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Glad you are enjoying the series, CC. Last year, the site rankings were a melding of two voters’ views. This year, they are mine alone. In 2021, I had Bedell no. 22, on my list but the other vote at 28 lowered his overall score. This year, I have Bedell at basically the same place, 21. Players come on and graduate off the list each year so there can be minor movement based on others.
Interesting take, C27. Made me think. So let’s have a bit of a philosophical discussion, fplks. Should every player who is expected to reach the majors be a prospect?
I’d say that would be a good definition of a prospect…someone with a skillet that could be reasonably projected to make the major leagues. That should leave some wiggle room to debate whether Robertson is a good prospect or not, but I’d say he’s a prospect for sure.
IMO, prospects should be ranked by potential first, then ceiling, floor, injury history, age factors, and come into play. Players like Robertson, Mendoza, Nogowski all are fairly comparable. I never would consider any of them at this point as serious prospects. But they are prospects. They just aren’t top 30, or even 40 for me. I also downgrade those who have not lived up to my thoughts on their potential, like Jhon Torres, or those I would I give incomplete grades on like Fletcher or But Bedell. Everyone values prospects differently.
In my rankings I tend to reward players who have proven themselves in the minors therefore I tend to rank those at the higher levels higher in my list. Potential is always just potential until proven on the field. There are always a few exceptions to this style like Jordan Walker although he proved quite a bit last year. I usually don’t get too excited by DSL and Complex players until they prove something on a full season team.
To answer the question, yes I believe being projected to be a MLB player does make someone a prospect.
Opening the Top 20 in The Cardinal Nation’s #stlcards Top 50 prospect countdown for 2022 is a major college-trained, LHH outfielder taken 70th overall in the 2021 draft. Get to know Ryan Holgate. (FREE) https://t.co/HeX5vFJjgr pic.twitter.com/6e2VBFvaJf
— Brian Walton (@B_Walton) January 12, 2022
Ranked no. 19 on The Cardinal Nation’s #stlcards Top 50 prospect countdown for 2022 is a promising right-hander who is just 19 years old but has thrown only eight innings since being drafted in 2020. "Patience" continues to be the word for Tink Hence. ($) https://t.co/DWsSJH0iBU pic.twitter.com/qDeINhW0Vb
— Brian Walton (@B_Walton) January 14, 2022
The 18th ranked prospect in The Cardinal Nation’s #stlcards Top 50 countdown for 2022 is a potential power hitting outfielder who has yet to emerge. Jhon Torres is still just 21 years of age but his prospect eligibility clock is ticking more loudly. ($) https://t.co/wFXdzO6zU9 pic.twitter.com/h04N9qneJP
— Brian Walton (@B_Walton) January 16, 2022
I am glad that Torres is still in your top 20. I haven’t given up on him yet. This guy has so much potential but of course eventually it has to be translated on the field. 2022 is indeed a big year for him.
I haven’t given up on him yet.
I’m thinking that Torres will have a bounce back in ’22. Community has him at #26…. I had him higher up than Brian’s #18. If he makes some headway he could return to the top-10.
The no. 17 prospect on The Cardinal Nation’s #stlcards Top 50 countdown for 2022 was the most effective of the 12 pitchers the St. Louis Cardinals drafted in 2021. Read up about right-hander Gordon Graceffo. ($) https://t.co/P9cs8WVEMG pic.twitter.com/ZmffkxexQg
— Brian Walton (@B_Walton) January 20, 2022
At no. 16 in The Cardinal Nation’s #stlcards Top 50 prospect countdown for 2022 is a power-hitting first baseman slated to man the position at Triple-A. When will big Luken Baker reach the majors – and in what role? ($) https://t.co/Vx8xV6rLHX pic.twitter.com/URSTMF0uAv
— Brian Walton (@B_Walton) January 21, 2022
I would think that with the oncomimg universal DH, guys like Baker (and Yepez) will have more value than they did a year or two ago. While it’s certainly possible that Baker ends up with another organization, it’s not the ironclad case that he’ll need to move to the AL like it seemed a couple years ago.
I have always viewed Baker as Voit 2.0. He will definitely have a role in the majors, whether with the Cardinals or someone else. If he does leave I would prefer we get something in return rather than leave for nothing.
Holding down no. 15 in The Cardinal Nation’s #stlcards Top 50 prospect countdown for 2022 is a 20-year-old progressing toward St. Louis, but as with any third baseman, Malcom Nuñez has an uncertain future at the hot corner. FREE report! https://t.co/l4IbrjWifA pic.twitter.com/zVfjqzzvR6
— Brian Walton (@B_Walton) January 25, 2022
That’s a fair assessment of Nuñez. I’m a little higher on him than some others perhaps, but in my own rankings I found it hard to justify him over some others. Still, he’s only 20 and the bat speed looks legit so hopefully he can keep steadily progressing. He may end up a DH/OF type which it remains to be seen how many of those types the roster can bear.
You only need jaredhofpower to sneak it out at Hammonds field. You don’t need to crush it. The wind is frequently gusting out.
Nunez could and should play first and LF. Add in that the DH at bats in AA will have doubled, and you see plenty for Walker. Nunez, and even Whalen to work on in the field.
Especially considering Whalen and Nunez, you often see a power spike like Yepez experienced last season about the time they start playing in those AA parks. It’s called the Mather effect.“Joey Bombs” made only one appearance on our Top Prospect List. He was #8 in 2008, right behind Brian Barton. It was just after he hit 31 homers between Springfield and Memphis in 2007. Prior to that, he never made our then-Top 40.
The Cardinal Nation’s 14th-ranked prospect in our Top 50 countdown is the fastest moving member of the #stlcards 2020 draft class. Alec Burleson seems on track to make his MLB debut in 2022, but the outfielder is not a finished product. ($) https://t.co/BPD6od9F1x pic.twitter.com/PuPIGM4uzG
— Brian Walton (@B_Walton) January 27, 2022
Burleson’s scouting grades don’t seem to add up. Or is the running/defense grade weighted more than you’d think? A 50 hit/50 power/45 defense would seem to me to be weighting closer to 50 overall than 45. I’d also think his arm is better than a 50 although maybe others have seen more of him than I have.
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