Willie McCovey Memorial 2019 Community Prospect List: The Results

Well, we did it! It was distressingly close to a three-way runoff for the final spot (whew!) but we did it!

The 2019 Willie McCovey Memorial Community Prospect List is complete. Let us feast our eyes on what we have created:

1. Joey Bart
2. Heliot Ramos
3. Marco Luciano
4. Shaun Anderson
5. Logan Webb
6. Alexander Canario
7. Chris Shaw
8. Ray Black
9. Melvin Adon
10. Sean Hjelle
11. Gregory Santos
12. Aramis Garcia
13. Heath Quinn
14. Juan De Paula
15. Jalen Miller
16. Ryan Howard
17. Camilo Doval
18. Jacob Gonzalez
19. Jake Wong
20. Luis Toribio
21. Seth Corry
22. Abiatal Avelino
23. Sandro Fabian
24. Garrett Williams
25. Diego Rincones
26. Jairo Pomares
27. Drew Ferguson
28. Pat Ruotolo
29. Tyler Beede
30. Travis Bergen
31. Jose Marte
32. Aaron Bond
33. Sam Coonrod
34. Blake Rivera
35. David Villar
36. Manuel Geraldo
37. Conner Menez
38. Malique Ziegler
39. Yorlis Rodriguez
40. Ricardo Genoves
41. PJ Hilson
42. CJ Hinojosa
43. Keaton Winn
44. John Gavin

And now of course, it’s time for the traditional post-op chat as we survey the landscape we’ve traversed.

Who do you think is ranked too high?

Who is ranked too low?

Who will we look back and regret we omitted entirely?

Who will take the biggest leap up these ranks next year? Last year Logan Webb barely snuck in at #44 and zoomed his way up to #5 this year, one of our greatest leaps ever!

Who on this list are you most eagerly anticipating seeing in the majors this year? And who will you be following most breathlessly in the minors?

Kevin and I will start, shall we?

Too High:

ROGER: As dearly as I love me some Ray Black (8), his age and health record make me wonder about the wisdom of a top 10 finish (though I salivate at the thought of a future Moronta-Black-Adon back of the pen). I also think Jalen Miller (15) moved up maybe a smidge too much, but I’m as guilty of Jalen-thusiasm as anybody.

KEVIN: Logan Webb (5) - Webb had a fantastic, if limited, return from injury. There’s a lot of potential for him to become a big starting pitcher, or a hard-throwing reliever. But there’s also a lot of questions about if he can make it. I like his potential, just maybe not this high. Others: Melvin Adon (9), Jalen Miller (15).

Too Low:

ROGER: What in the world is Manny Geraldo (36) doing in the back end of the 30s? And I’ll take a big swing and say that Yorlis (39) will make us look bad. I also have De Paula (14) in my Top 10 so his mid-teens placement seems on the lowish end to me.

KEVIN: Jake Wong (19) - Wong’s not super-attractive as a prospect, without huge raw tools, but I think the community is underrating how useful a good middle-of-the-rotation pitcher is (especially considering the size of the contracts that go out to get them). Wong is durable, effective, and has potential as his curveball matures. Others: Ray Black (8), Blake Rivera (34), Manuel Geraldo (36).

Omitted:

ROGER: Luis Matos from the youngsters. On the pitching side I’ll say Luis Montero. Closer to the top division: Mike Gerber and Sam Wolff.

KEVIN: Logan Baldwin - I mean, it’s hard to have someone not on a 44-man list in a system, but Baldwin is one I think we missed. Maybe it’s because he is a player that stands out more in person than on a stat sheet. In a limited visit, he impressed me with his hustle and hard working. He doesn’t have any standout physical tools, but he works hard at everything he does. I think he has a real chance to make noise next year in San Jose if he makes it.

Great Leap Forward:

ROGER: I say Jairo Pomares (26) sweet swings his way into the Top 10 next year. Hopefully, Toribio (20) does as well, but Jairo comes from the furthest back. I’m also somewhat fascinated (perhaps inappropriately) by Yorlis Rodriguez (39)

KEVIN: TIE: Blake Rivera (34) and Luis Toribio (20) - This is a function of players rated pretty low. Rivera had a shaky start to his career, but if the Giants move him to the bullpen, I think he’ll be the helium-filled player that will mow through the low-level leagues. As for Toribio, it’s hard to look at DSL stats and draw out thoughts, but he showed the skills that one would hope for with power and patience. His ability to rise may be limited if he’s held back for the AZL (he turns only 19 in September), but I think he’ll get some fans this year. Others: Pat Ruotolo (28), Yorlis Rodriguez (39), Malique Ziegler (38)

Who are you most excited to see in the Majors:

ROGER: Logan Webb. If there’s a big impact guy remotely close to the big leagues, it’s Logan. This ISN’T a prediction that I think Webb will actually be in the majors this year. Just that he would get me the most excited of anybody who I think conceivably could be.

KEVIN: Ray Black (8) - Let’s be honest, this system doesn’t have a lot of guys close to the Majors. So, I’m going with a guy we saw so much of this year that his inclusion on the list was controversial. Ray Black has a fastball that blows me away, and blows a lot of batters away. Paired with his slider, it is absolutely amazing. I loved what I saw from him last year, and I think this year will be even better.

Who will you follow most breathlessly in the Minors:

ROGER: Marco Luciano. Of course. Do we have a blooming superstar in our midst?

KEVIN: Helios Ramos (2) - Last season, I led off the season with a warning, to not have high expectations of Ramos. This year, my expectations have increased. He’s got a full season under his belt. He should be in better conditioning. He has more experience. And, he’s going to the California League (probably). I expect a fantastic season from him this year. That said, this is a hard choice, but I’m eschewing the obvious (Joey Bart), I think Alexander Canario might still struggle a bit if he makes it to Augusta, and Marco Luciano will only play a half season and is very very young, so he gets the expectation-warning.

There you have it! What say you folks? Thanks for joining us on this ride? Now just a short six weeks for spring training and we’ll be back with Minor Lines come April.