Minor League Baseball: The Lo-A West Is Full Of Top-Tier Shortstop Prospects
The start of the MLB season might be on a brief hiatus due to the lockout. Fear not, the minor league year is preparing to move full-steam ahead. Any player who’s not on a team’s 40-man roster will be able to play for the organization’s affiliated clubs. The Low-A West has one of the deepest prospect pools among any MiLB level. Of those prospects, the SS position might have the best collection of talent among any affiliated league.
Last season, the Lo-A West featured two of baseball’s best SS prospects, Marco Luciano of San Jose (San Francisco)and Noelvi Marte of Modesto (Seattle). In addition, Ezequiel Tovar (Colorado) played a good chunk of games for the Fresno Grizzles. With these high ceiling players moving on to Hi-A, a new crop of SS prospects will emerge. While none are believed to shoot up to the top of the prospects boards as Luciano or Marte did, a few of these names could end up on a few top-100 lists next season.
NOTE:
Jordan Lawlar (Arizona), Jackson Merrill(San Diego), Aeverson Arteaga(San Francisco)will be omitted from this list. Lawlar/Merrill are obvious choices given their draft stock. Arteaga, I’ve talked to death in recent articles.
Stockton Ports (Oakland Athletics)
Max Muncy:
Why not include Merrill and Lawlar (both 2021 1st rnd picks) on this list and include Muncy? The A’s were highly ridiculed for this 1st rnd pick. Muncy (no reaction to current big leaguer, Max Muncy), isn’t a player scouts peg with a high ceiling, and his floor is that of a below-average player. Oakland doesn’t have a very strong farm system now; Muncy will do very little to change that. His numbers in Rookie ball were very discouraging, hitting .129 with a .206 OBP in 31 AB’s. As is the case with any 1st rnd pick, you can’t count him out. The talent is there for sure. I’m just hesitant to believe he makes a giant leap this season. Merrill and Lawlar I have a better belief will light up Lo-A as they begin their entry into professional affiliate ball after their draft year.
More MLB: Rockies Top Prospects
Fresno Grizzles (Colorado Rockies)
Adael Amador:
Colorado doesn’t have a solid reputation for developing talent. Amador, an international signing in 2019, is a departure from what the organization usually does. Amador was a top-20 player in his international draft class. His debut in Rookie ball last season showcased that immense talent. Amador has great speed (10 SBs in 164 ABs), and power that scouts feel can develop into 20+ HR power (and then more considering he will likely play half his games in Coors). Amador’s plate discipline is his best trait. As he adjusts to affiliated ball, I’d argue his k-rate will be one of the lowest of any top prospect in Lo-A.
Inland Empire 66ers (Los Angeles Angels)
Arol Vera:
I’ve seen Vera play twice for the 66ers. He’s a player who had a taste of affiliated ball last season, however, will be given a bit more time in Lo-A. Vera is such an intriguing high-risk player. He struggled during the games I viewed him. He held a high K rate all season. Vera also looked lost at times on the field and had teammates directing him to the proper spot on defense. With that being said, I’ve seen him smoke some baseballs. He will add more power to his game, that’s not a question. My concern about Vera, can he maintain good plate discipline and create consistent contact? He has speed on the basepaths, and, despite what I’ve seen on the field, he’s rated as a pretty solid defender who can stick at SS. The offensive upside is what I’m really hoping takes off this year.
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Los Angeles Dodgers)
Wilman Diaz:
Diaz is the player who’s most likely to take a leap into the upper-echelon of prospect lists. He was regarded as having one of the best bats of the 2020 international class. In 85 ABs, Diaz hit only 1 HR, although he also snagged 5 doubles. The power is going to come. His speed (currently rated a 55), I’m going to project stays relatively consistent. He will need to cut back on the K’s, however, the superstar potential and upside is so high that it’s almost not worth taking too much stock in.
Image Source: MLB Pipeline
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