As everyone is aware the major league draft occurred occurred a week ago.  The first big wave of signings have come in and the big question is what type of player are these no additions to the minor league system.  Rather than go through them and try to make a snap decision based on limited knowledge and reports as to what type of players they are this is going to explore more the type of players that comprise a minor league system.

Prospects:

A prospect is a player that has the raw ability to have reasonable projection to be a contributor on the major league level.  This does not by definition  mean that prospect equals major league regular and it also does not include player who project only to get a quick cup of coffee in the majors.

Prospects usually have at least one major league tool and a profile that has a place on a major league roster (no one carries an all glove no bat first baseman for instance).  It is important to remember that these are major league tools not just how a prospect looks against players in their league.  Age comes into play here because an older more experienced player can mask a lack of talent by “outsmarting” their opponents, so it is important to recognize context when scouting.

The variance in type of prospect is huge.  There are only a handful of prospects will be all-stars and more than that will be above average regulars.  The vast majority though will be average to below average players.  Just because a player is a prospect doesn’t mean they will be an impact major leaguer some day.

Fringe Prospects:

Since everything is not a clear cut decision there are player who are firmly on the border between being a prospect and an org guy.  Typically these players profile as relievers, #5 starts, platoon hitters, or 4th/5th OFs.  These players may have but up great numbers in the minors but their talent just isn’t good enough to make you feel comfortable projecting them to have major league success.  The most common phrase associated with fringe prospects is that they will “have to prove it at each level”.  Because of the lack of talent it is very rare that a player will have sustained success because they will struggle to make adjustment once teams have good scouting data on them.

Org Players:

Organizational player make up an overwhelming majority of the over 6,000 minor league players.  They all were very good baseball players at some point in their careers and were likely the best player on their high school teams and a star in college.  Professional baseball is difficult and full of adjustments and you need a ton of talent to play it well.  Organizations keep org players around for a variety of reasons.

1. They need to fill a position on a roster,  you need a full bullpen and bench for all of your affiliates
2. They are good clubhouse guys, many prospects are young and in a challenging position, having mentor figures is important
3. They are like having an extra coach on the team, some guys know what to do and just lack the ability to do it good enough
4. The organization is grooming them for a further role in the team whether it is coaching or scouting

Organizations don’t carry non-prospects that they don’t want in the organization.  They are a very important part of the development process, helping to bring along players with actual major league potential.  Occasionally,  because these guys tend to be hard workers and good people, they make a leap an skills that earns them a trip to the majors.