Is the Baltimore Sun right with their Top 10 Prospects?

[QBsILLEST1]

Based on age and performance, Davies has both the higher floor and the higher upside - by a significant amount. Just because Bridwell's a lot bigger doesn't mean he's more talented.

If thats what you took away from my post then you read it incorrectly. Projection is the development you expect to take place in the future whether that is physical development or the actual ability to pitch and fine tune your craft. I am not talking about physical projection or the "size" of either pitcher.

Bridwell has a higher ceiling, regardless of how much older he is than Davies.

[ChuckS]

I'm a results guy all the way. Good results at a young age at an advanced level>>> Project-ability and mediocre results. No way would I have Bridwell over Davies, but i agree he's back on the prospect radar. Maybe somewhere between 12 and 15. I think Walker is being way undersold around here. All the guy has done is hit for average and power and can also take a walk. And it's only his second year in pro ball.

1. Bundy

2. Harvey

3. Sisco

4. Walker

5. Rodriguez

6. Alvarez

7. Davies

8. Berry

9. Yastrzemski

10. Wilson

10B. Ohlman

[Ruzious]

If thats what you took away from my post then you read it incorrectly. Projection is the development you expect to take place in the future whether that is physical development or the actual ability to pitch and fine tune your craft. I am not talking about physical projection or the "size" of either pitcher.

Bridwell has a higher ceiling, regardless of how much older he is than Davies.

I haven't read anything other than size as a legitimate reason to believe Bridwell has a higher ceiling than Davies. He's had several years to focus on baseball, so his focus being on other sports is not legit at this point. He's still not as good at a lower level and an older age.

[Ruzious]

I'm a results guy all the way. Good results at a young age at an advanced level>>> Project-ability and mediocre results. No way would I have Bridwell over Davies, but i agree he's back on the prospect radar. Maybe somewhere between 12 and 15. I think Walker is being way undersold around here. All the guy has done is hit for average and power and can also take a walk. And it's only his second year in pro ball.

1. Bundy

2. Harvey

3. Sisco

4. Walker

5. Rodriguez

6. Alvarez

7. Davies

8. Berry

9. Yastrzemski

10. Wilson

10B. Ohlman

Walker, as opposed to Bridwell, you can make a good case for, and I probably did underrate him.

[EagleOriole]

Based off of this season and past performance I do not think they got this right:

1. Bundy

2. Harvey

3. EdRod

4. Sisco

5. Walker

6. Davies

7. Yaz

8. Alvarez

9. Berry

10. Ohlman

Not sure we have seen the last of Mike Wright. Would love to see him in the bullpen at AAA, let him try to close or set-up in the Norfolk pen and see if that suits him better.

[Tony-OH]

The fact that Davies is 21 and having a solid season at Bowie despite some minor injury interruptions would prevent me from putting him behind Bridwell, who is 22 and still a level behind him. I realize Bridwell is a strapping big guy who can throw hard, while Davies is physically unimpressive, but I tend to give good performance at a young age a lot of weight.

Bridwell

Delmarva (20): 5.98 ERA, 1.62 WHIP, 5.6 K/9, 5.0 BB/9

Delmarva (21): 4.73 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 9.1 K/9, 3.7 BB/9

Frederick (22): 4.08 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 8.5 K/9, 4.3 BB/9

Davies

Delmarva (19): 3.86 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 7.6 K/9, 3.6 BB/9

Frederick (20): 3.69 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 8.0 K/9, 2.3 BB/9

Bowie (21): 3.79 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 8.7 K/9, 3.5 BB/9

By the way, Davies is actually 18 months younger. Bridwell turns 23 next week, Davies doesn't turn 22 until next February.

Some people tend to forget how young Davies is. He would be coming out of college this year and he's already having success in AA.

[weams]

Some people tend to forget how young Davies is. He would be coming out of college this year and he's already having success in AA.

Davies is young and small and having good success against guys who should smoke him.

[eb45]

Some thoughts:

- I think people are overselling Alvarez a bit. His Bowie line isn't THAT impressive, especially in comparison to what Urrutia did there last season, and there's still big questions over whether his approach will play in the majors.

- Maybe it's just because the Orioles haven't had a legitimate 1B prospect since Eddie Murray (possibly an exaggeration), but putting aside scouting reports, his numbers aren't what a great 1B prospect's numbers should look like. Look at Brandon Belt, Paul Goldschmidt, Chris Davis, Lyle Overbay, even Steve Pearce. Walker's numbers aren't as good as any of theirs. If you're going to predicate an argument on numbers, know what the numbers are supposed to look like.

- I'd take Davies above Bridwell but those dismissing Bridwell, or who dismissed him two years ago, shouldn't be (have been) so hasty. There aren't many pitchers in the Orioles' system with the raw stuff Bridwell has.

- The margin of error for players of Josh Hart's skillset is so small that I feel uncomfortable rating him among the top 15. Even if he were hitting .320 and walking at a decent rate, the lack of power projection means the Nate McLouth comp is off base, and then there's a very thin line between Denard Span and Ben Revere. And Denard Span isn't even that good. And Hart isn't even hitting like Denard Span.

- Yaz has put himself on the map, but he's not the seventh-best prospect in the Orioles' system, whoever said that. He's probably not even top ten.

Let me try:

1. Bundy

2. Harvey

3. Sisco

4. EdRod

5. Davies

6. Berry

7. Walker

8. Alvarez

9. Brian Gonzalez

10. Bridwell

[glenn__davis]

Some people tend to forget how young Davies is. He would be coming out of college this year and he's already having success in AA.

I know I did. I have sort of been dismissing him most of the season thinking that he was older than he was. Plus, it's sort of just been a slow, steady progression for him. No real standout seasons that have made you take notice.

[glenn__davis]

On another note, this thread is depressing me a bit. Some guys with upside, but not a whole lot solid in the system right now. Even at the top, Bundy is still recovering, Hunter and Sisco are still a few years out if they develop, Rodriguez has struggled at AA. And after that, looks like a lot of B-/C prospects to me. They have some work to do to get this thing rebuilt again.

[ChrisP]

On another note, this thread is depressing me a bit. Some guys with upside, but not a whole lot solid in the system right now. Even at the top, Bundy is still recovering, Hunter and Sisco are still a few years out...

That's why I get the "win now" window, but we can't trade the few possible elite guys we have.

[sportsfan8703]

From an milb article on June 25th. Explains Bridwell's turnaround. http://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20140625&content_id=81456708&fext=.jsp&vkey=news_milb

[EagleOriole]

On another note, this thread is depressing me a bit. Some guys with upside, but not a whole lot solid in the system right now. Even at the top, Bundy is still recovering, Hunter and Sisco are still a few years out if they develop, Rodriguez has struggled at AA. And after that, looks like a lot of B-/C prospects to me. They have some work to do to get this thing rebuilt again.

Don't forget that Schoop, Machado, Gausman are all at the ML level at 23 and under and our core group is a young group.

[eb45]

Yaz is probably not a top ten prospect but what makes Alvarez a top 10 prospect? Both are probably 4th OF types and I think Yaz profiles batter as that than Alvarez. Alvarez at age 25, put up a OPS a little over .800 in AA. He is ultra aggressive at the plate. He would have to hit for a high average and a lot of power to profile as a regular in the majors.

I mean, I'm about as low on Alvarez as anyone here, but Alvarez projects to be a significantly better power hitter than Yaz, which is the big difference between them. You're right about the approach, though: the ultra-aggressiveness is fine at Double-A, but major league pitchers will exploit that all day long. Of course, the low strikeout totals are nice to see.

[Ornithological]

Just wondering, where would people rank Brault, Horacek, and Luis Gonzalez? All three are left handed starting pitchers who have impressive stats for Delmarva.