JO Berrios is #1 starting pitching prospect, correct?

[puckstopper1]

So JO Berrios just tossed a 2 hit shutout earlier today for the Lookouts.  By all accounts he is the #1 starting pitching prospect in the Twins system.  Who else is in the discussion?

[gunnarthor]

Well, yeah.  With Meyer's struggles, he's #1 (unless you want to still count May as a prospect since this is technically his rookie season).

 

The big three are still Berrios, Meyer and Stewart.

 

I think Gonsalves is pitching himself into discussion but the scouting reports don't match up with his results.  Rogers and Duffey would be there too.  Maybe Hu.  And certainly a healthy Thopre.

[markos]

I had Meyer slightly ahead of Berrios before the season, mostly due to Meyer's better overall stuff. I generally hesitate to re-evaluate prospects after only a few weeks of the season, but given how wide the discrepancy has been between them I can't really argue that Meyer is the better prospect anymore.

[Steve Lein]

Had them rated Meyer, Stewart, Berrios to start the year (all very close).

 

I think it's hard to make an argument against it not being Berrios, Meyer, Stewart now.

 

Meyer still has the best stuff, but Berrios is the best overall package.

[tobi0040]

Without question, Berrios has to be the top pitching prospect.

 

4-1   45 IP.  53 K.  15 BB.   2.60 ERA .   1.16 WHIP   As a 20 year old in AA.   He is only 2 months older than Gonsalves.  He is only five months older than Kohl.  And five years younger than Meyer, on pace to reach the big's 4-5 years earlier.

 

I realize that Meyer was in college at 20, but he would have been up sooner with like numbers.  Specifically the ability to k 10-11 per 9 while keeping a sick, 3.5 to 4 K to BB ratio. 

[John Kelsey]

I'd go:

 

Berrios

Stewart

Meyer

 

With the next group being:

 

Gonsalves

Hu

Thorpe

Duffey 

Rogers

[MileHighTwinsFan]

I still feel like Meyer is still first in line for a long term promotion (spot call ups for injuries aside). You have to give the guy with the best stuff in the system his spot.

 

I  do think it is going to be a bumpy transition for AM - but may be a necessary one for him to fully realize his potential.  

 

I would like to think that, like May, he will eventually make that last step in the maturing process that will get him past his control problems.  

 

Berrios is a gamer - but I wonder if the Johan Santana route may be his path.  A promotion into the bullpen that transitions into a starter role.  The team can see how his stuff plays at the major league level and gradually transition him into the rotation. 

 

 

[tobi0040]

 

I'd go:

 

Berrios

Stewart

Meyer

 

With the next group being:

 

Gonsalves

Hu

Thorpe

Duffey 

Rogers

 

I think as we see Gonsalves in high A (hopefully soon), he can make his case for the #2 pitcher in the org.  That position is up for grabs as far as I am concerned.

 

He started behind Kohl and Meyer, but he is closing the gap and those two aren't doing anything to distance themselves (unfair in the case of Kohl and the injury, but I am starting to worry about his health).

 

 

[blairpaul715]

 

I think as we see Gonsalves in high A (hopefully soon), he can make his case for the #2 pitcher in the org.  That position is up for grabs as far as I am concerned.

 

He started behind Kohl and Meyer, but he is closing the gap and those two aren't doing anything to distance themselves (unfair in the case of Kohl and the injury, but I am starting to worry about his health).

And Hu too??? I know nothing about Hu other than the stats i read, but he is 8 months older than Gonsalves and is already doing it at the next level.............And does anyone have a reason that Hu is only pitching 6 innings a start, 7 innings once and 5 innings twice, is he on a pitch or innings count this yr, or is his pitch counts hi???? Hard to believe pitch counts to be hi with low walk rate.......Anyone have answers???

[jimmer]

Back in February, there was a thread here at TD that asked us to rank prospects: Meyer, Berrios and Stewart.

 

I wrote: 'I personally have it Berrios, Stewart, Meyer.'

 

My mind hasn't been changed yet.

[Dantes929]

 

And Hu too??? I know nothing about Hu other than the stats i read, but he is 8 months older than Gonsalves and is already doing it at the next level.............And does anyone have a reason that Hu is only pitching 6 innings a start, 7 innings once and 5 innings twice, is he on a pitch or innings count this yr, or is his pitch counts hi???? Hard to believe pitch counts to be hi with low walk rate.......Anyone have answers???

I wonder about Hu's prospect ranking every time I see his stats and scouting report.   He always seems like an afterthought but his ERA is always great, his strikeout rate is great and his scouting report of low 90's fastball with 4 good pitches that he can throw at any time with great control makes me wonder what is holding him back in terms of prospect status.

[blairpaul715]

 

I wonder about Hu's prospect ranking every time I see his stats and scouting report.   He always seems like an afterthought but his ERA is always great, his strikeout rate is great and his scouting report of low 90's fastball with 4 good pitches that he can throw at any time with great control makes me wonder what is holding him back in terms of prospect status.

 Because he is not 6'5 or lefthanded or was never a top prospect and he doesnt throw 95??????? I think all of the above........I will keep cheering for the underdog and I think when MLB Prospect Pipeline adds another top 30 player after JR Graham drops off, I will predict Hu

[Hrbowski]

 

 Because he is not 6'5 or lefthanded or was never a top prospect and he doesnt throw 95??????? I think all of the above........I will keep cheering for the underdog and I think when MLB Prospect Pipeline adds another top 30 player after JR Graham drops off, I will predict Hu

Hu is ranked 23rd by mlb.com right now.

[Jham]

 

Back in February, there was a thread here at TD that asked us to rank prospects: Meyer, Berrios and Stewart.

 

I wrote: 'I personally have it Berrios, Stewart, Meyer.'

 

My mind hasn't been changed yet.

 

I remember that thread.  I had to go back and see how I ranked them just 3 short months ago: I had Berrios, Meyer, and Stewart with Gonsalves actually ahead of Stewart based on left-handedness, apparent total make up and health.  

Since when is "control" not considered "stuff"?  Alex Meyer gets a lot of swing and misses because he only occasionally throws the ball where touching it with a bat is even possible.  94 on the corner is harder to hit than 97 down the middle.  Pinpoint control of multiple pitches is the hall mark of a big league starter.  I again implore Meyer to mix in more off speed and work on adding and especially subtracting on his fastball in order to improve command.  It also makes 97 a lot harder to hit.

Finally, can we all agree that Chih-Wei Hu can't make it to the show soon enough, just for entertainment's sake?  

Who's pitching tonight?  
Yes.

What?

Hu's pitching tonight.

That's what I just asked.

 

I guess we'll just have to settle for Hu's one of the Twins top pitching prospects.  I give up, who?

 

[blairpaul715]

 

Hu is ranked 23rd by mlb.com right now.

LOL, i cant believe i missed that.......I am prophetic in my own mind only

[blairpaul715]

 

 

Hu is ranked 23rd by mlb.com right now.

So Hu(who) is next in line???

[Hrbowski]

 

So Hu(who) is next in line???

My guess is when Graham comes off the list Zach Granite will go on.

[diehardtwinsfan]

 

I wonder about Hu's prospect ranking every time I see his stats and scouting report.   He always seems like an afterthought but his ERA is always great, his strikeout rate is great and his scouting report of low 90's fastball with 4 good pitches that he can throw at any time with great control makes me wonder what is holding him back in terms of prospect status.

Probably his age relative to the league (not that it was bad, just that it wasn't significant) and that last year was really his break out year.  Given what he's doing in FTM, I half expect him to be in AA midseason, at which point, that will be largely moot if he's still getting the job done.   But he was 20 in CR last year when he put up those numbers. Continuing to do it this year across what will likely be 2 levels will go a long way in cementing that status.

[Seth Stohs]

I had them Berrios, Stewart, Meyer.

 

Now I would probably have them - Berrios, (long pause), Gonsalves, Hu, (small pause), Stewart, Meyer, Rogers, Thorpe, Duffey.

[LimestoneBaggy]

 

I had them Berrios, Stewart, Meyer.

 

Now I would probably have them - Berrios, (long pause), Gonsalves, Hu, (small pause), Stewart, Meyer, Rogers, Thorpe, Duffey.

 

What keeps Stewart above Rogers, Thorpe, and Duffey for you?

[Steve Lein]

 

And does anyone have a reason that Hu is only pitching 6 innings a start, 7 innings once and 5 innings twice, is he on a pitch or innings count this yr, or is his pitch counts hi???? Hard to believe pitch counts to be hi with low walk rate.......Anyone have answers???

 

He's only pitched a max of 71 pro innings in a season to this point (i.e.: it's early in his career), so I'd imagine they have him on some kind of an innings limit.

 

But from the two box scores that tracked him, he had a 105 pitches in a 6-inning outing on 4/30, and a 79 pitches in a 5 inning outing on 5/6 that was a blowout, so no need to keep him in there.

[Sweetwater]

Berrios is #1 by a wide margin right now. I'd put Gonsalves 2nd and Hu 3rd. Both of those guys have dominated batters from the get-go and supposedly have enough stuff to project well at the major league level.

 

Stewart is extremely overrated and is coasting off his draft position rep. The slider myth is dead. He just doesn't know how to strike out batters and I've heard from articles that his stuff has regressed. Meyer is wild card, but the clock is ticking on him to "get it".

[Thrylos]

Meyer is a better prospect than Berrios. 

 

FWIW, Berrios is not the best performing Lookouts' starting pitcher at this point, as well;  more like their third best pitcher.

[John Kelsey]

 

Meyer is a better prospect than Berrios. 

 

FWIW, Berrios is not the best performing Lookouts' starting pitcher at this point, as well;  more like their third best pitcher.

 

I'll assume you're referring to Duffey and Baxendale, both of whom are 4 years older than Berrios. Duffey and Berrios have been pretty even so far, Baxendale will come back down to earth soon. 

[70charger]

Meyer is a better prospect than Berrios. 

 

FWIW, Berrios is not the best performing Lookouts' starting pitcher at this point, as well;  more like their third best pitcher.

This comment is example number one for why context shouldn't be ignored. Is Mike Pelfrey the best pitcher on the big club? Get real, please.

[Thrylos]

 

This comment is example number one for why context shouldn't be ignored. Is Mike Pelfrey the best pitcher on the big club? Get real, please.

 

OK.  Who is the best pitcher of the big club, then, so far?

 

just sayin'

[Thrylos]

 

 

I'll assume you're referring to Duffey and Baxendale, both of whom are 4 years older than Berrios. Duffey and Berrios have been pretty even so far, Baxendale will come back down to earth soon. 

 

Check Berrios' WHIP

 

I know that he is  4 years younger.   The other 2 are not top prospects.  But still they have been pitching better than Berrios.  2 different things here.

[Seth Stohs]

 

What keeps Stewart above Rogers, Thorpe, and Duffey for you?

 

Totally potential. Rogers and Duffey have ceilings of innings-eating, mid-to-back of the rotation starters. Thorpe has high potential, but now needs to come back from TJ Surgery. The sky is the limit with Kohl Stewart. I've seen him dominate. I've seen him hit 95 and show a crazy-sharp curveball and slider. I just can't drop him too far because of injuries because his arm is too good when healthy. 

[drivlikejehu]

I've always liked Berrios more than Meyer as a prospect. Starters need to have command. Flame throwers are frequently overrated as prospects. Meyer's stock was pretty high entering this season, and rightly so, but he has struggled and the fact is that he's never shown a consistent ability to throw strikes, even against over-matched hitters.

[Monkeypaws]

I don't know if Berrios is the best, but he is certainly the most impressive - the guy just keeps killing it level after level, years under league average every step of the way.

 

I'd put him right after Buxton on the untouchable list.