Kinda scary when out top competition in the AL this year also has so many more top and or better prospects...
NYY: 6, 38, 41, 59, 77, 81
HOU: 10, 15, 62, 76
CLE: 20, 33
BOS: 83, 85
(Also, 6 of the top 21 prospects are in the AL East- none with the Sox.)
Last edited by moonslav59; 01-23-2018 at 12:58 PM.
Players 25 and under
Boston:
Betts
Bogey
ERod
Beni
Devers
NYY
Judge
Sanchez
Montgmoery
Severino
Torreyes
Bird
Frazier
HOU
Bregman
Fisher
McCullers
Correa
CLE
Ramirez
Lindor
Meritt
I totally agree. They've been very competitive per dollar spent.
They were masters of the system of gaining supplemental picks. Here's an example of them at their best (but note how many of these picks have not produced):
2011 Draft--10 picks in the top 60!
1 (24) Taylor Guerrieri (for losing Carl Crawford)
1 (31) Mikie Mahtook (for Rafael Soriano)
1 (32) Jake Hager
1S (38) Brandon Martin (for Soriano)
1S (41) Tyler Goeddel (for Crawford)
1S (42) Jeff Ames (for Grant Balfour)
1S (52) Blake Snell (for Brad Hawpe)
1S (56) Kes Carter (for Joaquin Benoit)
1S (59) Grayson Garvin (for randy Choate)
1S (60) James Harris Jr (for Chad Qualls)
2 (75) Granden Goetzman (for Balfour)
2 (89) Lenny Linsky
This was shockingly unprecedented, but largely squandered.
The Rays biggest strength is choosing the right young players to extend early and getting them to agree. They are also very good at choosing the exact right time to let players go by trading them or getting comp picks. Many of their past players have career years with the Rays and then go elsewhere and suck. Another thing they often get right is signing cheap (sometimes even journeymen) free agents who go on to have career years.
They may do better with lower round picks, but I listed the many top picks chosen in the legendary 2011 draft, and here are others:
2017: Brendan McKay (4) [39th in BA 2018]
2016: Josh Lowe (10)
2015: Garrett Whitley (13)
2014: Casey Gillaspie (20)
2013: Nick Ciuffo (21) & Ryne Stanek (29)
2012: Ricjie Shaffer (25)
2010: Joshua Sale (17)
2009: LeVon Washington (30)
2008: Tim Beckham (1)
2007: David Price (1)
2006: Evan Longoria (3)
2005: Wade Townsend (8)
2004: Jeff Niemann (4)
2003: Delmon Young (1)
2002: BJ Upton (2)
2001: Dewon Brazelton (3)
They have struck gold on draft picks, mostly long ago, when they had top picks, but I would not say it is their strength.
Sort of like how the Dodgers, while they always seem to have a good farm, have developed this new knack for taking utility infielders and turning them into All Stars...