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1. Wander Franco, SS

Hit Power SB Field Overall 55/75 50/60 50 40/50 80

Background: With impressive bloodlines already established in professional baseball – Franco’s the nephew of current big league infielder Erick Aybar and retired formed Rays infielder Willy Aybar – Tampa Bay broke the proverbial bank and signed the youngest Franco to a massive $3.45 million early in the 2017 season. Franco, as an article on MLB.com pointed out, has two brothers currently in the minor leagues as well: Wander Javier Franco, who’s coming off of a season in which he batted .277/.296/.386 in High Class A with the Royals, and Wander Alexander Franco, a corner infielder in the Astros’ system. As far as the youngest Wander Franco goes, well, Tampa Bay’s beaming like a proud parent at this point. The 5-foot-10, 189-pound switch-hitting shortstop set the baseball world abuzz with an otherworldly showing in the Appalachian League. In 61 games with the Princeton Rays, the Dominican infielder slugged a Ruthian .351/.418/.587 with 10 doubles, seven triples, and 11 homeruns. He also swiped four bags in seven attempts. Franco’s overall production, according to Weighted Runs Created Plus and Deserved Runs Created Plus, topped the league average mark by 59% and 69%.

Analysis: Let’s just have a little fun with his incredible, eye-popping debut last season. Consider the following:

Since 2006, there have been 557 instances in which a hitter – of any age – has received 200 or more plate appearances in the Appalachian League. Franco’s walk-to-strikeout ratio, 1.42, is tied for the sixth best showing. Only two other teenagers bettered Franco’s showing: Alejandro Kirk, a promising top prospect in the Blue Jays’ system, and some guy by the name of Jose Altuve – both of whom were two years older than Franco.

Again, among those 557 aforementioned instances in which a player received 200 or more plate appearances in the Appalachian League, Franco’s 159 wRC+ tied for the 21st best total.

Obviously it’s impressive enough, but let’s take a look at the top two performances by a 17-year-old in the Appalachian League:

Player Age PA AVG OBP SLG BB% K% wRC+ Wander Franco 17 273 .351 .418 .587 9.9% 7.0% 159 Vlad Guerrero Jr. 17 276 .381 .437 .636 12.0% 12.7% 122

And a star is born…

Franco does everything: plus hit tool, plus power potential, above-average speed, and a glove that should peak as slightly-above average. He’s a perennial All-Star in the making and should be the next franchise cornerstone. A brief stop in Class AA in 2019 isn’t out of the realm of possibility either.

Ceiling: 7.0-win player

Risk: Moderate

MLB ETA: 2021

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2. Brent Honeywell, RHP

FB SC CB SL CH Control Overall N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 70

Background: Hands down my favorite pitcher in all of the minor leagues the past couple of seasons. Honeywell was on the precipice of joining ace left-hander Blake Snell atop the Rays’ rotation. But unfortunately for Honeywell and the Rays as well, the hard-throwing right-hander succumbed to Tommy John surgery in late February and missed all of 2018. Honeywell, a 6-foot-2, 180-pound right-hander taken in the second round of the 2014 draft, is averaging an impressively dominant 9.9 strikeouts and just 2.0 walks per nine innings to go along with a 2.88 ERA in 416.0 minor league innings.

Analysis: Here’s what I wrote about the dynamic ace-in-waiting when I ranked him as the seventh overall prospect in the game in last year’s Prospect Digest Handbook:

“Let’s see how his production in the International League last season stacks up, historically speaking:

Since 2006, here’s the list of 22-year-old pitchers to post at least a 28% strikeout percentage and a walk percentage of 6.5% or less in the International League (min. 100 IP): Brent Honeywell.

OK. That’s clearly an incredibly exclusive class. So let’s expand it. Consider the following:

Since 2006, here’s the list of pitchers – of any age – to post at least a 28% strikeout percentage and a walk percentage of 6.5% or less in the International League (min. 100 IP): Brent Honeywell.

Again, that’s pretty exclusive. So let’s expand it once again. Consider the following:

Since 2006, here’s a list of 22-year-old pitcher to post at least a 28% strikeout percentage regardless of walk percentage in the International League (min. 100 IP): Brent Honeywell, Tyler Glasnow, and Jose Berrios. And here are their respective walk percentages during their age-22 season: 5.9% (Honeywell), 8.3% (Berrios), and 14.2% (Glasnow).

And, finally, let’s expand it one more time. Consider the following:

Since 2006, here’s a list of pitchers – of any age – to post at least a 28% strikeout percentage in the International League (min. 100 IP): Brent Honeywell, Tyler Glasnow, Jose Berrios, Lucas Sims, and Jaime Schultz.

Simply put, Brent Honeywell is on the short list of top pitching prospects in baseball. On any continent. In any galaxy.”

Ceiling: 5.0-win player

Risk: Moderate

MLB ETA: 2019

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Hit Power SB Field Overall 60 50 35 50 60+

Background: Not to be confused, but Brandon is not the third Lowe brother in the Tampa Bay’s crowded farm system. A third round pick out of the University of Maryland in 2015 after a stellar two-year tenure, Lowe, who left the school as a .338/.448/.509 career hitter, has quickly and efficiently moved through the minor leagues: he debuted in the Midwest League a year after he was drafted; spent time in the Florida State and Southern Leagues during his follow-up campaign; and he split time with Montgomery and Durham before spending some significant time in Tampa Bay last season. Lowe, a 6-foot, 185-pound second baseman/outfielder, batted an impressive .297/.391/.558 during his time in the minor leagues last season, belting out 31 doubles, one triple, and a career best 22 dingers. As for his work in the big leagues, well, it was solid, though not nearly as productive; he hit .233/.324/.450 with six doubles, two triples, and six homeruns in 43 games. For his career Lowe’s sporting a solid .281/.374/.465 minor league triple-slash line.

Analysis: Between Nick Solak and Lowe, Tampa Bay has two of the better second base prospects in the game. Lowe’s been an offensive dynamo since entering Tampa Bay’s system three years ago, consistently showing an above-average to plus-hit tool, impressive power for an up-the-middle position, a phenomenal eye at the plate, and a solid glove that plays well at the keystone and in the outfield. And even though his batting average was a bit depressed during his MLB debut, Lowe still managed to hover around the league average production line thanks to his impressive secondary skills. He’s a player. And he’s like to carve out a long, successful career at the game’s pinnacle level. For his peak: he should be a .290/.340/.460 type hitter. One more note: yes, it was a small-ish sample size, but Lowe’s batted ball profile during his debut was quite impressive – 43.5% hard hit %, 89.3 mph exit velocity, 10.0% barrel %. He could very easily wind up as the AL Rookie of the Year in 2019.

Ceiling: 3.5-win player

Risk: Low to Moderate

MLB ETA: Debuted in 2019

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4. Nathaniel Lowe, 1B

Hit Power SB Field Overall 55 60 30 50 65

Background: The older brother – and fellow 2016 draft class member – of Josh Lowe, Nathaniel took the long road to the minor leagues: after a stellar career at Pope High School, the elder Lowe headed to Mercer University for his freshman season. But after batting a lowly .097/.152/.161 in limited time he transferred to JuCo St. Johns River State College for a year. And then in 2016 he played at SEC powerhouse Mississippi State, hitting a solid .348/.423/.490 with 20 doubles and five homeruns. Tampa Bay snagged him in the 13th round, signing him to a deal worth $100,000. After two solid showings in 2016 and 2017, Lowe’s bat caught fire last year as it propelled him from High Class A to Class AA and then onto Class AAA. He batted an aggregate .330/.416/.568 with 32 doubles, one triple, and a whopping 27 homeruns, more than double his career total prior to the year. His overall production, per Weighted Runs Created Plus, topped the league average threshold by a staggering 78%.

Analysis: How about that for a breakout campaign? Among the 963 hitters that made at least 350 appearances at the plate last season, Lowe’s 178 wRC+ is tied for second with Michael Reed, who’s three years older, trailing only some guy named Vladimir Guerrero Jr. As far as the production is concerned, consider the following with respect to his work in Class AA:

Incredible collection of names: three superstars (Bryant, Votto, and Braun); one above-average hitter (Schwarber), a top prospect (Senzel) and two guys that haven’t/didn’t pan out (Catricala and Kelly, who achieved the feat in the Rays’ system in 2017). Let’s continue:

Among those eight hitters, here are the ones that posted a double-digit walk rate and a sub-20% strikeout rate: Senzel, Votto, and – of course – Lowe.

How’s that for impressive company? Pretty. Damn. Good. Lowe tapped into some impressive power that likely no one knew even existed. And the incredible part: his batted ball profile remains largely unchanged. Elite eye, even better contact rates, and – of course – there’s the company he’s keeping too. There’s some risk given his lack of track record, but I like him. A lot. Clearly.

Ceiling: 4.0-win player

Risk: Moderate to High

MLB ETA: 2021/2022

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5. Shane McClanahan, LHP

FB SL CH Control Overall 70 55/60 55/60 40/45 65

Background: Originally the big lefty was a Baltimore native – and huge Cal Ripken Jr. fan, something I can get behind – McClanahan eventually moved to Cape Coral, Florida, and quickly shot up the draft lists: the slender southpaw fanned an impressive 187 hitters in 123.0 innings throughout his high school career. And the New York Mets would eventually take a late-round flier on him, picking him in the 26th round of the 2015 draft. The 6-foot-2, 188-pound lefty opted, instead, to attend the University of South Florida – though injury would force him to miss the entire 2016 season. Finally recovered from Tommy John surgery, McClanahan looked incredibly comfortable squaring off against the AAC: in 15 starts, he posted an ace-like 104-to-36 strikeout-to-walk ratio in just 76.0 innings of work – or an average of 12.32 strikeouts and 4.26 walks per nine innings. McClanahan put together a similarly dominating season in 2018 as well: in 14 starts, spanning 76.0 innings, he’s punched out a whopping 120 and walked 48 to go along with a 3.42 ERA. Tampa Bay snagged him at the back of the first round, 31st overall, and signed him to a deal worth a hair above the recommended slot bonus. McClanahan made four brief appearances in the rookie leagues, throwing seven innings with 13 strikeouts against just one walk.

Analysis: Here’s what I wrote about the talented, albeit erratic southpaw prior to last year’s draft:

“First and foremost, any fan of Cal Ripken Jr., my all-time favorite player, is OK in my book. As far as the production goes, there are very few pitchers this year – as well as the past several years – that can match McClanahan’s ability to miss bats. Consider the following:

Between 2011 and 2017, here’s the list of pitchers at any level (Division I, II, III, NAIA, of JuCo) to average at least 14.5 strikeouts per nine innings (min. 60 IP): former University of Central Florida reliever Jason Bahr, a fifth round pick of the Giants last June; Phil Bickford, a twice-drafted first rounder who accomplished the feat against JuCo competition; and Brad Wieck, who did it for DII school Oklahoma City University.

McClanahan, of course, is (#1.) doing it against far superior competition and/or (#2.) as a full-time starting pitcher. Blessed with an explosive, plus- to plus-plus fastball, McClanahan has trouble consistently commanding the strike zone. His control, at best, is below average. And it’s concerning that it’s taken a small step back this season. He’ll also mix in a changeup with dive and fade as well as a slurvy-type slider. The changeup up gives him two potential plus-offerings. When looking at the production, two immediate southpaws come to mind. Consider the following:

Player College Age IP K/9 BB/9 Shane McClanahan South Florida 21 63.0 15.2 4.8 Kyle Freeland Evansville 20 93.0 8.1 2.5 Sean Newcomb Hartford 21 93.0 10.2 3.7

Freeland was the eighth overall pick by the Rockies in the 2014 draft and the Angels snagged Newcomb seven picks later. And as you can see, McClanahan’s ability to miss bats dwarfs the duo – easily. McClanahan has genuine front-of-the-rotation caliber talent. And I would expect him to go off the board no later than the Braves, who own the eighth pick this June. It’ll be up to his new organization to unlock and/or improve upon his ability to throw more consistent strikes. Needless to say, there is a bit more risk given his control issues.”

Ceiling: 4.0-win player

Risk: Moderate to High

MLB ETA: 2021/2022

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Hit Power SB Field Overall 30/50 45/60 30 50 55

FB CB CU CH Control Overall 60 60 55 55 55 60+

Background: The Shohei Ohtani of the collegiate world. McKay was a dynamic two-way star for the Louisville Cardinals during his three-year collegiate career. McKay, a hefty 6-foot-3, 210-pound first baseman and left-handed starting pitcher, left the school with some impressive career totals: he slugged .328/.430/.536 with 48 doubles, three triples, and 28 homeruns; as a pitcher he struck out 391, walked just 111, and compiled a 2.23 ERA. Tampa Bay drafted the former Cardinal in the first round, fourth overall, with the idea of making him a two-way star. But that hasn’t exactly worked out as planned – at least for now. McKay’s been stellar as a pitcher, posting a dominating 103-to-14 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 78.1 innings last season, but he hit a puny .214/.368/.359 with just eight doubles, one triple, and six homeruns in 242 plate appearances.

Analysis (Pitcher): McKay’s far more advanced as a pitching prospect. His fastball showed more life than I expected, regularly touching the mid-90s with a surprising amount of ease. His curveball adds a second plus weapon to his arsenal. And his cutter and changeup both grade out as above-average offerings. Throw in a strong feel for the strike zone and McKay looks like a potential mid-rotation caliber starting pitcher.

Analysis (Hitter): This is where things get a bit murkier. McKay combined a tremendous eye at the plate with plus-power potential. But the hit tool has been subpar. McKay’s still more projection than production at this point. And I’m not convinced he ever achieves his full potential if he’s not concentrating on hitting exclusively. McKay will get another year or so to develop on both aspects of the game before the organization makes a decision as to whether he becomes a pitcher (highly likely) compared to a hitter. One more thing to remember: it’s highly unlikely the club let’s McKay’s sagging development as a hitter hinder his ability to quickly move through the minors as a pitcher.

Ceiling: 3.5-win player

Risk: Moderate

MLB ETA: 2020/2021

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7. Ronaldo Hernandez, C

Hit Power SB Field Overall 50 50/55 35/30 55 60+

Background: Signed out of Arjona, Venezuela in 2014. Hernandez is riding the wave of three stellar offensive campaigns up the prospect charts. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound backstop turned in a solid showing in the Dominican Summer League, where offensive numbers are sort of meaningless, but he did manage to hit .340/.406/.485. Tampa Bay bounced the promising backstop up to the Appalachian League the following season, 2017, and he maintained status quo: he batted .332/.382/.507 with 22 doubles, one triple, and five homeruns. And that proved to be a harbinger of things awaiting Hernandez in 2018. In a career best 109 games with the Bowling Green Hot Rods, the then-20-year-old batted .284/.339/.494 with 20 doubles, one triple, and 21 homeruns. He also – surprisingly – swiped 10 bags just for good measure. His overall production, as measured by Weighted Runs Created Plus and Deserved Runs Created Plus, topped the league average mark by a stellar 33% and 41%, respectively.

Analysis: Consider the following:

Between 2006 and 2016, only five 20-year-old bats posted a wRC+ total between 128 and 139 with a sub-17.0% strikeout rate in the Midwest League (min. 300 PA): Drew Cumberland, Daniel Vogelbach, Eddie Rosario, Brandon Drury, and Gerardo Parra. All but Cumberland accrued/are accruing big league time. Here are their respective wRC+ totals in the big leagues: 78 (Vogelbach), 105 (Rosario), 92 (Drury), and 89 (Parra).

A bit too pull-happy for my liking, Hernandez, nonetheless, offers up an intriguing offensive toolkit at an offensive-deficient position; only San Diego’s Austin Allen slugged more homeruns as a catcher last season, though it was only one more than Tampa’s young backstop. Hernandez combines above-average power with strong contact rates and a decent eye. Defensively speaking, he grades out as above-average with the ability to control the running game. Yadier Molina’s performance in 2018 seems like a good fit for Hernandez at the big league level: .260/.317/.436.

Ceiling: 3.5-win player

Risk: Moderate

MLB ETA: 2021

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8. Shane Baz, RHP

FB CB SL CH Control Overall 70 55 55/60 55 40/45 65

Background: As if getting Austin Meadows and Tyler Glasnow for Chris Archer wasn’t enough, Pittsburgh kicked in Baz as the player to be named later. Drafted by the Pirates in the opening round, 12th overall, in the 2017 draft; the wiry, hard-throwing right-hander turned in a mediocre debut in the Gulf Coast League, posting a ho-hum 19-to-14 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 23.2 innings. Baz spent the entirety of his sophomore professional season in the Appalachian League, despite switching organizations. He made 12 starts, only two of which were in Tampa’s organization, throwing 52.1 innings with 59 strikeouts and 23 walks with a 4.47 ERA.

Analysis: It’s not too often that a club sours on a top pick as early as the Pirates did. But there’s a lot to like about Baz, namely his electric – yet unharnessed – four-pitch arsenal. Baz’s fastball sits in the mid-90s without much effort. He complements the plus-offering with a tightly spun upper-80s slider that looks like a cutter at times, an above-average curveball, and an impressive fading changeup. The control, of course, is pretty unrefined – though his two-game stint in Tampa’s organization inflated his walk rate rather greatly. Baz will also mess with the timing of his leg kick too. Baz has the type of arsenal that resembles the man he was trade for, Chris Archer, whom the organization was able to corral into a strike-throwing machine. They might be able to work the same magic again.

Ceiling: 4.0-win player

Risk: Moderate to High

MLB ETA: 2021/2022

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9. Matthew Liberatore, LHP

FB CB SL CH Control Overall 55/60 55/60 50/55 55 50/55 60+

Background: Nearly unhittable during his senior season at Mountain Ridge High School in Glendale, Arizona, Liberatore fanned a remarkable 104 hitters and tallied just a 0.93 ERA en route to earning the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year award. The stellar campaign comes on the heels of his dynamic run with Team USA’s 18U National Team the previous summer as well. Tampa Bay grabbed the stud left-hander in the opening round last June, 16th overall, and signed him to a deal worth slightly below the recommended slot bonus; he received just a smidgeon below $3.5 million. Liberatore made nine appearances in the system’s rookie league affiliates, throwing 32.2 innings with 37 strikeouts and 13 walks to go along with a 1.38 ERA.

Analysis: Poised beyond his years, the lanky left-hander shows an incredibly well-rounded, polished arsenal that still has a bit of projection left. Liberatore’s fastball sits comfortably in the low-90s touching the mid-90s on occasion. And once he’s finished filling out he may wind up sitting in the mid-90s. His curveball’s a hellacious knee buckling bender that flashes plus. His changeup, an above-average weapon, shows some dive-and-fade. And his slider is a solid fourth option, showing some lateral movement. Liberatore commands the zone fairly well and will likely have above-average control/command at maturity. There’s some #2/#3-type potential here. He could move quickly, especially for a prep arm.

Ceiling: 3.5-win player

Risk: Moderate

MLB ETA: 2021/2022

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10. Nick Solak, 2B/OF

Hit Power SB Field Overall 55 50 50 50 60

Background: One of the many three-team deals the Rays seem to find themselves in. Tampa Bay acquired Solak, southpaws Anthony Banda and Colin Poche as well right-hander Sam McWilliams in a complex deal involving the Yankees and Diamondbacks. Originally drafted by the New York in the second round after an impressive three-year run atop the Louisville Cardinals’ lineup, Solak, a career .346/.442/.484 hitter in college, has continued to swing it at every stop along the minor league ladder thus far. Last season he stared down the toughest minor league challenge, Class AA, and never blinked. In 126 games with the Montgomery Biscuits – have I mentioned how that’s my favorite MiLB team name? – the 5-foot-11, 175-pound second baseman slugged a healthy .282/.384/.450 with 17 doubles, three triples, and a career best 19 homeruns. He also set a new career high with 21 stolen bases as well. His overall production, according to Weighted Runs Created Plus and Deserved Runs Created Plus, topped the league average mark by 40% and 30%, respectively.

Analysis: Solak’s the type of player that you look up one season and he’s quietly become one of the better second basemen in baseball. The former Louisville star does everything well – but now he’s showing some impressive power potential too. Above-average hit tool combined with a phenomenal eye at the plate, Solak sprays line drives all over the field, including squeaking out a handful of opposite field shots. Defensively, the glove plays at the keystone or in a corner outfielder position, though the bat profiles better at second. In terms of big league ceiling think something along the lines of .280/.340/.430.

Ceiling: 3.0-win player

Risk: Low to Moderate

MLB ETA: 2019

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11. Jesus Sanchez, OF

Hit Power SB Field Overall 50/55 45/55 35 55 60+

Background: Another impact bat making its way through the Rays’ system. Sanchez, who signed out of the Dominican Republic for $400,000 in 2014, opened a lot of eyes after a stellar campaign in the Midwest League as a teenager two years ago; in 117 games with the Bowling Green Hot Rods, the 6-foot-3, 210-pound outfielder batted .305/.348/.478 with 48 extra-base hits. Sanchez continued that torrid pace in the Florida State League last season as well, slugging a robust .301/.331/.462 with 24 doubles, two triples, and 10 homeruns. The then-20-year-old prospect’s production took a noticeable – and not unsuspected – dive upon his last season promotion to the Southern League; he batted .214/.300/.327 in 27 games with the Montgomery Biscuit (my favorite minor league team name).

Analysis: Consider the following:

Since 2006 only three 20-year-old hitters that met the following criteria in the Florida State League (min. 300 PA): 120 to 130 wRC+ mark; a sub-6.0% walk rate; and a sub-20.0% strikeout rate. Those three hitters: Arismendy Alcantara, Dilson Herrera, and – of course – Jesus Sanchez. Alcantara and Herrera have been beyond atrocious during their respective big league careers.

Obviously that’s not a stellar group to belong to. Sanchez flashes some interesting, often loud, tools: he’s consistently hit for average, he’s just beginning to tap into his above-average power potential; and he’ll swipe an occasional bag as well. Defensively speaking, he’s an above-average defender as well. The lefty-swinging Sanchez also handles southpaws well too. The tools are in place to become an above-average big league outfielder, but, again, similarly performing players haven’t fared well in the big leagues.

Ceiling: 3.5-win player

Risk: Moderate to High

MLB ETA: 2020

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Statistics provided by FanGraphs, BaseballReference, BaseballProspectus, ClayDavenport, and TheBaseballCube.