Four BlueClaws appear in Baseball America’s Top 20 South Atlantic League prospect list, released by the publication on Friday (click here). Previously, some future BlueClaws in the NY-Penn League top 20 and the Gulf Cost League top 20. Some thoughts…

4. Jason Knapp, RHP: Obviously no longer with the organization (Cliff Lee trade), but Knapp certainly showed signs of brilliance in his time with Lakewood…went 2-7 because he got no run support, but he fanned 111 in 85 innings…Pitched probably the best game of the Lakewood season, seven shutout on two hits and a franchise record tying 14 Ks against Lake County on April 20th.

“There’s always a guy you don’t hit behind,” said manager Dusty Wathan. “But he kept us in a lot of games and gave us chances to win.”

Knapp recently had shoulder surgery and is expected to be ready for his first Indians spring training.

13. Anthony Gose, OF: Gose led all of Minor League Baseball in stolen bases with 76 despite not turning 19 until August 12th…He hit .259 but seemed to rise up at the right time, such as Gose hitting .407 in the playoffs (and leading off game one of the SALCS with a home run after finishing the regular season 1-25)…He was voted by the league’s managers as the Fastest Baserunner, Most Exciting Prospect, and Best Defensive Outfielder…Thought Dusty summed up Gose well this way:

“You look at him after a game and you don’t know if he went 0-4 or if he went 4-4.”

17. Travis d’Arnaud, C: Really struggled in the first half (.207) but hit .302 after the break with 28 doubles…Was solid definsively all season long and hit .391 in the postseason…He was ranked the 4th best catching prospect in the league, 13 spots behind Derek Norris of Hagerstown, which we felt was too big of a gap. Norris showed excellent power but hit .256 in the second half without a home run after July 29th, while d’Arnaud got stronger over the course of the long season.

“I don’t know if you attribute (his first half) to him trying to pull the ball too much, but he realized he had to make some adjustments and was challenged by Greg Legg and myself,” said Wathan. “And he was outstanding in the second half. When a catcher struggles at the plate, sometimes they take that out on the field, but he never did.”

19. Trevor May, RHP: Began the year in extended with a back injury but went 4-0, 2.06 in the second half, threw 11 scoreless in the playoffs, and finished the year by allowing three earned runs in his last 36 innings…90+ on the fastball with an 11-5 curveball and good changeup, he takes over for Knapp as the big gun among the Phillies young starting pitchers. Certainly could have been higher on this list.

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