TOP 5 PROSPECTS

1. Estevan Florial, OF: Florial, 21, struggled with a broken wrist in a lost 2018 season. He has a patient approach with the bat speed to let him reach plus power at maturity. Defensively, he’s a future plus center fielder. He could be in Class AAA by the end of the season.

2. Jonathan Loaisiga, RHP: Loaisiga is a hard thrower who has been plagued by arm injuries for several seasons. His high-octane fastball has limited movement, though his slider is sharp. Loaisiga threw 242⁄3 major league innings in his 2018 debut and should be back in 2019.

3. Albert Abreu, RHP: Abreu, 23, has struggled with injuries in 2017 and 2018. His fastball has late run, he replicates its arm speed with a plus late-fading changeup and his curveball has solid break. He posted a 4.16 ERA with 65 strikeouts in 13 high-A starts.

4. Everson Pereira, OF: Pereira, 17, held his own with a .322 on-base percentage in his rookie ball debut. His swing is short and compact, but he’ll need to tighten up his lower half to unlock plus power potential. He’s a potential plus-plus center fielder with good speed. Look for another aggressive assignment to full-season Class A in 2019.

5. Clarke Schmidt, RHP: Schmidt, 22, returned late in 2018 from Tommy John surgery, throwing 231⁄3 innings. His fastball velocity ticked back up in rehab, and his slider profiles as a plus pitch. He gets good extension from his three-quarters delivery. He’ll likely start at Class A.

Excerpted from BaseballHQ.com’s 2019 Minor League Baseball Analyst. To order: https://www.baseballhq.com/ mlba2019