BP Top Prospects: Dodgers

1. SS Corey Seager
2. LHP Julio Urias
3. OF Joc Pederson
4. RHP Grant Holmes
5. RHP Zach Lee
6. RHP Chris Anderson
7. RHP Jose De Leon
8. 2B Darnell Sweeney
9. OF Alex Verdugo
10. OF Scott Schebler

1. Corey Seager

Position: SS
DOB: 04/27/1994
Height/Weight: 6’4” 215 lbs
Bats/Throws: L/R
Drafted/Acquired: 1st round, 2012 draft, Northwest Cabarrus HS (Concord, NC)
Previous Ranking: #2 (Org), #44 (Top 101)
2014 Stats: .345/.381/.534 at Double-A Chattanooga (38 games), .352/.411/.633 at High-A Rancho Cucamonga (80 games)
The Tools: 6 potential hit; 6 potential power; 5 present run; 6+ arm

What Happened in 2014: Seager served as a beautifully destructive offensive force for High Rancho Cucamonga and Double-A Chattanooga while holding his own on the defensive front as an oversized six-spotter, emerging as one of the game’s elite prospect talents.

Strengths: Excellent strength; fluid and functional swing that produces line drives to all fields; steady hands through launch and steady head throughout swing; proficient tracker; solid plate coverage, including improved coverage on the inner half, and high level of comfort hitting across the quadrants; easy, natural lift; increasingly produces backspin and carry; hands and arm play well on the dirt; has shown ability to make most out of limited range; if shifted to third, has the makings of a plus defender.

Weaknesses: Still learning to temper over-aggression, particularly early in count; lower half can get clunky and stiff in the field; defense unlikely to surpass fringe average at shortstop; highly likely to settle in to below-average straight-line speed at maturity.

Overall Future Potential: 7; all-star player

Realistic Role:  6; first-division player

Risk Factor/Injury History: Low; successful in extended Double-A debut and developmental trajectory pointing up across the board.

Craig Goldstein’s Fantasy Take: There is always risk in prospects, especially ones who have the potential to slide down the defensive spectrum. Seager is a special case though, having experienced upper-minors success at a young age, and receiving near universal praise for his bat. He might slide to third base down the line, but the state of that position isn’t so glamorous in fantasy circles that it would significantly dent his value. He should contribute to the four major categories as a future middle-of-the-order hitter, and will sprinkle in a steal here or there.

The Year Ahead: Seager entered the year ranked by Baseball Prospectus as the 44th best prospect in the game, and by mid-season had climbed to 19th. When the 2015 Top 101 list is unveiled, the former first-rounder will have solidified a spot among the elite position prospects in the game, thanks to a 2014 season that provided evaluators almost everything they could have asked for, from gaudy offensive production across two levels to improved plate coverage and strength to enough in the way of defensive chops to keep the door open to his logging major-league innings at the six spot. All of this came with Seager turning just 20 years old last April, and there is still additional physicality yet to manifest in the Tar Heel Stater’s projectable and athletic build. Seager falls shy of a true five-tool threat, but the bat, power, and arm could all mature to plus, and were he to shift to the hot corner his glove could bring the plus tool tally to four. Seager is near major-league ready, though there is not a present pressing need for his services in LaLa Land. He possesses the feel and maturity to make an impact upon arrival, and the potential to emerge as one of the game’s elite overall talents.

Major league ETA: 2015