Globe iconLogin iconRecap iconSearch iconTickets icon

Top 10 prospects in Minor League playoffs

For a large majority of Minor League players, the 2015 season has come to a close. But for a lucky minority, the year is being extended by the postseason.

Underway in some of the short-season leagues and starting in earnest on Tuesday across the Minors, a total of 38 players on the Top 100 Prospects list are on postseason rosters across all levels. While winning is important during the regular season, it goes hand-in-hand with development. Playing with something on the line -- a title -- is not only a great developmental opportunity, but a test to see how a player deals with some added pressure. And any player will tell you, winning a ring at any level is an outstanding accomplishment.

Here's a list of the top 10 prospects who are still playing baseball down on the farm, listed in order of their current placement on the Top 100.

4. Julio Urias, LHP, Oklahoma City (Dodgers): The top lefty prospect in the game, Urias scuffled in his first two Triple-A outings at the end of the regular season, allowing nine earned runs on 11 hits over 4 1/3 innings. Just 19 years old, Urias missed two months of the season following elective eye surgery, but was his typical unhittable self in Double-A Tulsa prior to his late promotion. He's tentatively slated to pitch Game 2 of the opening series against Round Rock (Rangers).

5. J.P. Crawford, SS, Reading (Phillies): The 20-year-old shortstop started the year in the Florida State League, but has spent most of it in the Double-A Eastern League, finishing with a .265/.354/.407 line with Reading. He did hit .298/.383/.452 in August before finishing off the season with a 5-for-25 stretch in September. Crawford collected three hits on Monday to head into the postseason on a high note.

7. Tyler Glasnow, RHP, Indianapolis (Pirates): Pirates fans may have rather seen him helping out in Pittsburgh, but they'll have to settle watching him help Indy try to win a Triple-A championship instead. The big right-hander quickly turned the page on a terrible outing on Sept. 1 (6 earned runs in 1/3 of an inning) by giving up one run in 7 1/3 IP on Sept. 6. As usual, Glasnow has been dominant, holding hitters across two levels to a .195 batting average against and striking out 11.2 per nine.

10. Dansby Swanson, SS, Hillsboro (D-backs): It took a while for the No. 1 pick in the 2015 Draft to get going following a concussion, but he's turned in a respectable .289/.394/.482 line in 22 games in the short-season Northwest League. He clearly knows how to win, with a College World Series title as a sophomore and finishing as a runner-up with Vanderbilt this past season.

12. Orlando Arcia, SS, Biloxi (Brewers): All Arcia did during the regular season is finish fourth in the Southern League in hitting with a .307 average and tied for sixth in stolen bases with 25, all while continuing to play an outstanding defensive shortstop. He enters the postseason swinging a hot bat, hitting .342 over his last 10 games.

15. Nomar Mazara, OF, Round Rock (Rangers): Mazara spent most of the year with Double-A Frisco, hitting .284/.357/.443 there before moving up to Triple-A. In 20 games with Round Rock, the 20-year-old outfielder hit a robust .358, finishing with a six-game hitting streak and going 11-for-25 in the process. His final line of .296/.366/.443 with 14 homers is impressive, especially considering how young for his level he's been.

19. Aaron Judge, OF, Scranton/Wilkes Barre (Yankees): The big right fielder has struggled a bit in Triple-A, hitting .224/.308/.373 there over 61 games. He hit under .200 in August and September, though he did homer six times in 107 August at-bats. Still, he has as much power potential as just about anyone on this list.

20. Franklin Barreto, SS, Stockton (A's): A wrist injury kept the 19-year-old shortstop out of Stockton's lineup for almost a month and a half, but he returned just before the regular season ended and went 4-for-9 in those last two games. He finished the year with a three-hit performance, including his 13th home run of the season. For the year, Barreto hit .302/.333/.500 in 90 games and his return gives Stockton's California League playoff chances a big boost.

21. Sean Newcomb, LHP, Arkansas (Angels): This 2014 first-rounder couldn't have asked for a better first full season, pitching -- and dominating -- across three levels. Newcomb ended up tied for second in strikeouts with 168 and held hitters to a combined .199 batting average against. He struck out 11.1 per nine innings over the course of the year. The one thing he'll need to improve on is his walk rate, which finished at 5.0 BB/9 at season's end, something he'll try to do when he takes the mound for Game 1 of the Texas League playoffs on Wednesday night.

23. Alex Bregman, SS, Lancaster (Astros): Taken one spot after Swanson at No. 2 overall, Bregman has moved quickly, advancing from the Midwest League up to the California League. He's hit .319/.364/.475 with Lancaster to give him a nifty .294/.366/.415 line for his pro debut, to go along with 13 steals. He has settled nicely into the two-hole for Lancaster.

Beyond the top 10, here's the rest of the Top 100 prospects still playing in the postseason:

24. Austin Meadows, OF, Altoona (Pirates)
29. Jesse Winker, OF, Pensacola (Reds)
31. Gleyber Torres, SS, Myrtle Beach (Cubs)
33. Josh Bell, 1B, Indianapolis (Pirates)
34. Brett Phillips, OF, Biloxi (Brewers)
35. Raul Adalberto Mondesi, SS, NW Arkansas (Royals)
37. Clint Frazier, OF, Lynchburg (Indians)
45. Carson Fulmer, RHP, Winston-Salem (White Sox)
46. Mark Appel, RHP, Fresno (Astros)
48. Alex Jackson, OF, Everett (Mariners)
52. Brent Honeywell, RHP, Charlotte (Rays)
55. Jake Thompson, RHP, Reading (Phillies)
57. Daz Cameron, OF, Greeneville (Astros)
59. Nick Williams, OF, Reading (Phillies)
60. Kyle Tucker, OF, OF, Greeneville (Astros)
62. Grant Holmes, RHP, Great Lakes (Dodgers)
70. Lewis Brinson, OF, Round Rock (Rangers)
71. Alen Hanson, 2B, Indianapolis (Pirates)
72. Duane Underwood, RHP, Myrtle Beach (Cubs)
75. Amir Garrett, LHP, Daytona (Reds)
77. Hunter Renfroe, OF, El Paso (Padres)
81. Jorge Polanco, SS, Chattanooga (Twins)
83. Nick Gordon, SS, Cedar Rapids (Twins)
85. Daniel Robertson, SS, Montgomery (Rays)
87. Forrest Wall, 2B, Asheville
92. Luis Ortiz, RHP, Hickory (Rangers)
96. Gavin Cecchini, SS, Binghamton (Mets)
97. AJ Reed, 1B, Corpus Christi (Astros)

Jonathan Mayo is a reporter for MLBPipeline.com and writes a blog, B3. Follow @JonathanMayo on Twitter.