This off-season we set off to write our first book. Changes and challenges arose, so we've pivoted to releasing our top prospect lists & reports through the site and our Patreon. We're excited to finally show you the hard work of our evaluating team the last few months.
Below you'll find the top 10 players in the system with full reports of the top 5. The full rankings and reports on all top 30 prospects per team will be available on our Patreon at the 55-tier ($5 level) as we publish them. If you're into fantasy baseball, this tier also gets you the dynasty show, the FYPD list and the MiLB Daily Sheet in season. We plan to add all the reports to player pages on the site shortly after the season begins.
Top 10 Team Rank at First 5 Reports for Free Below
1. Zac Veen, OF - 55 OFP
Age: 20 Highest Level: A
2021 Pre-season Rank: 1 Pre-season OFP: 55
| Hit | Power | Field | Arm | Run | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55 | 60 | 50 | 60 | 45 | High |
PHYSICAL Tall and lean with plenty of room to fill out, especially in the upper body which could lead to more power down the road. Moves well even if the stride is a bit clunky as opposed to fluid.
STRENGTHS Veen shows a mature approach at the plate, he is aggressive early in the count to attack the pitcher trying to get ahead with fastballs but becomes more selective as the plate appearance drags on. He works deep counts and will wait for his pitch, and looks to pounce on late fastballs. This plate approach is paired with decent swing-decisions, as he rarely gets fooled by opposing pitchers. He combines a quick bat, with good strength and some natural loft to his swing path which allows him to put the ball in the air but also hit for power. He is exactly what you want from a corner-outfielder in the hitting profile as well as the plus arm and handles those slicing balls well, he makes good routes to the ball as well.
WEAKNESSES Some of the more advanced pitchers he faced were able to attack him early in the count with elevated fastballs but that will be something that should be fixed as he matures as a hitter and develops his craft. Veen has a clunkiness to his stride, it’s not graceful as one would expect which hurts his run grade, and limits his stolen-base upside. There is a choppiness to his stride that is more noticeable when he tries to steal bases, this can be fixed but is worth noting. He should also slow down as he matures and adds weight.
SUMMARY Veen has the makings of a well above-average major leaguer who mashes while playing in a corner. The stolen-bases he occurred in Low-A are a combination of the level of play plus the rules that were instituted at the level, not his speed or his jumps or instincts. His combination of hit tool and power will allow him to be a productive major-leaguer, and while most of his value is tied to his bat he will be a more than competent defender in a corner.
EVALUATOR Rhys White
2. Drew Romo, C - 50 OFP
Age: 20 Highest Level: A
2021 Pre-season Rank: 5 Pre-season OFP: 45
| Hit | Power | Field | Arm | Run | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 45 | 60 | 60 | 40 | Extreme |
PHYSICAL Good height and good frame for a catcher, well filled-out body, physically mature with a little bit of room to dream on. Strong frame especially in the upper-body.
STRENGTHS Phenomenal defender that should only get better as he continues to get more experience. Moves well behind the dish, shows a great ability to block balls down in the dirt thanks to his lateral explosiveness. Excellent receiver of the ball to go along with his blocking. Leader of the defense, vocal out there. Plus arm strength, and his quickness behind the plate allows him to get his throws off quickly. He makes accurate throws with good carry that will halt opposing baserunners and deter them from attempting to run. His left-handed swing is much more refined and polished than his right-handed swing.
WEAKNESSES His right-handed swing should be scrapped as his left-handed swing is more advanced, and his hit tool grade reflects the combination of his left-handed and right-handed swing. His contact and his ability to consistently tap into his power. He does have a tendency to hit the ball on the ground, which is a problem given his below-average speed.
SUMMARY With his defensive skills there is a baseline role as a back-up glove-first catcher, very much in the same vein as Austin Hedges or Tucker Barnhart. He currently switch-hits but I think that should be abandoned and he should solely focus on his left-handed swing where at worst he could be in line to mash righties and be the strong-side of the platoon. His defensive prowess with his hit tool and power combined with the state of catching makes me think he can remain and become a primary catcher for a team during the prime of his career.
EVALUATOR Rhys White
3. Benny Montgomery, OF - 50 OFP
Age: 19 Highest Level: CPX
2021 MLB Draft Rank: 20
| Hit | Power | Field | Arm | Run | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45 | 55 | 60 | 60 | 70 | High |
PHYSICAL Tall, athletic frame. Lean, wiry build. Room to continue filling out and adding muscle to his 6’4 frame. Slightly open stance with both knees bent. Low hand set, tends to drop the knob of the bat during his load which creates timing issues. Makes up for it with his quick bat speed.
STRENGTHS Generates plus bat speed which allows him to make hard contact on balls in play. Demonstrates above average raw power ability that he will look to tap into more in game as he continues to tinker with his swing. Defensively, he is a standout. He has a plus throwing arm from the outfield, and his plus speed allows him to track balls from gap to gap with ease. He has the route running ability and the athleticism to stick in centerfield long term. Plus speed will also allow for Montgomery to be a threat on the bases, which he displayed in a small sample during his AZL debut.
WEAKNESSES Swing path and timing will need to be cleaned up to create better rhythm at the plate. Currently has a flatter swing path and has struggled to tap into his raw power in game. He does not have an issue making quality contact, rather it is more of an issue of him getting to that point more consistently. His operation lacks fluidness, and he has a lot of hand movement during his load and tends to drop his hands which disrupts his timing at times, causing him to swing and miss or get jammed.
SUMMARY The Rockies selected him 8th overall for 5-million dollars in the last draft. Brings numerous plus tools to the table. There is little question regarding his defensive ability, as he has the tools to lock down centerfield. Questions remain surrounding his hit tool and whether or not he will make enough contact as well as make the necessary adjustments to his swing in order to create more rhythm.
EVALUATOR Brandon Smith
4. Elehuris Montero, 3B - 50 OFP
Age: 23 Highest Level: AAA
2021 Pre-season Rank: 11 (STL) Pre-season OFP: 45
| Hit | Power | Field | Arm | Run | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55 | 55 | 40 | 60 | 40 | Moderate |
PHYSICAL Physical prospect who has grown into his frame. Long limbs, and minimal projection remaining. Dealt with a broken hamate bone in 2019 that led to a down season. At the plate he hits from a slight crouch and stays loose. Uses a small stride and toe tap as his load, and has eliminated the big recoil and stride he had earlier in the season. Swing is very rotational. At times with longer stride the upper and lower half would work independently of one another. Smaller stride and load has allowed them to get more in sync. Swing mechanically is similar to Marcell Ozuna.
STRENGTHS Short but very quick swing. Easy plus bat speed and plate coverage. Developed hit tool and has always hit when healthy. Above-average contact rate and showed some power this year at tough pitchers park in Hartford. Plus throwing arm from third base.
WEAKNESSES Montero’s aggressiveness is his own worst enemy. Very aggressive, and will get taken advantage of by big league arms. Did become slightly more patient after the promotion to Triple-A, but need to see how that plays when baseball resumes. Lacks a true defensive home. Did spend some time at first base last year. Limited range at third base.
SUMMARY Montero is the perfect type of hitter for Coors Field because of how well he uses all fields and goes gap to gap. It’s a present hit over power profile, but most of his power output will likely be doubles. Still could see him swatting 20 homers or so a season, but should easily threaten 40 doubles if he remains healthy. The DH in the National League is great news for Montero. His aggressiveness and defense create some uncertainty, but Montero has answered all the questions with his bat when he was healthy. The prize in the Nolan Arenado deal, Montero is already on the 40-man roster and should make his big league debut fairly early on in 2022.
EVALUATOR Matt Thompson
5. Ezequiel Tovar, SS - 45 OFP
Age: 20 Highest Level: A
2021 Pre-season Rank: 25 Pre-season OFP: 30
| Hit | Power | Field | Arm | Run | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45 | 30 | 60 | 55 | 55 | High |
PHYSICAL Tovar has slightly above-average height for the position and a projectable body. He’s started filling out some, but he’s still pretty lean throughout with room to add further strength.
STRENGTHS Above-average bat-to-ball skills, and was able to elevate and drive the ball more consistently in 2021. Mostly a gap-to-gap hitter right now whose power output was aided by the California League. He has a confident approach at the plate and won’t walk much, but his bat-to-ball skills should keep strikeouts in check, too. An improvement in pitch selection would allow him to unlock more of his natural hitting ability. Posted some plus times down the line, but he’s more of an above-average runner. Exclusively played SS in 2021, and he’s an above-average or better defender there right now. Has quick hands and reflexes and can cover enough distance in every direction to stick. Arm is above-average, showing strong carry across the diamond, and it’s likely he settles in as a plus defender in the big leagues.
WEAKNESSES Defense is ahead of his offense, and his offensive stats dipped after a promotion to High-A. Has bat-to-ball skills, but the quality of contact is inconsistent due to his pitch recognition and pitch selection. Power is well-below-average and may never play above that without an improvement in his approach. Rarely walks, and there’s a reasonable chance he winds up with an empty batting average.
SUMMARY Tovar took a step forward in the first half of the 2021 season, but his performance dropped off after a mid-season promotion. He’s one of the better defensive prospects in the entire system, but he will need to continue to perform with the stick to advance beyond a defensive sub/utility role. He’s on the Rockies’ 40-man roster.
EVALUATOR Jake Kerns
6. Adael Amador, SS - 45 OFP
Age: 19 Highest Level: CPX
2021 Pre-season Rank: 10 Pre-season OFP: 40
7. Brenton Doyle, OF - 45 OFP
Age: 23 Highest Level: A+
Pre-Season Rank: 8 Pre-season OFP: 45
8. Ryan Vilade, OF - 45 OFP
Age: 23 Highest Level: AAA
2021 Pre-season Rank: 3 Pre-season OFP: 45
9. Sam Weatherly, LHP - 45 OFP
Age: 23 Highest Level: A
Pre-Season Rank: 12 Pre-Season OFP: 40
10. Jaden Hill, RHP - 45 OFP
Age: 22 Highest Level: CPX
2021 MLB Draft Rank: 79