Cleveland Indians 2B Tyler Freeman - Breakout Prospect Canidate

It is rare for me to talk about second baseman but the minors are loaded with talent at this position and Tyler Freeman is a kid I have my eye on. Freeman is a doubles machine and I am making the bet that he will hit for a little more power in 2019. Cleveland has always been good with developing hitters (See Daniel Johnson). The number one reason I have Freeman as a candidate is he always makes good contact and rarely strikes out. I will admit he is a gamble to buy because the power may not come but a player who hit 29 doubles, 4 triples and 2 homers in 2018 is worth the risk right?

Oakland Athletics OF Austin Beck - Breakout Prospect Canidate

As we approach the start of the minor league season, I will begin to name some prospects I feel will have a breakout season. The first on the list is Austin Beck. Austin had a decent 2018 season but did not hit for much power. Scouts seem to have mixed feelings on his development so far. For me I think he has made positive strides since his ACL injury in high school. I have read in various reports that he has been working on adding more loft in his swing and has added strength during the off-season. In addition, he will also be in the hitter friendly CAL league. My prediction is that his in game power will start to show and he will rise up many lists. Hopefully Austin performs well enough to make it to top 100 lists around the all star break.

Why Nick Madrigal Has Power Potential

Nick Madrigal was selected 4th overall by the Chicago White Sox in the 2018 MLB Draft out of Oregon State. Overall it seems scouts are in full agreement on his above average hitting ability but are concerned about his power potential. Although he did not strike out much during his pro debut, he did not hit for any power. The more alarming statistic is he only hit 7 doubles in 155 at bats. Back in March 2018, Nick broke his wrist sliding into home plate. He was out for 6 weeks and came back to close out the season. In my opinion, the injury is why the power was not there during his pro debut. Even though he came back from the injury I would expect extra time is needed for his wrist to get back to 100%. My prediction is Nick will show amore pop in his first full season after resting and getting his strength back in his hands. I will be watching his extra base hit production very closely. Base autographs are selling for $30-40. I am willing to buy one to hold.

The Number One Resource for Every Baseball Prospector

Every year I make an effort to purchase the Baseball America Handbook. The team does a great job with analyzing the top 30 prospects for every MLB team. Scouting reports, tool grades and stats are included for multiple players. I would highly suggest you add it to your list of resources. It has helped me make better investments over the years.

Purchase the 2019 Baseball America Handbook via Ebay

Taking a Chance on Philadelphia Phillies OF Mickey Moniak

When Mickey Moniak was drafted number one overall back in 2016, the industry and insiders loved the pick. Since then, Moniak has struggled and scouts have hopped off the bandwagon. Some reports I have read only see him as a fourth outfielder now. In my opinion, this is a great buying opportunity. Moniak will be only 21 once the 2019 season starts and he finished the 2018 season strong. He also has been working on getting stronger and has a good makeup. The adjustment to pro ball can be tough even if you are considered to be a top talent. As of today, his base auto is selling for around $15. I believe Mickey will breakout in 2019. 

Note - Remember to only focus on the 2016 draft auto. 

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.