(*) MINORS: 2014 top minor league performances

As the 2014 minor league season enters the homestretch, we take a look at the year’s top performances. With top prospect Byron Buxton (OF, MIN) sidelined for much of the season there really wasn’t much of a battle for most impressive performance of 2014. That honor goes to the Chicago Cubs Kris Bryant (3B). All Bryant did this year was hit .336 with 41 home runs and an OPS of 1.119. Bryant still ranks second in the Southern League with 22 home runs despite having been promoted to Triple-A on June 18. He entered the years at the #13 ranked prospect on the HQ100 so this type of production can hardly be considered shocking, but few anticipated such a potent combination of batting average and elite power.

Two players we opted to leave off this list—Joey Gallo (3B, TEX) and Jorge Soler (OF, CHC)—had impressive stretches of production, but were not able to sustain those levels over the entire season. After hitting .323 with 21 home runs and 50 BB/64 K in 189 AB for High-A Myrtle Beach, Gallo jumped to #15 on our mid-season Top 50 list, but came crashing back to earth once he was promoted to Double-A Frisco (.240 with 105 whiffs in 225 AB). On the year, Gallo does have 40 home runs, but a 59% contact rate at Double-A continues to be a huge red flag. Soler was sidelined yet again with a serious hamstring injury, but returned to action with a vengeance, hitting .415 with 6 home runs in 65 Double-A. On the year Soler still hitting .315/.410/.641 with 22 doubles, 12 home runs, and 30 BB/44 K in 184 AB, but he remains raw at the plate and since being moved up the Triple-A Iowa, the 22-year-old OF is hitting just .223 as he struggles to make the necessary adjustments.

Other breakouts came from less expected sources and much like at the major league level, pitchers ruled the day. The Blue Jays Taylor Cole (RHP) currently leads all minor league pitchers with 171 strikeouts, but he did much of his damage as a 24-year-old at High-A and so isn’t really considered an elite prospect. Aaron Blair (RHP, ARI), Ben Lively (RHP, CIN), Daniel Norris (LHP, TOR), and Josh Hader (LHP, HOU) were all absent from the HQ100, nor did they make our mid-season Top 50 list, so it is worth noting that putting up impressive minor league numbers doesn’t automatically make a player an elite prospect. Still consistent, season-long production on the field can’t be ignored and the players below stood out the most in 2014.

Top Minor League Performances of 2014

Kris Bryant (3B, CHC)
Bryant entered the season as the #13 prospect on the HQ100 so much was expected of the 3rd overall pick in the 2013 draft, but Bryant exceeded even those lofty expectations. The 22-year-old 3B leads the minors with 41 home runs, the first time a minor leaguer topped the 40 HR mark since 2008, while hitting a robust .336. Bryant has played solid defense to go along with his elite offense and has nothing left to prove at Triple-A. Since being drafted Bryant has 50 home runs in 578 pro AB.
2014 combined minor league stats: .333/.440/.678 with 34 doubles, 41 home runs, 15 SB, and 0.54 EYE in 450 AB.

Henry Owens (LHP, BOS)
Since being taken 36th overall in the 2011 draft, Owens has quickly established himself as the top-ranked lefty in the minors. At 6-6, 205 Owens doesn’t blow hitters away. His fastball sits in the low-90s with good movement, but his off-speed stuff is arguably the best in the minors. He keeps hitters off-balance with a plus change-up and a plus curveball that has become more consistent. The 22-year-old Owens spent much of the 2014 season at Double-A Portland, but was finally moved up to Triple-A in August and given the state of the Red Sox starting rotation could compete for a spot next spring.
2014 combined minor League stats: 15-5, 2.79 ERA, 3.4 Ctl, 9.5 Dom, 2.8 Cmd, and a .207 oppBAA in 138.2 IP.

Tyler Glasnow (RHP, PIT)
The Pirates realized early on that they landed an immense talent, and possibly the steal of the draft, when they landed Glasnow in the 5th round of the pitching-deep 2011 draft. At 6-7, 195 Glasnow uses his tall, lanky frame to generate easy mid-90s velocity. Glasnow made huge strides in 2014, going deeper into games, improving the consistency of his breaking ball, and dropping his Ctl rate from 5.0 to 4.3. The Pirates continue to take a cautious approach with the 20-year-old flame-thrower whose career stat line now reads 20-11, 1.78 ERA, 4.6 Ctl, 11.9 Dom, 2.6 Cmd, and a stunning .157 oppBAA in 263 IP.
2014 combined minor league stats: 11-5, 1.43 ERA, 4.3 Ctl, 11.1 Dom, 2.5 Cmd, and a .167 oppBAA in 113.1 IP.

Ben Lively (RHP, CIN)
The Reds have to be thrilled with rapid development of Lively. The 4th round pick in the 2013 draft out of Central Florida isn’t overpowering but does have four solid offerings, good deception, and has shown an uncanny ability to rack up tons of punch-outs. The 6-4, 190 righty used a good 90-94 mph fastball, curve, slider, and change-up to thrive in 13 starts in the hitter-friendly CAL where he went 10-1 with a 2.28 ERA. Lively has been a bit more pedestrian since moving up to Double-A Pensacola, but has established himself as a legit mid-rotation starter.
2014 combined minor league stats: 12-11, 2.42 ERA, 3.1 Ctl, 10.3 Dom, 3.4 Cmd, and a .195 oppBAA in 141 IP.

Daniel Norris (LHP, TOR)
Despite being a 2nd round of the 2011 draft, Norris (pictured above) had  been somewhat of an enigma coming into 2014. He had solid stuff that included a good 90-94 mph sinking fastball that topped out at 95 mph, but his secondary stuff was inconsistent and his mechanics and results were less than ideal. In 2013 Norris went 1-7 with a 4.07 ERA and 4.6 Ctl in the MWL and he was nowhere near cracking the HQ100. Norris made some mechanical adjustments late in 2013 and hit the ground running this spring, cruising through three different levels and making an appearing the 2014 Futures Game. Norris started the year by going 6-0 with a 1.22 ERA in the FSL, held his own in 8 Double-A starts, then struck out 23 in 11.2 innings in two Triple-A starts. He could end the year in the Jays bullpen and has made as much progress as any player in the minors.
2014 combined minor league stats: 11-1, 2.22 ERA, 2.8 Ctl, 11.7 Dom, 4.1 Cmd, and a .211 oppBAA in 113.2 IP.

Aaron Blair (RHP, ARI)
Blair is a big-bodied, physical right-hander from Marshall who took a huge step forward in his first full season of pro ball. The D-Backs landed Blair with the 36th pick in the 2013 draft and loved his plus 90-95 heater that had good, late life. He also features a plus change-up and a curve that continues to improve. Blair has excellent control of all three offerings and has walked just 44 batters while striking out 160 in 143 innings while working at three different levels.
2014 combined minor league stats: 9-5, 3.70 ERA, 2.8 Ctl, 10.0 Dom, 3.6 Cmd, and .221 oppBAA in 143.1 IP.

Corey Seager (SS, LA)
Besides the Cubs Kris Bryant, no position in the minors has been as impressive as Corey Seager. The 2012 1^st rounder put up good numbers in his first two pro seasons – hitting .309 in rookie ball and then .309 in the MWL—before scuffling at the end of last season when he was moved up to High-A. Seager proved that was a blip, torching pitchers in the CAL to the tune of an 1.044 OPS. This time Seager handled a mid-season bump with style and ease hitting Southern League hurlers at a .349 clip. Long-term, Seager will likely move from SS to 3B where his 6-4, 215 frame profiles better. He has a smooth lefty stroke and has shown better than anticipated power. 
2014 combined minor league stats: .351/.402/.605 with 45 doubles, 4 triples, 19 home runs, 6 SB, and 0.34 EYE in 433 AB.

Joc Pederson (OF, LA)
In almost any other organization Pederson would have already made his major league debut, but the playoff contending Dodgers simply have too many outfielders and were unable or unwilling to create space for Pederson. As a result, the 22-year-old OF has been stuck at Triple-A all season. To his credit Pederson has not let the OF logjam impact his performance and he has a chance to be the first 30/30 player in the PCL since 1934. Pederson can do it all on a baseball field, but barring an off-season trade it is hard to see how he fits into the Dodgers plans in 2015.
2014 combined minor league stats: .298/.428/.571 with 14 doubles, 4 triples, 30 home runs, 28 SB, and 0.66 EYE in 410 AB.

D.J. Peterson (3B, SEA)
Peterson entered the year as our #84 prospect and by mid-season had jumped all the way up to #37. The 22-year-old 3B has one of the more consistent approaches at the plate and shows plus power to all fields. He doesn’t walk much but makes fairly consistent contact for a young power hitter. He remains a below-average defender at 3B and has seen some action at DH and 1B since being moved up to Double-A. With Kyle Seager entrenched at 3B, a move over to 1B seems likely and that could happen as early as next spring.
2014 combined minor league stats: .298/.363/.557 with 30 doubles, 28 home runs, 7 SB, and 0.40 EYE in 449 AB.

Josh Hader (LHP, HOU)
Hader continues his improbable climb from 19th round draft pick to a likely Top 100 prospect. Since being drafted by the Orioles in 2012, Hader has added 5-10 mph to his fastball, which now sits at 90-93 topping out at 96 mph. He also has an above-average slider, and a good circle change and his low ¾ arm slot add movement and nice deception. Hader proved up to the task of the CAL going 9-2 with a 2.70 ERA, earning him a late-season jump to Double-A. Hader worked mostly as a starter but also made 8 relief appearances and his future role is still to be determined. Some scouts have compared him to Chris Sale due to his lanky frame and low ¾ lefty arm-slot.
2014 combined minor league stats: 9-3, 3.32 ERA, 3.8 Ctl, 9.9 Dom, 2.6 Cmd, and a .210 oppBAA in 114 IP.

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