Diamondbacks Pitching Trio Highlight MLB Top 100 Prospect List
By Josh Shelton
MLB.com released their first Top 100 Prospects list this morning, and the Diamondbacks top three pitching prospects all cracked the top 25 of a future star-studded list.
Trevor Bauer, the 21-year old right-hander drafted out of UCLA with the third overall pick in this past June’s draft, leads the DBacks prospects on the list at number 9 overall.
Bauer is the fifth pitcher on the list, only behind Tampa’s Matt Moore (#1), Atlanta’s Julio Teheran (#4), St.Louis’ Shelby Miller (#5), and Pittsburgh’s Jameson Taillon (#8). Of the five, Bauer is the only pitcher drafted in 2011, and the top-rated prospect from the 2011 draft class on the list.
After starting three games in Single-A Visalia over the summer, Bauer finished the year with four starts for Double-A Mobile. He struck out 43 batters in just 25.2 innings pitched, and an ERA of 5.96.
19-year old Archie Bradley, the first round pick and 7th overall of this past June’s draft by Arizona, is ranked at #20 on the Top 100, and is the sixth player on the list from the 2011 draft.
Bradley, who was as much of a football standout in high school as he was in baseball, had a scholarship waiting for him to play quarterback at the University of Oklahoma. He was seen as a high risk, high reward pick in June because of his potentially tough signability.
The Diamondbacks prevailed just minutes before the MLB signing deadline to secure Bradley, and gave him a $5 million bonus. With development seemingly sky-high at his tender age, and a fastball already at 96+, Bradley will likely make a quick path through the minor league ranks.
Rounding out the trio’s presence on the Top 100 is Tyler Skaggs, arguably the most MLB ready of the three prospects. Skaggs is right behind Bradley at #21 overall, and the fourth left-handed pitcher on the entire list.
The major component of the Dan Haren trade to Anaheim in 2010, Skaggs was a first round pick by the Angels in 2009, 40th overall. He started 27 games between Single-A Visalia and Double-A Mobile last season, and logged a 2.96 ERA with 198 strikeouts in just 158.1 innings.
Still just 20-years old, Skaggs is seen as the future featured southpaw in the Diamondbacks’ rotation, and could potentially see some quality time in the bigs this year (MLB.com has his major-league ETA set for this season).
On a side note, Oakland’s Jarrod Parker, Arizona’s first round pick in 2007 (9th overall), is ranked at #26 on the list. Parker was the key player traded away to the A’s for starting pitcher Trevor Cahill.