Top 5 OF Prospects

[Chicago White Sox]

Given our depth at the position, I thought it would be a fun exercise to rank the top 5 OF prospects in the system.  

Here are my rankings:

1) Jimenez

2) Robert

3) Basabe

4) Adolfo

5) Rutherford

[NorthSideSox72]

Fun idea.

I'll even go deeper than 5...

1. Jimenez

2. Robert

3. Adolfo

4. Rutherford

5. Basabe

6. Gonzalez

7. Palka (if he counts for this exercise)

8. Polo

9. Tilson

10. Call

11. Dedelow

12. Cordell

13. Fisher

14. Frost

15. Booker

 

3-4-5 is a really tight group, could be any order really. And if I had to put a line at where players are likely to be contributing major leaguers or not, it would be likely around 13.

 

[maggsmaggs]

6 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

Given our depth at the position, I thought it would be a fun exercise to rank the top 5 OF prospects in the system.  

Here are my rankings:

1) Jimenez

2) Robert

3) Basabe

4) Adolfo

5) Rutherford

This would also be mine.

[Chicago White Sox]

Interesting to see Cordell that low.  Were you not high on him coming into the season or did his struggles in April bump him down a few spots?

[TaylorStSox]

I'd put Polo higher just because there's no way a guy named Tito Polo doesn't make it. 

[bmags]

This turn of events for Basabe is just so awesome. 

[southsider2k5]

My Top 5

1) Jimenez

2) Robert

3) Micker

4) Basabe

5) Rutherford

And there is a pretty sizable drop off after those 5.  I think those five have a chance to be above average to stars.  Under these guys are players who have a chance to be league average type of players.

[TaylorStSox]

Can somebody rate them 1-5 defensively? 

I'm intrigued by Rutherford. Even if the pop never develops, he has really good bat control and looks like he can work the ball around the field (i'm basing this off the video available online. never seen him in person). If he's a plus defender, his bat will play, especially if we can make up for the lack of power in other spots around the field. 

[soxfan49]

I heard last night that Palka was crushing the ball with Minnesota's farm before he got hurt, and then the Sox picked him up. Is he an actual player or just a tank filler?

[KrankinSox]

31 minutes ago, TaylorStSox said:

Can somebody rate them 1-5 defensively? 

I'm intrigued by Rutherford. Even if the pop never develops, he has really good bat control and looks like he can work the ball around the field (i'm basing this off the video available online. never seen him in person). If he's a plus defender, his bat will play, especially if we can make up for the lack of power in other spots around the field. 

I could be wrong but I think defensively its probably:

1 Basabe

2 Robert

3 Rutherford

4 Adolfo

5 Jimenez

 

Basabe and Robert both have CF capabilities.

 

Rutherford has a bit more flexibility than Adolfo in the outfield but Adolfo has a cannon for an arm in right. Probably the best outfield arm in our system.Unfortunately the UCL injury jeopardizes that.

Edited May 4, 2018 by KrankinSox
Mixed up robert and basabe

[Chicago White Sox]

5 minutes ago, KrankinSox said:

I could be wrong but I think defensively its probably:

1 Basabe

2 Robert

3 Rutherford

4 Adolfo

5 Jimenez

 

Basabe and Robert both have CF capabilities.

 

Rutherford has a bit more flexibility than Adolfo in the outfield but Adolfo has a cannon for an arm in right. Probably the best outfield arm in our system.Unfortunately the UCL injury jeopardizes that.

This also seems right to me, although it’s impossible to say with Robert since we (or at least I) have seen so little of him.

Does anyone know how Gonzalez’s defense is?  I remember hearing an Inciarte comp, but that seems pretty bullish for obvious reasons.  But if the glove is that good in CF he could quickly join the top 6 if he proves himself a bit in High A.

[NorthSideSox72]

2 hours ago, Chicago White Sox said:

Interesting to see Cordell that low.  Were you not high on him coming into the season or did his struggles in April bump him down a few spots?

He was in the 20's on the FS T30 I think? His cold start wasn't a huge deal, but the injury complicates things in terms of the stack. Tilson may now get his shot in Chicago before Cordell does. Also, having seen him in Charlotte, I wasn't overly impressed. But I could also see having Cordell higher than my list, he was a tough call. I'm not super-attached to where he is. Also part of it is people who leaped him more than whatever he did negatively.

 

[NorthSideSox72]

1 hour ago, TaylorStSox said:

Can somebody rate them 1-5 defensively? 

I'm intrigued by Rutherford. Even if the pop never develops, he has really good bat control and looks like he can work the ball around the field (i'm basing this off the video available online. never seen him in person). If he's a plus defender, his bat will play, especially if we can make up for the lack of power in other spots around the field. 

Defensively, just notes on the ones I have seen and/or gotten evals from people I'd trust...

Jimenez will be at best average in LF.

Robert, it's so early to say, but early reports were very good. Just can't read much into them yet.

Rutherford is very good on the corners in all facets, and has plenty of arm for all three slots. CF is an open question. He showed an arm in Winston-Salem that will rival Adolfo's or close to it.

Adolfo has the atheticism for LF or RF just fine, plenty of speed, and has an absolute cannon arm. But his routes, last I saw last year, are still on the immature side.

Basabe looks pretty damn good in CF or the corners, though not elite. Plenty of speed, enough arm, routes and approach on and off. But like Adolfo, lots of room for growth in that area and all the tools to do so.

Gonzalez looks really good in CF in all facets - a true center fielder already. His best asset probably.

 

[Chicago White Sox]

2 minutes ago, NorthSideSox72 said:

Defensively, just notes on the ones I have seen and/or gotten evals from people I'd trust...

Jimenez will be at best average in LF.

Robert, it's so early to say, but early reports were very good. Just can't read much into them yet.

Rutherford is very good on the corners in all facets, and has plenty of arm for all three slots. CF is an open question. He showed an arm in Winston-Salem that will rival Adolfo's or close to it.

Adolfo has the atheticism for LF or RF just fine, plenty of speed, and has an absolute cannon arm. But his routes, last I saw last year, are still on the immature side.

Basabe looks pretty damn good in CF or the corners, though not elite. Plenty of speed, enough arm, routes and approach on and off. But like Adolfo, lots of room for growth in that area and all the tools to do so.

Gonzalez looks really good in CF in all facets - a true center fielder already. His best asset probably.

 

I have not heard that about Rutherford’s arm.  Everything I’ve read has mentioned LF being his likely home due to limited arm strength.  Admittedly I haven’t seen his arm myself so I can’t really argue one way or the other, just sharing what I’ve read.

[Blackout Friday]

2 hours ago, NorthSideSox72 said:

Fun idea.

I'll even go deeper than 5...

1. Jimenez

2. Robert

3. Adolfo

4. Rutherford

5. Basabe

6. Gonzalez

7. Palka (if he counts for this exercise)

8. Polo

9. Tilson

10. Call

11. Dedelow

12. Cordell

13. Fisher

14. Frost

15. Booker

 

3-4-5 is a really tight group, could be any order really. And if I had to put a line at where players are likely to be contributing major leaguers or not, it would be likely around 13.

 

I agree the 3-5 could be in any order. Was going to say that myself, actually. Overall, solid list.

My only question would be having Booker at 15. Is that simply him being on the old side for high-A? Other than a few glimpses in ST and scouting the stat line I don’t have a ton to go on, but from what I could see he looked like he might be interesting. 

[NorthSideSox72]

3 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

I have not heard that about Rutherford’s arm.  Everything I’ve read has mentioned LF being his likely home due to limited arm strength.  Admittedly I haven’t seen his arm myself so I can’t really argue one way or the other, just sharing what I’ve read.

I was surprised myself. Watched him in two games, and two practice sessions. He doesn't have the pure arm strength of Adolfo for example, but Rutherford was dead-on accurate and had more strength than Booker or Call in my admittedly subjective viewing.

2 minutes ago, Blackout Friday said:

I agree the 3-5 could be in any order. Was going to say that myself, actually. Overall, solid list.

My only question would be having Booker at 15. Is that simply him being on the old side for high-A? Other than a few glimpses in ST and scouting the stat line I don’t have a ton to go on, but from what I could see he looked like he might be interesting. 

I've been arguing on this a lot lately. I don't think Booker is a major leaguer. What he has is 70-grade speed, good to very good glove work in CF, and he's a smart guy. All of that is good. But his swing and approach at the plate give me major pause, and his bat looks slow to me. I just think he will get exposed, and soon, at the plate. I don't think he'll hit for much average, almost no power, and he doesn't walk much. Clearly I'd happily be wrong, but that's my view on him.

I really think people are reading far too much into one (very hot) month while returning to a level where he's a year or more older than the core prospects.

 

[Blackout Friday]

3 minutes ago, NorthSideSox72 said:

I was surprised myself. Watched him in two games, and two practice sessions. He doesn't have the pure arm strength of Adolfo for example, but Rutherford was dead-on accurate and had more strength than Booker or Call in my admittedly subjective viewing.

I've been arguing on this a lot lately. I don't think Booker is a major leaguer. What he has is 70-grade speed, good to very good glove work in CF, and he's a smart guy. All of that is good. But his swing and approach at the plate give me major pause, and his bat looks slow to me. I just think he will get exposed, and soon, at the plate. I don't think he'll hit for much average, almost no power, and he doesn't walk much. Clearly I'd happily be wrong, but that's my view on him.

I really think people are reading far too much into one (very hot) month while returning to a level where he's a year or more older than the core prospects.

 

Thanks for this. It’ll be interesting to see what happens if/when he gets pushed to AA. 

[bmags]

17 minutes ago, NorthSideSox72 said:

I was surprised myself. Watched him in two games, and two practice sessions. He doesn't have the pure arm strength of Adolfo for example, but Rutherford was dead-on accurate and had more strength than Booker or Call in my admittedly subjective viewing.

I've been arguing on this a lot lately. I don't think Booker is a major leaguer. What he has is 70-grade speed, good to very good glove work in CF, and he's a smart guy. All of that is good. But his swing and approach at the plate give me major pause, and his bat looks slow to me. I just think he will get exposed, and soon, at the plate. I don't think he'll hit for much average, almost no power, and he doesn't walk much. Clearly I'd happily be wrong, but that's my view on him.

I really think people are reading far too much into one (very hot) month while returning to a level where he's a year or more older than the core prospects.

 

One reason I advocate for moving up Booker is Birmingham will clarify all of that (and quickly) and remove one more question from our crowded outfield.

[JUSTgottaBELIEVE]

Maybe I’m the only one but I’ve got Lubo #1 and Eloy #2

[daggins]

I think Northside got them all. I'm tempering my enthusiasm for a lot of these guys until they float in the AA pool. 

[caulfield12]

1 hour ago, NorthSideSox72 said:

Defensively, just notes on the ones I have seen and/or gotten evals from people I'd trust...

Jimenez will be at best average in LF.

Robert, it's so early to say, but early reports were very good. Just can't read much into them yet.

Rutherford is very good on the corners in all facets, and has plenty of arm for all three slots. CF is an open question. He showed an arm in Winston-Salem that will rival Adolfo's or close to it.

Adolfo has the atheticism for LF or RF just fine, plenty of speed, and has an absolute cannon arm. But his routes, last I saw last year, are still on the immature side.

Basabe looks pretty damn good in CF or the corners, though not elite. Plenty of speed, enough arm, routes and approach on and off. But like Adolfo, lots of room for growth in that area and all the tools to do so.

Gonzalez looks really good in CF in all facets - a true center fielder already. His best asset probably.

 

Adolfo isn’t getting a bit slower?  He’s a really big dude.

[mac9001]

I'd fairly optimistic with all our OFers except for Rutherford. If we had statcast data I'd imagine his exit velocity would be pathetically low. 

[Chicago White Sox]

27 minutes ago, mac9001 said:

I'd fairly optimistic with all our OFers except for Rutherford. If we had statcast data I'd imagine his exit velocity would be pathetically low. 

Kid has 8 doubles, I’m sure it can’t be pathetically low.

[username]

29 minutes ago, mac9001 said:

I'd fairly optimistic with all our OFers except for Rutherford. If we had statcast data I'd imagine his exit velocity would be pathetically low. 

He’s also 20 and literally still growing. At this age Adam Eaton was a college OF with an extreme lack of power and no projectability.  Power is the last tool to develop. Bat control/approach and ability to put strength on his frame are more important at this point.  He’s not a slap hitter (i.e. Tilson), he’s just a lanky 20 year old growing into his frame. 

Edited May 4, 2018 by username

[Heads22]

20 minutes ago, username said:

He’s also 20 and literally still growing. At this age Adam Eaton was a college OF with an extreme lack of power and no projectability.  Power is the last tool to develop. Bat control/approach and ability to put strength on his frame are more important at this point.  He’s not a slap hitter (i.e. Tilson), he’s just a lanky 20 year old growing into his frame. 

Very well put. He's hitting the crap out of the ball right now.