It’s apparently midseason prospect list time on the national scene. Yesterday we saw Baseball Prospectus update their list. Today it’s the guys at Baseball America that are releasing their list, and they doubled up on Baseball Prospectus by going to 100.
Much like the list yesterday from Baseball Prospectus, recent draft picks, international signings and anyone in the Major Leagues – even if they have prospect eligibility remaining, are not eligible for this list. That means that Nick Senzel, Alfredo Rodriguez, Cody Reed and Jose Peraza were all not eligible for this list. I’d imagine at least two of those guys would have cracked the list.
Despite the limitations, the Cincinnati Reds landed three players on the list. Left handed pitcher Amir Garrett leads the way at #31 on the list. As I wrote yesterday with the Baseball Prospectus list, he has been dominant this year, posting a 1.98 ERA in 95.2 innings pitched between Double-A Pensacola and Triple-A Louisville. He’s walked 38 batters and struck out 90.
Coming in at #65 on the list is right handed pitcher Robert Stephenson. Here’s what they have to say about Stephenson:
Stephenson’s climb to the big leagues has been a slow one, but he still flashes frontline potential.
The last Red on the list is Jesse Winker. The outfielder comes in as the #68. Here’s what they have to say about Winker:
A wrist injury has toyed with Winker’s season for a second consecutive year. He can hit, but can he hit for power?
This is a question I’ve seen asked a lot on the site, and on twitter. And I’d answer that yes. The question is more about how much power he will hit for, but as I’ve said in the past, I’m not really concerned about the power in the long run. It’s a blip on the radar, granted it’s the second first half in a row where he’s struggled to hit for power, but he rebounded well last year to show off good power and before that he’d always shown it as well. While he’s not a 30-homer guy, 20 isn’t out of the question at all and he’s going to rack up some doubles as well.
On the season, in 55 games, Jesse Winker is hitting .286/.381/.367 for the Louisville Bats. He’s only had 10 doubles and two home runs in 236 plate appearances – easily the lowest power output he’s ever had. On the flip side, he’s got more walks – 33, than strikeouts – 32. His walk rate is in line with his career numbers, but his strikeout rate is the lowest of his career.