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. Gleyber Torres, SS

Background: Heading into last season one would have been hard-pressed to come up with a reason – let alone two or three – as to how Torres would hang on to his rookie eligibility. The parent club wasn’t expected to contend; Torres was widely viewed as a top prospect in the game; and his offensive production, mainly in the power department, took huge leaps forward in 2016. But, lo and behold, here Torres is, still hanging onto his rookie status courtesy of…believe it or not…Tommy John surgery. The 6-foot-1, 175-pound middle infielder succumbed to the injury in the middle of June and missed the remained of the year. Apparently, according to reports, Torres injured himself on a headfirst slide into home plate in a game against the Buffalo Bisons. Up to that point, though, Torres was knocking – loudly – on New York’s door.

Always a promising offense-oriented shortstop, Torres’ production took a dramatic leap forward during the 2016 season as he more than doubled his career homerun output – despite changing organizations as part of the Aroldis Chapman deal with the Cubs. New York also acquired Rashad Crawford, Billy McKinney, and Adam Warren as part of the deal as well. Torres finished the 2016 season with an aggregate .270/.354/.421 triple-slash line, setting career highs in doubles (29) and homeruns (11) to go along with five triples and 21 stolen bases. His overall production two years ago, according to Weighted Runs Created Plus, topped the league average mark by 20%.

And the Caracas, Venezuela, native picked up right where he left off in 2017.

New York bounced the promising youngster, and jewel of their much improved farm system, up to the Eastern League to begin last season. But that assignment lasted just 32 games before the powers-that-be were convinced he was ready for the minors’ final stop. Before the injury prematurely ended his campaign, Torres strung together a terrific .287/.383/.480 triple-slash line, belting out 14 doubles, a pair of triples, and seven homeruns (as well as seven stolen bases) in just 55 games of action. He topped the league average production line by 41%.

Projection: Three years ago I was pretty modest in my analysis of Torres, ranking him as the Cubs’ 16th best prospect with the following commentary:

“Tremendous eye for such a young kid, solid contact skills and enough pop to suggest it becomes an average-ish skill down the line. It’s still incredibly early, but CAL’s suggesting there’s quite a bit of upside between 2014 first rounder Cole Tucker and Colorado’s Trevor Story. Looks like a solid find on the international market.”

The following year, 2016, I bounced the young shortstop all the way to Chicago’s 3rd best prospect, writing:

“Well, he certainly looks like a potential steal – and I can’t believe I’m about to write this – for $1.7 million. But it’s true. Torres took some important steps forward with his defense last season, commanded the strike zone well for a teenager making his full-season debut, flashed doubles power that will likely develop into 12 or so homeruns down the line, and a potential above-average stick.”

And I upped the ante even further in last year’s Handbook when I ranked him as the minors’ second best shortstop:

“The power really took a noticeable step forward in 2016, so much so, that he could develop into a 20-homer threat down the line. Above-average speed with a matching eye at the plate at a premium position? That adds up to a tremendous amount of value. In terms of upside, think Xander Bogaerts circa 2016: .294/.356/.446 with a 4.7 fWAR. Oh, yeah, one more thing: after a slow start to the year Torres batted .286/.366/.441 over his final 105 contests.”

At this point, there’s really nothing new to add to the conversation, only that it’s just a matter of time for Torres. He shows a plus- to plus-plus eye at the plate, 20-homer potential, above-average speed (though he needs work on his base stealing prowess), and he’s been a slightly better-than-average defender at the game’s most important position. The only question that remains is whether who moves to second base: Torres or incumbent Didi Gregorius?

Consider the following:

Since 2006, there have been five 20-year-old hitters that have post a 12% walk rate or better with at least a .190 ISO in the Eastern League (min. 100 PA): Torres, Xander Bogaerts, Miguel Sano, Lars Anderson, and Travis Snider.

That’s a pretty strong collection of former former/current top prospects. But here’s the kicker: only two of them – Torres and Bogaerts – posted sub-20% strikeout rates. Hmmm…didn’t we just hear that name Bogaerts?

One more thing: Yes, it’s a small, completely unreliable sample size, though it’s in the same neighborhood as his Class AA numbers, but Torres is the only 20-year-old hitter since 2006 to post a 13% walk rate and a .140 ISO in the International League. Simply put, superstardom awaits.

Ceiling: 5.5- to 6.0-win player

Risk: Low to Moderate

MLB ETA: 2018

2. Domingo Acevedo, RHP

Background: Cut from the same cloth as current Yankees ace Luis Severino, except the package comes in a much larger frame. Acevedo boasts one of the best arms in the entire Yankees organization, thrusting his name into the same breath as Aroldis Chapman, Severino, and Dellin Betances. Acevedo turned in a dynamic 2017 season while making three stops (Tampa, Trenton, and Scanton/Wilkes-Barre). The behemoth 6-foot-7, 250-pound right-hander out of the Dominican Republic tossed a career best 133.0 innings, posting an absurdly strong 142-to-34 strikeout-to-walk ratio to go along with an aggregate 3.25 ERA and a matching 3.25 FIP. For his career, Acevedo is averaging a promising 9.8 strikeouts and just 2.4 walks per nine innings.

Projection: A long time admirer of the gargantuan right-hander. Here’s what I wrote about him in the 2016 Handbook:

“Owner of one of the system’s top fastballs, the big right-hander has shown brief flashes of dominance throughout his career, particularly during last season: over his last four starts with Staten Island he [struck out] 29 and walked just six in 23.1 innings of work. He’s always shown a fantastic ability to miss bats and limit walks, but let’s see how he handles (A) full season ball and (B) an age-appropriate level of competition, which won’t happen until he makes it up to High Class A in the second half of 2016. Acevedo’s a potential sleeper breakout player this year.”

And here’s what I wrote in last year’s book when I listed him as the club’s fourth best prospect:

“Acevedo not only handled his aggressive assignments well last season, he simply dominated. And if it wasn’t for the franchise governing his innings so tightly, he would have been one of the most talked about prospects in the minors. He could be one of the most electrifying starters the system has developed in years. And despite only throwing 50.1 innings in High Class A, I wouldn’t be surprised if he starts the year off in the Eastern League.”

Let’s take a look at his work in the Eastern League last season, which was his biggest sample size:

Between 2006 and 2015, here’s the list of 23-year-old pitchers that fanned between 25-27% and walked 6.5% or fewer of the hitters they faced in the Eastern League (min. 70 IP): Sean Nolin, a finesse southpaw.

I like Acevedo a lot. And my hope is that the Yankees resist the temptation to convert his triple-digit heat into a late-inning relief role. There’s a lot of front-of-the-rotation caliber potential here. And his workload last season helped ease some concerns about his durability.

Ceiling: 3.5- to 4.0-win player

Risk: Moderate

MLB ETA: 2018

3. Deivi Garcia, RHP

Background: Another one of the club’s low level teenage prospects that took huge – and important – developmental steps forward in 2017. Garcia, a 5-foot-10, 163-pound right-hander out of Bonao, Dominican Republic, made his professional debut in the foreign rookie leagues two years ago, offering up a very promising ability to miss bats (11.4 K/9) when he happened to stumble across the strike zone (6.0 BB/9). Last season, though, Garcia honed in on the strike zone with sniper-like precision, allowing him to move through three levels successfully. Garcia began the year back in the Dominican Summer League, got promoted to the Gulf Coast after just three dominant starts and he moved up to the Appalachian League after four more games. When the dust finally settled, the hard-throwing youngster posted a videogame-esque 85-to-19 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 60.0 innings of work. He tallied an aggregate 3.30 ERA and a 3.44 FIP.

Projection: Poised to be one of the game’s biggest breakout prospects in 2018 – especially if his newfound control/command proves to be a repeatable skill. Garcia isn’t overly big by any stretch of the means; he could stand put on a few pounds to his slight frame to help ease the rigors of taking the ball every fifth day. As far as the production goes, consider the following:

Since 2006, only four 18-year-old pitchers have posted a strikeout rate of at least 30% in the Appalachian League (min. 20 IP): Garcia, Kolby Allard, Matt Moore, and Juan Santos.

For those counting at home, that’s one better-than-average big league starter (Moore), one top prospect (Allard), and one prospect bust (Santos) to go along with Garcia.

But here’s the kicker: Garcia was the only pitcher to post a K% north of 32%; he finished the year with a ridiculous 37.7% strikeout percentage. There’s a helluva lot of front-of-the-rotation caliber potential here. A lot. Here’s hoping he can navigate his way through the injury nexus without too many dings and dents.

Ceiling: 4.5- to 5.0-win player

Risk: High

MLB ETA: 2020

4. Chance Adams, RHP

Background: Dallas Baptist University has churned out more than a few interesting arms in recent years, including: Adams, the Mets’ Drew Smith, Cy Sneed, Paul Voelker, Jake Johansen, and Brandon Koch. Adams, who was chosen in the fifth round three years ago, continued his blitz through the minor leagues as he spent the majority of the 2017 season working out of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders’ rotation. The 6-foot-1, 210-pound right-hander made a career high 27 starts last season, 21 of them coming in the International League, throwing 150.1 innings with 135 strikeouts and 58 walks. He finished the year with an aggregate 2.45 ERA, which is the third consecutive season in which he’s tallied a sub-2.50 ERA. For his career, Adams is averaging 9.3 strikeouts and 3.0 walks per nine innings.

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

“Just to put this into perspective a bit, consider the following: among all minor league hurlers with at least 120 innings under their belt last season, Adams’ strikeout-to-walk percentage, 21.2%, ranks fifth. Of those arms with better marks – Brock Stewart, Jose Taveras, Mitch Keller, Jordan Yamamoto – only Stewart and Adams spent significant time above Low Class A. CAL seems to be a huge fan, comparing him to some of the better arms in the minors in Stephen Gonsalves, Brent Honeywell, and Lucas Giolito. At worst, Adams is a dominant backend reliever. At best, he’s a very good #2/#3-type arm.”

So let’s update this a bit. Consider the following with respect to his work in the International League:

There’s been only one 22-year-old pitcher to post a strikeout percentage of at least 22% in the International League between 2006 and 2015 (min. 100 IP): Carlos Carrasco.

Carrasco showed far better control/command. So let’s take a look at Adams’ 2016 numbers in the Eastern League. Consider the following:

Between 2006 and 2015, only four 21-year-old pitchers posted a 25% K% and a walk rate of at least 9% in the Eastern League (min. 50 IP): Aaron Kurcz, Henry Owens, Jesse Biddle, and Kyle Crick.

Owens, Biddle, and Crick were all viewed as Top 100 prospects but battled severe control issues during their minor league careers at some point.

I still like Adams quite a bit. New York is likely going to have at least one starter go down during the course of 2018, and Adams has positioned himself well. I’m not quite sure he ever ascends to the #2/#3-type arm I originally forecasted, but he should settle in nicely as a league average starter, though.

Ceiling: 3.0-win player

Risk: Low to Moderate

MLB ETA: 2018

5. Estevan Florial, CF

Background: Arguably, the Haitian center fielder turned in the single biggest breakout – and easily the most out-of-nowhere – performance by a prospect in professional baseball last season. Now entering his fourth professional season, Flores has certainly offered up glimpses of potential – he slugged .313/.394/.527 as a 17-year-old making his debut in the foreign rookie leagues and he belted out 18 extra-base hits in his aggressive promotion to the Appalachian League two years ago – but certainly no one foresaw his transformation coming heading into last season. Despite hitting just .225/.315/.364 with Pulaski in 2016, the front office – once again – aggressively challenged the teenage outfielder by pushing him up to the South Atlantic League for the start of last season. Florial, of course, responded by battering the opposition to the tune of .297/.373/.483 with 21 doubles, five triples, 11 homeruns, and 17 stolen bases. He not only continued that torrid stretch in his brief 19-game cameo in High Class A but he also didn’t slow down in the Arizona Fall League either (.286/.383/.414).

The 6-foot-1, 185-pound tools-laden outfielder batted an aggregate .298/.372/.479 during the regular season, adding 23 doubles, seven triples, 13 homeruns, and 23 stolen bases. His overall production, according to Weighted Runs Created Plus, topped the league average mark by a whopping 45%.

Projection: Let’s just jump right into it. Consider the following:

Between 2006 and 2014, there were only four 19-year-old prospects to post at least a 140 wRC+ with a double-digit walk rate in the South Atlantic League (min. 300 PA): Christian Yelich, Joey Gallo, Nick Weglarz, and Caleb Grindl.

Initially, it’s not a bad collection of former prospects. Both Yelich and Gallo are well above-average hitters at the big league level during their respective careers. But only one of those hitters – Gallo – fanned in more than 25% of his plate appearances; Florial whiffed a Gallo-esque 31.9% of the time last season.

So let’s focus just on the punch out rate. Consider the following:

During the same time frame, there were only eight 19-year-old prospects that posted at least a 30% strikeout rate in the South Atlantic League (min. 300 PA): Cody Johnson, Gosuke Katoh, Jairo Beras, Jason Place, Joey Gallo, Lewis Brinson, Robbie Grossman, and Travis Demeritte.

Three very solid players in Gallo, Brinson, and Grossman. And another two sort of interesting prospects in Katoh and Demeritte.

Florial’s tools are as loud as any current – including Gleyber Torres – and former Yankees prospect in recent memory. It’s simply going to come down to his ability – or inability – to make consistent contact. Both Brinson and Grossman, for what it’s worth, were able to significantly trim their punch out rates after they moved out of the Sally, so hopefully Florial can follow in their footsteps.

Ceiling: 4.0-win player

Risk: High

MLB ETA: 2020

6. Miguel Andujar, 3B

Background: Not along the same lines as some of the farm system’s other breakout prospects, in large part due to being a well known commodity at this point, but Andujar’s offensive surge last season was largely expected. The young third baseman has typically hovered around the league average production mark for the duration of his professional career. The only time his production leapt forward with a thundering bat occurs during a repeat of the level, which happened in 2013 and the first half of 2016. Well, add the first half of 2017 to that list now as well. Andujar, who stands a less-than-imposing six feet tall but tips the scales at 215 pounds, spent the second half of 2016 looking a bit underwhelming in Trenton’s lineup. He batted a lowly .266/.323/.358 in 72 games. That production lurched forward in a mighty way when he was pushed back to the Eastern League at the start of last season. He responded with a .312/.342/.494 triple-slash line. But here’s the surprising part: unlike other instances when he’s introduced to a new, more advanced level, Andujar’s production firmly held when he was promoted up to the International League; he batted .317/.364/.502 in 58 games.

Overall, the Dominican-born third baseman hit an aggregate .315/.352/.498 with career highs in doubles (36) and homeruns (16). New York also called the kid up twice last season as well. The first time was a one game cameo as part of a double-header in June; Andujar promptly went 3-for-4 with a double and four RBIs.

Projection: I’ve typically been hard on the Andujar throughout the years. Here’s what I wrote in the 2016 Handbook when I ranked him as the Yankees’ 11th best prospect:

“The overall production – sans his 34-game redo in the Gulf Coast League a couple years back – [is] clouded by the fact that Andujar has been squaring off against older pitching. With that being said, his numbers have merely been league average the past two seasons. And not to pile on, but Andujar hasn’t really shown the ability to take more than the rare free pass either; he’s walked in just 6.1% of his career plate appearances as well. The power, though, has a chance to develop into 20-homer territory.”

And I doubled down on his underwhelming numbers in last year’s book, writing:

“One of the more overhyped prospects in the game – likely the result of his perceived power potential coupled with the fact that he plays in the New York system. But let’s take a little step back and really delve into the numbers: outside of his ridiculous showing in the Gulf Coast League in 2013 (I’d be remiss to mention that it was his second time through), Andujar’s posted wRC+ totals below 100 in four separate stops and when he did top that mark in High Class A last season it was his second go-round in that level.

See a pattern?

He doesn’t walk all that much. The power only comes through when he repeats a level. And the hit tool is blasé – at best. Add it all up and it doesn’t paint of a very pretty picture of his projected future. For those who remember, I just get the feeling he’s going to be the second coming of Eric Duncan.”

Where do I stand after his admittedly impressive performance in 2017? Consider the following:

Between 2006 and 2015, there were 17 hitters that were 22-years-old and posted a wRC+ mark between 120 and 130 in the Eastern League (min. 250 PA). Of those 17 aforementioned hitters, nearly half of them – eight to be exact – have had one season in which they posted a 100 wRC+ or better in the big leagues (min. 250 PA).

Fantastic, fantastic odds. Let’s continue:

Of those eight players that were league average or better MLB bats, only two of them – Jose Pirela and Gary Sanchez – posted walk rates below 8% during their age-21 stints in the Eastern League. And both of their BB-rates were slightly north of 7%.

Andujar, by the way, walked in just 4.4% of his plate appearances with Trenton. Now let’s take a look at his numbers in the International League:

Between 2006 and 2015, only one hitter – Wil Myers – posted a wRC+ between 135 and 145 in the International League (min. 250 PA). Myers, for what it’s worth, walked in 10% of plate appearances; Andujar walked just 6.8% of the time in Class AAA last season.

I’m still a bit bearish on the young third baseman, who seems to be falling into the soup du jour category at the moment. Again, he walked in just 5.5% of his plate appearances and his defense remains a work in progress. Wilmer Flores’ production for the Mets for the past two seasons seems like a reasonable comparison; Flores’ slugged .269/.313/.479. The defense and walk rates, though, will severely limit his overall ceiling.

Ceiling: 2.5-win player

Risk: Low to Moderate

MLB ETA: Debuted in 2017

7. Justus Sheffield, LHP

Background: Taken by the Cleveland Indians in the opening round of the 2014 draft and flipped to New York with fellow top prospect Clint Frazier, Ben Heller, and J.P. Feyereisen as part of the Andrew Miller trade two years later. Sheffield, a small left-hander out Tullahoma High School, made just 17 starts with the Trenton Thunder in the Eastern League last season. An oblique injury knocked him out of commission for roughly six weeks. The 5-foot-11, 200-pound southpaw tossed 93.1 innings in Class AA, posting a good, not great, 82-to-33 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He finished the year with a 3.18 ERA, a 4.58 FIP, a 3.94 xFIP, and a 3.78 DRA (Deserved Run Average). For his career, he’s averaging an impressive 9.3 strikeouts and just 3.2 walks per nine innings with a stout 3.27 ERA in 371.2 innings of work.

Projection: Still growing, at least according to the information used by Baseball Reference, Sheffield was previously listed as 5-foot-10 in past years. As far as the on-field production is concern, he passed the minors’ toughest challenge, Class AA, but he did so without truly dominating either. Consider the following:

Between 2006 and 2015, only other 21-year-old pitcher posted a strikeout percentage between 19-21% and a walk percentage between 7-9% in the Eastern League (min. 75 IP): Jeanmar Gomez.

Gomez, of course, washed out as a big league starting pitcher but was able to reinvent himself as a peripheral-driven reliever over the past couple of years. As for Sheffield, he’s a far better prospect than his counterpart. But it’s not surprising to see Sheffield’s strikeout percentage dip in Class AA; he’s not the typical throw-it-past-ya pitcher and his control/command doesn’t compensate for it. The southpaw looks more like a backend starter nowadays, maybe peaking as a slightly better-than-average starter if everything breaks the right way.

Ceiling: 2.5-win player

Risk: Moderate

MLB ETA: 2018

8. Clarke Schmidt, RHP

Background: The South Carolina hurler got off to a stellar start in 2017. Through his first nine starts Schmidt was simply dominant, throwing 60.1 innings with an impeccable 70-to-18 strikeout-to-walk ratio en route to tallying a barely-there 1.34 ERA. Then his elbow gave out – an injury that eventually required Tommy John surgery in late April. During his three-year stay in the Gamecocks’ rotation, Schmidt has been a consistent, oftentimes phenomenal hurler. Despite not getting drafted coming out of Allatoona High School, the 6-foot-1, 205-pound right-hander looked at ease in his freshman season: he made 18 appearances, 10 of which were starts, throwing 58.0 innings with 55 strikeouts and just 20 free passes. He also threw an additional 8.2 innings in the Coastal Plain League during the summer as well. Schmidt followed than up with a breakout season during his sophomore campaign: in a career best 17 starts (and one relief appearance), the hard-throwing right-hander struck out an impressive 129 and issued just 29 base on balls in 111.1 innings to go along with a 3.40 ERA and a 9-5 win-loss record. New York grabbed the injured hurler with the 16th pick in the draft last June and signed him to a deal worth $2,184,300, an amount more than $1 million below the recommended slot bonus.

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

“Despite succumbing to a pretty serious – albeit all-too-common – arm injury, I wouldn’t count Schmidt out as a potential first round pick. Lucas Giolito, Erick Fedde, and Jeff Hoffman were all recent top picks in spite of undergoing similar procedures. Schmidt has been impressive over his last 170+ innings for Head Coach Chad Holbrook: he’s struck out 199 and walked just 45. The lone red flag – though, [and] it’s a doozy – has been his propensity to surrender the long ball; his homerun rate was 0.78 HR/9 during his freshman season, 0.73 the following year, and 0.45 through his nine starts in 2017.

And just to add some context, consider the following:

Schmidt, by the way, accomplished the feat as a sophomore.

Assuming his medicals come back clean, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Schmidt go in the Top 20 picks to an aggressive, forward-thinking team could sign him to a below-slot bonus. Again, assuming that he comes back healthy, if Schmidt looks like a mid-rotation starter with upside if he can keep the ball in the ballpark.”

Well, what can I say? I nailed it. Here’s hoping for a full recovery.

Ceiling: 2.5- to 3.0-win player

Risk: High

MLB ETA: 2019/2020

9. Matt Sauer, RHP

Background: The beneficiary of the club’s decision to draft injured collegiate pitcher Clarke Schmidt in the first round. The $1 million or so saved by signing Schmidt to a well below-average slot was used to sign Sauer, the club’s second round pick, to a hefty $2.5 million agreement. Sauer’s pact, by the way, was worth more than what Schmidt received as the 16th overall pick. Hailing from Righetti High School in Santa Maria, California, Sauer was limited to just six brief appearances in the Gulf Coast League, throwing just 11.2 innings with 12 strikeouts and eight walks.

Projection: Very little to go off of in terms of data, so it’ll be the usual wait-and-see approach. New York has a bevy of hard-throwing young arms sprinkled throughout the farm system. And the front office/player development engine has generally done an exceptional job cultivating the talent. One more little tidbit: Sauer not only received the biggest bonus among all second round picks last June, but he received more than money than 10 first round picks (including Schmidt).

Ceiling: Too Soon to Tell

Risk: N/A

MLB ETA: N/A

Background: It’s been a long time coming, but after languishing in the rookie leagues for parts of four years as well as missing the entire 2015 season, things finally clicked for the hard-throwing right-hander in 2017. German, who hails from San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic, split his minor league campaign between Trenton and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, throwing an aggregate 109.1 innings with 119 strikeouts and just 32 free passes. He finished the year with an aggregate 2.88 ERA and a 3.29 FIP in the minor leagues. German also made seven relief appearances with the big league club, posting a solid 18-to-9 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 14.1 innings of work. New York originally acquired the hard-throwing hurler from the Marlins, along with Nathan Eovaldi, and Garrett Jones in exchange for David Phelps, Martin Prado, and cash.

Projection: A newcomer to the club’s Top 20 list. German, simply, dominated in each of his three stops last season. During his time with the Yankees last season, German uncorked a mid- to upper-90s fastball, a low 80s curveball, and a hard 89 mph changeup. The Yankees will likely be tempted to keep German on the big league roster as a multiple-inning reliever, perhaps harkening days back to Ramiro Mendoza, but he could be a dark-horse candidate in the rotation if injuries strike.

As for as his production in the International League is concerned, consider the following:

Between 2006 and 2015, only two 24-year-old pitchers posted at least a 26% strikeout percentage and a walk percentage below 8.0%: David Hernandez and J.P. Howell, both of whom developed into highly effective big league relievers.

Ceiling: 1.0- to 1.5-win player

Risk: Low to Moderate

MLB ETA: 2018

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