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Mitchell White, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers
I wrote a good bit about White in our Dodgers Top Ten a few weeks back, but felt he warranted further advocacy in this here space as well. He’s a rare bird, in that he already has an arsenal capable of carving up left-handed hitters in spite of possessing very little in the way of a developed changeup. That’s because his cutter is an absolute weapon, holding plane effectively while it wanders to the glove side with well-above-average (and late) horizontal action. He can get in the kitchen as well as anybody I saw last year, and while the curve can lack for bite, it already shows quality depth that can generate field trips out of the zone. This all takes for granted a lively fastball that sits 91-93 right now, too. He generates quality extension to slot, and his velocity plays up a tick because of it. There’s some effort in the delivery, and it’s an up-tempo pace that can get too quick at times right now. The lack of a workload to date also makes him vulnerable to durability questions until he can build up some innings. But the frame is large and athletic, he controls it very well pitch to pitch, and I see a straight path to above-average command. Between White and the more-heralded Walker Buehler, the Dodgers have a couple very interesting post-surgery right-handers to monitor next year, and for my money there isn’t a ton of daylight between them. After crossing into triple-digit innings last year and looking no worse for the wear by the end of it, White has the potential to explode up prospect lists with 140-150 quality innings up into the high minors this season. —Wilson Karaman

Justin Dunn, SP, New York Mets
Honestly, Dunn would’ve fit in last week’s list of players who narrowly missed the 101 just as much as this week’s list. And on pure stuff, Dunn certainly belongs, with a plus fastball and the makings of a solid slider and change. Mostly a reliever at BC until midway through his junior season, the Mets were very careful with Dunn’s post-draft usage, using him for only two or three innings every six or seven days at short-season Brooklyn. Given that his track record as a starter is limited, he’s slight of frame, and there’s a touch of violence in his motion, we have just enough skepticism over Dunn’s long-term outlook starting, and the potential that he ends up in the pen kept him off the list this year. A couple dozen healthy starts and continued development of the offspeeds and command will easily put him pretty far up 2018’s 101, and you can dream on even more given the recent organizational track record with this sort of profile. —Jarrett Seidler

Dustin May, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers
A lanky right-hander with some of the best hair in last year’s draft, May was the Los Angeles Dodgers’ third-round pick, signing for $1 million. The purported reason the Dodgers took the Texas high-schooler was that they liked his spin rate above any other pitcher in the draft, and while we can’t actively judge that rate until he pitches in a major league stadium (or spring training stadium), he does have the eye-test stuff to justify his deal.

As of right now, May stands 6-foot-6 and is listed at 180 pounds, and unless he’s a right-handed Chris Sale body type, he’ll likely add weight and muscle onto that tall frame and potentially velocity as well. As of August, May was sitting 91-93 in the Arizona Rookie League, but with easy mechanics and the suggestion of more power hiding in the arm. The fastball is what got him drafted, after all, so the Dodgers’ player development must feel some confidence in the potential of the pitch. Before the draft, May threw a looping breaking pitch between a slider and a curveball, but has refined it to a more intense slider in the mid-80s range and has demonstrated the ability to command it. His changeup, a much-needed third pitch if he’s to be a starter, is his weakest pitch, and needs some work if he’s going to be able to throw it to advanced minor-league hitters successfully, much less major-league hitters. Mechanically, he moves easily, though there is a lot of room for better balance and drive through the stride – something he could have easily worked on over this offseason, and we could see revealed in the spring.

If he develops the way that he’s projected to, it’s easy to imagine the flame-haired kid making next year’s 101, and while comps like Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard are nearly impossible to live up to, May’s got the pieces to get close. —Kate Morrison

Aristides Aquino, OF, Cincinnati Reds
A toolsy outfielder, as I mentioned in his Top 10 writeup, Reds fans have seen this profile before with the likes of Yorman Rodriguez and Jonathan Reynoso (and to a lesser degree Juan Duran and the new kid on the block Jose Siri). Aquino has plus raw power, a plus arm, and is a plus runner as well. He even made quality contact, unlocking his home run stroke this past season. So why wasn’t he in consideration for this years top 101? A few reasons: to start he is a below-average defender in right field. While his range is good, he struggles with reads and makes poor decisions, routinely throwing behind runners, allowing them to move up. His swing does have length to it, as he starts with his hands high but then loads below his shoulder, ending up with a long bat path. While he does have above-average bat speed, this long swing path can give him troubles. Like the names above, Aquino is also a very aggressive hitter, routinely chasing breaking balls early in counts and struggling at times to make solid contact. So why could he be a name for next years top 101? Check out of all the good things I mentioned. If those skills translate to Double-A, while showing gains with the hit tool, then he is a legitimate impact position player. If his defense improves? Then we are looking at a five-tool player with all-star potential. —Steve Givarz

Miguelangel Sierra, SS, Houston Astros
The question that needs to be answered is how much of Sierra’s power outburst in 2016 was due to his added muscle and how much was due to the beneficial environment he played in. Shortstops who hit for power are always en vogue, and we at BP tend to bite early on those profiles. He needs to refrain from falling in love with the power stroke if he doesn’t want college arms to eat him alive (as they did at Tri-City this year), but he won’t turn 20 until December, so there’s plenty of rope here. Sierra has the athleticism to stick at the six, and right now the most concerning aspect of his game is the high volume of swings and misses. As mentioned, he’s young enough to figure that out, and if he starts to there should be a requisite bump in power production to go with it. Add in the potential for a solid-average hit tool, and Sierra has the tools to explode up this list if they start to work in concert. Here’s hoping that happens this coming season. —Craig Goldstein

Ramon Laureano, CF, Houston Astros
An unheralded 16th-rounder out of Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, Laureano generated some serious buzz last year. After crushing the Cal League with a .945 OPS and 33 steals in 80 games, his numbers actually ticked up after being promoted to the Texas League. He offers a balanced profile, with plus wheels, a compact stroke, and gap-to-gap power. He consistently generates hard contact, has the range and instincts to stick up the middle, and possesses an exceptional approach at the plate. While the strikeout totals remain a concern, Laureano seems close to a lock to be a big leaguer someday. The likely scenario is a useful reserve outfielder who can steal bases off the bench, but there’s a reasonable chance his profile plays up at the big-league level and he evolves into a starting center fielder on a first-division contender. —Matt Pullman

Adrian Morejon, LHP, San Diego Padres
When in doubt, take the dude with the highest bonus, right? Morejon was the pitching crown jewel of this past summer’s July 2 market, signing with the Padres out of Cuba for a pool-busting $11 million. The “Cuba” part probably gave this away—at just 15, he had a handful of starts in Serie Nacional, Cuba’s top professional league—but he’s quite a bit more advanced than your typical J2 pitcher, with a solid fastball and feel for both a change and a curve. He already came stateside for instructs last fall and could show up in full-season ball as early as this spring as an 18-year-old. Morejon is a smaller pitcher without any real track record of throwing innings, so there’s always the possibility the rotation isn’t his final destination. But if you want to swing for the moon for a guy who might be among the game’s best pitching prospects in a year (or two or three), Morejon’s right there. —Jarrett Seidler

Bo Bichette, 2B, Toronto Blue Jays

If the name sounds familiar it’s because, yes, Bo is the son of former MLBer Dante. Bo was selected in the second round in 2016 out of high school and will play the entire 2017 season as a 19-year-old. While he shows some athletic ability in the field and a strong arm, he might have to shift from the center of the diamond to a corner infield spot, eventually. What is really exciting about Bichette, and what could push him into a top 100 prospect is the bat. He possesses elite bat speed and huge power, not many teenagers or grown men for that matter that have the ability to drive the ball like Bichette does. Some have concerns over the movement in the swing, as he hits with a leg kick and adds in some flare with the upper half. I, for one, am not one of those people—hitters having individual style is a good thing, it’s important to be able to see through the style and see the core movements in the swing. He does a great job of getting his lower half open allowing his upper half to have room to work—and does it ever—watch some video of Bichette and you can see how fast the upper half snaps through the zone. It looks like he is trying to hit the ball over the fence with every swing, and that alone is something we should all be cheering for. —Derek Florko

Joey Wentz, LHP, Atlanta Braves
I already predicted Wentz would make next year’s 101 on the Braves list, and I do sort of have the ability to put my finger on the scale here. But I don’t doubt he will deserve it on merit. The strapping lefty was up to 95 as a prep arm this spring, and if his stuff had been a little more consistent as an amateur he might have gone in the top half of the first round. He still got paid like that kind of arm, and with mid-90s from the left side and a potential plus curveball and changeup in the holster as well, it’s easy to see why. There were some questions about his health and durability as an amateur, but he can answer those with a full, healthy season in the South Atlantic League. His stuff and projection is comparable to the Braves arms we ranked in the 101 this year, and he should join his organizational mates on our 2018 list. He may even hop a few of them. —Jeffrey Paternostro

Luis Alexander Basabe, CF, Chicago White Sox
If it’s not already apparent, we like to gamble on athletes. Basabe fits the bill with premium athleticism that plays on the bases and in the grass, where he has the potential to be an above-average defender up the middle. A switch-hitter, Basabe’s above-average raw power is more present from the left side. Speaking of raw, it’s an apt description of Basabe on both sides of the ball. He’s shown weakness against soft and spinning stuff in Low-A, and will need to refine his approach as he climbs the organizational ladder. He should be more of a slow burn as he works to hone his swing from both sides of the plate and translate his raw talent into baseball skill. Still, the White Sox have a willingness to be aggressive (not unlike Basabe at the dish) with their prospects, and if he starts well at Winston-Salem, there’s a decent shot he gets to Double-A by season’s end. If he does that, there’s a better than decent shot he lands on next year’s list. —Craig Goldstein

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TGT969
2/20
Although he is awhile away Pirate righty Roger Santana is someone to watch
TrooperGalactus
2/20
If Alec Hansen (White Sox) continues to have the results he did last year at a higher level, he's a shoo-in. He's already made at least one top-100 list I've seen.
BuckarooBanzai
2/20
(It...it was ours. He was 97th)
TrooperGalactus
2/20
Oops! So many out there I lose track!
morpheusq
2/21
Matt Thasis?
mdickson
2/21
Why?
TheArtfulDodger
2/21
You'll note our extremely high bar for first base prospects, in that only two appeared on our 101 this year.
mdickson
2/21
Why?