Rankings season is winding down, what with Spring Training on tap (but the most important ranking of all – the BN Top 40 – is still on the way!). FanGraphs has offered its top 100 prospect list for 2014, courtesy of Marc Hulet. As we’ve come to expect from these lists, the Cubs are heavily featured, with seven prospects:
4. Javier Baez
6. Kris Bryant
21. Albert Almora
49. Jorge Soler
52. Arismendy Alcantara
77. Pierce Johnson
78. C.J. Edwards
The order there sticks out a bit, with Alcantara on top of the pitchers (and pretty high up the list, to boot), and Johnson ahead of Edwards. Clearly Hulet doesn’t buy Edwards as a future two or three in the big leagues, even if he clearly buys the stuff (to rank him in the top 100). Almora makes Hulet’s cut for the top tier of outfield prospects (together with Byron Buxton, Oscar Taveras, George Springer, and Gregory Polanco).
The love there for Baez and Bryant is quite high, particularly Bryant – this is about as high as you’ll see him on any list. Byron Buxton, Xander Bogaerts, and Oscar Taveras to top the list, which is fair. Archie Bradley is the top pitching prospect, at number five overall, and Taijuan Walker comes in at number seven – in case you needed any further evidence that they will not be attainable in any Jeff Samardzija deal.
The Red Sox and Pirates are tied with the Cubs on this list, having seven prospects apiece.