Community Prospect #33
by gatling on Jan 22, 2026 12:29 PM EST
139 comments
With 24.3% of the vote, Brett Wallace is elected Community Prospect #32
1. Jason Heyward - 51%
2. Stephen Strasburg - 76%
3. Buster Posey - 20% (43% runoff)
4. Michael Stanton - 20% (54% runoff)
5. Jesus Montero - 20% (45% runoff)
6. Brian Matusz - 21%
7. Pedro Alvarez - 23%
8. Desmond Jennings - 29%
9. Carlos Santana -37% (50% runoff)
10. Neftali Feliz -37% (50% runoff)
11. Justin Smoak - 46%
12. Domonic Brown - 23% (59% runoff)
13. Madison Bumgarner - 30%
14. Martin Perez - 28%
15. Dustin Ackley - 31%
16. Chris Carter - 33.6%
17. Jeremy Hellickson - 29.4%
18. Michael Taylor - 36.9%
19. Alcides Escobar - 37.0%
20. Christian Friedrich - 29.0%(53.2% runoff)
21. Logan Morrison - 45.6%
22. Ryan Westmoreland - 24.7%
23. Aroldis Chapman - 32.0%
24. Wade Davis - 40.8%
25. Fernando Martinez - 30.5%
26. Aaron Hicks - 33.3%
27. Kyle Drabek - 34.0%
28. Lonnie Chisenhall - 24.5%
29. Jenrry Mejia - 18.8%(51.6% runoff)
30. Yonder Alonso - 25.5%
31. Matt Moore - 19.0%(70.7% runoff)
Players will get 1 round on the poll as a tester, if they fail to draw 5% they will then be removed and sit out up to 3 rounds.
Players off the poll(will sit out up to 3 rounds): Michael Montgomery(#32-4.9%), Jiovanni Mier(#32-0%), Derek Norris(#32-1.9%), Jhoulys Chacin(#32-3.9%), Grant Green(#32-1.9%), Jason Castro(#32-1.0%), Starlin Castro(#31-3.8%), Josh Bell(#31-1.0%), Jake Arrieta(#30-2.0%)
Tester pool: Hector Rondon, Ryan Kalish, Matt Dominguez, Todd Frazier, Josh Reddick, Brett Lawrie, Zach Stewart, Simon Castro, Ike Davis, Zach Britton, Donovan Tate, Tanner Scheppers
The candidates with previous round vote %:
Freddie Freeman 15.5%
Jacob Turner 14.6%
Tyler Matzek 6.8%
Dan Hudson 18.4%
Over 130 AB/50 IP cutoff for eligibility
Please vote using the +1 system, not the rec system. Rec'd votes will not be counted in this poll, only actual posts with +1.
2 recs |
139 comments
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Vote with a +1 here for Freddie Freeman
RIP Nick Adenhart
by gatling on Jan 22, 2026 12:31 PM EST reply actions 6 recs
+1
seems to be a losing cause, but i’m sticking with it
by M 80 on Jan 22, 2026 2:39 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
+1
Q: If on-base pct is so important then why don't they put it on the scoreboard? -Failcoeur
A: Because the Braves don't want to show their fans how bad you suck.
by timmy3 on Jan 22, 2026 4:50 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
+1
www.oriolesprospects.com | twitter @orioleprospects
by ravensfan3 on Jan 22, 2026 7:35 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
+1
"That's not a weird stat. Rickie is a run-scorer," Yost said. "It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter," Yost told reporters. "See, you guys have no concept. He's a run-scorer. So there's nothing weird about it. That's what he does."
by Hyatt on Jan 22, 2026 10:32 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
+1
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results.
by biggentleben on Jan 23, 2026 11:12 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Vote with a +1 here for Michael Saunders
RIP Nick Adenhart
by gatling on Jan 22, 2026 12:32 PM EST reply actions 5 recs
Vote with a +1 here for Casey Crosby
RIP Nick Adenhart
by gatling on Jan 22, 2026 12:32 PM EST reply actions 5 recs
Vote with a +1 here for Jacob Turner
RIP Nick Adenhart
by gatling on Jan 22, 2026 12:32 PM EST reply actions 5 recs
+1
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
by t ball on Jan 22, 2026 2:13 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
+1
Fat man is no more,
Bursting on through Heaven's Door
Come on in, says Bill
by Wilbur Wood on Jan 22, 2026 5:30 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
+1
"I was going to say, 'You’re gay for Elvis.' But then I realized that I, too, am gay for Elvis." ~Adam J. Morris.
by Kinslerhomer on Jan 22, 2026 7:04 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Vote with a +1 here for Tyler Matzek
RIP Nick Adenhart
by gatling on Jan 22, 2026 12:33 PM EST reply actions 5 recs
Vote with a +1 here for Dee Gordon
RIP Nick Adenhart
by gatling on Jan 22, 2026 12:35 PM EST reply actions 5 recs
+1
"When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him."
-Jonathan Swift
by King Billy Royal on Jan 22, 2026 3:03 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
+1
www.pbfantasysports.com
^^ check it out
by Preston Barclay on Jan 23, 2026 11:34 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Vote with a +1 here for Dan Hudson
RIP Nick Adenhart
by gatling on Jan 22, 2026 12:35 PM EST reply actions 5 recs
+1
"I generally avoid temptation unless I can't resist it" ~ Mae West
by Blicks on Jan 22, 2026 1:06 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
+1
"Ninety percent I'll spend on good times, women and Irish Whiskey. The other ten percent I'll probably waste."
by strums on Jan 22, 2026 7:54 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
+1
http://twitter.com/FutureSox
by The Big Hurt on Jan 22, 2026 11:36 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Vote with a +1 here for Casey Kelly
RIP Nick Adenhart
by gatling on Jan 22, 2026 12:36 PM EST reply actions 5 recs
Vote with a +1 here for Jordan Lyles
RIP Nick Adenhart
by gatling on Jan 22, 2026 12:36 PM EST reply actions 5 recs
+1
"Ninety percent I'll spend on good times, women and Irish Whiskey. The other ten percent I'll probably waste."
by strums on Jan 23, 2026 9:07 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Vote with a +1 here for Brett Lawrie
RIP Nick Adenhart
by gatling on Jan 22, 2026 12:37 PM EST reply actions 5 recs
+1
"Chicks dig the long ball, although fat chicks will settle for warning track power" - Nick Diamond
by hero66 on Jan 23, 2026 12:00 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Vote with a +1 here for Tyler Flowers
RIP Nick Adenhart
by gatling on Jan 22, 2026 12:38 PM EST reply actions 5 recs
+1
The bat’s as good as anybody’s listed here, and he’s a CATCHER.
by PissedMick on Jan 22, 2026 2:52 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Vote with a +1 and name for anyone not listed above
RIP Nick Adenhart
by gatling on Jan 22, 2026 12:40 PM EST reply actions 5 recs
+1 Derek Norris
Was voting for Wallace last time, sad to see Norris banished for 3 rounds
by Ophidian on Jan 22, 2026 1:25 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
+1 Jhoulys Chacin
What the hell happened to the support he generated in the mid 20s? Did people just see Hudson getting votes and, instead of splitting votes between two pitchers who are seemingly grouped together, they went for one. Stuff like that makes me wish there was anonymous voting, but thats beside the point. This guy kind of fell off the radar on these polls, and, in my mind, is a better prospect than anyone else on this list.
He was rushed, but still has #2, possibly low #1 type of potential, but he is close, young, and if the Rockies handle him properly I could see him really getting the K rates consistently above average and the BB rates consistently below. His stuff plays into generating groundballs, so I think he will combine being above average in three different key aspects to generate one very very good pitcher.
by Navi's_Navy on Jan 22, 2026 4:32 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
+1 Jhoulys Chacin
Interesting to note how his walk rate spiked in his short time at AAA and in the MLB.
by jaroche6 on Jan 23, 2026 9:25 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
+1 Jhoulys Chacin
I’m going to keep voting for him until he’s on
by The Gottfather on Jan 22, 2026 7:13 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Can anyone voting for Turner or Matzek
explain why you’re going with them over a guy like Casey Crosby? The upside for the three is pretty much even, so it’s not like they have that on their side. Crosby has pitched in the minors with success, and appears to be recovered from TJS. The only knock I can see on him is his control, but it usually takes that second year back for the control to come all the back. I just don’t see how you can rate a guy so high strictly on projection.
RIP Nick Adenhart
by gatling on Jan 22, 2026 1:03 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Well, I wouldn't have a problem with Crosby here
But I slightly prefer Matzek. Crosby apparently relied heavily on his fastball in the midwest league this year:
Weaknesses: Crosby needs work on the consistency and command of all of his pitches. Because his offerings aren’t fully developed, he relies on blowing his fastball by hitters. He lost a chance to work on his secondary pitches during instructional league, as he was shut down after a couple starts with shoulder tendinitis.
The Bad: Like many Tommy John survivors, Crosby struggled with his command during his first year back, although his walk rate dropped as the season wore on. He can overthrow his breaking ball at times, causing it to hang, and his changeup will need refinement to avoid getting cast as a reliever.
Both BA and KG ranked him behind Turner and I have Matzek ahead of Turner. I’d be perfectly fine with Crosby winning, but I give Matzek the edge because of his secondary stuff.
by jar75 on Jan 22, 2026 1:11 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Its really close for me, but a couple things point toTurner.
It basically comes down to two issues, both of which give me pause that Crosby could end up in the pen.
1) Repertoire Depth - Tuner has the makings of three plus pitches, while Crosby’s third pitch (change) isnt good and his slider can flatten out, too.
2) Injury History/Mechanics - Crosby (obviously) has an injury history and inconsistent release points, while Turner has really nice, clean mechanics
They arent huge concerns for me, because he does lots of other things really well and he’s a young, power lefty who is getting great results. Still, its enough to put Turner a little bit ahead right now IMO (Not done yet, but right now I have Turner #21 and Crosby #26 - so not much of a difference at all). Crosby is still one of the top 10-15 pitching prospect in baseball despite those issues.
by alskor on Jan 22, 2026 2:18 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I should mention I have Matzek #22 One behind Turner
Turner v. Matzek is SUPER close for me.
Matzek gained a lot of helium his senior season and that kind of concerned me. It more or less came down to me liking Turner better at draft time. Turner was considered the "best high school arm in the draft. "
Matzek’s delivery isnt quite as nice as Turner’s and Im not confident his fastball is quite as good (though its pretty good and he’s a lefty, so bonus points for that). As you can tell by the placement Im still very, very high on him.
by alskor on Jan 22, 2026 2:28 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
well now i have to wait to vote so i can vote for whoever has the best chance of beating out Hudson
srsly guys, too early for Hudson
by daveh33 on Jan 22, 2026 2:36 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
I really like Hudson
a lot … but not as a top 35 prospect. The better than expected fb velo, the solid enough secondary offerings - all of it is great. But I still don’t see a starter who is more than a borderline 2/3, and I’m not sure the relative “safety” of Hudson would convince me to go that route until his slider was consistently sharper.
by toonsterwu on Jan 22, 2026 3:54 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
the same
i hate to campaign against guys I like, but sometimes it has to be done. the only argument i see/remember is that he moved quickly through the system/multiple levels… that’s more an organizational choice than a player dominating.
by daveh33 on Jan 22, 2026 4:31 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
the reason
we are not voting for the players with the highest ceiling. we are voting for the best prospects. I personally dont think alonso, morrison and wallace are going to be allstar caliber at the positions they will be playing. so the fact that we are getting hudson here should not surprise you. if we were going on upside only, guys like dee gordon, starling castro and brett lawrie would have been selected by now. this is a safe choice list. not a projection list. if you took a compilation of lists throughout america this is what you get. if you want a projection, high ceiling list you know where to go. but it is not here. this is 401k country, not wall street.
by svigen on Jan 22, 2026 5:26 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
fair enough
although that statement seems to minimize the importance of potential in a prospect list. For me, a prospect ranking should focus on the best combination of upside, performance, ability, and so forth. Basically the whole shebang, and thus why I’m not apt to lean Hudson.
That said, why Hudson over Chacin? Don’t get me wrong, I really like Hudson. I would probably lean Chacin’s overall ability as a notch ahead of Hudson right now, and both are relatively safe. Let me play devil’s advocate on Hudson though - here’s a guy who has a decent fb (better fb velo than some anticipated, but I don’t recall anyone suggesting it was a plus pitch), an inconsistent slider, decent-solid change. There’s nothing exceptional about the arsenal to suggest that he definitely will stick as a starter (again, playing devil’s advocate as I think he will stick as a starter). IIRC, (don’t have the stats in front of me) some control issues. The sample size is too small to read too much into his consistently declining gb rate as he moved up the ladder, but it does catch my eye. I’d feel much safer with, say, Chacin’s ability to generate ground balls and limit homers.
by toonsterwu on Jan 22, 2026 5:51 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
when did talk about voting for the highest ceiling?
I’m not the one voting for Castro, Westmoreland, and Dee Gordon.
like toonster said, it’s for the best combination of upside, performance, ability to reach that upside, etc…
by daveh33 on Jan 22, 2026 6:14 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
i do
i vote for the dee gordon, starlin castro and westmoreland crowd. i was just trying to explain how on the site projection players get the short end of the stick. scouts projection without the backup of numbers get hammered on this site. i was shocked when westmoreland got voted on. everyone is entitled to their opinions. but opinions without numbers are hard to argue on this site. that is why we get cookie cutter lists. not that there is anything wrong with that. in my fantasy league everybody knows the value of the wallace, morrison and alonso crowd. it is who finds the diamond in the rough that make the difference. i was not ripping on anyone, but hudson has the numbers and good enough scouting reports to be in the same part of the list as the morrison’s of the world. i am not a fan of hudson. there are 20 other pitchers in the minors i would rather have. that does not however make those other 20 pitcher better prospects. in real baseball a team like the yankees would rather have jacob turner. while a team like the royals would rather have a major league ready, more of a sure thing daniel hudson. different strokes for different folks. no right or wrong.
by svigen on Jan 22, 2026 6:58 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Voted Crosby
I was debating between the two Caseys. I understand why folks are voting Matzek and Turner, as based on the information out there, both guys have slightly higher ceilings. That said, I want to see those polished secondary offerings to go with performance before voting them above Crosby. It’s just as possible that Crosby’s secondary pitchings take a big jump next year as it is for Turner/Matzek’s secondary offerings to fall short of expectation. I’m as apt as anyone to fall far “developing pitches” or “makings of”, so I definitely understand why folks are leaning that way (I’d be the first to say, for example, that while I’ve talked up Jay Jackson’s change as “developing”, it really means it’s not good yet and needs more work"). Maybe some folks have seen Matzek and Turner pitch enough to know how they feel, but I’m not gutsy enough to go that route for unproven high school arms.
I prefer the lefty, but I could go either Casey. I am a big fan of Hudson, but it’s just hard for me to come to the idea that he’s a top 35 prospect. Top 50? I can see that. Lyles is nice, but both Casey’s have performance and they both have better upside, IMO. I don’t buy Dee Gordon as the 2nd best shortstop prospect, and I don’t buy him as a top 40 guy, so it’s hard for me to ponder that. Freeman’s nice, and there’s untapped potential, but considering the position, I want to see that potential get tapped before voting him as a top 35 guy.
That left Flowers/Lawrie/Saunders. Tbh, I think PissedMick has made some very valid points on Flowers so I pondered it for a long time. At the end, I’m really just not sure I can come around to the idea that he’s a top 40 or so prospect with the questions on his defense and ability to hit for average. Perhaps top 50. I wonder if I’m undervaluing Lawrie a tad. I have no explanation here to really justify why I didn’t vote that route other than I simply couldn’t pull the trigger on it. I really like Lawrie a ton. I think Saunders will be a solid major leaguer, but I’m just not sure ceiling is enough for me to go with him over the other guys, although it was close in my mind.
I keep pondering Lawrie.
by toonsterwu on Jan 22, 2026 4:06 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
i think a lot of people are selling Freeman's upside very short
can’t remember which chat it was, i think a BA chat in august or sept… I want to say it was Callis, and he said that Freeman wasn’t far behind Morrison and Smoak…. in fact he grouped them together if i remember correctly
by daveh33 on Jan 22, 2026 4:34 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Freeman is definitely a tier below Morrison and Smoak in my mind
Freeman’s walk % is far below Morrison/Smoak, and I don’t like how some analysts/scouts describe his apparently awkward batting stance/setup. His Carolina League OBP was propped up by high BABIP and HBP rates, both of which I’m not convinced are sustainable. Considering the doubts over his ability to hit for HR power based on his swing plane, I think he’ll need to take a substantial leap forward in walk rate in order to post major league wOBA/OPS worthy of a star 1B.
by jibs on Jan 22, 2026 5:04 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
On testers
Four names that I think we’re getting close to where they should fall IMO
Arodys Vizcaino, Julio Teheran, Josh Vitters, Brett Jackson.
I think I’ve made it pretty clear that, I’m not a huge fan of Vitters yet, and as a Cubs fan, I’m not depending on his development an a critical anchor our future yet (obviously, I hope I’m dead wrong). That said, he is a youngster who has loads of upside and has shown progress overall. He’s not as good as he was hyped to be at midseason, but we’re getting to the point where potential may be enough justification to rank a guy. Personally I think of Josh as a 45-65 guy (I really don’t have an ordered list in front of me) so I think we’re getting close to tester range.
I actually have Brett ahead of Josh in my Cubs rankings. 5 tool guy who had an excellent start. Granted, low levels. Most expectations are that he will stick in CF. The strikeouts are still a bit of a concern, but the reports that I recall suggested that he handled the bat quite well when asked to do situational hitting, which bodes well. I think of him as probably a 40-60 guy.
I have Vizcaino ahead of Teheran. I believe BP put both ahead of Freddie Freeman. Vizcaino lacks experience, but we’re at the point where upside can become a bigger factor. With a fb that can reach the mid-90’s and a plus curveball, there’s enough potential to see a future number 1 IMO if the change develops. Honestly, I think I’d take Vizcaino over Matzek and Turner, although I really haven’t pondered it all that much.
by toonsterwu on Jan 22, 2026 5:17 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Huge +1 on Teheran
more mild +1 on Vitters. I still take Darnell and Dominguez over him, but I may take him ahead of Bell, although I’m not sure.
by Navi's_Navy on Jan 22, 2026 5:28 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
interesting
I can see arguments for Teheran and Vizcaino…. [i have teheran ranked around 40th right now]
not close to Vitters/Jackson for me…. not close at all
by daveh33 on Jan 22, 2026 6:16 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
btw
if i had to rank those four it’d be vizcaino, teheran jackson, vitters.
Anyhow, I’ll leave the Vitters thing aside, as I’m not going to go too far defending him (though I do believe he should be about a top 60 (ish) guy.
That said, I’ll make a case for Jackson. There aren’t that many guys that have Brett’s level of physical potential. This is a guy with 5 legit tools. Most reports suggest he will stick in CF. The K’s are a bit of a concern, but the reports from his pro ball so far seem to suggest that, while he might never have top discipline, he might be solid enough and should make improvements. An up-the-middle guy with that level of ability is hard to find. The reports postseason have been fairly positive - Callis was glowing about him, as was Kevin Goldstein. Callis (and others) have suggested him in middle of the top 100, so he’s close.
I’m not suggesting he should come off the board anytime soon, but after being wary of putting him too high and initially thinking Callis was off his rockers, I’ve come around on Brett Jackson a bit and think he should fall somewhere in the middle of the top 100. Doesn’t mean he will, and I doubt he will for the CPL, but I think there’s a valid case for Brett to be tested soon.
by toonsterwu on Jan 22, 2026 6:41 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
+1 on Arodys
"When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him."
-Jonathan Swift
by King Billy Royal on Jan 22, 2026 8:29 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
If you want Vizcaino
then in my opinion you can have Alex Colome too.also has a mid 90’s FB and a plus curve from what I heard and he was also ranked ahead of Vizcaino on BA NY Pen League top 20 this year.Vizcaino is also smaller but younger
the question master
by thedudeofdudes on Jan 22, 2026 8:56 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
fair enough
I honestly don’t know that much about Colome, whereas Vizcaino’s been out there as a name for longer, it seems.
by toonsterwu on Jan 22, 2026 9:43 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I hate to say it but it might be because Vizcaino was a Yankee spect
and also because this is really Colome’s real big season
the question master
by thedudeofdudes on Jan 22, 2026 10:43 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I half-wonder
if the four young arms (Turner/Matzek/Crosby/Kelly) are splitting the votes, leading to other guys jumping ahead.
by toonsterwu on Jan 22, 2026 7:13 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Definitely possible
Those guys are just so close to each other.
by jar75 on Jan 22, 2026 9:02 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Question
How many people have been voting on the recent polls?
"When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him."
-Jonathan Swift
by King Billy Royal on Jan 22, 2026 8:29 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
We're averaging around 100 or so votes when I tally them up
Last 10 polls vote totals:
103
105
102
85(nearly 24 hours, led to a runoff)
94(Just over 24 hours when I counted them)
103
106
105
103
97
RIP Nick Adenhart
by gatling on Jan 22, 2026 8:46 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
85 votes for 24 hours?
Hopefully it isn’t losing steam already. I hate to think how many votes we will be getting at 83.
"When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him."
-Jonathan Swift
by King Billy Royal on Jan 22, 2026 10:54 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
It was last weekend
We don’t get quite as much activity on the weekends for obvious reasons, especially last weekend with 4 big NFL playoff games going on. We might need to do just one poll over the weekend if it is a problem going forward, but as late as the list started this year doing that would make it hard to get to 100 by opening day. Things bounced right back this week though, so it’s not really something I’m too worried about at this point. 83 votes as of posting this, in under 14 hours so not too bad there.
RIP Nick Adenhart
by gatling on Jan 23, 2026 1:36 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
only 83 votes, makes you wonder how we consistently broke 200 last year...
by byronlhsdrmr on Jan 23, 2026 1:02 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
ballot stuffing.
pretty obvious. although maybe you are being sarcastic.
by auclairkeithbc on Jan 23, 2026 1:09 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
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