Inbox: Where will Dominguez, Thomas rank?
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The most common question for the MLB Pipeline Inbox this week: When are we going to update our Top 100 Prospects list and all of our organization Top 30s? While I can't give you an exact answer, I can tell you we are busy working on them and they'll come out in advance of the Trade Deadline, most likely toward the end of next week.
With that in mind, let's get to some Inbox questions related to the Top 100 and the Trade Deadline ...
Some scouts have told me that Jasson Dominguez may be the best 16-year-old international prospect they've ever seen. Signed by the Yankees for $5.1 million on July 2, he's a switch-hitter with well above-average raw power from both sides of the plate, well above-average speed and a plus arm who could become a plus hitter and a plus defender in center field.
There is some risk to go with all that ceiling, because Dominguez is so young and has yet to face anything close to big league-quality pitching. I put together our Yankees Top 30 and I'll give you a sneak preview by telling you that he'll rank No. 3 when we unveil the new list. As for the Top 100, all I will say is that I believe he'll have the highest ranking we've ever given an international amateur immediately after he signed in July.
For more on this topic, check out the video at the top of this Inbox.
Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker (No. 11 on the Top 100) immediately comes to mind. Houston is pretty stacked in the outfield and Yordan Alvarez looks like he'll hold down the DH job for a long time. The Astros are giving Tucker some time at first base to find another way to possibly get him into their lineup, though Yuli Gurriel gets the job done at that position.
For Houston, it's World Series championship or bust in 2019. The Astros value Tucker highly but if he could be the centerpiece of a blockbuster trade, they'd have to consider it because he has little left to prove in Triple-A and no obvious path to immediate playing time in the big leagues.
The 19th high school hitter selected in the 2018 Draft (second round, No. 63 overall by the D-backs), Thomas is having a better first full pro season than any of the prep bats taken ahead of him with the exception of Mariners outfielder Jarred Kelenic. He's batting .313/.397/.500 with 32 extra-base hits in 78 games in the Class A Midwest League, which might be the toughest circuit to hit in in the Minors.
Thomas is a quality athlete who could develop three plus tools (hitting, speed, center-field skills) with at least average power. He hasn't gotten as much hype as he deserves, though that's starting to change with a berth in the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game ... and a soon-to-be-revealed spot in our Top 100.
Gray is getting close to our Top 100 but isn't quite there yet. The Dodgers acquired him along with shortstop Jeter Downs -- who's also knocking on the door to the Top 100 -- in a December trade that saved them roster spots and cash when they sent Yasiel Puig, Alex Wood, Matt Kemp and Kyle Farmer to the Reds.
A former shortstop at NCAA Division II Le Moyne (N.Y.) who didn't become a full-time pitcher until after his sophomore season, Gray has an explosive 92-94 mph fastball and flashes a plus slider. The 2018 supplemental second-rounder keeps improving as he gains more mound experience and has displayed better command during his first full pro season. He went 8-0 with a 2.08 ERA, a 106-20 K-BB ratio and .198 opponent average in 90 2/3 innings between two Class A stops before earning a promotion to Double-A on Wednesday.