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Honestly, you gave way too much time for the first round of voting.
Though I guess we are still waiting for @BobReed to chime in…
Do we usually start in Oct. before the WS is over? Participation seems light so far.
I will log my vote for Cy McGreevy. Did I mention 2 of his 3 MLB starts were QSs. That is in addition to 12 or so QSs in AAA.
#1 McGreevy
I do hope our shiney new one season wonders continue to do well, though. But I have been hoping that every year for a while now.
I am generally looking for players with my rankings that can be impact players as the team desperately needs to development some All-Star level players. Lower ceiling guys that expect to be role-players obviously still have a place and are vital though and are necessary for a system to produce. Star level players though are much harder to find at reasonable prices and developing a few can turn a franchise around.
For my #1 vote, it is a tough decision between Wetherholt and Mathews for me. I went into this thinking it would be Mathews for me, but I think I have to give the edge to the every day position. I see Wetherholt as having multiple All-Star game potential at 2B with good gap power and solid home run pop and a good OBP as well. Maybe not a true #3 hitter, but a great #1/#2 type. Mathews looks to have a great chance of being a #3 or higher pitcher, but the attrition rate on pitchers is much higher and the game is trending toward more RP innings.
#1. JJ Wetherholt – 2B
While we are waiting for round 2 to begin, I am going to throw out some stats:
Jimmy Crooks is 23 and at AA.
– In 2024, he posted a .321/.410/498/.908 slash line at Springfield
– In 2022, he posted a .266/396/.468/.864 slash line at Palm BeachCrooks also threw out nearly 33% of the base runners who attempted to steal on him this year.
JJ Wetherholt is 22 and at Palm Beach
– In 2024, he posted a .295/.405/.400/.805 slash line at Palm BeachDo we usually start in Oct. before the WS is over? Participation seems light so far.
At one point, we started in September and were equal parts of a vote with Brian and another expert on the overall site rankings.
We’re doing ok with participation so far. The last two years the #1 choice was pretty cut and dried, but going into 2022 we had a nice discussion going, similar to this year. I’m hoping that some of the regulars will check in today or tomorrow morning before we get into a voting rhythm.
The TCN Top Prospect for 2025 is Quinn Mathews, LHP. Congrats to Quinn!
1. Quinn Mathews
Voting is now open for the #2 prospect. Voting closes on Thursday, October 31 at noon CT.
My vote again is for the Cardinals designee as Position Player of the Year in 2024 – Sooner Jimmy Crooks. Both good bat and good field.
I am voting for Jimmy Crooks @ #2.
He’s only one year older than Wetherholt, and two levels higher. Put up comparable numbers at Palm Beach.
The “inn crowd” votes for McGreevy here……maybe his last name should have been “McGroovy”……not that he grooves his pitches, but rather that he’s a cool cat….sort of like our very own Bling.
2. JJ Wetherholt
I don’t usually rank Class A players this high but some draft publications had this guy number 1 on the board so I am going to give him the benefit of the doubt. I would expect to see him in Peoria and Springfield in 2025.
What about Saggese who is a year younger than Crooks and who also won the Texas League player of the year and who is now one or two levels higher than Crooks (depending on how you want to count it)?
There are merits to each. I have them both in a virtual tie with Werherholt on my list. Don’t let Saggese’s down season offensively at a new level while he was learning a new position sour you on him.
I’m going to go with Wetherholt though. He has the best bat of the 3 and he’s likely also the best athlete.
2. JJ Wetherholt
I don’t usually rank Class A players this high but some draft publications had this guy number 1 on the board
I though Christian Moore and Cam Smith were far better than Wetherholt. Both finished the year in AA.
In Moore’s case, he played 2 games in Low A and hit a ton so they jumped him all the way to AA where he still hit well, but struck out over 30% of the time. I’m not sure what to think about him. But I do agree that Cam Smith was mostly excellent in his limited time since the draft. The Cubs may have gotten a really good player there.
I don’t care if somebody can hit low A pitching and field at low A speed, so I don’t yet know anything useful about Wetherholdt. I’ve never been on the Saggese bandwagon. Right side arm and strikes out way too much. meh. Crooks is looking like the best we’ve got for a catcher. Not sure why he won an award as a DH when he hardly DHed at all until the last week of the season. Does that say something about his defense? I ask because we know from Herrera there is nobody in Cardinals PD who knows what a catcher is. Lets get a look at him in AAA.
McGreevy again for #2. He’ll likely be a fixture in the rotation for a few years.
I almost feel like it’s a wasted vote since nobody seems to have any degree of confidence that Hence is going to make it.
But if he does, finally, grow out of his physical challenges, he has the look of a true top of rotation pitcher.2. Tink Hence
Hence is good. He’s really, really good. He and Roby still have the best “stuff”. It’s just the team has handled him like he’s extremely fragile. And then this year he spent around 1/3 of the season missing games due to injury or at least some pain. Maybe he’ll be fine.
My vote for #2…JJ Wetherholt, 2B. He probably doesn’t have the ceiling that a guy like Hence has and doesn’t play the premium position like Crooks, but he’s probably got the best floor of anyone outside of Memphis. I like him as the double play partner for Winn, hitting for a solid average with few Ks. He probably won’t hit more than 15-20 homers, but you never know.
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