2/5/15

Tom Brennan - Majoring on the Minors: Top 30 Prospects - #1 Noah Syndergaard


MAJORING ON THE MINORS: TOP 30 PROSPECTS – #1 NOAH SYNDERGAARD – Tom Brennan
I’m doing my Top 30 Prospects articles a bit differently – in 2 lists:
·       A top 10 list of lower minors guys who likely won’t show up until 2017 or later.  See list at end of this article. 

·       Followed by my top 20 list of guys who are closing in on the big leagues.  Guys who could help in the near future or be trade bait.

Here is the list so far:
20.   Daniel Muno
19.   Michael Fulmer
18.   Miller Diaz
17.   Dario Alvarez
16.   Jayce Boyd
15.   Rob Whalen
14.   Hansel Robles
13.   Gabriel Ynoa
12.   Gavin Cecchini
11.   Jack Leathersich
10.   Cory Mazzoni
9.      Cesar Puello
8.      Matt Bowman
7.      Akeel Morris
6.      Matt Reynolds
5.      Brandon Nimmo
4.      Kevin Plawecki
3.      Dilson Herrera
2.      Steve Matz

Let me state that I left Rafael Montero off this list, figuring that his 44 big league innings are enough to say, “no longer a prospect, but now a bona fide big leaguer” in my book.

It has been a long road to Tipperary with these 30 articles.  29 prospect ranking articles before today.  Today, finally, selection #1:

NOAH SYNDERGAARD:  Thank you RA Dickey.  Travis d'Arnaud and, very soon, Noah Syndergaard, or Thor for short, have come from the loins of your trade to the Jays – not to mention Wuilmer Becerra, my 7th ranked lower minors prospect.  Ahh, generosity.

Thor, the weights-pumping giant, who can dead lift the equivalent of two Bartolo Colons at a time, also is in possession of an arm that throws high 90s bullets and the El Diablo Terry Collins Saturday Special, the curve ball deemed the "hook from hell”. 

Considered by many to be future #1starter material, or #2 material, Thor will choose door #1.

Just careful not overdoing the weight thing, sir, to stay healthy there, and I hear if you book a June flight from Vegas to Laguardia, the fares are really cheap, so please do so today.

He is huge and should be very imposing when he gets here.  Last year's so-so #s in Las Vegas were not so bad if you normalize them for a more normal pitching environment...and hooks from hades work better at sea level in humid air, which Citifield is proud to say it has plenty of.  When Thor arrives, the young starting staff will be Stud Central.  Can't wait.

Someone that strong can give the whole team a lift.  How about 10 reps, as in 10 titles in 10 years. He's big, so I'm thinking big.  Some guys project a prospect's floor and ceiling...I normally do not, but for him, ceiling? Roger Clemens.  Floor? Don Drysdale.  Now, about that plane ticket...

MY TOP 10 LOWER MINORS LIST:
# 1 - Marcos Molina

#2 – Michael Conforto

#3 – Amed Rosario

#4 – Dominic Smith

#5 - Jhoan Urena

#6 – Vicente Lupo

#7 – Wuilmer Becerra

#8 – Luis Guillorme

#9 - Casey Meisner

#10 - Milton Ramos

Next article: I will combine my 2 lists into a single ranking of 30 guys.

7 comments:

Tom Brennan said...

Putting Thor over Matz as my #1 must have been due to my operating out of the right side of my brain that day. Which will have the more amazing Mets career, only time will tell.

May they be the next Seaver (311 wins, 2.86, pitched until 41) and Koosman (222 wins, 3.36, pitched til 42).

Mack Ade said...

Thomas -

Thank you very much for posting your list (s)

Tom Brennan said...

Absolutely.

Tomorrow, I believe, is my recap, where I combine my lower and upper minor prospect lists into a single ordered list.

It will be ineteresting, to see where we converged and diverged (i.e., where you were right and I was off :)

Anonymous said...

Thomas I enjoy reading your stuff.
The best part of your hopeful comparison of Seaver/Syndergaard and Koosman/Matz, is that it doesn't include Harvey-Wheeler or deGrom.
Now that is truly Amazin


Steve

Tom Brennan said...

Thanks, Steve. Exciting pitching times are in the very near future. I can't wait. Maybe it will be like 1984-1986 the next 3 years...90, 98, 108.

Anonymous said...

We can hope Thomas.
Im hoping for a longer term of excellence?
Maybe a Atlanta kinda run?
The baton can be transferred from Wright to Rosario.
The projected lineup for 2018 might and should end up being better than 2015

Steve

Tom Brennan said...

I think so, Steve, but 2015 is the real start of the good times. I love it when young studs break onto the scene, like Gooden circa 1984.