Updated Top Five MLB Prospects

Which prospect will be the next one to come up? Some might come sooner than later. Many are doing extremely well, while some are plagued with injuries, and might never even go to the Majors anymore. These next five guys might be the next biggest players in baseball.  You can check out the rest of my updated list here.

5. Carlos Correa, SS, Astros

Original Rank: 8

MLB Rank: 7

MLB Comparison: Derek Jeter

Just this past week, Carlos Correa was ruled out for the rest of the season with a fractured fibula. This is a tremendous blow to the Astros, as he might not even get to the Majors until 2017 now. The 19 year old will undergo a rehab session soon on his ankle.

Correa was somewhat a surprise pick, as the Astros took him #1 overall in the 2012 draft, a draft class that also had Byron Buxton and Mark Appel. But this guy is special, and still very young.

Correa can hit very well, both for contact and power. His arm is exceptional at short, and he could start there in Houston for years. You might think comparing him to Derek Jeter is way too much, and it might be. But let’s compare the two.

When Derek Jeter was 19 in Class A, Jeter batted .295/.376/.394 with 5 home runs and 71 RBI’s in 128 games in 1993. This year, Correa batted .325/.416/.510 with 6 home runs and 57 RBI’s in 62 games in A+ ball. But since that’s much less games, Correa’s stats are a little skewed in favor of him. But how about a year earlier, when Correa, at age 18, batted .320/.405/.467 with 9 home runs and 86 RBI’s in Class A?

They have put up almost the same numbers in the minors at this age, but Correa has a bit more power with a little less defense and speed as Derek Jeter. I doubt Correa will have an influence on baseball as Derek Jeter has had, but he should still be one special player.

4. Taijuan Walker, RHP, Mariners

Original Rank: NR

MLB Rank: 5

MLB Comparison: James Shields

Ok, so I’m kind of cheating here. Walker is an MLB player already really, and just got called up to the Majors. He started three games last year for Seattle, and pitched well to get himself one win while putting up a 3.60 ERA. This year, they want him to become their #3 pitcher in order to push for the playoffs. Nevertheless, he still is someone to watch out for.

Walker could actually have the potential to be like Felix Hernandez, but I don’t think that he will have enough control on his curveball and changeup to strike out as many players. He’s mostly a fastball pitcher anyways that is more known for getting ground balls. He is very young at only 21 years old, and was one of the youngest players in AA last year.

Walker came late into pitching in college, as he played shortstop and basketball in high school while trying to develop into a pitcher. He can throw his fastball into the mid to upper 90’s, so watch him start out like Gerrit Cole of the Pirates did last season.

It looks like he’ll get the start tonight against the Astros. Walker makes the Mariners season a make or break; if he can perform well, like Michael Wacha came in for the Cardinals late last season, they could make a wild card spot (though I doubt they could beat Oakland for the division).

3. Archie Bradley, RHP, D-Backs

Original Rank: 2

MLB Rank: 4

MLB Comparison: Gerrit Cole/Jeff Samardzija

Walker or Bradley? It’s a toss-up. Bradley has a better curveball than Walker, but both get the job done. Bradley is also a more fastball dominated pitcher, throwing it into the upper-90’s. He probably won’t get a whole lot of strikeouts, but don’t let that fool you. At 6’4” and 235 pounds, Bradley gets a steep downhill angle to get good sinking action and force ground balls. If he does manage to force guys on, he can easily get double play balls.

His command has gotten so much better over the Minor Leagues so that it offers a Major-League average pitch. He is managing a 12-6 curveball right now, which, who knows, could get as good as Clayton Kershaw’s (but I doubt it).

While Walker will land as a backup to Felix Hernandez or even 3^rd in the rotation, Bradley might become the ace at the start of 2015. Expect him to appear sometime this year, probably a little later than scouts expect, but he might show up in September.

2. Kris Bryant, 3B, Cubs

Original Rank: 10

MLB Rank: 8

MLB Comparison: Evan Longoria (though many say he’s the next Chipper Jones)

There is no other player in the minor leagues that is dominating as much as Kris Bryant is. He has torn through every single system so far, including hitting a home run in each of his first games at each club.

The #2 overall pick in the 2013 draft, Bryant was considered by far the best hitter and many thought he’d go first overall. He has enormous power and a great arm, plus his fielding has improved greatly.

In just 68 games in AA this year, Bryant went .355/.458/.702 with 22 home runs and 58 RBI’s. He tore up every pitcher he saw! As a reward, he was called up to AAA Iowa, and since has batted .317/.391/.756 in 11 games. His first five hits in AAA were home runs.

The Cubs might want to consider moving Bryant to right field, and if that’s the case he’ll be the best right fielder the Cubs have had since Sammy Sosa. If he sticks at third base, he’ll be the best since Hall-of-Famer Ron Santo.

So is he the next Chipper Jones? When Chipper was ranked as the number one prospect in 1993, he batted .325/.387/500 with 13 home runs and 89 RBI’s in 139 games. Evan Longoria’s best year in the minors was when he batted .299/.402/.520 with 26 homers and 95 RBI’s in both AA and AAA when he was 21.

The plan is to keep Bryant in the minors until the end of the year, but watch him come up in late August or early September.

1. Byron Buxton, OF, Twins

Original Rank: 1

MLB Rank: 1

MLB Comparison: Mike Trout

Nobody comes close to Buxton’s potential in the minor leagues. He’s the only player with all five tools, and does each one incredibly well. As of now, Buxton is injured, but at only 20 years old, it’s not hurting the Twins much if they keep him in the minors an extra year.

Buxton was also a #2 overall pick, this time in 2012. Nobody is quite sure when he will come up, but it will most likely be late 2015. Comparing him to Trout might seem a little cautious to some, but there’s nobody else like Buxton. He has better speed than Trout with a little less power, and can field just as well.

How’s this for a stat line? In A-A+ ball last season, Buxton batted .334/.424/.520 with 19 doubles, 18 triples, 12 homers, 77 RBI’s, and 55 steals in only 125 games. Plus with one of the best gloves in the minor leagues, he was by far the best in the minor leagues.

He is accelerating towards the Major Leagues, and hopefully he can recover from this injury soon. If you love watching Mike Trout, get ready to watch Buxton soon.

That’s it for the prospects! Can’t wait to see the future of baseball.