Baseball America's Top 10 List

BALTIMORE ORIOLES

1 DYLAN BUNDY, RHP

2 HUNTER HARVEY, RHP

3 CHRISTIAN WALKER, 1B

4 CHANCE SISCO C

5 DARIEL ALVAREZ, OF

6 ZACH DAVIES, RHP

7 TIM BERRY, LHP

8 MIKE WRIGHT, RHP

9 MIKE YASTRZEMSKI, OF

10 JOMAR REYES, 3B

BEST TOOLS

Best Hitter For Average ? Chance Sisco

Best Power Hitter ? Christian Walker

Best Strike-Zone Discipline ? Drew Dosch

Fastest Baserunner ? Daniel Franco

Best Athlete ? Pat Connaughton

Best Fastball ? Tanner Scott

Best Curveball ? Dylan Bundy

Best Slider ? Tyler Wilson

Best Changeup ? Zach Davies

Best Control ? Zach Davies

Best Defensive Catcher ? Brian Ward

Best Defensive Infielder ? Jason Esposito

Best Infield Arm ? Jason Esposito

Best Defensive Outfielder ? Mike Yastrzemski

Best Outfield Arm ? Dariel Alvarez

2018 LINEUP

Catcher ? Matt Wieters

First Base ? Christian Walker

Second Base ? Jonathan Schoop

Third Base ? Ryan Flaherty

Shortstop ? Manny Machado

Left Field ? Mike Yastrzemski

Centerfield ? Adam Jones

Right Field ? Dariel Alvarez

Designated Hitter ? Chris Davis

No. 1 Starter ? Dylan Bundy

No. 2 Starter ? Hunter Harvey

No. 3 Starter ? Kevin Gausman

No. 4 Starter ? Chris Tillman

No. 5 Starter ? Wei-Yin Chen

Closer ? Zach Britton

ERod is #4 for the Red Sox.

That lineup makes me laugh.

The only thing interesting about the lineup is the absence of Sisco. They project he is more then three full seasons away?

The only thing interesting about the lineup is the absence of Sisco. They project he is more then three full seasons away?

This was my key takeaway.

I'd put Sisco ahead of Walker. But our position prospects are few and far between, which is a long-term worry for the future.

Where would you put Sisco? In this hypothetical, Matt Wieters is still with the team and I don't think they would project a 22-23 year old Sisco starting ahead of a perennial All-Star catcher. DH would be the other slot, and they still have Davis here. If Davis is here, he's making $10+ mil. Don't think Sisco starts ahead of him in that case.

The only way Sisco breaks that starting lineup is if he changes position.

Where would you put Sisco? In this hypothetical, Matt Wieters is still with the team and I don't think they would project a 22-23 year old Sisco starting ahead of a perennial All-Star catcher. DH would be the other slot, and they still have Davis here. If Davis is here, he's making $10+ mil. Don't think Sisco starts ahead of him in that case.

The only way Sisco breaks that starting lineup is if he changes position.

I would put Sisco at Catcher over Wieters who would have to be extended. I would only list current players not under team control in 2018 if there was not a homegrown player projected at that position.

If Walker really belongs ahead of Cisco, then the cupboard really is bare.

If Walker really belongs ahead of Cisco, then the cupboard really is bare.

They might give him a bump since he is pretty much major league ready and Cisco is clearly years away.

They might give him a bump since he is pretty much major league ready and Cisco is clearly years away.

Walker is not the fodder people like to assign to him. He is MLB ready.

BALTIMORE ORIOLES

1 DYLAN BUNDY, RHP

2 HUNTER HARVEY, RHP

3 CHRISTIAN WALKER, 1B

4 CHANCE SISCO C

5 DARIEL ALVAREZ, OF

6 ZACH DAVIES, RHP

7 TIM BERRY, LHP

8 MIKE WRIGHT, RHP

9 MIKE YASTRZEMSKI, OF

10 JOMAR REYES, 3B

BEST TOOLS

Best Hitter For Average ? Chance Sisco

Best Power Hitter ? Christian Walker

Best Strike-Zone Discipline ? Drew Dosch

Fastest Baserunner ? Daniel Franco

Best Athlete ? Pat Connaughton

Best Fastball ? Tanner Scott

Best Curveball ? Dylan Bundy

Best Slider ? Tyler Wilson

Best Changeup ? Zach Davies

Best Control ? Zach Davies

Best Defensive Catcher ? Brian Ward

Best Defensive Infielder ? Jason Esposito

Best Infield Arm ? Jason Esposito

Best Defensive Outfielder ? Mike Yastrzemski

Best Outfield Arm ? Dariel Alvarez

2018 LINEUP

Catcher ? Matt Wieters

First Base ? Christian Walker

Second Base ? Jonathan Schoop

Third Base ? Ryan Flaherty

Shortstop ? Manny Machado

Left Field ? Mike Yastrzemski

Centerfield ? Adam Jones

Right Field ? Dariel Alvarez

Designated Hitter ? Chris Davis

No. 1 Starter ? Dylan Bundy

No. 2 Starter ? Hunter Harvey

No. 3 Starter ? Kevin Gausman

No. 4 Starter ? Chris Tillman

No. 5 Starter ? Wei-Yin Chen

Closer ? Zach Britton

ERod is #4 for the Red Sox.

That lineup makes me laugh.

MASNSteve

Cooper said the rest of this list features some interesting and intriguing players to watch.

"You take a guy like Reyes," he said. "If it all breaks right, he could really be something. But the likelihood of that just where he is right now, you have to consider low since he is so far away. Then take a guy like Mike Yastrzemski. The likelihood he is going to be at least a somewhat useful big leaguer is pretty high.

"But there is a pretty big gulf between fourth or fifth outfielder and everyday regular. That is still kind of the question with Yastrzemski. You have guys that have lower ceilings but less risk like Yastrzemski. Reyes is a high-ceiling, but high-risk guy."

If Walker really belongs ahead of Cisco, then the cupboard really is bare.

With the amount of interest in Cisco this deadline, I expect that we may have to trade him. Or that all the scouts are falling in behind Keith Law.

Walker is not the fodder people like to assign to him. He is MLB ready.

I'm in Camp Fodder.

Don't think he can hit enough for 1st/DH don't see his glove playing anywhere else.

With the amount of interest in Cisco this deadline, I expect that we may have to trade him. Or that all the scouts are falling in behind Keith Law.

BTW,

2) Pitcher Hunter Harvey: He ended the year with a flexor mass muscle strain that the O's and Harvey say will not need surgery. This kid's combination of smarts and poise, with a fastball and curveball that are clear plus pitches, make him a special prospect.

4) Catcher Chance Sisco: He hit .371 in 2013 in the Gulf Coast League and this year won the South Atlantic League batting title, hitting .340 at 19 for Single-A Delmarva. Impressive. The O's also are committed to keeping him behind the plate on defense at this point. The arm strength is there.

5) Outfielder Dariel Alvarez: The combination of his bat, solid defense and very strong arm make him the club's most exciting prospect according to some in the organization. He hit .300 at Double-A and Triple-A, and one scout said he has the best outfield arm in the organization, including those playing in the majors.

9) Outfielder Mike Yastrzemski: He filled up the stat sheet, performing better than a player with so-called average tools. The O's may have found a steal in the 14th round.

10) Infielder Jomar Reyes: A surprise in the top 10, he had a very solid year at 17 in the Gulf Coast League. He hit .338 in August and has a plus arm and plus raw power. There is big, big upside here.

All fresh meat. Impressive rebuild. Again, from MASNSteve.

I'm in Camp Fodder.

Don't think he can hit enough for 1st/DH don't see his glove playing anywhere else.

So, you are saying he is no Travis Ishikawa?

So, you are saying he is no Travis Ishikawa?

He might look like him in the outfield.