Where they list Top 10 Talents 25 and Under. It's a better picture than just the prospects list.
Felix-Smoak-Pineda-Ackley-Franklin. That's a good core right there, and can't quibble with them being the top 5 (in whatever 2-5 order you want).
I'd add (this is unfair to BP, but I'm looking at the big picture): 2011 No. 2 draft pick, who ought to make it a top 6 as soon as he signs. Whoever it is will be someone ahead of the next flight.
Then: Pimentel and Taijuan -- agree with the big potential, but it's really far away. Very hard to rank these kind of players vis-a-vis the others. Like G said, it's guesswork.
Then: Saunders-Robles-Cortes. That's fair. All ought to be solid MLB contributors, but with quite a bit of range of opinion as to how much they'll contribute.
I'd add: Lueke (clearly downgraded due to "makeup questions," as they put it, not the mythical "inconsistency") and Wilhelmsen (whom I probably overrate due to my enthusiasm, but not even a mention? -- in my mind he's on a par with Robles at this point) (and, true, chronologically he's over 25)
Despite the negativity about Seager in the commentary, they actually grade him in the same category with Robles and Cortes, and that's probably fair.
Poythress should be in there, High Desert inflation or not, and maybe Anthony Vasquez -- 1.3 BB/9 in 172 IP as a lefty starter climbing from low-A to AA in one year. Skepticism on Josh Fields? OK. But what about Stephen Pryor and his 14.0 K/9 blowing through Everett and Clinton?
I understand the wait-and-see on James Jones, but they do acknowldge he could climb fast. Julio Morban didn't show much, but he's two years younger than Morla (and, as G points out, Littlewood and Shipers didn't play at all). I get Pimentel being ahead of the other two, but not Morla being way ahead of Morban.
I think maybe the "sharp drop off" comment is a view toward strong (and warranted, up to a point) skepticism toward Halman and Peguero and the like (Liddi?), but also an underrating of several of the others with real potential.
Part of it could be that the Z-crew is assembling guys who can fill MLB roles (potential utility guy Seager, lefty specialist Brian Moran, the host of potential late-inning power arms) who may not light up the prospect sheet.
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