Baseball America continued their top tools rankings, moving down to Double-A on Thursday morning. Yesterday, Tyler Glasnow was named the best pitcher in the International League, and he was voted as having the best breaking ball. Alen Hanson was voted the best defensive second baseman.
Today’s list has Austin Meadows as being the most exciting player in the Eastern League, while Eric Wood was named the best defensive third baseman. These categories are voted on by the coaches and managers in the Eastern League, not Baseball America.
Meadows has moved up to Indianapolis already, but before he left Altoona, he made quite an impression. In 45 games, he hit .311/.365/.611, with 30 extra-base hits and nine stolen bases. He also played well in center field, making some outstanding catches and showing off his range. Meadows finished his time in Altoona with a 24-game hit streak.
Wood is getting notice this season for his improvements at the plate, but his defense has improved just as much. He’s showing better range and quickness, a better glove and more accurate throws. Wood has a .951 fielding percentage, and in almost the same amount of innings as last season (748 last year to 718 so far this season), he has cut his errors in half, going from 21, down to ten this season. Along with his .813 OPS, which ranks first among regulars on Altoona and 12th in the Eastern League, Wood has made a big leap with his prospect status this season.
