Top 50 MLB prospects 2020 : CBS Sports

[Second Base]

Hermosillo has what you look for in a 4th outfielder.  Super athletic, a good clubhouse personality, can capably play all three outfield spots and not just "fill in" defensively, he can pinch run in the late innings, he can bunt, has solid pop, enough o keep opposing outfielders honest, and he has a niche as a hitter (his being spectacular against LHP.  For some guys it's power, for some guys it's contact.  Herm can hit lefties). 

He's just an incredibly ideal 4th outfielder.  

And I think that' shower Goodwin comes up short.  If last year was real, he's too good of a hitter to simply be on the bench.  Goodwin can play all three outfield positions, but he really isn't very good defensively in CF.  Goodwin can run a little bit, but he's not really the fleet footed pinch running type.  I don't think he bunts either.  Forcing Goodwin into a 4th outfielder role just doesn't seem like a good fit for him. 

[Chuck]

2 hours ago, failos said:

People need to give up on Ward.

True. 60 games is enough to judge a player.

[Chuck]

2 minutes ago, RBM said:

And Thaiss. And Walsh. And Suarez. 

I hope you're joking.

I've been critical of Suarez, but that's probably a little unfair. I think at worst he's a solid bullpen arm like Jose Alvarez, but he certainly showed some good innings in the big leagues before getting blasted the third time through the order. I think a tick up in velo and a tighter breaking ball with the help of Callaway can help that. 

Thaiss and Walsh it's way too early to judge on. I'll say that Thaiss' defense at 3B really impressed me and obviously his home stats were pretty damn good when you project that over the course of a full season. Walsh could be a 4-A player, or a lefthanded version of Mark Trumbo. 

[wopphil]

Isn't Suarez like 20? Probably a little young for anyone to give up on.

[Pancake Bear]

14 minutes ago, RBM said:

And Thaiss. And Walsh. And Suarez. 

Suarez was one of the youngest starters in the majors last year and wasn’t even supposed to be in the majors in 2019 at all. 

[Docwaukee]

11 minutes ago, Sean-Regan said:

Suarez was one of the youngest starters in the majors last year and wasn’t even supposed to be in the majors in 2019 at all. 

he was the youngest starter in the majors last year.  There were a couple younger pitchers but no true starters.  

[Docwaukee]

and keep in mind that Suarez had Doug White to help him when he got to the major league level.  

[Chuck]

14 minutes ago, Dochalo said:

and keep in mind that Suarez had Doug White to help him when he got to the major league level.  

Yeah, I'm guessing Jesus would be confused after talking to Doug White. 

[Docwaukee]

6 minutes ago, Chuckster70 said:

Yeah, I'm guessing Jesus would be confused after talking to Doug White. 

[Second Base]

Suarez having Doug White there to try and help him pitch is about the equivalent of having a slaughterhouse butcher assist me in conducting open heart surgery. 

[Second Base]

57 minutes ago, RBM said:

And Thaiss. And Walsh. And Suarez. 

Thaiss figured out how to turn on inside pitches.  He's finally going to have power to go along with his superb plate discipline.  He also just added 3B in addition to positions that he can legitimately play at the major league level.  I'm not saying it's a done deal, he's good to go, but I am saying that Thaiss has given me reason to be optimistic concerning his future.  Let him platoon with Pujols at 1B this year and grab a few starts at 3B as well.  He should show that he's ready to be an every day player in the big leagues.  I don't think anyone is identifying him as an all-star, but he should do a pretty solid job in his role. 

Walsh, I don't have the same optimism for, but I also think it's a little early to cut bait on.  He has a beautiful swing, and shows gap power to all fields.  Not bad as a lefty bat coming off the bench late in games.  And he's actually a lot better not he mound than I thought he would be.  As the year went on, he kept adding ticks onto his fastball.  Finished the year throwing 92-93.  I don't know if he'll ever be a starter, but that' sa pretty unique skill set, to be able to come off the bench in the batters box or on the mound.  He's also a good defensive 1B, and can play a passable corner outfield. 

Suarez, I mean just look at the minor league numbers.  He flew through levels that he was supposed to need time to develop at.  I don't know what was going on with his fastball velocity, but upon reaching the majors he dipped 2-3 mph.  My guess is we have Doug White to thank for that, but I don't know.  Still, the youngest SP in baseball, a former top 100 prospect, a lefty that can touch the mid-90's with regularity, and now he's suddenly going to have Mickey Calloway helping him out, one of the best pitching coaches in the game.  I'm very optimistic about Suarez's future.  Sure he might be 22 or 23 before it all comes together for him, but there's something to work with here, and that's still really young.  If he isn't traded, I think at some point Suarez will become a solid #3/4 starter. 

[Second Base]

1 minute ago, RBM said:

I'm not giving up on any of them. It was a joke based on someone else saying we should give up on Ward. 

Oh.  I'm sorry, I was mistaken.  Though it appears I'm not the only one. 

[Docwaukee]

5 minutes ago, RBM said:

No worries. Yeah, I went back to the game I was watching and when I came back to the thread I saw I had created a small brush fire. All good.

[Dick B Back]

19 hours ago, tdawg87 said:

Cameron is the most underrated player in baseball history. 

I thought it was Robb Quinlan.

[Angelsjunky]

22 hours ago, Stradling said:

Cameron has like a 50 lifetime WAR.  So if Hermosillo is a poor man’s version and ends up being 2/3’s the player Cameron was then he will have a better career (according to WAR) then GA.  Basically in your scenario Cameron is vastly underrated or Hermosillo is going to have a helluva career.  

Cameron is very underrated, mostly because he peaked at a time when only statnerds and smart execs knew how to judge his total value, not your garden variety fans.

The term "poor man's" has no clear definition. My point is that he has a similar skill package as Cameron, just on a lesser scale. He could spend his career as a good 4th outfielder and end with 10-15 WAR, or he could become a regular for 5+ years and end with 20. But I would never predict he'll be 2/3s of Cameron, at least for his career.

(p.s. and Garret Anderson was vastly overrated by many Angels fans, which is what I think tdawg's remark was riffing off of, or I could be wrong)

[tdawg87]

8 minutes ago, Angelsjunky said:

Cameron is very underrated, mostly because he peaked at a time when only statnerds and smart execs knew how to judge his total value, not your garden variety fans.

The term "poor man's" has no clear definition. My point is that he has a similar skill package as Cameron, just on a lesser scale. He could spend his career as a good 4th outfielder and end with 10-15 WAR, or he could become a regular for 5+ years and end with 20. But I would never predict he'll be 2/3s of Cameron, at least for his career.

(p.s. and Garret Anderson was vastly overrated by many Angels fans, which is what I think tdawg's remark was riffing off of, or I could be wrong)

Yeah I saw his stats as a newb and thought he was a terrible hitter who struck out too much. In actuality, he had a very similar career to Torii Hunter.

And I wasn't riffing on anything. I love GA, though I do recognize he's overrated by Angels fans. He should have just retired as an Angel.

[Second Base]

44 minutes ago, tdawg87 said:

Yeah I saw his stats as a newb and thought he was a terrible hitter who struck out too much. In actuality, he had a very similar career to Torii Hunter.

And I wasn't riffing on anything. I love GA, though I do recognize he's overrated by Angels fans. He should have just retired as an Angel.

Was he though? I remember toward the end of his tenure here, fans were annoyed with GA, claiming he didn't hustle, didn't care, etc...

[Tank]

23 hours ago, tdawg87 said:

Cameron is the most underrated player in baseball history. 

ralston Schmidt would like to have a word with you.

[tdawg87]

7 minutes ago, Second Base said:

Was he though? I remember toward the end of his tenure here, fans were annoyed with GA, claiming he didn't hustle, didn't care, etc...

I think that was "message board" fans, where we overanalyze and complain about everything. Ask any Angels fan who their favorite Angels players in history are (not including Trout). I'm guessing you'll see Salmon and Anderson getting most of the votes. 

[ScottM]

Marsh is a great player. He should learn 1B, because the Angels need to keep him. 

[totdprods]

I sense a bit of a Martin Perez-type career trajectory for Jose Suarez. Came up really young, left-handed, good stuff, wasn’t able to really get it consistent or overpowering but still a useful arm. 

Speaking of, Martin Perez would be an interesting offseason signing. Still young, had a big uptick in velocity last year, could work in a SP/multi-inning RP role. 

Ward scream late-bloomer to me, like a Bautista, Cruz, Turner, just not as dramatic. And not with the Angels. Someone like Detroit or Miami needs to give him everyday LF and 600 PA and see what happens. The power and eye are there, just needs solid reps, no pressure, and to not worry about defense. 

Edited November 18, 2019 by totdprods