Top-notch speed and potential for a 70-grade hit tool have Frelick looking like one of baseballs safer prospects. He has the ability to be an above average defender at first base while trending closer to average at best at second. Drafted as a shortstop, Vientos projects more as a first baseman or passable third baseman/right fielder who can get by with his plus arm and decent hands. Hassell stole 34 bags on 40 attempts last year and is on pace to match that total in 2022. In the 2021 season, he managed .271/.368/.462, with 17 homers and 24 doubles - impressive figures from another prospect who has only just hit 20 years of age. Vargas kept things rolling into Triple-A this season where he hit 17 homers and 53 XBH in 113 games. Possessing electric stuff, its a matter of command for the tall and talented righty. When Marte sticks to his approach, hes a tough hitter to strikeout, but he can also find himself selling out for pull-side power, occasionally giving away at-bats. He has good bat speed that allows him to produce above-average raw power and hes starting to show he can get to it in games. The long levers Alcantara possesses helps him generate a ridiculous amount of whip and bat speed, launching homers as far as 452 feet this season while flashing exit velocities as high as 112 mph. Big body with long levers and tremendous strength throughout his frame, Casas deploys a small hovering leg kick that is very slow and controlled and allows him to maintain incredible balance throughout every swing. Still, the potential was more than evident. One of baseballs higher floor prospects, Turang may never be a star, but he has a great chance to be an MLB regular and potentially a solid one at that. Height/Weight: 61, 200 | Bat/Throw: R/R | $1.55M 2018 (CIN) | ETA: 2024. The 24-year-old could improve with his ability to pick up spin. Stone sprinkles in a low 80s curveball to round out his arsenal. Though theres plenty of reason to believe he can stick in center, there is a chance that Alcantara could slow down a step as he physically matures. Jungs groundball rate dipped by more than 15% while his HR/FB rate jumped from 5% to 22%. Starting with the right side, Dominguez cut down his leg kick while quieting/simplifying his hand load. Hes a pretty darn good athlete too. If Graceffo can develop a bit more of a feel for his changeup, he could be an average No. As Japan's 12 clubs prepare to chase the pennant, here are six players from the Pacific . The Pacific League's reigning Most Valuable Player, Mori earned the hardware by hitting .329/.413/.547 with 23 home runs and catching for the best team in the league. Height/Weight: 511, 180|Bat/Throw: R/R|1st Round (30), 2019 (NYY)|ETA: 2023. Ruiz has an wide, athletic stance, really getting into his legs while starting with his hands already coiled. An easy plus plus pitch, the 12 inches of horizontal break, the pitch fades away from lefties, inducing plenty of weak contact while also diving in and under the hands of righties. Height/Weight: 60, 170|Bat/Throw: S/R|IFA: $1.5M 2019 (COL)|ETA: 2025. Mori, who turns 25 in August, is a smaller backstop than what Americans are accustomed to seeing behind the dish. He is consistently clocked with sub-four second run times to first base. Ota has played in at least 100 games every year since 2017 and finished with double-digit home runs in his last four seasons. Montgomery already controls his body really well, keeping his weight back and using his leverage. Arroyo hits fastballs well and sprays the ball all over the field, but he will need to learn to lay off of pitchers pitchesespecially breaking ballsif he is going to reach his offensive ceiling. Built like an NBA small forward with impressive athleticism, there are few prospects in baseball with as much projection as Alcantara. It was more of the same for Davis in his 22 High-A games this season, quickly earning a promotion to Double-A where injuries derailed his season. Mervis batted ball data and overall numbers are eerily similar to that of Vinnie Pasquantino and much like the Royals, I really believe the Cubs suddenly found their first baseman of the future in Matt Mervis. Still just 20 years old, the outfielder is following up a strong first pro season in Low-A with even more production in High-A. Let's rank the top 50 players in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball League going into the 2022 season. Arihara, 29, spent much of last season on the injured list following shoulder surgery, made three ineffective appearances in September, and was designated for assignment on September 21. A below-average runner, Luciano has fringy range and choppy actions that have marginally improved over the last year or so. That tidbit isn't meant to discount Mori or his accomplishments, by the way, since he can clearly handle business. Built-in deception and a high spin fastball helps Waldichuk pick up Ks in bunches, despite his secondaries being just average or slightly above. It is uncertain whether the former Carp ace will pitch in 2022, though hes targeted a possible return for September. He adds value on the bases, though will probably never be more than the occasional base stealer. If Veen moves to a corner, he could be Gold Glove-caliber. Traded by the Phillies for Brandon Marsh at the deadline, OHoppe enjoyed a breakout season in 2022, launching 26 homers while walking as much as he has punched out. The fact that Williams was able to consistently produce the way he did even with the swing deficiencies is a testament his twitchiness and natural athleticism. Johnson starts with his bat resting on his shoulder and his weight favoring his backside before getting into a big leg kick that coincides with a barrel tip. After only registering seven steals on 10 tries last season, Dominguez racked up 37 stolen bases in 44 tries this year across three levels. A nightmare at bat for lefties, Gasser has held same-handed hitters to a .573 OPS and 42% strikeout rate, helping reinforce his floor as a lights out reliever. The tendency to get a bit long and pull happy, will be something to monitor as he ascends to the upper minors, however his body control and solid chase rates give him a good chance to develop into an average hitter. The progress the 22-year-old has made behind the dish in tandem with his offensive onslaught has him looking like the catcher of the future for the Guardians. A total of 64 Japanese-born players have played in at least one Major League Baseball (MLB) game. Ruiz has seen his chase rates drop by more than 5% while hitting significantly better against breaking balls. Height/Weight: 62, 195|Bat/Throw: L/R|1st Round (21), 2017 (BAL)|ETA: 2022. Chourio has wasted no time getting acclimated to baseball stateside. Height/Weight: 60, 185|Bat/Throw: L/L|1st Round (19), 2020 (CHC)|ETA: 2024. Though the bat leads the way for Campusano, he has the tools to be a solid big league catcher. Hes currently a fringe plus runner who takes long strides and has great closing speed in the outfield. As for the inserts, the 1987 Topps Cherry Tree Variation (1:8 pack) series puts a unique spin on the retro style. This year, he hit 28 doubles and 21 home runs with a Pacific League-best 201 wRC+ and 46.0 Hard Hit percentage. With a litany of talented catching prospects in the Pirates system, Rodriguez has also received reps at second base, first base, and left field. He has struggled to locate the pitch at times this year, throwing it for a strike roughly 15% less frequently than the rest of his arsenal. Hes retired 52 straight batters, and again, its easy to see why with his pitching repertoire. Height/Weight: 65, 195|Bat/Throw: R/R|1st round (15), 2020 (PHI)|ETA: 2024. A slightly open stance with the weight on his front foot up on his toe, Colas starts his load by turning his front foot inward to get into his back side and create tension before unleashing his explosive swing. https://t.co/TZYTTAm9a5, Stephen Young (@stevietpfl) April 18, 2022, The Crawfish Boxes (@CrawfishBoxes) April 18, 2022, 20 years old. While power may not be the catalyst of Rocchios game, he has hit the ball with more authority and carry over the last two seasons. Another college bat who made hitting look easy at Cal Poly, Lee was a candidate to go No. He is explosive rotationally, uncorking like a rubber band on pitches middle-in. A 20/20 shortstop with gold glove defense is the hope here, and Tovar seems to inch closer to that outcome each day. Despite the system being loaded with shortstops, McLain has seen the majority of his playing time at short. The development of Burrows changeup has really helped him make the transition to the upper minors and the right-hander has the confidence to go to all three of his offerings in any count. Cowser has struggled against lefties this season which is something to monitor, though his ridiculous numbers against righties and ability to draw free passes against lefties helps quell the splits concern. https://t.co/WCv4URLawv, Brandon McCarthy (@BMcCarthy32) April 17, 2022, This is one of the nastiest splitters Ive ever seen. So, stay tuned. While just an average runner, Merrill moves his feet well at shortstop and has the goods to potentially stick there. Arguably 2021s biggest breakout prospect got off to a brutally slow start this season before kicking things in gear the rest of the way. He naturally moves and blocks well and has continued to receive better. Of course, there is one player who stands above the rest as quite possibly the best baseball player of all time . The fact that Jung was able to return this season in any capacity from his shoulder surgery is extremely encouraging, but to hit the ground running and earn an MLB call up is about as about as great as things could have gone this year. Jung has improved his footwork to give him average range at the position since going pro and has an above average arm as well. He lacks physical stature, but is wiry strong with quick twitch that you just cant teach and has steadily improved in regards to driving the ball in the air. The big right-handed hitter starts heavily stacked on his backside using a pronounced toe tap as a timing mechanism. Starting with an athletic stance, Luciano sinks into his back side with a gathering leg kick and keeps his weight back well. His swing lacked violence, but Steer posted phenomenal contact ratesalbeit with limited impact. Working off of the fastball for Abel is a plus slider in the mid 80s with late, sharp downward bite. He already has a polished approach that led to a 15% walk rate in the upper minors this season. However, he had a FIP of 5.00 and a high WHIP of 1.45. After a let-down season in 2021, Naylor made some tweaks to his swing and has enjoyed the best offensive season of his career this year. Arihara is more than a name and a frame. Vargas made improvements defensively at the hot corner, providing more confidence that he is capable of playing average defense at third base, though that is likely his ceiling. Guys like Thatcher Hurd, Chase Burns and Ben Hess excite scouts. That said, Chourio has shown plenty of comfort going the other way with authority and as he matures as a hitter, I expect his 51% pull rate to improve. Though the jump in ground ball rate is not quite ideal, Campusano uses the whole field and hits the ball hard enough to get away with it. After a decent showing in his first pro season, albeit with limited power, Winn made some adjustments to get his lower half more involved and more consistent. With that being said, he already flashes average power to his pull side and as he adds strength, he could provide 20 homer pop on an annual basis. The first two pro seasons for Turang were a solid but also reinforced some of the fears that scouts had: there was plenty of contact, but not much more than that offensively. The 6-foot-2, 180 pound Williams has long levers and generates easy bat speed even though his swing can be very upper half centric. He has a tendency to get big in plus counts, similar to most young hitters, but it almost certainly wont be a problem as he matures. Since 2018, the 22-year-old has pitched to a 2.41 ERA across every minor league level while striking out 406 in 283 1/3 innings. One of the biggest adjustments hell have to make at the big league level is picking his spots and when to be aggressive early in counts. The added strength/weight has slowed Lee down a tick and his range is limited. The 20-year-old has game changing speed along with one of the best infield arms youll see and seems to get better at the plate each time I see him. In 133.1 innings between Double-A and Triple-A, Bradley pitched to a 2.57 ERA with 141 strikeouts and just 33 walks as one of the youngest pitchers in the upper levels. While he may not have the superstar upside of Elly De La Cruz or Noelvi Marte, McLain has a really good chance to be an above-average regular at the shortstop positionor anywhere else the Reds want to stick himas a flat out gamer who can set the tone for your lineup. He should be a high on base guy with a chance to hit as many as 30 home runs depending on his approach. He also throws a slider. He has already shown a feel to hit with tools and physical projection to dream on. Haarlem Baseball Week (Honkbalweek Haarlem) in the Netherlands - European New Zealand Baseball National Team does the Haka at 2022 "Chatter Up!" Example: Yes, I would like to receive emails from JapanBall. As he improves the feel for his changeup and his east/west command of his heater, Bradley could be a major problem for big league hitters. Against heaters this season, Wiemer is slashing .370/.467/.704 with 14 homers and the harder the pitcher throws the more comfortable he seems. 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