O’Neill among prospects whose stock rose most in 2016

After the completion of the 2016 Minor League regular season comes a flurry of prospect awards. Here at MLBPipeline.com, that meant announcing a Hitter of the Year, a Pitcher of the Year and compiling a Team of the Year.

There are many players who didn’t receive any of those accolades. That doesn’t mean they don’t deserve plaudits for a successful 2016 campaign. The five hitters and five pitchers listed below all raised their stock considerably this year, with many making huge leaps onto and/or up the Top 100 Prospects list.

Hitters

Cody Bellinger, 1B/OF, Dodgers Clay Bellinger’s son had a breakout season in 2015 when he led the California League in runs and RBIs and finished second in home runs. But given that it was in a hitter-friendly league and that his batting average took a big hit as his strikeout rate soared, people wanted to see what Bellinger would do at the upper levels. All he did was lower his K rate, raise his walk rate and still hit 26 homers in the regular season. Unranked on the Top 100 when the season started, he is currently No. 32.

Eloy Jimenez, OF, Cubs The Cubs gave Jimenez $2.8 million back in the summer of 2013 during an international spending spree, and this year the 19-year-old outfielder really started showing what all of the fuss was about. Making his full-season debut, Jimenez topped the Midwest League in slugging percentage and OPS, finished second in total bases and third in batting average. He was also in the top 10 in home runs. Jimenez had his coming-out party on a national stage with his long home run and acrobatic catch in the Futures Game. He’s now No. 24 on the Top 100, after not even entering the conversation at the start of the season.

Amed Rosario, SS, Mets Rosario was on the Top 100 at the start of the season, ranked No. 79 overall. Now he’s No. 12, and for good reason. Targeted by many as a prospect who could make a huge leap in 2016, he did just that and then some. The 20-year-old shortstop began the year in the Florida State League and earned a midseason promotion to Double-A, where he raked even more (.341 average). His combined .324 average placed him fourth in the Mets organization, while he topped the system with 155 hits. The Mets’ future at shortstop is coming quickly.

Francisco Mejia, C, Indians Mejia wasn’t on the Top 100 and wasn’t …

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