Prospects Live Articles — Prospects Live

Tieran Alexander

Really Good Minor League Breaking Balls

Really Good Minor League Breaking Balls

Breaking ball usage keeps on going up, and their quality is better every year. Breaking ball spam has slowly started to take over the league, and that is not something that will go away. There are a number of variants of breaking balls- but I’ve identified five of the most common and some minor leaguers who have dominant versions.

The Best Fastball Hitters in The Minors

The Best Fastball Hitters in The Minors

The Fastball is the most commonly used pitch so being able to hit is mandatory to find success in the major leagues. Here are five minor leaguers who demolish the fastball- and not just any fastball, but MLB caliber ones.

The Best Fastballs in the Minors

The Best Fastballs in the Minors

The Fastball is the most important pitch in a pitcher’s arsenal. How we define a good fastball today is not the same way we used too. Raw velocity is no longer enough. Here are five pitchers with truly elite fastballs that go beyond just velocity or movement, but truly do everything.

Rookie League Arms with Outlier Stuff

Rookie League Arms with Outlier Stuff

Every year we tend to ignore the most dominant rookie ball players to our detriment, or overvalue some for the wrong reasons. Here is five players in rookie league who deserve a lot more attention than they are getting because they have off the charts pitch traits.

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Is Jackson Merrill The #1 Prospect in Baseball?

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Is Jackson Merrill The #1 Prospect in Baseball?

The computer’s data based Top 1000 Prospects Ranking has Jackson Merrill as the best prospect in baseball. Is there any validity to that claim? How close is he to eventually claiming the top spot?

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Evan Gates and The Leaning Tower of Pitches

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Evan Gates and The Leaning Tower of Pitches

Evan Gates dominated the minors in 2022 despite lacking impressive velocity, movement, or just general stuff. His command was also arguably below-average. So how is it that Evan Gates was so dominant for the Giants?

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The Downfall and Possible Resurrection of Cody Bellinger

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The Downfall and Possible Resurrection of Cody Bellinger

Cody Bellinger won an MVP at 23 in 2019. He looked destined to be an inner circle hall of famer. And then he fell off the side of the earth and has been a below-average hitter since then. He was benched in the playoffs just three years after his MVP. What happened to cause such a historic collapse? Is there hope that Bellinger can return to form?

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Demystifying Clutch: The Real Factors That Determine The Best Performers

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Demystifying Clutch: The Real Factors That Determine The Best Performers

Most people believe clutch is a myth, but it’s not one. Clutch hitting is a conscious choice for hitters. They get to choose what pitches to swing at, and swing decisions are everything.

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Sifting for Diamonds: How Prelander Berroa can be an Ace

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Sifting for Diamonds: How Prelander Berroa can be an Ace

Prelander Berroa has ridiculous stuff that will make him a nightmare at the bullpen, but his command woes will keep him from starting games. Here is how I think he can become a front of the rotation starter.

Daniel Espino Has a Twin On The Seattle Mariners

Daniel Espino Has a Twin On The Seattle Mariners

Daniel Espino is a top 15 prospect for his generationally great fastball, and elite slider. There is another much less heralded pitching prospect with the same fastball and the same slider. Meet Daniel Espino’s secret twin, and one of the more underrated pitching prospects in the game.

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The Best of Both Worlds - Good Stuff and Good Tunnels

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The Best of Both Worlds - Good Stuff and Good Tunnels

Some pitchers have electric stuff that fails to perform. Others have great deception but are held back by lackluster stuff. However, there are some prospects who combine the best of both worlds and mix both stuff and deception to enviable results.

BABIP is a Teachable Skill

BABIP is a Teachable Skill

A week ago we looked at how BABIP can be predicted and some players who project for a high one. This time we look at three players who project for a low BABIP and how they could change that projection.

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The Mystic Art of Pitch Tunneling

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The Mystic Art of Pitch Tunneling

Pitch tunneling has never been viewed as quantifiable but in the modern age the existence of tunneling and the value of it has never been more clear. The Dodgers have built a juggernaut by exploiting this one gimmick nobody else truly understands.

BABIP is a Skill

BABIP is a Skill

For a long time, we have discounted a high BABIP as a matter of luck. Yet, in the statcast era we have been able to pin down that it is a result of controllable inputs. BABIP is a skill and here are four minor leaguers who excel in it.

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James Wood is Divergent

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James Wood is Divergent

James Wood is famous for having elite power, but what if I told you that he might also have the best hit tool in the minors? The centerpiece in the Juan Soto trade could be on his way to becoming the best prospect in all of baseball.