Since this is the mid-season write-up, it's just a quick overview of the player. When we get to the preseason re ranking in the offseason, they'll be a lot more involved.
All of the stats are current as of 8/4/2019.
All of the write-ups were published during all-star week.
Prospect #18: OF Trejyn Fletcher
Johnson City Cardinals
Drafted in the 2nd round of the 2019 draft
Age 18
Look, I'm going to keep it really simple with Fletcher: he's a lot like Terry Fuller, if Fuller hadn't spent so much time playing football, and if Fuller was built like a normal human being instead of a damn monster.
You won't find a person that doesn't see Fletcher as a special athlete. That part is not up for debate. You also won't find too many people that don't think that he possesses truly elite raw power and potentially elite raw speed. Even more, you probably won't find anyone that will put him this low on the Cardinals' organizational list because of his supreme athleticism, his raw power, and the howitzer for an arm that he has. It's been widely reported and talked about since he was drafted, but Perfect Game had him as their #1 draft prospect for the 2020 draft before he reclassified for the 2019 draft. That's the kind of pedigree that the Cardinals lack in the organization, and it's a player with the hype that should warrant a top five spot on a top prospects list.
Quick intermission of thought: Speaking of that raw speed and athleticism, here's a little gif of Fletcher going first to third on a grounder:
I, however, am dumber than your average bear. SO, instead, this elite athlete fits barely inside of the top 20. LET ME EXPLAIN MYSELF.
Let me tell you why I'm not drinking the Kool-Aid just yet. FIRST, rankings that far in advance are awfully premature. You don't have to look further than the post-2018 projections for the 2019 draft to see that. Or, any other draft, for that matter.
SECOND, Fletcher is absolutely all of those superlatives above, but he's also very very raw, and coming from a cold weather climate. Now, if there's one thing that the drafting of Nick Plummer should teach us it's that we shouldn't get too excited about big numbers from high school kids in cold climates.
Third, Fletcher needs some serious coaching. His mechanics at the plate are all over the place, and you won't find two video of him in which his hitting mechanics are the same. He's also very raw in the outfield.
FOURTH, I just don't know enough about him, and I just haven't seen enough of him. You folks know how I operate: I want to see the kid. The little that I've seen has been against obviously inferior talent in highlight reels. Until I see more, I'm always going to be reserved when it comes to a teenager. People like myself that make these lists? We tend to get awfully irresponsible with shiny new toys as we over-hype them to a level of ridiculous hopes and expectations. I'm not going to do that here.
NOW, I did just bring up Nick Plummer. I'm sorry about that. I really am! I know that is a grave of my own digging, so let me explain that I was only bringing Plummer up because of the cold weather climate talk. Fletcher is not Plummer. He's better in every way at the same age, except for plate discipline. He's stronger and faster, with more power (both in-game and raw) and a better arm. Actually, I'd love to see how Fletcher would do if given the same at-bats as Plummer has received at Palm Beach. I'd kill to see how different the stats would be. At this point, I've beat up on Plummer enough. I'm just trying to clarify that Fletcher is better as a prospect, and from a scouting standpoint, than Plummer has probably ever been. But remember when the hype-train drove Plummer to unreal expectataions land? Well, let's not do that again, OK?
And that's where we will end it. It's been GREAT to see him do extremely well in the early going of the GCL season. It's even cooler to see him get the promotion to Johnson City. The Cardinals need him, and the next two members of the list, to get as close to their respective ceilings as possible. Give Fletcher some time to get orientated and work on his mechanics, then we'll start talking about a top 10-5 prospect in the organization.
FanGraphs is the hero that we both need and deserve, and their stats fuel these articles. Subscribe to their service, if you are able to. I'd also like to thank Baseball Factory, @joebaileysports, and @TLee_WMTW for supplying the video that I gif'ed of Fletcher.
Thanks For Reading!!