[USML Announce] Baseball America Midseason Top 50

[Jeffrey Winick]

Sure it sucks to lose Russell (#5), but that still leaves the Berliners with #1, #4, #6 and #9.


Other notable names on the list:


Correa #3 - Hoosier Daddies
Bundy #10 - Hoosier Daddies
Swihart #14 - Red Hots
Owens - #15 - Calamari
Mondesi - #22 - Calamari
Norris - #25 - Free Agent
Zimmer - #26 - Nukes
Berrios - #27 - Calamari
Stewart - #30 - Klein Nine
Harvey - #31- Klein Nine
Meyer - #32 - Brats
Severino - #34 - Free Agent
Dozier - #39 - Free Agent
Frazier - #42 - Red Hots
Alfaro - #45 - Calamari
Peterson - #46 - Blocker
Pompey - #47 - Free Agent


Totals:
Berliners (4)
Calamari (4)
Free Agents (4)
Klein Nine (2)
Hoosier Daddies (2)
Red Hots (2)
Blocker (1)
Nukes (1)
Brats (1)






Rk.
Player
Pos.
Team
The Skinny

1
Byron Buxton
of
Twins
Wrist injury has ruined his season, but his long-term potential remains unblemished.

2
Kris Bryant
3b
Cubs
Power has been just as advertised, while his defense has been better than expected.

3
Carlos Correa
ss
Astros
Broken leg has to heal, but he was ready for Double-A when the injury occurred.

4
Joey Gallo
3b
Rangers
Gallo’s swing and plate discipline have improved while the power has always played.

5
Addison Russell
ss
Cubs
Missed half the year with a hamstring problem; remains an elite all-around shortstop prospect with his new team

6
Francisco Lindor
ss
Indians
Rare safe and elite prospect as a plus defender who can hit at the top of the order.

7
Javier Baez
ss
Cubs
Long-term potential is still as an elite regular, but he has to moderate his swing-from-the-heels approach.

8
Jon Gray
rhp
Rockies
Hasn’t dominated as much as scouts would like, but has refined his changeup.

9
Miguel Sano
3b
Twins
Won’t play this season due to Tommy John surgery, so he can commiserate with Buxton.

10
Dylan Bundy
rhp
Orioles
Stuff is bouncing back post-Tommy John surgery, and he should be full speed in 2015.

11
Lucas Giolito
rhp
Nationals
Possesses some of the best pure stuff in the minors, just needs to refine it and stay healthy.

12
Archie Bradley
rhp
Diamondbacks
Elbow injury slowed him, but his stuff is back; now he just needs to improve his command.

13
Julio Urias
lhp
Dodgers
Precocious 17-year-old with plus stuff and advanced feel is dominating high Class A hitters.

14
Blake Swihart
c
Red Sox
Better bat potential, improved defense have made Swihart the game’s best catching prospect.

15
Henry Owens
lhp
Red Sox
Pitched a rain-shortened no-hitter on Opening Day, and he has remained nearly unhittable ever since.

16
Corey Seager
ss
Dodgers
He’s not a shortstop, but as a sweet-swinging lefty with power, he’ll be fine at third base.

17
Austin Hedges
c
Padres
Still an excellent catching prospect, but as with many catchers, his bat is catching up to his glove.

18
Joc Pederson
of
Dodgers
Power/speed prospect will force the Dodgers to clear room for him—or trade him—before long.

19
Noah Syndergaard
rhp
Mets
Las Vegas + elbow problems + banged up shoulder have slowed the progress of the Mets’ top prospect.

20
Robert Stephenson
rhp
Reds
Mediocre season for 21-year-old who needs to develop more consistent command.

21
Tyler Glasnow
rhp
Pirates
Will the control get better? Hitters hope it doesn’t because they can’t hit him.

22
Raul A. Mondesi
ss
Royals
At some point production trumps potential, but as an 18-year-old in the Carolina League he oozes potential.

23
J.P. Crawford
ss
Phillies
Four shortstops in the top 10 will be graduating before long, and Crawford looks ready to take their place.

24
Jameson Taillon
rhp
Pirates
Another Tommy John casualty who has to wait till 2015 to return to pitching.

25
Daniel Norris
lhp
Blue Jays
Nice combo: lefty with three potential plus pitches (fastball, slider, change) and an average curve.

26
Kyle Zimmer
rhp
Royals
Scouts around baseball love him when he pitches, but they sure want to see him get on a mound.

27
Jose Berrios
rhp
Twins
Berrios has always had good feel, but his stuff just keeps getting better to go along with it.

28
David Dahl
of
Rockies
Last year’s disciplinary demotion is old news as Dahl shows he can be a power-hitting center fielder.

29
Jesse Winker
of
Reds
Bat-first outfielder is one of the better pure hitters in the minors and has excellent power potential.

30
Kohl Stewart
rhp
Twins
Yes, Stewart has frontline stuff, but his advanced feel and smooth delivery are just as impressive.

31
Hunter Harvey
rhp
Orioles
Hit a June hiccup, but his combination of plus fastball and plus curveball have blitzed the South Atlantic League.

32
Alex Meyer
rhp
Twins
He’ll likely always have command issues, but Meyer’s fastball/slider combo is enough if he just throws strikes.

33
Arismendy Alcantara
2b
Cubs
Hard not to like an athletic middle infielder who can play short in a pinch and has power and speed.

34
Luis Severino
rhp
Yankees
Yankees’ breakout prospect is a long way from big leagues but has three potential above-average pitches.

35
Josh Bell
of
Pirates
In the year of the prospect injury, Bell is a rare example of a prospect returning to health and improving.

36
Braden Shipley
rhp
Diamondbacks
Athletic pitcher with above-average fastball and changeup has a delivery that allows him to repeat consistently.

37
Nick Kingham
rhp
Pirates
He’s not flashy, but with a repeatable delivery, solid stuff and some feel, he fits as a mid-rotation arm.

38
Jimmy Nelson
rhp
Brewers
There are few healthy pitchers in the upper minors with stuff and results this year, and Nelson leads the way.

39
Hunter Dozier
3b
Royals
Surprise top-10 pick last year doesn’t look so surprising now, with bat and defense to profile at third base.

40
Kevin Plawecki
c
Mets
Mets might have a tough choice between catchers Travis d’Arnaud and Plawecki down the road.

41
Matt Wisler
rhp
Padres
Improved changeup has helped him against lefties, which was his biggest to-do item.

42
Clint Frazier
of
Indians
Season has been less than one would hope for a top-five draft pick, but he has shown flashes in his first full year.

43
Austin Meadows
of
Pirates
Sound familiar? A Pirates prospect whose season has been ruined by injury.

44
Aaron Blair
rhp
Diamondbacks
Big righthander has improved his curveball to go along with lively fastball and excellent changeup.

45
Jorge Alfaro
c
Rangers
Amazing tools, but he still has a lot of refinement ahead; his receiving in particular is inconsistent.

46
D.J. Peterson
3b/1b
Mariners
He’s not a third baseman long-term, but Peterson has a short stroke that provides hits and power.

47
Dalton Pompey
of
Blue Jays
Toolsy center fielder’s bat has caught up to rest of his tools in a breakout start in the Florida State League.

48
Brandon Nimmo
of
Mets
Nimmo keeps adding size and strength, and his excellent idea of the strike zone remains his foundation skill.

49
Stephen Piscotty
of
Cardinals
Fast-moving outfielder gets lost in Oscar Taveras’ shadow, but his hit tool is impressive as well.

50
Maikel Franco
3b
Phillies
As great as Franco’s first half was last year, he has been equally poor this year; long-term outlook remains bright.


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