Each team's most decorated prospect, 2010-19
We scanned each of our preseason Top 100 lists from the 2010s to try to find each club's most noteworthy and decorated prospect. This was accomplished by calculating how many Prospect Points each phenom collected with each franchise. A No. 1 ranking equated to 100 Prospect Points, a No. 2 ranking to 99 and so on down to the No. 100 ranking amounting to one.
Brewers second baseman Keston Hiura is the lone four-year college product on our team-by-team list below, a reflection of the fact that international and high school signees turn pro at a younger age and require more time to develop, thus affording them more opportunities to make a Top 100 list. Right-hander Brent Honeywell is the only player who has yet to reach the big leagues, in large part because he had Tommy John surgery in 2018 and broke his elbow in 2019, which gave him an additional year on the Top 100 that allowed him to edge out Willy Adames as our most decorated Ray.
AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST
Blue Jays: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 3B
2017: 34 | 2018: 3 | 2019: 1
One of the most hyped prospects in recent memory (if not ever), Vlad Jr. opened 2019 as MLB Pipeline¡¯s No. 1 prospect and garnered national attention when he made his highly anticipated big league debut as a 20-year-old in late April. He scuffled a bit out of the gate but improved as the season unfolded, slashing .272/.339/.433 with 15 homers and 69 RBIs in 123 games with Toronto to finish sixth in the American League Rookie of the Year voting. He also put on a power clinic during a runner-up finish at the Home Run Derby in July and recorded three of the 10 hardest-hit balls in the Majors in 2019, including a 118.9 mph laser that ranked second only to Giancarlo Stanton (120.6).
Orioles: Dylan Bundy, RHP
2012: 10 | 2013: 2 | 2014: 20 | 2015: 20
The No. 4 overall pick of the 2011 Draft and was a top 10 prospect in 2012. He rose as high as No. 2 the following year and spent two more years at No. 20, even while missing a year following Tommy John surgery. He has spent the last three years as a durable, albeit inconsistent starter in a big league rotation. He¡¯ll get a fresh start with the Angels following the trade that sent him to Anaheim in December for four Minor Leaguers.
Rays: Brent Honeywell Jr., RHP
2016: 43 | 2017: 31 | 2018: 12 | 2019: 28
While Honeywell was a fixture on the Top 100 during the second half of the decade, he¡¯s also the only player in this article without big league experience. He was ranked by MLB Pipeline as the No. 12 overall prospect going into 2018 and seemed poised to contribute in the big leagues early in the season after finishing the previous year in Triple-A. But Tommy John surgery (Feb. 2018) and another surgery to repair a fracture in Honeywell¡¯s right elbow (June 2019) -- an injury suffered towards the end of his TJ rehab process -- cost him all of 2018-19, and he¡¯s likely to open 2020 -- his age-25 season -- behind schedule as he continues to recover from the second surgery.
Red Sox: Xander Bogaerts, SS
2012: 76 | 2013: 20 | 2014: 2
The Red Sox's best international prospect since Hanley Ramirez, Bogaerts first cracked the Top 100 after hitting 16 homers and posting an .834 OPS in Class A at age 18 in 2011. He swiftly rose to Boston, finishing 2013 in the big leagues while learning third base on the fly and playing a key role in a World Series championship that October.
Yankees: Gary Sánchez, C
2011: 32 | 2012: 53 | 2013: 36 | 2014: 47 | 2015: 59
Interestingly Sanchez debuted at No. 32 in 2011 after making his U.S. debut and never ranked quite that high again in any of the next four years. While his huge power and strong arm were always evident, there also were persistent concerns about his hitting ability, receiving and work ethic.
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AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL
Indians: Francisco Lindor, SS
2012: 32 | 2013: 14 | 2014: 10 | 2015: 4
Lindor ranked as one of baseball's best prospects as soon as the Indians selected him eighth overall in the loaded 2011 Draft, but even so he was undervalued. Scouts correctly nailed his hitting ability and Gold Glove defense, but no one saw perennial 30-homer power coming after he went deep 21 times in 416 Minor League games.
Royals: Wil Myers, C/OF
2010: 33 | 2011: 16 | 2012: 19
A third-round pick from the North Carolina prep ranks in 2009, Myers represented the Royals on the Top 100 for three straight years before they packaged him with three other prospects to get James Shields and Wade Davis from Tampa Bay in December 2012. He garnered American League Rookie of the Years honors with the Rays the following year, but struggled to stay healthy in 2014 and was dealt to San Diego in a three-team trade with Washington after the season. Declining production has defined Myers¡¯ Padres tenure, and he had his worst non-injured season to date in 2019 (-0.3 WAR).
Tigers: Jacob Turner, RHP
2010: 42 | 2011: 15 | 2012: 15
Viewed as a future front-of-the-rotation complement to Justin Verlander when the Tigers made him the No. 9 overall pick in the 2010 Draft, Turner appeared to be on his way toward reaching that potential when he made his big league debut two years later at age 20. But the three-time MLB Pipeline Top 100 prospect -- he was ranked No. 15 overall in back-to-back years (2011-12) -- struggled during his time in Detroit, and the Tigers dealt him to Miami ahead of the ¡¯12 Trade Deadline. And while Turner did bounce back with a career-best season as a starter in ¡¯13, ongoing control problems relegated him to the bullpen the next year, and he¡¯s pitched only sparingly in the Majors since a right shoulder injury wiped out his entire 2015 campaign.
Twins: Byron Buxton, OF
2013: 19 | 2014: 1 | 2015: 1 | 2016: 2
Buxton spent two years as the No. 1 prospect and another one at No. 2 after debuting in the top 20 in 2013, the year after the Twins made him the second pick in the Draft. Injuries have slowed him down, though he¡¯s now spent parts of five years in the big leagues. When he¡¯s been healthy, he¡¯s started to put his tremendous tools to use, winning a Gold Glove and even getting some MVP votes in 2017.
White Sox: Michael Kopech, RHP
2017: 16 | 2018: 10 | 2019: 18
Kopech has ranked among the game's top pitching prospects ever since the White Sox acquired him and Yoan Moncada as the headliners in the Chris Sale trade with the Red Sox at the 2016 Winter Meetings. He has a history of overpowering hitters with an upper-90s fastball and upper-80s slider, and he once again will sit near the top of the 2020 Top 100 after missing all of last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery.
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AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST
A's: Franklin Barreto, SS/2B
2015: 85 | 2016: 23 | 2017: 52 | 2018: 66
The Blue Jays made the initial investment in Barreto, signing him for $1.45 million in July 2012. But they dealt him to the A¡¯s in November 2014 as part of the package that netted Toronto Josh Donaldson. Barreto cracked the Top 100 prior to his first season with his new organization in 2015 and made it into the top 25 the following year. He hasn¡¯t been able to establish himself in Oakland, but does have a shot at the second base job this spring.
Angels: Mike Trout, OF
2011: 1 | 2012: 3
He didn¡¯t spend that much time as a prospect, making his Major League debut at age 19, just over two years after being taken No. 25 in the 2009 Draft. Back then, we only had Top 50 lists and he wasn¡¯t on the 2010 preseason list. But he debuted in the top spot in 2011. When he narrowly missed losing rookie status that year, we were able to rank him in the top three one last time in 2012. He¡¯s been pretty good since.
Astros: Kyle Tucker, OF
2016: 74 | 2017: 35 | 2018: 17 | 2019: 8
Tucker cracked the Top 100 immediately after the Astros made him the fifth overall pick in the 2015 Draft and kept climbing the charts as he climbed through the Minors. He recorded consecutive 20-20 seasons in 2017-18 before a 30-30 year in 2019, when he graduated from prospect status in the eighth inning of the final game of the regular season.
Mariners: Taijuan Walker, RHP
2012: 18 | 2013: 5 | 2014: 6
Walker was the second-highest rated pitching prospect behind two other arms in this group, trailing Dylan Bundy in 2013 and Archie Bradley a year later. The two-time Futures Gamer spent most of the 2015-16 seasons in the Mariners' rotation before being dealt to the D-backs, where he had his best overall campaign in 2017. Tommy John surgery cost him nearly all of the 2018 and 2019 seasons.
Rangers: Martín Pérez, LHP
2010: 18 | 2011: 23 | 2012: 29 | 2013: 95
It seems like a long time ago, but Perez rated as one of baseball's top lefty pitching prospects for the first three years of the previous decade and made a fourth appearance on the Top 100. He showcased three plus pitches and reached the Majors at age 21, but he never developed as much command or missed as many bats as hoped.
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NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST
Braves: Julio Teheran, RHP
2010: 34 | 2011: 10 | 2012: 4 | 2013: 31
Teheran was in the top 50 for four straight years and was the second-best pitching prospect on the 2012 list, behind only Matt Moore. He made his big league debut in 2011 at age 20 and established himself in the rotation in 2013, when he finished fifth in National League Rookie of the Year voting. He made All-Star teams in 2014 and 2016 and stayed in Atlanta until signing with the Angels this offseason.
Marlins: Christian Yelich, OF
2012: 35 | 2013: 13
The Marlins didn't have a prospect make more than two Top 100s in the decade, and Yelich's two appearances at No. 13 and No. 35 were significantly higher than those of Andrew Heaney, Jake Marisnick or Justin Nicolino. He easily made the transition from high school first baseman to pro center fielder, batting .320/.394/.499 in only two full seasons in the Minors while hinting at the power that eventually would make him a Triple Crown threat.
Mets: Noah Syndergaard, RHP
2013: 29 | 2014: 11 | 2015: 10
Acquired from Toronto along with Travis d¡¯Arnaud and two other players in the December 2012 R.A. Dickey trade, Syndergaard¡¯s Top 100 rank improved in each of his three years on the list. He finished fourth in the Rookie of the Year voting in 2015 and played a key role in the Mets¡¯ National League title run that year, then garnered All-Star honors and a top-10 finish in the Cy Young Award voting the following year. Surgery to repair a right lat injury derailed Syndergaard¡¯s 2017 campaign, but he made a healthy return in ¡¯18, posting a 3.03 ERA over 25 starts, and worked a career-high 197 2/3 innings last season, albeit with mixed results.
Nationals: Victor Robles, OF
2016: 63 | 2017: 8 | 2018: 6 | 2019: 4
A breakout campaign in 2016 propelled Robles into the conversation as one of baseball¡¯s top prospects, and he made the Nationals postseason roster the following year after debuting as a September callup. While a left arm injury kept Robles -- whom Washington signed for $225,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2013 -- from an everyday role in 2018, he ran away with the Nats¡¯ center field job in ¡¯19, finishing sixth in the National League Rookie of the Year race after posting the fifth-highest WAR (4.1) among all rookies.
Phillies: J.P. Crawford, SS
2015: 21 | 2016: 5 | 2017: 7 | 2018: 37
It might have felt like Crawford was a prospect forever, and he did make the Top 100 four years in a row, including back-to-back top 10 appearances in 2016 and '17. After a couple of shots in Philadelphia in 2017 and 2018, the two-time Futures Gamer was sent to the Mariners after that second offseason as part of the trade that made Jean Seguara a Phillies infielder. Crawford was slowed by a sprained ankle and still hasn¡¯t shown the ability to handle big league pitching, but he¡¯s still only 25.
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NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL
Brewers: Keston Hiura, 2B
2018: 56 | 2019: 20
The most revered hitter in the 2017 Draft, Hiura raked his way up to the Major Leagues in under two years, slashing .317/.382/.546 across 222 MiLB games after being selected by the Brewers with the ninth overall pick. He posted similar numbers as a 22-year-old rookie, too, compiling a .303/.368/.570 line with 19 homers and 23 doubles over 84 games as part of a 2.1-WAR campaign. What¡¯s more, the UC Irvine product is the only player from a four-year college to appear on this list.
Cardinals: Alex Reyes, RHP
2016: 13 | 2017: 6 | 2018: 18 | 2019: 33
Though he was unranked on the 2015 Top 100 list, Reyes entered the mix at No. 13 the next year and flashed his potential while serving as a late-inning weapon out of the Cardinals¡¯ bullpen down the stretch. But the right-hander has totaled just seven innings in the Majors since then, missing large swaths of time with various injuries including Tommy John surgery that wiped out his entire 2017 campaign and a portion of the next. He made a healthy return to the big leagues in June 2018, only to leave his first start with a torn right lat tendon that required season-ending surgery, and the Cardinals shut him down for the season again last June due to a right pectoral injury.
Cubs: Albert Almora Jr., OF
2013: 39 | 2014: 18 | 2015: 57 | 2016: 86 | 2017: 76
Almora peaked early at No. 18 in 2014 before questions arose about his power and ultimate offensive impact. The Cubs were loaded with position prospects throughout the last decade, and Almora barely edged the likes of Javier Baez, Jorge Soler and Kris Bryant. Former Cubs farmhands Eloy Jimenez and Gleyber Torres eclipsed Almora with their two-organization totals.
Pirates: Jameson Taillon, RHP
2011: 18 | 2012: 8 | 2013: 15 | 2014: 16 | 2015: 31 | 2016: 54
Taken No. 2 overall in the 2010 Draft, Taillon is the only player to be in the Top 100 for six seasons. Injuries were the main culprit as he missed two full seasons in 2014-15 because of Tommy John surgery and then an inguinal hernia suffered during rehab. He proved he was worth the wait with a solid rookie season in 2016 and after a very strong 2018 season, and there was hope he was on his way to becoming a star when he needed a second TJ surgery in 2019.
Reds: Robert Stephenson, RHP
2013: 51 | 2014: 19 | 2015: 24 | 2016: 35 | 2017: 87
A part of the five-timers club, Stephenson hit the top 100 for the first time in 2013 and didn¡¯t leave it until 2017. Scouts loved his pure power stuff and hoped he¡¯d figure it out as a starter, but the 2011 first-rounder¡¯s command issues held him back. A permanent move to the bullpen in 2019 seems to have allowed him to establish himself in the big leagues.
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NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST
D-backs: Archie Bradley, RHP
2012: 20 | 2013: 24 | 2014: 5 | 2015: 15 | 2016: 72
A five-time member of MLB Pipeline¡¯s Top 100, Bradley ranked inside the Top 25 for four straight years and reached as high as No. 5 on the list in 2014. His continued struggles as a starter during his first two big league campaigns (5.34 ERA across 35 starts) prompted a move to the bullpen in 2017, and since then, the right-hander has worked 215 innings of 2.80-ERA ball while averaging 10.0 K/9. He¡¯s tossed at least 70 frames in each of his three seasons as a reliever and recorded a career-high 19 saves in 2019.
Dodgers: Corey Seager, SS
2014: 34 | 2015: 7 | 2016: 1
Byron Buxton ranked No. 1 on five consecutive preseason and midseason Top 100s until Seager dethroned him at the start of 2016. He won the Minor League batting crown (.349) and Class A Advanced California League MVP award in 2014, then destroyed Double-A, thrived as the second-youngest regular (age 21) in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League and posted a .986 OPS as a September callup in 2015.
Giants: Kyle Crick, RHP
2013: 86 | 2014: 32 | 2015: 79
One of the more surprising names on this list, Crick looked like a potential power mid-rotation starter in the middle of the last decade before control difficulties eventually landed him in the bullpen. He went from three straight Top 100 nods in 2013-15 to not even making our Giants Top 30 in 2017, then got traded to the Pirates in the Andrew McCutchen deal a year later.
Padres: Fernando Tatis Jr., SS
2018: 8 | 2019: 2
Tatis¡¯ prospect stock was already on the rise when the Padres acquired him from the White Sox in the famously lopsided June 2016 James Shields deal. It wasn¡¯t long after that before the dynamic shortstop earnestly emerged as one of the game¡¯s top prospects, and he made the jump straight from Double-A to the Major Leagues in 2019, cracking the Padres¡¯ Opening Day roster as a 20-year-old. Injuries plagued Tatis as a rookie, with a left hamstring strain, as well as a stress reaction in his lower back, limiting him to just 84 games. However, he still managed to generate 4.2 WAR -- slashing .317/.379/.590 with 22 homers and 16 steals -- en route to a third-place finish in the National League Rookie of the Year voting.
Rockies: Brendan Rodgers, 2B/SS
2016: 12 | 2017: 15 | 2018: 15 | 2019: 10
If it weren¡¯t for a torn labrum that shut him down and required surgery, Rodgers would have graduated from prospect lists in 2019. He¡¯s yet to establish himself in the big leagues, but there¡¯s still a lot of faith that his bat is going to play in Colorado thanks to his bat speed and power potential. We¡¯ll have to wait a bit before seeing him back out there in 2020, but expect him to graduate from prospect status before the season is over.