Organizational Talent Rankings via Baseball America
2012 (5) | 2011 (23) | 2010 (28) | 2009 (26) | 2008 (20)
2012 Affiliate Records
MLB: [81-81] NL West
AAA: [81-63] Pacific Coast League – Reno
AA: [69-71] Southern League – Mobile
A+: [64-76] California League – Visalia
A: [67-73] Midwest League – South Bend
A(ss): [36-40] Northwest League — Yakima (Hillsboro beginning 2013)
Graduated Prospects
Patrick Corbin (LHP); Bryan Shaw (RHP)
The Run Down
The Diamondbacks entered the off-season with one of the most impressive collections of 25-and-under talent in the game. With the departures of Justin Upton and Trevor Bauer, however, that youthful core took a major hit in the high-impact department. One of Arizona’s motives in those trades was adding low-risk depth, and in that regard, they did quite well — Didi Gregorious and Nick Ahmed are premium defenders up the middle, Zeke Spruill is a safe bet to max out his potential, and Brandon Drury is a 1B with upside. Unfortunately for us, though, these changes make the D’Backs organization a tad less exciting for fantasy purposes. But that doesn’t mean this system is void of fantasy intrigue. There’s actually plenty of immediate-impact potential here with guys like Tyler Skaggs and Adam Eaton. There’s long-term excitement, too, with prospects like Archie Bradley and Stryker Trahan.
Top Ten Prospects
1. Tyler Skaggs, LHP: Ugly spring numbers have some folks concerned, but Skaggs has done too much good over the past few years to have 6 lousy IP in Spring Training drag down his projection. His fastball isn’t overpowering, but it’s effective when located well, and a big 12-6 breaker will allow for plenty of whiffs. Skaggs was my #4 prospect for 2013, and Grey has him as the 89th best SP for this year. He also went over his Tyler Skaggs fantasy back in November, if you so desire. ETA: 2013
2. Archie Bradley, RHP: A plus-plus fastball-curve combo makes Bradley extremely exciting for fantasy purposes. At age 19, and in his first year of full-season baseball, Bradley posted a 10.1 K/9 at Low-A South Bend. His overall ceiling is higher than Skaggs’s, but there’s plenty more risk here given his distance from the bigs. ETA: 2015
3. Matt Davidson, 3B: Davidson’s power is legit, as evidenced by the .208 ISO he posted at Double-A last year. The 21-year-old projects to hit 25+ homers annually, but an aggressive approach will likely keep the AVG down. Still, he looks like an above-average 3B, and he’s not too far off. Davidson will begin 2013 at Triple-A Reno. ETA: Late 2013
4. Adam Eaton, OF: Grey has him slotted at #62 in his outfield ranks, and just last week I called Eaton my #2 early-impact prospect while chatting with Nick in the latest podcast. We like Eaton. ETA: 2013
5. Stryker Trahan, C: Trahan brings perhaps the biggest upside of any hitter in this organization, but most sources don’t project him to stick at catcher, unfortunately. An excellent athlete, Trahan brings plus speed and plus-plus raw power. The 18-year-old could reach full-season ball this year, but if the D’Backs continue to develop him as a catcher, expect a slower timetable. ETA: 2016
6. David Holmberg, LHP: Holmberg is a big lefty with a deep, refined repertoire. The 21-year-old posted a 3.32 ERA, a 1.17 WHIP, and a 7.9 K/9 in 173 IP between High- and Double-A last year. He could be useful to the D’Backs this season. #3 starter upside here. ETA: 2013
7. Michael Perez, C: Perez posted a .900 OPS in rookie ball last year, showing plus power potential in his first real taste of pro baseball. The 20-year-old will step up to a full-season assignment in 2013. Long way to go, but Perez brings big time fantasy upside if he can continue putting up impressive numbers from the catcher position. ETA: 2016
8. Chris Owings, SS: Poor approach has held back Owings, who features impressive raw tools both in the field and at the plate. He’ll return to Double-A where he hit just .263/.291/.377 last year. The 21-year-old could develop into a high-impact guy if he can scale back the aggressiveness and find his comfort zone against upper level arms. ETA: 2014
9. Alfredo Marte, OF: An improved approach helped Marte discover his power stroke in 2012 at Double-A Mobile. The 23-year-old collected 48 XBH (20 HR) in 446 PA in what was truly a breakout year. Marte turns 24 later this month, so patience is thin. The D’Backs will push him to the bigs if there’s a need, and if last year’s success translates, he could be useful in the fantasy game. ETA: 2013
10. Zeke Spruill, RHP: Before he was acquired in the Justin Upton deal, I ranked Spruill 10th in the Atlanta top ten. Here’s what I said about him: “Spruill was steady across 161 IP at Double-A Mississippi. At 6-5, 190, the 23-year-old features a big, durable frame and enough stuff to cut it as a back-end innings eater. His ceiling is rather low, but his likelihood of reaching that ceiling is very high. Not much risk here.” ETA: 2014
