Florida Marlins Top-15 Prospects of 2010, No’s 1 – 5

ALSO SEE – Florida Marlins Top Prospects, No’s 6 – 15

Grades are based on a prospect’s projected value over the course of his career and how likely it is that prospect will fulfill his projected value. Various factors are accounted for including upside, red flags, actual performance, and closeness to the majors. See the 2010 Prospect Primer for more information as it relates to prospect grading and philosophy.

Hitters must have 100 or fewer Major League ABs to qualify for this list. Starting pitchers must have 50 or fewer Major League innings to qualify for this list. Relief pitchers must have 25 or fewer Major League innings to qualify for this list. Ages are listed as of May 1st, 2010. Levels are based on the highest level in which a prospect played in 2009. All grades are subject to change based on any new information I receive before the season starts.

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Player Grades
Contact – 40 Now | 50 Future
Power – 60 | 70
Discipline – 45 | 55
Speed – 55 | 55
Defense – 55 | 60
Arm – 55 | 55
Instincts – 50 | 60
ETA – Early 2011
Final Grade – A-

Mike Stanton is somebody I wrote extensively about in late July, in a comparison piece, pitting him against Atlanta Braves top prospect Jason Heyward.

At the time of that piece, Stanton was just getting himself acclimated to Double-A pitching and overall he definitely held his own. His K% increased to their 2008 levels in Double-A, but he still managed to walk at a solid rate and his power, while not quite what it was in A+ Jupiter, was still very impressive.

Keep in mind that Stanton just turned 20 years old — back in November to be more specific. Yes, he carries some risk because of how often he strikes out. But his upside is enormous and while raw in many aspects of the game, he’s an intelligent player with excellent make-up.

Best Case Outcome – A potential 40-homer hitter out in right field and a future All-Star…his value would be even higher if played center.

More Likely Outcome – A potential 30-homer corner outfielder with the propensity to strike out a lot.

Player Grades
Contact – 50 Now | 60 Future
Power – 50 | 55
Discipline – 50/55 | 65
Speed – 40 | 35
Defense – 50 | 55
Arm – 55 | 55
Instincts – 55 | 60
ETA – Late 2010
Final Grade – B

Body Type – A solidly put together player…he’s in better shape than he was a couple years ago. As an athlete, he’s better than he’s given credit for.

Scouting Report

Don’t take Logan Morrison’s final grade to be a show a disrespect for the left handed first baseman. Remember, it was almost two years ago I took note of Morrison and predicted a breakout season was coming in 2008, which it did.

But as a first baseman, the first base rule still applies to him. There were 15 first basemen last year with at least 500 ABs that posted an OPS of .878 or better. There were 22 first basemen that posted an OPS of greater than .830. So you need to rake.

Morrison battled injuries last year, but when he’s healthy, he displays an outstanding approach at the plate. He uses the entire feel and will shorten his swing with two strikes. Morrison also has good and improving pitch recogntion.

Morrison has a short stroke for a hitter of his type and keeps his plane on a flat trajectory, which allows him to keep the bat head in the hitting zone for a longer period. As a result, Morrison maintains high contact and line drive rates.

A swing with that plane doesn’t lead to as many fly balls, however. For his career, Morrison has a FB% of just 33%, a number that will surely put a cap on his power production unless he can increase that number.

Defensively, Morrison isn’t flashy, but he gets the job done.

One last concern about Morrison are his lefty/right splits. Career-wise, Logan puts up an .883 OPS against right handed pitchers, while just a .703 OPS against left handers. The number improved in 2008, but returned to poor in 2009.

Best Case Outcome – Above average first baseman…I see him as more of a Nick Johnson type of first baseman, and that’s not a bad thing. Hopefully he can stay healthier than Johnson did.

More Likely Outcome – A little above average first baseman, but a first baseman that needs to sit against tough lefties

Brief Notes on Prospects 3 – 5

3. Chad James | LHP | Grade – B – Lefty with a lot of projection and a deep repertoire of pitches highlighted by his low – mid 90′s fastball and power curve.

4. Matt Dominguez | 3b | Grade – B- – Outstanding defender at third, but I do have some questions about his bat

5. Gaby Sanchez | 3b/1b | Grade – B- – Corner infielder has outstand plate discipline and decent power…value would be better if he could play third at a better than adequate level

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UP NEXT – Florida Marlins Top Prospects, No’s 6 – 15

Other References and Resources Used for This Article – First Inning and Minor League Splits