Naylor, O’Neill, Soroka shoot up prospects lists
By: Adam Morrissette
Canadian Baseball Network
OTTAWA-If there was any doubt it is all but erased now.
Junior National Team alums Josh Naylor (Mississauga, ON), Tyler O’Neill (Maple Ridge, BC) and Mike Soroka (Calgary, AB) are among the top prospects in baseball.
The trio have each enjoyed success in the minor leagues to date with O’Neill following up on a breakout 2015 with an even better run through the first half of this season, while Naylor and Soroka have made a seamless transition in their first full professional campaigns after both were selected in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft.
The success of each has not gone unnoticed among prospect evaluators and writers, as all three have moved into the Top100 prospects discussions of late.
Highly regarded Baseball America released their Midseason Top 100 prospects list last week along with Top 10 prospect lists for each of the 30 Major League clubs and each player debuts on the Top 100 list, from being absent in the preseason rankings, while each has taken a significant leap on their own clubs’ Top 10 list.
One of the most consistent performers through the first half of the minor league season Tyler O’Neill is now considered the top prospect in the Seattle Mariners organization by Baseball America. Coming into the season as the 4th ranked prospect in the Mariners minor league system, O’Neill has enjoyed an often times “loud” campaign with Double-A Jackson in the Southern League. His 17 home runs to date are good for second among Southern League hitters, while his 70 RBI rank him first in the loop.
His .296 batting average and .880 OPS place him among the top ten in the league in each category. O’Neill has been recognized as both a Southern League All-Star and earlier this month he played for the World Team in the Futures Game in San Diego where he represented both the Mariners and Canada. Baseball America has the 21 year-old as the 45th ranked prospect in all of baseball.
Expectations are always high when you’re a first round draft choice and former Junior National Team slugger Josh Naylor has lived up to those expectations through the first half of the season with Single-A Greensboro in the South Atlantic League.
One of the youngest players in the loop having just turned 19 in June, Naylor was named a South Atlantic League All-Star and joined O’Neill at Petco Park in San Diego earlier this month to represent both the Miami Marlins organization and Canada in the Futures Game. His nine home runs are tied for eighth most in the league, which is where he also sits with his 51 runs driven in to date.
After being ranked as the Marlins #2 prospect heading into the season, the first baseman assumed the number one spot on Baseball America’s list and has also squeaked on to their Top 100 Prospects list at #100. In San Diego, Naylor went 2-for-3 with an RBI in helping the World Roster to a 10-3 win over Team USA.
For Soroka, still just 18 years of age, the assignment to full season Rome of the South Atlantic League has been met with results not normally seen for a pitcher of his age. The former Atlanta Braves first rounder has been registering quality start after quality start and currently has a 3.30 ERA to put him 13th in the league among eligible hurlers.
A South Atlantic League All-Star, Soroka also is among league leaders in WHIP and strikeouts and has tossed 101 innings including 17 starts for an average start length of nearly six innings per outing. He’s had four starts of five innings or more where he did not yield an earned run. Listed ninth on the Braves’ Top 10 prospects by Baseball America prior to the season, the right-hander is now fifth on the midseason list and is also getting some love as the 78th top prospect in all of baseball.