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Toolshed: Reasons for NL systems to give thanks

Phils' young arms, Reds' high Draft picks should make fans grateful
Nick Senzel totaled 57 extra-base hits in 119 games between Class A Advanced and Double-A. (Barrett McClean/Pensacola Blue Wahoos)
November 22, 2017

All 30 Major League farm systems have strengths and weaknesses. On Thanksgiving week, Toolshed explores for what each organization should be most grateful. Tuesday's edition covered the American League systems. This covers the National League.NL EastAtlanta Braves: Ronald Acuña Jr. and arms -- On one hand, this won't be the most

All 30 Major League farm systems have strengths and weaknesses. On Thanksgiving week, Toolshed explores for what each organization should be most grateful. Tuesday's edition covered the American League systems. This covers the National League.

NL East


Atlanta Braves: Ronald Acuña Jr. and arms -- On one hand, this won't be the most joyful Thanksgiving for the Braves faithful. Major League Baseball brought down the hammer Tuesday, removing 13 prospects from the farm system, including Kevin Maitan, as a result of its investigation into the 2016-17 international signing period. But if there was a farm system that can have that happen and still maintain a healthy dose of optimism, it's the Braves'. It still boasts the Breakout Prospect of the Year in Acuna and some of the game's most promising arms in Kolby Allard, Mike Soroka, Kyle Wright, Ian Anderson, Luiz Gohara and Joey Wentz (to name a few). What will also make this Thanksgiving different than others is the feeling that Atlanta's youth movement will bear more fruit in 2018, joining Gohara, Dansby Swanson and Ozzie Albies as cornerstones at the top level.

Miami Marlins: Coming additions -- The Marlins are bound to make plenty of headlines under new CEO Derek Jeter, and the beneficiary should be the club's farm system. NL MVP Giancarlo Stanton is the biggest name consistently mentioned in trade rumors, but second baseman Dee Gordon also is said to be available. Either would bring a solid package of prospects to a system in dire need of some. Braxton Garrett and Tyler Kolek, the club's first-round picks in 2014 and 2016, both missed significant time following Tommy John surgery. Brian Anderson and Dillon Peters provided some hope this season and 2017 first-rounder Trevor Rogers has the size and stuff to dream on, but an injection of talent would be most welcome for a system without a top-100 prospect.
New York Mets: Amed Rosario is a Major Leaguer -- Rosario has been hyped as the Next Big Thing coming to Flushing and was considered MLB.com's No. 2 overall prospect before his debut on Aug. 1. His first taste of the Majors didn't go especially well -- he hit .248/.271/.394 with four homers in 46 games -- but he did provide his typical impressive defense at shortstop and added seven stolen bases. What's more, a finger injury may have held him back from showing his true offensive potential. At minimum, Rosario's road to development seems over and he'll be the tacked-on starting shortstop come Opening Day. At a time when so much is up in the air in Queens, it should be a comfort that the future has arrived at at least one position.
Philadelphia Phillies: Low-level arms -- The development and arrival of Rhys Hoskins, J.P. Crawford, Nick Williams and Jorge Alfaro should be cause for celebration in the City of Brotherly Love. But when it comes to players who will technically still be in the farm system next spring, look no further than the crop of pitching prospects Philly is developing at the lower levels. Sixto Sanchez, with his plus velocity and impressive control, should be the primary driver of that enthusiasm following his age-18 season, while JoJo Romero, Adonis Medina and Ranger Suárez all impressed at Class A Advanced or below. The Phils would love to see that quartet stick together as a strong rotation the higher it climbs, but this type of pitching depth at any level is special.
Washington Nationals: Victor Robles causing a lot of problems -- This'll be true, to varying degrees, for both the Nationals and their opponents. Robles is in the discussion for the game's top overall prospect because he's turning himself into a true five-tool threat. Washington obviously paid attention to the 20-year-old by bringing him up straight from Double-A Harrisburg in September in time for his skills, particularly on the bases and in the field, to be utilized during its postseason run. Even after playing into October, Robles remained a standout in the Arizona Fall League, where he hit three homers and stole seven bases in 13 games. The Nats' problem will be trying to find a spot for him. Michael A. Taylor became a three-win player as the club's starting center fielder down the stretch, but there's a chance he'll have to move once Adam Eaton returns healthy in 2018. With Bryce Harper locked down in right for one more season, there doesn't look to be immediate room for Robles, even if Jayson Werth won't return. These things have a way of figuring themselves out, however, and the Nationals will gladly take this kind of problem as they get set to go all-in before Harper hits free agency.

NL Central


Chicago Cubs: The arrival of Adbert Alzolay -- The 22-year-old right-hander wasn't much on anyone's radar and wasn't even ranked among the Cubs' top 30 prospects entering the season. He's shot up to No. 3 and could go higher when MLB.com's list is updated this offseason, thanks to an uptick in velocity that has him throwing in the mid-90s. Alzolay posted a 2.99 ERA with 108 strikeouts and 34 walks over 114 1/3 innings between Class A Advanced Myrtle Beach and Double-A Tennessee, numbers that backed up the jump in stuff. The Cubs have lost plenty of prospects in the best way, i.e. through graduation to the Majors, leaving the farm in fairly rough shape. But in Alzolay, Chicago has another piece who could impact the big club, as early as next summer.
Cincinnati Reds: No. 2 overall picks -- The Reds had the second pick in the Draft in 2016 and 2017, and while it's still early, it'd be tough to do much better with either selection. Nick Senzel (2016) has a claim to the Minors' best hit tool after batting .321 with a .905 OPS in 119 games in his first full season. (His numbers were even better at Double-A Pensacola with a .340/.413/.560 line.) That said, Senzel is the only reason 2017 No. 2 pick Hunter Greene isn't the top prospect in the system. The 18-year-old right-hander was highly lauded for his triple-digit velocity and projectability entering the Draft, making him almost a no-brainer for Cincy after Minnesota took Royce Lewis first overall. The news has gotten even better with Greene saying he'll concentrate fully on his work on the mound after flirting with the idea of splitting his time at shortstop. Between Senzel and Greene, the Reds have one of the most enviable 1-2 punches in prospectdom. They just happened to get both with the same pick, one year apart.
Milwaukee Brewers: Monte Harrison's arrival -- The Brewers took Harrison 50th overall in the 2014 Draft and talked him out of playing Nebraska football, only to see an ankle injury hold him back in 2015, a broken hamate cut his 2016 season and general ineffectiveness while on the field keep his stock low entering 2017. The 22-year-old outfielder looks like a potential five-tool star again after hitting .272/.350/.481 with 21 homers and 27 steals in 122 games between Class A Wisconsin and Class A Advanced Carolina. Harrison earned a trip to the Fall League, where he stood out again with a .283/.333/.604 line in 13 games. Beyond the bat, he's got good range for center and the cannon to be effective from anywhere in the outfield. It may have been a make-or-break year for Harrison, and he certainly responded.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Mitch Keller -- The 21-year-old right-hander may have entered 2017 as MLB.com's No. 48 overall prospect coming off a breakout season, but questions remained about how he could maintain his results over a second year of full-season ball. He answered those questions well, showing effectiveness with a 3.03 ERA and 116 strikeouts over 116 innings along with impressive control in limiting his walks to 32. A back injury kept him from making every start with Class A Advanced Bradenton and Double-A Altoona, but he made up for some of that with 23 2/3 frames in the AFL. Keller's fastball-curve mix has the chance to be special, and if he figures out how to throw an effective changeup, he has top-of-the-rotation potential. With Gerrit Cole the subject of trade rumors and Tyler Glasnow still struggling to find Major League results, Bucs fans could use a top young arm to believe in, and they have one in Keller.
St. Louis Cardinals: Jack Flaherty -- Before the season started, the Cardinals received rough pitching prospect news when Alex Reyes underwent Tommy John surgery in February. Flaherty's development in becoming MLB.com's No. 47 overall prospect was the perfect distraction. The 22-year-old right-hander saw his velocity jump into the mid-90s, and the numbers backed that up. Flaherty compiled a 2.18 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 147 strikeouts and 35 walks over 148 2/3 innings between Double-A Springfield and Triple-A Memphis. His trip to the Majors didn't go nearly as well (6.33 ERA in six appearances), but there's no doubting he's a legit option going forward after some years of mediocrity, even if it's as a trade piece.

NL West


Arizona Diamondbacks: Jon Duplantier -- There were a lot of reasons to be down on the D-backs system entering 2017. MiLB.com even called the system the worst in the game in March, but Duplantier gave Arizona fans hope. The 23-year-old right-hander led the Minors with a 1.39 ERA and recorded165 strikeouts over 136 innings between Class A Kane County and Class A Advanced Visalia. Those were more than enough for him to earn the MiLBY for Top Starting Pitcher. A 2016 third-round pick out of Rice, Duplantier may not have had the most aggressive assignments in 2017, but he took advantage in a way no one else did in the Minors. Arizona fans no doubt were distracted by the Major League club's success, but Duplantier's ascension and the arrival of first-rounder Pavin Smith give the organization two top-100 prospects. Don't expect to see them in the No. 30 spot in the next Farm System Rankings.
Colorado Rockies: Infielders -- Quick, name two Rockies prospects. The first two to come to mind should be all-around infielder Ryan McMahon and shortstop/second baseman Brendan Rodgers. McMahon climbed to the Majors, thanks to a breakout .355/.403/.583 line, 20 homers, eight triples and 39 doubles in 119 games at Double-A Hartford and Triple-A Albuquerque, and he should compete for the starting first base job next spring. Rodgers remains the system's top prospect, thanks to his above-average hit and power tools at premium middle-infield positions. But there's more depth on the dirt. No. 4 prospect Colton Welker hit .350 with a .901 OPS in 67 games with Class A Asheville. No. 7 prospect Ryan Vilade was a Pioneer League All-Star after hitting .308/.438/.496 in 33 games in the same year he was drafted in the second round; and No. 8 prospect Garrett Hampson was fourth in the Minors with 51 steals for Lancaster. It's not just solid prospects playing the infield in this system, it's solid prospects with loud tools.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Walker Buehler is healthy, effective -- The Dodgers finished one win from a World Series title and will be racking their brains to figure out how to get over the hump in 2018. Having a potential top starting pitcher who's Major League-ready should help. Buehler was the Dodgers' first-round pick in 2015 but couldn't get things going in earnest until this spring because of Tommy John surgery. He surged through the system, posting a 3.35 ERA with 125 strikeouts over 88 2/3 innings across three levels, before making his big league debut in September. With a plus fastball and impressive breaking options, the 23-year-old right-hander has the stuff to replicate those results at the highest level. First, he'll have to work on getting deeper into starts -- the Dodgers kept him from throwing more than 5 1/3 innings in any outing this year in order to maintain his health. But in a world where anything can happen after Tommy John surgery, having Buehler look like a real Major League option this quickly is an exciting proposition for an already exciting club.
San Diego Padres: Fort Wayne TinCaps youngsters -- This space could be dedicated solely to Fernando Tatis Jr.'s surge as a power-speed prospect after his breakout season. It also could point out that the Padres should be thankful for the emergence of Michel Baez and Adrian Morejon as two of their top three pitching prospects in their first stateside seasons. So why not include all three, each of whom contributed for Fort Wayne? The Padres have perhaps the longest view of the ongoing rebuilds, but they've got three high-ceiling building blocks in Tatis, Baez and Morejon who've already produced results at the first rung of the full-season ladder.
San Francisco Giants: Heliot Ramos -- The Giants nabbed the Puerto Rican center fielder with the 19th overall pick in June, and it hasn't taken him long to impress on the mainland. Ramos hit .348/.404/.645 with six homers, six triples, 11 doubles and 10 steals in 35 games in the complex-level Arizona League, showing the above-average power and speed that made him a top 2017 Draft talent in the first place. There are questions about all of the top prospects in the Giants system right now, so none might evoke the same excitement level that Ramos does. Of course, San Francisco is always being mentioned in Stanton-sized trades, and Ramos undoubtedly will be tied in with those rumors. Maybe Giants fans should be thankful he's in the organization -- for now.

Sam Dykstra is a reporter for MiLB.com. Follow and interact with him on Twitter, @SamDykstraMiLB.