Best of the Rest

Quite a few very good prospects were left out of the Baseball America Top 100 Prospects for 2009. Below are the top 15 "other" prospects including a rating (number) and potential (letter grade).

1. Jake McGee, LHP, Tampa Bay rays, (92), A: Before David Price there was McGee. The kid is recovering from Tommy John Surgery for 2009 and that is the ONLY reason he's not in BA's Top 100. In 485 career innings pitched (through AA), McGee has struck out 553 batters and has posted a 3.39 era. Possibly most impressive is the fact that he's given up just 27 homers in that span--that's about 12 per season. His curveball is the best in the minors, and rivals a young Barry Zitos. His two fastballs both sit in the low 90s and his 4-seamer can touch 94-95 on occasion. When he comes back he'll be MLB ready.

2. David Robertson, RHP/SU, New York Yankees, (90), A: Robertson isn't in the top 100 because of his major league experience in 2008. However, he's much better than both James McDonald and Scott Elbert, and wields a 95 mph fastball and a near unhittable 12-6 curve. His change and 2-seamer are both developing into good pitches as well. In his minor league career he has pitched 178 innings, giving up just 73 hits and has struck out 190. His career ERA is a very sexy 1.24 and his 0.93 WHIP suggests that he is MLB Ready. Melancon gets the hype but Robertson may very well be the heir to Rivera. A future All Star reliever/closer.

3. Dellin Betances, RHP, New York Yankees, (88), A: Betances has a solid arsenal consisting of two plus-plus pitches and one decent change. His knuckle curve has evolved in to an out pitch and his 93-98 mph fastball rides and has enough life on it to also strike out even the quickets of bats. Last year with the River Dogs, Betances struck out 135 batters in 115 innings and gave up just 87 hits. Probably a future All Star.

4. Nick Hagadone, LHP, Boston Red Sox, (87), A: Hagadone is a hard throwing lefty capable of dialing up his fastball to the 96-98 range. His 82 mph slider is also a plus pitch and his changeup is developing into a good tertiary offering. He has very good control and in between College and the Rookie Leagues in 2007 he had an above 4.00 K/BB ratio. Any lefty that throws that hard is definitely worth a spot in the top 100. Also probably a future All Star.

5. David Hernandez, RHP, Baltimore Orioles, (84), A-: David Hernandez has elite stuff, striking out 166 in 141 innings pitched with AA Bowie. In a hitters' level he posted a very good 2.68 era and gave up just 112 hits. His 93 mph fastball and low-mid eighties slider are both plus pitches, and sporting them in highschool helped him set Consumne Rivers' (high school) strikeout record.


6. David Huff, LHP, Cleveland Indians, (83), A-: Huff is another hard-throwing lefty that has put up sparkling numbers in the minors.In 214 career innings pitched he has a 2.69 era and is 15-7 with a K/BB ratio nearly at 4.00. He has one of the best changeups in the minors; A true plus-plus pitch.

7. Angel Salome, C, Milwaukee Brewers, (82), A-: Salome batted .360 in 2008 and won the batting title in the Southern League (AA). He has a career .322 batting average and an .867 OPS in the minors. His slugging percentage has been on the rise every single year since 2003 and sits at about .500. He is only 5'9", but Pudge Rodriguez isn't exactly a hulk and he put up some nice career numbers, right?

8. Kila Ka'aihue, DH/1B, Kansas City Royals, (82) B+: Before 2008 Killa Kila was an average prospect. In 2008 however everything clicked and K.K. posted an OPS over 1.080, 37 homers and 104 walks in just 401 at bats between AA and AAA. He doesn't play good 'D and will be like Billy Butler and probably be a full time DH at some point. The problem here however, is that both he and Butler play on the same team...

9. Kellen Kulbacki, OF, San Diego Padres, (81), A-: Kulbacki doesn't have a big frame for a kid that can hit like Vlad Guerrero. The kid from James Madison University in Virgina had an absolutely insane 1.017 OPS, a .332 batting and 20 homers in 304 at bats in 2008 while playing in the California League. He has a near-perfect line-drive swing and has some of the best plate vision/discpline in the minors-- walking 47 times and striking out a near-equal 52 times. The Padres are thin on prospects so Kulbacki is a very valuable guy to have in their system.


10. David Freese, 3B, St. Louis Cardinals, (78), B+: Freese doesn't have the potential that fellow prospect Brett Wallace does, but he's a better defender with a bat just a few ticks off from Wallace. He has a career .307 batting average, a .529 slugging percentage and a .917 OPS in 1,229 minor league at bats. He hit 26 homeruns in 2008 in just 464 at bats. He seems to clash with LaRussa and wasn't given a fair shot to compete with Mather for the 3B job in 2009. Either way though, he has the potential to hit like Paul Konerko and field at least as good as Troy Glaus.


11. Esmailyn Gonzalez, SS, Washington Nationals, (77) A- Gonzalez, like Furcal and El Duque was a young player that not only gave a fake name but also claimed to be younger. He's still not 20 years old however and has a career. .307 batting average and a .417 on-base percentage in the Gulf Coast League. He's stolen 13 bases vs. only 4 caught-stealing and has the potential to hit .300 and steal 30 bases in the majors. Think Orlando Cabrera jr.


12. Ross Detwiler, LHP, Washington Nationals, (76) A: Detwiler has the potential to be one of the best closers in the NL, or even a frontline starter. His numbers in 2008 were poor and he gave up too many walks and more hits than innings pitched. Still, he's a lefty that can hit 98 on the gun and has one of the best splitters in the minors. If he's converted to a reliever, or learns a better delivery-motion he'll be very, VERY good.

13. Tyson Ross, LHP, Oakland Athletics, (73) B+: Ross got lost in the mix of awesome Oakland Prospects and hasn't yet drawn anyone's eye outside of Billy Beane & co. The 6'6" Ross wields a very good 87-94 mph fastball that he can knock off a humming bird's c*ck if he is ever called on to do so. His slider and changeup are both developing into plus pitched and his numbers at California were awesome. He only has 19 Professional Innings, but Jason Castro is in the same boat and he made the top 100. Ross should be there over Brackman.

14. Austin Romine, C, New York Yankees, (73) B+: Romine has the best arm in the minors among catchers and with a little bit of touch he'll be Ivan Rodriguez-good at throwing out base-stealers. He hit an even .300 in 2008, with 10 homers and 24 doubles in 407 at bats in Charleston Single A. He needs to learn to block pitches in the dirt better, but his arm and his bat could develop him into--at the very least-- an A.J. Pierzynski. Right now his potential looks like a carbon copy of Kurt Suzuki.

15. Josh Reddick, CF, Boston Red Sox, (72) B+: Reddick is a very toolsy player sporting a very strong arm, good speed and a great bat. He had a .968 OPS and .343 batting average in 2008 while playing for single A Lancaster. He hit 23 homeruns and stole 15 bases in total in 2008 as well. He walks at an average rate, 34 times in a little bit over 450 at bats in 2008, but with a bit more patience he could easily get on base 37% of the time.