Baseball America released their list of the top 20 prospects from the NYPL on Friday morning. Shortstop Kevin Newman was the only player from Morgantown to make the list, ranking seventh overall. The list was called top-heavy due to the amount of first round picks, but overall, it was a down year for talent and depth in the league.
Newman did not hit well during his time in the NYPL, putting up a .226/.281/.340 slash line in 38 games. He did much better after being promoted to West Virginia, where he hit .306 and had a 9:8 BB/SO ratio, to go along with his .743 OPS. Newman won two Cape Cod League batting titles and hit .337 as a junior, so the potential is there for a high average in the pros, but there are questions.
In the write-up from BA, scouts and opposing managers questioned whether he would hit for any power and if he could actually stick at shortstop. One manager said that he thought he would either be a future utility player or a second baseman.
Baseball America ranked the GCL prospects on Thursday and the Appalachian League on Wednesday. So far, the Pirates have had one player on each league’s list, with the full-season leagues coming up next week.
