This week’s Prospect Positional will cover shortstops, a position in which there has been one high-profile graduation, one position switch and five of the top 25 prospects in all of baseball.
Note: All statistics are current through Sunday, May 4.
Updated top-12
| Updated | Pre-Season | Name | MLB Team | MiLB Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Francisco Lindor | Indians | Akron (AA) |
| 2 | 3 | Carlos Correa | Astros | Lancaster (High-A) |
| 3 | 5 | Raul Mondesi | Royals | Wilmington (High-A) |
| 4 | 4 | Addison Russell | A’s | Midland (AA) |
| 5 | 6 | Javier Baez | Cubs | Iowa (AAA) |
| 6 | 7 | Corey Seager | Dodgers | Rancho Cucamonga (High-A) |
| 7 | N/R | Trevor Story | Rockies | Modesto (High-A) |
| 8 | 12 | J.P. Crawford | Phillies | Lakewood (Low-A) |
| 9 | 8 | Hak-Ju Lee | Rays | Durham (AAA) |
| 10 | 9 | Amed Rosario | Mets | Extended Spring Training |
| 11 | N/R | Deven Marrero | Red Sox | Portland (AA) |
| 12 | 10 | Jose Rondon | Angels | Inland Empire (High-A) |
Graduates
| Rank | Name | MLB Team | MiLB Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Xander Bogaerts | Red Sox | N/A |
| 11 | Jose Peraza | Braves | Lynchburg (High-A) |
Xander Bogaerts is carrying an average near .300 while playing shortstop as a 21-year old. His power has not shown through yet, but he would be the second youngest player in Triple-A (only Javier Baez is younger), so he still has time to develop. His poor lateral movement on defense makes it apparent that he may shift to third base sooner than initially thought.
Jose Peraza is having a very good season for Lynchburg, hitting higher than .330 despite being the third youngest player in the High-A Carolina League. Despite being a very good defensive shortstop, Peraza has been shifted to second base due to Andrelton Simmons. If he were still playing shortstop, he would slot behind J.P. Crawford.
Small sample size
| Updated | Pre-Season | Name | MLB Team | MiLB Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 4 | Addison Russell | A’s | Midland (AA) |
| 9 | 8 | Hak-Ju Lee | Rays | Durham (AAA) |
| 10 | 9 | Amed Rosario | Mets | Extended Spring Training |
Hak-Ju Lee
is finally back from tearing ligaments in his left knee in April 2013, followed by a left calf strain during spring training. He has struggled offensively since his return, but he will be given time to work his way back from injury. Lee was an elite defensive shortstop prior to his injury, and if he can regain his form he could be used as trade bait or a solid utility infielder. If he can get consistent playing team, his peak potential is a .280 hitter who draws walks with 15 doubles, 10 triples and 20-plus stolen bases.
Amed Rosario is one of the best athletes in the Mets farm system, but he has a long way to go in terms of player development. He is currently in extended spring training, and will be assigned to Short Season-A Brooklyn in June. He projects as a .300 hitter with 10-plus home runs and 10-plus stolen bases to go with above-average defense at short.
Superb performance
| Updated | Pre-Season | Name | MLB Team | MiLB Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Francisco Lindor | Indians | Akron (AA) |
| 3 | 5 | Raul Mondesi | Royals | Wilmington (High-A) |
| 6 | 7 | Corey Seager | Dodgers | Rancho Cucamonga (High-A) |
| 7 | N/R | Trevor Story | Rockies | Modesto (High-A) |
| 8 | 12 | J.P. Crawford | Phillies | Lakewood (Low-A) |
Francisco Lindor is ranked #1 on this list for a simple reason: he is the best hitting prospect that has the highest chance to remain at shortstop. Lindor’s 2014 line is not spectacular, but he is the youngest player in the Eastern League and has the potential to turn into a gold glove-caliber shortstop while hitting .300 with 10-15 home runs and 30-plus stolen bases. Lindor has yet to have a hot streak in 2014, but he is hitting .301/.376/.466 with 12 walks and 18 strikeouts.
Raul Mondesi has gotten off to a great start in High-A, hitting above .300 and will not 19 until late July. He has not displayed much power, but that is to be expected as he projects as a .300 hitter with five home runs and 30-plus stolen bases that plays great defense at shortstop.
After struggling during his time in the California League in 2013, Corey Seager is handling it with aplomb in 2014. He is hitting higher than .300 with six doubles, two triples, two home runs, and four stolen bases. Seager projects to remain at shortstop while hitting .280 with 15 home runs and a handful of stolen bases.
It would be an understatement to say that Trevor Story had a bad season in 2013, which led to a precipitous decline in his prospect status. The former first-round pick has bounced back in 2014, hitting nearly .350 with 11 doubles, three triples, and two home runs through 28 games. It is concerning that he has 33 strikeouts in 120 plate appearances, so it will be worth monitoring if he can improve his pitch recognition and decrease his swing-and-miss tendencies. If everything works out for Story, he could hit .270 with 15 home runs while playing solid defense at shortstop. However, he has a lot of work to do to cut down his strikeouts and is blocked at shortstop by Troy Tulowitzki.
J.P. Crawford is officially listed at 6’2” and 180 pounds, but my first-hand viewing indicates that his weight may be overstated. Despite his svelte stature, Crawford has been hitting well in the South Atlantic League. Thanks to a nine-game hot streak in which he has hit .438/.550/.719, he is hitting .324 for the season with six doubles and three home runs to go with an excellent 16 walks and only 15 strikeouts. Crawford has also displayed good range and soft hands at shortstop, as he is very likely to remain there for the long term. He projects as a .280 hitter with 10 home runs and 15-plus stolen bases.
Holding serve
| Updated | Pre-Season | Name | MLB Team | MiLB Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 3 | Carlos Correa | Astros | Lancaster (High-A) |
| 11 | N/R | Deven Marrero | Red Sox | Portland (AA) |
| 12 | 10 | Jose Rondon | Angels | Inland Empire (High-A) |
Carlos Correa is the second-youngest player in the California League, and he’s hitting .290 with a little bit of power. He also has 10 walks and 19 strikeouts through 107 plate appearances, which is impressive given his age and room for offensive growth. Correa may never become an elite offensive force, but he could hit .300 with 20-plus home runs in the major leagues.
Deven Marrero lacks the ceiling of many players on this list, but he could be the next shortstop for the Boston Red Sox. He projects as little more than a .275 hitter with a handful of home runs, but he has the ability to challenge Francisco Lindor as the best defensive shortstop on this list. Marrero is hitting higher than .280 with six doubles and one home run.
Jose Rondon has a similar projection to Marrero, as he has little power and is a very good defensive shortstop. Rondon is hitting higher than .285 in the High-A California League and projects to be able to hit near that level with 20-plus stolen bases in the future.
Struggling
| Updated | Pre-Season | Name | MLB Team | MiLB Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 6 | Javier Baez | Cubs | Iowa (AAA) |
The buzz building around Javier Baez during spring training was fueled by his three doubles and five home runs in 53 at bats, but his performance also exposed his flaws. He walked only once and struck out 17 times, leaving his final line at .264 /.278/.604. He missed time with an ankle sprain, but he has struck out far too many times to be considered for a promotion, hitting just .149/.232/.311with 31 strikeouts in 82 plate appearances. Baez has the potential to hit .280 with 30-plus home runs, but he needs to cut down on his strikeouts to attain any modicum of success. If he is able to get hot for two weeks, he could see time with the Cubs this season.
On the Bubble (listed alphabetically)
| Updated | Pre-Season | Name | MLB Team | MiLB Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bubble | N/R | Christian Arroyo | Giants | Augusta (Low-A) |
| Bubble | N/R | Franklin Barreto | Blue Jays | Extended Spring Training |
| Bubble | N/R | Gavin Cecchini | Mets | Savannah (Low-A) |
| Bubble | N/R | Aledmys Diaz | Cardinals | Springfield (AA) |
| Bubble | N/R | Dawel Lugo | Blue Jays | Lansing (Low-A) |
| Bubble | N/R | Dorssys Paulino | Indians | Lake County (Low-A) |
| Bubble | N/R | Gleyber Torres | Cubs | Extended Spring Training |
Christian Arroyo has played more second base than shortstop in 2014, but his long-term role has yet to be determined. He has struggled with the bat in 2014, hitting just .198/.224/.248, but he is also the seventh youngest player in the South Atlantic League, more than two full years younger than the average player. He has the potential to hit above .300 with 30-plus doubles while playing an average shortstop or second base.
Franklin Barreto was signed for $1.45 million out of Venezuela in 2012, with many viewing his skillset as similar to Shane Victorino. He may be forced to move to center field, where his strong arm and above-average speed could turn him into a gold glove center fielder. He could be a .280 hitter with 10-15 home runs and 20-plus stolen bases.
Gavin Cecchini, the younger brother of Red Sox third baseman Garin, was drafted 12th overall in the 2012 draft. Cecchini projects to hit near .300, but there are serious questions if he will ever generate enough power to allow hit advanced hitting ability to play. His bat has come alive for Low-A Savannah in 2014, hitting .278/.352/.398, which is the best offensive output of his professional career.
The Cardinals signed Aledmys Diaz after a one year ban from signing with a team for falsifying documents to make himself appear to be older in order to circumvent the international spending caps. The 23-year old Cuban is hitting .307/.321/.520 for Double-A Springfield. He makes consistent contact, but has struck out 19 times and only walked once in 80 plate appearances, and he lacks enough power to slug above .400 at the major league level. He has split time at shortstop with two other players with much lesser pedigrees, but is likely to stick at shortstop. He is currently on the disabled list with a mild sprain of his right shoulder.
Dawel Lugo was signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2011 for $1.3 million, and has exhibited solid in-game power to go with his overly aggressive approach at the plate. He has the talent to hit .300 with 20-plus home runs at the major league level, but his poor range may push him to third base. He is hitting .213/.245/.270 for Low-A Lansing, which is impressive given how much younger he is compared to his competition.
Dorssys Paulino had a breakout in 2012, hitting .333/.380/.558 as a 17-year old while playing in both Rookie-level and Short Season-A. Aggressively assigned to Low-A Lake County in 2013, he struggled as one of the youngest players in the league, hitting just .246/.297/.349, though he did hit 36 extra base hits. Returning to Lake County for 2014, he is struggling again, and is hitting .219/.281/.305 with 32 strikeouts through 26 games. He has the potential to hit .280 with 15-plus home runs, but he needs to begin producing or else he will never come close to the major leagues.
In 2013, Gleyber Torres signed with the Chicago Cubs for $1.7 million, the second highest signing bonus for any international player that year. He projects as a solid shortstop that lacks the huge upside of many high-profile international signings. While he lacks the huge upside, he is loaded with potential, including a good chance to stay at shortstop and the potential to hit for a very high average while hitting 10-15 home runs per season.
