Luis Santana 2, Shervyen Newton 12/Photo by Tanner Cook of Kingsport Times-News
Shervyen Newton
Position: SS B/T: S/R Age: April 24, 1999 (19)
Acquired: Signed from International Free Agency in 2015
Stats (Kingsport): 266 PA, .280/.408/.449 (BA/OBP/SLG), 16 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, .394 wOBA, 127 wRC+
Want a guy who is freakishly athletic and has a huge ceiling? Meet Shervyen Newton. Newton might very well be the biggest boom-or-bust prospect in the entire organization. The physical tools combined with other prospects being traded has seen Newton skyrocket up prospect lists.
The Dutch prospect was signed for just $50,000 in 2015 and has shown a great return on investment thus far. Newton is bilingual and serves as a translator for his teammates according to Baseball America. I found that interesting and it tells a lot of him as a person.
Despite being relatively young, Newton has shown a solid eye at the plate but does strike out a good amount. His walk rate was 17.3% and his strikeout rate was 31.6%. It is worth noting though, Newton was challenged with a tough assignment in Kingsport after beginning his professional career in the DSL. His .408 OBP is all the more impressive.
The reason scouts and prospect lists love Newton is due to his potential. At 6’4″, Newton has shown some raw power and solid speed. As seen in the video above, his bat speed is very impressive and his swing is relatively smooth. As he gets older, he should be able to translate some of his raw power into game power. According to Baseball America, “Some scouts see potential 70-grade power down the line.”
Getting older and stronger does have its downsides though. He might need to eventually be moved off shortstop due to his size and other players at the position but he should be able to handle third base or in the worst case, the outfield.
Fangraphs had this to say on Newton: “the ceiling on Newton if everything actualizes is superstardom.” I will caution that the odds of this happening are roughly 10-20% but nonetheless, it is very exciting to see how he develops. An infielder who can play on the left side with 35 HR power is extremely valuable.
Ultimately, Newton’s hit tool will be the determining factor as to how far he can go. If he can be somewhat acceptable with the bat (have a batting average around .250) he should be able to become an MLB player. His high walk rate will give him a solid floor to establish a good OBP.
His rank will likely shoot up further this season. He is likely going to Columbia in 2019 and will be a hot commodity to watch and scout.
Editor’s Note: Jarred Kelenic, Justin Dunn, Luis Santana, Ross Adolph, Bobby Wahl, Adam Hill, Gerson Bautista, and Felix Valerio were all in our original Top 50 before they were traded.
Previous Rankings
50-46 Led by Michael Paez
45-41 Led by Ranfy Adon
40-36 Led by Anthony Dirocie
35-31 Led by Ryley Gilliam
30-26 Led by Chris Viall
25 Carlos Cortes
24 Ali Sanchez
23 Eric Hanhold
22 Luis Carpio
21 Freddy Valdez
20 Walker Lockett
19 Junior Santos
18 Gavin Cecchini
17 Jordan Humphreys
16 Christian James
15 Tony Dibrell
14 Francisco Alvarez
13 Will Toffey
12 Adrian Hernandez
11 Desmond Lindsay
10 Franklyn Kilome
