Here at Legends on Deck our passion is prospects and the offseason presents an outstanding opportunity for us to showcase some of baseball’s top up and comers. Throughout the offseason, we will be bringing you the top ten prospects from all 30 organizations. We will start with the Arizona Diamondbacks and work our way alphabetically all the way through the Washington Nationals. This series is the opinion of Jake Berry, Senior Editor at Legends on Deck and does not reflect any official MLB rankings.
#10 – RHP Taylor Clarke
2019 Opening Day Age: 25 Height: 6’4 Weight: 200 B/T: R/R
Acquired: 3.76 2015 College: College of Charleston ETA: 2019 Top Future Pitch: CB
2018 Stats (Triple-A): 13-8, 4.03 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 125 SO, 44 BB
A third round college arm in 2015, Clarke is knocking on the door of the majors. He could contribute to the D-Backs rotation next season as a back end starter. The numbers are a little skewed pitching in Reno, but Clarke’s claim to fame will be his ability to locate his pitches and not allow hard contact.
#9 – OF Marcus Wilson
2019 Opening Day Age: 22 Height: 6’3 Weight: 175 B/T: R/R
Acquired: CBB.69 2014 College: N/A ETA: 2021 Top Future Tool: Field
2018 Stats (High-A): .235/.309/.369, 10 HR, 48 RBI, 16 SB, 141 SO, 44 BB
One of the hardest workers in the room, Wilson has made huge strides in the past couple of seasons. His plus speed tranlates well both in the field and on the base paths. He has shown the ability to get on base consistently in the past, but didn’t do it as much as we would have liked in 2018. There is no doubt he has what it takes to hold his own in certain aspects of the game, if the hit tool keeps improving he could make a big impact at the game’s highest level.
#8 – OF Alek Thomas
2019 Opening Day Age: 18 Height: 5’11 Weight: 175 B/T: L/L
Acquired: 2.63 2018 College: N/A ETA: 2023 Top Future Tool: Hit/Run
2018 Stats (Rookie): 56 Games, .333/.395/.463, 2 HR, 27 RBI, 12 SB, 37 SO, 24 BB
Athleticism and a good swing will get you far in this game, but when you combine those two things with plus baseball IQ, you have a future major leaguer. Growing up in a baseball family, scouts rave about how smart Thomas is as well as his strong fundamentals. Currently he has a plus hit tool and plate discipline, he is great in the field and has plus base running ability. As he matures a little bit more physically some more power should come as well. I’d have a higher ETA on Thomas if it wasnt for a somewhat crowded, young, OF system in Arizona.
#7 – 3B Drew Ellis
2019 Opening Day Age: 23 Height: 6’3 Weight: 210 B/T: R/R
Acquired: 2.44 2017 College: Louisville ETA: 2020 Top Future Tool: Power
2018 Stats (High-A): .246/.331/.429, 15 HR, 71 RBI, 2 SB, 98 SO, 52 BB
The 2017 2nd round pick has big power and could be primed for a 2020 September call-up. There were some concerns about the swing and miss, but after striking out at just a 19.5% rate in 2018, he may have put some of those concerns to rest.
#6 – OF Kristian Robinson
2019 Opening Day Age: 18 Height: 6’3 Weight:190 B/T: R/R
Acquired: Intl FA (Bahamas) College: N/A ETA: 2023 Top Future Tool: Power
2018 Stats (Rookie): 57 Games, .279/.363/.428, 7 HR, 41 RBI, 12 SB, 67 SO, 27 BB
Robinson is the next player in a long line of talented prospects emerging from the Bahamas. The 17 year old played in both the Arizona and Pioneer Leagues in 2018 where he performed well in his brief first stint of pro ball. A gifted athlete with a great frame, Robinson possesses exceptional raw tools across the board. The ceiling is high for the young outfielder and he has plenty of time to develop in the D-Backs system.
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