2011 Top 10 prospects: Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers

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December 2, 2010

Seattle Mariners: Top 10 prospects

1. Michael Pineda / SP / Pineda had a true breakout, all-star caliber season. He seems to have put his durability concerns to bed, upped his velocity, and improved his slider. An ace-level talent is in the works.
2. Nick Franklin / SS / Who saw Franklin’s power coming? Honestly? He looked good coming out of high school, but power was a concern back then. The only issue in his stat line now is the high strikeout rate. Franklin is a good prospect, but he needs to repeat his success at higher levels before he joins the elite.
3. Dustin Ackley / 2B / Ackley posted a ho-hum debut season. The hype surrounding his home run power and speed were always questionable, and his stats back up those concerns. On the other hand, he is one of the more polished bats in the minors, and the move to second base has sent his stock skyward.
4. Carlos Triunfel / 3B/2B/SS / Triunfel has always had his fair share of fans, and there’s certainly no reason to sour on him yet. Expect him to repeat the Southern League with major success in 2011. Maybe he will find his permanent position, too.
5. Johermyn Chavez / OF / It may have been only the California League, but Chavez was one of the more dangerous bats in A-level ball in 2010. He has gotten attention for a few years now and continues to impress. Double-A awaits, where we’ll see if his strikeout rate becomes his Achilles’ heal.
6. Mauricio Robles / SP / Robles quietly posted a quality season between Double-A and Triple-A at 21 years old. Maybe it’s his short stature that causes him to be overlooked, but his good-but-inconsistent three pitches should not be. He has the mentality of a workhorse.
7. Rich Poythress / 1B / Poythress’ power is as good as advertised, with an impressive plate approach and bat speed this past year, too. He should have been proving his worth at Double-A Jackson, however. He may get lost in the shuffle against that level of competition.
8. James Jones / OF / Jones is a toolsy outfielder who quietly found his groove over the second half of his Midwest League season. He was raw when he was drafted, but his walk rate is encouraging. He will be expected to do big things in the California League next year.
9. Blake Beavan / SP / Despite possessing merely a low-90s fastball, Beavan pumps the strike zone and has an intimidating presence on the mound. Further upside is still waiting to blossom.
10. Alex Liddi / 3B/OF/1B / A couple of teenage outfielders, Julio Morban and Guillermo Pimentel, were considered, but Liddi was chosen because he showed his power is legitimate enough to make it. His defense and strikeout rate might not be, however.

Seattle Mariners: Top 10 Players Under Age 26 (as of 4/1/11)

1. Felix Hernandez / SP
2. Justin Smoak / 1B
3. Michael Pineda / SP
4. Michael Sauders / OF
5. Nick Franklin / SS
6. Dustin Ackley / 2B
7. Carlos Triunfel / 3B/2B/SS
8. Johermyn Chavez / OF
9. Mauricio Robles / SP
10. Rich Poythress / 1B

Texas Rangers: Top 10 Prospects

1. Martin Perez / SP / Perez’s stuff and movement are still there, but the command of his secondary stuff isn’t, and the Texas League took advantage in 2010. He’s still one of the best pitching prospects in baseball, but not as invincible as he looked at this time last year.
2. Tanner Scheppers / RP/SP / Scheppers has one of the better fastball/curveball combos in the minors, but his command comes and goes. While his value would be maximized as a starter, it’s likely he will settle in as a reliever, possibly becoming one of the best late-inning relievers in baseball.
3. Jurickson Profar / SS / Profar is getting ridiculous amounts of hype in some circles, and when the dust settles those pundits might be proven right. But it’s best to take a more conservative approach, although the kid clearly has the intangibles to be a star. He combines good defense, an advanced approach at the plate, and a good line drive stroke, but has only so-so power potential and has much to prove.
4. Robert Erlin / SP / Erlin burst onto the scene in 2010, sporting excellent command of his low-90s fastball and above average curveball. His fly ball rate and small frame are the only negatives on his resume.
5. Robbie Ross / SP / The stat sheet didn’t do Ross a whole lot of favors in 2010, but it’s tough not to like his plus three-pitch mix and ability to keep the ball low, despite his small stature.
6. Neil Ramirez / SP / Command issues had been Ramirez’s downfall—until 2010. He quietly blossomed in the Sally League, and will be looking for bigger and better things in 2011. His fastball/curveball combo could send him rocketing up prospect boards everywhere very soon.
7. Kellin Deglan / C / Deglan is a well-rounded high school catching prospect whose defense stands out more than his offense right now, but he has a solid set of tools offensively and could blossom with patience.
8. Jake Skole / OF / Skole is a good athlete with a short, line-drive swing and above average power potential. But he is rather raw at the plate, which should be expected of a high schooler. Skole is a project with some decent upside.
9. Michael Olt / 3B / Olt is another member of Texas’ stout 2010 draft class. He has solid tools pretty much across the board, and may even be able to replicate his college power numbers. One thing to watch for is his propensity to strike out way more than he should.
10. Luis Sardinas / SS / A few players that would be considered more veteran in Wilfredo Boscan, Wilmer Font, Engel Beltre, and Michael Kirkman were bandied about, but too many faults were found with all of them. Sardinas has his faults too, but his age, solid glovework, speed, and line drive swing won out.

Texas Rangers: Top 10 Players Under Age 26 (as of 4/1/11)

1. Martin Perez / SP
2. Neftali Feliz / SP/RP
3. Derek Holland / SP/RP
4. Elvis Andrus / SS
5. Chris Davis / 1B
6. Julio Borbon / OF
7. Tanner Scheppers / RP/SP
8. Jurickson Profar / SS
9. Tommy Hunter / SP
10. Mitch Moreland / 1B/OF


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Bryce
11 years ago

Texas acquired Cliff Lee and Lowe from Seattle for Smoak, Beaven, and two others. Since Lee was most likely not going to re-sign with Seattle they would have received two comp picks for him leaving. So the question is, could they have done better than Smoak and Beaven with those two sandwich picks? As it stands now, probably not. Smoak was the 11th overall pick (with top 5 talent) in 2008 and is looking like a switch-hitting stud with 30+ HR potential, and Beaven was the 17th overall pick in 2007 and posted a 14-8 record, 3.90 ERA, and a 4.81 K/BB ratio in AA and AAA last year. Looks like they did about as good as they could have hoped for when they traded Lee, so it looks like a win-win right now considering Texas made it to the World Series. Hopefully Texas can now re-sign lee or nail the two comp picks if Lee goes to New York. Baseball at its best right there!

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Ian
11 years ago

Are these rankings for Fantasy?  That’s the lowest Ackley is going to be ranked anywhere, I bet.

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FWBrodie
11 years ago

The Ackley and Triunfel rankings seem a little contradictory. You’re willing to dream on Triunfel’s tools and not Ackley’s?(based upon your counterintuitive rankings of both with Ackley taking a relative hit and Triunfel being suprisingly high)

Maybe I’m seeing the glass half empty and you actually just love Nick Franklin. Which is it?

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spenca james
11 years ago

Nick Franklin has shown his fair share of power, but does not have a track record to back his impressive 2010 season at the dish. today the Seattle Mariners are not going to tender jose lopez and it will open up an opportunity for Dustin Ackley to be the every day second basemen it 2011. that being said, i think the mariners should designate jack wilson’s contract and open up SS for Carlos Triunfel and if he doesn’t impress out of spring training trade for a jj hardy of a yunel escabar.

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fwbrodie
11 years ago

Triunfel isn’t a SS long term, nor is he ready for the big leagues at all. So no.

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sexymarinersfan
11 years ago

Agreed, Triunfel is more suited for 3B, but he has yet to show the power that is necessary to man the hot corner.

Nick Franklin had a nice season with the stick, but began to tail off in the 2nd half. He also made something like 23 errors at SS while Dustin “Red Hot” Ackley tore it up in the latter half of the season by hitting over .400 and winning the AFL MVP honors. Not only that, but was the 2nd pick behind Stephen Strasburg and hit over .400 at every stop in college ball. I think whomever wrote this up was high off their arse! Blake Beaven is not even closely better than Josh Lueke, Dan Cortes, or Greg Halman! He needs to show better consistency in the strike zone. He walks too manay hitters.

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Jonathan
11 years ago

Triunfel’s ranking reflects the idea he still has some chance (however small) of sticking in the middle infield and that his tools suggest the making of a plus hitter with a 20-HR peak, but right now he’s looking more and more like Jose Lopez every day, a misplaced 2B without any patience and that right-handed fly-ball swing Safeco tends to swallow whole. His only saving grace is that he’s still a prospect, and therefore impressionable to a degree. It’s not looking very good though.

And I agree Ackley ought to be ranked higher than Franklin, if not number 1. It seems pretty clear to everyone he’s sticking at 2nd and may even be solidly average considering his strides just a year in at the stone. Franklin’s still no sure thing at short and though I’m sold his power is legit (It was the Midwest, after all), his overall approach and ceiling, power included, still won’t match what Ackley has to offer.

Beavan will be a starter and solid one at that. That makes him more valuable than even a possible plus reliever. Also, 21 walks in 168.1 innings and a near 5.00 K:BB at the age of 21. I think his control is just fine.

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rightwingrick
11 years ago

Sorry, but the only thing Carlos Triunfel has going for him these days is the fact that he’s only 21 and will be in AA or AAA this year.  Two straight years with on-base percentages far below .300 will do that to you, not to mention putting on weight and losing range at SS.  This guy has no plate patience and you can not PAY him to buy a base on balls.  He’s regressed terribly. 

Josh Lueke, Dan Cortes, and Nate Tenbrink are all easily better prospects than Triunfel at the moment.

My ten:  Ackley, Pineda, Lueke, Cortes, J. Chavez, Franklin, Liddi, Tenbrink, Tom Wilhelmsen, Mauricio Robels.  Then Beavan, Poythress, Matt Mangini.

Guys to watch (if they have good years AGAIN in 2011, they are on the way up the charts:  Anthony Fernandez, SP; Ji-Man Choi, C; Kevin Rivers, OF; Brian Moran, RP; Vince Catricala, 1B; James Jones, OF; Roman Morla, 3B; Yoervis Medina, SP; Stephan Pryor, RP; Forrest Snow, RP.

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