System Overview: Led by Taijuan Walker, Danny Hultzen and Brandon Maurer, Seattle was already home to a promising collection of prospects. It was last season’s draft, however, that pushed the organization’s farm system towards the upper echelon of baseball.
Four of the team’s picks — catcher Mike Zunino, second baseman Timmy Lopes, left-hander Tyler Pike and shortstop Joe DeCarlo — all currently rank among the system’s top 16 prospects.
Zunino looks like a middle-of-the-bat with plus-power coming from an elite position; Lopes, nabbed in the sixth round, hit a surprising .316/.381/.479 during his time in the ASL; Pike showed promising peripherals, and DeCarlo, the 64th overall pick, was the only one in the bunch to struggle, though he still managed to show some pop and solid on-base skills.
Outside of those players, shortstop Brad Miller looks like an above-average regular thanks to his offensive potential. Former top prospect Nick Franklin’s shine has dulled a bit due to some continued struggles against left-handers. And both Carter Capps and Stephen Pryor have impact late-inning potential.
For in-depth analysis for all the below prospects, check out my new site, ProspectDigest.com, or click here.
#1. Taijuan Walker, Age: 20, Position: RHP
#2. Mike Zunino, Age: 22, Position: C
#3. Danny Hultzen, Age: 23, Position: LHP
#4. Brandon Maurer, Age: 22, Position: RHP
#5. Brad Miller, Age: 23, Position: SS
#6. Carter Capps, Age: 22, Position: RHP
#7. Nick Franklin, Age: 22, Position: 2B/SS
#8. James Paxton, Age: 24, Position: LHP
#9. Stephen Pryor, Age: 23, Position: RHP
#10. Stefen Romero, Age: 24, Position: 2B
#11. Victor Sanchez, Age: 18, Position: RHP
#12. Anthony Fernandez, Age: 23, Position: LHP
#13. Timmy Lopes, Age: 19, Position: 2B
#14. Tyler Pike, Age: 19, Position: LHP
#15. Gabriel Guerrero, Age: 19, Position: RF
#16. Joe DeCarlo, Age: 19, Position: 3B
