Giolito, Cole Make MLB’s Top 100 Prospects List

The top 100 prospects in baseball were released last night with a pair of Washington Nationals making the list. Lucas Giolito and A.J Cole were the only Nationals to make the top 100.

If you follow Minor League baseball at all, you know that Byron Buxton was a lock for the top spot on the list. He has only been playing professional baseball for two seasons, but the 20 year old has the entire package. Another Minnesota Twin made the list. That would be former National Minor League pitcher Alex Meyer. Meyer came in at number 28 on the list. If you remember Meyer was traded for Denard Span before the 2013 season.

Giolito came in at number 44. Being in the top 100 at all is an accomplishment to say the least, but Giolito is in the top 50. Gilito jumped up 30 spots from last season’s preseason top 100.

"[Giolito] showed the same premium stuff that first got the attention of scouts – MLB.com Scouts"

Giolito pitched in 11 games in 2013 and showed that he deserves to make the list. He struck out 39 hitter’s in just over 36 innings of work. In between rookie and low A ball he posted a 1.96 ERA with a 1.14 WHIP. He has the stuff to be a star pitcher, he just has to stay healthy and be the pitcher that Mike Rizzo and the Nationals drafted out of High School.

Giolito could be wearing a Nationals jersey soon, but first there has to be a spot for him. Until then, he will sit nicely at number 44 on the top 100 prospects.

A.J. Cole was the only other National to make the list. Cole came in at number 69 on the list after being 91st last season. He was drafted in the 4th round by the Nationals in 2010, but then was traded to Oakland in the Gio Gonzalez deal. The A’s put him in high A ball in 2012 after 19 starts in A ball and he really struggled. Cole went 0-7 with a 7.82 ERA in eight starts. Then the Nationals took him back.

2013 he spent time in both high A and AA for the Nationals doing a lot better job. Between the two stops he post a 3.60 ERA in 25 starts. He also struck out 151 in 141 innings of work. The strikeouts are up there, he just needs to get his hits allowed back down. He allowed eight hits per nine innings in 2013.

Overall these two were good choices for the top 100. Both have very high ceilings and will work their way through the Minor League system rather quickly.