1. Jameson Taillon 21yo RHP AA Altoona
Stats - 3-5 3.11 ERA 71 K's 27 BB 66.2 IP
Taillon is now the next in line to be called to the majors. He is having a productive campaign in AA to date, and has really done well with his strikeout numbers. His command has been on par for the most part, but it can still be better. Taillon is just like Cole, he is a power right hander with an electric fastball. Taillon is a former number two overall pick, but he came from high school. His development has taken time, but he is still just 21. I expect to see Taillon finish this season in AAA, even if it is just for a couple starts. He should start next year in AAA regardless, with a good chance to be in Pittsburgh by next June.
2. Gregory Polanco 21yo OF High-A Bradenton
Stats - .313 6 HR 30 RBI 23 SB 66 Hits
Polanco is the crown jewel of position players in the organization. He is also one of many talented young outfielders in the bottom levels of the farm sysem. Polanco could be the right fielder of the future with his 6-4 frame, and could make some significant jumps soon. He should be approaching AA, after doing exceptionally well in two levels of class A the past two seasons. It is believed his power will grow with age, and could be a solid bat in the middle of an order.
3. Luis Heredia 18yo RHP Extended Spring Training
Stats- N/A
Heredia is an exciting player that is being who is being brought along slowly. He was signed out of Mexico as a 16 year old, and has all the tools to be a front end of the rotation guy. He pitched in short season last year, and it would be ideal if he made it to low-A this season. I do not see a big rush with this kid, especially with some of the depth that has been devloping elsewhere in the system. In a few years, his debut could be bigger than Cole's or Taillon's. Heredia has that kind of promise.
4. Alen Hanson 20yo SS High-A Bradenton
Stats - .278 3 HR 24 RBI 14 SB 62 Hits
Hanson is a very important player to the Pittsburgh organization. They have really struggled drafting and developing a middle infielder from within, and it really shows. AA and AAA are littered with plenty of guys that do not appear to be anything more than career minor leaguers and MLB bench players. Enter: Hanson. The 20 year old has great athleticism and showed some promise offensively last season. Like many young infeilders, defense is not all the way there yet. He has high expectations, and you have to hope he can pull through.
5. Stetson Allie 22yo 1B Low-A West Virginia
Stats - .322 16 HR 55 RBI 73 Hits
The Pirates drafted Stetson Allie as a pitcher that boasted an 101 MPH Fastball. So naturally, Allie has developed into one of the best power hitters in the minors. Allie has his some mammoth bombs this season, that have caught a lot of people's attention. Is he for real? It sure would be nice is he is. Allie has a long way to go, but he is having the best season of any minor league hitter for the Pirates. It is still hard to project his promotions at this point.
6. Austin Meadows 18yo OF Unsigned
Stats - N/A
It could be premature to put Meadows here, but I really think the Pirates drafted a big time player. Any draftee is hard to predict, but Meadows was the 5th best player in the entire draft. He fell to Pittsburgh at number 9, and the Pirates must persuade him away from his Clemson commitment. I do not think it will be a big deal, and he will join a talented group of young outfielders. Meadows has been compared to Cincinnati Reds star, Jay Bruce. He has a big, strong frame that can add power as he gets older. It will be at likely be 3-4 years until we see Meadows, unless he pulls a Mike Trout acceleration through the farm system.
7. Josh Bell 20yo RF Low-A West Virginia
Stats - .277 8 HR 45 RBI 65 Hits
Bell is another special outfielder in Class A. The Pirates took him in the second round of the 2011 draft, although most deemed him not draftable due to his strong commitment to Texas. A huge signing bonus played a role in luring a first round type talent to Pittsburgh. He missed large parts of last season with an injury, so he is repeating in West Virginia. He is still striking out a bit, but it appears Bell is going to be a power hitter in his career. He is a switch hitter, but more power comes when he hits as a lefty. I could see him moving up a class this year, but I could also see Huntington wanting him to get a full year in low-A.
8. Tyler Glasnow 19yo RHP Low-A West Virginia
Stats - 3-1 2.92 ERA 80 K 35 BB 52.1 IP
Glasnow is having an outstanding season. 80 strikeouts in 52 innings is pretty ridiculous. He is not really pitching anymore than 5 innings a start, so its evident the Pirates are letting him develop slowly. He had 11 starts last season, and this will be his first full professional season. Glasnow was a highly thought of prospect, and Pittsburgh used their 4th round selection in 2011 on him. He is a big, lanky pitcher that sticks out at 6-7. He has been pretty overpowering, simply by looking at his strikeout rate. It will be a while before we see Glasnow.
9. Reese McGuire 18yo C Unsigned
Stats - N/A
The Pirates had two top draft picks, and McGuire was their second selection at pick 14. McGuire is regarded as one of the better defensive catchers in recent memory. That alone should make McGuire have a bright future ahead. His bat obviously needs work, but that will be worked on in the minors. He has already declared that he will go with Pittsburgh over college baseball. Hopefully his deal can be worked out soon, and make his way to short season ball this year.
10. Barrett Barnes 21yo OF Low-A West Virginia
Stats - .200 3 RBI 3 Stolen Bases
It is obvious by his stats that Barnes has been hurt this season. Barnes just returned this week with two stints on the disabled list already. He is essentially last year's top draft pick with Appel not signing. He has some athletic ability, and looks to be a centerfielder down the line. He is in a log jam of excellent outfield prospects in the lower levels, that could potentially mean that one could be a piece in a deal at the deadline, if they need to make a move.
No comments:
Post a Comment