This week’s article focuses on 18 Baseball Factory alums who make up Baseball America’s 2018 Top 10 Prospect List from the National League West. Rankings are prioritized by Baseball America and numbered 1 through 10 for each team.

Pavin Smith

Arizona Diamondbacks

Pavin Smith – 1B (BA’s Rank #3)

Smith, a native of Jupiter, FL, has been associated with winning all of his baseball life, first as a World champion in 2008 at the Cal Ripken Major 70 World Series and later in college as a freshman at the University of Virginia, winning an NCAA Championship. The Diamondback selected Pavin seventh overall in the 2017 draft and impressed in limited action, hitting .318 with 15 doubles, showing nice patience with 27 walks in 51 games for the Short-Season A Hillsboro Hops in the Northwest League.

Marcus Wilson

Pavin attended the 2012 Team One Futures East Showcase and the Under Armour Memorial Day and Fall Classic events in 2013.

Marcus Wilson – OF (BA’s Rank #6)

Wilson was the Diamondbacks second round selection out of Junipero Serra HS in California back in 2014 and put together his best season as a pro in 2017, hitting .295 with 21 doubles, nine homers, 54 RBI and 15 stolen bases in 103 games with the Class-A Kane County Cougars.

Marcus attended an Under Armour Baseball Factory National Tryout in Santa Barbara, CA back in 2013 as well as Baseball Factory’s Team One West, Under Armour Southwest Championships and the Under Armour All-America Game in 2013.

Taylor Clarke – RHP (BA’s Rank #8)

Clarke was the Diamondbacks third round selection in 2015 out of the College of Charleston and attended a Under Armour Baseball Factory National Tryout back in 2010. Across two levels (AA-AAA) in 2017, Clarke put together a solid season winning 12 games, pitching to a 3.35 ERA in 27 starts and striking out 138 hitters in 145.0 innings pitched.

Drew Ellis – 3B (BA’s Rank #9)

Another high draft pick that is a prospect to watch is Ellis, Arizona’s second round selection in 2017 from the University of Louisville. In 48 games with Hillsboro, Ellis hit eight home runs, drove in 27 and played solid defense at third. Before that, he played 65 games with the Cardinals, hitting .355 with 20 homers, 61 RBI and slugged .701.

Ellis attended an Under Armour Baseball Factory National Tryout in Louisville, KY back in 2013.

Colorado Rockies

Brendan Rodgers – SS/2B (BA’s Rank #1)

Rodgers, the top prospect in Colorado’s organization has shown well this spring, hitting .273, collecting six hits in 22 at-bats, two of those hits being home runs. After starting the season at High-A Lancaster where he hit .387 with 12 homers in 51 games, he advanced to Double-A Hartford where he mashed pitching, hitting six homers in 38 games. He was  younger than most that were currently playing at that level (players were 2.6 years older than Brendan).

Brendan was a highly-touted national prospect when we saw him at Wrigley Field for the 2014 Under Armour All-America Game where he showed as a plus, all-around defender at short stop. In his first event with the Factory at the 2013 Futures Series East event, Rodgers ran a 6.84 60-yard and made it look easy both in the field and at the plate.

Riley Pint – RHP (BA’s Rank #3)

Pint, the fourth overall selection in 2016, is looking to turn things around in 2018 after a rough beginning to his pro career through 33 starts. He finished with an ERA over five and the number of walks is cause for pause (59 in 93.0 IP) in 2017, but his talent is too good to be overlooked, as evidenced by Baseball America ranking him third and the organization’s top pitching prospect.

Riley was a 2015 Under Armour All-America Game participant.

Colton Welker

Colton Welker – 3B (BA’s Rank #4)

Welker was the Rockies fourth round selection in 2016 and since then, has turned in seasons hitting .329 and .350 respectively through his first 118 games. The sky is the limit for the 20-year-old who is proving to be an absolute steal for Colorado, showing low K rates, ability to hit for power and ability to be an asset playing at third because of arm strength and hands.

Welker’s first Baseball Factory event was the 2012 Under Armour Fall Classic. After that, he attended an UABF National Tryout in Delray Beach, FL and the UA Memorial Day Classic in 2013. In 2015, he attended another National Tryout in Tampa, FL and was named an Under Armour Baseball Factory All-American that year as well.

Peter Lambert – RHP (BA’s Rank #5)

The right-hander was selected in the second round in 2015 out of San Dimas HS in California. He spent 2017 at Lancaster (High-A), making 26 starts going 9-8 with a 4.17 ERA, but it’s his strikeouts (131 in 142 1/3 innings) that have the Rockies excited. He did all of this as one of the youngest players in the California League.

Ryan Castellani

Lambert participated in the 2013 and 2014 UA Southwest Championships as well as Baseball Factory’s Team One West Showcase in 2014.

Ryan Castellani – RHP (BA’s Rank #6)

Yet another high draft pick (second round in 2014), spent 2017 at Hartford (Double-A) going 9-12 with a 4.81 ERA and 132 strikeouts to just 47 walks in 157 1/3 innings.

Castellani participated in both Team One events and the 2013 Under Armour All America Pre-Season Tournament

Yency Almonte – RHP (BA’s Rank #7)

Almonte was selected by Colorado in the 17th round back in 2012 and made it to Triple-A Albuquerque last season. Overall, he made 22 appearances (21 starts), going 8-4 with a 2.91 ERA in 111 1/3 innings. Almonte features an electric fastball that sits mid 90’s but the Rockies want to see more and hope that he can stay healthy in 2018. This spring, he has shown promise, making starts in big league camp, having allowed only one earned run in five innings, striking out four and walking none.

Almonte was an Under Armour Baseball Factory All-American in 2011.

Ryan Vilade – SS (BA’s Rank #9)

Vilade was the Rockies second round pick last season out of Stillwater HS in Oklahoma. Ryan tore up Rookie Level pitching as an 18 year-old at Grand Junction, hitting .308 with three doubles, two triples, five homers and 21 RBI in just 33 games.

It’s no surprise the power is there for Vilade, who during the lead-up to the 2016 Under Armour All-America Game, won the Home Run Derby at Wrigley Field. Vilade, in addition to participating in National Tryout events and the Futures Texas Showcases, was an Under Armour Baseball Factory Pre-Season All-American in 2015.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Alex Verdugo – OF (BA’s Rank #2)

Verdugo made his major league debut last September and hit his first major league home run against the Rockies on September 10th. He comes into spring with a chance to make the club, as he currently has collected three hits in 10 at-bats with two doubles and an RBI.

Verdugo was the MVP for his team in the 2013 Under Armour All America Game. He was also a Pre-Season All-American that same year and played in the UA Southwest Championships.

Jeren Kendall

Jeren Kendall – OF (BA’s Rank #7)

A decorated hitter at Vanderbilt, Kendall was selected 23rd overall by the Dodgers last year, starting out at the Rookie Level with the Ogden Raptors where he collected 10 hits in his first 22 at-bats. He finished out the season, playing 35 games at Class-A Great Lakes, hitting .221 with five doubles, seven triples, two home runs and 18 RBI.

Kendall attended a UA BF National Tryout in 2011 in Oak Creek, WI and another in Minnetonka, MN in 2012. Kendall is also a two-time Under Armour Baseball Factory Pre-Season All-American (2012-2013).

Will Smith – C (BA’s Rank #9)

Smith was the Dodgers 32nd overall pick in 2016 out of the University of Louisville. He caught eyes last Fall in the Arizona Fall League, hitting .371 in 18 games and that has carried over into spring training where he’s hitting .300 with two doubles and a solo home run. Smith hit 11 home runs in 73 games combined at High-A and Double-A last season.

Smith performed at an Under Armour Baseball Factory National Tryout in Louisville, KY back in 2011.

San Francisco Giants

Heliot Ramos – OF (BA’s Rank #1)

Ramos was the Giants 19th overall selection in last year’s draft and is quickly the organization’s top prospect. Rightfully so after hitting .348 with the Rookie Level Giants, to go along with 11 doubles, six triples, six homers, 27 RBI and 10 stolen bases in 35 games.

He broke out in a major way at the 2016 Under Armour All-America Game, nearly hitting for the cycle before inclement weather wiped out the rest of that year’s game just before he could get his final at-bat in the 8th inning.

Tyler Beede – RHP (BA’s Rank #3)

The Giants selected the right-hander 14th overall out of Vanderbilt in 2014 and has risen to the Triple-A level where he spent the entire 2017 season, making 19 starts. It was a bittersweet season as it looked like Beede was set to make his major league debut last summer, but a freak injury in July dashed those hopes and kept him out of action the rest of the season. Finally healthy, Beede, at 25 years-old, is in Giants camp and has made two starts this spring, fighting to break camp with the big league club.

Tyler attended Under Armour Baseball Factory National Tryout events in Marlborough, MA in 2008 and Providence, RI in 2009.

Steven Duggar

Steven Duggar – OF (BA’s Rank #6)

Duggar was the Giants sixth round pick in 2015 out of Clemson University and is on fire this spring, hitting .412 with three homers and six RBI in just 17 at-bats, continuing to make a case to go north with the big league team. He began the season with the Giants Rookie Level team and jumped all the way to Triple-A Sacramento, impressing in limited action (13 games) hitting .261 with two homers and six RBI.

Duggar attended the Team One South Showcase in 2011.

Shaun Anderson – RHP (BA’s Rank #9)

Originally a third round pick by the Boston Red Sox out of the University of Florida, Anderson went 3-3 with a 3.51 ERA and 22 strikeouts to four walks at High-A San Jose upon his trade from Boston. Overall, he finished with a 3.44 ERA and 107 strikeouts in 123.0 IP.

Anderson participated in the Team One Futures East Showcase in 2011.