Prospect Talk: Baseball America’s Top 100 Recognizes Four D-Backs

Right handed pitcher Trevor Bauer checks in at #9 overall, lefty Tyler Skaggs at #13 and righty Archie Bradley at #25.  1st/3rd base prospect

Mar 25, 2011; Tucson, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Tyler Skaggs throws a pitch in the seventh inning of a charity exhibition game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at the Kino Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Chris Morrison-US PRESSWIRE

Matt Davidson also makes the list at #97.  If the Diamondbacks hadn’t traded Jarrod Parker to the A’s for starter Trevor Cahill they would have had an impressive four of the top 26 players.  Baseball America is projecting that both Bauer and Skaggs will make it to Chase Field this year, with Davidson next season and Bradley in 2014.

Bauer was the number three overall draft pick in 2011.  He stuggled while pitching only 25.2 innings last year between High-A Visalia and Double-A Mobile, but his did produce and eye opening 43 strikeouts during his limited time.  The 2011 Baseball America’s Collegiate Player of the Year hit’s 97 with his fastball, has an excellent curveball and good changeup.  He will draw comparisons to Tim Lincecum.  I’ll take that.

Skaggs is only 20 and has already logged 266.2 minor league innings, posting an impressive 3.04 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 10.6 K’s per 9 innings.  Skaggs was one of the pieces the D-Backs obtained in the Dar Haren deal with the LA Angels.  Despite his high strikeout numbers, Skaggs isn’t nearly the power pitcher that Bauer is and projects to be a middle of the roation starter.  He’s got an excellent curveball and mediocre fastball and changeup.

Bradley was the D-Backs second #1 pick in 2011, #7 overall.  The high school quarterback appeared in only 2 innings of rookie ball for the D-Backs in 2011.  Bradley was a last minute signee with the Diamondbacks after it appeared he was off to player football and baseball at the University of Oklahoma.  He reportly has a 99 MPH four-seam fastball, but he’s still raw and couple years away from being major league ready.

Matt Davidson was ranked #99 by Baseball Americal pre-2011 and jumped all the way up to #97 pre-2012.  Despite some high strikeout numbers–he K’d 147 times in 535 at-bats at High-A Visalia he’s got definite power potential.  Davidson is a big, strong 20 year old–and since 1B is Paul Goldschmidt’s to lose–he will likely assume the 3B spot from Ryan Roberts within the next couple of years.

Next week we’ll look at some mid-level prospects in the D-Backs organization.

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