Is the Baltimore Sun right with their Top 10 Prospects?

[scarey1999]

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.

Agree 1 million percent. Perhaps if the FO stopped giving away our draft picks we'd stand a better chance at improving the system. Some higher profile international signings wouldn't hurt either. They like to trade away those bonus slots too though. All this being said of course, the organization should start looking for ways to improve player development (as this thread points out http://forum.orioleshangout.com/forums/showthread.php/142517-Orioles-Cubs-KC-Royals-worst-in-majors-at-developing-power-hitters)the development of hitters in particular is pretty pathetic comparatively speaking. Showing signs of improvement of late but still a lot of room for growth.

[eb45]

I don't doubt that Alvarez has more power. I just wonder about in game power at AAA and the majors. Guess we'll see. Yaz is slugging .532 at 3 levels with 11 homers and 50 extra base hits. Alvarez is slugging .471 with 14 homes and 36 extra base hits.

Ten of those homers were at Delmarva, though. I don't think Yaz's HR power plays against better-than-SAL stuff, whereas Alvarez hit 14 HRs at Bowie and at least has the physicality to suggest that's not aberrative, though I haven't seen him play beyond film.

Like I said, I'm as not-huge on Alvarez as anyone you'll find around here so I'm probably not the best one to make the case for him, but there's an argument that his high contact rate could carry him through. Like, that he's not being selective because he can hit good pitches. I'm not sure how much I buy it, though. Like you said, we'll see when he gets to the majors.

If I had to give a likely case, I'd say Alvarez is a 4th OF while Yaz is a AAAA player. That's the difference, for me.

[Just Regular]

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.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=22944

Agreed. The U25 org talent rankings are a better measuring stick than prospect rankings. Yes the Angels system stinks but Mike Trout alone makes them a reasonable playoff contender the next five years.

One of the most encouraging things I've seen on us was this from the spring - when BPro rated our collection of U25 the BEST in the American League. Of the top seven, Gausman, Machado, Bundy, Tillman, Harvey and Schoop are all having successful seasons IMO. Machado and Bundy coming off such serious injuries - the most important thing for their long term value this year is being healthy and playing. Schoop's awful MLB results are not entirely unexpected developmentally, and he's flashing enough talent to be optimistic about his future.

The 7th guy E-Rod is the only one whose value is I think substantially less a half season later, and he's probably the least important of the group. Unless/until someone craters, Tillman/Gausman/Bundy/Harvey is the rotation core we want to have in a few years, and E-Rod developing at his mid-case outcome, he's likely only in the fifth starter mix for the second half of the decade. Miguel Gonzalez and Ubaldo Jimenez are under club control three more years - today, I'd have to say E-Rod is an underdog to outpitch either of them in that time frame.

[eb45]

This struck at the time but I didn't check until this morning. You went a bit too far on the Steve Pearce comparison. Walker put up an .884 OPS in AA this year at age 23. Steve Pearce put up superor numbers in AA but he did it at age 24. At age 23, he was putting up an .830 OPS in the Carolina League.

A good comparison might be Allen Craig, who OPS'd .867 at age 23 in AA.

I was just checking the names of reasonably successful 1Bs I thought of off the top of my head, not looking specifically for age 23 in AA. Regardless, Pearce's age-24 numbers are better than Walker's at age 23, which suggests Pearce is actually a decent comp (which is what I've been saying since basically Walker was drafted). Craig is a decent comp as well, as a college guy without a great draft pedigree, but that age-23 season was his worst offensive MiL season, and he was playing 3B at the time.

Basically, what I'm saying is that if you're going to make an argument for Walker based on his numbers, you've got to actually know what elite numbers look like, and what non-prospect numbers look like, and recognize that for his age and level Walker's actually closer to the latter (<.800) than the former (>1.000).

And for the sake of everyone's sanity I'm not going to mention a certain 2005 first-round pick, or his age-22 season split between Bowie and Norfolk, by name.

[xian4]

Nice to see Christian Walker hit a home run off a Major league pitcher last night. OPS at .935 so far at Norfolk with no errors at 1B.

[Oldorioles]

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

I have Brault at #8, Horacek at 23 and Luis Gonzalez at 7. Really nice collection of starters at Delmarva.

[bpilktree]

MLB.com updated the top 100 list at mid season along with the top10 prospect for each team.

1. Bundy

2. Harvey

3. Edrod

4. Sisco

5. Walker

6. Hart

7. Berry

8. Wright

9. Davies

10. Kline

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/prospects/watch/y2014/index.jsp?tcid=mm_mlb_news#list=bal

[xian4]

Game winning HR from Walker today.

[Enjoy Terror]

MLB.com updated the top 100 list at mid season along with the top10 prospect for each team.

1. Bundy

2. Harvey

3. Edrod

4. Sisco

5. Walker

6. Hart

7. Berry

8. Wright

9. Davies

10. Kline

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/prospects/watch/y2014/index.jsp?tcid=mm_mlb_news#list=bal

Updated to show that Ed-Rod was traded. Ohlman is the new #10 prospect.

For those wondering, our former #3 prospect Mr. Rod is Boston's new #10 prospect.

[Ohfan67]

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

I'm curious about these guys too. I haven't read much about them.

[xian4]

Updated to show that Ed-Rod was traded. Ohlman is the new #10 prospect.

For those wondering, our former #3 prospect Mr. Rod is Boston's new #10 prospect.

In a strong farm system, that's about where I would rate Ed Rod, around the no 10 prospect, a loss but not a key part of the future.

[rickyrozay]

Why did they say the orioles have one of weakest farm systems in baseball?

[Ruzious]

Why did they say the orioles have one of weakest farm systems in baseball?

This might be a clue:

For those wondering, our former #3 prospect Mr. Rod is Boston's new #10 prospect.

[EagleOriole]

I live in Boston and see the Red Sox a lot. Honestly I haven't been that impressed with what has come out of the Red Sox farm system of late. Tend to think their system is a bit overrated and that is fueled by the local media. Not sure where ERod falls in this mix of systems but wonder where Harvery or Bundy would rank in the Boston system?? It probably doesnt matter either way. I tend to think we have better prospects than the so called experts think.:thumbsup1:

So you are telling me tha national publications (ESPN) overrate Boston and NY prospects? Can't believe it!

Would feel worse about EdRod deal if not for Gausman, Bundy, Harvey, Wright, Wilson, Berry, Davies, Bridwell...of course not all of these guys are starters, but between Tillman, Chen, Gonzalez, Norris, Jimenez and this bullpen crew I would say we have deep depth.