Exploring Fangraphs KATOH Top 100 prospects

Yesterday, Fangraphs posted their yearly Top 100 prospects list based on their KATOH player projection system. Per Chris Mitchell’s introduction, they are presenting two lists, the first one based on “KATOH+” which incorporates “performance, age, height and ranking on traditional prospect lists.” According to Mitchell, this is the more accurate version of KATOH. The second list is standard “stats only” KATOH, which “doesn’t account for any sort of scouting.” As Mitchell notes, that’s a flaw, but the numbers-only version is “good for identifying statistical standouts who have gone unnoticed” by traditional methods.

Go check out both lists and give Fangraphs the clicks they deserve.

A few observations:

****Andrew Benintendi ranks first on the “+” list, as he should, but checks in at number seven on the numbers-only list behind Dylan Cozens, Manuel Margot, Vladimir Guerrero JR, Austin Meadows, Jake Bauers, and J.P. Crawford. Cozens is the big surprise and we will do a write-up on him tomorrow.

****Guerrero ranks second on the “+” list and third on the traditional, quite an accomplishment for a guy who was in rookie ball last year.

****Southpaw Thomas Szapucki of the Mets is a favorite “will take leap forward” prospect among analysts and his ranking at 21 on the “+” list reflects that.

****On the stats-only version, Matt Chapman of the Athletics ranks ahead of Dansby Swanson of the Braves.

****The stats-only version is not overly wild about Amed Rosario, Gleyber Torres and Yoan Moncada, ranking them in the same 30-40 neighborhood with Max Moroff and Ben Gamel.

****Surprise names on the “+” list include Zack Granite of the Twins at 55, John Schuknect of the Angels at 68 and Mark Karaviotis of the Diamondbacks at Diamondbacks at 72.

Go look at the lists. Who stands out to you?