's also fallen below that regularly in pro ball as a starter, while his typical power curveball has softened up. He has so much arm strength that the Cubs think they can still work with the command and deeper parts of his arsenal, but to me, the best option would be to just send him to the bullpen and let that fastball/curveball combination play up with less need for good command, which he does not have.
- Michael McAvene (2020 Age: 22): McAvene, a teammate of Riley Thompson at Louisville, was the Cubs' third round pick in 2019 and he started off with six strong performances in short season ball, posting a 1.42 ERA, a 0.71 WHIP, and a 20/4 strikeout to walk ratio over 12.2 innings. Although he was a reliever at Louisville, all six of those appearances were starts, though he also averaged just two innings per, so it's unclear what his role going forward will be. As a reliever, he sits in the mid 90's with his fastball and adds a good slider that misses bats, with good enough command to make it work. As a starter, he'll need to add a changeup and maintain the sharpness of his stuff without losing command, which is a lot to work on but also completely possible. He probably ends up back in the bullpen eventually, and he could shoot up through the minors if the Cubs go that route, but deploying him as a starter could unlock upside that was previously untapped.
- Keep an eye on: James Norwood, Ben Hecht, Chad Hockin