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Justin Williams wrapped up our third straight lopsided vote. I think that pattern will end — the lopsided part, anyway.
Next week, we’ll be back on the typical Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule, and we’ll start moving things along a little faster.
2018 Community prospect list
| Rank | Player | Votes | Total | Percentage | Last season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Player | Votes | Total | Percentage | Last season |
| 1 | RHP Brent Honeywell | 24 | 33 | 72.7% | 2 |
| 2 | SS Willy Adames | 23 | 24 | 95.8% | 1 |
| 3 | 1B/LHP Brendan McKay | 16 | 34 | 47.1% | N/A |
| 4 | OF Jesus Sanchez | 26 | 35 | 74.3% | 9 |
| 5 | 1B/OF Jake Bauers | 29 | 39 | 74.4% | 4 |
| 6 | OF Justin Williams | 24 | 35 | 68.6% | 17 |
| 7 | IF Christian Arroyo | 19 | 38 | 50.0% | N/A |
| 8 | OF Garrett Whitley | 15 | 36 | 41.7% | 15 |
| 9 | LHP Anthony Banda | Special | election | N/A | |
| 10 | RHP Jose De Leon | 15 | 33 | 45.5% | 3 |
| 11 | OF Joshua Lowe | 13 | 30 | 43.3% | 7 |
| 12 | SS Lucius Fox | 16 | 36 | 44.4% | 13 |
| 13 | SS Wander Franco | 13 | 35 | 37.1% | N/A |
| 14 | RHP Austin Franklin | 17 | 33 | 51.5% | 22 |
| 15 | RHP Tobias Myers | 11 | 32 | 34.4% | N/A |
| 16 | 2B Nick Solak | Special | election | N/A | |
| 17 | RHP Michael Mercado | 7 | 27 | 25.9% | N/A |
| 18 | 1B/OF Joe McCarthy | 9 | 33 | 27.3% | 25 |
| 19 | 2B Brandon Lowe | 7 | 31 | 22.6% | N/R |
| 20 | RHP Chih-Wei Hu | 8 | 28 | 28.6% | 6 |
| 21 | RHP Jaime Schultz | 9 | 32 | 28.1% | 12 |
| 22 | C Ronaldo Hernandez | 11 | 30 | 36.7% | N/R |
| 23 | RHP Diego Castillo | 9 | 25 | 36.0% | 50 |
| 24 | RHP Yonny Chirinos | 12 | 28 | 42.9% | 41 |
| 25 | 2B Vidal Brujan | 10 | 28 | 35.7% | N/R |
| 26 | RHP Ryne Stanek | 8 | 25 | 32.0% | 20 |
| 27 | LHP Resly Linares | 7 | 26 | 26.9% | 47 |
| 28 | LHP Genesis Cabrera | 12 | 27 | 44.4% | 23 |
| 29 | 3B Kevin Padlo | 9 | 27 | 33.3% | 14 |
| 30 | LHP Ryan Yarbrough | 13 | 29 | 44.8% | 19 |
| 31 | LHP Brock Burke | N/R | |||
| 32 | RHP Drew Strotman | N/A | |||
| 33 | SS Jermaine Palacios | N/A | |||
| 34 | C Brett Sullivan | 26 | |||
| 35 | C Nick Ciuffo | 24 | |||
| 36 | OF Ryan Boldt | 38 | |||
| 37 | IF Carlos Vargas | 27 | |||
| 38 | 3B Adrian Rondon | 11 | |||
| 39 | LHP Travis Ott | 40 | |||
| 40 | RHP Curtis Taylor | N/A |
IF Christian Arroyo (R/R, 6’1 180, 23 in 2018)
2017 statistics with San Francisco: 135 PA, .192/.244/.304, 8 XBH, 5.9 BB%, 30.5 K%
2017 statistics with Triple-A Sacramento: 102 PA, .396/.461/.604, 4 HR, 11 XBH, 5.9 BB%, 11.8 K%
The biggest problem for Arroyo in 2017 was likely not his struggles in his brief big league debut, but the hand injury that required surgery in November to address. He was hit in that hand twice during the season. Defensively, he should be able to handle second or third base, and he’ll need his hit tool to carry him. He’s not too selective, but he is a career .300 hitter in the minors. He has never hit more than nine home runs or stole more than seven bases in a season.
RHP Jose De Leon (6’1 220, 25 in 2018)
2017 statistics with Tampa Bay: 2 2⁄3 IP, 10.13 ERA, 2.63 WHIP, 20.0 BB%, 10.0 K%
2017 statistics with Triple-A Durham: 12 IP, 6.75 ERA, 1.67 WHIP, 11.1 BB%, 25.9 K%
Injuries made 2017 essentially a lost season for De Leon. Acquired from the Dodgers for Logan Forsythe, three different trips to the disabled list took away the righty’s chance to stick in the big leagues after he made his debut with Los Angeles in 2016. While his history of shoulder and elbow injuries are concerning, when he’s on the field, he’s effective, using his above-average fastball, plus changeup and solid breaking ball to strike out a high percentage of batters.
SS Lucius Fox (S/R, 6’1 175, 20 in 2018)
2017 statistics with Class-A Bowling Green and Class A-Advanced Charlotte: 476 PA, .266/.350/.341, 30-of-43 SB, 22 XBH, 9.5 BB%, 23.7 K%
After a rough pro debut with the Giants in 2016, Fox rebounded in his Rays organization debut, even earning a spot in the Futures Game. He batted .278 with a .361 on-base percentage with Bowling Green before a promotion to Charlotte, where he struggled as a 19 year old. He doesn’t have much power potential, so he’ll have to refine his approach and make more contact to better use his plus-plus speed, as he did with the Hot Rods. He has the physical tools necessary to stay at shortstop.
SS Wander Franco (S/R, 5’10 170, 17 in 2018)
No 2017 statistics
The Rays have not been afraid to spend big in the international market, landing players like pitchers Jose Castillo and Jose Mujica, infielder Adrian Rondon, and also trading for Lucius Fox, another big-bonus player. Franco was considered to be the top prospect of the 2017-18 signing period. He has the bat speed to offer some power potential, and his plate discipline and ability to make contact are promising. He has the athleticism to play a middle-infield position.
RHP Austin Franklin (6’3 215, 20 in 2018)
2017 statistics with short-season Hudson Valley: 69 1⁄3 IP, 2.21 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 10.9 BB%, 25.0 K%
The Rays took a number of pitchers on the second day of the 2016 draft, and Franklin quickly emerged as a keeper. In his first full season, he was fourth in the New York-Penn League in ERA and strikeout rate. He has an above-average fastball and promising breaking ball, and his changeup is improving. However, he has to throw more strikes, which is not an uncommon issue with young pitchers. He’s already pretty big and should have the durability to throw a lot of innings.
CF Joshua Lowe (L/R, 6’4 205, 20 in 2018)
2017 statistics with Class-A Bowling Green: 507 PA, .268/.326/.386, 8 HR, 36 XBH, 22-of-30 SB, 8.3 BB%, 28.4 K%
Like his professional debut, Lowe got off to a slow start in 2017, and while he recovered, he started in such a deep hole his numbers might still seem underwhelming. After the first two months, he batted .292 with a .758 OPS. He has some good power potential, but he’ll have to cut down on his strikeouts and make more consistent contact. Despite his size, his transition to center field was smooth, and his arm is good enough to play right field if he has to.
RHP Jaime Schultz (5’10 200, 27 in 2018)
2017 statistics with Triple-A Durham: 11 2⁄3 IP, 3.86 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 8.0 BB%, 42.0 K%
Schultz almost certainly would’ve made his big league debut in 2017 had a persistent groin injury not sidelined him for much of the season. It was not the first groin injury of his career. In his limited work with Durham, he pitched out of the bullpen for the first time, and he was electric, striking out more than two batters out of every five he faced. If he throws strikes with his mid-90s fastball and plus breaking ball, he can be a dominant reliever.
OF Garrett Whitley (R/R, 6’1 195, 21 in 2018)
2017 statistics with Class-A Bowling Green: 426 PA, .249.,362/.430, 13 HR, 35 XBH, 21-of-25 SB, 13.4 BB%, 28.6 K%
After his customary slow start to the season, Whitley showed off all of his tools with Bowling Green. The 2015 13th-overall pick is a great athlete with impressive power potential, hitting 10 of his 13 home runs over the season’s final two months. Although his walk rate is encouraging, his astronomical strikeout rate is going to have to come down at some point. While he spent most of 2017 in a corner outfield spot, he should have no problem playing center field.