Prospect League prospect reports

Official league website: www.prospectleague.com
2015 Summer Collegiate Top Prospect Index
Prospect League Top Prospect List (20)


The Prospect League had quite an intriguing summer, as several teams put together impressive campaigns. For instance, in the East Division, both the Chillicothe Paints and West Virginia Miners were well above .500 with respective 38-22 and 35-24 records. The West was a bit more clear cut, as the Terre Haute Rex easily won the division in both the first and second halves, posting an overall league-best 43-17 record.

Terre Haute swept West Virginia in a best-of-three series to nab their first league championship and received consideration for Perfect Game's 2015 Summer Collegiate Team of the Year honors.

Plenty of players turned heads this summer, with Chillicothe’s Tanner Allison (Western Michigan) earning plenty of praise for his command and feel for pitching, and David Marcus (California-Pennsylvania) for his impressive power that played in game action.


Year established: 2008
States represented: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania
No. of teams: 12
Regular season champion (best overall record): Terre Haute Rex (43-17)
Postseason champion: Terre Haute Rex
No. 1 prospect, 2014: Ronnie Dawson, of, Chillicothe (Ohio State)
First 2014 player selected, 2015 MLB draft: Jeff Degano, lhp, Terre Haute (Indiana State/Yankees, 2nd round)

 Player of the Year: David Marcus, 1b, West Virginia
Pitcher of the Year:Tanner Allison, lhp, Chillicothe

BATTING LEADERS

Batting average: David Jacob, inf, Springfield (Quincy) (.400)
Slugging percentage: David Marcus, 1b, West Virginia (California-Pennsylvania) (.601)
On-base percentage: David Jacob, inf, Springfield (Quincy) (.475)
Home Runs: David Marcus, 1b, West Virginia (California-Pennsylvania) (11)
RBI:David Marcus, 1b, West Virginia (California-Pennsylvania) (49)
Stolen bases: Dylan Harvey, of, West Virginia (West Virginia Tech) (41)

PITCHING LEADERS

Wins: Tanner Allison, lhp, Chillocothe (Western Michigan) (8)
ERA:Samuel Higgs, rhp, Terre Haute (Western Kentucky) (0.66)
Saves:Zach Spangler, rhp, Butler (Kent State) (11)
Strikeouts:Derek Henrixson, rhp, Chillicothe (Heidelberg) (59)

BEST TOOLS

Best athlete: Eric Solberg, inf, Jamestown (UW-Milwaukee); Andrew Gutierrez, of, Terre Haute (Indiana State)
Best hitter: David Marcus, 1b, West Virginia (California-Pennsylvania)
Best power: David Marcus, 1b, West Virginia (California-Pennsylvania)
Best speed: Dylan Harvey, of, West Virginia (West Virginia Tech)
Best defender:Eric Solberg, inf, Jamestown (UW-Milwaukee)
Best velocity:Bill Oxford, rhp, Quincy (St. Mary’s)
Best breaking stuff:Matt Anderson, rhp, West Virginia (Morehead State)
Best command: Tanner Allison, lhp, Chillocothe (Western Michigan)


TOP 10 PROSPECTS

1. Logan Steinberg, ss/3b, Danville (St. Mary’s (Calif.)/SO in 2016)
Steinberg performed well this spring for St. Mary’s, hitting .319/.413/.394 in 33 games. He carried that momentum over to the summer, as he hit .297/.364/.331 for Danville in 148 at-bats. At 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, Steinberg has a professional quality body and he carries himself with confidence and poise not often seen in true freshman. While he didn’t hit any home runs this summer, he has solid bat speed and with room to add more strength to his sizeable frame, coaches believed that he has a chance to develop above average raw power in the next couple of years when he learns to pull the ball more effectively. Additionally, Steinberg shows a strong throwing arm, and while has played some shortstop, his future probably lies elsewhere. He has the footwork, soft hands and athleticism to handle third base, but a corner outfield slot may also be a possibility down the road. Steinberg is still a bit susceptible to quality off-speed pitches, but he has a solid approach and plate discipline, and he should continue to improve with more experience against high-level competition.