Austin Outlaws Top 15 Prospects 2022

For the third team of the individual lists, we are looking at the Austin Outlaws’ farm system. They were ranked 18th out of 30 farm systems, with one prospect cracking the top 80.

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15. CF David Zavala

Acquired: International Amateur Free Agent Signing ($200,000 Bonus) from the Dominican Republic

Zavala was a nice pick up for this Austin team, as he has shown scouts the potential to be a starting player in the league. The issue is that other scouts aren’t sold, which leads to wide ranges of reports on him. He could become a good hitter, allowing him to slot into a 6 or 7 spot in the lineup with fairly good stats across the board, while others see him as a minor league hitter. He’s got decent speed, but for a center fielder, you’re looking to get more out of him. While in the field, he has shown good range and a good arm, but is subject to boneheaded plays.

14. CF Eddie Ramirez

Acquired: Inaugural Draft, Round 28, Pick 9 (#819)

Scouts can agree that Eddie’s best batting ability is how he works the pitcher with his eye, but even that is not too good. If you’re looking for what Ramirez is good at, look at his play in the field. He’s got great range and a great arm in the outfield, but he can also play in the infield, allowing him to be a nice utility player should Ramirez develop his hitting.

13. RF Jason Thornton

Acquired: Amateur Draft, Round 3, Pick 29 (#89)

Some project Thornton to have below average hitting, while others project him to be an average hitter. Some project him to have below average fielding, while other project him to be an average fielder. It all comes down to his speed. He’s not naturally quick, but his reads on the base paths are outstanding. He’s quickly able to tell when a ball will or won’t drop and is able to take an extra base because of it. However, scouts wonder if he’ll be able to avoid striking out too much in order to show off that great baserunning skill.

12. 3B Reggie Vener

Acquired: Amateur Draft, Round 5, Pick 9 (#129)

He’s got a great eye at the plate, allowing him to draw plenty of walks. The rest of his plate game won’t be so developed, with most thinking he’ll only be able to hit for a low average and, because of his swing speed, won’t be able to power balls into the gap or over the fence. He has slightly above average speed, but scouts are in awe of his arm at third base. I’ve been told that it’s among the best in the game, and when you add that to his above average range, you’ve got the makings of a great defensive player. The real question will be, “Does his hitting ever come through?”.

11. 3B B.J. Schommer

Acquired: Inaugural Draft, Round 48, Pick 9 (#1419)

Schommer’s glove work is outstanding, but scouts are worried about his footwork while in the field. He’d make for a great shortstop, with good range and a pretty nice arm, but his footwork around the bag is terrible. He’ll often find himself on the wrong end of takeout slides. His speed is average, limiting his range by just a small touch. The real issue is with his hitting. Will he be able to make consistent contact?

10. C Chris Quezada

Acquired: Unknown (Inaugural Round 50+)

He seems like a career minor league player. There’s nothing that sticks out about Quezada. He’s shown the ability to get hitters out by his creative calls behind the plate, but his arm is inferior to his CBA counterparts. Some scouts think that he might be able to hit for some average and in turn would be able to get on base through a good eye, but most aren’t sold on it. Oh, he runs like a catcher, too.

9. C Rod Chavolla

Acquired: International Scouting Discovery (2/18/2022)

Probably the most interesting prospect in the league right now, Chavolla’s hitting doesn’t stand out for a catcher like you’d want to see on this list. His defense doesn’t stand out. His speed does. He’s shown an uncanny ability to get reads off a pitcher and jump earlier than when they start to deliver, allowing him to swipe bases. His speed isn’t half bad, and for a catcher, it’s lightning quick.

8. C Matt Frimel

Acquired: Amateur Draft, Round 4, Pick 22 (#112)

Frimel has the ability to hit behind the dish, as he is able to put the ball in play and avoid the strikeout. He also will be able to poke the ball into the gaps with a nice batting average, but his slow speed doesn’t help him leg out any triples. His defensive work behind the dish definitely needs work, but if Austin can afford a small decline in pitching in return for a boost in offense, you may be seeing Frimel sooner rather than later.

7. SS Jose Maldonado

Acquired: Inaugural Draft, Round 33, Pick 22 (#982)

Maldonado appears to be the prototypical shortstop in the CBA – high defensive and speed metrics, but low hitting ability. Most don’t think he’ll be able to top .240 even if fully developed. He strikes out often and doesn’t take walks, as he’s shown an impatience at the plate. His defense and speed won’t necessarily be game changers or league best, but they’re good enough to qualify a good ranking.

6. CL Juan Parreno

Acquired: Inaugural Draft, Round 23, Pick 22 (#682)

He’s got the stuff to start, with four pitches and the stamina to last late into games. He hasn’t shown it yet whilst in DEV-A ball, pitching to a 5.68 ERA through 13 starts, but his walk rate is where you’d want it to be. He’s had problems with the longball, as evidenced with his 11 home runs through those 13 starts, but as he learns his secondary pitches better you’ll see those issues start to decrease.

5. 3B Jordan Wilson

Acquired: Inaugural Draft, Round 26, Pick 9 (#759)

Wilson’s hitting is projected to be at starter level, with a good contact oriented swing that provides some power with it also. He won’t be many people in races, but he’ll make up for it through his base running skill. He doesn’t show good range at third, but his arm makes up for plays in the hole. Wilson may very well be a quality major league third baseman someday soon.

4. LF Trey Donnelly

Acquired: Inaugural Draft, Round 2, Pick 22 (#52). Special Notes: Drafted as a Pitcher.

Donnelly is projected to be an above average hitter. He’s got good contact and pop, and his eye allows him to lay off most bad pitches. His speed and defense are more suited for Left Field than any other spot, and you may even see him switch to a DH position. He’s hitting .280 through 40 games in DEV-B ball, and it wouldn’t surprise most to see him called up by the end of the year.

3. SS Jesus Contreras

Acquired: Inaugural Draft, Round 27, Pick 2 (#802)

Contreras has what you want from your shortstop – great range, great arm, good speed, and, as an added bonus, he’s also got the ability to hit. He’ll be a nice hitter towards the bottom of the lineup, hitting ~.260 with a collection of home runs and a nice resume of extra base hits. The question surrounding him is whether he’ll be able to select his pitches and swing at strikes only, but we’ve seen an improvement over his career. Expect him to be called up (and possibly start) soon.

2. CF Alexander Martin

Acquired: Amateur Draft, Round 1, Pick 29 (#29)

The man from across the pond has shown his way in DEV-B ball, hitting to the tune of a .320 average with 6 home runs and 30 RBIs through 57 games. He’ll be a fine major league outfielder, able to hit his way into most lineups. His speed is what you want with a guy who has good contact, as he’ll be a threat every time he gets on the bases. He’ll also be able to put the ball over the fence and into the gap, allowing him to use that speed. Defensively, he’ll be limited to left field because of a bad arm, and he also takes bad routes to the ball, allowing some to drop in and roll past him. We think he’ll be seeing the callup to the Reserve roster soon, and maybe even the major league squad by the end of the year.

1. SP Jose Lopez

Acquired: Inaugural Draft, Round 4, Pick 9 (#99)

Lopez has future star written all over him. He’s got great stuff and is showing it off with an 8.5 K/9 rating in Reserve ball. He’s got four great pitches, but he’s had issues controlling them into the strike zone. He’s at ~6 BB/9, which is something Austin will want to get fixed before entering the majors with a 6.27 ERA through 10 starts. Still, Austin is desperate for pitching, so Lopez may be joining the big league club sooner rather than later.

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