Baltimore Orioles: Orioles announce Top 10 prospects list

With Dylan Bundy no longer eligible for the Baltimore Orioles prospect list, catcher Chance Sisco is the new top prospect in the organization

The Baltimore Orioles released their Top 10 prospects list on Monday morning, and to no surprise, the team has a new No. 1 prospect

Since 2011, Dylan Bundy had been the Orioles top prospect, even after he underwent Tommy John Surgery in 2013. However, Bundy is no longer eligible for the prospect list, meaning catcher Chance Sisco is the new top prospect in the organization. Sisco was No. 10 in 2014, No. 4 in 2015 and No. 3 in 2016.

The determination of who is eligible for the prospect list is simple; a player is eligible if they haven’t reached more than 130 at-bats, pitched 50 innings or made 30 relief appearances as a rookie. With the rule in place, Bundy isn’t the only pitcher not eligible for the prospect list. Players such as Mychal Givens, Tyler Wilson and Mike Wright are now ineligible.

With that said, here are your Top 10 Orioles prospects for 2017:

1. Chance Sisco, Catcher: The Orioles envision Sisco to be the catcher of the future, and should Matt Wieters walk during free agency, it opens a spot for the Orioles prospect. At Double-A Bowie, Sisco hit .320./.406/.422 and led the entire Eastern League in OBP. To add to his top prospect status, Sisco made the Future’s Game and homered. Just recently, he was listed No. 85 on Baseball America’s midseason Top 100 list.

Jul 10, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; USA batter Chance Sisco after hitting a solo home run in the fourth inning during the All Star Game futures baseball game at PetCo Park. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

2. Cody Sedlock, RHP: Sedlock was the Orioles 27th overall pick in the 2016 Major League Draft. And so far, the Orioles haven’t been disappointed. Sedlock pitched to a 3.00 ERA in 27 innings with Class-A Aberdeen and held opponents to a .158 batting average. Also if you’re trying to steal on Sedlock, it’s nearly impossible. It takes him approximately 1.2 seconds to throw to home plate while holding a runner.

3. Ryan Mountcastle, SS: Scouts compared Mountcastle to “Sisco but with more future power”, and he had a good offensive year at SIngle-A Delmarva. However, scouts are concerned with Mountcastle’s lack of arm strength, and they envision the Orioles will move him to the outfield at some point.

4. Hunter Harvey, RHP: Scouts compare Harvey to Bundy, but it has nothing to do with numbers. Harvey struggled with a flexor tendon issue before he underwent Tommy John surgery on July 26th. Scouts believe Harvey could follow Bundy’s recovery process which led to Bundy having a decent season with the Orioles in 2016.

5. Trey Mancini, 1B: Despite Mancini’s appearance with the Orioles in September, he is still eligible for the Top 10 list. And the No. 5 ranking is the highest Mancini has been since he ranked No. 8 last season. Mancini hit .282/.357/.458 in 2016, mostly in Triple-A. Despite him making the list as a first baseman, scouts believe the Orioles will get a look at Mancini in the outfield.

6. Keegan Akin, LHP: Akin was a second round pick for the Orioles in the draft last year, and pitched well in Aberdeen, notching a 1.04 ERA in nine appearances. Baseball America also had Akin as a Top 12 prospect in the New-York Penn League. Scouts believe Akin could coast through the Orioles farm system and could be with the Orioles sooner rather than later.

7. Austin Hays, OF: The Orioles recieved Hays in the third round of the 2016 Major League Draft, and were pleased with how he turned out this season. He hit .336/.386/.514 in approximately 140 at-bats with Aberdeen. Hays missed some time with a sprained wrist, but he was healthy at the end of the season.

8. Jomar Reyes, 3B: Reyes dropped four spots in the Top 10 prospect list after he had a subpar year in Single-A Frederick. Reyes hit .220/.271/.337 in 2016 and scouts questioned his ability to adapt at the plate. However, the Orioles believe he made improvements, especially while he was in the instructional league.

9. Chris Lee, LHP: Lee missed majority of the season after he was hit with a shoulder injury in May. Dr. James Andrews advised Lee in September not to pitch for three months. But the Orioles expect he will be ready for Spring Training. Scouts say Lee would have made the Major League ball club at some point last season, but health played a factor. As long as Lee is healthy this Spring, the Orioles don’t see a reason as to why he can’t make the roster.

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10. Tanner Scott, LHP: Tanner Scott could be compared to Chicago Cubs closer Aroldis Chapman because he has the ability to consistently throw 102 to 104 MPH. However, Scott walked 57 batters in 64 innings between Frederick and Bowie. The Orioles would like for Scott to work on his command, and should he master tha,t he could be one of the top lefties in the Orioles minor league system. And like Givens, Scott could have the opportunity to make the Orioles ball club out of Bowie.