Ask BA: Picking The Best Pitcher/Batter Combos In The Minors

Michael Kopech (Photo by Brian Westerholt)

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Q:

Pick your MiLB Jam team (a pitcher/position prospect from an MLB organization).

Jesse Goldberg-Strassler
Lansing, Mich.

BA:
Great question.

If you were a kid or even a video-game savvy adult in the early 1990s, you likely remember the glory that was NBA Jam. The format was simple: instead of a five-player team, you had two NBA stars for each team facing off in an orgy of slam dunks, massive rejections and basketballs catching fire.

So if you’re picking a pitcher/hitter prospect combo, I’d go with the White Sox’s Michael Kopech and Eloy Jimenez. Kopech is figuratively on fire when he throws his 100-mph fastball while Jimenez is one of the best position prospects in the game, with an outstanding combination of power and hitting ability.

But there are several other good choices as well including the Braves (Ronald Acuna/Mike Soroka), Padres (McKenzie Gore/Fernando Tatis Jr.) and the Reds (Nick Senzel/Hunter Greene).

But to go a little further, with some help from Kyle Glaser and John Manuel, we put together a back-of-the-napkin look at what an MiLB Jam prospect team would look like for every team. In some cases, the choices are easy, but in many of these you could make an argument for someone else to make the team. For example, it would be easy to take Leody Taveras over Willie Calhoun with the Rangers or D.L. Hall over Hunter Harvey with the Orioles.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Jon Duplantier/Pavin Smith

Atlanta Braves

Mike Soroka/Ronald Acuna

Baltimore Orioles

Hunter Harvey/Austin Hays

Boston Red Sox

Michael Chavis/Jay Groome

Chicago Cubs

Adbert Azolay/Aramis Ademan

Chicago White Sox

Michael Kopech/Eloy Jimenez

Cincinnati Reds

Nick Senzel/Hunter Greene

Cleveland Indians

Triston McKenzie/Francisco Mejia

Colorado Rockies

Riley Pint/Brendan Rodgers

Detroit Tigers

Franklin Perez/Isaac Paredes

Houston Astros

Forrest Whitley/Kyle Tucker

Kansas City Royals

Foster Griffin/Nick Pratto

Los Angeles Angels

Jaime Barria/Jordon Adell

Los Angeles Dodgers

Walker Buehler/Alex Verdugo

Miami Marlins

Dillon Peters/Brian Anderson

Milwaukee Brewers

Brandon Woodruff/Lewis Brinson

Minnesota Twins

Fernando Romero/Royce Lewis

New York Mets

David Peterson/Amed Rosario

New York Yankees

Justus Sheffield/Gleyber Torres

Oakland Athletics

A.J. Puk/Jorge Mateo

Philadelphia Phillies

Sixto Sanchez/Rhys Hoskins

Pittsburgh Pirates

Mitch Keller/Ke’Bryan Hayes

San Diego Padres

McKenzie Gore/Fernando Tatis Jr.

San Francisco Giants

Chris Shaw/Andrew Suarez

Seattle Mariners

Nick Neidert/Kyle Lewis

St. Louis Cardinals

Alex Reyes/Carson Kelly

Tampa Bay Rays

Brent Honeywell/Willy Adames

Texas Rangers

Yohander Mendez/Willie Calhoun

Toronto Blue Jays

Nate Pearson/Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Washington Nationals

Erick Fedde/Victor Robles

Eds Note: Goldberg-Strassler is the play-by-play announcer for low Class A Lansing, a Blue Jays affiliate, and is partial to the Vlad/Pearson pairing.