The last couple of weeks we’ve been taking you through position groups for deeper sleepers who may not be up for the next few years. This week it’s more of the same as we spend some time on third baseman and outfielders.

We kick things off with Nick Senzel (3B CIN A+) who was the second overall pick in the 2016 draft out of Tennessee. The 21-year-old had a very good debut across rookie ball and class-A last year playing 68 games combined while hitting over .300 with seven homers, 40 RBI, 41 runs, and 18 steals. Senzel’s wOBA was off the charts at .443 in those 58 games as was his BABIP at .392. In 2017, he has played 36 games at High-A is registered a .284/.348/.418 slash line with a  .352 wOBA and .349 BABIP. Two homers, five steals, 19 runs, and nine RBI also accompany the slash line. He possesses a 60 hit tool on the 20-80 scale as well as 55 in the run department. Cincinnati needs a stud third baseman to replace the departed Todd Frazier. I know Eugenio Suarez is there and playing well, but Senzel has much more upside.

If the name Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (3B TOR A) it should, he is the son of the slugging outfielder by the same name. He has equal raw power to his dad and has the same batting eye. He came into rookie ball in 2016 and played 62 games, posting a .271/.359/.449 line with eight homers, 15 steals, 32 runs, and 46 RBI. Now in 2017, he’s played 31 games with a .315/.422/.505 line, four homers, 23 runs, 21 RBI, and three steals. A .337 BABIP, .419 wOBA and .189 ISO show how good he’s been to start the year as well as his 14.1 BB% and 12.6 K%. Vlad the Impaler Jr. has a lot of raw power and a smooth fast swing from the right side that plays great at the hot corner. Him being just 18 puts him a few years away still, but the upside is very big with the youngster.

The 24-year-old Matt Chapman (3B OAK AAA) is the oldest prospect on the list but maybe the one who is closest to the majors. That being said there is still work to do here. In 21 games played this season he’s batting just .197/.276/.447 with five homers, 10 runs, 11 RBI, and four steals while batting at a .244 BABIP clip and .310 wOBA. His strikeout rate has always been high at least 22.4% in season with more than 50 games played, but this season it’s up to 36.8% with just a 9.2% BB rate. Power hitters often have high strikeout rates but that’s a really high percentage. If he can cut down on the swing and miss in his game and allow his 60 power tool show through, he should easily surpass Ryon Healy on the depth chart on the big league roster.

Taken in the first round of the 2016 draft with the 11th overall pick, Kyle Lewis (OF SEA A-) is the top prospect in their system, however he has a bit of a road ahead of him. He played just 30 games at low-A ball last June and July before tearing his ACL and two meniscuses in his knee. In those games he put together a .299/.385/.530 slash line with three homers, 26 runs, 26 RBI, and three steals. Lewis’ .344 BABIP, .421 wOBA, 11.9% BB rate, and 15.3% K rate in that span show his offensive capability. Though he has yet to play in 2017 so there has not been an answer to what will happen to his speed or abilities coming back from the knee surgery. Lewis should be patrolling center field as early as 2018, however if he can’t back soon this season, 2019 is more likely of an ETA. 

Houston’s top rising prospect is Kyle Tucker (OF HOU A+) who was a first round selection in the 2015 draft out of a high school in Florida. He also happens to be the brother of Preston Tucker, an outfielder already up with Houston. Kyle’s numbers in the lower levels of the minors have been impressive with a .275/.346/.446 slash line with 20 homers, 111 runs, 137 RBI, and 62 steals across 216 games including the 36 at high-A ball this year. He is still listed as 6”4” and 190 lbs. so there is a chance that his speed will lose a step as he adds another 30 pounds when he fills out. However if he retains the speed, he possesses enough tools to be a five-tool centerfielder for the Astros in another two years. Even if he loses the steals ability, his 60-grade power provides more than enough pop.

At just 18 years old, Leody Taveras (OF TEX A) is the youngest prospect on this list as well as being the youngest prospect I have talked about yet. The toolsy Dominican export is already a very good defensive outfielder but has the skills to be a good offensive player as well. This season he has spent 37 games at Class-A Hickory hitting .291/.342/.446 with four homers, 22 runs, 19 RBI, and six steals with a .342 BABIP and .358 wOBA. The promise of what he could be is clearly there and Taveras has an arm that makes him capable of playing any of the three outfield spots. His speed profiles better to center field and the youngster’s high AVG/high OBP plate presence gives him the chance to be a number-two hitter eventually.  There is a lot of projection happening here, a 2020 ETA is there too, but the bones of a great player exist.