Community 2024 Top 50 Prospect Voting

[Nigel T]

So why do we dismiss Mike Antico? Why do we skip straight to Medlinger over Dunn? Prieto didn’t have a better season over Dunn, nor is he reputed to be defensively superior. This is where Medlinger displays much better versatility and prowess at 2nd than the other two.
Does everyone feel Baez is a bust? Are there any indicators he could be quietly approaching take off at AA in the future?

[14NyquisT]

#19 – Mautz

#20 – Mathews

[Nigel T]

So Baez had a great 2022. He strikes out too much, but he is a young power hitter. When looking at his .218 batting average, one should factor in his 122 strike outs in 298 plate appearances. These totals are clouded by a .341 on base percentage. His strike out total was surely impacted by hitting in deep counts. He was focused on not chasing, and that is a good thing for young power hitters.
Baez used his high walk total to work on base stealing; he was 30 for 32. He still hit 20 doubles and 7 homers in 298 at bats.
19 Mautz
20 Baez

[14NyquisT]

I don’t think that Baez is a bust at all. He has some qualities that you can’t teach…. 6’3″ frame…. a great arm and he stole 30 bases. He won’t be 21 until the end of June. Like so many prospects he needs to cut down on his Ks and to learn to hit off-speed pitches. 2nd rd. pick in ’21 and he could make it to Hi-A at age 20. Still very much a work in progress.

[Cardinals27]

19 Mautz

20 Cornwell

[mudville]

19. Pages
20. Prieto

Pages is far and away the best defensive catcher in the system, and he OPS’d at AA in 2023. Here’s a link to a piece by writer that did a comprehensive analysis of Pages stats:
https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/2023/11/27/23977379/how-good-on-offense-does-pedro-pages-need-to-be

I wanted to vote for Granillo here. But in looking at his stats again, I’m concerned about his BB9 which clearly indicates control issues. So, I went with Prieto who hits well and can play all over the infield.

Mautz – 90-93 MPH fastball, above average slider, some control issues. Fastball up to 96-97 when working out of the pen, but is being developed as a starter so far. Future left-handed reliever?

[Bob Reed]

“Why do we skip straight to Mendlinger over Dunn?”

Speaking just for myself, it’s an age thing, as the difference is profound. Dunn turns 27 next month, and Mendlinger was an age-appropriate 22 in AA for most of the 2023 season. Dunn needed three seasons in AA before he finally was an above-average bat there, at age 26. (The age thing is why I’m at least mildly skeptical on Pages, also. Though backstops admittedly can blossom late.)

Dunn at 22 was a banjo hitter in High-A.
Mendy at 22 hit very well one level higher.

19. Mendlinger
20. Honeyman

I like Honeyman’s well-rounded skillset. It’s weird that he had as many HBP as walks over the ’22/’23 seasons, but any way he can get on base is OK with me.

[blingboy]

I noticed Dunn played a lot of 3B at AAA this year after being exclusively 2B previously. Maybe prepping him for a UT role. Hitting righties and lefties just as well helps in that role. Does anybody know what he looks like defensively?

[Jnevel]

Bling, there’s really nothing remarkable about Dunn’s defense. He’s probably average all around to maybe slightly below average. His main tool is that he rarely ever strikes out and he takes a fair amount of walks. Plus, his hit tool has come a long way. But like Bob says above, he’s old now for a prospect and Mendlinger is a similar type of player who did it all 4 years younger.

I actually think Dunn (along with Koperniak) have slight chances that they could be taken in the Rule 5 draft. I’d be ok if that happened as they are the very type of players that the Rule 5 draft was invented for – unlike a guy like Bedell who has missed so much time to injury and is low down in the organization. I will definitely be disappointed if he is taken.

[blingboy]

Thanks jnevel, I had asked that with Rule 5 in mind. I wondered how playable he might be at the ML level as a UT.

[Nigel T]

I’m not high on Dunn’s glove either at second or third. Medlinger is above average at 2nd, 3rd, lf, and right. His eyes equal to Dunn. It just seems to me that Dunn is perhaps a better version of Prieto and deserves some debate. Meclingers’s ceiling is why I went Baez. I would go Antico before any of the infielders.

[lrcardinal]

#19 Travis Honeyman
#20 Andre Granillo

[blingboy]

I am conflicted about Honeyman. Obviously sitting out 2023 doesn’t help, and I have some trouble with gaging a guy out of Boston College rather than the West coast programs for example. But the thing I have a note about on my list is that his college stat lines for his second and third years are almost carbon copies, with no improvement year over year. I do not know how to factor that, but is strikes me as a red flag. This is a guy who could fall flat as a pancake, but I don’t say that is likely. I have no idea.

[LACardFan]

#19 Pages
#20 Rom

[Nigel T]

I think Hancel Rincon and his season whip below one should merit consideration. He and Cornwell are very interesting.

[14NyquisT]

The official TCN prospect list has 37 prospects better than Mendlinger.

[Cardinals27]

Cornwell and Rincon are interesting prospects. Cornwall was very consistent. I also like how Rincons K rate climbed his last 2 months. These 2 pitchers also do not allow a ton of traffic on the bases.

[Jnevel]

I have Mendlinger at #42, so that pretty well mirrors TCN. If he could add just a little bit of power – not necessarily HR power, but to the wall doubles power consistently – then I’d rank him much higher because there is a lot to like.

I also have Cornwell and Rincon, but I have them in the 30’s.

[blingboy]

Members would benefit from reading the TCN article on Mendlinger. Blake has him at #28, not far off from where we are talking about him. Blake’s extensive evaluation is as worthy as anyone’s and a good read. Brian has him a whole lot lower obviously, also well explained and a good read from a worthy evaluator. As a result of that great spread, I am up in the air on him.

[Nigel T]

The problem is that Medlinger did add power. It took a considerable jump to get where he is now.

[blingboy]

I was kind of wondering if the org might have Mendlinger working on his approach this winter to get more pop. Along the lines of how Donovan worked with some hitting guru outfit after the 2022 season where his OBP exceeded his SLG like Noah’s does. He appears #30 on the top 30 list on the Cardinals site.

[Jnevel]

14 Mautz / 7 Honeyman / 7 Pages / 4 Mendlinger / 4 Rom / 4 Prieto / 2 Granillo / 1 Mathews / 1 Baez / 1 Cornwell

#19 Mautz
#20 Honeyman (by virtue of getting to 7 first)

1. Winn
2. Saggese
3. Hence
4. Roby
5. Scott
6. Hjerpe
7. Graceffo
8. McGreevey
9. Davis
10. Bernal
11. Rajcic
12. Robberse
13. Cho
14. Kloffenstein
15. Crooks
16. Showalter
17. Hansen
18. Bedell
19. Mautz
20. Honeyman

We now open the voting for 3 at a time. Votes will be valued at 3/2/1.

#21 Granillo
#22 Levenson
#23 Pages

[Jnevel]

12 pitchers selected in the top 20. That feels right as the Cards have been concentrating on both drafting and trading for pitchers lately. Plus, a lot of hitters have advanced to MLB in the past few years.

Pitchers to consider in this range: Mathews, Granillo, Nunez, Paniagua, Rom, Svanson, and Rincon

Hitters to consider: Pages, Levenson, Prieto, Baez, Mejia, Mendlinger, Antico, Gomez, Koperniak, Church

There are a few more stretch guys that are probably later 30’s or 40’s that may also enter our conversation. Still lots of pretty good prospects out there.

[flood21]

21. Prieto
22. Mathews
23, Baez

[blingboy]

21. Pages
22. Rom
23. Granillo

[Author]

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