Gleyber Torres, Ian Happ and Eloy Jimenez ranked in top 50 of Baseball America’s midseason look at the top 100 prospects in the game
Baseball America released its midseason list of the top 100 prospects this week and three of the best players in the Cubs system cracked the top 50.
SS Gleyber Torres (27), 2B/OF Ian Happ (37) and OF Eloy Jimenez (46) made it on to Baseball America’s Top 100. C/OF/1B Willson Contreras and OF Albert Almora Jr. were not eligible because both players were in the big leagues on June 21.
Willson Contreras was ranked No. 67 on Baseball America’s Preseason Top 100 Prospects.
Baseball America’s Top 10 Midseason Prospects: 2B Yoan Moncada (Red Sox), RHP Alex Reyes (Cardinals), SS J.P. Crawford (Phillies), RHP Lucas Giolito (Nationals), SS Trea Turner (Nationals), RHP Tyler Glasnow (Pirates), SS Dansby Swanson (Braves), SS/3B Alex Bregman (Astros), OF Andrew Benintendi (Red Sox), OF Austin Meadows (Pirates)
Gleyber Torres moved up 14 spots from No. 41 in the preseason to No. 27. Torres struggled early in the season. From all indications, the Cubs are happy with the steps he’s taken in his development. Torres has shown an improved approach at the plate. He’s focused on every at bat where earlier in the season he might have been satisfied with giving a couple away at the end of a game if he already had hits in the game.
Entering play Wednesday, Torres had hits in seven of 10 games and was batting .270/.348/.423 after 85 games with 18 doubles, two triples and nine home runs for a .771 OPS. In the 19 games after the All-Star break, Torres was 23-for-73 with four doubles and a home run (.315/.378/.411) for a .789 OPS.
Ian Happ jumped 50 spots from No. 87 in the preseason to No. 37 in the midseason rankings. Happ started the season as Gleyber Torres double play partner at High-A Myrtle Beach. Happ ripped up the Carolina League, twice earning Player of the Week honors. The Cubs named Happ its Minor League Player of the Month for June just after he was promoted to Double-A Tennessee.
Happ hit .296/.410/.475 in 69 games with High-A Myrtle Beach with 16 doubles, three triples and seven home runs for a .885 OPS. And Happ has not slowed down at all with Double-A Tennessee.
In 18 games with Double-A Tennessee, Happ had a .364/.397/.530 line with five doubles and two home runs for a .928 OPS. The switch-hitter has a combined slash line of .310/.407/.487 with a .894 OPS in 87 games with 52 walks and 79 strikeouts in 306 at bats.
Ian Happ has shown improvement defensively at second base and has played eight games (two with Double-A Tennessee) in left field.
Eloy Jimenez was not included in Baseball America’s preseason ranking and checks in at No. 46 on the midseason list. Jimenez created a lot of buzz at the All-Star Game due to his tremendous performance in the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game.
Baseball America also included Jimenez in its report on the prospects that “significantly improved their stock with strong first halves.”
Jimenez has torn up the Midwest League after a relatively slow start. Jimenez hit ‘only’ .284/.326/.420 with six doubles, a triple and a home run for a .746 OPS in April.
In 80 games this season, Eloy Jimenez has hit .332/.372/.527 with 29 doubles, a triple and 10 home runs for a .899 OPS. Jimenez either leads the Midwest League or is in the top three in batting average, slugging percentage, doubles, home runs, RBI and total bases.
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