Dodgers shortstop prospect Corey Seager checked in at number five this morning on ESPN.com’s annual list of the top 100 prospects in baseball.
Writes Keith Law:
Unless he experiences a miraculous change in body type, this Dodgers prospect isn’t going to be a shortstop in the majors. Cal Ripken Jr. has been the only one Seager’s height to stay at the position, and Seager, who turns 21 in April, already has about 20 pounds on Ripken. Seager still has MVP-type upside at third base, where I expect him to be an above-average or better defender, just as his brother Kyle has become, but with a much stronger hit tool.
Seager’s swing isn’t textbook, but it’s very quiet, especially in light of the thunder it produces, producing strong contact rates as well as plus power. He loads his hands a little low and deep, but he gets to everything — velocity, spin, inside and outside pitches — and has the ability to drive the ball the other way with what seems like a flick of his wrists. He has been young at every level he has played in pro ball, even skipping the complex league in 2012 to go right to Ogden, and has been able to make significant adjustments, including killing the tendency to let his front side go soft that led to a brief struggle at the end of 2013. Kyle Seager has turned into one of the top 20 players in the majors, but even as good as he is, brother Corey has the potential to be much better.
The Dodgers also placed pitcher Julio Urias (9) and outfielder Joc Pederson (28) in Law’s top 50. ESPN.com will release numbers 51-100 tomorrow.