The Rockies system is strong, led by a collection of impressive infielders. The biggest weakness, though, is that lack of pitching depth.

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1. Brendan Rodgers | SS | AA —> Selected in the first round back in 2015, Rodgers should be ready for his first taste of The Show in 2019. He’s having an OK year in double-A but his aggressiveness continues to limit his overall offensive value. He’s walking a little more but he still needs to wait for better pitches to drive at times. He’s showing good power, which should play nicely in Colorado and he has 17 home runs in 84 games (as well as 21 doubles). I don’t know if he’ll be a star but he should be a very productive player.

2. Colton Welker | 3B | A+ —> I’ve been a huge Welker fan since he was stolen in the fourth round of the 2016 draft. Just 20, he’s having a strong season in high-A. He’s shown the consistent ability to hit for average and he’s doing a good job of controlling the strike zone. He has raw power that he has yet to fully tap into, which will only further increase his value as he approaches the Majors. Currently blocked at third base by Nolan Arenado, Welker could eventually replace him, or perhaps move to right field where his strong arm would continue to be an asset.

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This continues to be a stacked system with both high upside prospects and lots of depth. The organization is building from the ground up and seem to have a strong plan in place.

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*Amendment: This post was written and submitted prior to the Francisco Mejia deal (and I was on vacation). He would have fallen fifth on the list behind Luis Urias. Mejia could easily be a No. 1 prospect in some organizations but not San Diego, which is stacked with talent. The downside to this prospect is that he may not be a catcher in the long run and, while he doesn’t strike out a ton, he’s too aggressive at times and doesn’t always give himself the best pitch to hit or the best count to hit from. If he can make adjustments there, he will hit for average in the Majors and has 15-20 home run potential.

1. Fernando Tatis Jr. | SS | AA —> Much like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. with Toronto, Tatis Jr. is a legacy prospect who is very advanced for his age. While the former possesses a plus-plus hit tool with modest future projections on his body and defence, the latter is known more for his plus power with an athletic frame and strong defensive potential. I like Tatis Jr. a little better long term but the swing-and-miss tendencies are a little worrisome but further maturation could temper that to a more reasonable level. There is all-star upside here.

2. MacKenzie Gore | LHP | A —> If he were pitching in the Yankees, Dodgers or Red Sox system, Gore would probably be a better known name as one of the Top 5 arms in the game. He’s a lefty with the potential for four above-average offerings and he has great size. Command and control both have the potential to be plus. He also receives strong marks for makeup. There is No. 1 starter potential here if he can stay healthy — and the organization has so far been handling him with kids’ gloves.

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The Giants minor league system entered the year as one of the weakest due to the absence of impact talent and an overall lack of depth. And things have only gotten worse with quite a few disappointing performances. The one real bright spot was acquiring a strong talent in the draft with the club’s first round selection.

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1. Joey Bart | C | SS —> Bart has transitioned OK to pro ball. After spending a little time in rookie ball, he moved up to the more age-appropriate short-season Northwest League where six of his 11 hits have gone for over the fence for a home run. On the down side, his BB-K or 2-17 in pro ball leaves something to be desired. He’ll need to tighten up his approach as he moves up the organizational ladder.

2. Heliot Ramos | OF | A —> Ramos had an outstanding debut as a 17 year old in 2017 but he’s struggled in low-A ball due to an inconsistent approach at the plate. Even his bat speed has looked slower at times. The good news is that he’s still just 18 so he has lots of time to develop further. He was a hot commodity as a trade target in the off-season but the Giants considered him all but untouchable.

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The Dodgers are said to be big players for Baltimore’s Manny Machado but this system isn’t as deep as it used to be due to promotions, trades, etc. A couple of so-so drafts in a row have not helped, either.

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1. Alex Verdugo | OF | AAA —> With most organizations, Verdugo would be a starting outfielder — and would have been since the beginning of the year. With the Dodgers, though, he’s a handy player to have at triple-A to fill in for injuries. He’s an extremely advanced hitter for his age, as witnessed by his .352 average, and he rarely gives away an at-bat. The biggest knock on him is the modest power output (which is more a result of his all-fields approach than a lack of strength).

2. Keibert Ruiz | C | AA —> I’ve been leading the bandwagon on Ruiz for a couple of years now but, as he finally starts to get the attention he deserves, he’s having a down year with the bat. Now to be fair, he’s 19 and playing in double-A. Even with being a little overmatched he’s only struck out 20 times in 251 at-bats. Like Verdugo above, this switch-hitter has an uncanny knack for making contact, which can sometimes work against him if he doesn’t wait for a good pitch to hit (as he’s learning right now). Defensively, he needs some polish but should be able to stick behind the plate.

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When I wrote the system up in the winter, it felt like it was starting to thin out after last year’s trades and recent MLB promotions. That’s not the case, though. The Astros have some of the best pitching depth in baseball, with a few potential everyday hitters sprinkled in.

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1. Kyle Tucker | RF | AAA —> The Astros have recently promoted this 21-year-old outfielder after he produced excellent triple-A numbers. With Marwin Gonzalez under-producing in his walk year, this move will give the Astros a spark while also auditioning Tucker for a full-time gig in 2019. There will be some growing pains in ’18 if he sticks around but he has 20-20 (HR-SB) upside.

2. Forrest Whitley | RHP | AA —> Between a suspension and injuries, 2018 has mostly been a lost year for the Astros’ top pitching prospect. When he’s pitched, though, he’s continued to look like a potential top-of-the-rotation arm.

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The Mariners system is pretty thin on potential impact players but, nonetheless, have some interesting names littered throughout the system. I’m a big fan of the team’s 2018 first round pick.

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1. Evan White | 1B | A+ —> White entered pro ball — after being selected in the first round of the 2017 draft — with the reputation for being a good hitter with a modest power output for a first baseman. That continues to be the case for the young hitter, even while spending most of the year in the California League, which tends to boost offensive numbers. He has the athleticism to play the outfield but the Mariners have kept him firmly entrenched at first base; White hasn’t played even one inning at another position in pro ball. Right now, he looks like a future average big league hitter with above-average defence.

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Amateur player identification and development has long been a strength of the Rangers organization but trades and promotions have thinned out the system badly. And an inexplicable onslaught of injuries has made matters much worse.

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1. Willie Calhoun | DH/LF | AAA —> The book on Calhoun remains the same: He could be an everyday hitter in the big leagues right now but he can’t play defence. He should be up this summer if Texas can find a place to play him — perhaps after the trade deadline.

2. Leody Taveras | CF | A+ —> Just 19, Taveras is already in high-A ball, although I’m not really a fan of how quickly the Rangers have been moving him. He has yet to dominate at any minor league level. The raw tools are there, though, and he should be a plus center-fielder with above-average speed and at least line-drive pop. He could grow into 15-20 homer pop.

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Oakland’s minor league system is pretty thin in terms of potential impact players but there are some interesting names nonetheless.

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1. A.J. Puk | SP | INJ —> It looked like 2018 was going to be Puk’s coming out party at the big league level but, instead, he’s rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.

2. Franklin Barreto | SS | MLB —> Barreto has struggled with the bat this year but he has a good opportunity to solidify a big league job if he stops trying to hit a home run in each at-bat. If he gets back to using the whole field, he can be an impact hitter with the ability to hit for a solid average, get on base and generate extra-base pop.

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The system has much improved depth and the club added a couple of very exciting athletes with the first two selections in the 2018 draft in Jordyn Adams and Jeremiah Jackson.

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1. Jo Adell | CF | A+ —> He’s tapped into his raw power a little quicker than expected but his BB-K rate of 17-60 shows a need for improvement. Still, there is a multi-tooled star in the making here.

2. Jahmai Jones | 2B | A+ —> A position switch from the outfield to second base may have caused his offensive to sputter (hopefully temporarily). I still think he has the ability to be a better-than-average hitter in the Majors and the ability to play both the infield and the outfield only increases his value.

3. Brandon Marsh | CF | A+ —> Marsh continues to struggle to hit for power and has just six extra base hits in 30 games since moving up to high-A ball. He can hit the ball hard so it’s just a matter of giving the young, raw athlete a chance to gain experience, improve his approach and find consistency/comfort with his swing.

4. Griffin Canning | RHP | AAA —> One of the biggest surprises so far in 2018, Canning has overcome injury concerns from his college days to zoom through the minors and reach AAA in his first pro season. He’s not the biggest guy and the stuff is more solid than electric so his ceiling falls more into the mid-rotation-starter category.

5. Kevin Maitan | SS | R —> Considered the top hitter in the 2016 international free agent market, Maitan struggled as a 17 year old when he was rushed to advanced rookie ball by Atlanta. The Angels wisely slammed on the breaks and returned him to the same level in ’18 and Maitan is looking like the promising prospect of old. He’s likely a longer-term project.

6. Jordyn Adams | OF | R —> Adams reminds me a bit of Jo Adell, so it’s clear why the Angels pounced on him. With that said, he’s a little more raw and the organization will need to be patient with him. He has exciting speed, with plays well on both the base paths and in the field.

7. Jesus Castillo | RHP | AA —> Castillo has the potential to be a solid back-of-the-rotation starter who should be able to provide lots of innings. His success will hinge on his ability to miss barrels and consistently generate ground-ball outs.

8. Taylor Ward | 3B | AAA —> A move out from behind the plate has kickstarted Ward’s bat. The trade-off, though, is a loss in defensive value, although it’s possible that the young hitter could still serve as a third-strong catcher in The Show.

9. Michael Hermosillo | OF | MLB —> Hermosillo doesn’t have a huge ceiling but fourth outfielders that provide solid defence and aren’t hopeless at the plate have value.

10. Jose Soriano | RHP | R —> Soriano has a promising fastball-curveball combination and projects to add additional velo as he matures (He currently works mostly in the low-90s). He’s another project for the system to develop.

Just Missed:

Matt Thaiss | 1B | AAA —> Thaiss could be higher because he’s had success at the triple-A level but the lack of proven power and limited defensive value (as well as athleticism) hurt his overall value.

Leonardo Rivas | IF | A —> Well all is said and done, Rivas is probably a utility player at the MLB level but he just might carve out a career as an everyday middle infielder. He reminds me of Cesar Izturis.

Jeremiah Jackson | SS | R —> One of my favorite athletes in the 2018 draft, Jackson should move quicker than the Angels’ first pick, Jordyn Adams, as the former is a more natural hitter.

Today at the Prospect Stock Watch, we take a look at a hitter from the Rays’ system, and pitchers from both the Diamondbacks’ and the Phillies’ systems.

Nick Solak, 2B/LF, Rays: Tampa Bay is starting to build up some impressive middle infield depth. Joey Wendle has been a decent stopgap at second base but he’s not really an everyday guy and is better suited to being a back-up on a playoff calibre team (which the Rays are not). Solak, who has spent parts of the last two seasons in double-A, is probably ready for the test of triple-A and should be considered the Rays’ second baseman of the future — unless he’s their left-fielder-of-the-future. The former Yankees’ prospect has shown the ability to get on base at an excellent rate (He currently has a .402 on-base average), he can hit for average and he’s showing increased pop. He currently has 10 home runs through 64 games after going deep just 12 times in 130 contests. Solak’s versatility is even more impressive, although he’s not the most gifted fielder at second base (but he has yet to make an error there this year in 32 appearances). He should be ready for full-time MLB duty in 2019.

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