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. Nick Senzel, 3B

Background: Fun Fact Part I: Among all Southern League hitters with at least 200 plate appearances last season, Senzel’s overall production, according to Weighted Runs Created Plus, topped the league average mark by a whopping 84%, easily the best mark in the league. Fun Fact Part II: Extending all the way to 2006, only four hitters – Kris Bryant, Giancarlo Stanton, Josh Kroeger, and Kyle Schwarber – have topped Senzel’s 184 wRC+ mark in the Southern League (min. 200 PA). Fun Fact Part III: Among all minor league bats with at least 400 trips to the plate last season, Cincinnati’s sweet swinging third base prospect finished as the fourth most lethal offensive performer in 2017, trailing only Toronto’s Bo Bichette, aging minor league vagabond Jonathan Rodriguez, and the Phillies’ Rhys Hoskins.

Needless to say, but I will anyway, Senzel had one helluva sophomore professional campaign.

After dominating the SEC competition for three years during his time with the University of Tennessee, Cincinnati grabbed the 6-foot-1, 205-pound third baseman with the second overall selection two years ago. Senzel, who slugged an impressive .352/.456/.595 during his final season with the Volunteers, was the school’s highest drafted player. No small feat considering the impressive talent that’s strolled through the campus’ hallowed grounds, including: Todd Helton, R.A. Dickey, Phil Garner, Chase Headley, and Rick Honeycutt.

After coming to terms on a deal worth $6.2 million, which was roughly $1.5 million below the recommended slot bonus, Senzel quickly proved himself worthy of the high selection: He batted .305/.398/.514 with 24 doubles, three triples, and seven homeruns between his time with Billings and Daytona. The front office, unsurprisingly, bumped their top prospect up to High Class A at the start of last season. And after a bit of a slow start to 2017 – he batted .239/.311/.313 over his first 17 games – Senzel quickly got his feet underneath him. He finished the year with an aggregate .321/.391/.514 with 40 doubles, three triples, and 14 homeruns. He also swiped 14 bags in 20 tries as well.

Projection: Per the usual, here’s what I wrote about Senzel heading into the 2017 draft:

“Easily one of the top collegiate bats available in this year’s class, Senzel is offering some of the best plate discipline in the country: he’s walked 32 times and whiffed on just 17 occurrences. And his production this season puts him into some rare company.

Between 2011 and 2015, only one other player – 2015 second round pick Donnie Dewees – has met the following criteria: 200 at bats, 30 walks, fewer than 20 strikeouts, .330 batting average, .430 OBP, .575 SLG, 20 stolen bases and eight or more homeruns. And Senzel has faced far superior competition in the SEC as compared to Dewees, who starred in the Atlantic Sun Conference.

Think of Senzel as a similar player to that of Houston’s Colin Moran, with a slightly better upside.”

And after his dominant, blue chipper-esque showing during his debut, I revisited that original analysis in last year’s Handbook:

“So, a couple things:

Senzel was one of the first players I analyzed last season and, subsequently, I completely underrated his overall upside. He’s going to be significantly better than Colin Moran. Hell, he’s going to be what Colin Moran was supposed to be: a power-hitting, middle of the lineup thumper.

Despite appearing in only 58 games with the Dragons last season, Senzel cracked the Top 30 in doubles in the Midwest League.”

He’s a tremendous, tremendous talent at what’s quickly become an offensive deficient position in the big leagues. Senzel offers up an above-average eye at the plate, one which should be capable of near-double-digit walk rates at the big league level, with developing power that should peak in the 20- to 25-homer range in a couple years as all those doubles start to turn into over-the-fence shots. Consider the following:

Between 2006 and 2016, here’s the list of 22-year-old hitters to post at least a 175 wRC+ in the Southern League (min. 200 PA): Joey Votto, Ryan Braun, Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber, and Vinnie Catricala.

Votto owns a career 158 wRC+; Braun, despite the PED issues, is sporting a 139 wRC+ thus far in his career; Bryant, in his brief career, owns a 143 wRC+; Schwarber, despite an incredibly rough showing in the big leagues last season, owns a 112 wRC+; and Catricala, the outlier of the group, petered out in Class AAA.

Senzel looks like a very similar version of his future teammate Joey Votto. So don’t be surprised to see him churn out a few MVP-caliber seasons throughout his long and successful career. Oh, yeah, one more thing: according to Clay Davenport’s metrics, Senzel’s been an above-average defender at the hot corner as well. Pure stud.

Here’s something that I kept swinging back on, even during editing/proofreading (and I don’t take this lightly either): there’s some Scott Rolen-type potential here. There really is, folks.

Ceiling: 6.0- to 6.5-win player

Risk: Low to Moderate

MLB ETA: 2018

2. Hunter Greene, RHP

Background: Greene is one of those prospects that pop up once a generation that grades out as a first round pick on both sides of the ball coming out High School. And despite heavily rumored to be a lock as the top pick in the draft Cincinnati happily snagged the Nolan Ryan-esque right-hander with the second overall pick last June. The Reds signed the Notre Dame High School product to a hefty $7.23 million deal, the largest amount of money given out in the bonus pool era. But the legend of Hunter Greene was born long before he donned the cover of Sports Illustrated. Greene, according to the story for SI, was tabbed by Notre Dame Head Coach Tom Dill as the best infielder he’s ever worked with, topping defensive wunderkind Brendan Ryan, a longtime big league veteran. Greene hits for power, often launching baseball well beyond the 400-foot mark, can pick it at shortstop, and, of course, regularly – and easily – hits triple-digits with his celebrated fastball.

Simply put, there have been very few – if any – prospects quite like Hunter Greene before. And likely after. Truthfully, only one comes to mind: Josh Hamilton.

Upon coming to terms with the Reds, the 6-foot-4, 197-pound right-hander/designated hitter briefly appeared as a two-way player in the advanced rookie league. He tossed just 4.1 innings with the Billings Mustangs, fanning six and walking one. And he batted a lowly .233/.233/.367 with two doubles and one triple in 30 plate appearances.

Projection: In terms of usable data, there is none. But Greene appears to be a once-in-a-generation caliber talent, so I – genuinely – hope that he navigates his way through the injury nexus unscathed. I say that, simply, as a baseball fan. It appears the Reds will likely toss him a few at bats early in his career, but his long term future is on the mound. One doesn’t have to squint too hard to see a little Doc Gooden in the teenage superstar. He could be poised to move quickly.

Ceiling: Too Soon to Tell

Risk: N/A

MLB ETA: N/A

3. Taylor Trammell, OF

Background: The Reds’ front office played the 2016 draft to perfection. After signing top prospect Nick Senzel to an deal worth roughly $1.5 million below the recommended slot bonus, the Reds signed tools laden prep outfielder Taylor Trammell to a hefty $3.2 million deal, about the same amount of money that has handed out to picks 13 through 18 of that year’s draft. Trammell, the 35th overall pick, reportedly had a strong commitment to play ball for Head Coach Danny Hall at Georgia Tech. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound outfielder from Mount Paran Christian School turned in an impressive debut in the advanced rookie league two years ago, slugging .303/.374/.412 with nine doubles, six triples, and two homeruns while swiping 24 bags in just 61 games. And just for fun, here are those numbers prorated over a full 162-game season: 24 doubles, 16 triples, five homeruns, and 64 stolen bases. Trammell’s overall production, according to Weighted Runs Created Plus, topped the league average mark by 5%, a strong showing for an incoming prep prospect squaring off against the Pioneer League competition.

The talented prospect spent the entirety of 2017 playing for the Daytona Dragons in the Midwest League. In 129 games, Trammell batted .281/.368/.450 with 24 doubles, 10 triples, and 13 homeruns. He also stole 41 bags (in 53 attempts), trailing only teammate Jose Siri for the Midwest League lead. Trammell topped the Midwest League average production line by 31%, the sixth best mark in the league.

Projection: He would likely front a lot of organization’s top prospect lists, but with two once-in-a-generation caliber talents in Nick Senzel and Hunter Greene, Trammell will have to settle for the third best on Cincinnati’s list. Unlike a lot of other top prospects, Trammell not only does everything well, but does them at an above-average or better level.

He walked 12.4% of the time last season, showed 25-homerun power potential, above-average to plus-speed on the base paths, a strong hit tool, and was incredibly valuable in the outfield as well. And outside of a minor platoon split – he batted .288/.382/.478 vs. RHP and .264/.335/.382 against fellow lefties – there’s very, very little to not like.

Oh, yeah, after a slow start to the year to the year, Trammell, who batted a lowly .222/.312/.309 during the month of April, rebounded nicely to slug .293/.379/.478 with a 141 wRC+ over his final 108 games.

Consider the following:

It’s not an overly dominant group of players, but there’s a large amount of big league value there with a lot of them being former top prospects. Winker, Polanco, Moustakas, and Castellanos are better than average big league bats, which is where Trammell’s ceiling resides. Throw in that above-average defense and Trammell has the makings of a potential All-Star.

Ceiling: 3.5- to 4.0-win player

Risk: Moderate

MLB ETA: 2019/2020

4. Jesse Winker, LF/RF

Background: It took longer than I initially imagined, but after spending parts of six seasons in the minor leagues, Winker – finally – made his big league debut in Cincinnati last season. Taken by the club out of Olympia High School in the opening round in 2012, Winker, the 49th overall pick that year, turned in another, well, Winker-like showing during his time with Louisville last season. In 85 games in the International League, his second tour through Class AAA, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound corner outfielder batted .314/.395/.408 with 22 doubles and just two homeruns. But thanks to phenomenal plate discipline – he sported a 46-to-38 strikeout-to-walk ratio – his overall production, according to Weighted Runs Created Plus, topped the league average mark by 27%. The long time top prospect also appeared in 47 games with the Reds as well, hitting .298/.375/.529 with seven doubles and seven homeruns while topping the league average mark by 35%. For his minor league career, Winker owns an impressive – and oft-underrated – .298/.398/.449 triple-slash line.

Projection: A perennial long, long time personal favorite of mine. Let’s take a walk down memory lane. Here’s what I wrote in my very first book in 2014:

“A budding analytic superstar, Winker not only showed a well-rounded offensive approach, but one that’s mature beyond his years. Incredible plate discipline, developing power, and, perhaps the best news, the lefty-swinging Winker has handled southpaws well throughout his professional career, hitting .293/.393/.420 off of them. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him develop into .300/.400/.500 hitter down the line, capable of 25+ homerun pop.”

I followed that up with this in the 2015 Handbook:

“The brief, unsuccessful stint he suffered through in Class AA should prove to be nothing more than an anomaly, a minor speed bump. He’s still showing plus-power potential, an above-average eye at the plate, solid contact skills, and an amazing ability to handle southpaws. CAL links him to Justin Upton, which would be his ultimate offensive ceiling.”

Once again, here the analysis for a year later:

“Fast forward another year and there’s nothing that’s changed. He’s still: walking at an elite rate, making consistent contact, and flashing 20- to 25-homer pop. The only problem: his struggles with southpaws last season (.211/.328/.326), though it should prove to be nothing more than a blip on the screen given his lengthy track record against them.

Simply put, Winker’s a budding perennial All-Star. And he should slide in nicely alongside Joey Votto, Jay Bruce, and Devin Mesoraco to give the Reds a potentially potent lineup – though one that’s going to be a bit too lefty-heavy.”

And, finally, here’s the analysis in 2017 after a wrist-injury slowed him down in 2016:

“Should we be concerned? Hell no. And here’s why:

Winker got off to a pretty Winker-like start last season, hitting an impressive .321/.423/.432 with a trio of doubles and two of his three homeruns over his first 22 games.

Then he went in the crapper for a month – hitting an ice-cold .231/.349/.264 – before heating back up at the start of June.

After 10 hot-hitting games in June Winker hit the DL. The cause: a wrist injury that, according to his manager, wouldn’t even allow him to hold a bat.

Winker would make it back to Louisville in the middle of July and he hit .320/.415/.403 the rest of the way. “

After prognosticating about his future big league success for so long, Winker finally started to capitalize on it in 2017. I’m not certain the power comes through as a perennial 20-homer threat, but the hit tool remains one of the best in the minor leagues, as does his eye at the plate, though he did struggle a bit against fellow southpaws – which needs to be monitored moving forward.

First, let’s reexamine his production in the International League in 2016. Consider the following:

Between 2006 and 2015, only three 22-year-old hitters posted a wRC+ between 125 and 135 in the International League (min. 350 PA): Chris Marrero, Dayan Viciedo, and Dustin Pedroia. Merrero’s been a minor league vagabond throughout his professional career. Viciedo’s was a league average bat in nearly 1,800 big league plate appearances. And Pedroia, of course, is a future Hall of Famer sporting a career 116 wRC+.

So let’s update the study with his work in Class AAA last season. Consider the following:

If Winker’s power is at least average, he’s going to be a Michael Brantley-type hitter. If not, he’s going to be no worse than a league average bit league bat.

Ceiling: 3.0- to 3.5-win player

Risk: Moderate

MLB ETA: Debuted in 2017

5. Tyler Mahle, RHP

Background: One of the most aggressive rankings in the entire 2017 Prospect Digest Handbook (more on that below). Simply put, Mahle has been incredibly dominant since entering professional baseball as a seventh round pick in 2013. The Westminster High School product tallied an impressive 71-to-15 strikeout-to-walk ratio as a 19-year-old in the Pioneer League in 2014. He followed that up with an impressive, often times unhittable showing in the Midwest League the next season: he tossed 152.0 innings with Daytona, averaging 8.0 strikeouts and just 1.5 walks every nine innings. And then the 6-foot-3, 210-pound right-hander split his 2016 campaign between the Florida State and Southern Leagues, posting another budding ace-like 141-to-37 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Last season, the then-22-year-old hurler made 24 starts between Class AA and Class AAA, throwing 144.1 innings, recording 138 punch outs and just 30 walks en route to tallying a 2.06 ERA and a 2.81 FIP. Mahle also made four starts with the Reds as well, fanning 14 with 11 walks with a misleading 2.70 ERA.

Projection: First, here’s what I wrote in the 2016 Handbook:

“All of that glorious production and he still can’t hardly get a mention in the national media. For his part, the big right-hander has always – always­ – shown a strong propensity to limit free passes while missing a solid amount of bats in his three-year career. He’s averaged 8.1 K/9 and just 1.6 BB/9 in 263.0 innings of work. Throw in a groundball rate right around 50% and you have the makings of a big league starter.”

And I upped the ante even further with this in last year’s Handbook:

“A year later the national media’s starting to take notice – finally. Mahle’s one of the most underrated arms in the minors. He combines size and projectability, control, and strikeout potential. He could quietly become a fringy #2-type arm.”

Not only that, but according to Baseball Reference, not one major publication had Mahle listed among the game’s Top 100 prospects. I listed Mahle as Cincinnati’s third best prospect and the 68th best prospect in the game. I promise you that will change this season.

Consider the following with respect to his production in the Southern League last season:

Since 2006, here’s the list of 22-year-old pitchers to post at least a 25% strikeout percentage with a sub-6.0% walk percentage in the Southern League (min. 70 IP): Tyler Mahle.

And here’s a little study about his work in the International League last season:

Between 2006 and 2016, there were only two 22-year-old pitchers – Zach Eflin and David Bromberg – to post a 20-22% strikeout percentage and a sub-6.0% walk percentage in the International League (min. 50 IP). Both essentially failing to become noteworthy big leaguers.

With that being said, I still believe quite a bit in Mahle’s ability to develop into a mid-rotation caliber arm. He showed a lively low- to mid-90s fastball, a mid-80s slider, a 75 mph curveball, and a changeup. As far as comparisons go, think Patrick Corbin circa 2017.

Ceiling: 3.0-win player

Risk: Low to Moderate

MLB ETA: Debuted in 2017

6. Shed Long, 2B

Background: Pop Quiz #1: Name the three players under the age of 21 who posted at least a 146 wRC+ mark in the Midwest League two years ago (min. 300 PA). The Answer: Eloy Jimenez, one of the game’s best prospects, Shed Long, and Luis Arraez. Pop Quiz #2: Among all players with at least 150 plate appearances in the Florida State League two years ago, name the only player under the age of 21 to crack the 140 wRC+ mark. The Answer: Shed Long, who posted a 153 wRC+. Pop Quiz #3: Fast forward a year, among all players with at least 250 plate appearances in the Florida State League in 2017, name the only two prospects to finish with at least a 165 wRC+. The answer: Tampa’s Brandon Lowe and, of course, Shed Long.

Over the past couple of years Long, who was unearthed in the 12th round of the 2013 draft, has quietly – almost to fault – been one of the most dynamic bats in the entire minors leagues. The 375th player chosen, the Jacksonville High School product split time between Daytona and Pensacola last season, slugging an impressive .281/.358/.477 with 22 doubles, three triples, and a career best 16 homeruns. He also swiped nine bags in 13 tries as well. Long’s overall production, according to Weighted Runs Created Plus, topped the league average mark by 43%.

Projection: First, here’s what I wrote when I ranked him as the system’s tenth best prospect in last year’s Handbook:

“Just to kind of put Long’s production into proper context, consider the following: among all minor league hitters with at least 500 trips to the plate Long’s overall production last season, 148 wRC+, ranked as the 15th best.

So can he repeat it – again?

Let’s break it down:

First the easy check point: Was he too old for the level of competition? Nope. He was about a year younger than the average Midwest League ballplayer.

So what about his BABIPs? Long’s a speedy prospect, so he’s prone to post higher batting averages on balls in play. But even his mark in Low Class A, .346, is repeatable. However, his .393 BABIP in High Class A is completely and utterly unsustainable.

Does the lefty-swinging second baseman show any platoon splits? No issues to speak of.

Basically, we’re looking at probably the most underrated prospect in all of baseball. Remember the name. And CAL certainly remains a big, big fan as well…

Finally, according to Clay Davenport’s Defensive Runs Saved, Long was a +5 defender at the keystone last season.”

Underrated no more, Long’s certainly going to start gathering significantly more coverage after his second dominant minor league showing. Now let’s take a look at his work in the Florida State League last season. Consider the following:

Between 2006 and 2015, here’s the list of 21-year-old hitters to post at least a 150 wRC+ mark in the Florida State League (min. 250 PA): Josh Bell, Brandon Nimmo, Domonic Brown, Brett Jackson, Daryl Jones, and Dalton Pompey.

It’s a risky collection of mostly top prospects, but Bell, Nimmo, and for a time Brown are all above-average big league bats. Long has the makings of a solid bat-first second baseman, though he’ll need to improve upon his showing Class AA in 2018.

Ceiling: 2.5- to 3.0-win player

Risk: Moderate to High

MLB ETA: 2018/2019

Background: Signed on the international market last August. Cincinnati handed the Cuban import a hefty $4.475 million deal. And despite not throwing a meaningful pitch since appearing for Pinar del Rio in the Cuban National Series in 2014-2015, Gutierrez showed little rust in the Florida State League last season. The hard-throwing right-hander made 19 starts for the Daytona Tortugas, throwing 103.0 innings, recording 94 strikeouts against just 19 free passes. He finished the year with a poor luck driven 4.46 ERA, a 3.45 FIP, a 3.25 xFIP, and a 2.86 DRA (Deserved Run Average).

Projection: Here’s what I wrote about Gutierrez in last year’s book:

“Unlike a lot of the Cuban players signed last season, there’s actually a little bit of data available on Gutierrez. He appeared in 27 games with Pinar del Rio in the Cuban National Series four years ago when he was just 17-years-old. He would throw 67.0 innings and post a 44-to-40 strikeout-to-walk ratio. His production, unsurprisingly, jumped quite a bit the next season with the team: 51.1 IP, 49 K, and 19 BB.

But here’s the thing about the Cuban National Series: it’s very difficult to generate impressive strikeout totals. In fact, Gutierrez finished third in the league that year with 8.6 K/9. That, by the way, was better than Dodgers’ import Yaisel Sierra, who was five years older than Gutierrez. Don’t be shocked to see Gutierrez rack up some impressive K-totals when he transitions to stateside ball next year.”

He definitely missed a promising amount of bats last season, especially before tiring down the stretch in the second half. Over his first 10 starts last season Gutierrez posted a 65-to-9 strikeout-to-walk ratio across 52.2 innings. But he managed only a lowly 29-to-10 strikeout-to-walk ratio over his final 50.1 innings. Expect those first half numbers moving forward because the second half fade is likely due to not having pitched in several years.

With respect to his first half numbers, consider the following:

Only two 21-year-old pitchers – Edwin Escobar and Daniel Herrera – met the following criteria in the Florida State League between 2006 and 2015 (min. 50 IP): at least a 28% strikeout percentage and a sub-6% walk percentage.

Again, his lack of pitching experience raises the bar a bit. If everything breaks well he could be a mid-rotation arm with the floor as a dominant backend reliever.

Ceiling: 2.5- to 3.0-win player

Risk: Moderate to High

MLB ETA: 2019

8. Jose Siri, CF

Background: A slow developing prospect that finally had a standout showing in the Midwest League last season. Siri, a 6-foot-2, 175-pound center fielder from the Dominican Republic, exploded in a return to Dayton, slugging .293/.341/.530 with career highs in nearly every single offensive category: doubles (24), triples (11), homeruns (24), and stolen bases (46). Siri’s overall production, according to Weighted Runs Created Plus, topped the league average mark by a whopping 40%, his best showing since his debut in the Dominican Summer League five years ago. For his career, Siri’s sporting a solid .279/.322/.444 triple-slash line, belting out 62 doubles, 41 triples, and 44 homeruns to go along with 106 stolen bases.

Projection: The tools are quite evident, especially after his spectacular showing in the Midwest League last season. When he’s at his best, Siri offers up above-average speed and power with a solid hit tool. He also played phenomenal, well above-average defense as well. The young outfielder was one of just two prospects in the league to slug 20 homeruns and steal 20 bases; the other being Padres’ top prospect Fernando Tatis Jr.

So how do Siri’s numbers stack up against his peers, historically speaking? Consider the following:

Between 2006 and 2014, there were ten 21-year-old hitters to posted a 135-150 wRC+ mark in the Midwest League (min. 350 PA). Of those aforementioned 10, two of them – Matt Adams and Derek Dietrich – have had at least one big league season in which they posted a 100 wRC+ or better.

Not bad odds at all, at least through a historical context. Let’s hone in on Siri’s specific skill set:

Here’s the list of 21-year-old hitters with a 135-150 wRC+ with a .200+ ISO: Adams, Dietrich, Chris Dennis, Jonathan Rodriguez, David Vidal, and Marcus Knecht. .

Even better odds! Make no mistake, he’s far, far from a certainty – especially given his lack of a track record – but there’s definite starting caliber potential here. It’s imperative that he doesn’t regress back down to his 2014/2015 production line moving forward.

Ceiling: 2.5-win player

Risk: Moderate to High

MLB ETA: 2019/2020

9. Jose Israel Garcia, SS

Background: The latest Cuban import brought into the farm system. Cincinnati handed the young shortstop a hefty $5 million bonus last June, a pact which doubles to $10 million thanks to paying a 100% luxury tax. According to reports by Baseball America, Garcia has been an above-average offensive shortstop throughout his amateur career: he batted .383/.433/.489 in 105 plate appearances in Cuba’s 16U national league. He followed that up with another strong showing in the 18U league, slugging .297/.336/.355. And he batted .320/.426/.410 in 149 plate appearances in the 18U national league in 2016.

Projection: Garcia won’t make his much anticipated stateside debut until 2018. Cincinnati tends to aggressively challenge their top prospects. And given his age, he’ll be 20-years-old, he’s likely going to pop up in the Midwest League. Per the usual with prospects with limited data samples, it’ll be a wait-and-see approach with the Cuban youngster.

Ceiling: Too Soon to Tell

Risk: N/A

MLB ETA: N/A

10. Tony Santillan, RHP

Background: Fun Fact: The Daytona Tortugas, Cincinnati’s Midwest League affiliate, featured an impressive collection of strikeout artists – Scott Moss, Tony Santillan, Wennington Romero, and Andrew Jordan all ranked among the top 11 in strikeouts in the league. Santillan, a second round pick out Seguin High School three years ago, struggled mightily during his first taste of full season action in 2016, posting a terrible 38-to-24 strikeout-to-walk ratio en route to tallying an unsightly 6.82 ERA. Back in Low Class A for another go-round, his production – unsurprisingly – significantly improved. In a career high 25 games, the 6-foot-3, 240-pound rotund right-hander tossed 128.0 innings, averaging nine strikeouts and 3.9 walks per nine innings. He finished the year with a 3.38 ERA, a 3.77 FIP, a 3.89 xFIP, and a 3.61 DRA (Deserved Run Average).

Projection: Armed with a plus fastball and little control. Santillian’s likely landing spot will be in the backend of a big league club’s bullpen. He offers up more than the occasional glimpse of dominance, like the four-start span in May where he posted a 27-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 26.0 innings of work. But, again, it comes down to inconsistency.

Consider the following:

Between 2006 and 2014, only one 20-year-old pitcher posted a 24-26% strikeout percentage with a double-digit walk percentage in the Midwest League (min.75 IP): Blake Snell, who would later develop into one of the best pitching prospects in the game.

Snell, by the way, continues to battle with control/command. All the potential in the world doesn’t matter if you can’t harness it.

Ceiling: 2.0- to 2.5-win player

Risk: High

MLB ETA: 2020

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