Ranking top prospects moved before Deadline

July 31st, 2018

This year, many of the major trades -- or at least those involving high-profile prospects -- transpired ahead of Tuesday's non-waiver Trade Deadline. The Indians dealt Francisco Mejia, MLB Pipeline's top catching prospect, to the Padres for a pair of relievers on July 19, and a day earlier, the Orioles acquired a handful of prospects, including Yusniel Diaz, from the Dodgers in the Manny Machado blockbuster deal.
:: Complete prospect coverage ::
Mejia and Diaz were the only two Top 100 prospects dealt in the two weeks leading up to this year's Deadline -- a far cry from the seven that were traded last year and the the eight that changed organizations in 2016 -- but more team Top 30 prospects (41) were traded this year than in the past two years (39 in '17; 27 in '16).
So who were the best Minor Leaguers to change teams during this period? We've ranked all 41 of the prospects on a team Top 30 lists who were dealt:
1. Francisco Mejia, C/OF, Padres, No. 21 overall (from Indians in Brad Hand/trade)
Mejia is still considered one of the best hitting prospects in baseball, a reason why he's No. 21 on the Top 100 list. There's less consensus about whether he can stick behind the plate, and he's seen time in both outfield corners this season. The Padres will give the 22-year-old switch-hitter a chance to stay at catcher, where his potent bat offers the most value.

2. Yusniel Diaz, OF, Orioles, No. 57 overall (from Dodgers in Machado trade)
Diaz, the Orioles' new top prospect, joined the O's days after his two-homer performance in the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game. The 21-year-old was in the midst of a breakout campaign at the time of the trade, hitting .314/.428/.477 with 20 extra-base hits and more walks (41) than strikeouts (39) in 59 games with Double-A Tulsa.

3. , RHP, Orioles (from Yankees in Zach Brittontrade)
Tate, a first-round Draft pick by the Rangers in 2015, was the headliner of the deal. The 24-year-old's fastball sits in the mid-90s, and he throws strikes with all four of his pitches, but doesn't miss a ton of bats and still has to prove his durability after missing time with hamstring issues (2016), shoulder troubles ('17) and a quad injury ('18). He ranked as the Yankees' No. 9 prospect at the time of the trade.
4. , RHP, Mets (from Phillies in trade)
Kilome, who was the Phillies' No. 10 prospect at the time of the trade, went 4-6 with a 4.24 ERA in 19 starts for Double-A Reading this season. The right-hander has struggled with his command at times, but has really good pure stuff. Kilome's fastball consistently reaches the upper-90s and his curveball can be a plus pitch as well.
5. , RHP, Orioles (from Brewers in trade)
Ranked No. 7 on the Brewers' Top 30 at the time of the trade, Ortiz has battled injuries during his professional career, but has shown impressive stuff when healthy with a low-to-mid 90s fastball and above-average slider, as well as a curveball and changeup. Still only 22, Ortiz has the size, stuff and command needed to develop into a mid-rotation starter. He owned a 3.71 ERA with 65 strikeouts and 18 walks over 68 innings in 16 games (11 starts) with Double-A Biloxi.
6. , OF, Royals (from Brewers in Mike Moustakastrade)
Phillips, the Brewers' No. 10 prospect at the time of the trade, hit .240 in 71 games with Triple-A Colorado Springs, but also has big league experience and plenty of years of control remaining. Over the past two seasons, Phillips played in 52 games for the Brewers and hit .257 with four homers and five stolen bases.

7. Hector Perez, RHP, Blue Jays (from Astros in trade)
Perez, the Astros' No. 10 prospect prior to the deal, had emerged as one of the better arms in Houston's system. The right-hander has a fastball that ranges from 93-99 mph, in addition to wipeout breaking pitches. The 22-year-old righty has major control issues, as evidenced by his 48 walks in 89 1/3 innings this season and 5.3 walks per nine innings in his career, but also has a strong track record of missing bats (10.4 career strikeouts per nine innings) and inducing weak contact (.198 career batting average against).
8. Taylor Hearn, LHP, Rangers (from Pirates in trade)
Hearn, who was the Pirates' No. 7 prospect, is a left-hander who can reach triple digits with his fastball and flash a plus changeup, though he'll need to upgrade his slider, control and command to remain a starter. He has been overpowering in Double-A this year, with 107 strikeouts and a .198 batting average against in 104 innings.
9. Jorge Alcala, RHP, Twins (from Astros in trade)
Alcala, Houston's No. 10 prospect at the time of the trade, has a high-90s fastball with life, but his secondary pitches still need some development. The right-hander has spent time at both the Class A Advanced and Double-A levels this season and owns a 3.29 ERA in 79 1/3 innings.

10. , SS, Tigers (from Indians in trade)
Castro has been inconsistent in 2018, but he also is 21 years old and playing in Double-A for the first time. The switch-hitter has the chance to hit for average with double-digit-homer power, while also being able to steal bases. He's improved his defensive consistency as well, giving him a very good chance of being an everyday shortstop in the big leagues in the future.
Best of the rest
11. , OF, Cardinals (from Rays in Tommy Pham trade)
12. , LHP, Rays (from Red Sox in trade)
13. Dean Kremer, RHP, Orioles (from Dodgers in Machado trade)
14. Genesis Cabrera, LHP, Cardinals (from Rays in Pham trade)
15. , OF, Indians (from Cardinals in Conner Capel trade)
16. Conner Capel, OF, Cardinals (from Indians in Mercado trade)
17. Cody Carroll, RHP, Orioles (from Yankees in Britton trade)
18. Kodi Medeiros, LHP, White Sox (from Brewers in trade)
19. Jean Carmona, SS, Orioles (from Brewers in Schoop trade)
20. Juan Carlos Encarnacion, 3B, Orioles (from Braves in trade)
21. Gilberto Celestino, OF, Twins (from Astros in Pressly trade)
22. , OF, Blue Jays (from Yankees in J.A. Happ trade)
23. , RHP, Blue Jays (from Astros in Osuna trade)
24. Seth Elledge, RHP, Cardinals (from Mariners in trade)
25. Forrest Wall, OF, Blue Jays (from Rockies in trade)
26. Rylan Bannon, 3B/2B, Orioles (from Dodgers in Machado trade)
27. Gabriel Maciel, OF, Twins (from D-backs in trade)
28. Luke Raley, OF/1B, Twins (from Dodgers in trade)
29. Patrick Sandoval, LHP, Angels (from Astros in trade)
30. Jhoan Duran, RHP, Twins (from D-backs in Escobar trade)
31. Zach Pop, RHP, Orioles (from Dodgers in Machado trade)
32. , RHP, Cardinals (from Yankees in trade)
33. , RHP, Angels (from Red Sox in trade)
34. Bryson Brigman, SS, Marlins (from Mariners in trade)
35. Will Toffey, 3B, Mets (from A's in trade)
36. Brett Cumberland, C, Orioles (from Braves in Gausman trade)
37. Wei-Chieh Huang, RHP, Rangers (from D-backs in Jake Diekman trade)
38. , LHP, Angels (from Red Sox in Kinsler trade)
39. Chad Spanberger, 1B, Blue Jays (from Rockies in Oh trade)
40. Brian Shaffer, LHP, Rays (from D-backs in trade)
41. Chase De Jong, RHP, Twins (from Mariners in Zach Duke trade)