Wander Franco headlines Baseball America’s top 100 prospects entering 2020

The Tampa Bay Rays led baseball with 8 prospects among the top 100

By Adam Sanford Jan 22, 2020, 12:00pm EST

Baseball America has released their top 100 prospects entering the 2020 season and to the surprise of no one, Rays prospect Wander Franco was voted unanimously as the top prospect in all of baseball. Franco has held top spot in Baseball America’s rankings since last summer.

Franco is still just 18 years old, and he will turn 19 on the first of March. It remains to be determined if he will be in the Rays MLB camp this spring, but wherever starts the season, all eyes will be on him.

He is expected to kick things off in Double-A, after torching the lower level of the minor leagues in 2019 and showing no signs of slowing down, despite playing against older players in an advanced league. Franco was 2nd in A+ in average (min. 200), but topped the offensively strapped Florida State League in wRC+ while also possessing the lowest strikeout percentage.

Overall, the Tampa Bay Rays had eight players among the top 100, and there were two more that received consideration but fell just short (Ronaldo Hernandez, C and JJ Goss, RHP).

1. Wander Franco, SS

ETA: 2020
Final 2019 Ranking: 1
Tools: Hit: 80 | Power: 60 | Run: 50 | Fielding: 55 | Arm: 50
2019 Average Exit Velo: 90

14. Brendan McKay, LHP

ETA: 2020
Final 2019 Ranking: 10
Tools: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 50 | Cutter: 60 | Control: 60
2019 Average Fastball Velo: 93

51. Vidal Brujan, 2B

ETA: 2021
Final 2019 Ranking: 64
Tools: Hit: 60 | Power: 40 | Run: 80 | Fielding: 55 | Arm: 50
2019 Average Exit Velo: 87

71. Shane Baz, RHP

ETA: 2021
Final 2019 Ranking: 70
Tools: Fastball: 70 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 70 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 40
2019 Average Fastball Velo: 95

80. Brent Honeywell, RHP

83. Shane McClanahan, LHP

ETA: 2021
Final 2019 Ranking: 95
Tools: Fastball: 70 | Curveball: 60 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 45
2019 Average Fastball Velo: 95

85. Xavier Edwards, 2B

ETA: 2021
Final 2019 Ranking: Unranked
Tools: Hit: 60 | Power: 30 | Run: 60 | Fielding: 55 | Arm: 45
2019 Average Exit Velo: 84

98. Joe Ryan, RHP

ETA: 2021
Final 2019 Ranking: Unranked
Tools: Fastball: 70 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 40 | Changeup: 30 | Control: 55
2019 Average Fastball Velo: 92

Interesting notes:

Wander Franco receives an 80-grade hit tool, which is elite. Baseball America is so enamored by the Rays prospect that they give him an ETA for major league arrival of 2020, despite his low age and level entering the season. He also has an average exit velocity of 90 mph, which would have put him in the 69th percentile among major leagues in 2019.
Vidal Brujan can be considered among the fastest prospects in baseball as he was given an 80-grade speed tool
Brent Honeywell remains among the top prospects in all of baseball, despite missing the past two seasons due to injury
Joe Ryan’s fastball rates as a plus pitch, which is very impressive considering the average velocity is just 92 mph
Xavier Edwards is highly praised but his exit velocity leaves much to be desired, averaging around 84 mph off the bat this past season. Still, Baseball America likes his bat enough to give him a 60-grade hit tool
Curiously, despite Ronaldo Hernandez being ranked eighth in the Rays system, Joe Ryan passed him by in the top 100 rankings. Meanwhile, Josh Lowe, was ranked 10th in the Rays system, didn’t appear on the just missed list, but instead, JJ Goss just missed out on the accolade.
Honorable mentions from the just-missed list (alphabetical): OF Randy Arozarena, RHP JJ Goss, C Ronaldo Hernandez