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 – OF Steele Walker
2019 Opening Day Age: 22 ETA: 2021 Top Future Tool: Hit
2018 Stats (Rookie/Single-A): 158 AB’s, .209/.271/.342, 5 HR, 21 RBI, 6 SB
After covering two of the worst farm systems in baseball, we move onto one of the best. This year’s White Sox second round draft pick, Steele Walker, starts off a deep top 10. Walker has a line drive approach at the plate and has historically shown an ability to consistently get on base in collegiate summer leagues. The University of Oklahoma product will be a serviceable outfielder, but I think his skill set limits him to a high end left field option.
#9 – OF Blake Rutherford
2019 Opening Day Age: 21 ETA: 2020 Top Future Tool: Hit
2018 Stats (High-A): .293/.345/.436, 7 HR, 78 RBI, 15 SB
Spoiler Alert: You are going to see a lot of outfielders on this list. I like Rutherford a lot. While the former Yankees draft pick doesn’t have one stand out tool, he is solid across the board. He has an advanced hit tool already that is made even better by a great eye at the plate. While the California product will thrive in a corner outfield spot, I think he posses the foot speed, arm, and instincts to play center at a serviceable level if his team is ever in a pinch. He spent the majority of 2018 in right.
#8 – OF Luis Alexander Basabe
2019 Opening Day Age: 22 ETA: 2020 Top Future Tool: Glove
2018 Stats (High-A/Double-A): .258/.354/.445, 15 HR, 56 RBI, 16 SB
He isn’t the biggest guy on the diamond, but the physical ability is exceptional. Fast hands and feet, Basabe has all of the intangibles to be a top of the line player, but he still needs some mechanical work. I’m not sure if you can slap a raw label on a guy that has been in affiliated ball for six years, but at just 22, the switch hitting Venezuelan still has time to continue his development. Walker, Rutherford, and Basabe would make a pretty good outfield, but we still have two other OF’s to go in this system.
#7 – RHP Alec Hansen
2019 Opening Day Age: 24 ETA: 2020 Top Future Pitch: FB
2018 Stats (High-A/Double-A): 0-5, 6.31 ERA, 2.01 WHIP, 55 SO, 59 BB
If you’re 6’7 and throw a 99 mph fastball with a plus second offering, you’re high on my list. If you have control to compliment it, then you’re top five in a deep system. Obviously, I don’t have Hansen in the top five. That’s because he has the former, but is lacking the latter. If he can harness the command, Hansen has the stuff to be an elite closer one day. That is a BIG “if”. The righty walked more batters than he struck out in 2018 and was even demoted from Double-A to High-A midseason. Don’t be surprised if he isn’t this high on any other lists this offseason due to his numbers. For me, the stuff is just too good not to have him on our reader’s radars.
#6 – RHP Dane Dunning
2019 Opening Day Age: 24 ETA: 2019 Top Future Tool: Command
2018 Stats (High-A/Double-A): 6-3, 2.71 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 100 SO, 26 BB
Dunning is virtually the exact opposite of Hansen. He has a low 90’s fastball with two above average pitches to back it up and exceptional control. He isn’t a pitch to contact guy by any means, but he works well in and around the zone and thanks to the life on his pitches, rarely allows hard contact. In fact, after his promotion, Dunning didn’t give up a single big fly in 62 Double-A innings.
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