Baseball America has released the list of top 20 prospects in the Midwest League. It's not a surprise that Mike Trout of Cedar Rapids headlines the list.
Who else made it? Check it out here.
Not surprisingly, there are three Silver Hawks on the list. Somewhat surprisingly, Bobby Borchering isn't one of them.
Matt Davidson checks in at #9
Tyler Skaggs is #10
Chris Owings is #17
I'd have to think that Borchering was just outside of the top 20.
I'm okay with the 3 picks from the Hawks, although it is still way to early to tell. I also agree with leaving Borchering off. Aside from his home run numbers he really is just an average prospect. I would rate him as average in BA, below average in fielding and speed, and below average in what I call the "X Factor". Even his RBI numbers aren't that great considering he batted third almost every single game and rarely sat out. In my opinion, if he hadn't been paid nearly 2 million in signing bonuses he wouldn't even be in the conversation.
ReplyDeleteI respectfully disagree with your take on Borchering. You call it average, but a 19-year-old hitting .270 in his first full season of baseball is not bad at all. Borchering improved all season and hit .286 in the second half after a slow start.
ReplyDeleteI'll give you that his defense and speed aren't overwhelming, but his defense greatly improved as the season progressed. I don't really know what you mean by "X Factor", but I also don't know how you judge a 19-year-old for it. Give him time to get his feet wet and grow as a person and a player.
There were things about Bobby that bothered me early in the season (low average, defense, and I thought he was too hard on himself). As the season progressed, he improved in all these areas. Isn't that why we are all here -- for development?
And the list wasn't the top 20 players this season. It was the top 20 "prospects" -- meaning who will have the best future. I think Bobby Borchering has a great future ahead of him.