2018 Bowman Draft Baseball - Early Pricing Trends

2018 Bowman Draft has been out for two weeks and the pricing trends are very interesting. So far there are no big surprises. It seems the consumer has gotten smarter on who to buy. I wonder why. Please note my analysis is from the review of base auto prices on eBay. 

Alec Bohm - Philadelphia Phillies 3B - Selling for around $50-60. Too high for me right now.

Alek Thomas - Arizona Diamondbacks OF - Selling for $15-20.

Carlos Cortes - New York Mets 2B - Selling for under $10. A good bargain price.

Cole Roederer - Chicago Cubs OF - Selling for $15-25. Not bad.

Greyson Jenista - Atlanta Braves OF - Selling for $15. Waiting for a drop in cost.

Jordyn Adams - Los Angeles Angels OF - Selling for $30-40. Prices are way too high for me.

Josh Breaux - New York Yankees C - Selling for $5-15.

Jeremy Eierman - Oakland Athletics 2B - Selling for $5-10. Good cost. 

Jordan Groshans - Toronto Blue Jays SS - Selling for $30-40. Not surprised.

Jonathan India - Cincinnati Reds 3B - Selling for around $50. I am a little surprised.

Jeremiah Jackson - Los Angeles Angels SS - Selling for $25-30. Would like to see the price drop to around $15.

Jarred Kelenic - New York Mets OF (Traded to Seattle) - Selling for $40 -60. A little too high for me.

Jake McCarthy - Arizona Diamondbacks OF - Selling for $5-10. Good cost.

Kody Clemens - Detroit Tigers 2B - Selling for $15-20. Would like to see the price come down to about $10.

Luken Baker - St. Louis Cardinals 1B - Selling for $15-20. A little high in my opinion.

Nolan Gorman - St. Louis Cardinals 3B - Selling for over $100. Nope.

Nico Hoerner - Chicago Cubs 2B - Selling for $40-50. Nailed it.

Nick Madrigal - Chicago White Sox 2B - Selling for $50-60. For some reason I expect the price to drop.

Noah Naylor - Cleveland Indians C - Selling for $15-20. Not surprised.

Triston Casas - Boston Red Sox 3B - Selling for $40-50. Not surprised.

Tyler Frank - Tampa Bay Rays 2B - Bargain Bin

Trevor Larnach - Minnesota Twins OF - Selling for $25-35. Not surprised.

Tristan Pompey - Miami Marlins OF - Selling for $15. I expect this price to come down.

Travis Swaggerty - Pittsburgh Pirates OF - Selling for $15-25. I expect the price to stay closer to $15.

2018 Bowman Draft Checklist - Full MLB Prospect Review

2018 Bowman Draft is scheduled for release on December 14 and the draft class is strong this year. Bowman Draft is an interesting product because there is data to review but players just getting their first taste of pro ball. So many things could change after the season starts so it's always good to keep an eye on a players development. If you have any questions feel free to send me an email or message me on Twitter @prospects4cash. Thanks for reading.

Alec Bohm - Philadelphia Phillies 3B - I wrote in an earlier post that college 3B are pretty safe prospects. Even though Alec did not have the best debut I love his makeup and rate him as a buy.

Anthony Seigler - New York Yankees C - Nice catching prospect that will take time to develop. Not sure how good the bat is yet. I would wait to buy.

Alek Thomas - Arizona Diamondbacks OF - Strong rookie debut but I am not sure if the pop is there. Another prospect I would watch. If you bought in I would understand.

Braxton Ashcraft - Pittsburgh Pirates P - Only pitched 17 innings. Another person to keep an eye on.

Brady Singer - Kansas City Royals P - Did not pitch. If you buy now you are only relying on the scouting reports. I need more data.

Brice Turang - Milwaukee Brewers SS - I love the talent but no pop. Pass.

Carlos Cortes - New York Mets 2B - Nice college bat with decent pop. I would rate as a buy. The price has to be around $10-15 for me.

Cadyn Grenier - Baltimore Orioles SS - Pass for now. Strikeouts are up there.

Casey Mize - Detroit Tigers P - The top pick of the draft. He did not pitch much but I would never pay high prices for a pitcher anyways. Pass for me.

Connor Scott - Miami Marlins OF - Did not play. See Brady Singer. The same approach applies.

Cole Winn - Texas Rangers P - See above.

Cole Roederer - Chicago Cubs OF - Strong buy. Nice power and contact player. Prices may be expensive due to being a Cub.

Daniel Lynch - Kansas City Royals P - Nice stats but a pass for me. Not a 1 or 2 starter.

Ethan Hankins - Cleveland Indians P - Pass. I need more data to make a good evaluation.

Griffin Conine - Toronto Blue Jays OF - Good power numbers with a high strikeout rate. Conine was suspended 50 games but I am passing even if that event did not happen.

Greyson Jenista - Atlanta Braves OF - I'm am going to rate Greyson as a buy. He's 22 years old but I like his makeup.

Grant Lavigne - Colorado Rockies 1B- Great numbers in rookie ball. I still am following my rule on Rockies prospects. Would be a strong buy in any other market but I will pass.

Grayson Rodriguez - Baltimore Orioles P - Pass. I need more data to make a good evaluation.

Griffin Roberts - St. Louis Cardinals P - Pass. I need more data to make a good evaluation.

Jordyn Adams - Los Angeles Angels OF - Adams is a buy for me but with a warning. I am not sure if the power will be huge. He is a project but the payoff could be huge if everything hits. A small position would be a good approach in my opinion.

Josh Breaux - New York Yankees C - See Anthony Seigler.

Jeremy Eierman - Oakland Athletics 2B - Nice prospect. The strikeouts need to come down but the hit tool seems very good. I rate as a buy.

Jordan Groshans - Toronto Blue Jays SS - A buy for me. I think he has a better bat the Conine and can hit 20 homers.

Joe Gray - Milwaukee Brewers OF - Impressive athlete that is a project. Pass for now.

Jonathan India - Cincinnati Reds 3B - Buy for me. My reasons are the same as Alec Bohm. Good power potential and the strikeouts won't be too bad.

Jeremiah Jackson - Los Angeles Angels SS - I am taking the same approach with Adams and applying it here. The difference is Jackson's bat is better and he could hit for more power. If I had a choice of one it would be Jackson.

Jarred Kelenic - New York Mets OF (Traded to Seattle) - Pass. If he was a Met I would recommend a strong buy. Not sure if superstar potential is there but he is good. He has to be a superstar to sell in Seattle.

Jackson Kowar - Kansas City Royals P - Pass. I need more data to make a good evaluation.

Jake McCarthy - Arizona Diamondbacks OF - Buy. Nice debut with decent power.

Josiah Gray - Cincinnati Reds P - I like the stats but he is a 4th starter at best. Pass.

Josh Stowers - Seattle Mariners OF - Good numbers but I will pass.

Jayson Schroeder - Houston Astros P - Pass. I need more data to make a good evaluation.

Jake Wong - San Francisco Giants P - Pass. I need more data to make a good evaluation.

Kris Bubic - Kansas City Royals P - Nice K/9 rate. I will watch.

Kody Clemens - Detroit Tigers 2B - College bat. Nice numbers. I would buy if bargain bin (Under $10).

Luken Baker - St. Louis Cardinals 1B - Baker is a buy for me. Seems to be a big time slugger. Needs to stay healthy though.

Logan Gilbert - Seattle Mariners P - Did not play. Pass for now.

Lenny Torres - Cleveland Indians P - Pass. I need more data to make a good evaluation.

Mason Denaburg - Washington Nationals P - Pass. I need more data to make a good evaluation.

Matthew Liberatore - Tampa Bay Rays P - A nice player but my statement about Casey Mize applies here. I will pass.

Nolan Gorman - St. Louis Cardinals 3B - Gorman ripped up rookie ball but came back down to earth after being promoted. Still a buy but will be on the high end due to the inflated rookie ball stats.

Nico Hoerner - Chicago Cubs 2B - A nice player who has played well this year. He is a buy for sure but will be high end.

Nick Madrigal - Chicago White Sox 2B - Another prospect who will be high end but I am not sold. Scouts are very worried that power will not develop. I will do a separate post on him.

Noah Naylor - Cleveland Indians C - Another interesting catching prospect. I am watching because Cleveland is good at developing hitters.

Nick Schnell - Tampa Bay Rays OF - Pass for now. Not enough data.

Osiris Johnson - Miami Marlins SS - Watching closely. A project that will take a long time to develop.

Owen White - Texas Rangers P - Did not play. Pass for now.

Parker Meadows - Detroit Tigers OF - Pass for now. Too many Ks.

Ryder Green - New York Yankees OF - Pass for now. Too many Ks but watch closely.

Ryan Jeffers - Minnesota Twins C - Another solid catching prospect. I will watch for now.

Ryan Rolison - Colorado Rockies P - Pass for me.

Ryan Weathers - San Diego Padres P - Pass for me.

Shane McClanahan - Tampa Bay Rays P - Pass for now. Will follow.

Simeon Woods-Richardson - New York Mets P - Pass for now. Will follow.

Triston Casas - Boston Red Sox 3B - Did not play much but the power is serious. I am rating this as a buy even though he got hurt. He could shoot up lists but be aware that Ks may be an issue.

Tim Cate - Washington Nationals P - Pass for me.

Tanner Dodson - Tampa Bay Rays P - Pass for me.

Tyler Frank - Tampa Bay Rays 2B - Very good prospect. Rays prospects are tough to sell sometimes but I would rate as a buy but I will take a small position.

Trevor Larnach - Minnesota Twins OF - Buy for me. Good prospect that should move fast.

Tristan Pompey - Miami Marlins OF - Nice prospect. Almost a pass for me but I would buy. Good player.

Travis Swaggerty - Pittsburgh Pirates OF - A buy but this season will be huge for him. I need to see a cutdown in strikeouts. The talent is there.

Will Banfield - Miami Marlins C - Pass for me. 

2018 Bowman Draft Warning - Jarred Kelenic Traded to The Seattle Mariners

Multiple reports have surfaced today confirming the Mets and Mariners are completing a trade to send Robinson Cano to New York for multiple prospects. 2018 first round draft pick Jarred Kelenic is included in the deal. My initial reaction is that I am officially taking a very small position on Kelenic's cards due to this trade. If you are a Mariners fan you are excited about reloading your farm but Seattle prospects have never sold for big money. I love Jarred as a prospect but he has to be a superstar to sell in the Seattle market. It will be interesting to see his prices upon release.

Early 2018 Bowman Draft Checklist Reaction

Bowman Draft is scheduled for release in the near future and while the entire checklist is not out some names have been announced. Overall I really like this draft and I'm looking forward to breaking all these names down. Checkout some of the names below and lookout for more posts from PFC.

Jordyn Adams (Angels) - Project but gifted.
Josh Stowers (Mariners) - Love it but he is a Mariner.
Triston Casas (Red Sox) - Did not play. Will he be a bargain?
Jonathan India (Reds) - Love it.
Jake Wong (Giants) - Analysis is pending.
Will Banfield (Marlins) - Analysis is pending.
Anthony Seigler (Yankees) - Analysis is pending.
Nolan Gorman (Cardinals) - Will his cards be expensive?
Ryan Weathers (Padres)- Analysis is pending.
Alec Bohm (Phillies) - Love it. 
Brady Singer (Royals) - Did not play. Bargain bin potential?
Nick Madrigal (White Sox) - An enigma in my opinion.

2018 Bowman Chrome Baseball - Early Pricing Trends

2018 Bowman Chrome Baseball has been out for a few days and I wanted to provide some pricing updates for some of my buy recommendations. Please note that I only looked at completed auctions for base autograph cards on eBay for the price estimates . I expect prices to change as supply increases. 

Carlos Rincon - Los Angeles Dodgers OF - Currently around $30. I hope the price comes down to around $20.

James Nelson - Miami Marlins 3B - His auto is selling for about $10. I would not pay above that price.

Michel Baez - San Diego Padres P  - Under $10. A good price for a nice talent. Still has some things to work on but I like the potential.

Seth Romero - Washington Nationals P - Not a lot of sales online. I don't think he is short printed. Keep an eye on the sales.

Yordan Alvarez - Houston Astros OF - As expected his prices are on the high end. 

Akil Baddoo - Minnesota Twins OF - His auto is selling for $15-$20. I would prefer to buy at $15. $25 would be too much.

Antoni Flores - Boston Red Sox SS - Prices are around $20-$25. Seems that people are buying the potential. Him being with the Red Sox helps. 

Brandon Marsh - Los Angeles Angels OF - Auto is selling for around $35-$40. Way too much for my taste. I will wait until the winter to buy. 

Carter Kieboom - Washington Nationals SS - As expected his prices are on the high end. 

Daulton Varsho - Arizona Diamondbacks C - I was surprised to see his auto selling for $20. In my opinion this is a great price. If he performs well in the Fall League the price will go up to around $30 possibly. 

Eduardo Diaz - Arizona Diamondbacks OF - Auto is selling for around $10. I am waiting to see if the price drops. 

Kristian Robinson - Arizona Diamondbacks OF - Robinson's prices are odd to me. I thought they would be around $10 or less but I have not seen any prices under $50 so far. Due to the price I am going to wait to see if the price drops.

Luis Garcia - Washington Nationals 2B 50-60 - I'm surprised that Garcia's auto is on the high end. His auto is selling for $50-60. 

LoLo Sanchez - Pittsburgh Pirates OF - Sanchez auto is selling for $15-$25. Not really surprised at the price.

Luis Urias - San Diego Padres 2B - As expected his prices are on the high end. 

Tyler Freeman - Cleveland Indians 2B - Auto is selling for $10-$15. Not surprised at the price. It seems people are afraid that he only has doubles power. I am willing to take a risk that he will hit for more power. 

William Contreras - Atlanta Braves C - His auto is selling for $40-$60. Way too high for me. 

Yasel Antuna - Washington Nationals 2B - Not too many sales out there. I will watch. 

2018 Bowman Chrome Baseball - Prospect Checklist Review

2018 Bowman Chrome Baseball releases this week and I wanted to provide my thoughts before the release. Please review the breakdown below. I will write a follow up after prices settle. The recommendations below are all based off performance and not card prices. If you have any questions please email me at prospectsforprofit@gmail.com or on Twitter @prospectsforcash. Overall I think the checklist is a C+ due to a number of older prospects being included.

Brett Cumberland - Atlanta Braves C - A little older prospect but the K rate is 25%. I want to see an improvement before purchasing.

Brayan Hernandez - Miami Marlins OF  - Pass. I don't see huge power potential here.

Chris DeVito - Kansas City Royals 1B - Pass. No pop.

Carlos Rincon - Los Angeles Dodgers OF - Buy. Love the power numbers and I am making the bet that the K rate drops. He need to keep it under 25%.

Daniel Gonzalez - Boston Red Sox P - Decent numbers but not enough for me to purchase.

Estevan Florial - New York Yankees OF - Love his talent but he will be overpriced due to being a Yankee prospect. Too high of a price to pay and too many strikeouts for me to recommend. I wonder what his auto cost would be if he was not a Yankee.

Gavin LaValley - Cincinnati Reds 1B - Another decent prospect but nothing really blows me away here.

Heath Fillmyer - Oakland Athletics P - Too old and the K/9 rate is not the best.

Jaime Barria - Los Angeles Angels P - Pass. Stats look very average to me.

Jose Gomez - Philadelphia Phillies 2B - Pass. No pop.

James Nelson - Miami Marlins 3B - Nelson is a buy for me. He had injuries during the 2018 season but I like the power numbers and I think he can improve on the strikeouts. I will take a small position.

Jake Ring - Baltimore Orioles OF - Pass. 24 and has not touched AA.

Jake Rogers - Detroit Tigers C - I like the profile but I think he has too much swing and miss.

Kyle Cody - Texas Rangers P - Pass. 24 and has not played in AA.

Kyle Young - Philadelphia Phillies P - Decent numbers but nothing blows me away. Pass.

Michel Baez - San Diego Padres P - A buy for me. The numbers jump out. Potential #2 starter.

Matthias Dietz - Baltimore Orioles P - Pass. Nothing really moves the needle to me.

Matt Hall - Detroit Tigers P - Pass. 25 years of age.

Nick Fanti - Philadelphia Phillies P - Pass. Not enough innings in 2018 for me.

Ryan Helsley - St. Louis Cardinals P - I love the numbers but the reports say he may be a bullpen guy. Pass.

Ranger Suarez - Philadelphia Phillies P - Pass. K/9 rate is too low.

Shao-Ching Chiang - Cleveland Indians P - Pass. K/9 rate is too low.

Seth Romero - Washington Nationals P - Romero is a buy for me . Not a lot of innings but this guy can pitch and will be a starter. I will take a small position depending on price.

Travis Lakins - Boston Red Sox P - Numbers are not bad at all but he is not a top end starter. Pass.

Willie Abreu - Colorado Rockies OF -  I really like the numbers but he is a Rockies prospect. If he gets traded I would buy.

Yordan Alvarez - Houston Astros OF - Very impressive prospect. I would buy but the price has to be right. He may be on the high end out of the gate.

Aramis Ademan - Chicago Cubs SS - Ademan will most likely be the Cubs top prospect going into 2019. He won't hit for a lot of power but I am curious to see what his auto will go for. I will watch for now.

Austin Allen - San Diego Padres C - 24 years of age but had good numbers in AA. Due to the age I would have to pass. Buying one auto would not hurt though for the right price.

Akil Baddoo - Minnesota Twins OF - I am recommending a buy here. Please be aware that he is a project and if you buy the hope is that the Twins and Akil will work on cutting down the K's. If he improves a 20-20 player is the ceiling. I need to see where prices settle at before writing more.

Antoni Flores - Boston Red Sox SS - Not a lot of data on this player. But that is not a bad thing. If you buy you are relying 100% on the scouting reports.

Alex Wells - Baltimore Orioles P - K/9 too low. Pass.

Brusdar Graterol - Minnesota Twins P - Love the numbers but he has already had injury issues. Pass.

Brendon Little - Chicago Cubs - Pass. K/9 not high enough for me.

Brandon Marsh - Los Angeles Angels - Marsh is a strong buy for me but is a gamble. I am aware of the high K rate but love his 5 tool potential. The bet I am making is that he will improve and hit for more power. He will be 21 during the 2019 season.  For other prospectors, I 100% understand why you would pass.

Charcer Burks - Chicago Cubs OF - Pass. No pop.

Conner Capel - Cleveland Indians OF - Capel is a watch for me. He just was traded to the Cardinals. I am interested in how he develops with them. Right now he is hitting for a little power.

Cole Freeman - Washington Nationals 2B - Pass. 23 years old in A ball. College bat who was just drafted in 2017. His extra base hits are not bad though.

Carter Kieboom - Washington Nationals SS - A high end prospect. Prices will be insane.

Chase Pinder - St. Louis Cardinals OF - Pass. Decent numbers but I don't see a lot of upside here.

Connor Seabold - Philadelphia Phillies P - Numbers are not bad. Worth a watch. I want to see more data before buying.

Chris Torres - Miami Marlins - Pass. Good player but the K's are too much of an issue. Not sure if he can improve those issues.

Darwinzon Hernandez - Boston Red Sox  P - Watch. Very solid numbers but needs the BB/9 rate to drop 50%.

Dustin May - Los Angeles Dodgers P - Another good Dodgers pitching prospect. Does not walk a lot of batters. Not a front line starter so I will have to pass.

Daulton Varsho - Arizona Diamondbacks - Strong buy for me. Will be 22 most of the 2019 season. He had a few injuries but the K rate is 20% and the walk rate is solid. He can also hit for power. Varsho is one of the few catching prospects that I would recommend. My hope is that prices are reasonable. In addition, he also stole 19 bases in 2018.

Eduardo Diaz - Arizona Diamondbacks OF - Watch. Played decent in A ball but struck out 31% of the time. Seems to be a project.

Enyel De Los Santos - Philadelphia Phillies P - Pass.

Edwin Rios - Los Angeles Dodgers 1B - 24 years of age. Seems to be stuck in AAA. Pass.

Evan Steele - Kansas City Royals P - Pass. Not much out there. I think he may have gotten injured.

Franklin Perez - Detroit Tigers P - Young but I need to see more data. Pass but I am watching.

Gregory Soto - Detroit Tigers P - Pass. Too many walks.

Jose Albertos - Chicago Cubs P - Watch. Stats are all over the place. I want to see if he can get back on track. Only 19 years old.

Joe Dunand - Miami Marlins SS - Worth a watch but I want to see how he does in a full season at AA. Decent pop. Seems like a 15hr guy.

Jorge Guzman - Miami Marlins P - Pass. Walk rate needs to improve.

Joey Lucchesi - San Diego Padres P - Pass. 25 years of age.

Jonathan Loaisiga - New York Yankees P - Yankees are the best at developing pitchers. Not sure if I would buy though. He may go to the bullpen.

Jairo Solis - Houston Astros P - Only 18 years of age. Walks are up there. A buy but you need to be aware that he is a project.

Kevin Maitan - Los Angeles Angels - Pass. Second auto.

Kristian Robinson - Arizona Diamondbacks - Buy. Please be warned this is a long term project buy. Robinson is only 17 years of age but is a 5 tool prospect. The swing and miss is there but he continues to make adjustments. I think he has the chance to be a really good power/speed prospect.

Luis Guillorme - New York Mets 2B - Not a bad talent but the power numbers are not there.

Luis Garcia - Washington Nationals -Only 18 and is a strong buy. I think there is power potential here. A lot of upside and will take time but is worth the risk.

Luis Medina - New York Yankees P - Only 19 but is a project. If you buy now you are trusting the Yankees to develop him.

Leonardo Rivas - Los Angeles Angels 2B - Pass. Low extra base hits numbers.

Logan Shore - Oakland Athletics P - Pass. Not a front end starter.

LoLo Sanchez - Pittsburgh Pirates - 19 years of age. 16.3% K rate 10% walk rate but I need more power. It is a chance it could happen. The price has to be right for me to buy.

Luis Urias - San Diego Padres 2B - I expect him to be on the high end. Good hitter that hit for power in AAA.

LaMonte Wade - Minnesota Twins OF - Pass. 24 years of age. Decent numbers but I see no upside.

Micker Adolfo - Chicago White Sox OF - Pass. Love the talent but has some elbow issues.

Mike Baumann - Baltimore Orioles P - Pass.

Nick Allen - Oakland Athletics - Only 19 years old but I see no power potential at all. Pass.

Nicky Lopez - Kansas City Royals SS - Nice hitter but wont hit for much power. Pass for me but I would love to debate.

Riley Adams - Toronto Blue Jays C - Nice catching prospect but rather spend money on Varsho. I would not be mad at a prospector who bought a few.

Rogelio Armenteros - Houston Astros - 24 years of age. Pass but the numbers are insane. Too old for me but I understand if you would buy.

Russell Wilson - New York Yankees - No comment.

Shane Bieber - Cleveland Indians P - Nice bullpen arm but not a player I would buy.

Sheldon Neuse - Oakland Athletics 3B - Pass. K rate over 30%.

Tyler Freeman - Cleveland Indians - STRONG BUY - Line drive hitter.Scouts say he will not hit for game power. I am making the bet that he does. He is only 19 and is already an advanced hitter. 29 doubles, 4 triples and 2 home runs.

Trevor Oaks - Kansas City Royals P - Pass.

Trevor Stephan - New York Yankees P - Decent number but walks need to be cut down. Possibly a reliever. Pass.

William Contreras - Atlanta Braves C - Wow. Another catcher that I like. Brother of Wilson Contreras of the Cubs. Worth a buy but I am focused on Varsho.

Yasel Antuna - Washington Nationals 2B - 18 years of age. 14 doubles, 2 triples, and six home runs in 2018. The gamble will be the power potential. I think it is there and I will buy.

The Most Important Arizona Fall League Players To Watch

Arizona Fall League rosters have been released and did not disappoint. The Fall League is a great time for teams to test the overall skills of a prospect. Positive performance is a great sign of future success in the Major Leagues. I have listed a few players below that I will be watching.

Peoria Javelinas

Keston Hiura - I am interested to see how well he hits and defends. AFL MVP is not impossible.

Cristian Pache - Keep a close eye on his extra base hits and home runs.

Buddy Reed - I am looking for an overall good performance. He continues to improve.

Scottsdale Scorpions

Sixto Sanchez - I am worried about Sixto's health. If he is healthy and performs well, he will be a top 15 prospect in 2019.

Ronnie Dawson - Watching for an improvement in the strikeout rate.

Suprise Saquaros

Khalil Lee - Watching for an improvement in the strikeout rate.

Bryan Reynolds - Nice prospect. A good performance will boost his stock.

Salt River Rafters

Daulton Varsho - A rare catching prospect that I love. He should play well. Still needs a Bowman Chrome auto.

Pavin Smith - Smith is the most important player to keep an eye on during this Fall League season. I will be monitoring a few things. The most important will be power numbers and batting average.

Mesa Solar Sox

Bobby Dalbec - The K rate has to come down.

Jahmai Jones - Trout needs help. Jones must have a good showing.

Josh Ockimey - Josh is under the radar. He won't be after if he performs well.

Glendale Desert Dogs 

Yu Chang - I love Cleveland hitters and will be looking for a good performance with a decrease in his K rate. 

Arizona Fall League Full Rosters

MLB Prospect Statistical Analysis (Stats Don't Lie) - Good Hitters

In this edition of Stats Don't Lie, I wanted to see who were the best hitters this season. When I run this report, batting average is not really a factor. The goal is to looks for hitters with high walk rates, good strikeout rates and power potential. Check out the list below.

Name              2B              3B               HR          BB%          K%            ISO         BB/K Royce Lewis 29 0 10 8.50% 15.10% 0.161 0.56 Isaac Paredes 20 2 13 10.10% 15.10% 0.185 0.67 Jeter Downs 22 2 11 9.60% 19.70% 0.154 0.49 Gavin Lux 23 7 12 10.40% 16.90% 0.199 0.61 Carter Kieboom 24 0 13 10.30% 19.60% 0.162 0.52 Jahmai Jones 14 7 9 12.80% 19.80% 0.141 0.64 Seth Beer 11 0 7 10.80% 15.40% 0.194 0.70 Daulton Varsho 10 4 9 9.60% 18.50% 0.196 0.52 Kyle Tucker 24 2 14 9.70% 19.20% 0.208 0.51 Ke'Bryan Hayes 27 6 6 10.90% 15.70% 0.167 0.69 Bryan Reynolds 15 1 5 12.10% 19.40% 0.152 0.63

* Min of 175 Plate Appearances

* Age range was 23 or younger

Takeaways

Ke'Bryan Hayes - Still a bargain bin buy. Scouts are skeptical that he can develop power.

Issac Paredes, Daulton Varsho & Carter Kieboom - All need a Chrome auto.

Jeter Downs - Still affordable and a strong buy.

Gavin Lux - Great bounceback season.

Jahmai Jones - Still a strong buy for me.

Seth Beer - I hope he is in 2018 Bowman Draft.

Early 2018 Bowman Draft Prospects to Target

The release of 2018 Bowman Draft was just announced and while a full checklist will be released at a later date, I have already targeted a few players. Keep and eye on Jonathan India and Alec Bohm. Third base prospects who are selected high are safer than most players. Both are college bats so the path to the majors will be hopefully faster. It will be interesting to see how both perform in short season ball.

Contact In Baseball Is Still King and Strikeouts Do Matter

If you are a reader of the site and have read my previous recommendations I am sure you have noticed a trend. Contact matters when I am searching for prospects to invest in. Yes I know we are still in the moneyball era and I am well aware that strikeouts don't matter. Trust me strikeouts do matter. Especially in the minors and playoff baseball. A number of prospects have inflated prices due to huge home run totals but strikeout in 30% of their at bats. If there are cases where I think a player can cut down on the strikeouts I will be sure to let the readers know. Keep following for more updates as the season goes on.