Valera has exciting powerespecially to his pull sidebut the 21-year-old will at times look to pull a bit too much. Height/Weight: 61, 205|Bat/Throw: S/R|CBA Round (35) 2020 (COL)|ETA: 2024. Last week, the 20-year-old Sasaki pitched the first perfect game in the NPB in 28 years when he shut down the Orix Buffaloes with 19 strikeouts. Featuring multiple Japanese players, the 2022 Topps Baseball Japan Edition checklist works with a 220-card base set. He is such a good athlete that he could probably play centerfield much like Varsho if the Mariners wanted to get Ford some run in other spots or if he doesnt develop behind the dish like the team hopes. That said, Vargas has moved all over the diamond in anticipation of his 2022 call up, seeing action in left field as well as second base and first base. Height/Weight: 67, 220|Bat/Throw: R/R|1st Round (13), 2021 (PHI)|ETA: 2023. Williams is an above average runner with an easy plus arm. Naturally, the 20-year-old should start to impact the baseball with a bit more authority and should be able to tap into 20 homer power, but a 20/20 profile with a high batting average and staying power in center field seems like the most likely profile for Hassell. Bradley spent two years in Rookie Ball, as the Rays slowly paced his development and entered the 2021 geared up for his first full-season. Then, he took it a step further by setting the all-time single-season record for a Japanese-born player with 56 home runs. Here lies a big part of the problem for Aranda. He has the upside to be a premier, Gold Glove center fielder. Yet another strike throwing Guardians pitching prospect who has seen his stuff tick up, Bibee has developed into potential rotation piece. Yamamoto won the ERA title in the Pacific League last year in his first full season as a starter. White entered 2022 with only 71 innings pitched in his professional career including his dominant stint in the Arizona Fall League at the end of last year. He should be a high on base guy with a chance to hit as many as 30 home runs depending on his approach. As Busch gains more experience, he should find some more offensive consistency. Jung hits the ball hard to all fields and should offer a nice blend of batting average and power. The pull side power for Mervis is easily plus, but he looks to use the whole field and hits the ball where its pitched. Lawlar is an elite athlete with quick-twitch actions on the defensive side of the ball. Harrisons above-average changeup worked in tandem with his fastball to make at-bats extremely difficult on opposite-handed hitters. He starts upright and takes a short stride before just letting his bat speed and elite hand eye coordination kick in. The size, stuff and improved ability to repeat his mechanics have Williams trending like a potential No. Hendersons smooth actions and plus arm are complemented by impressive quickness for a 6-foot-3, 210 pound guy. With 14 triples since the start of last season, De La Cruz just glides around the bases in what seems like three steps per 90 feet. Such was the hype around Ota when he was drafted in 2008. Pages starts upright and deploys a slow and controlled load that allows him to get into his back hip. Bowman Baseball 2022: Top 5 Prospects To Target, Orioles No. Colas is an aggressive hitter, which stifled his walk rates, but he rarely misses mistakes and feasted by ambushing fastballs. The big question for Moreno has been the power. Though his power is above average at best, Rafaelas adjustments have helped him tap into it in games making his jump in HR/FB rate sustainable. Ohno didnt arrive on the scene this season. The Orioles have played Norby in the outfield some due to their crowded infield organizationally. If Moreno is able to tap into just average game power, he could be a well-above average bat for any position, let alone catcher. After not being seen in a game setting since 2019 due to injuries and 2020s MiLB season cancellation, Lewis looked healthy and much improved at the plate in 2022 before unfortunately re-tearing his ACL. The downward action makes it a weapon to both lefties and righties. With two strikes, Burleson spreads out even more, eliminating his stride and focusing on putting the ball in play. When Davis was drafted in 2018, he was seen as a tall, lanky kid with quick-twitch ability, but scouts were unsure what to expect with the bat. Elly De La Cruz is electric. Yamada has been referred to as the "Mike Trout of Japan" for good reason. Upright stance from the left side and a simple swing geared for line drive contact, Cowsers limited movement allows him to be on time and repeat his swing. Trouts name is generally invoked when someone is talking about Tetsuto Yamada, but if Yamada is Japans Trout, Suzuki is Trout-lite. Casas is still working to tap into his light-tower power more consistently in games and injuries over the last couple seasons have like effected that. By the time they realize the slider is coming, its too late. While he has improved significantly since being drafted, he is a below-average defender there due to his heavy-ish feet and not enough arm to make up for it. The 23-year-old could find himself in the big leagues as early as Opening Day 2023 and has the upside of a 30-30 threat with solid defense in a corner. Perhaps overlooked is his baserunning, as he became the first player since Makoto Kozuru in 1950 to steal 10+ bases while hitting 50+ home runs in a season. The simplicity of his swing and easy power has helped Henderson consistently tap into his exciting raw pop in games with potentially even more in the tank. Wood is an above-average runner with an above=average arm. Former Yakult Swallows Stars Tony Barnette, Aaron "Chatter Up!" The reality is, Moreno would likely be getting every day reps at the big league level for a large portion of MLBs teams right now. SHARE. If his hitting continues to develop, Okabayashi has the potential to become the face of the Dragons franchise. A big frame at 6-foot-4, 195 pounds, Carter has plenty of room to add more strength and could easily develop into plus power. Acquired in the Javier Bez deal from the Mets last season, Crow-Armstrong missed all but six games of his 2021 campaign due to a shoulder injury. Height/Weight: 65, 225|Bat/Throw: R/R|1st Round (11), 2018 (BAL)|ETA: 2022. There may not be a ton of All Star appearances here, but Burlesons game is reminiscent of his veteran teammate Corey Dickerson, albeit with better splits. It looks like you're using an ad blocker. Top-notch speed and potential for a 70-grade hit tool have Frelick looking like one of baseballs safer prospects. Matt Murton, Hanshin Tigers Legend & NPB "Chatter Up!" It is worth wondering if moving Ford to centerfield would be better for the longevity of his career and overall value, especially if the 19-year-old isnt providing much value with his glove. Burrows has a solid three pitch mix and has commanded it better than ever this season. The 21-year-olds set up and swing is reminiscent of Nolan Arenado, starting with his hands somewhat high while using the same unique timing mechanism that starts with the back heel actually coming off of the ground before rocking backwards and picking up his front foot. He's got that dawg in him and will likely be the youngest infielder in AA early in 2022. Though an older prospect, Busch has had relatively limited professional at bats with his 2019 cut short and 2020s cancellation. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Sign up for the JapanBall newsletter and we'll send you the latest Japanese baseball news and info, plus updates on our international baseball tours. "Chatter Up!" Painters second plus pitch is his 81-83 mph sweeping slider. A patient hitter, McLain is a tough out who picks his spots well to try to do damage. Above average command of three above average pitches gives Burrows a high floor with still a good amount of upside. While just an average runner, Merrill moves his feet well at shortstop and has the goods to potentially stick there. 2 overall in this years draft. If Tomoyuki Sugano isnt the best pitcher in Japan then its probably Senga. The 20-year-old is extremely mature at the plate and leverages his favored counts really well, looking for a pitch that he can get the head of the bat out on and rarely missing the mistakes. A high-floor offensive profile along with plus speed and a solid above-average glove, that can play all over the diamond, McLain is yet another safe prospect in this Reds system who you fans can still hope for fringe All Star upside. The Buffaloes are preparing to post their superstar to MLB, but Yoshida gave his franchise one last gift, helping lead the team to their first Japan Series title since 1996. Click here to get started. The pitch has flashed plus, but was inconsistent this season. After three seasons with the Seattle Mariners, Kikuchi signed a three-year, $36 million contract with Toronto in the off-season. Play Ball Youth Baseball & Softball. A high contact rate, phenomenal approach and above average power give Vargas as safe of an offensive profile as youll find with enough upside to get excited about. That said, Greens swing is more line drive-oriented which is not necessarily a bad thing provided his elite speed. Opposing hitters from both sides of the plate have slashed just .110/.197/.174 against the pitch this season. While Meyers only plus pitch is his slider, it has a chance to be one of the best sliders in baseball. A good athlete with big raw power that he has already tapped into in games, Pages has launched 57 homers in his last two seasons. The Venezuela native has the upside of a fringe All-Star if he continues to develop offensively. Statcast Leaders Baseball Savant Top Prospect Stats. Colas found more consistency with his swing as the season went on, driving the ball in the air more frequently while using the whole field. Elite contact rates and a knack for getting on base give Frelick a high floor with enough impact to rack up plenty of extra base hits. Like a true catcher, OHoppe really gets into his legs with his stance and actually sinks even deeper into his lower half in his load. Prospect Rankings Depth Charts MLB Players Association . Even when the stuff isnt all the way there, Priesters above average command and five pitch mix helps him turn in quality starts. He is rangy with actions that have continuously become smoother along with an 80 grade arm. Assuming Alcantara adds more strength and continues his maturity as a hitter, the offensive outcomes for the young outfielder are really limitless. It would not be crazy to expect Alvarez to break in with the Mets early next season and while there may be some swing and miss in the early stages of his MLB career, his swing is just too good and too quick for whiffs to permanently hold him down. He also throws a fastball, two-seamer, cutter, and curveball. The progress the 22-year-old has made behind the dish in tandem with his offensive onslaught has him looking like the catcher of the future for the Guardians. For one, he's a former teammate of Shohei Ohtani who has been on teams' radars for years as a result. Height/Weight: 511, 195|Bat/Throw: R/R|IFA: $25K (2018) TOR|ETA: 2022. With decent defensive tools across the board, Valera should be a fine defender in a corner outfield spot. The tweaks helped Dominguez see the ball earlier and control his body much better. 3 or even No. The 22-year-old picked up just a dozen bags in his first 100 games of the season, but should be more of a base stealer as he gets more comfortable on the base paths at the upper levels. Built-in deception and a high spin fastball helps Waldichuk pick up Ks in bunches, despite his secondaries being just average or slightly above. Like many young hitters who have a strong feel to hit, Rocchio can at times be a bit too swing-happy, swinging at tough pitches early in counts. The result is a barrel path that essentially lives in the zone and allows him to drive balls to all parts of the zone with relative ease. He has the goods to be one of the better offensive catchers in the game. He didnt always have pinpoint control and his 57 walks were the most in the PL. There was no sugar coating how concerning things looked for Dominguez in 2021, however 2022 has served as a perfect example as to why you do not close the door on talented teenagers after a tough seasonespecially when they have the expectations and pressure placed on them like Dominguez did. His long legs move quickly, making it seem like he is taking three steps between bases. The outfielder has no problem hitting the ball where its pitched and has shown an easy ability to leave the yard from foul pole to foul pole. He has good feel for the change and it gives him another bat-missing pitch. Though his cutterish slider is more of an above average pitch, Williams uses the pitch frequently against righties as a weak contact inducer that he lands for a strike more frequently than his big curve. At this point, Matos bat-to-ball skills are almost a double-edged sword; on one hand, he is able to spoil tough pitches in two-strike counts, playing a big part in his minuscule 12% K-rate, but on the flip side, Matos will produce weak contact swinging at a ball off the plate early in the count that most other hitters would whiff and recalibrate. However, some of the leading contenders for the title of best baseball player in Japan include Ichiro Suzuki, Shohei Ohtani, and Kenta Maeda. The offensive-minded catcher has exciting upside and a track record of hitting through the minors. By ambushing fastballs with 56 home runs depending on his approach older prospect, Busch had... 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