We're still roughly one month away from the deadline to delay Super Two status for minor leaguers, at which point a flood of young talent is likely to hit the Major Leagues. Here's a look at some news on some of the game's top prospects, as ranked by Baseball America, Keith Law and Jonathan Mayo prior to the season…
- Two separate scouts told Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports that the Indians' Francisco Lindor could be the best prospect in baseball by the end of the season. Lindor, a 19-year-old shortstop, reminds both scouts of Jurickson Profar thanks to excellent plate discipline, defense and ability to hit for average (Twitter links). The main question surrounding Lindor is whether or not his power will develop.
- A Mets source tells ESPN's Adam Rubin that preventing Zack Wheeler from reaching Super Two status is a priority. Rubin pegs the June 17-20 series against the division rival Braves as a likely target for Wheeler's debut. In an appearance on WFAN Radio today, GM Sandy Alderson stressed the developmental side of things, stating that they need to make sure Wheeler is ready (via Newsday's Marc Carig on Twitter).
- Oswaldo Arcia may never play another game in the minor leagues again, writes Phil Mackey of 1500 ESPN. Arcia was initially called up to fill a void when Darin Mastroianni hit the disabled list, but he's hitting .299/.333/.506 with three homers thus far with the Twins. In his article, Mackey recounts a titanic opposite-field blast in a B-game by Arcia last Spring Training that grabbed the front office's attention and served as a launching pad for his career.
