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| Paul Gervase Brooklyn Cyclones |
By Brian Joura
This is the third year where this top prospect list of mine has been done with a tiered approach, rather than an ordered list. It’s my opinion that a tiered list is more valuable than trying to guess which older reliever is better than the others and should rank higher, only for the best one to make a very minimal contribution in the majors.
Last year, the list received a major tweak, as we introduced an age component. That’s being used again this time. In case you forgot, the target age breaks down as follows:
23 – Triple-A Syracuse (SYR)
22 – Double-A Binghamton (BNG)
21 – Hi-A Brooklyn (BRK)
20 – Lo-A St. Lucie (SLU)
19 – Florida Complex League (FCL)
This year the biggest change is making a strict requirement for entry to the second group, the young guys with a pedigree. To qualify for this level, a player needs to either be a top-100 overall pick or receive a $500,000 bonus for international free agents (IFA.) In some cases, this will override the age component but that’s rare.
Additionally, this year will not include a list of those older prospects who fall outside the grace period. Last year there were 13 older players listed, with only one making the majors and that was Josh Walker, who had 10 IP and a 10.80 ERA. It doesn’t seem worth either my time or yours to make that list again.
But fear not, this year’s list will have write-ups on 64 players and numerous others listed in one form or another. To me, that’s an indication that the system has made a big move in the right direction, as there are plenty of prospects worth mentioning.
For what it’s worth, it does not go unnoticed by me that some of you prefer your prospect lists to be in a ranked numerical order. And while you won’t get that here, it’s very likely that David Groveman, our full-time prospect maven, will do one of those before the start of the minor league season. If you’re frustrated by this tiered approach, make sure to thank David when his ordered list comes out.
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Our first group is the Tylor Megill level. These are guys who played within two years of the preferred age level last season, like Megill did when he pitched at Hi-A in 2019 at age 23. Odds aren’t stacked against these guys but they can’t really afford any more setbacks, either. All players in this and future levels are listed in alphabetical order.
Felipe De La Cruz – LHP got a late call to Hi-A and notched 17 Ks in 17 IP.
Paul Gervase – Listed last year as a guy to keep tabs on, Gervase dominated at Hi-A and held his own in Double-A. The 6’10 righty fanned 96 in 57 innings.
Trey McLoughlin – Had a 4.0 K/BB ratio last year between BRK-BNG. Threw 8.2 scoreless innings in AFL.
Kade Morris – The 101st player selected in the 2023 Draft, Morris has a full repertoire but no pitch is considered a plus offering. Could be a test case for how effective the pitching lab can be.
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