Prospects by position

[Jacksonian]

I hate those top whatever lists.  I learned to hate them doing them.  Which is part of why I don't do them anymore.  Instead I prefer to track prospects by position and level.  These are the guys who I think stand the strongest chance of making a major league club in some capacity or other.  I don't include GCL or DSL guys.  They're nearly impossible to project.  Advanced rookie ball and short season guys are hard enough.  So, here you go.

[Jacksonian]

GARCIA (AA)
PENA (high A)
PEREZ (high A)
MORALES (low A)
HEINEMAN (SS)
GENOVES (rookie)

[Jacksonian]

SINGLETON (AA)
TUCKER (SS)
BATISTA (rookie)

[Jacksonian]

MARTINEZ (AAA)
HERNANDEZ (AA)
DESHIELDS (high A)
MOON (low A)
ELKINS (SS)
BLASIK (rookie)

[Jacksonian]

BORCHERING (AA)
MEYER (high A)
DUFFY (low A)
DINEEN (SS)
RUIZ (rookie)

[Jacksonian]

VILLAR (AA)
MIER (high A)
FONTANA (low A)
SCLAFANI (SS)
CORREA (rookie)

[Jacksonian]

You figure out where they're going to end up in the majors.
SHUCK (AAA)
KRAUSS (AAA)
WATES (AA)
GROSSMAN (AA)
SPRINGER (AA)
GOEBBERT (AA)
APLIN (high A)
NASH (high A)
SANTANA (high A)
KVASNICKA (low A)
MEREDITH (low A)
GULBRANSEN (SS)
TUCKER (SS)
JOYCE (rookie)
TONEY (rookie)
OVANDO (rookie)

[Jacksonian]

These are guys who are starting pitchers.
CISNERO (AAA)
COSART (AAA)
OBERHOLTZER (AAA)
OWENS (AAA)
SEATON (AA)
CLEMENS (AA)
DORAN (AA)
HEIDENREICH (AA)
RASMUSSEN (AA)
WOJCIECHOWSKI (AA)
ALANIZ (high A)
CAIN (high A)
PEREZ (high A)
TROPEANO (high A)
WALTERS (high A)
CRUZ (low A)
DEVENSKI (low A)
FOLTYNEWICZ (low A)
ORDOSGOITTI (low A)
ROLLINS (low A)
BIRCHER (SS)
HOLMES (SS)
PEREZ (SS)
RODGERS (SS)
VELASQUEZ (SS)
WEST (SS)
BUSHUE (rookie)
COMER (rookie)
FELIZ (rookie)
HOUSER (rookie)
MCCULLERS (rookie)
MINOR (rookie)
MUSGROVE (rookie)
RAMIREZ (rookie)
TIBURCIO (rookie)

[Duman]

Nice list.  Two small quibbles.  I don't think Batista will play first much as he moves up.  He started the year there but then moved back to his natural short stop.  I personally would like to see him more at 3rd.  I actually suspect he will be a super utility guy as he continues to advance and hit. 

I doubt Bushue will ever return to the starting rotation. 

[Reuben]

I'm curious to see what the Astros do with their 3B prospects in 2013. Perhaps Dominguez shows them enough this month to start the season with the Astros (hopefully we've seen the last of Moore, Wallace, et al and their butchery over there). Borchering hit poorly in AA this year, so he likely starts back at CC, but then you've got Meyer likely moving up to CC. Maybe they split time between 3B/DH/wherever. Borchering is a question mark at 3rd anyway.

Then you've got Duffy, who has been an All-Star in the NYPL in 2011 and again in the SAL this year, but is already 23 years old. Is he just high-performance org filler, as guys like Erik Castro, Brad Snyder, etc. seem to be?

I'm guessing Ruiz is at LEX.

At any rate, this is clearly still a weak position in the organization. Dominguez may not hit in the majors, Borchering may be a DH, Meyer regressed in his repeat year at LAN, Duffy may be filler, which leaves us with Ruiz as the young white knight, 3-4 years away if he actually makes it. And possibly Jean Batista.

[Jacksonian]

Nice list.  Two small quibbles.  I don't think Batista will play first much as he moves up.  He started the year there but then moved back to his natural short stop.  I personally would like to see him more at 3rd.  I actually suspect he will be a super utility guy as he continues to advance and hit. 

I doubt Bushue will ever return to the starting rotation. 

I agree on Bushue. I can't remember why I had him there.

On Batista I put him there for lack of a permanent position this season.  Short season ball can make for tough projections.

[juliogotay]

I'm curious to see what the Astros do with their 3B prospects in 2013. Perhaps Dominguez shows them enough this month to start the season with the Astros (hopefully we've seen the last of Moore, Wallace, et al and their butchery over there). Borchering hit poorly in AA this year, so he likely starts back at CC, but then you've got Meyer likely moving up to CC. Maybe they split time between 3B/DH/wherever. Borchering is a question mark at 3rd anyway.

Then you've got Duffy, who has been an All-Star in the NYPL in 2011 and again in the SAL this year, but is already 23 years old. Is he just high-performance org filler, as guys like Erik Castro, Brad Snyder, etc. seem to be?

I'm guessing Ruiz is at LEX.

At any rate, this is clearly still a weak position in the organization. Dominguez may not hit in the majors, Borchering may be a DH, Meyer regressed in his repeat year at LAN, Duffy may be filler, which leaves us with Ruiz as the young white knight, 3-4 years away if he actually makes it. And possibly Jean Batista.

I hope Dominguez is given every chance. If he could hit .250 next year with 10 HRs and 65 RBIs I think that would be encouraging with his defense.

[Reuben]

I hope Dominguez is given every chance. If he could hit .250 next year with 10 HRs and 65 RBIs I think that would be encouraging with his defense.

Yeah, I think the Astros would be happy with that, especially as he's still quite young and that would be a fine first full season for someone with his glove.

[Lefty]

At any rate, this is clearly still a weak position in the organization.

If you have enough shortstops, you can find a 3B, so they have that going for them.

[Reuben]

If you have enough shortstops, you can find a 3B, so they have that going for them.

I'm not sure if any of those guys (save Correa) are likely to hit enough to be a regular 3B. I still have hope that Villar and/or Mier can put all their potential together, but a large part of that is great SS defense. Fontana from what I've read is more of a sure-handed SS/2B/utility type, probably lacks the power that you want from a regular 3B.

[Mike S.]

VILLAR (AA)
MIER (high A)
FONTANA (low A)
SCLAFANI (SS)
CORREA (rookie)

Wouldn't be surprised if Fontana overtakes Mier next year in the pecking order.

[Lefty]

Wouldn't be surprised if Fontana overtakes Mier next year in the pecking order.

I'd be pleasantly surprised if Fontana hits his weight.

[VirtualBob]

...  I don't think Batista will play first much as he moves up.  He started the year there but then moved back to his natural short stop.  I personally would like to see him more at 3rd.  I actually suspect he will be a super utility guy as he continues to advance and hit. 
 

There is nothing "natural" about Batista's defense at SS.  IMO, he will have to move to 3B or 1B if he is going to have a regular position, but you are probably right that "super sub" whose defense is marginal but OK for spot starts here and there is the most likely role for him if he continues to advance.