It's been super fun following the Florida Complex League Tigers, as they have been hitting lights out. We have to temper our enthusiasm a bit because the league as a whole is hitting like crazy - almost 100pts of OPS higher than last season (.772 vs. .680). Still, it looks they have 4 genuine prospects (De Los Santos, Perez, Rodriguez, and Ramirez) and several other guys worth keeping an eye on (Orozco, Quinonez, and Colon).
I can't remember ever having so many good-looking prospects in the domestic rookie league, ever, and certainly not so many so young. The league's spike in hitting doesn't change the fact that we have six 18 and 19 year-olds out-hitting the league average. That is very good.
My memory turns out to be pretty good. If use as our criteria: players at the domestic rookie league, at age 19 or younger, with an OPS of .815 or higher, then:
- This year we have 6 such players.
- In the prior 20 seasons we've only had 23 total such players.
- We've never had as many as 4 on the same team before.
- We have had 3 on the same team only twice:
2018 with Wenceel Perez, Parker Meadows and Jose King, and
2023 with Josue Briceno, Max Clark and Clayton Campbell.
Michael