IFA Top 10 Season 66
1.
Virgil Ramos – SS - Vancouver, Age 18 - $31.0M
Ramos
is the most rounded IFA this season and projects to move up quickly in the
Expos organization. Defensively, he
projects to be a serviceable SS, but may develop enough arm strength and
accuracy to become a GG candidate at 3B.
Offensively, he has an organic swing where the ball should pop off the
bat and be good for 20-25 HRs a season while hitting .265 to .285 in the
majors. The one knock on him would be
his approach at the plate and may not walk as much, but can hold his own on the
basepaths to make up for it.
2.
Rico Tomas – P – Louisville, Age 22 - $21.0M
Tomas could develop into the best
SP of this seasons IFA class. At 6’5”
and 207 lbs, Tomas will be an intimidating presence on the mound. As a 5 pitch power arm with plus control it
very well may turn the Louisville Bats into the Louisville Arms in the next few
seasons to be the beginning of their
arms race. Tomas has a killer split
Fastball that tops out at 90 MPH as an off speed pitch. With decent L/R splits and an average
stamina, he should be able to go deep enough into games to eat up innings.
3.
Rymer Lopez – CF – Boise, Age 20 - $30.7M
Lopez may not have as high of
splits as some of the other prospects this season, but his speed and
baserunning ability is enough to cause havoc on the basepaths and be a major
contributor to runs scored for the Mental Patients. Defensively he can be serviceable at CF/2B,
but still have the versatility to play in right field. With an advanced approach at the plate, he
should walk more than striking out and move into scoring position with some
steals. As a lefty and a high pull
hitter, he may be able to leg out some doubles down the right field line.
4.
Ruben Bentances – P – Tampa Bay, Age 18 - $19.4M
Righty Betances will be looking to
bolster the Thorakitai starting staff in the next few seasons. He may only have 3 pitches, but his 4-seam
fastball and forkball will keep hitters guessing for seasons to come. High control will help keep his WHIP low and
with excellent stamina and durability, he should be able to go deep into games
and eat up innings pitching more than 200 innings each season.
5.
Carlos Andrus – SS – Washington D.C., Age 18 -
$15.1M
Andrus should be a great defensive
asset for the Borachons and should be able maintain a batting average north of
.250 thanks to great L/R splits. If the
Washington staff can work with him on seeing pitches better, he can be quite
the signing and an everyday shortstop.
He won’t hit a lot of homeruns, but still can provide value on the bases
with plus baserunning skills.
6.
Yeico Torrez – 2B – Santa Cruz, Age 18 - $6.1M
Torrez is a right handed hitting
speedster from the Dominican with high contact rates and above average range
for a 2B. With plus-plus speed and
promising hands, he has the skills to be a strong defender from deep in the
hole at 2B. He has the ability to steal
40 to 50 bases each year if the Raptors can find a spot for him to play
everyday. He will need to work on his
plate approach to fully realize his potential.
7.
Rodrigo Claudio – C – New York, Age 18 - $10.0M
What
Claudio lacks in pitch calling and defense, he more than makes up for it in
offensive ability. On the offensive
side, he shows good pitch recognition (no surprise for a catcher) and will
really be able to mash the ball vs lefties.
He has above average power and should be able to rake 15 to 20 HRs a
season. Pitch calling is definitely not
his strong suit, but if the Juicers offense can overcome that, Claudio will be
a major contributor to those runs.
8.
Pascual Cueto – P – Louisville, Age 18 - $11.0M
Cueto, like Tomas will really
solidify the future of the pitching staff for the Bats. Cueto is not as polished as Tomas and will be
a few seasons back developmentally. He
projects as a #4 starter with excellent
control. He has an above average 4-seam
FB to compliment his Slider and Curveball.
He will also be able to go deep into games throwing 115 – 135 pitches if
needed.
9.
Victor Castillo – P – Milwaukee, Age 18 - $10.9M
Castillo
is a great value pick for the Southern Transplants. He most likely will develop into a solid #2
or #3 starter having excellent control
and great poise vs lefties. Castillo
does not rely on overpowering hitters with a FB, but more likely to confound
hitters with a nasty sinker. He will
have a high rate of swings and misses as he develops. Durability may be a concern and as a result
may be limited to 150 to 175 innings per year, but when he is on the mound, he
will be an asset.
10.
Tsubasa
Takahashi – SS – Ottawa, Age 18 - $3.8M
Takahashi should develop into a
gold glove SS for the Lynx. Excellent
arm strength and accuracy combined with an above average range and glove, the
Lynx should benefit greatly from runs saved.
Offensively, he can crush lefties at high exit velocities and steal any
base he wants once he gets on.
Defensively he can move around and provide excellent skills at 3B or CF.
