Prospect Insider - Mid-season Top 30

Mid-season Top 30

By Jason A. Churchill

By 07-05-2010

Mid-season came and went in the minors more than a week ago, which means the Prospect Insider Mid-season Top 30 is here.

Subscribers can view the 2010 Mid-season Top 30 by clicking here.

If you are not a subscriber, click here and fix that.

The Top 30 does not include the unsigned draftees, but it does do-tell where they'd fit if they were signed, as well as where Dominican OF Philips Castillo would fit if he passes his steroids test and is signed by the M's this month.

Also, we'll be chatting about the farm system Tuesday night at 7pm PT. Free for all -- no, not a free-for-all, it's FREE for all.

Click here to chat.

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Comments
The following 28 comment(s) for this article are shown below:

1. By: FelixElRey on 07-05-2010 15:04:23
Jason, could Raben step in next year as our 1B if Branyan leaves?

Would you prefer we trade Lee for a headliner catcher or 1B if you base your decision off of Raben and Moore?

2. By: Juan Valdez on 07-05-2010 16:54:21
Jason, do you have any more info on Mangini? Can he handle 3B defensively? How is his bat speed?

3. By: southpaw360 on 07-05-2010 17:16:22
I know he is years away but I'm excited about Guillermo Pimental. Can he project as a RF or is he limited to left? I've seen conflicting reports about his potential on defense and his arm as well. Overall the top 30 looks alot better this year than the last couple.

4. By: southpaw360 on 07-05-2010 17:19:43
There isn't a report about Carlos Triunfel either. Can we get a couple sentences about how he has looked so far this year please?

5. By: baseballman on 07-05-2010 17:32:28
Im liking what Im seeing from our system. Its so much on paper than it has been in years. Once/If we get Paxton, Stanek and Littlewood signed, plus the IFAs our system will be that much deeper.

I really like the jump that Raben made, Im a big fan of his because he seems like he will have a very good bat in the majors. Great work JAC

6. By: Shonn71 on 07-05-2010 17:54:43
Love the report.

Would Carrera or Diaz have appeared somewhere on this list if they hadn't been dealt?

7. By: Jason A. Churchill on 07-05-2010 18:08:14
Raben isn't ready, no.

Juan,

Not well and averageish. Which is fine.

southpaw360,

Pimentel's arm strength is average at best, so he' a LF most likely.

Triunfel hasn't shown the power we all wish he would, but he's still among the youngest players in the Southern League and is hitting for average.

Shonn,

Carrera maybe on the back end between 23 or so and 30, and Diaz would have been in the high teens or low 20s.

8. By: baseballman on 07-05-2010 18:08:41
How dos Rabens bat compare to some of the names being thrown around as "Jack" in a trade for Lee? Alonso, Montero, Smoak, etc. I would think he ranks 3 out those guys...but I dont know.

Just curious to see how his bat would stack up to some of the players we are looking to acquire.

9. By: Jason A. Churchill on 07-05-2010 18:10:29
Not favorably. He doesn't have the fast-track, near-ready label, nor quite the raw power.

10. By: Jerry on 07-05-2010 19:04:50
Jason,

Awesome to see your take on the system. Great information.

I've got two questions for you:

I was hoping to get your take on Carlos Peguero. Looking at his stats, it seems like he has done a really good job of drawing more walks. The K's are still alarming, but he hasn't lost much with the transition to AA. Do you think his contact problems will doom him? I had hoped that we were seeing a tools guy start to figure it out. But his numbers the past two months suggest April could have been a fluke. What do you think?

Second, how worried should we be about Steve Baron? I know that young players often struggle in the Midwest league. But he was pretty brutal, and hasn't been any better since a demotion to Everett. Its a bummer to see a first round pick from just a year ago not even make the top 30 list.

11. By: Rickv25 on 07-05-2010 20:30:14
Jason, thanks for the great writeup.
I had heard that the Mariners were getting a player to be named later in the Branyan deal from Cleveland. Any truth to this, and if so, any word on who it might be. Thanks.

12. By: msulcer on 07-05-2010 21:45:11
Jason, When might we hear something on the international signings? Who has the most potential of the players the Mariners are linked to?

13. By: Jason A. Churchill on 07-05-2010 21:47:48
Jerry,

You answered your own question on Peguero. He's improved some, but not enough to sell me. The strikeouts hurt his chances to hit for average, which means he has to walk that much more to put up acceptable OBP numbers.

I'll say this about Baron... I went to see him in Everett two weeks ago and was so unimpressed, to put it lightly, that I didn't write it up because it would have felt like I was bashing a teenager.

I saw ZERO that I liked. ZE-RO.

14. By: Jason A. Churchill on 07-05-2010 21:51:29
msulcer,

Once there are actual signings, the clubs will announce them. Philips Castillo and the SS Peguero are the two best prospects, and Torres the best arm Seattle is connected to.

15. By: Jason A. Churchill on 07-05-2010 21:52:21
Rickv25,

It's a PTBNL or cash...

16. By: baseballman on 07-05-2010 21:56:34
JAC, where would Wiswall fall into the top 30, if he does rank in there?

Also Jon Heyman just tweeted (is that how you say it? ha) that "source: there are "interesting discussions" and "possibilities" for a cliff lee deal to twins. " Have you heard anything?

17. By: Jason A. Churchill on 07-05-2010 22:08:36
baseballman,

http://prospectinsider.com/view/lee-to-twins-not-done

re: Wiswall,

He might fit in the 18-30 range, but I need to check him out first and mesh that together with more opinions.

18. By: StandinPat on 07-05-2010 22:12:18
Jason,

Seems like out of the prospects Jack has traded, only Aumont would have cracked the top 15, and everyone else would prob wind up in the 20+ range. That about right?

19. By: The Great Pumpkin on 07-05-2010 22:15:03
I love write-ups and ranking on our prospects like this! The subscriber fee for PI is the best deal on the internet right now.

I've lost all faith in Tuiasosopo. At this point, what's the ceiling for him?

It's nice to see Chavez hitting well, as it appears we may have got the short end of the stick on the Morrow trade. Maybe Chavez will make up for that.

20. By: safecochatter on 07-06-2010 02:39:12
i saw Baron in a few games in Spokane on Evertt's last road trip. i agree with Jason on this.....Zero..Ziltch. what a waste of a premium dp.

21. By: DAMellen on 07-06-2010 02:40:27
No Erasmo Ramirez? I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm not calling him a star, but I see him as a minimally adequate fourth/solid fifth starter in the mold of Doug Fister or Carlos Silva, but I'd think that'd earn him a spot on the top forty.

22. By: dawgncarolina on 07-06-2010 13:38:45
Jason, awesome stuff, a couple quick questions about the draftees:

1) If by some miracle we sign Jordan Shipers, would he crack the top 30?

2) I was under the impression that Stanek and Walker were roughly equal talents, with Stanek the more polished off the two and Walker the potentially higher upside. What is it that causes you to rank them so far apart?

Also, is Jharmidy DeJesus finished as a prospect?

Again, this is great stuff. Thanks man!

23. By: Lailoken on 07-06-2010 19:12:33
Can't wait for the Latin/International top ten. Great stuff. Thanks.

Nice to know we have the depth that even after trading Carrera & Diaz a lot of players with potential still don't make the cut.

A little surprised Varvaro didn't sneak onto the list with his season in AA but he is still handing out far too many free passes. General lack of command, & his age without a sniff of AAA makes him borderline. Still, he has the velocity & misses bats.

Others with some potential: Cortes, Peguero, Dunigan, Paredes. Kasparek, Vazquez, Moran, Almonte, Martinez, & Blandford.

Thow in some unsigned draftees, July 2 signings, & whatever we get in trade & soon there will be depth the system hasn't seen for many years.

24. By: dawgncarolina on 07-06-2010 20:02:22
Lailoken, Peguero is #17. Otherwise, good post.

25. By: mymrbig on 07-07-2010 21:29:39
Jason, if Moore and Saunders were still eligible, where would they fit into the list?

26. By: dawgncarolina on 07-08-2010 00:30:37
Not Jason, but I'm *guessing* if Moore were still eligible he'd rank somewhere around #5.

Call it a hunch.

27. By: slick on 07-08-2010 00:38:57
Cruz Ayala 18Ks in 8 1/3 IP in AZL nice return from shoulder problems 2008-2009. Also herd that Alfredo Morales is a sleeper Winston from MILB did a nice write up before the season started on him. Lot international guys doing well in rookie leagues this year.

28. By: southpaw360 on 07-08-2010 16:51:53
Are there any updates on draft signings? I think Littlewood, Stanek and Paxton all get signed eventually around the deadline. So, I'm really interested in Tyler Linehan and Jordan Shipers. Would they sign for the $150,000 so it doesn't have to be approved by MLB? Or are they looking for alot more money than that? Thanks for any updates.

By the way, this site is well worth the money spent for signing up. I wish I would have done it a long time ago!

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