Major League Baseball

MLB: Top Ten Prospects in the International, Pacific Coast Leagues

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 9:03 p.m. ET

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Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

MLB’s major league season is now ended, and the offseason reviews have begun. Today, we will review the top prospects that played in the AAA leagues this season, the International League and the Pacific Coast League.

This is the last of a series of posts on the top ten prospects in each league. This series is not entirely indicative of where a player may end up in a top 100 MLB prospect list as a player may not have played long enough to be considered. There aren’t hard and fast rules here, just a general “was this guy here long enough to be considered” feel. On a short-season league, that’s probably about 40-50 plate appearances or a handful of starts. For a full-season league, it’d probably be about double that, but once again, that can be waived in general if a guy made such an impact on the league that it’s hard to ignore his impact on being part of that league.

Call to the Pen will be having a top 100 list released in the early winter, so be looking for that as well, but for now, this should whet your prospecting appetite outside of scouting reports to come on some of the top prospects in the game!

International League

1. Byron Buxton, OF, Rochester (Twins) – Those who pay attention only to the major leagues will wonder how I could put Buxton this high, but to that I’d respond that even if you only watched his major league performance, Buxton’s performance from the time he returned from AAA in September is evidence of the elite upside that Buxton presents in the major leagues. Buxton may suffer from some level of prospect fatigue as people have been hearing about him for so long that they expect that he’d be a star by now. He’s still a guy with elite running ability and plus-plus defensive skills. Buxton also has plus raw power, though until his time in September, he’d not transitioned that to even above-average in-game power at the big league level. His time in Rochester was a .305/.359/.568 line with 11 home runs and 7 stolen bases over 190 at bats. He has to work on his two-strike approach to reduce his strikeouts, but that’s really the biggest question left from the minor leagues for Buxton. Everything else is simply transitioning to the majors.

2. Trea Turner, SS, Syracuse (Nationals) – Turner has been a dynamite player since his drafting, and he was such an impact player that he ended up altering the rules of trading draft picks after the Nationals insisted on his inclusion in the three-team deal that eventually sent Wil Myers from the Rays to the Padres. Turner has a plus contact ability and plus speed, if not plus-plus. His biggest issue is his proclivity to fall in love with pulling the ball and altering his swing a bit, leading to high swing and miss. Turner played exclusively at shortstop in Syracuse, and he was a guy who could play shortstop at the big league level passably, but the Nationals moved him to center field due to need at the big league level. He was understandably raw in center field in the big leagues, but scouts did think he could eventually learn the reads to be an above-average center fielder.

3. Gary Sanchez, C, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Yankees) – If Buxton had prospect fatigue, Sanchez may have had prospect exhaustion. He has been around for a long time in the minds of those who follow the minors, but the perception has always been that he was a bat-first guy. Sanchez took exceptional steps forward the last two seasons defensively, however, and now profiles as at least an average defensive catcher in his lateral movement with a plus arm, giving him an overall above-average defensive package behind the plate. With the bat in his hands has really never been in question, and in the major leagues, he went completely crazy, knocking out 20 home runs in only 201 at bats. While that pace won’t keep up, Sanchez is a legit power-hitting right-handed catching option that should give both average and power with a decent enough walk rate to give an .800 OPS, which in the current offensive environment for catchers would put him among the elite offensive catchers in the game.

4. Tyler Glasnow, RHP, Indianapolis (Pirates) – Glasnow was injured before he could really show his stuff in the major leagues, but the towering (6’8) righty showed his stuff with Indianapolis before being promoted in July. He has an elite fastball that runs into the upper 90s and has impressive sink, made even more difficult to handle from his downward plane. He also has a wicked hard curve and a change that he’s made progress with. He has struggled with his delivery, an issue for many tall pitchers, and it’s hurt his control, but in spite of those control issues, Glasnow was able to post a 1.87 ERA and 133 strikeouts over 111 innings in AAA, allowing a scant .175 average against.

5. Austin Meadows, OF, Indianapolis (Pirates) – Meadows suffered through an injury-riddled season in 2016, with a delayed start from a broken orbital bone to a hamstring injury that cost him a month in the middle of the season. His time in AA didn’t look pretty if you look just at the batting average, but it is impressive that Meadows posted a .246 isolated power score in AAA as a 21 year-old in his short time in the league. Meadows profiles as a hitter with a solid contact skill along with plus power and plus speed. Defensively, he has the instincts to work in center field, but he also has the arm and offensive skills to work at either corner going forward in Pittsburgh’s loaded outfield.

6. Blake Snell, LHP, Durham (Rays) – Snell had an incredible 2015 season that brought him from off the prospect radar to Baseball America’s Minor League Player of the Year. He followed up with another excellent season, split between AAA and the major leagues. He did make his major league debut in April, but in a spot start. In June, however, he was called up for good. His time with Durham was impressive with a 3.29 ERA and 90 strikeouts in 63 innings. Snell has a fastball that ranges up to high-90s with a very effective pair of breaking pitches in a curve and slider, but his best pitch continues to be his change, which is incredibly difficult for right-handed hitters to read out of the hand and has been a swing-and-miss pitch for him. Snell struggled with his control both in AAA and even more so with the Rays, but if he can get that under control, he’s got a very elite upside with his pitch mix from the left side.

7. Jameson Taillon, RHP, Indianapolis (Pirates) – Taillon returned form Tommy John and hernia surgery in 2016 and took a bit to shake off the rust from nearly two seasons missed. Before his surgery, Taillon was considered a top-15 to top-20 prospect in the entire game, and he quickly exhibited that level of production with Indianapolis, and once he did, the Pirates wasted no time in getting him to the major leagues and leaving him there, meaning Taillon only threw 62 innings with Indianapolis. Those innings were impressive, however, with a 2.04 ERA, .196 average against, and a 6/61 BB/K ratio, exhibiting elite control of his pitches. He works with a sinker and a four-seam fastball. He has a hard curve that he works low in the zone to also generate weak contact and a solid change. Taillon may not be a guy who strikes out a batter per inning, but he pounds the zone and his pitches are such that he’ll generate a lot of weak contact.

8. Ozzie Albies, IF, Gwinnett (Braves) – Albies’ slash line may not look pretty for Gwinnett at .248/.307/.351, but he was 19 when he was brought up to Gwinnett, and his time in Gwinnett saw huge prospect growth for Albies. He struggled initially when he arrived in the league while still playing shortstop, but as the team made the decision that the future of the infield in Atlanta would be Dansby Swanson at shortstop and Albies at second base, he moved to second in Gwinnett. From that point, he hit .267/.350/.347 with a much better strikeout rate and flashed his incredible speed, stealing 6 bases in 25 games as a 2B with Gwinnett before moving back down to AA Mississippi to play alongside Swanson until the end of the season. Albies has much more power than one would imagine based on his frame, drawing plenty of offensive comparisons to Jose Altuve, and his defense at second base is very high level. A fractured elbow in the AA playoffs leads to some assurance that Albies will most likely be in Gwinnett to start 2017 as well as he works his way back from the injury before taking over 2B for the near future in Atlanta.

9. J.P. Crawford, SS, Lehigh Valley (Phillies) – While being very young in the International League does give him some pass for his struggles, Crawford did show some struggles with his ability to make solid contact at the plate. He can certainly walk to get on base, though often with a reported passive approach at the plate where he’s willing to watch plenty of pitches go by. Crawford’s frame should project to have solid power, but his bat path currently makes contact and power prohibitive. He is still a very solid defender, rating as a plus overall defender with extremely smooth abilities defensively and an above-average arm. He’s young enough to still make strides, but his stock is down for me for sure.

10. Josh Bell, 1B, Indianapolis (Pirates) – Bell is the fourth Indianapolis player on the top 10, which tells you the level of talent that passed through the Pirates’ AAA affiliate this season, though that’s exactly what happened – they passed through. Bell was one that was there for nearly the entire season, coming up for a brief appearance in the summer and then for the rest of the year one Indianapolis was eliminated from playoff contention. Bell has worked on his first base defense since moving out of the outfield, but he still has some work to do. He does have a legit switch-hitting power bat with a very solid pitch recognition, leading to a .295/.382/.468 slash line this season.

Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Pacific Coast League

1. Alex Reyes, RHP, Memphis (Cardinals) – Reyes has elite level talent, but he’s struggled with keeping his nose clean in the minor leagues, mostly due to marijuana suspensions. Whether or not you agree with the suspensions for marijuana, it delayed the start of his 2016 season, and it put him a bit behind in his development that he should have had this season. Reyes did post 93 strikeouts in 65 innings with Memphis and then showed very well with the Cardinals in a major league trial, both in the bullpen and in the rotation. Reyes has a fastball that can reach triple digits along with a hard curve that is elite. His change has made strides, but he can start to show it to hitters a bit, allowing them to see it out of the hand. He’s a guy who has legit “ace” upside, if he can continue to work at the off-field stuff.

2. Willson Contreras, C, Iowa (Cubs) – In the winter following the 2014 season, anyone could have had Contreras in the rule V draft. He had transitioned to catcher in 2012 after originally signing as a third baseman in 2012 out of Venezuela, and the bat had not developed at all while his defense was very inconsistent. Contreras went to winter ball that winter and came back with a drastically different swing and significant focus improvement behind the plate to accommodate his already-present athleticism behind the dish. His bat took another step forward in 2016 as he displayed power as well as contact ability, and he was tremendous at the plate while playing left field and catcher for Chicago. He was not put in left field due to poor catching, however, as he’s an above-average defender behind the plate and should be able to stick long-term behind the plate with elite offensive skills at the plate.

3. Jose De Leon, RHP, Oklahoma City (Dodgers) – Those who do not know De Leon’s story start to wonder about his age and whether he’s really possibly overrated as a prospect due to his age and relative inexperience. However, De Leon was spotted in Puerto Rico with no pro interest and really only a small college interested. He grew into his body, leaned out, and developed a tremendous pitching arsenal. He now runs a fastball up to mid-90s with good late movement and he uses a plus change and a potential plus slider to offset the fastball. De Leon made short work of the hitting-dominated PCL in 2016, posting a 2.61 ERA and .194 average against with 111 strikeouts in 86 innings.

4. Jeff Hoffman, RHP, Albuquerque (Rockies) – Hoffman was a legit candidate to go #1 overall in the 2014 draft before Tommy John surgery ended his spring. He came back mid-season in 2015, so 2016 was truly his first full season back, and he was nothing short of impressive, especially considering his environment. He has a fastball that has hit near-triple digits in the past, but now sits more in the 92-94 range with solid movement. He has a hard curve and a slider that he works well off the fastball. His change worked well in the major leagues, though it was viewed as a work in progress by many, who feel the pitch could be a plus pitch long-term. Hoffman tallied 124 strikeouts in 119 innings with Albuquerque in 2016 before heading to the majors, and if he can see progression with the change, he can certainly challenge for that “ace” label in the big leagues.

5. Orlando Arcia, SS, Colorado Springs (Brewers) – His numbers may not overwhelm, but what was impressive was that he didn’t take a step back, going to AAA with a lot of expectations that he would move quickly to the big leagues. His hitting tools flashed across the board, and he could be a solid hitter for average, power, and speed, yet nothing he does offensively will be his best attribute. Arcia is an exceptional defender, displaying a plus arm with incredible instincts and smooth hands at shortstop. He did show off some of that power/speed potential with 6 triples, 8 home runs, and 15 stolen bases in 404 at bats in 2016.

6. Joe Musgrove, RHP, Fresno (Astros) – Musgrove blew his way through Corpus Christi to Fresno, and he put up very good stats in the hitters’ league before being promoted to Houston in early August for good. He has excellent control and command, and it allows his low-90s fastball with slider and change to really play up due to their excellent location. He may not project as an “ace” type, but he has a very, very high floor as a mid-rotation starter that can eat up innings with a very solid frame (6’5, 265). Musgrove was able to put up a 2.74 ERA and a 10/87 BB/K ratio in 85 PCL innings.

7. Joey Gallo, IF, Round Rock (Rangers) – With Prince Fielder gone and Mitch Moreland an offseason free agent, perhaps Gallo can FINALLY get his chance in the big leagues. A little league teammate of Bryce Harper and Kris Bryant, Gallo is the last of the three sluggers to get his shot to display his talents consistently at the big league level. Perhaps it was due to stagnation or disinterest, but Gallo struggled at times with Round Rock as he repeated the league. Gallo has legit power, topping 40 home runs the last two seasons in the minor leagues before hitting 25 home runs in 2016. He is a solid athlete that could play at an outfield corner with his solid arm, but he would work very well at first base if that position is open in 2017 for him.

8. A.J. Reed, 1B, Fresno (Astros) – Reed was impressive in his slugging in 2015, with 34 home runs, and many felt he would quickly claim the first base job in Houston in 2016 with minimal blockage in front of him. He struggled to put together solid at bats at the big league level, however, in spite of showing similar across the board skills in Fresno to his breakthrough 2015. Reed had 15 home runs and a .944 OPS in 261 at bats. Reed does show a very solid approach, and even when he struggled to make contact in the big leagues, he did show good ability to take a walk.

9. Hunter Renfroe, OF, El Paso (Padres) – Renfroe won the PCL MVP in 2016, and his numbers were impressive, to say the least. Renfroe hit 30 home runs and 34 doubles with a .306/.336/.557/.893 slash line. Most impressive on his season from a scouting perspective was his approach deep in the count, when he did well shortening his swing in order to cut down on strikeouts and make more contact. Renfroe still struggles with pitch recognition and taking walks, as he is aggressive on pitches he believes he can handle, but he has excellent power when he does make contact. Renfroe is a guy who has an incredible arm that will almost immediately be one of the best in the majors once he claims a job in the Padres outfield. He has solid range in the outfield, but he profiles best in right field.

10. Manuel Margot, OF, El Paso (Padres) – There are truly about 5 worthy candidates for this last spot, and I have a definite top 9, and with so many close, I chose to go with a personal favorite of those next bunch of guys for my #10. Margot is a guy who is simply a joy to watch in the outfield. He has incredible instincts off the bat, displays elite range, and he has an arm that is above-average, but his throwing accuracy allows it to play as more of a plus arm. Margot offered offensive production on top of his elite defensive skills for El Paso in 2016, hitting .304/.351/.426 with 12 triples and 30 stolen bases. His speed could be game changing in the big leagues, and his ability to recognize breaking pitches leads one to think he could work well at the top of the lineup as well, utilizing his speed to set up a lineup.

That wraps up this series. Keep up to date on CTTP as we will be bringing team top 10 lists and an overall top 100 list this offseason as well!

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