The AL East is currently ruled by the Red Sox and, to some degree, the Yankees. The Rays have the talent to challenge both of them within the next three to five years… but will the organization ever step up and keep the players together long enough to win it all?

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1. Wander Franco | SS | SS —> Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Blue Jays has seen a meteoric rise through pro ball and is on the cusp of reaching the Majors despite still being a teenager. Franco, another son of a former big leaguer, is just 17 but has also produced video-game-like numbers despite limited experience in pro ball. He showed an outstanding approach at the plate with a BB-K of 27-19 in 61 advanced rookie ball games. Franco also gets to more in-game power than most players his age. The sky is the limit for this young player but I also want to be a little cautious until I see him in full-season ball.

2. Brent Honeywell | RHP | INJ —> Honeywell appeared on a collision course with the big leagues in 2018 but Tommy John surgery derailed that hope. Now, he’ll hope to reach the Majors towards the end of 2019. The 23-year-old hurler has No. 2/3 starter potential with his potential above-average four-pitch mix, which includes a rare (plus) screwball. There are now some durability concerns with Honeywell, who is not a huge guy, but he’s also very athletic and a smart pitcher so those traits should help him as he moves forward.

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The Boston Red Sox were a powerhouse team in 2018 at the Major League level but the minor league system is anything but… The system lacks both depth and impact players. With that said, there are definitely some players that project to contribute at the big league level and might even be able to handle every-day roles if the raw, toolsy players realize their full potentials.

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1. Michael Chavis | 3B | AAA —> Injuries kept Chavis from following up on his breakout 2017 campaign and, in some regards, he took some steps back while battling through a difficult year. He continued to show impressive in-game power and stung the ball with line-drives all over the place. However, the strikeout rate increased after he made some strides in that area last year. He produced a good batting average but the BABIP he produced is likely unsustainable in the long run. Defensively, he’s blocked at third base and it may not be his best position anyway and he may end up on the right side of the diamond.

2. Tanner Houck | RHP | A+ —> Houck is a divisive prospect… some see frontline starter, others see high-leverage reliever. The talent, as well as a strong pitcher’s frame, is there but command issues keep him from missing as many bats as he should. He also has a strong one-two punch with his fastball and slider but the curveball is inconsistent and the changeup is still very much a work-in-progress. Without a strong change-of-pace, he might shift to the ‘pen but I’m on the side that sees improvements coming a future in the starting rotation — even if it’s more of a mid-rotation, innings-eater.

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I really wanted an excuse to use that headline. This post isn’t directly about Victor Mesa Jr. and Victor Victor Mesa, although I will be referencing their scouting reports. Also, there’s a fun pun-ish connection between the headline and my conclusion. Layers!

I’ve already botched this intro. Let’s pretend I wrote a normal paragraph laying out today’s topic is a cogent manner. Oh! The topic is “y’all too &@%*ing crazy about prospects.” Proceed.

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The Orioles rebuild has begun but, so far, the prospect returns have been fairly underwhelming. The system still needs a lot of work but there are at least a few interesting prospects.

1. Grayson Rodriguez | RHP | R —> Rodriguez was a huge pop-up guy in the 2018 draft and ended up being selected 11th overall. He’s a monster on the mound with the ability to hit the upper 90s but he should eventually grow into more consistent upper 90s. His slider also has the makings of a plus offering and he should be average ratings out of his curve and/or changeup. Rodriguez, 18, has the body to be an innings-eater and the stuff to be a front-line guy. On the downside, he doesn’t have the most athletic delivery and I don’t love the arm action, which could limit his overall command.

2. Ryan Mountcastle | 3B | AA —> It’s been a slow climb for Mountcastle, as a former prep pick, but showed well in double-A in 2018 and could be ready for the Majors at some point in 2019. He’s shown the ability to hit for average and has 15-20 homer potential (more if he added additional muscle to his frame) but he needs to be less aggressive at the plate. He walked just 26 times in 102 games and waiting for better pitches to hit could really help him continue to improve and let him tap into his raw power. He also struggles against the bender.

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The Braves have steadily fed their big league roster with talent from the minors but they continue to have the best prospect depth in the National League East.

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1. Mike Soroka | RHP | AAA —> Although he’s not a flame-thrower, Soroka has everything you look for in a young pitcher — and future top-rotation arm. He still has a solid fastball in the 92-95 mph range, as well as two other above-average offerings. His control is above-average for his age and his command should be above-average in time. The biggest concern with the 6-5 hurler is his lack of durability and the shoulder issues that wiped out a good portion of his season. If healthy in 2019, he should be a solid contributor to the Braves’ rotation.

2. Ian Anderson | RHP | AA —> Like Soroka, Anderson has a three-pitch mix that should be better-than-average and his fastball ranges between 92-95 mph. The 20-year-old doesn’t have the above-average control, but it didn’t keep him from striking out 142 batters in 119.1 innings. He allows an average number of fly balls but did an excellent job of keeping balls in the park with just two homers allowed. Anderson has a solid pitcher’s frame and could a solid innings-eater as a No. 2-3 starter.

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The Nationals system has a few impact players but has a significant lack of depth — especially amongst the arms.

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1. Victor Robles | OF | AAA —> Robles spent much of the year on the sidelines dealing with injuries while fellow outfield prospect Juan Soto zoomed to the Majors and had a major impact. If healthy in 2019, Robles should have a strong year, too, and has the ability to impact the game in almost every aspect. He is extremely athletic and has a chance to hit for average, power (although this will be his last tool to fully develop), steal a ton of bases and play plus defence.

2. Carter Kieboom | SS | AA —> Kieboom split the year between A-ball and double-A while showing solid offensive potential. And he has yet to fully tap into his raw power, which is manifesting more as gap pop right now. He also has a chance to produce above-average on-base numbers. Defensively, he has a chance to be an average shortstop but may eventually move to third base.

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The Phillies have a pitching-heavy Top 10 list but there are some intriguing bats sprinkled in — including Alex Bohm, who could develop into a middle-of-the-order power threat.

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1. Sixto Sanchez | RHP | A+ —> Sanchez’s pitch-ability belies his age. The 20-year-old takes advantage of above-average athleticism which helps him throw a solid number of strikes and also do a good of commanding his three-pitch mix (including a mid-to-high-90s fastball). His change-up and curve give him two other weapons that should be better than average. Standing just 6-feet, durability is a concern and he missed a good chunk of 2018 with elbow issues.

2. Alec Bohm | 3B | SS —> A monster at the plate at 6-5, 225 pounds, Bohn went third overall in the 2018 draft due to his intriguing mix of hitting ability and power. He has a chance to hit for a solid average while also taking a healthy number of walks. Bohm, 22, will have increased value if he can stick at third base but he’s not known as a strong defender and may have to shift to first base. Either way, his offensive abilities should allow him to move quickly and he could open 2019 in high-A ball.

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The Mets down have the deepest system but there are some potential impact players bubbling up to the surface, as well as some intriguing sleepers.

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1. Peter Alonso | 1B | AAA —> After flashing his potential in 2017, Alonso fully broke out this past season. He split the year between double-A and triple-A while mashing 36 homers. He also walked 76 times in 132 games (along with 128 Ks). The swing-and-miss tendencies will impact his ability to hit for average but he’s also still growing as a hitter and has shown the ability to make adjustments. He’s not overly athletic or quick so he may never be better than average at first base but the power should give him the ability to be an impact hitter.

2. Jarred Kelenic | OF | R —> Kelenic has a good plan at the plate, as well as a controlled, short swing that is quick to the ball. He also appears willing to use the whole field at times. A 2018 first rounder out of high school, he acclimatized quickly to pro ball and is said to have great makeup, which should help him get full value out of his tools. I’m not sold on his power potential but he could hit for average, get a healthy number of walks, steal bases and play above-average defence.

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They’re in rebuilding mode but the Marlins system is pretty weak. They haven’t drafted all that well in recent years, have seen a rash of injuries throughout their system and didn’t get much in return when trading their assets (The return for Giancarlo Stanton was embarrassing).

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1. Sandy Alcantara | RHP | AAA —> The first of many flamethrowers on this list, Alcantara can work in the upper-90s with his fastball while flashing two average-or-better secondary offerings with his slider and changeup. He also has a great pitcher’s frame, which suggests he might grow into the ability to pitch 200+ innings. Alcantara biggest need is to improve his consistency and command. He has No. 2/3 starter upside if he continues developing along his current path.

2. Trevor Rogers | LHP | A —> A Tommy John survivor, the Marlins 2017 first-round pick made his pro debut in 2018 in low-A ball and looked good. He has a huge frame and should be capable of pitching lots of innings if his elbow holds up. He has a low-90s fastball with his slider being his next best offering. He has a four-pitch mix but both the curveball and changeup need work. Rogers did a nice job keeping the ball in the park during his debut and induced a lot of ground-ball outs.

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The Cardinals don’t have the deepest system in the word but there are some interesting prospects littered throughout the system. And the upper half of the Top 10 has some helium potential.

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1. Alex Reyes | RHP | DL —> When healthy, Reyes has the ability to be one of the most dominating pitchers in baseball. He has three better-than-average offerings when his command is on but the control also lets him down — and hasn’t had much of a chance to get better with all the layoff time. Reyes can hit triple-digits with the heater and his curveball is a swing-and-miss offerings. The members of the Cardinals front office (and fans) will hold their collective breathes until Reyes returns healthy to the mound, hopefully for Opening Day 2019.

2. Nolan Gorman | 3B | A —> Gorman has a chance to be a beast. However, he also has a chance to de-evolve into Joey Gallo — a player who swings for the fences every single time and doesn’t have an ounce of strategy at the plate beyond the grip-and-rip. Gorman, 18, had a nice approach in rookie ball but it started to fall away in A-ball when he started to chase the homers more often. He’ll likely return to A-ball in 2019 and I’d like to see him put the homer swing in his back pocket for a while and work on pitch recognition, handling curveballs and just polishing the hit tool. Defensively, he has a chance to be average but he needs some work to get there.

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