ATLANTA BRAVES
Prospects to Watch: The Braves should be a really fun team to watch offensively with Ronald Acuña Jr. and Freddie Freeman in the center of their lineup which also includes Josh Donaldson and Ozzie Albies, and they should be up near the top of the National League in runs scored. It’s hard to see where any prospect can really have a significant impact on offense for them in 2019, but I could see Cristian Pache or Austin Riley getting some run if the injury bug continues to bite the team like it has this spring. Riley is the closer of the two after spending all of 2018 in Gwinnett and hitting .294/.360/.522 with 19 homers but a 28% strikeout rate. The signing of Donaldson should slow the ETA of Riley, but he missed most of the season last year with a calf injury and is getting up there in age, so it’s not impossible to see a scenario where Donaldson goes down and Camargo becomes the shortstop if Dansby Swanson continues to struggle.
If you love prospects then you’ll love the projected rotation for the Braves, and Jason Woodell wrote up most of these arms here. Not only are Bryse Wilson and Kyle Wright breaking camp with the big club, but it’s a certainty that you’ll also see Touki Toussaint, Mike Soroka, Luiz Gohara, Kolby Allard, Patrick Weigel and even former first rounder Max Fried all in the mix. Kyle Wright will be the primary focus of this write-up though. The righty was the fifth overall selection in the 2017 draft out of Vanderbilt, and is starting the third game of the season for the Braves. He has two plus pitches in his fastball and slider, and also throws an above average curveball, an average change and has been experimenting with a cutter thanks to fellow Vanderbilt alum Walker Buehler. Deep pitch mix aside, Wright’s command has improved by the eye test this spring, and he has stuff to stick in the rotation long term. He also threw 145 innings between the majors and minors last season, so the Braves could push him to 180-190 if he stays healthy. He’s a mid-rotation starter for me long term.
Others of note:
Chad Sobotka
Wes Parsons
Jacob Webb
Corbin Clouse
Alex Jackson
Position Battle I’m Watching: I can see the pitching staff being Dodgers-esque this year with how often they will send arms back and forth between Gwinnett and the big club and maximize their elite upper level depth. I’m forecasting Kyle Wright to stick long term, even when Mike Foltynewicz and Kevin Gausman return, joining Julio Teheran and Sean Newcomb. You’ll see all arms I listed above in the mix in the bullpen also, and the waiver wire will be primed with Braves arms garnering multi-dollar bids.
MIAMI MARLINS
Prospects to Watch: There aren’t many prospect bats to watch in the Marlins system that are options for anything more than a handful of end-season plate appearances, unless a trade opens up a path to playing time. If the Marlins can find a taker for Starlin Castro they could just plug Isan Diaz in at second base and see what his plus power tool can do. The hit tool for Diaz is below average and he’s posted strikeout rates up around 26% at every level thus far, which might eat into his 25-homer potential, but he has a 12% walk rate for his career so he has a three-true outcomes vibe to him.
The Marlins have some excitement in their rotation which features three 25-and-younger arms in Trevor Richards, Pablo Lopez, and Sandy Alcantara. Of the three Alcantara is still prospect eligible, but he also has the most work to do. Our Prospects Live Marlins top 30 list has the slender right-hander ranked sixth, and Eddy Almaguer explains that his fastball command is the biggest deterrent currently. I agree, and while the fastball averages 95 MPH, he routinely misses the glove with that pitch. His best secondary is a changeup that flashes plus, but again, when you can’t throw strikes with the fastball you fall behind and can’t use the best pitch. This is a make or break year for Alcantara. With other arms in the organization stepping up, and guys like Jordan Yamamoto and Zac Gallen knocking on the door of the big league rotation it’s time for him to put it together or go to the bullpen.
Others of note:
Jordan Yamamoto
Zac Gallen
Monte Harrison
Jeff Brigham
Austin Dean
Position Battle I’m Watching: The rotation will continue to be a highly contested spot for the Marlins all year. Jordan Yamamoto and Zac Gallen don’t have much left to prove in the minor leagues. Both have above average command and are more high-floor guys than high-ceiling top of the rotation arms. Caleb Smith is recovering from Tommy John and should bump into an innings limit sometime after the All-Star break, and Jose Urena and the previously mentioned Alcantara have their command issues, so these two will certainly factor in to the rotation if they stay healthy.
New York Mets
Prospects to Watch: Sometimes the decision is really easy, and that’s the case here. The Mets offensive prospect to watch is Pete Alonso. The former Florida Gator has won the starting first baseman job after a strong spring, and has also been announced as the number two hitter in the lineup, right behind OBP machine Brandon Nimmo, which is an intriguing spot. Alonso has 70 game power and will hit 35 homers if he gets a full seasons worth of at bats. Jason Woodell covered him extensively here and thinks he can go .245/.330/.500+. I’m here for that.
The Mets rotation is one of the best in the league, and the back of the bullpen with Edwin Diaz and others has the potential to be strong as well, which is good because most of the Mets Major League-ready pitching prospects are swing-guys or middle relief types. Walker Lockett was twice traded this offseason; from the Padres to the Indians and then from the Indians to Mets for Kevin Plawecki, and he represents quality Major League depth. He throws a 93 MPH fastball, and compliments it with a curve and change. The former fourth rounder will start the season in Triple-A, but will be one of the first arms scooped from Syracuse should the Mets need some depth.
Others of note:
Drew Gagnon
Gavin Cecchini
Tomas Nido
Position Battle I’m Watching: The outfield for the Mets is a crowded one, with Michael Conforto, Brandon Nimmo, Juan Lagares, Keon Broxton, Jeff McNeil and the injured Yoenis Cespedes all fighting for at bats this year. As of this writing it appears the first three have the jobs right now, and Conforto is the only one of the trio that isn’t in danger of losing playing time. Lagares is often injured, and when healthy hasn’t shown enough with the bat. Broxton also being a plus defender in center means he has to hit, or at least out-hit Broxton. Jeff McNeil got some time in the outfield this spring, and admittedly didn’t look great, but with Todd Frazier and Jed Lowrie on the shelf he’s thrust into the everyday role at third. This whole situation gets even more complicated when Cespedes returns off the Injured List. With that contract that spot in left field is his when he returns, but I have a feeling we will see an outfield of Cespedes-Nimmo-Conforto as the season goes on.
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
Prospects to Watch: Nobody jumps out at you when looking at the Phillies depth chart when trying to find a bat that should contribute at the big league level. I’m going to reach down a bit and highlight Adam Haseley, who will spend a majority of the season in Triple-A this year. The former first rounder out of the University of Virginia hit .305/.361/.433 in Double-A with 11 homers, seven steals and a strong 14% strikeout rate. Haseley uses all fields and his plus plate skills play up due to his ability to make contact. There are some concerns that he isn’t a strong enough glove in center, and wouldn’t have enough power for a big league corner. Tweener profile. Our own Jason Woodell puts a 60 on the hit tool with a 55 power grade here. Haseley has a chance to spend September on the big league roster.
The Phillies rotation is pretty strong with Aaron Nola, Nick Pivetta and Jake Arrieta at the top and Zach Eflin and Vince Velasquez at the back end. It was this same group last season and we still saw arms like Enyel De Los Santos and he’s battling with Jerad Eickhoff to be the first arm called up when an arm is needed. De Los Santos throws four pitches, with his changeup being his best pitch. It’s a plus offering and he has an average fastball and curveball, and a developing slider. His command is erratic currently, and he needs to focus on missing bats more consistently. I do think he is a starter long term, but there’s some work to do here.
Others of note:
Drew Anderson
Ranger Suarez
Edgar Garcia
Position Battle I’m Watching: The Phillies starting eight are fairly set, but there’s a chance that Scott Kingery can overtake Maikel Franco if he doesn’t hit. The organization has been down on the big third baseman at times, but he was an above average contributor on offense last year with a 105 wRC+. He has heavy ground ball rates though, but perhaps the hiring of Jason Ochart from Driveline can give the Phillies yet another dynamic offensive player.
WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Prospects to Watch: If it wasn’t for a nasty elbow injury that Victor Robles suffered while diving for a ball in Triple-A, we may be writing about Juan Soto in this spot. Robles would go on to miss nearly three months due to that injury, but returned in early July. It was mostly a lost season but over a 66 plate appearance stretch in the final month, he hit .288/.348/.525 with three homers, three steals and four more extra base hits. Small sample size, sure, but his whole season was reduced to that with the injury. He’s a plus defender, runner, and thrower from centerfield, and has a plus hit tool. The power is the question mark, but I think he can hit 20 homers in the future, which makes him a borderline superstar. He made the opening day starting nine, and will bat from the nine spot as a second leadoff man.
Any prospect that breaks in for the Nationals on the pitching side will have to do it through the bullpen as the Nationals have a strong starting five and also strong depth pieces like Joe Ross, and Erick Fedde ready when needed. My pick is going to be relief arm James Bourque. The former Michigan Wolverine has a high effort delivery with a fastball that touches 96, with a slider and a change. Long term I see him in the back end of the bullpen, but he could carve out a setup role this season. He’s already on the 40-man roster and should start the season at Triple-A Fresno.
Others of note:
Kyle McGowin
Austen Williams
Tanner Rainey
Carter Kieboom
Spencer Kieboom
Position Battle I’m Watching: This isn’t as much a position battle as it is a lineup battle, but the leadoff hitter should be a highly contested but highly valuable spot to watch in Washington this year. Adam Eaton has the job right now, but he hasn’t been a pillar of health the last two seasons, and it’s hard to not get excited about a potential Victor Robles-Trea Turner top two. With Juan Soto and Anthony Rendon in the middle of the lineup it is a valuable spot. Robles will begin the season hitting ninth, but I project him to get most of the at bats out of the leadoff spot this year.