Eyewitness Accounts

Reports on bad makeup in the past; argued with an umpire after a strike three call, manager had to come get him.

Vasquez has age on his side (he turns 21 in January) but not much else. His calling card was his reported plus hit tool, which I didn't see materializing at the highest level. Everything else Vasquez has in his tool shed is below average or worse. The skill set to me is just not major-league quality. If he can make more consistent hard contact, then he has a small shot at becoming an up-and-down fifth outfielder, but I just don't see it due to his below-avg. peripheral tools.

Judge features a strong all-around package that you wouldn't necessarily expect from a player with his size and strength. He has tremendous raw power, but he doesn't approach his at-bats that way. Instead, he features an up-the-middle approach and a patient eye at the plate. Because of this, he doesn't have the typical issues that tend to plague bigger hitters - holes in the swing, trouble with premium velocity, etc. This should benefit him in the long run, as he doesn't need to sell out and should still hit for plus power, but will do so without the extreme swing-and-miss.

For now, Judge is an above-average fielder in right field, though that should diminish as he ages. He runs well for his size, but will never be an asset on the bases. Will eventually be a well below-average runner.

The overall package is interesting. Judge doesn't profile as an impact, middle-of-the-order hitter, but he does enough things well that should be an everyday player. If he learns to use his size better and drive the ball with more consistency, however, he could hit for enough power to carry a lineup. More likely, however, is that he settles in as a solid regular who can do a lot of things well but does none of them spectacularly.

McKinney is going to hit no matter how the rest of his profile ends up, and his on-base skills are strong enough to make him a plus offensive player. Just how much better than league average will depend on his power. He continually puts himself in good hitting situations, which should allow his power to play up. He doesn't have huge raw power, but the ball carries off his bat and he should be a 20-homer hitter.

It's a tougher profile if he ends up in left field, but even there, hitting close to .300 with 20 home runs and strong on-base skills will work. If he can remain in center field for a few years, it will play even better and makes him a potential all-star.

There is some risk with McKinney because he's not yet 20 years old, but there is no doubting the hit tool, which has held up to an aggressive challenge in his first full professional season. The hit tool will carry him to the majors with the rest of the tools determining his success.

Quiet, calm demeanor; remains on an even keel regardless of the game situation.

Meadows is certainly a player that every team would like to have. He has prototypical size with developing strength, displays some feel for the game at a young age, and will flash some tools at you. With that said, the overall profile is more role 5 than first division due to a lack of impact tools. He's a no-doubt plus runner, but everything else lingers around average with the exception of the arm, which is below average. The swing is balanced, under control, and checks plenty of good boxes, but his feel for the barrel is underwhelming at present. He has missed a majority of the season with a hamstring injury, so some rust is expected in his first pass through the Sally League.



The major concern is his projected inability to stick in center field, an issue that will be detrimental to his overall value. He should possess the athleticism to be able to handle the position on a part-time basis, but left field should be the full-time destination at the highest level.

Despite the concerns, I don't see the 19-year-old's overall profile being of the extreme boom-or-bust bust variety. As previously stated, he has some feel for the game and should be able to climb the ranks without any serious roadblocks, barring future injuries. I question the overall upside, however, and see more of an average regular if everything comes together.

The Cubs drafted Schwarber for his bat, which doesn't have the high-ceiling talent of some of their current top prospects, but does profile to be that of a solid, major-league contributor. Schwarber's long-term home isn't behind the plate, but he can handle the responsibility for the time being, perhaps even catching everyday during the early part of his career. He'll always be below average behind the plate, but he's capable enough to remain back there for the time being given the asset that his offensive production would be from that position.

A realistic scenario could see the Cubs using him in the majors the same way they are using him in the minors, where he is catching a few days a week while splitting time in the outfield. That would allow his bat to continue to be an asset while keeping him from being over-exposed at the position.

Overall, the bat is going to have to carry Schwarber no matter where he ends up. The longer he can stay behind the plate, the more valuable his bat will be, but it will always be a stretch defensively. He'll end up in left field full time before he turns 30, but he has enough bat to be an everyday player out there as well.

Plays with confidence; calm, quiet demeanor on the field; whispers of off-the-field makeup issues but nothing noteworthy in this look.

Jones is currently a shortstop who will likely be bumped into a utility role long-term with plus speed, athleticism, and raw power but an underwhelming feel for hitting. An athletic specimen, Jones boasts highly impressive physical tools but doesn't project to play shortstop on a regular basis due to a weak arm, stiff hands, and questionable footwork at the position. While he possesses plus raw power at the plate, Jones has discernible holes in his swing and a power-hungry approach that will be exploited as he reaches the upper levels of the minors, limiting his in-game power to around average. Due to the concerns that he can't stick at shortstop and the projected limited utility of the hit tool at the highest level, Jones fits a utility profile, one that can play up the middle and not be an absolute liability at shortstop or second base on a short-term basis. In addition, Jones possesses the physical profile to be at least average in center field, a position he has played in the past and will likely get another shot at in the near future.

The raw OFP averages to 45, which is a below-average regular. The projected role is a role-4 utility type who can play up the middle with plus speed and hit for some pop off the bench. The risk is high due to the swing-and-miss issues exhibited as a 22-year-old in Low-A. Though the hit tool has issues, he should be able to hit in the .220-.240 range. If the bat falls much lower than that, he becomes more of a AAAA player.