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MLB Announces Futures Game Rosters

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Major League Baseball announced rosters for the 2023 Futures Game this evening. The contest — a seven-inning exhibition between some of the sport’s most talented minor leaguers — kicks off All-Star festivities in Seattle on Saturday, July 8.

As Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com notes, 28 of the 50 players on the roster are included on MLB Pipeline’s recent Top 100 prospects list. Six of Pipeline’s top ten will participate. The full rosters (MLB Pipeline prospect rank included, if applicable):

American League

National League

Big Hype Prospects: Adell, Jones, Lawlar, Green, Holliday

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Full-season minor leagues are all active. This week on Big Hype Prospects, we’ll take a look at some of the early-season leaders at various levels.

Five Big Hype Prospects

Jo Adell, 24, OF, LAA (AAA)
42 PA, 7 HR, .353/476/1.088

We’ve been here before with Adell, a prospect who isn’t technically a prospect anymore. Over the last three seasons, Adell has amassed 561 plate appearances at Triple-A. In that time, he’s hit 43 home runs. Though he’s yet to make an impact at the Major League level, his batted ball characteristics are encouraging. Adell enjoys above-average exit velocities. He’s battled inconsistency with his launch angle in the Majors, an issue that hasn’t been as apparent in the minors. Optimists, myself included, still believe he can make the adjustments necessary to make a splash on the big stage. Presently, he has one single, four doubles, and seven home runs.

Spencer Jones, 21, OF, NYY (A+)
15 PA, 1 HR, .462/.533/.846

A hulking outfielder with mammoth power, Jones will inevitably be compared to Aaron Judge. The left-handed hitting slugger also has surprising mobility as evidenced by 10 steals in 95 Low-A plate appearances last season. He’s expected to stick in center field despite his size. Scouts fret about his hit tool – much as they once did with Judge. It’s also fair to note that Jones only began to play like a true prospect partway through his draft season. We’re working with a short track record of success. In the low minors, he’s managed a swinging strike rate around 12 percent, a figure similar to that managed by Judge last season and better than most power-over-contact sluggers.

Jordan Lawlar, 20, SS, ARI (AA)
13 PA, 1 HR, 2 SB, .300/.462/.600

Considered one of the best athletes in the minors, Lawlar could surge to top overall prospect status later this summer. The only drawback with Lawlar is a below-average hit tool which could affect his consistency at the dish. Otherwise, he’s a disciplined batter with burgeoning power and above-average speed. He’s defensively adept. Few prospects are as blue chip as Lawlar. He has a chance to force the Diamondbacks hand this season, much as Corbin Carroll did in 2022. Worth noting, his home venue with Double-A Amarillo is considered one of the friendliest for hitters.

Elijah Green, 19, OF, WSH (A)
13 PA, 2 SB, .500/.548/.583

Green is the sort of prospect fantasy baseball fans love – a legitimate 30/30 threat with room to exceed even those heady aspirations. Over his brief pro career, a span of just 65 plate appearances, he’s made the most of his contact. He’s also susceptible to strikeouts, an issue that has plagued him since he gained prospect fame as a high school junior. Despite more than ample speed to remain in center field, early reports suggest he’ll be better suited to an outfield corner due to poor reads and inefficient routes. Time and effort could salve those concerns. Even if he lands in a corner, his power is more than ample. Now we wait to learn if he makes enough contact. The downside might look something like an outfielder version of Patrick Wisdom.

Jackson Holliday, 19, SS, BAL (A)
15 PA, .462/.533/.692

A left-handed hitter, Holliday has the talent and baseball acumen to carve out a long career. While I usually go out of my way to describe how a prospect might fail – public analysis is susceptible to unfettered optimism – there isn’t much to say about Holliday. If things go his way, he could finish 2023 at Double-A with a chance to debut in mid-2024. The Orioles have taken a more temperate approach with their other recent top prospects. Those players, like Gunnar Henderson, required considerable development before they truly looked like Major League players. Holliday seemingly doesn’t require a breakout or new skills development. He’s in want of experience and age-related strength.

Three More

Matt Liberatore, STL (23): Profiled last week, Liberatore’s second turn of the season was a near-mirror replica of his first start. In both cases, he pitched five innings allowing a pair of walks with seven strikeouts. The Cardinals are experiencing some difficulties with their starting pitchers so we might see Liberatore soon.

Chase Silseth, LAA (22): Silseth, like Liberatore, was profiled last week and held opponents scoreless for a second consecutive appearance. Overall, he’s pitched 11 innings with only three hits allowed, three walks, and 13 strikeouts. The Angels are accustomed to running a six-man rotation in the Shohei Ohtani era and could call upon Silseth.

Hao-Yu Lee, PHI (20): Lee has demonstrated discipline, feel for contact, and pull-oriented power. He doesn’t appear on Top 100 prospect lists mainly due to his size and modest mobility. Lee was developed as a utility fielder but could settle permanently at second base this season. He should reach the upper minors by mid-season.

Draft Signings: Phillies, Red Sox, Yankees, Astros, A’s, Blue Jays

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We’ll use this post to round up some of the more notable recent draft signings:

  • The Phillies announced they’ve signed #17 overall pick Justin Crawford. Jim Callis of MLB.com reports (Twitter link) that the lefty-hitting outfielder will receive a $3.8948MM signing bonus, a hair above the pick’s slot value. Crawford, the son of four-time All-Star Carl Crawford, was ranked by Baseball America as the #18 prospect in the class. A product of a Nevada high school, Crawford is an excellent runner who’s regarded as a possible plus defender in center field. The 6’3″ outfielder is seen as a hit-over-power offensive player. He’d been committed to LSU.
  • The Red Sox agreed to a deal with #24 selection Mikey Romero, as first reported by Chad Jennings of the Athletic (on Twitter). It’s a $2.3MM deal to convince the infielder to bypass a commitment to LSU. A left-handed hitter from a California high school, Romero was ranked the #54 prospect in the class by BA, explaining why his deal comes in a fair bit shy of the pick’s $2.98MM slot value. BA praises his bat-to-ball skills but notes that his slender frame leads to below-average raw power.
  • The Yankees announced agreement with #25 pick Spencer Jones. Callis reports (Twitter link) that he’ll sign for slot value at $2.8808MM. The class’s #49 prospect according to Baseball America, Jones is a 6’7″ outfielder from Vanderbilt. The left-hander posted a massive .370/.460/.644 showing with 12 home runs and 14 stolen bases through 272 plate appearances during his final season with the Commodores. Jones stuck out at a lofty 23.5% rate, an unsurprising development for a player of his size, but his combination of power and athleticism got him into the late first round.
  • Astros first-round pick Drew Gilbert has signed, according to a club announcement. Callis reports (Twitter link) he’s landed a $2.5MM bonus, a little under the $2.62MM value of the 28th overall pick. A left-handed hitting center fielder from the University of Tennessee, Gilbert was the #24 prospect in the class, per BA. The 5’9″ outfielder has a well-rounded offensive skillset and a good chance to stick in center field, and he’s coming off a .362/.455/.673 showing with more walks than strikeouts in a breakout junior season for the Vols.
  • The A’s are in agreement on an overslot deal with 2nd-round pick Henry Bolte, Callis reports (on Twitter). He’ll receive a $2MM bonus to sway him out of a commitment to Texas. A 6’3″ outfielder from the Bay Area, Bolte entered the draft as the #42 prospect in Baseball America’s estimation. He’s regarded as one of the higher-upside players in the class, showing an enviable combination of power, speed and center defense. However, the right-handed hitter also comes with question marks about the high amount of swing-and-miss in his game.
  • The Blue Jays went overslot with a $2MM bonus for supplemental second-round pick Tucker Toman, Callis reports (on Twitter). That’s more than double the $846,900 slot value associated with the #77 overall selection. That reflects a loftier prospect status, as the 18-year-old infielder from a South Carolina high school had been the #40 player in the class, according to BA. A 6’1″ infielder, Toman is a switch-hitter with a chance for a strong hit/power combination, although it’s questionable whether he can stay on the dirt or will eventually have to move to the corner outfield. Like Crawford and Romero, he’ll forego a commitment to LSU and start his pro career.

2022 MLB Draft, First Round Results

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The 2022 MLB Draft is underway, and here is the full list of each team’s selections from the first round.  The Dodgers are the only team without a first-rounder, as their top pick (originally 30th overall) was dropped 10 places to 40th overall (the first pick of the second round) as part of their punishment for exceeding the highest luxury-tax tier in 2021.  However, there are still 30 picks in the first round proper since the Mets have both the 11th and 14th overall picks — for not signing 10th overall pick Kumar Rocker last year, New York was given a compensatory selection in the 11th overall spot this year.

This year’s draft will again be 20 rounds long, and split over three days.  The first 80 picks will be made tonight — the first two official rounds, the two Competitive Balance Rounds, and the two sets of compensatory rounds (giving picks to teams who lost qualifying offer-rejecting free agents).  Rounds 3-10 take place on Monday, and rounds 11-20 on Tuesday.

Under the terms of the new collective bargaining agreement, the 2023 draft will have several differences, including a lottery to determine the top six picks, a revamped process for deciding the Competitive Balance rounds, possible extra picks for teams due to the Prospect Promotion Incentive rules, and possibly the end of the qualifying offer system as we know it should an international draft be implemented.

For one final year under this draft format, however, let’s dive into the picks.  More details and scouting reports on all these young players are available in pre-draft rankings from Baseball America, Fangraphs, MLB Pipeline, The Athletic’s Keith Law, and ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel.  As well, Pipeline has the breakdown of the slot values assigned to each pick in the first 10 rounds, as well as the bonus pool money available to all 30 teams.

The selections….

  1. Baltimore Orioles: Jackson Holliday, SS, Stillwater High School (OK)
  2. Arizona Diamondbacks: Druw Jones, OF, Wesleyan High School (GA)
  3. Texas Rangers: Kumar Rocker, RHP, Vanderbilt (played in independent Frontier League in 2021)
  4. Pittsburgh Pirates: Termarr Johnson, SS, Benjamin E. Mays High School (GA)
  5. Washington Nationals: Elijah Green, OF, IMG Academy (FL)
  6. Miami Marlins: Jacob Berry, 3B/OF, LSU
  7. Chicago Cubs: Cade Horton, RHP, University of Oklahoma
  8. Minnesota Twins: Brooks Lee, SS, Cal Poly
  9. Kansas City Royals: Gavin Cross, OF, Virginia Tech
  10. Colorado Rockies: Gabriel Hughes, RHP, Gonzaga
  11. New York Mets: Kevin Parada, C, Georgia Tech
  12. Detroit Tigers: Jace Jung, 2B, Texas Tech
  13. Los Angeles Angels: Zach Neto, SS, Campbell University
  14. New York Mets: Jett Williams, SS/OF, Rockwall-Heath High School (TX)
  15. San Diego Padres: Dylan Lesko, RHP, Buford High School (GA)
  16. Cleveland Guardians: Chase DeLauter, OF, James Madison University
  17. Philadelphia Phillies: Justin Crawford, OF, Bishop Gorman High School (NV)
  18. Cincinnati Reds: Cam Collier, 3B, Chipola JC (FL)
  19. Oakland Athletics: Daniel Susac, C, University of Arizona
  20. Atlanta Braves: Owen Murphy, RHP, Riverside-Brookfield High School (IL)
  21. Seattle Mariners: Cole Young, SS, North Allegheny High School (PA)
  22. St. Louis Cardinals: Cooper Hjerpe, LHP, Oregon State University
  23. Toronto Blue Jays: Brandon Barriera, LHP, American Heritage High School (FL)
  24. Boston Red Sox: Mikey Romero, SS, Orange Lutheran High School (CA)
  25. New York Yankees: Spencer Jones, OF, Vanderbilt University
  26. Chicago White Sox: Noah Schultz, LHP, Oswego East High School (IL)
  27. Milwaukee Brewers: Eric Brown Jr., SS, Coastal Carolina University
  28. Houston Astros: Drew Gilbert, OF, University of Tennessee
  29. Tampa Bay Rays: Xavier Isaac, 1B, East Forsyth High School (NC)
  30. San Francisco Giants: Reggie Crawford, LHP/1B, University of Connecticut

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