By RENALDO DORSETT
Tribune Sports Reporter
rdorsett@tribunemedia.net
Major League Baseball Clubs added players to their 40-man rosters to protect them from next month’s Rule 5 Draft and with that came an updated list of rookie prospects in each team’s pipeline.
Kristian Robinson and Trent Deveaux were featured among the top prospects for their respective teams for the first time since they were signed during July’s International Signing period while Jazz Chisholm and Lucius Fox continue to progress further up the ranks.
According to MLB scouting, to be eligible for the lists, a player must have rookie eligibility. To qualify for rookie status, a player must not have exceeded 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched in the Major Leagues, or accumulated more than 45 days on the active roster of a Major League club or clubs during the 25-player limit period, excluding time on the disabled list.
The MLB Players grades on a 20-80 scale for future tools - 20-30 is well below average, 40 is below average, 50 is average, 60 is above average and 70-80 is well above average.
Robinson is listed as the No.20 rookie prospect for the Arizona Diamondbacks with an overall grade of 45.
His scooting grades include Hit:50, Power:55, Run:60, Arm:45 and Field:50.
His scouting report suggests the 6’3” 190 16-year-old projects as a premiere outfielder with his progression through the minor leagues.
“Robinson is a physical specimen with tools and upside. A terrific athlete, Robinson has plus speed and has shown an ability to get good reads and take good routes on defense. His arm is currently playable in center, with some feeling he might eventually fit the profile of an athletic right fielder. That will certainly be true if he can tap into his raw power consistently as he develops. He needs to work on recognizing breaking and offspeed stuff in order to get there. Scouts love his makeup, giving him a good chance to be a breakout star from this international class.”
Jazz Chisholm is ranked No.7 in the Diamonbacks pipeline, also with an overall grade of 45.
His breakdown includes Hit: 50, Power: 40, Run: 50, Arm: 50, Field: 55.
A torn meniscus cut short Jazz Chisholm’s debut season in Single A baseball with the Kane County Cougars in the Midwestern League’s Western Division.
He played in just 29 games - hit .248 with, three stolen bases, slugging .358, an on-base percentage of .325, an OPS of .683, 12 RBI and one home run.
His scouting report reads: “Chisholm makes hard contact consistently from the left side of the plate and has some loft in his swing. That can be dangerous, as the organization does not want him to focus on power, believing it will come naturally as he develops. He does need to refine his pitch recognition and strike zone discipline, which will make him an even more effective hitter. He has all the tools to stick at shortstop long-term, with great hands and enough arm and range to perform well defensively. Finding a balance of discipline and aggressiveness at the plate will be key to his offensive growth.
Trent Deveaux begins his career listed as the No. 25 prospect in the Los Angeles Angles organisation.
His overall grade of 45 includes - Hit: 50, Power: 40, Run: 70, Arm: 50, and Field: 50.
“He is a plus runner who the Angels think could warrant an 80 on the 20-80 scouting scale once he starts to mature. He’ll need to add strength, but he has the kind of 6-foot-2 frame that should add it easily, allowing him to eventually grow into some power. The Angels are already pleased with a better-than-expected approach at the plate. Once a shortstop, he’s moved to center field, where he has the chance to be an outstanding defender with at least a Major League average arm,” his scouting report reads. “Deveaux’s ceiling is very high. His outstanding personality and plus makeup gives the Angels hope he can one day fulfill his enormous potential.”
Lucius Fox is listed No.11 with the Tampa Bay Rays with a 50 grade including Hit: 50, Power: 40, Run: 70, Arm: 55 and Field: 55.
Fox was assigned to the Stone Crabs at the Single A-Advanced level in July.
In 30 games with the club, he hit .235 with a .608 OPS, .350 OBP, one home run, three stolen bases, 12 RBI and 19 runs scored.
The 20-year-old shortstop spent the previous 77 games with the Bowling Green Hot Rods of the Midwest League at the Single A-Full level.
For the Hot Rods, Fox hit a career-best .278 and ranked third in the Midwest League with 27 stolen bases. He also ranks second on the team with 45 runs scored, collected 27 RBI and totaled a .362 OBP and a .722 OPS with two runs.
Fox was also featured in the annual showcase of Major League Baseball’s top minor league prospects during the midseason All-Star classic. He drove in one RBI, but his Futures World team fell one run short in their rally and a 7-6 loss to team USA at the 2017 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game,
“Fox is a top-flight athlete with plus-plus speed and three more tools that should be at least solid. A switch-hitter with a line-drive stroke, he has the approach and the wheels to become a leadoff hitter and prolific basestealer. He won’t be a homer threat but he does have some strength and can drive some balls to the gaps,” it reads, “Fox’s range, quick hands and arm fit easily at shortstop. Some scouts don’t love his middle-infield actions and think he’ll fit better in center field, though the Rays, much like the Giants, believe he can stay at short, lauding his ability to learn quickly.”
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