Franklin Perez

The Astros finally caved and made Perez available late in the summer. If they hadn't, Justin Verlander would still be a Tiger. His high-end repertoire is more about the sum of the parts than one or two elite pitches, although he is far from a finished product in that respect. The 6-foot-3, 197-pound righty features a mid-90s fastball, above average command and three secondaries that all project to be above average or better. Unless one of those secondary pitches emerges as a true wipeout offering, he may only be a mid-rotation starter, but that's his realistic floor, which is hardly ever said about a 19-year-old. An early-season knee injury and late-season blister limited him to just 86.1 innings, which still established a career high, so eclipsing the 100-inning mark in 2018 would be a big step in his development. He will likely start his age-20 season back at Double-A, but has the polish to move quickly.

In a system that seems to consistently churn out intriguing power arms, Perez may get a little overlooked, but that won't be the case for long. He has all the ingredients one looks for in a future frontline starter. His mid-90s fastball requires little effort as a plus pitch. He also features a hammer curveball that projects as a plus offering, and his changeup could be the best pitch in his repertoire -- a potentially double-plus monster. Perez also has advanced control, feel and pitchability, leading to future plus grades on his command. He has yet to post a K-BB% south of 20 percent as a professional, offering the best of both worlds when it comes to missing bats and limiting baserunners. In addition to his filth and precision, Perez's 6-foot-3, 197-pound frame is prototypical for a starter. He gave up more than two earned runs just three times in 15 appearances as an 18-year-old in the Midwest League, and he's poised to establish himself as one of the game's elite pitching prospects in 2017.