Minor League Radar Midseason Top 50

We are smack-dab in the middle of the minor league season so it is time to compile all the information that this season has given us into an updated list. Many top prospects from the preseason list have graduated including Gerrit Cole, Jurickson Profar, Zach Wheeler, and Wil Myers so this list will look pretty different. Also, 2013 draft picks were not included. I will include a series of SPEC based evaluation like this one for some of the top players on this list.

1. Byron Buxton OF Minnesota Twins
2. Oscar Taveras OF St. Louis Cardinals
3. Xander Bogaerts SS Boston Red Sox
4. Miguel Sano 3B Minnesota Twins
5. Taijuan Walker RHP Seattle Mariners
6. Francisco Lindor SS Cleveland Indians
7. Archie Bradley RHP Arizona Diamondbacks
8. Carlos Correa SS Houston Astros
9. Addison Russell SS Oakland Athletics
10. Javier Baez SS Chicago Cubs
11. Dylan Bundy RHP Baltinore Orioles
12. Jameson Taillon RHP Pittsburgh Pirates
13. Christian Yelich OF Miami Marlins
14. Jorge Soler OF Chicago Cubs
15. Nick Castellanos OF Detroit Tigers
16. Gregory Polanco OF Pittsburgh Pirates
17. Robert Stephenson RHP Cincinnati Reds
18. Aaron Sanchez RHP Toronto Blue Jays
19. Raul Mondesi SS Kansas City Royals
20. George Springer OF Houston Astros
21. Noah Syndergaard RHP New York Mets
22. Gary Sanchez C New York Yankees
23. Albert Almora OF Chicago Cubs
24. Lucas Giolito RHP Washington Nationals
25. Taylor Guerreri RHP Tampa Bay Rays
26. Jonathan Singleton 1B Houston Astros
27. Garin Cecchini 3B Boston Red Sox
28. Corey Seager 3B Los Angeles Dodgers
29. Danny Hultzen LHP Seattle Mariners
30. Austin Hedges C San Diego Padres
31. Alen Hanson 2B/SS Pittsburgh Pirates
32. Kyle Zimmer RHP Kansas City Royals
33. Kolten Wong 2B St. Louis Cardinals
34. David Dahl OF Colorado Rockies
35. Joey Gallo 3B Texas Rangers
36. Maikel Franco 3B Philadelphia Phillies
37. Yordano Ventura RHP Kansas City Royals
38. Max Fried LHP San Diego Padres
39. Rafael DePaula RHP New York Yankees
40. Kyle Crick RHP San Diego Padres
41. Billy Hamilton OF Cincinnati Reds
42. Julio Urias RHP Los Angeles Dodgers
43. Jesse Biddle LHP Philladelphia Phillies
44. Henry Owens LHP Boston Red Sox
45. Mason Williams OF New YorK Yankees
46. Jorge Alfaro C Texas Rangers
47. Anthony Ranuado RHP Boston Red Sox
48. Justin Nicolino LHP Miami Marlins
49. Alex Meyer RHP Minnesota Twins
50. Marcus Stroman RHP Toronto Blue Jays

Midseason Prospect Profile: Byron Buxton

Player: Byron Buxton    Rank: 1     Pre-Season Rank: 17     Team: Minnesota Twins


The five-tool player might be the most overused label in baseball. Just about any player who has a good power-speed package and can do something else decently well is dubbed "a five-tooler". But in reality, the real thing hardly ever exists. The closet thing we have in the big leagues is a guy like Mike Trout who possess four great tools in his arsenal, but has one, in Trout's case his arm, that lags behind. But Byron Buxton is scary because he is a legitimate five tool player (you can see what I gave him for grades at the bottom of the page) While I always knew he could flash these tools, I highly doubted he would develop them all. I was even more surprised that he developed them so quickly. I thought for sure that Buxton would go through an adjustment period and struggle in his first full big league season. After all, he is still fairly raw and hit just three home runs during his senior year at Appling County High School. But boy was I wrong.

In his first full professional season Buxton has .posted a slash line of .341/.431/.559 for the Cedar Rapids Kernals. He has also stolen 32 bases through his first 68 games. And while Buxton is tearing off the cover of ball right now, he is a guy who can make a difference even when he is slumping at the plate. He can just as easily win you a game with his arm, glove, or speed as he can with his bat. Before being drafted by Minnesota second overall in last year's draft, ridiculous comps like Matt Kemp and Torri Hunter were being thrown at him. Some evaluators even called him "the hybrid of the Upton brothers." At his current trajectory though, it might be possible that those comps are actually selling him short. He has completely blown away just about everybody in baseball, and his combination of of talent and performance is unrivaled by any player in the minor leagues.

     
                                                         

Primer to SPEC for Evaluating Prospects

Intro 

One of my ambitions as a prospect writer has been to create a projection system that combines scouting reports and statistical analysis. The war between scouts and number guys in Major League Baseball has been in the media a lot lately, albeit greatly overblown. With that said, both sides bring very different views to the table, and I think you need both when evaluating a player. I think this is even more important with prospects.

Earlier this week I introduced the concept of SPEC in this post breaking down highly touted Cubs prospects Javier Baez and Jorge Soler. I really liked the idea, but the more I played around with it, the more flaws I discovered. I felt that WAR wasn't the right metric to use because I am not really concerned with the win value of a minor league player. I am instead looking for a metric that will measure the players complete offensive performance to project future performance. Furthermore, the WAR calculator I was using was very easy to understand, but not quite as precise for I would have liked. I found my self making too many educated guesses when evaluating factors like a players defense and base running abilities, which defeats the purpose of an exact statistic.

 wRC+

The statistical component of SPEC will be based Tom Tango's of sabermetric wRC+. Weighted Runs Created Plus is the best way to gauge a players total offensive value. wRC+  is derived from wOBA but also takes into account factors like league environments and ballpark tendencies. It is based off a scale, where 100 is average. Anything above 100, is the percent of runs above league average that a player produced. Conversely, anything below 100 is the percent of runs created below the mean. A players wRC+ can be found on their player page on Fangraphs. For a more detailed examination of wRC+ checkout the following links:
-http://www.fangraphs.com/library/offense/wrc/
-http://www.ball-four.com/post/14866772175/stat-of-the-week-wrc-weighted-runs-created-plus
Positional Value
The one component of WAR that I did like and want to carry over into SPEC is the positional value. A players ability to profile and remain at a premium position is a key element of prospecting. A lot of guys will be drafted as shortstops and center fielders, but most have to move off the position at some point down the line.
This list ranks the added value each position brings and show the amount of runs each position is worth over the course of a 150 game season. I want position value to affect the SPEC significantly, so  add or subtract the run values from a wRC+ accordingly.

1. C: +10 runs
2. SS: +8.0 runs
3. 2B: +3 runs
4. CF: +2.5 runs
5. 3B: +2 runs
6. RF: -6.5 runs
7. LF: -8.0 runs
8. 1B: -10 runs
9. DH: -15 runs

Risk Factor
Less than eight percent of players selected in the draft will every get more than a cup of coffee in the major leagues, so every prospect carries a great deal of risk. Ones that are in the lower minors or ones that lack polish are especially risky. And while all prospects develop differently, one way to discern between a prospect that is considered "risky" and one that is considered "safe" is by looking at their strikeout rate compared to the rate at which they draw walks. This will indicate how advanced their approach is and how much development they need to make contact at the big league level. For the purpose of SPEC, the SO-BB ratio of each player will be compared to that of the average ratio between strikeouts and walk percentage which is about 2.3 to 1. For every 0.2 a player is above the average, his risk factor will decrease by 0.01. So if the ratio between a players strikeout and walk percentage is 2.5, one would multiply his SPEC by 0.99. The opposite is also true. If a players ratio is 2.1 one would multiply his SPEC by 1.01. The factor will not really affect the majority of players, but it will punish those that have terrible approaches and strikeout at a really high clip. 

Age Versus Level
Possibly the most intriguing aspect of SPEC is the inclusion of an age vs. level factor. When projecting the futures success of a prospect it is all about development. Nine times out of ten, if a teenager holds his own in full season ball and puts up league average numbers he will be a better prospect than the 23 year old in the same league who might have slightly better stats. Even a year can make a huge difference in the development as a prospect  matures physically and develops a more advanced approach mentally. Time really is everything for baseball players. The following table with the average age of each minor league level is shown below. Additionally, the factors that will be used are also featured. After you have made this calculation, divide by ten for final statistical component.

Level	Average Age	1.5 years older	1.0 Year older	0.5 year  older	0 years older	0.5 year younger	1.0 year younger	1.5 years younger	2.0  years younger
AAA	24.5	Multiply by 0.7	Multiply by 0.8	Multiply by 0.9	Multiply by 1.0	Multiply by 1.1	Multiply by 1.2	Multiply by 1.3	Multiply by 1.4
AA	23.5	Multiply by 0.7	Multiply by 0.8	Multiply by 0.9	Multiply by 1.0	Multiply by 1.1	Multiply by 1.2	Multiply by 1.3	Multiply by 1.4
A+	22.0	Multiply by 0.7	Multiply by 0.8	Multiply by 0.9	Multiply by 1.0	Multiply by 1.1	Multiply by 1.2	Multiply by 1.3	Multiply by 1.4
A	21.5	Multiply by 0.7	Multiply by 0.8	Multiply by 0.9	Multiply by 1.0	Multiply by 1.1	Multiply by 1.2	Multiply by 1.3	Multiply by 1.4
A-	21.0	Multiply by 0.7	Multiply by 0.8	Multiply by 0.9	Multiply by 1.0	Multiply by 1.1	Multiply by 1.2	Multiply by 1.2	Multiply by 1.4
Rookie	19.5	Multiply by 0.7	Multiply by 0.8	Multiply by 0.9	Multiply by 1.0	Multiply by 1.1	Multiply by 1.2	Multiply by 1.2	Multiply by 1.4

The Scouting Side
After finding the statistical component of SPEC, there is now a scouting side. For decades scouts have used the traditional scouting scale which ranges from 20 (worst) to 80 (best). The scale is increased by increments of 5, and 50 is considered to be major league average. Scouts evaluate the potential of  five key tools when looking at a hitter: their contact, power, speed, defense, and arm. When the individual grade of each tool is added and then divided by 5 you get your Overall Future Potential (OFP). But their are lots of other things scouts look at when they evaluate a player; like their intangibles, feel for the game, athleticism, and approach. For anything that makes a player standout, scouts use adjusted OFP. Scouts can either bump or lower a players OFP by up to 10 points (but not usually that much) based on what catches their eye.

Once you have a players adjusted OFP you need to divide it by 10, unless you are already using the abbreviated 2-8 scale. Finally, you need to raise that number to the e. This number is the Evaluation part of SPEC.

For more reading on the OFP give this is a read.

Combination
Now that you have your scouting and your statistical totals, all you have to do is add them together. This is your SPEC number. If this is confusing now, I promise that there will be tons of examples in the coming months, as I plan to use it in all of my evaluations. You will be sick of it soon.

Rob Balboni

Prospect Smack-down: The Cubs Big Bats (Using SPEC)

Heading into the year, the Cubs had a very intriguing collection of hitting prospects. The group was lead by a triumvirate comprised of elite talents like Javier Baez, Jorge Soler, and Albert Almora. During last Thursday's Rule IV Draft, the Cubs went against the industry consensus when they bypassed Oklahoma's  Jonathan Gray and elected to take Kris Bryant with the second overall pick, adding yet another potent bat to their system. Just about every prognosticator predicted that Chicago would pick one of the top college arms, or whoever Houston didn't take between Mark Appel and Jonathan Gray, as Chicago's system was already loaded with bats, but light on arms. However, Bryant's top of the scale 80 power proved to much to pass on, and they chose to draft for the best player available and not by positional need. While this pick was surprising, the BPA strategy has proven time after time again to be the best way to go. Oppose to the NFL and NBA, it will take two to five years for a prospect to develop, and in that tame organizational strengths and needs can change dramatically. It is always safer to just take the best player on your draft board because the worst case scenario is that you have two really good players at one position and you get to use one as trade-bait.

With the emergence of other prospects like Arismendy Alcantara and Daniel Vogelbach, plus the influx of talent from this past draft, the Cubs have one of the very best systems in the game. It is foreseeable that Bryant, Soler, Almora, and Baez could all be top 50, even top 25, prospects by the time my top 100 list is published at the end of the season. But who is the best among such an impressive array of bats?

Kris Bryant is the shiny new toy in the system. He was the most feared hitter in the country at the University of San Diego, and is a front-runner to be the recipient of the Golden Spikes Award. His nation-leading 31 home runs were a record in the BBCOR era, and he flashes easy 80 raw power (best possible grade on the scouting scale). Their are some concerns that because of his size he will have to move across the hot corner to first base, squandering his plus arm. It is also a possibility that because of his athleticism, he could possibly make the transition to right field, where is powerful bat would profile nicely. Regardless of where he winds up on the diamond, you are buying offense first here. Bryant projects as a prototypical middle of the order slugger and he is one of the only prospects in the game that has a chance to hit 35 more home runs annually.
                               
                                                                       Kris Bryant

Bryant's elite power tool is so rare that it could earn him the top spot on my off-season Cub's top prospect list, but I would prefer to see how he performs in the minors before I rank him over Javier Baez and Jorge Soler. With that said, if Bryant signs early and rakes in A-ball, he could absolutely be the Cubs top prospect by years end. Picking between Baez and Soler though is another matter. Both pass the eye test, and both have the stats to back their tools. To decide between the two I am going to test my new SPEC formula, which attempts to boil down scouting grades and performance into a single formula. The Scouting Plus Evaluation Calculation is still currently in the developing stages and it is based on a very crude version of the WAR metric using this simple calculator. What the formula does take into account however, is factors such as age versus level, league climate, and chance for a player to remain at a premium position. For example, the formula will reward a prospect performing against competition that might be a year or two his senior, but will punish one that is too old for his league and behind in the developmental curve. After interpreting the stats in a manner that levels the playing field, a stat that averages out their scouting grades (20-80 scale) is added to it to create SPEC. I hope to get a more detailed set of guidelines for SPEC up this coming week, but for now this will serve as a test run. I will include all the values used in a skeleton chart to walk you through the process.

Javier Baez

Baez was the ninth overall pick in a loaded 2011 draft class, and tore up the Midwest League in his first go-around in the minor leagues. He is well renowned for his lightening quick hands that help him generate tremendous bat speed. He projects to have plus-power and to be a plus-hitter, making him an offensive force. Baez does need to work on his strike-zone discipline and his approach at the plate however. Defensively, Baez's actions are very smooth and he plays with a lot of swagger. He also has a rocket for an arm. Because of his size and lack of plus foot speed he might have to move off short and slide over to third, but it looks more and more likely that he can stick at least for a while there. Baez's flash can sometimes rub opposing players and coaches the wrong way, as he was hit 10 times in just 57 games last year in the MWL. Baez made headlines last week by launching for home runs in a single game. He came into the year as Minor League Radar's 16th best prospect, but could rank even higher next year because of his awesome potential at the plate coupled with his ability to possibly stay at short.

Jorge Soler

Soler defected from Cuba in 2011, and soon after he inked a $30 million deal paid over the course of nine seasons. Soler's hands aren't quite as quick as Baez's, but he probably still has more raw power than Baez. His approach at the plate and ability to make adjustments on the fly is also impressive. With his plus arm and explosive power, Baez fits the bill of the ideal MLB right fielder. Despite his 6'3" 210 frame, Soler moves pretty well for a big guy. He is not a burner, but he could post double digit stolen base totals on an annual basis. 

When these guys are both putting up such good numbers and both close to equal talents, it is hard to pick one over the other. While SPEC is far from a be-all end-all for evaluating prospects, it is a good way to put things into context. The two are similar in tools, but Soler probably has the slight edge. Both have performed well, but Baez's has been clearly more impressive. He has completely annihilated the pitcher-friendly Florida State League despite being very young for the level. In this case the data also supports my gut feeling. Baez's chance to stick at the most premium position on the diamond is the separator for me. For now, I would go Baez, Soler, Bryant, and then Albert Almora; but that could all change by the end of the year. And while the Cubs currently rank 12th out of the 15 National League teams in OBP (.298), I think thins are looking up. 

                                           

                                                                   Javier Baez

Final Mock Draft

1.1 Jonathan Gray 
We are hours away from when Bud Selig will take the podium, but we know barely any more now than we did last month. It is still going to be Appel or Gray, I would be stunned if Lunhow went with Moran. Chicago was negotiating a deal Appel last night, so that could possibly be an indicator that Houston has been scared off. In all honesty, the pick will probably come down to whoever will cut a sweeter deal because there is a shot that they could spring for Manaea with their second pick. I think it will be Gray.
1.2 Mark Appel 
Unless Houston goes really cheap and takes Moran or Frazier, the choice should and will come down to whoever the Astros don't take. A lot of the people in their organization love Appel, but I hear that Theo is a fan of Gray.
1.3 Kris Bryant 
It feels like Kris Bryant has been penciled in for this pick all year, but earlier this week the hot rumor was that Colorado was considering another first baseman, Dominic Smith. While I do think that Colorado would take Smith if they were picking in the back half of the top 10, Bryant's talent is still too good to pass up at three.
1.4 Kohl Stewart 
Stewart has made it pretty clear that he wants to get paid, and so far the pre-draft talks have not gone so well between him and Minnesota. With that said, just about everyone in their organization is enamored with him so they will eventually pony up and pay him. If for some reason they don't, they will go the opposite direction with Reese McGuire by paying him under slot.
1.5 Colin Moran 
Moran seems like a safe bet here as long as Bryant doesn't fall in their lap. Cleveland typically leans toward college guys, and Moran's talent matches up here better than it does for Houston as 1-1. Braden Shipley and Clint Frazier will also be in the discussion.
1.6 Braden Shipley 
You never really know what the Marlins will do. It looked like they were locked in on a college guy, perhaps Shipley, but then they got involved with Meadows and earlier this week their was buzz about Miami taking Rob Kaminsky. I am very high on Kaminsky, but sixth overall would be too rich for him.
1.7 Clint Frazier 
The Sox are also wide open; they have been targeting Stewart but the chances he gets here are slim to none. Braden Shipley will be in consideration, as will Moran if he falls here, but I think  the decision will ultimately come down to Frazier and Meadows. It looked like the Sox were in on Meadows after he blew them away in a workout last week, but I think Frazier is gaining momentum again.
1.8 Trey Ball 
I still think Kansas City will go with an arm here. Bickford has as much helium as anyone right now, but give me Trey Ball. It will hard for them to pass on his combination of present stuff and room for projection. If they go with a bat it is going to be D.J. Peterson.
1.9 Reese McGuire 
Pittsburgh has coveted Reese McGuire all year, and I think that if they really want him they are going to have to take him here because it is likely he won't last five more picks.
1.10 J.P Crawford 
The jays are into high-ceiling guys like Ball, Frazier, McGuire, and J.P Crawford. If those first three guys are gone, I think it is a safe bet they go with the latter.
1.11 Austin Meadows 
Meadows is too good to slide past here. If he is already gone, which is likely, they will go for D.J Peterson. They have also shown some serious interest in Ryne Stanek and Dominic Smith.
1.12 Ryne Stanek 
The Mariners will be praying for Meadows and McGuire, but I see that as less than likely. If they are forced to go with a pitcher, Stanek could be their pick.
1.13 Hunter Renfore 
San Diego has bought into the Bickford hype, but I think they will be in favor of Hunter Renfore here. I sill think that he could be the second best hitter in this draft after Bryant.
1.14 D.J. Peterson 
Peterson could easily be gone here, but if he isn't, expect Pittsburgh to pounce on him. Along with McGuire, he would give their organization an impressive influx of talented hitters. The enigmatic Sean Manaea will also be a factor here.
1.15 Alex Gonzalez 
I expect Arizona to go with Alex "Chi-Chi" Gonzalez, but Dominic Smith and Phil Bickford will also be in play.
1.16 Dominic Smith 
If Smith is here for Philadelphia, then they should be ecstatic. His high water mark is three with Colorado, but he could just as easily last until here.
1.17 Chris Anderson 
Chicago has always had an affinity for athletic, hulking outfielders, so Austin Wilson and Aaron Judge would make sense, but I think they could also seek a college arm. Chris Anderson has not had a great season, but he entered the year as a top 10 talent and a lot of clubs still view him as a first round guy.
1.18 Phil Bickford 
Since the Dodgers have elected to take a prep arm with seven of their last eleven first round picks, I think that this trend will continue this year. They will have an array of talented high school arms to choose from, including Bickford, Clarkin, Serrano, and Harvey.
1.19 Tim Anderson 
Another guy who has been shooting up boards of late is Tim Anderson. He is the best shortstop in this draft and has garnered comparisons to Orlando Hudson. This pick seams to be gaining a lot of momentum within the industry.
1.20 Jonathan Crawford 
Detroit loves just about anyone who can light up a radar gun, and Jonathan Crawford fits that bill perfectly. With that said, I wouldn't take him here because I foresee him winding up in the pen.
1.21 Nick Ciuffo 
This pick has Tampa Bay written all over it; and I think it is a good one too. Ciuffo is hybrid catcher that can make a difference at both at the plate and behind it, ultimately I think he will rival McGuire as the best catcher to come out of this class.
1.22 Hunter Harvey 
Eric Jagielo comes to mind here, but I think the Orioles will go in favor of Hunter Harvey. It is an added bonus that he will be easy to negotiate with and likely will sign slightly under slot.
1.23 Bill McKinney 
Texas has shown a great deal of interest in Oscar Mercado, but he will almost certainly be around with their next pick. They have also been connected to Bill McKinney, who has one of the purest swings in the draft.
1.24 Rob Kaminsky 
The Yankees will be hoping that Kaminsky will fall to them at 26, but there is decent chance that Oakland will snag him here. He is one of the best southpaws available for me.
1.25 Matt Krook 
They Giants have been linked to San Francisco product Matt Krook for a while now, and they probably won't pass up on him here. There is also a chance that they could take Ian Clarkin if he is still around.
1.26 Ian Clarkin 
 The Yankees will get to play with the board a little because they have two more picks at the end of the round, but I think they might choose Ian Clarkin if he is available. Eric Jagielo and Austin Wilson will also be strong considerations for them.
1.27 Phil Ervin 
If Ervin lasts this long it will be hard for the Reds to pass up on him. He had a great summer on the Cape and carried his momentum into this spring. They also appear to players for Kyle Serrano, but he won't be cheap.
1.28 Devin Williams 
Since I pegged them going with a college guy at 19, I think they will try to balance it with a high school arm now. Devin Williams is a homegrown talent that could be a serious option here.
1.29 Marco Gonzales 
It has been no secret that the Rays have been in on Gonzales all year, and I think they should get a shot at  him here.
1.30 Travis Demerritte 
Demeritte has been high on the Rangers list for a while now. I don't think he has a chance to stick at short, but his bat could prove to be potent.
1.31 Josh Hart 
An ideal world they would go for Krook, but with San Francisco blocking them that is not likely. Alternatives included Hart, Balog, and Green.
1.32 Eric Jagielo 
Jagielo could certainly go earlier, but if the Yankees could snag him here he would complement a prep arm they might take with their first pick very nicely. Jagielo can flat out hit, and I think he could be a steal if he can stick at the hot corner.
1.33 Austin Wilson 
Based on talent Wilson has no business still being on the board, but their are not a lot of scenarios in which I can see him going earlier than this. He still possesses monster tools, and his upside is extremely high for a college player.

Final 2013 MLB Draft 100 Prospects

1. Jonathan Gray         RHP             Oklahoma
2. Kris Bryant             1B/3B           San Diego
3. Mark Appel             RHP             Stanford
4. Clint Frazier            OF                Loganville HS GA
4. Kohl Stewart           RHP              St. Pius X TX
5. Austin Meadows      OF                Grayson HS GA
6. Braden Shipley        RHP              Nevada
7. Trey Ball                LHP              New Castle HS IN
8. Colin Moran           3B/1B            North Carolina
9. Hunter Renfroe       OF                 Mississippi State
10. Phil Bickford        RHP              Christian Oaks HS CA
11. Dominic Smith     1B/OF            Serra HS CA
12. Sean Manaea        LHP               Indiana State
13. Reese McGuire     C                     Kentwood HS WA
14. DJ Peterson         1B/3B             New Mexico
15. JP Crawford         SS                    Lakewood HS CA
16. Austin Wilson      OF                  Stanford
17. Rob Kaminsky     RHP                St. Joseph's HS NJ
18. Nick Ciuffo         C                      Lexington HS SC
19. Ryne Stanek        RHP                Arkansas
20. Tim Anderson     SS                    East Central CC
21. Phil Ervin           OF                   Samford
22. Alex Gonzalez     RHP                Oral Roberts
23. Hunter Harvey    RHP                 Bandys HS NC
24. Bill McKinney    OF                    Plano West HS TX
25. Aaron Judge        OF                    Frenso State
26. Marco Gonzales  LHP                 Gonzaga
27. Eric Jagielo         3B                    Notre Dame
28. Jacob Brentz       LHP                 Parkway South HS
29. Jon Denney        C                      Yukon HS OK
30. Kyle Serrano      RHP                  Farragut HS TN
31. Connor Jones     RHP                  Great Bridge HS VA
32. Rowdy Tellez     1B                     Elk Grove HS CA
33. Ian Clarkin         LHP                  Madison HS CA
34. Alex Balog         RHP                  San Diego
35. Jason Hursh        RHP                  Oklahoma State
36. Matt Krook       LHP                   St. Ignatius HS CA
37. Travis Demerritte 3B                   Windor-Barrow HS GA
38. Aaron Blair        RHP                   Marshall
39. Ryan Boldt        OF                      Red Wing HS MN
40. Devin Williams  RHP                  Hazlewood HS MO
41. Bobby Wahl       RHP                  Mississippi
42. Josh Hart           OF                     Parkview HS GA
43. Riley Unroe       SS                      Desert Ridge HS AZ
44. Chris Anderson  RHP                  Jacksonville
45. Dustin Peterson SS/2B                 Gilbert HS AZ
46. Chad Pinder       3B                     Virginia Tech
47. Kent Emmanuel LHP                  North Carolina
48. Jonathan Crawford LHP              Florida
49. Cord Sandberg     OF                    Manatee HS FL
50. Hunter Green      LHP                 Warren East HS KY
51. Andrew Thurman RHP                UC Irvine
52. Jan Hernandez    SS/3B                Carlos Beltran Academy PR
53. Hunter Dozier     SS/3B                Stephen F. Austin HS TX
54. Oscar Mercado    SS                     Gathier HS FL
55. Cavan Biggio      2B                     St. Thomas HS TX
56. Jordan Sheffield  RHP                  Tullahoma HS TN
57. Teddy Stankiewicz RHP               Seminole State CC
58. Michael Lorenzen RHP/OF          Cal State Fullerton
59. Kevin Ziomek     LHP                 Vanderbilt
60. Carlos Salazar      RHP                 Kerman HS CA
61. Jordan Paroubeck OF                   Serra HS CA
62. Ryan Eades          RHP                 Louisiana State
63. Justin Williams    OF                    Terrebonne HS LA
64. Andrew Mitchell  RHP                 Texas Christian
65. Drew Ward          1B/3B               Leedey HS OK
66. Ryan McMahon   3B                    Mater Dei HS CA
67. Jacob Hannemann OF                   Brigham Young
68. Tom Windle         LHP                Minnesota
69. Mason Smith        OF                   Rocky Mountain HS ID
70. Colby Suggs          RHP                 Arkansas
71. Chirs Okey           C                      Eustis HS FL
72. Tucker Neuhaus    3B                   Wharton HS FL
73. Wil Crowe            RHP                 Pigeon Forge HS TN
74. Myles Smith         RHP                 Lee
75. William Abreu      OF                    Mater HS FL
76. Andy McGuire      2B                    James Madison HS VA
77. Andrew Knapp     C                      California
78. Ivan Wilson         OF                    Ruston HS LA
79. Jared King            OF                    Kansas State
80. Garret Williams    RHP                 Cavalry Baptist HS
81. Dillon Overton     LHP                 Oklahoma
82. Blake Taylor        LHP                 Dana Hills HS CA
83. Michael O'Niel     OF                    Michigan
84. Chandler Eden      RHP                 Yuba City HS CA
85. Trey Masek          RHP                 Texas Tech
86. Clinton Hollon     RHP                  Woodford HS CA
87. Andrew Church     RHP                 Basic HS NV
88. Ryon Healy          1B                    Oregon
89. Cal Quantrill         RHP                 Trinity College
90. Stuart Turner        C                      Mississippi
91. Zach Collins         C/1B                 American Heritage HS FL
92. Stephen Wrenn     OF                   Walton HS GA
93. Tyler Danish        RHP                 Durant HS FL
94. Dom Nunez          C                      Elk Grove HS CA
95. Joneshwy Fargas   OF                    Puerto Rico Baseball Academy
96. AJ Vanegas           RHP                 Stanford
97. Christian Arroyo  SS                     Herando HS FL
98. Daniel Palka        OF                    Georgia Tech
99. Dustin Driver       RHP                 Wenatchee HS WA
100. Zane Evans        RHP/C              Georgia Tech

Jonathan Gray's Positive Test

Prior to the rule IV draft, the top 200 prospects eligible to the draft, as chosen by the National Scouting Bureau, are required to take part in an medical exam.  Only two players tested positive for the use of a drug on the MLB's list of banned substances. It is a little ironic however, that one of the two was arguably the very best prospect out of those 200 players. In addition to Gray, righthander Aaron Blair, another day one talent, also failed his exam.

Gray tested positive for Adderall, which is used to treat ADHD. While hundreds of players have a therapeutic excuse for using Adderall, Gray did not have one. He will not receive a suspension of any nature, but he will now be more susceptible to drug tests in the future.

The reason that this test is important is because it might actually help his draft stock. General Managers have already come out and said that it will not negatively affect his stock because it is not a performance enhancing drug, but the red flag on his medical might hurt him in terms of his dollar value. This could in turn, push him past Mark Appel on Houston's draft board if they can sign him for under six million dollars. It would only make sense if Gray and Appel are perceived as equal talents to sign the cheaper player. This would also enable Houston to spread out their money allotted with this pick out to the rest of their draft. If they saved about two million here, they could then draft an elite talent who fell to them with their second pick and give that player three million. If the Astros truly want to use this portfolio approach, this would likely be more attractive than turning to a second tier talent like Colin Moran.