Down on the Farm - Top MLB Prospects - 2015 MLB Season Preview - Best Tools
The 2015 Major League Baseball season is upon us and we are inundated with top prospect lists. Well, here is another, but rest assured we at RotoPicks are always a step ahead. Using Baseball America's Top 100 2015 Prospects List, here are the toolsiest prospects, with ratings from 80 (elite) down to 20 (poor) based on the scouting scale.
To better understand the impact of the scouting ratings, here is a table that can help you see what is needed for the hit tool, power tool, speed tool, fastball tool, and control tool on the 80-20 Scouting Scale:
| Grade | AVG | HR | Speed LHH | Speed RHH | SP Velo | RP Velo | Zone % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80 | 0.336 | 46+ | 3.8 | 3.9 | 97+ | 100+ | 54.40% |
| 70 | 0.313 | 37-45 | 3.9 | 4 | 94-96 | 97.5-100 | 51.50% |
| 60 | 0.29 | 28-36 | 4 | 4.1 | 92-93 | 95-97.5 | 48.60% |
| 50 | 0.267 | 19-27 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 91-92 | 92.5-95 | 45.70% |
| 40 | 0.244 | 11-18 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 88-90 | 90-92.5 | 42.80% |
| 30 | 0.221 | 4-10 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 85-87 | 87.5-90 | 39.90% |
| 20 | 0.199 | 0-3 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 0-84 | 85-87.5 | 37.00% |
Another way to look at it is like this:
| Scouting Grade | Term | % of players with this skill (MLB) |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | Poor | 0.2% |
| 30 | Well Below-Average | 2.1% |
| 40 | Below-Average | 13.6% |
| 50 | Average | 68.2% |
| 60 | Plus | 13.6% |
| 70 | Plus-Plus | 2.1% |
| 80 | Top End | 0.2% |
80 Ratings
An 80 rating is the absolute highest scouting grade a prospect could get. These are the elite, All-Star caliber tools of the 2015 prospect class. Check out the stats for each tool with an 80 scouting grade in the above table.
Kris Bryant - Power
Byron Buxton - Speed, Defense
Joey Gallo - Power
Lucas Giolito - Fastball
Tyler Glasnow - Fastball
Reynaldo Lopez - Fastball
Tyler Kolek - Fastball
Jose Peraza - Speed
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70 Ratings
A 70 rating is right below the 80 scouting grade, the second best grade a prospect could get, plus-plus. These are still elite, All-Star caliber tools from the 2015 prospect class. Take note of the players with multiple grades of 70.
Byron Buxton - Hit, Arm
Carlos Correa - Arm
Corey Seager - Hit
Joey Gallo - Arm
Lucas Giolito - Curve
Francisco - Defense
Julio Urias - Curve, Changeup
Noah Syndergaard - Fastball
Jorge Soler - Power, Arm
Miguel Sano - Power, Arm
Carlos Rodon - Slider
Alex Jackson - Power
Robert Stephenson - Fastball, Curve
Jon Gray - Fastball
Aaron Sanchez - Fastball
Raul A. Mondesi - Speed
Jameson Taillon - Fastball
Dalton Pompey - Defense
Michael Taylor - Defense
Steve Matz - Fastball
Luis Severino - Fastball, Changeup
Dylan Bundy - Fastball
Marco Gonzales - Changeup
Dylan Bundy - Fastball
Alex Reyes - Fastball
Aaron Judge - Power
Yasmany Tomas - Power
Alex Meyer - Fastball
Trea Turner - Speed
Jorge Alfaro - Arm
Touki Toussaint - Curve
Hunter Renfroe - Power
Kyle Zimmer - Fastball
Erick Fedde - Fastball, Slider
Tim Anderson - Speed
Tyrone Taylor - Defense
Spencer Adams - Fastball
Pitchers Whose 3 Best Tools Total 185+
| 3 Best Tools | 185+ |
|---|---|
| Lucas Giolito | 210 |
| Julio Urias | 200 |
| Luis Severino | 200 |
| Noah Syndergaard | 190 |
| Tyler Glasnow | 190 |
| Robert Stephenson | 190 |
| Aaron Sanchez | 190 |
| Carlos Rodon | 185 |
| Mark Appel | 185 |
| Alex Reyes | 185 |
| Tyler Kolek | 185 |
| Toussaint | 185 |
Hitters Whose Hit + Power Tools Total 120+
| Hit+Power | 120+ |
|---|---|
| Kris Bryant | 140 |
| Byron Buxton | 130 |
| Corey Seager | 130 |
| Joey Gallo | 130 |
| Alex Jackson | 130 |
| Carlos Correa | 125 |
| Addisson Russell | 120 |
| Miguel Sano | 120 |
| Kyle Schwarber | 120 |
| Jesse Winker | 120 |
| Aaron Judge | 120 |
| Hunter Renfroe | 120 |
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