[ 존 시켈스] 시애틀 매리너스, 유망주 TOP 20

존 시켈스가 블로그에 시애틀 매리너스의 유망주 랭킹을 올렸습니다. 다저스와 이번 겨울에 트래이드 루머가 자주 나왔던 구단이기 때문에 관심이 가는데...근래 워낙 드래프트에서 상위픽을 행사해서 그런지 유망주들이 많군요. 아마도 구단에서도 여기 리스트에 있는 선수들을 바탕으로해서 2~3년후에 포스트 시즌을 노리는 팀을 완성하려고 하지 않을까 싶군요. 지난해 다저스가 넘겨준 린드리와 보우컴은 모두 C+ 등급을 받았네요. 개인적으로 이팀 팜 선수중에서는 포수 유망주인 주니노는 정말 데려오고 싶네요.ㅋㅋㅋ

1) Mike Zunino, C, Grade A-: Complete catcher, either the best catching prospect in baseball or second-best behind Travis D'Arnaud. Power, patience, defense, great makeup. Does everything.

2) Taijuan Walker, RHP, Grade A-: Some slippage in his numbers, but that's forgivable for the youngest pitcher in the Double-A Southern League. Still has premium combination of fastball, breaking stuff, developing changeup, high upside. 

3) Danny Hultzen, LHP, Grade B+: I will be honest, I am not comfortable with Hultzen's grade or his placement here and may revise it significantly before the book goes to press. I think it is a mistake to dismiss his Triple-A struggles too cavalierly. His command was just too poor at that level for us to ignore, especially given his past reputation and track record. I'm nosing around about this one and gathering more info and opinion, so stand by. 

4) James Paxton, LHP, Grade B+: He still has occasional command troubles but the stuff is first class, love the 92-95 fastball and big-breaking curve. Number two starter upside. Very good season in Double-A (3.05 ERA, 110/54 K/BB in 106 innings). 

5) Nick Franklin SS, Grade B+: I trust my eyes on this one, good tools across the board and the skills are in there. Is he a second baseman or a shortstop? I'd give him a chance at short. Needs another half-season in Triple-A following .243/.310/.416 line at Tacoma.

6) Brad Miller, SS, Grade B+: I am actually more confident in his bat than I am in Franklin's, but he's a year and a half older and that matters. Still, if anything Miller is underrated nationally. He can really hit (.320/.406/.476 in Double-A) and he has the range/arm for shortstop if he can cut down on routine errors.

7) Brandon Maurer, RHP, Grade B: Finally healthy and showed what he could do with four-pitch arsenal and mid-90s fastball, 3.20 ERA with 117/48 K/BB in 138 innings. Next stop, Triple-A. If he stays healthy, he's a number three starter.

8) Victor Sanchez, RHP, Grade B: Youngest pitcher in Northwest League held his own against older hitters at age 17 (3.18 ERA, 69/27 K/BB in 85 innings). Lacks physical projection at 6-0, 255, but already throws hard. Will truly dominate when breaking stuff improves.

9) Stefen Romero, 2B, Grade B: Not a tools guy, but just hits and hits and hits including .347/.392/.620 in Double-A. He's not bad at second base, but with other middle infield options around in this organization he may shift to a corner.

10) Carter Capps, RHP, Grade B-: Always tough to know how to grade relievers. Former catcher hits 99 MPH and reached the majors within a year of being drafted. Needs command refinements, but definite closer upside.

11) Stephen Pryor, RHP, Grade C+: Borderline B-. Like Capps, tough to grade. Stuff is almost as good as Capps, and he's another guy with closer potential if the command sharpens up a bit more.

12) Luis Gohara, LHP, Grade C+: At this point the C+ guys are interchangeable depending on what you want to emphasize, so please no whining about "you should have ranked #12 at #16 and #20 at #13." Gohara is a 16-year-old Brazilian lefty signed for $800,000 this past summer. He's enormously projectable and generated loud buzz in instructional league. He could turn into anything from a number one starter to an injured A-ball washout, but keep his name in mind. You might hear a lot about it next summer.

13) Gabriel Guerrero, OF, Grade C+: Vlad Guerrero's nephew tore up the Dominican Summer League, looked good in three weeks of rookie ball, and offers a similar package of tools to his uncle. That doesn't mean he will become his uncle, of course; bloodlines only take you so far (ask Preston Mattingly), but his upside clearly bears watching.

14) Patrick Kivlehan, 3B, Grade C+: Played four years of football at Rutgers, but despite years of rust he thrived when he went back to the diamond last spring, then hit .301/.373/.511 in the Northwest League. He strikes out a lot and is understandably raw for a college guy.

15) Leon Landry, OF, Grade C+: Toolsy LSU product acquired from Dodgers in Brandon League trade, runs well, gap power, good glove, hit well in California League. Profiles as fourth outfielder or platoon partner.

16) Julio Morban, OF, Grade C+: Cal League "breakouts" can't be fully trusted, especially at High Desert, but Morban looks like the best of the batch of power-hitting Latin American outfielders with bad plate discipline that the Mariners spent a lot of money on over the last few years. 

17) Tyler Pike, LHP, Grade C+: Very projectable lefty was bought away from Florida State scholarship, showed three-pitch mix in rookie ball. Another mid-rotation upside arm.

18) Carson Smith, RHP, Grade C+: Dominated Arizona Fall League (2.40 ERA, 18/4 K/BB in 15 innings). Great slider, could follow Pryor and Capps into Mariners bullpen soon. Posted 2.90 ERA with 77/28 K/BB in 62 innings at High Desert, 54 hits, 2.34 GO/AO. Do you know how hard that is?

19) Anthony Fernandez, LHP, Grade C+: Four-pitch lefty posted 3.68 ERA with 79/14 K/BB in 88 innings at High Desert. Do you know how hard that is? He looked good in Double-A too (3.32 ERA with 55/24 K/BB in 76 innings). Not overpowering but knows how to pitch.

20) John Hicks, C, Grade C+: Very athletic catcher hit .312/.351/.472. It was at High Desert though, so don't assume that will hold. Stole 22 bases, threw out 54% of runners. Has strike zone issues and needs to improve blocking, but an intriguing player.

OTHER GRADE C+: Logan Bawcom, RHP; Vince Catricala, 3B; Timothy Lopes, 2B; Jack Marder, C-2B

OTHERS: Taylor Ard, 1B; Jabari Blash, OF; Matt Brazis, RHP; Jin-Man Choi, 1B; Edwin Diaz, RHP; Josephy DeCarlo, 3B; Roenis Elias, LHP; Jabari Henry, OF; James Jones, OF; Bobby LaFramboise, LHP; Marcus Littlewood, C; Tyler Marlette, C; Jamodrick McGruder, 2B; Yoervis Medina, RHP, Guillermo Pimentel, OF; Steve Proscia, INF; Jordan Shipers, LHP; Chris Taylor, SS; Carlos Triunfel, INF.