Prospect vs. Prospect: Pipeline Inbox

We hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and a wonderful 2023.

For our final Pipeline Inbox for 2022, we thought it would be fun to focus on comparisons. He chooses two players and explains which one he likes and why. This has always been a popular topic (should be done more often), but I didn’t expect nearly 200 responses.

Jackson Churio vs. Ellie De La Cruz — @DelayedLegacy

Let’s start with 2022 breakout prospects and 2021 breakout prospects, Brewers outfielder and Reds infielder. De la Cruz (No. 14) is more physical and may have the strangest combination of build and athleticism among the Minors. Still, it made me feel better about his ability to make consistent contact, so I’ll take the Chourio (No. 10). I’m here.

Julio Rodriguez vs. Ronald Acuna Jr. — @flyers9372

Once again, another equally talented pair of players ran through the Miners before taking home the Rookie of the Year award with a mouth-watering combination of power and speed. It’s more intuitive than concrete, but I’d bet on Rodriguez’s aggressive game over Acuña. J-Rod also has more defensive value as a center fielder than right fielder.

Gunnar Henderson vs. Wander Franco — @bhau42

In my opinion, Henderson (No. 2) is currently the best prospect in the game, and when the Orioles called up last August, he performed quickly. That said, Franco has elite batting ability that only comes around once or twice in a generation, so going with him is an easy decision. But if he stays healthy, I wouldn’t be shocked at all if he wins the American League MVP award in 2023.

Anthony Volpe vs. Marcelo Mayer vs. Jordan Lawler — @SamLindauer

After Henderson, Anthony Volpe (No. 5, Yankees), Marcelo Mayer (No. 7, Red Sox) and Jordan Lawler (No. 12, D-backs) are the top three most-rated shortstops at the end of the season. A list of 100 prospects. Volpe is finishing his 20th home run, 50th stolen base season, his first with the Miners since Andrew Jones in 1995. Mayer is the best defender and possibly the trio’s best pure hitter. Rollers have the best combination of power and speed and are going faster. I’ll stick to my top 100 order, but I might pick all three Orioles shortstop Jackson Holliday, the No. 1 pick in the 2022 draft.

Andrew Painter vs. Eury Perez — @ANTfuuuz

Right now, the debate about the best pitching prospects in baseball is led by Grayson Rodriguez (No. 4, Orioles), Perez (No. 9, Marlins), Perez (No. 24, Phillies) and, if healthy, Daniel Espino (No. 15, Guardian). I’ve been leading the Perez bandwagon since his 2020 Instructional League, but Painter had a more spectacular 2022 season, winning his Prospect of the Year Pitching in the MLB Pipeline. This year, with Perez owning a better changeup and Painter showing better control and command, theirs are very similar. This is the hardest decision ever… I choose Painter.

Dylan Lesko vs Brock Porter — @ANTfuuuz

Thanks to @ANTfuuuz for the thought-provoking pitching question. These are the best pitchers in the 2022 draft, with Lesko signed as the 15th overall pick by the Padres for $3.9 million and Porter winning $4 million after being pushed to the fourth round by the Rangers. Lesko underwent Tommy John surgery in April, but I chose him over a perfectly healthy Porter. Lesko has less fastball speed but still works at 92-97 mph and is one of the best high school changeups ever seen he owns and his control and command is It is also very advanced as a prepster.

Druw Jones vs. Dylan Crews Long Term — @ShaunHeyel

Georgia high school outfielder Jones (No. 12, D-backs) was the top-rated prospect in the 2022 draft, but Louisiana State outfielder Cruz claims a spot in the 2023 draft entering the new year . The son of Andruw Jones, his Druw looks a lot like his father, with more athleticism and higher ceilings than the Crews, which makes Arizona’s No. 2 overall pick his July pick. Got this. Crewe has proven more against higher levels of competition as an amateur and is a little more certain about his hitting ability, but the power is similar and Jones is a plus-plus center fielder. , with comparable speed and far above average arm strength.

Pete Crow-Armstrong vs. Zach Bean — @CubsInTexas

In the near-future outfield battle to rebuild the club, I’d side with Bean (No. 23, Rockies) over Crowe Armstrong (No. 30, Cubs). Bean’s bat has more impact, especially after he’s grown into projection plus his power, and his speed and base-running ability are real assets. However, it’s also easy to claim Crow-Armstrong. Because he does more damage than expected and is the best defensive center fielder in the minors.