Pipeline Inbox: What's the scariest prospect lineup imaginable?

I'm writing this while watching the World Series on Halloween, which makes the first two questions quite appropriate...

Hi Jim! Keeping with the Halloween spirit, what would be the scariest 1-9 lineup made up of players that were still in the Minors at season’s end, a pitcher could face? -- @caseywsox (X)

A fine seasonal question! I'm interpreting this as scariest once they hit their prime and I'm only worrying about offensive production (with an emphasis on power) rather than all-around play. Here's my lineup:

Jackson Holliday, SS, Orioles
Dylan Crews, OF, Nationals
Junior Caminero, 3B, Rays
Wyatt Langford, OF, Rangers
Owen Caissie, DH, Cubs
Jackson Chourio, OF, Brewers
Samuel Basallo, C, Orioles
Coby Mayo, 1B, Orioles
Matt Shaw, 2B, Cubs

The Orioles claim three of the nine spots in my all-Halloween lineup, yet another testament to the strength of the game's best farm system. It was hard cutting this down to just nine players, so let's assemble a second scary squad:

Roman Anthony, OF, Red Sox
Colson Montgomery, SS, White Sox
Walker Jenkins, OF, Twins
James Wood, OF, Nationals
Xavier Isaac, 1B, Rays
Michael Busch, DH, Dodgers
Colt Keith, 3B, Tigers
Jace Jung, 2B, Tigers
Ethan Salas, C, Padres

With the performance of Evan Carter in September and the postseason, is he the leading candidate for American League Rookie of the Year in 2024? And to be rated the No. 1 prospect in baseball? -- Dwayne H., DeSoto, Texas

Carter is my favorite prospect right now. I enjoyed talking to him during Spring Training and had a blast writing his origin story a few weeks ago. He has been so much fun to watch during his September callup (.306/.413/.645) and during a postseason run to within a victory of a World Series championship (.309/.433/.509). He's contributing in all phases of the game while impressing with plate discipline so advanced and a heartbeat so slow for a rookie who just turned 21 in late August.

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Carter has to be the frontrunner for AL Rookie of the Year in 2024, with the caveat that he still needs to solve left-handed pitching. In the Minors, he batted .205 against southpaws in 2022 and slugged .284 against them this year, and Texas hasn't used him much against same-side pitchers.

As much as I love Carter, I don't think he'll move much from his No. 8 ranking on our current Top 100 Prospects list when we come out with a new edition in January. He has a higher floor than almost all of the players ahead of him (Holliday, Chourio, Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes, Crews, Salas, Caminero, Wood) but they all have higher ceilings. I'd jump him up to No. 7 ahead of Wood.

Another interesting question is whether Carter is the best Rangers outfield prospect. Langford was the No. 4 overall pick in a stacked 2023 Draft and had a stunning debut, batting .360/.480/.677 with 10 homers and 12 steals in 44 games while advancing to Triple-A. He has more power upside than Carter, as well as a good approach and quality athleticism, and he could force his way into Texas' outfield next season as well.

Out of the top high school and college prospects that you ranked for next year's Draft, which prospects are you keeping a close watch on, and which ones do you believe will improve the most? -- @StevieDAles97 (X)

The 2024 Draft is still eight months away, but we're already ramping up our coverage. Last week, Jonathan Mayo broke down the lottery odds and the top 20 high schoolers, while I ranked the top 20 college players. Our Draft Top 100 will come out in December with detailed reports, grades and video for every prospect.

We're keeping a close watch on all those players and more! (Yes, my Draft fever is rising.) As for one player from each list who could make a significant jump once games start in the spring, I like outfielders Will Taylor (Clemson) and Slade Caldwell (Valley View HS, Jonesboro, Ark.).

One of the best athletes in the 2021 Draft, Taylor would have been a first-round pick as a South Carolina high schooler if he hadn't been set on playing football (wide receiver) and baseball at Clemson. He tore the anterior-cruciate ligament in his right knee playing special teams as a freshman and gave up the gridiron after catching seven passes in two years. A speedy center fielder who hit .362/.489/.523 with 11 steals in his first full college season last spring, he should continue to get better as he gets more at-bats.

Caldwell lacks physicality at 5-foot-9 and 177 pounds, but he's a plus-plus runner with an advanced bat and approach. With his hitting ability and quick left-handed swing, the Mississippi recruit hits the ball hard and has more power than his frame might indicate. He gives off Corbin Carroll vibes to some scouts and also is reminiscent of Mets shortstop prospect Jett Williams, who climbed from projected second-rounder at the start of 2022 to No. 14 overall that July.

Hi! How do they decide which MLB clubs are assigned to a particular AFL team each year? Clubs like the Giants are always the Scorpions, presumably because they host AFL games at the Giants’ Spring Training stadium in Scottsdale. But how are clubs without home stadiums assigned? -- @BeeGoode

I love this question because I've always wondered the same, and this prompted me find out. The simple answer for 11 teams is that they're linked to the same towns as their Spring Training homes: the Dodgers and White Sox in Glendale, the Athletics and Cubs in Mesa, the Mariners and Padres in Peoria, the Diamondbacks and Rockies in Salt River, the Giants in Scottsdale and the Rangers and Royals in Surprise.

Each organization gets one priority position, so the AFL tries to avoid clubs who designated the same positions on the same Fall League squad. The Fall League also tries to balance the teams as best it can based on farm system rankings. Another consideration is trying to keep the other four teams who train in Arizona closer to their bases, so the Angels usually will be on the east side of the league (Mesa, Salt River, Scottsdale) and the Brewers, Guardians and Reds will be on the west side (Glendale, Peoria, Surprise).