Last Thursday, Keith Law posted his list of the top 100 prospects. On ESPN Insider today(subscription required) Dan Syzmborski posted his top 100 prospects according to ZiPS, comparing it to Law’s list. There are a lot of similarities in the projections between Law and Syzmborski’s ZiPS, which he called “data-driven, emotionless algorithms” in the article.
The two top 100 lists have 71 players in common, including 47 of the top 50 prospects from Law’s list, ending up in ZiPS top 100. As far as the Pirates’ prospects, there are some interesting similarities and differences between the two lists.
We start at the top, where ZiPS has Tyler Glasnow ranked 14th and Law had him sixth. We mentioned yesterday in our averaging out the prospects lists article that Glasnow averaged a tenth place finish. Law had him higher than anyone else, while ZiPS was closer to the other three rankings.
Just like every other list, Austin Meadows was the second highest ranked player for the Pirates. His average ranking was 20th, and ZiPS has him just three spots lower.
Here is where we get to the two biggest differences. Alen Hanson is ranked 38th by ZiPS, third among Pirates. Josh Bell, who has been third among all Pirates on every other list(except Law), didn’t even make the top 100. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a reason given for Bell’s absence, but Syzmborski did provide an explanation for Hanson, saying that he ranks high because he’s a second baseman with some power, including triples. It isn’t noted in the article, but I’m sure the plus speed and defense at the position also helps with the ZiPS projection.
Next up is Kevin Newman, who ranked extremely high on Law’s list(#23), despite not making any of the other three lists. So it’s interesting to see that he actually did well for ZiPS, as the 52nd best prospect.
The final two Pirates on ZiPS top 100, also didn’t make Law’s list, and one didn’t make any of the four top 100 lists, though two of them mentioned him as “just missing” their list. Ke’Bryan Hayes ranked 81 and Harold Ramirez ranked 89th. Ramirez made two top 100’s(Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus), while MLB Pipeline said he just missed their list. Hayes missed all four lists, but both MLB Pipeline and Keith Law called him a player with breakout potential.
Jameson Taillon didn’t make the ZiPS list. Like Bell, there was no reason given for his absence. It could be the same reason Taillon was left off two other top 100 lists, there just isn’t enough to go on with all of his missed time. Reese McGuire also missed ZiPS but made two top 100 lists, though he was near the bottom on both.
The ZiPS list for the Pirates:
16. Glasnow
23. Meadows
38. Hanson
52. Newman
81. Hayes
89. Ramirez
