Hailed by Michael Salfino of the Wall Street Journal and Yahoo! Sports for its “insightful and often contrarian viewpoint to prospect rankings,” the Prospect Digest Handbook is a perennial favorite among baseball enthusiasts, minor league fans, and fantasy general managers. Now back for its fifth season, the Prospect Digest Handbook is the definitive guide to the minor leagues.

1. Walker Buehler, RHP

Background: Much of the former Vanderbilt star’s first two professional seasons could be summed up by Ben Stein’s character in Ferris Bueller. When taking class attendance early in the movie, Stein, in a monotone voice, says: “Bueller, Bueller” over and over again. And like Bueller, Buehler was hardly seen after getting picked with the 24th overall selection in 2015. The big right-hander injured his promising elbow early in 2015 and eventually succumbed to Tommy John surgery upon entering the professional ranks. He would eventually miss the remainder of that year and all but a handful of low level games in 2016. But Buehler came back with a hellacious vengeance in 2017.

Standing a lanky, wiry 6-foot-2 and 175-pounds, the former Commodore ace was unhittable – both figuratively and literally – during five appearances with Rancho Cucamonga, posting a level of absurdity that’s rarely witnessed in the minor leagues: 16.1 innings, 27 strikeouts, five walks, two earned runs, and the opposition batted a lowly .143/.226/.232 against him.

The front office bounced the young power-pitcher up to the Texas League in early May. And Buehler, simply, continued to dominate: he posted a 64-to-15 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 49.0 innings of work. And after a clunker in his first outing with the Oklahoma City Dodgers in the Pacific Coast League, Buehler remained ace-like: 23.1 innings, 34 strikeouts, and eight walks. The former first round pick also made eight big league appearances in September, coughing up eight earned runs – four of which came in one appearance against the Rockies – across 9.1 innings, recording 12 strikeouts and eight walks. He finished his first full minor league season with some eye-popping production: 88.2 innings, 125 punch outs, 31 walks, a 3.35 ERA, and a 2.68 FIP.

Projection: Per the usual, here’s what I wrote about Buehler heading into the 2015 draft:

“Physically speaking, he’s a bit thin and could stand to add to his 6-foot-2 frame. Production-wise, though, Buehler’s been incredibly consistent throughout his career, always showing a strong ability to limit free passes – he’s averaged just 2.72 walks per nine innings over his last two seasons – with an equally impressive talent to miss bats in one of college baseball’s better conferences.”

And his early season elbow issues seem to be firmly in the past: he fanned a career best 13 hitters against Ole’ Miss in early April and followed that up with nine more punch outs against South Carolina. There are always going to be questions about his durability, and those notwithstanding, Buehler looks like a potential fast-moving, back-of-the-rotation caliber arm.”

Admittedly, there was more wrong than right in the original analysis. The right: potential fast-moving. The wrong: elbow issues firmly in the past; back-of-the-rotation caliber arm. So let’s take a look at his production in the Texas League last season, by far his largest sample size of 2017 (and his entire career). Consider the following:

Since 2006, here’s the list of 22-year-old prospects to post at least a 30% strikeout percentage with a sub-8.0% walk percentage in the Texas League (min. 45 IP): Walker Buehler.

Ok. That’s a pretty exclusive club. Let’s expand it a bit. Consider the following:

Since 2006, here’s the list of 22-year-old prospects to post at least a 30% strikeout percentage with a 9.0% walk percentage or less in the Texas League (min. 45 IP): Walker Buehler, Yordano Ventura, and A.J. Puk.

That’s still a pretty damn exclusive – and impressive – group to be a part of. Buehler has genuine front-of-the-rotation caliber potential, as evidenced by his production as well as the power arsenal that was on display with the Dodgers in September (98 mph fastball, 92 mph slider, and a mid-80s changeup). The only things that could slow him are: injury or the Dodgers’ depth at the position. LA currently has Clayton Kershaw, Rich Hill, Alex Wood, Kenta Maeda, and Hyun-Jin Ryu in the rotation.

Ceiling: 5.5- 6.0-win player

Risk: Low to Moderate

MLB ETA: Debuted in 2017

2. Keibert Ruiz, C

Background: Ruiz is another example of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ phenomenal presence on the international market. Signed out of Valencia, Venezuela, for just $140,000 three years ago, Ruiz has already established himself as one of the minors’ most exciting catching prospects while already reaching – and succeeding in – High Class A. Before his 19th birthday. Ruiz, a 6-foot, 200-pound switch-hitter, looked remarkably competent during his debut in the Dominican Summer League in 2015, hitting .300/.340/.387 as a 16-year-old. He spent the majority of the following year squaring off against the vastly older competition in the Pioneer League, slugging an impressive .354/.393/.503. And much like the rest of the club’s top prospects, it was only a harbinger of things to come in 2017. Last season, the then-18-year-old catcher handled both the Midwest and California Leagues with aplomb: in 101 total games, Ruiz batted an aggregate .316/.361/.452 with 23 doubles, two triples, and eight homeruns. His overall production last season, according to Weighted Runs Created Plus, topped the league average mark by a whopping 24%.

Projection: Here’s what I wrote about Ruiz when I ranked him as the club’s fourteenth best minor league in last season’s Handbook:

“So there’s not a whole lot [of] available date considering that his first full season was spent in the unreliable Dominican Summer League. But it is encouraging that the 10 hitters to top his wRC+ total in the Pioneer League last season were all at least two years his senior. In fact, here’s a list of qualified 17-year-old hitters that have posted at least a 126 wRC+ in the Pioneer League since 2006: Keibert Ruiz. Let’s just say he’s off to a promising start to his career.”

Ruiz is incredibly well-rounded given his youth and level of competition – on both sides of the ball. As a hitter, he’s shows an incredible knack at not only making contact, but also making hard contact. The power is sneaky good with something that could peak in the 30 doubles, 20-homer territory. The eye is average. And as a defender, according to Clay Davenport’s metrics, he was a smidge below average.

Consider the following:

Since 2006, here’s the list of 18-year-old hitters to post a wRC+ between 122 and 132 in the Midwest League (min. 250 PA): Keibert Ruiz, Willy Adames, and Jake Bauers.

Ruiz is a potential All-Star.

Ceiling: 4.0- to 4.5-win player

Risk: Moderate

MLB ETA: 2019/2020

3. Mitchell White, RHP

Background: Santa Clara University hasn’t exactly been recognized as a baseball hotbed throughout the years. But the little Division I college has churned out more than a few MLB players, including: Randy Winn, Bruce Bochte, and Mike Macfarlane. White, the 65th overall pick two years ago, is already primed to become a big league contributor. Standing an imposing 6-foot-4 and 207 pounds, White lacks the traditional collegiate track record associated with many top picks: he red-shirted his freshman season and spent the entirety of the 2015 season working out of the Broncos’ bullpen. In 29 games for Head Coach Dan O’Brien, the hard-throwing right-hander posted an impressive 40-to-13 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 32.1 innings of work. White transitioned into a full-time starting gig the following year, his redshirt sophomore season, throwing a career best 92.0 innings with 118 whiffs and just 27 free passes.

Los Angeles grabbed the fast-rising prospect in the second round and signed him to a deal worth $590,800 – roughly $400,000 below the recommended slot bonus. What followed was a brief string of dominance spanning three different levels. White tossed another 22.0 innings in professional ball, going from the Arizona Summer League up to the Midwest League before capping off his wildly successful debut with a 2.0-inning stint with Rancho Cucamonga. He finished the year with a 0.41 ERA, 30 strikeouts, and just six free passes.

Last season, his first full year in the minor leagues, White split time between the California and Texas Leagues, throwing just 73.2 innings with 88 strikeouts and 31 walks. He finished the year with an aggregate 2.93 ERA and a 3.14 FIP. White suffered a broken toe in late May and subsequently missed nearly two full months of action.

Projection: Here’s what I wrote about the promising hurler in last year’s Handbook when I ranked him as the club’s fifteenth best prospect:

“He could be one of the better value picks in the 2016 draft. White has the size, build, and production that screams potential top prospect. He looks like a potential backend starter with upside if he continues to miss bats. The big league club is full of starters, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him get pigeonholed into a relief role and appear in LA in 18 months either.”

So here’s the impressive part about White’s transcendence into top prospect: Not only did it take him just 67.2 innings to reach the most important level in the minor leagues, Class AA, but he made the jump after almost two entire months of action. He broke his toe in a May 20th game and after just three tune-up appearances in the Arizona Summer League, White got promoted up to the Texas League and never missed a beat.

As for the production itself, consider the following:

It’s not an overly impressive collection of names, but Velasquez and Ynoa were once wildly regarded as Top 100 prospects. And, to be fair, the sample size was a bit too small as well. For example, White coughed up 16 free passes in High Class A last season, seven of those happened in two games. I like White quite a bit. And if he can remain healthy, I think he has a chance to develop into a good, above-average #3 starter with a chance to peak as a true #2.

Ceiling: 3.5- to 4.0-win player

Risk: Moderate

MLB ETA: 2018

4. Yadier Alvarez, RHP

Background: The franchise with the deepest pockets had no trouble ponying up a total of $32 million, half of which was incurred because the club exceeded the tax threshold, to sign the high profile Cuban Missile two years ago. The Dodgers, according to various reports, successfully outbid the like of the Diamondbacks and Phillies to secure the hard-throwing right-hander’s services. And prior to the signing, there was plenty of hype and hoopla surrounding Alvarez. According to a report by MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez, an anonymous National League official called the teenage right-hander “the best 18-year-old pitcher he’d ever seen.” Big praise, bigger paycheck.

And it looked as if Alvarez would quickly blow through the minor leagues with relative ease, as well. Splitting his stateside debut between the club’s Arizona Summer and Midwest League affiliates, the then-20-year-old prospect totaled an ace-like 81-to-21 strikeout-to-walk ratio in just 59.1 innings of work two years ago.

And after beginning his High Class A with a bit of clunker to start 2017 – he coughed up seven earned runs in 2.1 innings – Alvarez continued to impress over his next 12 games in the league: he tossed 57.0 innings with 62 strikeouts and 23 walks; the opposition batted a lowly .237/.305/.297 against him during that stretch. Los Angeles bounced him up to the Tulsa Drillers in late July another seven games, though he mostly struggled with control/command. The lanky 6-foot-3, 175-pound right-hander finished the year with a solid 97-to-50 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 92.1 innings of work. He compiled an aggregate 4.68 ERA and a 3.85 FIP.

Projection: Here’s what I wrote about the enigmatic, oft-dominant right-hander when I ranked him as the seventh best prospect in the baseball in last year’s Handbook:

“Small sample size be damned. Alvarez is entering his age-21 season with only 59.1 innings under his belt, 39.1 of those coming above the lowest stateside rookie league, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him reach Class AA by the end of 2017. There’s an awful lot to like here: size, projectability, a plus-plus ability to miss bats, and surprising control. Fingers crossed that he can stay healthy because that’s the only thing that could stop Alvarez from ascending towards superstardom.”

Clearly high praise and while he did spend a solid of 2017 in Class AA, Alvarez struggled with command throughout the year, something that wasn’t as apparent heading into the year. So let’s take a look at his 2017 production in the California League, historically speaking. Consider the following:

Between 2006 and 2015, only six 22-year-old pitchers posted a 22.5-23.5% strikeout percentage with a double-digit walk percentage in the California League (min. 50 IP): Cody Hebner, Aaron Miller, Craig Italiano, Jordan Pratt, John Bannister, and Ethan Martin.

Talk about a group of disappointment. I’m still incredibly high on Alvarez, but his control/command – or lack thereof – has the potential to significantly limit his ceiling, downgrading him as a bonafide ace to mid-rotation starter to, perhaps, a backend relief arm.

Ceiling: 4.0- to 4.5-win player

Risk: Moderate to High

MLB ETA: 2018

5. Yusniel Diaz, OF

Background: Another one of the Cuban prospects the team was willing to pay the 100% tax on. Los Angeles and Diaz agreed to a free agent deal worth $15.5 million three years ago, but the tax pushed the deal up to $31 million. But, hey, when you have limitless pockets, what’s another $15.5 million? As for their return on investment, the Dodgers have to be satisfied with how Diaz is developing. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound tools-laden outfielder first popped up on the prospect radar after a dominant showing in the Cuban National Series in 2014-15, slugging .348/.447/.440 with 13 doubles and three triples at the ripe old age of 17. And despite missing roughly a year of action, Diaz handled the club’s aggressive promotion to the California League with composure that would impress Cool Hand Luke: he batted .272/.333/.418 in 82 games with Rancho Cucamonga two years ago.

Los Angeles bounced the then-20-year-old back down to High Class A at the start of 2017. And Diaz, for some reason, more or less replicated his previous production line: .278/.343/.414, though a chilly month of May basically wrecked final triple-slash line; he batted a lowly .172/.248/.264 over that 23-game span. Diaz’s bat caught fire upon his promotion to the Texas League. The La Habana, Cuba native hit an aggregate .292/.354/.433 with 23 doubles, three triples, and 11 homeruns. He also swiped nine bags, but got caught 14 times doing so. His overall production, according to Weighted Runs Created Plus, topped the league average mark by 15%.

Projection: Here’s what I wrote in last year’s Handbook when I ranked the talented, enigmatic outfielder as the club’s fourth best prospect:

“Sometimes numbers lie. It’s a fact. Case in point: Yusniel Diaz, who was more or less a league average bat. But it’s important to remember that (A) he was one of just seven 19-year-olds in any High Class A league and (B) he hadn’t played competitive baseball since [the 2014-15 season]. Given both of those points, it’s also important to factor in a bit of learning curve as he adjusted to the California League pitching as well.

Diaz batted a decent-ish .253/.328/.376 over his first 47 games. But after a return from the DL in late July he slugged .295/.340/.466 in 35 games. I’m going to put my money down on the latter production given what we know. Very promising tools across the board, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Diaz put up some All-Star caliber numbers at the big league level.”

Simply put, Diaz is as consistent as the weather in Ohio, where the saying goes, “if you don’t like the weather, wait till tomorrow.” Here’s are his monthly OPS totals last season (starting with April): .712, .512, 1.111, .579, and .882. The Cuban outfielder looks like a stud half the year and barely looks like a passable minor league hitter the other half. If he figures out the trick to consistently producing, he’s an All-Star caliber big leaguer, as I suggested in 2016. If not, well, he looks no worse than a league starter. It’s incredibly pertinent to remember that he’s only entering his age-21 season and has already accrued valuable time at the most important minor league stop: Class AA.Consider the following:

Between 2006 and 2015, here’s the list of 20-year-old hitters to post a 100 to 110 wRC+ mark with a 20% strikeout percentage or less and a .120- to .200 ISO in the California League (min. 350 PA): Nolan Arendado and Randal Grichuk. Arenado owns a 115 wRC+ mark in his big league career. Grichuk, always underrated, sports a 108 wRC+. The big differentiator between the two, of course, is their defensive value.

Diaz shows an average or better eye at the plate with plenty of power potential that he quite has tapped into yet. Defensively, he’s miscast as a center fielder but looks OK in right.

Ceiling: 3.5-win player

Risk: Moderate

MLB ETA: 2019

6. Melvin Jimenez, RHP

Background: Fun Fact Part I: Since 2006, only four pitchers under the age of 18 have popped up in the Midwest League – Juan Robles, Joe Ortiz, Julio Jimenez, and, of course, Melvin Jimenez. Fun Fact Part II: Jimenez’s strikeout percentage in Low Class A last season, 31.6%, was the second best mark in the group, narrowing trailing only former top prospect Julio Urias (31.8% vs. 31.6%). Fun Fact Part III: Among the group of teenage pitching prospects, Jimenez’s walk percentage, 10.5%, was the second best of the group, trailing Urias again. Needless to say, but I will anyway, the Dominican-born hurler turned in quite the impressive campaign in 2017.

Signed out of Santiago, Dominican Republic just three years ago, Jimenez was simply unhittable during his debut in the foreign rookie league in 2016. Making 12 starts, the 6-foot, 170-pound right-hander tossed 55.0 innings with an impeccable 66-to-18 strikeout-to-walk ratio en route to tallying a 1.47 ERA. But that was just a harbinger of things to come.

The front office – predictably – moved the promising youngster stateside to the Arizona Summer League, an assignment that last all of 11.0 innings before he was aggressively pushed to the Midwest League. And once with the Great Lakes Loons, Jimenez continued to miss an absurd amount of sticks. He finished his second professional season with an incredible 54-to-16 strikeout-to-walk ratio in just 39.0 innings of work. He tallied a 2.31 ERA and a 3.06 FIP.

Projection: The quick and easy comparison to heave Jimenez’s way, of course, would be fellow Dodgers pitcher Julio Urias. So let’s do it:

Player Age Level IP K% BB% Melvin Jimenez 17 A 28.0 31.6% 10.5% Julio Urias 16 A 54.1 31.8% 7.6%

Obviously, it’s not really that close given the year of difference with their respective ages, though that doesn’t diminish Jimenez’s impressive campaign one iota. Let’s approach Jimenez’s production with Great Lakes in a different way. Consider the following:

Since 2006, here’s a list of pitchers 18-years-old or younger to post a 30% strikeout percentage or better in the Midwest League: Melvin Jimenez, Julio Urias, Triston McKenzie, and Tim Collins.

Obviously, there’s a tremendous – almost incalculable – amount of volatility not only dealing with teenage arms, but teenage arms lacking a track record. But, damn, Jimenez is could very much be something to watch. He’s going to be the single biggest breakout prospect of the year in 2018.

Ceiling: 5.5-win player

Risk: High to Extremely High

MLB ETA: 2020

7. Alex Verdugo, CF

Background: Sahuaro H.S. out of Tucson, Arizona, has been home to a handful of early round picks. They just happen to occur in pairs decades apart: Sam Khalifa was the seventh overall selection by the Pirates in 1982; the White Sox nabbed first baseman Wes Kent in the second round in 1980. Then more than three decades later the Dodgers grabbed Verdugo in the second round of the 2014 draft and the Colorado Rockies snagged right-hander Javier Medina in the third round a year later. Verdugo continued his quiet ascension through the system’s minor league development engine in 2017, spending the first couple of months in Class AAA before earning a late-season look with the parent club. In 117 games with the Oklahoma City Dodgers in the Pacific Coast League, the 6-foot, 205-pound toolsy center fielder batted .314/.389/.436 with 27 doubles, four triples, and six homeruns. He also swiped nine bags in 12 attempts. The 62nd player chosen in the 2014 draft, Verdugo’s overall production, according to Weighted Runs Created Plus, topped the league average mark by 18%. As far as his work in the big leagues, Verdugo was relegated to spot-duty as he made just 25 trips to the plate in 15 games.

Projection: Admittedly, it’s very difficult for me to – loudly – tout myself. It’s just who I am. I don’t like to come across conceited, prideful. And often times when I do remark on the homeruns, I do so in a humorous, self-deprecating way. It’s just who I am. I take a lot of pride in my work, but I never want to come across as better than anyone. With that being said, only one major publication – Baseball America – had Verdugo ranked as a Top 100 prospect heading into the 2016 season – barely. Baseball America ranked him as the #100 prospect in the game. But here’s what I wrote when I listed him as the a Top Breakout Prospect for 2016 and the 45th overall minor leaguer in the game:

“The former second round pick sparkled in his debut in the rookie leagues two years ago, hitting .353/.421/.511 in 216 plate appearances. And while his numbers from last season are more than solid, .311/.340/.441, take a look at how he performed over the final four months of the season: .356/.380/.520. He’ll be on every Top 100-list come this time next year.”

A year later, here’s how the major publications ranked him: #58 (Baseball America), #61 (MLB.com), and #66 (Baseball Prospectus). That’s a little feather in my hat, so to speak.

And here’s what I wrote in last year’s Handbook:

“Verdugo actually started off really well last season, hitting a solid .291/.351/.448 over his first 90 games. But it was the final 36 games (.229/.301/ .307) that sunk his overall stat line. But even with the late-season slump, Verdugo still finished as the 17th most productive bat in the Texas League – again, not bad work for a 20-year-old. His walk rate took a tremendous leap forward as he posted the second best mark of his brief career and nearly double that of his 2015 showing. The power’s slowly coming along, but I’m not entirely convinced it’s going to develop into anything more than 17- to 20-homeruns in a year. Very, very solid prospect – though I would expect him to move to corner outfield spot thanks to some not-so-terrific center field defense.”

Now let’s update that. Consider the following:

Between 2006 and 2015, here’s the list of 21-year-old hitters to post a 115 to 125 wRC+ mark in the Pacific Coast League (min. 350 PA): Daric Barton, Chris Owings, and Domingo Santana. And here are their career wRC+ totals in the big leagues: 102 (Barton), 77 (Owings), and 116 (Santana).

Verdugo doesn’t really own a profile that aligns well with any of the aforementioned trio. While his walk rates have improved significantly over the past couple years, it’s not in the same elite category as Barton and Santana (and Owings barely walked). And he doesn’t have Santana’s above-average power potential. But his minor league track record of success is more impressive than Owings’. Ultimately, I think he’s going to be an above-average, productive big league hitter, peaking in the 110 wRC+ range. He’s atrocious in center field and less bad in right field. Verdugo is a potential above-average starter, but he’ll have to unseat incumbents Kiki Hernandez and Joc Pederson. He could be a nice trade chip, though.

Ceiling: 2.5- to 3.0-win player

Risk: Low to Moderate

MLB ETA: Debuted in 2017

8. Starling Heredia, LF

Background: Handed a hefty seven-figure bonus on the international market three years ago. Heredia, who came to terms with the club on a deal worth $2.5 million, struggled quite a bit during his professional debut in 2016. Splitting time between both of organization’s Dominican Summer League affiliates Heredia batted a lowly .244/.331/.390 with 21 doubles, six triples, and eight homeruns in the extremely hitter-friendly environment. But the well-built 6-foot-2, 200-pound Dominican-born outfielder rebounded nicely during his sophomore season, spending time between both stateside rookie leagues as well as a 26-game cameo in the Midwest League. Overall, Heredia batted an impressive .325/.397/.555 between the three stops, belting out 19 doubles, four triples, and seven homeruns to go along with 10 stolen bases. His overall production, according to Weighted Runs Created Plus, topped the league average mark a whopping 44%.

Projection: Here’s what I wrote about the toolsy left fielder in last year’s Handbook when I ranked him as the club’s #17 prospect:

“As is the case with incoming prep picks, the data on Heredia is incredibly limited. The overall production is solid without too many issues raised and he hinted at the ability to post a few 20/20 seasons in the future. Something to watch out for in 2017: he batted .303/.351/.467 over his first 30 games and promptly followed that up with a massive second half collapse (.212/.326/.347).”

The three stops are all of the small sample size variety last season, so it’s difficult to get an accurate, reliable read on his production. But the tools are quite apparent: above-average power; surprising, sneaky speed; above-average patience; questionable but only slightly concerning swing-and-miss tendencies; and average-ish defense. There’s a little bit of Yaisel Puig in him, and you don’t have to squint too hard to see it either.

Ceiling: 3.5- to 4.0-win player

Risk: Moderate to High

MLB ETA: 2018

9. Dennis Santana, RHP

Background: Probably one of the most, if not the most, intriguing minor league hurler – at least to me. Santana was originally signed out of the Dominican Republic as a shortstop, the organization – wisely – decided to shift him and his above-average arm strength to the mound after he batted a pitiful .198/.312/.256 as a 17-year-old in the Dominican Summer League. Since then, though, Santana has missed an impressive amount of bats – he’s averaging 9.9 punch outs per nine innings in his career – and his control has been slowly trending in the right direction. Last season the lanky, wiry 6-foot-2, 180-pound right-hander tallied an impressive 92-to-22 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 85.2 innings in the California League. But his control completely abandoned him in seven starts in Class AA: he walked 23 in 32.2 innings. He finished the year with a 129-to-45 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 118.1 innings with a 4.11 ERA.

Projection: Part of the Keep An Eye On section in last year’s Handbook. Here’s what I wrote:

“Former shortstop turned power pitcher, Santana averaged 10.02 K/9 and 4.53 BB/9 in 111.1 in the Midwest League. If the control ever comes around he could be something special.”

So let’s take a look at his production through a historical lens. Consider the following:

Four of the aforementioned six have accrued big league experience: one above-average big league starter (Wheeler), one solid reliever (Torres) and two replaceable relief arms (Barnes and Johnson). But here’s the kicker: Santana’s walk percentage, 5.9%, was by far the lowest among the group. There’s a tremendous amount of potential as a starting pitcher, but it’ll come down to his ability – or inability – to find the strike zone consistently.

Ceiling: 3.0- to 3.5-win player

Risk: Moderate to High

MLB ETA: 2019

Background: Another one of the club’s many highly touted, big dollar international free agent expenditures from Cuba. The Dodgers inked the teenage middle infielder to a deal worth $6 million after the 2015 season. The front office, to the shock of no one, aggressively challenged the then-18-year-old hitter by assigning him to the Midwest League for his debut. And after a horrible, predictable, start to the year, he rebound nicely in the second half to cobble together a mediocre .255/.298/.389 triple-slash line. Undeterred by his first half struggles – or perhaps encouraged by his second half surge – Estevez was sent up to High Class A last season. In 120 games with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, the 5-foot-10, 168-pound second baseman/shortstop batted .256/.309/.348 with 24 doubles, three triples, and four homeruns. His overall production, according to Weighted Runs Created Plus, was a staggering 21% below the league average mark.

Projection: So there are a number of factors that need to be considered:

His age. He was the only qualified teenage hitter in the California League. And there were only three qualified 20-year-old bats after him. He made strides in improving his plate discipline; his walk rate went from 5.1% to 6.6%, a 29% increase for those counting at home, and he trimmed his strikeout rate from 23.8% to 19.3% – despite moving up a level. Estevez, once again, got off to an atrocious start to the year. He batted s putrid .203/.252/.277 over his first 39 games. But his bat heated up and he batted an impressive .282/.336/.382 over his final 80 contests. His production, during the warm stretch, was barely below the league average mark (96 wRC+).

Once again, I’m pegging the little infielder as one of the minors’ bigger potential breakouts in 2018. He plays an average shortstop and a lot his tools are trending in the right direction. Now with that being said, LA has put him on a path where he’s likely going to spend most – if not all – of 2018 in Class AA, so the evidence might not be as tangible as we’d like to see. But there’s definite big league starting material here. If he can show the same amount of power that he flashed between May 31st and August 1st(.118 ISO), which I think is quite possible, he could be a borderline All-Star when it’s all said and done.

Ceiling: 3.0- to 3.5-win player

Risk: Moderate to High

MLB ETA: 2019/2020

Author’s Note: All statistics mentioned were gathered from Baseball Reference, FanGraphs, ClayDavenport.com, or Baseball Prospectus.