Carolina League Top 20 Prospects Chat

Lacy Lusk: Hi everyone. Thanks for joining in for the Carolina League prospects chat. I’m happy to answer your questions.

@Jaypers413 (IL): Thanks for chatting, Lacy. Where would Swanson have ranked on this list, had he qualified?
Lacy Lusk: Good to hear from you. I didn’t bother asking around about Swanson since I knew he didn’t qualify, but I still had some positive comments on him obviously. I’d say he would’ve been in the top 5, perhaps as high as No. 2.

Frank (Chicago): Your thoughts on Osvaldo Abreu? Does he stick at SS? Was he in your next ten list of names?
Lacy Lusk: I wouldn’t necessarily say he was in the next 10, but he didn’t hurt himself at all this year. .247 for a full year with Potomac wasn’t bad for an age 21/22 season. From what I saw and heard, I think he can stay at short.

Dave (Atlanta, GA): What do we make of Braxton Davidson at this point? Prospect or suspect?
Lacy Lusk: At this point, maybe more suspect. Though I think he hit the longest home run I saw in the league this year. 184Ks is quite a lot, even in today’s game.

Grant (NYC): So, Lacy, what do we make of Trey Ball at this point? Future reliever going forward, or something more?
Lacy Lusk: He showed some good signs at Salem, but the walks are still a concern. He went pretty deep into games in his last few starts, so I would think he’ll stay a starter in the short term. Might depend on what he shows next season.

Warren (New London): I'm curious about the two Lynchburg second basemen, Mark Mathias and Tyler Krieger. Mathias played other positions after Krieger joined the team; was that because Krieger is a better defender or because Mathias is? Who plays 2B at Akron next year? Thanks for the chat!
Lacy Lusk: Thanks for the question. I had the sense Mathias is someone who has played his way into a longer look, so his versatility could help him even further. A lot of managers and scouts love the way he plays the game. Krieger could be in the same mold.

Warren (New London): I was intrigued by a recent comparison of Travis "The Thumper" Demeritte to Ron Gant, who was one of my favorite players of his era. Does that sound reasonable to you, or would you suggest someone else?
Lacy Lusk: I’m sure the Braves would be thrilled with that, but I definitely see where you’re coming from in terms of their ability to play infield and outfield and show a speed/power combination.

Dave (DC): If Swanson is eligible, is he ahead of Benintendi for you?
Lacy Lusk: That would be a tough call. Both were stars in the SEC and have shot to the big leagues quickly. Swanson was No. 7 on BA’s midseason top 100 and Benintendi No. 9. Just because of position, I might go with Swanson, but I don’t think you can go wrong with either one.

John (Raleigh): Thoughts on Greg Allen? Is he more than a 4th OF in your estimation?
Lacy Lusk: Greg Allen’s an interesting guy. He’s one of the players the Brewers would’ve landed if Jonathan Lucroy had accepted their deal with the Indians. He won a minor league Gold Glove in center field and has made progress with the bat, so I definitely look forward to seeing what he does next year.

chris (arlington): Why does jose marlejoes not get hype. he is still young and is a doubles/rbi machine?
Lacy Lusk: I’ve wondered the same thing. For a player who has won back-to-back organization player of the year honors in a decent farm system, he does seem off the radar. He’s always been a good hitter in the Nats organization and pretty good around the bag, and he showed a little more power this year, too.

Mikey (Jackson Co.): How close was Greg Allen?
Lacy Lusk: He received some interest but wasn’t quite in the final group of 23-25 or so. Still, I don’t think there’s much difference from about 15 to 35, and he’s definitely in that group.

Patrick (Fort Wayne, IN): Did Ryan McNeil of Myrtle Beach get any consideration for the top 20?
Lacy Lusk: He did get some consideration. There weren’t too many relievers mentioned, but he certainly stood out with his 61 Ks in 54 innings and his dominance in the back end of Myrtle Beach’s bullpen.

Dave (DC): Not sure how (or if) relievers qualify for your list, but was Minter considered. His numbers were pretty incredible this year and he seems like he has the potential to be an elite reliever.
Lacy Lusk: He just pitched eight games in the league but didn’t allow a run. Was impressive at low A and Double-A, too, in the Braves organization.

Roger (Greenville, SC): I know they didn't qualify, but did you have any reports on AJ Minter, Dylan Moore, and Kade Scivicque?
Lacy Lusk: Most of the managers saw little of those guys on their way to Mississippi, so I didn’t get much on them, but the Braves certainly have numbers on their side for their rebuilding process.

Tim (Ann Arbor): Maybe it's just this year, but it seems like the Braves tend to have their top prospects either entirely skip A+ (Albies) or just drop by briefly (Dansby). Have you heard any reason for that (if it's true in the first place)?
Lacy Lusk: I hadn’t heard that it was anything intentional, but with their high A team moving to Central Florida, maybe they are more likely to have longer stays at this level.

Elliot (Youngstown OH): Mixed messages on Mejia as a catcher. Is his future behind the plate?
Lacy Lusk: Mixed messages is spot-on. I’d say more evaluators think he will remain a catcher. Maybe he’ll folow the Victor Martinez/Carlos Santana route and catch for a while before moving off the position.

Andy (Dallas, GA): Thoughts on Mudcats RHP Matt Withrow, who finished the season with a 1.59 ERA in his last 7 outings and 45 Ks in 34 innings?
Lacy Lusk: That 11-strikeout game sure was a nice finish. I had done a lot of my interviewing by then, but his name did come a bit. Throwing more than 120 innings was a real nice step forward for him.

James Arnott (Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, Canada): Are the Red Sox looking at Dubron as a Brock Holt like utility player? or is his ceiling higher than that? Thanks for the chat!!!
Lacy Lusk: From the sound of it, Dubon played as close to his ceiling as anyone in the league. The consensus before this year would probably have been that he’d have a utility role, but he might be turning himself into an everyday candidate. That’ll be tough in that lineup, though.

Sam (Washington): Tell me about your thoughts on Thomas Pannone. He seems to be so polished and he has dominated at each level. His numbers at High--A were great. What do you think?
Lacy Lusk: He’s a lefty who throws hard and has some improving secondary stuff. He repeated at Lake County, but he definitely has a chance.

Jim (Baltimore, MD): Any other Blue Rock pitchers/hitters of interest besides Staumont? Is Foster Griffin a lost cause, and should the Royals stop drafting high school arms given their track record?
Lacy Lusk: Jamie Quirk thought several of his guys put themseleves on the radar this year. I know Jake Newberry, who earned a spot in the Arizona Fall League, was one of them.

Matt (Chicago): A question on a pair of White Sox hurlers. What were your thoughts on Spencer Adams and Jordan Stephens? Were either one in close consideration for the list? Adams has changed as a pitcher, but is that mid-rotation ceiling potential still there?
Lacy Lusk: Both did well at Winston-Salem. Stephens in particular impressed the managers with his fastball. (155 Ks in 141 IP) His breaking stuff is pretty good, too.

Donnie (Nyc): Hey thank for chat love ba and the online membership. For gleyber t, it sounds like the glove particularly shined to the scouts. The bat seems to hang around as he progresses, once he's settled at a location do you think we can see the bat breakout anytime soon?
Lacy Lusk: Gleyber Torres’ bat is still there. He had a rough April, but I think the Yankees added themselves a solid, all-around prospect.

JD (CNY): Jordan Stephens made a mechanical tweak at the end of this past season and suddenly his fastball had gained a tick or two, he was striking everyone out, the curve still looks gorgeous. Was all of that enough to get him close to the back of a loaded list?
Lacy Lusk: It definitely got him close to the list. Has a cutter, too, that has moved him up the White Sox rankings.

Tom Carey (Lafayette, La): Any other prospects from Carolina? Maybe McLaughlin or Withrow?
Lacy Lusk: Sean McLaughlin had a good year. It’ll be interesting to see what the former Georgia Bulldog does in Double-A. He’s a good athlete.

JKM (Scranton): Any comps for Justus Sheffield? Thanks!
Lacy Lusk: The first one I found online was to Hyun-jin Ryu. That’s not a bad one. Or maybe he’s a lefthanded Jordan Sheffield.

Jonathan (Syracuse, NY): Trevor Clinton got a really strong ranking, and I would have been surprised if he were higher, but - how close to the next trio of prospects (Fedde, Happ, Sheffield) was he?
Lacy Lusk: Stuff-wise (or tools-wise in Happ’s case), most people I talked to probably had him a tick behind that trio, but that could be underselling him. He had a fantastic year, for sure.

Lacy Lusk: I tried to get to everyone’s questions. Some were about the same prospects, so I worked them into one answer. Hope no one was left out.

Lacy Lusk: It really was a fun year in the Carolina League, and I look forward to seeing the Astros, Brewers and Rangers enter the league in 2017. It’ll be nice to have more variety. Thanks so much to all who checked out the chat.