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10 best prospects in the Minor League playoffs
- Updated: September 7, 2016
The 2016 Minor League regular season has come to a close. For the vast majority of prospects, that means competitive play has ended for the year.
Some have instructs or perhaps the Arizona Fall League to look forward to. A select number have been rewarded with September callups to the big league club.
For a small number, the season isn’t quite over just yet. The postseason in the Minors is just getting into high gear, and there are a number of outstanding prospects who are vying for championships across nearly every level. Ask any player, even those who have been in the big leagues for years, and they’ll be quick to tell you, “A ring is a ring,” and playing for one is exciting. Ask any player development executive and they’ll be just as quick to add that seeing how a prospect performs under playoff pressure is invaluable.
With that in mind, here are the top 10 prospects hoping to win a Minor League ring this month. There are a total of 37 players on MLBPipeline.com’s Top 100 Prospects list on playoff rosters, including No. 26 Mickey Moniak of the GCL Phillies (the Gulf Coast League playoffs concluded Wednesday).
1. J.P. Crawford, SS, Phillies’ No. 1/MLB No. 2 Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs (AAA)
After a strong July (.300/.364/.430), the 21-year-old Crawford scuffled in August (.189/.315/.203). Both he and Nick Williams (No. 52 overall, No. 3 on the Phillies’ Top 30) struggled in the second half, but they now have the chance to redeem themselves by finding a second wind in the International League playoffs.
2. Victor Robles, OF, Nationals’ No. 2/MLB No. 12 Potomac Nationals (A Adv)
As if it wasn’t enough for the teenager to earn a promotion from Class A Hagerstown up to Potomac, now he gets to put his tools on display in the Carolina League playoffs. Robles has been swinging a hot bat of late, going 9-for-22 (.409) and perfect 4-for-4 on stolen-base attempts in five September games.
3. Ozzie Albies, 2B, Braves’ No. 2/MLB No. 14 Mississippi Braves (Double-A)
People clamoring to see the teenaged middle infielder in Atlanta alongside Dansby Swanson will have to wait a little bit. First, Albies will try to help the M-Braves win a Southern League title, and while he slowed a bit late in the year, he still hit .305/.373/.451 in the second half.
4. Clint Frazier, OF, Yankees’ No. …