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.

No Bull %@#$ in this Bullpen

The Yankees re-constructed bullpen is looking better than ever. It took Girardi just one season to completely revamp a struggling relief staff. Torre was notorious for being a terrible bullpen manager--overtiring young relievers, pulling set up men when they make a single mistake, etc... Girardi took a bunch of journeyman and unexperienced young pitchers and made the second best 'pen in the MLB--next to the Red Sox. Sorry Mets, but you still need work--no amount of money is going to make up for the fact that the back of your pen gives up gopher balls like Caddy Shack. Below is a list of the key pieces of the Yankees' pen in 2009. With Marte and Rivera clearly entrenched in the late innings, the Yankees have a pretty open 'pen to fill with young talent. The number in parenthesis is the pitcher's potential. The number the right of their letter grade, is my grade (based on the usual college grading system) for their current ability.


The New Guns

1. David Robertson, MR, 88 (A-): Robertson is a top 100 prospect, and one of the best young relievers in the MLB. His career MiLB era is an absolutely insane 1.24 in 138 innings. His career line is 12-3, 138 ip, 190 k, .93 whip and a 1.24 era. Jose Ceda is getting a lot of the hype, and he is very good, but Robertson has the better stuff--which is saying a lot. His power 12-6 curve, sider and fastball are all plus pitches. His 4-seamer rides and his 2-seamer dips. He looks to me to be a possible heir to Rivera.

2. Phil Coke, LHR, 85 (B+)- Outside of Marte, who actually did a better job of getting out righties than lefties in 2008, the Yankees haven't had a good lefty in the bullpen since Mike Stanton. Mike Myers was a bust, and the parade of shit that Torre chose to use didn't include one effective lefty. Phil Coke didn't allow a single earned run in his September callup in 2008, and is 2-0 with a 1.86 era this spring. His 94 mph 4 seamer and his slider are both top of the line. He finally came in to his own in 2007, and now in 2009, he looks to be a lock for the 'pen.

3. Mark Melancon, CL, 78 (A-)- Melancon is widely considered to be the heir to Rivera. His mid 90's fastball and his slider are both very, very good pitches. Coming back from Tommy John surgery, he went 6-0 and posted a 1.86 ERA in Trenton in 2008. He has an outside shot at the 'pen for 2009, but it looks like the Yankees want him to get some more work in the minors first.

4. Jonathan Albaladejo, MR/LR, 80 (B)- Albaladejo was traded to the Yankees, from the Nationals, for Tyler Clippard. He missed most of 2008 with injury but looks healthy and in shape for 2009. He's a sinker/slider pitcher who has good stuff. He has a low-mid nienties fastball. In 28 career ip in the majors, Alabaledejo has put up a 2.89 era and has struck out 25. He doesn't need any more time in the minors, but with the all-of-sudden-crowed Yankees' bullpen, he may have to start the season in AAA Columbus.

5. Humberto Sanchez, SU/LR/SP, 82 (A-)- Sanchez has a very high ceiling and can really fill any role for the Yankees in 2009. He throws a mid nineties fastball and a top of the line slider. The 6'6" 230 lb righty has a big enough body to be able to shake off his elbow surgery and shouldn't have too many problems in 2009 as long as he stays in shape. His career 4.15 ERA in the minors isn't fantastic, but right before his injury he seemed to put everything together. In 72 innings in 2006, Sanchez put up nice numbers-- a 1.75 era, 86 strikeouts and a 1.03 WHIP. Theres a good chance that he'll make the pen for 2009--Girardi loves his stuff.

6. Steven Jackson, MR, 76 (B-)- Steven Jackson has some decent stuff. A good fastball and decent breaking stuff, the southern boy may very well be one of the top 3 Yankees' 'pen prospects. It's highly unlikely that he'll make the 'pen for 2009, at least out of Spring training, but his 2.16 era suggests that the 27-year-old is MLB ready.

7. Kanekoa Texeira, SU, 74 (B)- The young Hawaiian has dominated the minors in his 144 career innings. He;s 11-5 with a 2.24 era and 149 strikeouts. He came with Swisher to the Yankees this Spring and has a very good change of being in the Yankees' pen in 2010.

8. Anthony Claggett, SU, 74 (B)- The 24-year-old Claggett may not be a star, but he is very solid. He throws a 93 mph fastball, a slurve and a solid change. He has a 2.76 ERA in 261 MiLB innings and will be in Scranton in 2009.

9. J.B. Cox, SU, 73 (B/B+)- The former college closer, Cox's stock has fallen since his first few years with the Yankees. His 4.75 ERA with Scranton last year wasn't too promising, but his slider is still one of the best in the minors. He still has a career 2.64 era in the minors, and will probably be a mid-season call-up in 2009.


The Proven Young Guns

1. Jose Veras, SU, 86 (B+)- Veras, hampered by elbow problems for most of his career came into the Yankees' bullpen dealing out of Spring training in 2008. He throws a fastball that can get to 98 mph, a hard slider and a good 12-6 curve. He was the most reliable reliever in the pen for the Yankees in 2008, outside of Bruney, and will probably make a bid to set up for Rivera in 2009.

2. Brian Bruney, SU, 83 (B)- In the minors, Bruney struck out 316 in 285 career ip. He has horrid control 164 in that span, but he had shown flashes of brilliance in 2007, and then put it together in the second half of 2008. He was the Yankees' best set up man in 2008, and he had 19 holds, a 1.83 era and 33 strikeouts in 34 ip. He gace up just 18 hits in the 34 innings but walked 16. He probably can never be a lock as a late inning reliever due to his control, but he can be a top-of-the-line middle reliever.

Back from the Dead


1. Edwar Ramirez, MR, 83 (B+)- The 6'3" 155 pound Ramirez looks 18, but is actually 28. Before learning his forking super-change, Edwar was cut from just about half of the teams in the AL. He learned that pitch in the Indy leagues and immediately won minor league relief pitcher of the year upon returning to professional ball. With Scranton in 2007 Edwar pitched 40 innings, posted a .54 era, gave up just 20 hits and struck out an insane 69. Because of his straight 88 mph fastball, and average slider, Edwar is prone to the homerun, but that superchange is one of the best pitches in the game. The 76 mph pitch, screwballs more than Pedro's circle-change, and makes hitters look absolutely horrible--even when it hangs. For most of 2008, Edwar had an ERA below 3.50, but a tough September made it rise to a still respectable 3.90. He pitched 55 innings and struck out 63.

2. Dan Giese, LR/SP, 81 (B-)- Giese is a nice guy, but never showed much potential in the minors before he hit 30. He helped the Yankees out in 2008, spot-starting and providing long relief. In 52 innings he has a 3.76 era and started 3 games. His minors numbers in AAA Columbus in 2008 were very impressive. He had a very nice 1.98 ERA in 51 innings, and struck out 51.

3. Alfredo Aceves, LR/SP, 78 (B-)- Aceves has an outside shot of making the Yankees 'pen in the long relief/spot starter role. It looks like Giese has his hands on it, but you never know...The 5'10 Mexican, already had a professional career in Mexico before coming to the Yankees. He knows how to pitch and has a lot of experience, but his stuff is only slightly above mediocre. He throws an 88-92 mpg fastball that gets some groundouts and a few different changes and breaking balls. In 140 career innings in the MiLB Aceves posted a 2.62 ERA and a .98 WHIP--so it's obvious he has some potential.

Prospects to Think Twice About

There are quite a few good prospects in this year's BA top 100 and The Scouting Book.com's top 1,000. However, most of these players, won't become anything more than utility players or minor league journeyman. Only a few will become stars or decent major leaguers. Below is a list of prospects that I believe have a considerable chance at failure.

1. Michael Saunders, OF, Seattle Mariners-- Saunders is a big kid, standing a well-filled-out 6'4," and that's exactly why BA has placed him in the top 100. The guy has never hit above .300, never slugged above .500, strikes out, can't field and has shown absolutely nothing that would suggest that he'll be anything more than a below-average major leaguer. The fascination with him? I'm not sure...

2. Sean West, LHP, Florida Marlins-- West has some serious control issues, and if it wasn't for his left-handed 95 mph fastball, he wouldn't be a top prospect. He's walked 112 in 270 ip in his MiLB career, which includes no stops above A ball. When he gets to AAA or the Majors, umpires will start calling a tighter strikezone, and will make guys like West through his 4-seamer down the heart of the plate. He'll either get crushed for homeruns, or he'll walk too many to be effective. Either way, think twice about him.

3. Brent Lillibridge, MI, Chicago Whitesox-- Lillibridge is a guy you want to see succeed. Although listed at 5'11, 185, Lillibridge is a little guy, truely only about 5'9" 170. His MiLB career numbers aren't prospect-worthy-- hitting .270 and slugging .429. He strikeouts out far too much for a batter with little to zilch power, and after a season in which he hit .220 in AAA, it's become completely clear that he's nothing more than a solid Utility man at best.

4. Jonathan Niese, LHP, New York Mets-- Like Yankees fans, Mets fans make too much of September call-ups. Niese put up lousy MLB numbers (an ERA over 7) and hasn't shown much beyond a decent line in the minors. He's too easily hittable, like Ian Kennedy, and doesn't have the stuff to make up for his propencity to issue walks to good hitters. In 457 MiLb innings Niese has walked 166 and given up 155 hits. In the Florida State League in 2007 he gave up 151 hits in just 134.1 innings pitched.

5. Carlos Gonzalez, OF, Colorado Rockies--I strongly believe that the Matt Holliday trade was more of a desperate "sell high" move, to get rid of Gonzalez, Greg Smith and Huston Street while they still have value. Gonzalez strikes out way too much, 487 times in a little over 2200 MiLB at bats. He's never walked more than 48 times in the minors, so he doesn't post a good OBP, and outside of his power, doesn't hit well enough to make up for his short comings. He has poor pitch-recognition and won't be a star. MAYBE he'll be a Mike Cameron type hitter--but nothing more.

The New Kids on the Block

Below is a list of 10 young prospects that are either just now making a name for themselves, or are too young to really be recognizable by most fans.

1. Dellin Betances, 21 yrs, RHP, New York Yankees
10-7, 169 ip, 3.50 era, 197 so

Betances is the next uber-prospect for the Yankees. The kid is barely old enough to order a beer at McSorley's yet he has already compiled impressive minor league numbers. He throws a 95 mph running 4-seamer, a hammer-knuckle-curve and a developing change. Basically, he's the player that Yankees fans believed Phil Hughes was--a hard thrower with an unhittable curve. Hughes throws 88-92 and has a very good 12-6, but his control is what defines him. Betances is a more of a young Kelvim Escobar--living off of an electric arsenal.

2. Nick Hagadone, 23 yrs, LHP, Boston Red Sox
1-2, 34 ip, 1.31 era, 45 so

Hagadone has the makings of a Matt Cain. He's a hard throwing lefty, with a fastball that can touch the upper 90's. Brackman got all of the hype as a Yankees' prospect but the Sox have the better pitcher in Hagadone...period. His fastball is a 4-seamer that sits in the 93-96 mph range, but can be dialed up to 98 at times. His 81 mph slider also has serious bite and tilt, and although it isn't Randy Johnson's, it certainly warrants a comparison between their stuff. His change, sitting in the low eights, is developing. However, because its the same speed as his slider, its never going to be an absolutely necessary pitch for him. All and all, Hagadone isn't too far behind Cain or Price. Theres little difference between Prices's arsenal and Hagadones--the only difference being that Price is a little bit more polished, while Hagadone has a better fastball.

3. Matt Tuiasosopo, 22 yrs, 3B, Seattle Mariners
1914 ab, .279 ba, .356 obp, .399 slg, 37 hr, 28 sb

Michael Saunders, the big Canadian outfielder/corner infielder, gets all of the hype as far as corner infielders in the Mariners' system go. However, Matt Tuiasosopo, who has put up only average stats in his minor league career has finally come in to his own this spring and has shown that he's the better prospect--thus far. He leads the Mariners with a sexy .407 batting average in 57 at bats. Through March 26th, Mr. T. has spanked 7 doubles and 2 homers. His line drive swing will keep his average around .280-.300 once he gets it together in the majors. In Safeco especially, it's unlikely that he'll ever hit more than 15-20 homers, but 40-50 doubles is a given in a full season. With Beltre's injury, and Mr. T's Spring performance, Tuiasosopo has a good shot at making the roster out of Spring Training. If not then he'll be there by the summer for another look.


4. Travis Ishikawa, 25 yrs, 1B, San Francisco Giants
2516 ab, .260 ba, .350 obp, .453 slg, 96 hr

Prior to 2007, Ishikawa was a good prospect but wasn't projected to be anything more than an average hitter--good for a .280 average and possibly 15 homers a year in the majors. In single A San Jose in 2007, however, Ishikawa hit 13 homers in just 198 at bats. In 2008 he started mashing even harder, belting 16 homers, 19 doubles, in just 171 at bats with AAA Fresno. Once again Ishikawa is mashing in home runs, this time with the Giants, and has put up a very nice .313 batting average through March 26th this Spring. There was some talk that Jesus Guzman would take 3rd base and Sandoval would be moved to first, but Ishikawa is a very good fielder, much better than Sandoval or Guzman, and with that strong bat will be slotted at first while Sandy makes some picks at third. Hold on to Ishi, he'll be good for 20 homers in 2009 easily (barring a disaster/injury). After that, a .300 batting average and 100 rbis will come at some point. At the very least he'll be Adam LaRoche.

5. Chris Carter, 26 yrs, DH/OF, Boston Red Sox
2352 ab, .308 ba, .383 obp, .518 slg, 110 hr

The Red Sox' Chris Carter is always mixed up with Oakland's Chris (Vernon) Carter--it was even harder not to mix them up when they both played for the Diamondbacks. The trouble is, once people figure out that they're not the same player, they forget about the Sox's guy and only thought of the other Carter as the top prospect. They shouldn't. The smaller one, the guy that came out of Stanford, the guy on the Sox, has a hell of a bat. This spring he's slugging .704 with 5 home runs, 4 doubles and has put up a .352 batting average. It's becoming more and more evident that Tito Francona desperately needs to find this guy's bat a spot in his lineup. Ramirez is gone and Poppi is too fat to last forever so Chris Carter may be the power bat that the Red Sox need to keep their batting order intimidating--top to bottom.

6. Jesus Guzman, 24 yrs, 3B/OF, San Francisco Giants
2236 ab, .295 ba, .365 obp, .463 slg, 66 hr

Guzman is an absolutely awful defender and has absolutely no place on the ballfield defensively. His fielding percentage falls below .900 with regularity, and was completely exiled from the Oakland Athletics' 40 man roster after failing to put up decent defensive numbers at 3rd, 2nd or short, in 2008. The Giants are giving him his last chance at third, but it looks more and more obvious that they'll move him to a corner outfield spot regardless. Either way, the Athletics made a big mistake letting Guzman go to the G's in the Rule 5. The guy hit .364 with 14 homers in half of a season last year in AA. The year before he had a .909 OPS in the California League. In 47 at bats this spring Guzman is hitting a PHAT .404 with 4 homers, 8 doubles and an .872 slugging percentage in 47 at bats. The Giants have really made an offense out of a bunch of nobodies and a few stars. Ishikawa, Sandoval, Guzman, Velez and Fred Lewis aren't exactly household names, but they will be in 2009, once they start helping that electric pitching staff win games.


7. Ryan Flaherty, 22 yrs, SS, Chicago Cubs
219 ab, .297 ba, .369 obp, .511 slg, 8 hr

Flaherty is a less well-known Gordon Beckham. The other third of the "Big 3" from Vanderbilt (Flaherty, Price and Alvarez), Flaherty is already used to being overshadowed by super-star-talents. So, with Vitters in the system, it's no new situation for Flaherty to be considered to be less than what he is because of flashier (but not better) teammates. Gordon Beckham is a nice comparison for the kid. While Triunfel, Andrus, Cardenas and Escobar get all of the press, Flaherty, Frazier and Gordon Beckham are the three best shortstops currently within reach of the Majors. His line drive stroke and solid plate discipline will suit him well in the MLB, especially in the NL. Someday the kid could win a gold glove, maybe not at short, but certainly at third or second base. He needs to sure up his hands, but his fluid movement, mastery of the figure-4 slide and his strong arm make him a complete package. A batting average between .280 and .300, 15 homers, 10 stolen bases, 40 doubles and an OBP around .380 sounds like the numbers Flaherty can probably put up in the MLB if all goes as planned.

8. Kellen Kulbacki, 23 yrs, OF, San Diego Padres
591 ab, .303 ba, .393 obp, .521 slg, 30 hr

Looking at those career MiLB stats should tell you enough about Ke-Kul. The kid is barely 5'11" and isn't exactly a hulk, but has some serious power. He slugs, he makes great contact and he gets on base--all without striking out at the rate that most 30 homerun hitters do. Somehow, both Keith Law and BA completely missed this kid and he doesn't even make their top 100s. With a wide open roster, and the commitment to rebuild Kulbacki will probably see some time in San Diego this year. But in 2010 looks for him to win a job. He may not impress right away, but when he gets it all there then .300 with 20 homers yearly is pretty reasonable.

9. Shairon Martis, 22, RHP, Washington Nationals
21-15, 416 ip, 3.80 era, 345 so

For the Netherlands, Martis threw a no hitter, without recording any strikeouts in the 2006 WBC. In 2008 for Columbus AAA, Martis thew 41 innings, striking out 31 and posting a 3.02 era before being promoted to the Nationals. He didn't dominate, but he did strike out 23 in 20 innings in the bigs. He probably won't be in the rotation in 2009, but he has good enough breaking stuff and a decent 4-seamer, so he'll likely become a valuable part of their bullpen--like a Ramiro Mendoza or Aaron Heilman type.

10. Chris Gimenez, 26, C, Cleveland Indians
1727 ab, .270 ab, .378 obp, .466 slg, 69 hr

If you average out Gimenez's career stats you'd find that he'd have a .270 batting average, about 23 homers, 100 runs, 39 doubles and about 85 rbi yearly. The guys a catcher! For some reason he's never fallen anywhere near a top 10 MiLB catcher list, and even now, during Spring Training 2009, Gimenez is hitting .357, slugging .879 and posting a .471 obp yet the guy still hasn't attracted any sort of notable press. With their surplus of catchers, the Indians won't even give the guy a roster spot out of Spring Training. Carlos Santana, Kelly Shoppach and Victor Martinez are the only catchers that will get a listen for the 25 man out of Spring Training, but once Santana is moved to third and Martinez is converted to first to save his body, Gimenez will finally get a look for the MLB team.

Prospect Rankings as of 3/23/09

The number in parentheses is the player's current rating as a prospect. Their rank is based on this number and the number is based on their quality of play/athleticism/makeup throughout their minor league career. The letter grade is their ceiling in the Majors. Realize, that an A in the Majors and an A in the Minors are very different, and the Majors grade is always more telling/harder to achieve. Finally, the Major League player listed to the right of each prospect is their closest major league comparison, both in the field and at the plate. Obviously most of these players haven't reached their potential yet, so this is who they COULD be. Please remember that age doesn't play a significant role here. For instance, if I compare a late bloomer like Joe Nathan to Daniel Bard, I'm not implying that Bard will be a late bloomer like Nathan.

1. Matt Wieters, C, Baltimore Orioles (98)A+, Mike Piazza (Kurt Suzuki Defense)
2. Madison Bumgarner, LHP, San Francisco Giants (98)A, Randy Johnson
3. Tommy Hanson, RHP, Atlanta Braves (97)A+, Kerry Wood
4. David Price, LHP, Tampa Bay Rays, (94)A-, Cole Hamels
5. Jason Heyward, CF, Atlanta Braves, (93)A, Andruw Jones
6. Buster Posey, C, Baltimore Orioles, (93)A-, Joe Mauer
7. Colby Rasmus, CF, St. Louis Cardinals (92)A-, Carlos Beltran
8. Cameron Maybin, CF, Florida Marlins (92)A-, Rocco Baldelli (2005)
9. Trevor Cahill, RHP , Oakland Athletics (92)A-, Brandon Webb
10. Neftali Feliz, RHP, Texas Rangers (92)A+, Pedro Martinez
11. Pedro Alvarez, 3B, Pittsburgh Pirates (92)A-, Chipper Jones
12. Lars Anderson, 1B, Boston Red Sox (91)A-, Fred McGriff
13. Tim Beckham, SS, Tampa Bay Rays (90)A, Jimmy Rollins
14. Justin Smoak, 1B, Texas Rangers (90)A-, Mark Texeira
15. Brett Wallace, 3B/1B, St. Louis Cardinals (90)A-, Edgar Martinez
16. Alcides Escobar, SS, Milwaukee Brewers (86)B/B+, Omar Vizquel
17. Derek Holland, LHP, Texas Rangers, (90)A, Josh Beckett
18. Aaron Hicks, CF/SP, Minnesota Twins, (90)A, Ken Griffey Jr.
19. Travis Snider, LF/1B/DH, Toronto Blue Jays, (89)B+, Greg Luzinski
20. Gordon Beckham, SS/2B, Chicago White Sox, (89)B+, Stephen Drew
21. Michael Stanton, OF/1B, Florida Marlins, (87)B/B+, Jose Canseco
22. Chris Tillman, RHP, Baltimore Orioles, (87)B+, Matt Garza
23. Greg Halman, OF, Seattle Mariners, (87)B+, Grady Sizemore
24. Eric Hosmer, 1B, Kansas City Royals, (87)B+, Conner Jackson (some say Casey Kotchman)
25. Brett Anderson, LHP, Oakland Athletics, (87)B+, Andy Pettitte
26. Jeff Samardzija, RHP, Chicago Cubs, (87)A-, Francisco Rodriguez
27. Dexter Fowler, CF, Colorado Rockies, (87)B+, Devon White
28. Rick Porcello, RHP, Detroit Tigers, (87)A-, Tim Hudson
29. Jarrod Parker, RHP, Arizona Diamondbacks (87)A-, Kevin Millwood
30. Dellin Betances, RHP New York Yankees (87)A, Ervin Santana
31. Mike Moustakas, 3B, Kansas City Royals (86)B+, Ryan Zimmerman
32. Jesus Montero, C, New York Yankees (86)A, Victor Martinez
33. Andrew McCutchen, CF, Pittsburgh Pirates, (83)B+/A-, Steve Finley
34. Logan Morrison, 1B, Florida Marlins (86)B, Derek Lee
35. Jordan Zimmerman, RHP, Washington Nationals, (86)B/B+, Bert Blyleven
36. Brian Matusz, LHP, Baltimore Orioles, (86)B/B+, Cole Hamels
37. Matt LaPorta, LF/1B/DH, Cleveland Indians, (86)B/B+, Adrian Gonzalez
38. Carlos Santana, C/3B, Cleveland Indians, (85)B+, Kurt Suzuki
39. Elvis Andrus, SS, Texas Rangers, (85)B, Rafael Furcal
40. Michael Inoa, RHP, Oakland Athletics, (85)A-, Rich Harden (but much taller)
41. Carlos Carrasco, RHP, Philadelphia Phillies, (85) A-, Anibal Sanchez
42. J.P. Arencibia, C, Toronto Blue Jays, (85) B/B+, Chris Ianetta
43. Reid Brignac, SS, Tampa Bay Rays, (84) B/B+, Troy Tulowitzki
44. Wade Davis, RHP, Tampa Bay Rays, (84) B/B+, Curt Schilling
45. Josh Vitters, 3B, Chicago Cubs, (84) B+, Scott Rolen
46. Yonder Alonso, 1B, Cincinnati Reds, (84)B+, Joey Votto
47. Brett Cecil, LHP, Toronto Blue Jays (84)B+/A-, Kelvim Escobar
48. Mat Gamel, 3B/1B, Milwaukee Brewers, (84)B+, Wally Joyner
49. Ben Revere, CF, Minnesota Twins, (84)B+, Brett Butler
50. Angel Salome, C, Milwaukee Brewers, (83)A-, Paul Lo Duca
51. Jordan Schafer, CF, Atlanta Braves, (83)B/B+, Jim Edmonds
52. Jason Castro, C, Houston Astros, (83) B/B+, Geovany Soto
53. Aaron Cunningham, RF, Oakland Athletics, (83)B/B+, Michael Cuddyer
54. Jacob McGee, LHP, Tampa Bay Rays, (83)A, Matt Cain
55. Jhoulys Chacin, RHP, Colorado Rockies, (83)B+, Ubaldo Jiminez
56. Tim Alderson, RHP, San Francisco Giants, (83)B+, John Danks
57. Angel Villalona, 3B, San Francisco Giants, (83)B+, Jorge Cantu
58. Daniel Bard, CL, Boston Red Sox, (83)B+, Joe Nathan
59. Wilmer Flores, SS, New York Mets, (82)B+, Yunel Escobar
60. Todd Frazier, SS, Cincinnati Reds, (82)B+, Edgar Renteria
61. Fernando Martinez, OF, New York Mets, (82)B+, Delmon Young
62. Andrew Lambo, OF/1B, Los Angeles Dodgers, (82)B, Andre Ethier
63. Dayan Viciedo, 3B, Chicago White Sox, (82)B+, Orlando Hudson
64. Taylor Teagarden, C, Texas Rangers, (82)B+, Kenji Johjima
65. Jake Arrieta, RHP, Baltimore Orioles, (82)A-, Troy Percival
66. Jordan Walden, RHP, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, (82)B+, Jered Weaver
67. Matt Dominguez, Florida Marlins, (82)B-/B, Josh Fields
68. Kellen Kulbacki, RF, San Diego Padres, (82)B, Jason Kubel
69. Wilson Ramos, C, Minnesota Twins, (82)B, Jason Varitek
70. Brett Lawrie, C, Milwaukee Brewers (82)B, Jorge Posada
71. Phillippe Aumont, RHP, Seattle Mariners, (82)A-, Chris R. Young
72. Kyle Skipworth, C, Florida Marlins (81)B+, Ryan Doumit
73. Austin Jackson, CF, New York Yankees (81)B, David DeJesus/Mark Kotsay
74. Chris Perez, CL, St. Louis Cardinals (81)B+, Jose Valverde
75. Bryan Anderson, C, St. Louis Cardinals (81)B, A.J. Pierzynski
76. Jose Ceda, CL, Florida Marlins (81)A-, Carlos Marmol
77. Hank Conger, C, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (81)A-, Kelly Shoppach
78. Gaby Sanchez, 1B, Florida Marlins, (80) B-, Ryan Garko
79. Chris Valaika, SS, Cincinnati Reds, (80) B, Mike Aviles
80. Carlos Triunfel, 3B, Seattle Mariners, (80) B, Julio Lugo
81. David Huff, LHP, Cleveland Indians, (80) B/B+, Cliff Lee
82. James McDonald, SU/SP, Los Angeles Dodgers, (80) B-/B, Keith Foulke
83. Jeremy Hellickson, RHP, Tampa Bay Raus, (80)B+, Matt Garza
84. Daniel Cortes, RHP, Kansas City Royals, (79)B, Zach Greinke
85. Scott Elbert, SU/SP, Los Angeles Dodgers, (79)B, Jonathan Sanchez
86. Kyle Blanks, 1B, San Diego Padres, (79)B+, Prince Fielder
87. Nick Hagadone, LHP, Boston Red Sox, (79)A-, Scott Kazmir
88. Esmailyn Gonzalez, Washington Nationals, (79)A-, Cristian Guzman
89. Max Ramirez, C, Texas Rangers, (79)B+, A.J. Pierzynski
90. Michael Main, RHP, Texas Rangers, (79)A-, Josh Beckett
91. Tyler Flowers, Chicago White Sox, (79)B/B+, Michael Barrett
92. Adrian Cardenas, SS, Oakland Athletics, (79)B/B+, Orlando Cabrera
93. Will Inman, RHP, San Diego Padres (81)B, Edwin Jackson
94. Jose Tabata, RF, Pittsburgh Pirates, (79) B+, Milton Bradley
95. Chris (Vernon) Carter, 1B, Oakland Athletics, (78) B+/A-, Paul Konerko
96. Ross Detwiler, LHP, Washington Nationals, (78) A-, Billy Wagner
97. Andrew Brackman, LHP, New York Yankees, (78)A-, C.C. Sabathia
98. Lou Marson, C, Philadelphia Phillies, (78) B-/B, Yadier Molina
99. Desmond Jennings, CF, Tampa Bay Rays, (78) B, Tori Hunter
100. Brandon Erbe, RHP, Baltimore Orioles, (78) B+/A-, Mike MacDougal
101. Chuck Lofgren, LHP/MR, Cleveland Indians, (77) B+/A-, Matt Lindstrom
102. Josh Reddick, CF, Boston Red Sox, (77) B+, J.D. Drew
103. Junichi Tazawa, RHP, Boston Red Sox, (77)B-, Hideki Okajima (righty)
104. Tyson Ross, LHP, Oakland Athletics, (77) B/B+, Matt Cain
105. Casey Kelly, SS/SP, Boston Red Sox, (77) B+, Rafael Furcal
106. Adam Miller, RHP/Cl, Cleveland Indians, (77) B/B+, Matt Anderson
107. Chris Marrero, RF/1B, Washington Nationals, (76) B-/B, Russell Branyan
108. Gorkys Hernandez, OF, Atlanta Braves, (76)B+, Carlos Gomez
119. Chris Nelson, SS/OF, Colorado Rockies, (76)B, Rich Aurilia
110. Mark Melancon, CL, New York Yankees, (79) B+, Bobby Jenks
111. Nick Weglarz, 1B/OF, Cleveland Indians, (76)B, Mark Grace
112. Anthony Swarzak, RHP, Minnesota Twins, (75)B-/B, Scott Baker
113. Josh Donaldson, C, Oakland Athletics, (75)B-/B, Mike Napoli
114. George Kottaras, C, Boston Red Sox, (74)B-, Greg Zaun
115. Freddie Freeman, 1B, Atlanta Braves, (74)B/B+, Casey Kotchman
116. Dominic Brown, OF, Philadelphia Phillies, (74)B+, Jacque Jones
117. Nick Evans, 1B/LF, New York Mets, (74)B+, Hank Blalock
118. Jeff Niemann, RHP, Tampa Bay Rays, (74)B, Jon Rauch
119. Aaron Poreda, LHP, Chicago White Sox, (74)B+, Scott Olsen
120. Tyler Colvin, OF, Chicago Cubs, (73)B, Mike Cameron
121. Ethan Martin, RHP/MR, Los Angeles Dodgers, (73)B+, Steve Karsay
122. Fautino De Los Santos, CL, Oakland Athletics, (73)B/B+, Francisco Cordero
123. Austin Romine, C, New York Yankees, (73)B+, A.J. Pierzynski
124. Chris Carter, DH, Boston Red Sox, (73)B+, Edgar Martinez*
125. Nolan Reimold, OF, Baltimore Orioles, (72) C+/B-, Melvin Mora
126. Trevor Crowe, OF, Cleveland Indians, (72) B-, Coco Crisp
127. Jaime Garcia, LHP, St. Louis Cardinals, (72) B-, Glen Perkins
128. Henry Sosa, RHP, Oakland Athletics, (71) B, Ramon Ramirez
129. David Freese, 3B, Cincinnati Reds, (71) B, Joe Crede
130. Wes Hodges, 3B, Cleveland Indians, (71) B, Mike Lowell

Cheap Fantasy Pickups for Deep Leagues

1. Josh Bard, C, Boston Red Sox- Bard was a late bloomer and didn't secure a starting job until he was 28, but once he did, he batted .305, with 14 homers, 44 doubles, 91 rbi and 189 hits in 620 at bats over his first two seasons starting for the Padres. If those 620 at bats were in a season instead of stretched over two (to keep him fresh and allow Barrett to play) then Bard would've been an All Star and regarded as one of the top 10 hitting catchers in the MLB. He's in Boston now, and playing his home games at Fenway--a tiny park, especially in comparison to the impossible-to-hit-in-Petco-Park. He's pretty good at squaring up on off speed pitches and mediocre fastballs, so the AL East may not be the greatest place for him to play, but as a line-drive hitter the Green Monster and that weird center field will allow him to slug close to .450 and put up some nice doubles numbers. His line will looks something like this 300 abs, .280-.295 ba, .350-.360 OBP, 6-8 homers, 15-25 doubles and a .430-.450 slugging percentage.

2.Russell Branyan, 1B/3B, Seattle Mariners- Branyan qualifies at both corner infield positions in most fantasy leagues and because of that he's way more valuable than he's been given credit for over his career. By debuting before Money Ball was released, Branyan was never able to catch on. Simply put, before Adam Dunns, Mark Reynolds, Ryan Howard, and Michael Stanton there was Russ Branyan-- a guy that could bat .250 but wallop 40 homers and walk 80 times. Not giving him a starting job was a crime and his career and ability was wasted. Striking out 200 times when you slug over .500 and get on base %35 of the time isn't a problem at all. He's no number two hitter, but sticking him between fifth and seventh in the order is pretty nice. In 766 games, about 4.7 full seasons, he has a .485 slugging percentage, hit 133 home runs, has 320 rbis and has walked 281 times. His season averages are 28 homers, 59 walks and 68 rbis, and if it wasn't for a bad 1999, 2003 and 2007, Branyan would average about 35 homers, 80 rbi and 65 walks.

3. Wilson Betemit, 1B/3B, Chicago White Sox- In Atlanta in 2005 Betemit hit .305 over a half season, and in 2006 he slugged .497 in the ATL over a third of a season. Off of the bench Betemit has slugged an impressive .438 over his career. Pinch hitting and coming off the bench cold make it hard to hit homers and raise your average but he's still manage to put up good numbers. Now that he's playing in US Cellular and may have a starting gig, he could hit 20-25 homers and drive in 60-80 runs. Think of a Ty Wigginton 2.

4. Franklin Gutierrez, CF, Seattle Mariners- Gutierrez has generally been viewed as a dissapointment thus far into his major league career. Once a sex-machine-prospect, Guttierez hasn't put up super numbers yet--but they haven't been all that bad either. Don't forget he's only 26 and he may very well break out with his starting job in Seattle this year. His career minor league stats are pretty nice. Through 2080 at bats--equating about 3.5 600 at bat seasons--he has a career .809 OPS, 66 homers and 75 stolen bases. In a 600 at bat season he's average 19 homers, 22 stolen bases and has a career .282 batting average. If he can do that in the minors then he's a damn good steal.

5. Dana Eveland, LHP, Oakland Athletics- Eveland put up very solid numbers in 2008--his first full season in the majors. Through 168 innings he struck out 118 and gave up only 10 home runs while he posted a 4.34 ERA. To me he looks a lot like the new Andy Pettitte. He isn't as big as Pettitte, but he's well built, and if he learns to get his breaking stuff over a little bit better he could easily put up Pettitte numbers year in and year out. His minors numbers suggest that this projection is very reasonable. In his MiLB career, Eveland had a sparkling 2.61 ERA and 427 strikeouts in 434 innings pitched. He's a steal.

6. Joe Mather, 3B/OF, St. Louis Cardinals- Mather was a low level prospect before his complete turnaround in 2007. He went from a future fourth or fifth outfielder like Bryan Anderson to freak'n Colby Rasmus-- belting 31 homers in 487 at bats in AA/AAA in 2007 and another 18 homers in 211 at bats in AAA in 2008. Now that Freese has been sent back to the MiLB camp and Glaus is a Mess, the Cardinals have handed the job to Mr. Mather. He may never be a star, but he could hit 20 homers and bat .250-.280. If he really catches on then he may be able to even hit 30 some day, but don't expect miracles from the former MiLB-filler.

7. Skip Schumaker, CF/2B, St. Louis Cardinals- Schumaker may not have a starting job in the OF anymore, but the Cardinals were so happy with his bat that they've insisted on converting him to a second basemen. So far the experiment has failed miserably, but if Schumaker stays dedicated to converting in spring training then he may very well be playing some second this spring. If he does, then his .300 batting average and 8-10 homers and 80 runs are looking pretty darn nice.

8. Nick Hundley, C, San Diego Padres- Hundley doesn't make great contact but he plays solid defense and hits for power.In 597 at bats in AA and AAA over the past two years Hundley has hit 32 homers, driven in 111 and walked 59 times. He'll never be a top hitting catcher but a baby Mike Napoli is never something to scoff at as a second catcher or even a starter when you're in a pinch. A .230-.260 batting average and 20 home runs is very possible over a full season for Hundley. He'll get a lot of at bats in San Diego as they simply don't have another option besides the old and lousy-hitting Brad Ausmus.

9. Ian Stewart, 3B, Colorado Rockies- It seems that the fantasy world has forgotten about Stewart and Baker almost completely. Finally in 2008 the Rox made room on the roster for the power-hitting prospect and he didn't dissapoint, hitting 10 homers and driving in 41 in 266 at bats. He has an insane .897 career OPS in the Minors, and clearly, just judging by that almost silly number, Ian Stewart has loads of potential. In a full season at third, Stewart could hit 25-30 homers, walk 60 times and bat between .260 and .280. Move over Bitch (Garrett Atkins).

10. Sean Rodriguez, 2B/SS, Anaheim Angels- Rodriguez has a shitty year in the majors last year, just barely hitting over .200. In 2007 and 2008 Rodriguez put up a .944 OPS and a 1.043 OPS in AA and AAA. He can also steal bases--stealing 95 in about 3.8 seasons. He has AROD power except he's Sea-Rod. If he can get a beat on those major league curveballs then you have a middle infielder that can hit 30 homers (maybe even 40), get on base 38% of the time and steal 30 bases yearly. Sounds good right? You fucking better believe it does Sally.

RHP Collin Balester, C JR Towles, CF Brett Gardner, DH/CI Jeff Larish, 1B Gaby Sanchez, 3B/2B Martin Prado, MI Brent Lillibridge, OF Brandon Moss, 2B Chris Getz,C Ivan Rodriguez,C Ryan Hanigan,C Dusty Ryan, 1B Travis Ishikawa, OF/CI/2B Mark Teahen.

Underrated Minors- SP Dellin Betances, OF Kellen Kulbacki, C Austin Romine, C Wilson Ramos, 1B Sean Doolittle, LHP Nick Hagadone, OF Josh Reddick, RP Humberto Sanchez, RP Brad Holt, RP Ethan Martin, MI Joaquin Arias, RHP Daniel Cortes, LHP Tyson Ross, SS Esmailyn Gonzalez, SS Chris Nelson, SS Hector Gomez, SS Reese Havens,LHP Sean O'Sullivan, LHP Jacob McGee, RHP Mitch Talbot.

Body of a God

There are 6 types of bodies among infield and outfield prospects and baseball players according to the "old scouts"--a name coined by Billy Bean. The perfect body is something of an art;It exemplifies youth. A frame that hasn't been filled out yet, a youthful face and tools that are just screaming to be developed. The swollen body is the opposite. The body is overcrowded with muscle and their game is strength and power hitting. Their potential has been reached and they're prone to injury. The athlete. A thin muscular specimen, with developed legs, plus speed and developing hitting ability. The soft guy is a player that is a little but overweight, and has some power but generally lives on his knowledge of the game and discipline. A speedster is the cornerback of baseball--pure speed. They're highly coordinated, and can make contact but won't develop much power, and adding muscle to their frame won't increase their potential it will simply make them slower. Finally, the energizer bunny is small, energetic and does all of the little things right. Their athletic ability lacks, as does their size, but their dedication, fundamentals and a little bid of speed help them out.

1. Soft Body
MLB: Kevin Youkilis, Billy Butler, Juan Uribe, Austin Kearns, Jason Kubel
Prospect: Kyle Blanks, Jesus Montero, Leonard Davis, Chris Shelton, Michael wilson

According to Beane, Youkilis has the body of a Greek God. He walks and lives off of his brain and discipline. He has some power, and makes decent contact and even has some good forearm and back strength, but he's not an athlete--simply a good baseball player. Butler hasn't reached his potential yet, and it is high for a soft-bodied player. He is incredibly adept and making contact, and his batting fundamentals and swing are near perfect. His defense blows like "Deep Throat" and he's been converted to DH.

Kyle Blanks is a beast at 6'6" 270 (more like 300). He hits for a lot of power and good patience and batting fundamentals. Of course, a guy his size can't play defense and he's absolutely not nimble. Leonard Davis a chunky National's prospect and their Minor League Player of the Year for 2009. Montero does have power and a lot of it. He's overweight, and he has an 80 for power. Montero's true skill comes from his batting smarts however; He knows how to make square contact like Butler, and that's what makes him so special.

2. Swollen Body
MLB: Jason Giambi, Yunel Escobar, Wily Mo Pena, Travis Hafner, Brad Eldred
Prospect: Travis Snider, Colby Rasmus, Matt LaPorta, Joe Koshansky, Ian Gac


Giambi is the classic example of a swollen MLB player. He's a former steroid user, and this is what they often are. He has a lot of power and good fundamentals but he's both prone to injury and poor at making contact. He's slow and doesn't play good defense either. Pena and Hafner have both fallen victim to injury due to their overly muscular bodies. Both were clearly on steroids and neither will probably ever be good players again. Pena is a disappointment already.

Although Snider has some MLB at bats and plans to be in the MLB in 2009, he's been listed as a top 10 prospect the last two years and won't been considered a major leaguer until 2009. Snider is similar to Giambi in that he strikes out, doesn't make very good contact, but has a lot of power and can get on base. He too is a bad outfielder and defender. Colby Rasmus is evidently prone to injury as well--already struggling with knee injuries in 2008. He has a lot of strength and even some speed, but his body-size-potential is already reached and he'll probably have leg trouble in the bigs--maybe even shoulder trouble. LaPorta is the more athletic type of swollen and can even add a little bit more of bulk. But like Snider he's all power and (more) patience, but his defense and speed is awful. Wily Mo Pena is so 'roided out that he looks inhuman. Yunel Escobar's neck/chin suggests HGH.

3. Perfect/Youthful Body
MLB: Jay Bruce, Evan Longoria, Lastings Milledge, Cameron Maybin, Joe Mauer
Prospect: Dexter Fowler, Cameron Maybin, Matt Wieters, Austin Romine, Alcides Escobar


Bruce has the exact body. He looks a little bit soft, but his rosie cheeks and youthful face suggest its just baby fat. The point is that Bruce already posseses homerun power and good defense without reaching his bodyt potential. A few pounds of muscle and *poof* you'll have 40 homeruns. Lastings Milledge is another example of this. Another young guy with a double chin. Milledge already has speed and the ability to go 20-20 and hit .300, but when he gets in better shape (2009?) he could even go 25-30 and hit .310-.320. Joe Mauer is the best example I have at catcher. He's already won two batting titles, but still has room to bulk up his frame and improve his power. He also plays fantastic defense. If he hits the weights he could hit 15-20 home runs and steal about 15 bases as well. Finally, obviously for Longoria, the sky is the limit.

Fowler, Maybin and Alcides and Matt Wieters have the exact body that I am talking about. All of them have nice frames, all of them are good athletes and all of them can add some muscle and bulk. All of them will be stars, and yes, all of them still have baby-faces. Batting titles, All Star Games, MVP and the Hall of Fame is common among this type of player. If you're wondering how to spot them, consider this example--Romine and Jackson are the Yankees' best examples of this type of player. Brett Wallace was once on this list because of his ability to mauever his large body, hit the ball square and he possesses a frame that could be highly mesomorphic some day with some work. I took him down, because 1. I received an astute comment from a reader, and 2. as is, he's a little bit too fat. He's a cross between soft/youthful.

4. Pure Athlete
MLB: Elijah Dukes, Carl Crawford, Curtis Granderson, Jimmy Rollins, Grady Sizemore
Prospect: Greg Halman, Aaron Hicks, Jason Heyward, Desmond Jennings, Tyler Colvin

Dukes, Sizemore and Rollins are perfect examples of a pure athlete; Crawford and was a better example when he was younger but still qualifies. All of these guys can hit, field their position, have speed and range and are leapers. They could play in the NFL if they wanted too and many of them played football in college. 30-30, 30-40, MVP--these are common terms among these guys. They're prone to injury for their style of play (Ken Griffey Junior). These players make the bulk of the All Star teams. Reyes, Kinsler and Russ Martin could also make this list, but Granderson's 20-20-20 season was darn impressive.


Halman and Hicks are also the best examples of their body type among the body type-prospect examples on this list. Hicks throws a 95 mph fastball, hits a ton and has outstanding speed. He's the quintessential a 5 tool player. Halman could easily go 20-20 in the majors, especially if he improves his contact rate. Heyward is an incredible athlete, everyone knows that. Colvin doesn't have enough patience, yet, to be a major leaguer but he too is a 5 tool guy. He could go 20-20 in the MLB one day.


5. Pure Speedster
MLB Ex: Juan Pierre, Brett Gardner, Jacoby Ellsbury, Chone Figgins, Joey Gathright
Prospect Ex: Ben Revere, Ryan Kalish, Elvis Andrus, Everth Cabrera, Eric Young Jr.

Pierre and Gardner exemplify speedsters. Neither have any power to speak of, but both have good plate discipline and both can hit .300 (Pierre doesn't strike out at all either). They make their money on the bases and all of them could steal 50 sans Gathright (due to playing time). Gathright was a better base stealer in the minors but he could still steal 30 in the majors, or even 50 with a full time job (unlikely). He doesn't have much power but makes good contact and plays good defense. A lot of guys that fit this body type are pinch runners. Ellsbury is the example of how a speedster can become an All Star

Ben Revere is a great example among prospects. He makes loads of contact and has plus-plus speed. In the majors he could very well develop into Carl Crawford, but more likely Juan Pierre with an even better bat. 50 steals, a .310 batting average and great range in the outfield is Ben Revere. Kalish and Andrus both could steal 30-40 in the majors, but moth need bat development. Andrus could be very good, but he needs to add some steady hands to his range at shortstop. Eric Young was moved to the outfield because of his horrendous fielding percentage at second base. He has a lot of speed but will likely be a 4th outfielder/pinch runner in the MLB. He strikes out too much to start.

6. Energizer Bunny (Kiss-Ass),
MLB Ex: David Eckstein, Dustin Pedroia, Joe Inglett, Ryan Theriot
Prospect Ex: Ivan DeJesus, Jemile Weeks, Angel Salome, Brent Lillibridge, Ivan Ochoa

Eckstein is pretty much where the name came from. The guy is a serious suck up, but he plays hard, never strikes out and is a role model for all of the vertically-challenged, pesky players out there. Theriot is good at playing beyond his potential. Like Eckstein or Phil Rizzuto, he doesn't have a good arm but he throws the ball with all of his might and some accuracy. Neither of them are top-of-the-league base-stealers but they do enough to maket them a threat on the base paths. Inglett was little AAA journeyman before 2008, and then he had a solid year replacing Aaron Hill. Pedroia is the proof that these guys can make the All Star team and put up some serious numbers. The absolute idol of all of the tiny second basemen out there, Pedroia has a hell of a career ahead of him, even if he is playing/swinging way off his potential/out of his shoes. Most hit between 1-10 home runs, hit between .280-.300, play their hearts out on defense, steal 10-20 bases, bunt with the best of 'em and hit in the clutch.


Brent Lillibridge, Ivan Ochoa and Angel Salome are the best minor league examples. Both Salome and Lillibridge have a tiny bit of experience in the MLB, but both are considered a top-prospect and not yet MLB players (until 2009). Lilly can hit about 2.70-.290, steal 20-30 bases and play some solid defense. He's thin and wiry like Theriot or Eckstein and that's who he'll play like. Salome is a short and squat catcher for the Brewers. He wasn't gifted with height, speed or athleticism, and his defense shows it, but he makes contact at a fantastic rate--hitting .360 in AA in 2008. All of these guys need to play beyond their athletic potential to stay in the majors, and those that do--most likely Salome--will stay in the majors.

The Top of the Heap

There are hundreds of prospects every year that have a good shot at the majors but only a few turn into Chris Davis or Ryan Braun, the rest turn into Ed Yarnell and Wilson Betemit. It has been a long time since the Yanks put together a decent farm system, and even after losing their three best pitchers, they still have plenty of life...

1. Madison Bumgarner, LHP, (A), San Francisco Giants- Bumgarner is a perfect pitcher. He doesn't need more than a pitch to get buy, throwing only a four seamer and the occasional 12-6 curve. His fastball is clocked between 94-97 and the kid is still only 19. In my opinion Bumgarner is the best pitching prospect in baseball in the body of Tim Lincecum and will do a nice job rounding out a young and powerful staff within the next few years. I'd call him up sooner but there's too many rules stopping young pitchers from blowing their arms out in the bigs...

2. Matt Wieters, C, Baltimore Orioles, (A)- It would be a crime for Wieters to not make this list. He won a batting title in AA last year and hit .365 with 12 homers in only 208 at bats. He's a perfect catcher, kind of like Mauer but with more power. He calls a good game, is smart, strong and actually, very witty when you meet him.

3. Justin Smoak, 1B, Texas Rangers, (A)- Smoak is the carbon copy of Mark Texeira. In the midwest league the kid had an .873 OPS through 50 at bats. Straight out of college, Smoak will need some time to marinate, but he could easily break through the MLB barrier within the next year. He has lots of power, makes good contact and plays good D'. Could you ask for anything more?

4. Gordon Beckham, SS, Chicago White Sox, (A-)- Beckham gets ranked this high because he's a shortstop and a damn good one. His .865 OPS in Kansas City caught my eye, and although his footwork needs improvement he has the arm to play short into his 30's. With Alexei Ramirez, the Sox might want to push Beckham to have a nice tandem up the midde, but he needs more time in the minors as well. He's shown a LOT more than the other Beckham already...

5. Brett Wallace, 3B/1B, St. Louis Cardinals, (A-)- Wallace needs to work on his shotty D', but his bat is already the best in the minors. He is a career .337 hitter with a 1.109 OPS in the minors and his .427 OBP looks pretty good too. Even though he looks like Josh Beckett he's a strong kid, and doesn't bite his nails furiously like Beckett does. When in the majors, as early as next season, he'll be in contention for a batting title.

6. Buster Posey, C, San Francisco Giants, (A-)- Posey is Joe Mauer. BP has a very good bat and has a career .341 batting average in the minors and has 1.044 OPS to go along with it. He's another guy that could easily take home a batting title some day. Mauer is in the AL, but Posey has a shot to transfer Mauer's skills to the NL West and keep them there for a long time. He has a good arm, catches well, hits well and has developing line-drive power. He's sick.

7. Jesus Montero, C, New York Yankees, (A-)- At this point Montero is still a raw 19 year old. He has the most power of any player still in the minors including Brandon Wood. His power is ranked a perfect 80 on the scouting scale and his rocket arm is a plus as well. The Yankees are doing their best to cultivate him, but with Posada's shoulder and Molina aging, Montero and Romine better get to the MLB quick and put out the fire.

8. Colby Rasmus, CF, St. Louis Cardinals, (A-)- Rasmus slipped up last year watching his batting average drop to the .250's for the first time in his career. Outside of that, Rasmus is near perfect. He's a left who has alreadty racked up 64 home runs in the minors and his 74 stolen bases make him look like a 30-20 guy. He may have a lower ceiling because of his already packed/swollen body, but whatever ceiling he gets too will be good enough to make him an All Star.

9. Jose Ceda, CL, Florida Marlins, (A-)- Like Montero, Ceda is raw and young. The Marlins snatched his little Dominican ass up from the Cubs, giving only Kevin Gregg up. Ceda has pitched 180 innings in the minors and struck out 227 during that span. His 2.08 ERA sparkled in 2008 and he clearly has the potential to close for the Marlins. He throws hard, has developing control and strikes out guys by the handful.

10. Pablo Sandoval, C, San Francisco Giants, (A-)- I still have to consider Sandoval a prospect because unlike Maybin he doesn't have a regular job in the majors...yet. His bat is super-dooper kiss my pooper good and he would've nearly won the batting title last year with a full season of at bats. The guy and his .337 and .549 slugging percentage were obviously first on the ShitBoxes, and its an added plus that he can play so many different positions on the diamond-- catcher, 1B, 3B, LF, RF... Before 2008 he wasn't on the radar, but now that he's put up numbers like these, he'll be starting for the Giants for sure in 2009.

Yankees' Farm Report- Spring Training 2009

With Spring Training under way as of February 25th the Yankees' are looking better than ever--talent wise. Prospects Austin Jackson, Jesus Montero, David Robertson, Christian Garcia, Dellin Betances and many others are lighting up the stage in Florida as I write this. Below is the most recent rankings of the Yankees' farm system. You'll notice that the Yankees aren't the top farm system in the Bigs but have some serious depth as well as some very good athletes...In parenthesis is the player's potential/prospect quality.

1. Jesus Montero C (A+)- Montero is as close to an A+ prospect as you'll find in the minors now and throughout the past twenty years. He's going to take over as a 35-40 homerun threat as Ivan Rodriguez retires. Scouts give him a perfect 80 for his power on the scouting scale. One scout Yankee's scout says he has an "A-Rod bat" which is a pretty nice complement for a young catcher. He'll probably move to first if he gains any more weight but he does have a rocket arm so staying at catcher is still a possibility. All he needs to improve is his footwork.

2. Austin Jackson CF (B+)- Jackson has a ton of range in the outfield and makes it to first in 4.2 seconds. His power has decreased sum as he shortened his swing in favor of contact. He hi .345 in 2007 and has averaged about 32 stolen bases per full season in the minors. He has an all around package but isn't spectacular at any one aspect of the game. Like McCutchen he's overrated because of his athleticism rather than his minors stats.

3. Dellin Betances RHP (B+)- For a guy that has been listed as tall as 6'9", is only 21 and throws a 93-97 mph fastball and an absolutely dominating knuckle curve Betances hasn't gotten that much press. He will soon. With Charleston in 2008 Betances pitched 22 games, 115 innings and struck out 135. His era was a solid 3.67 and he won nine games. His only minus is his breaking ball control which will improve with his delivery. He's learning a changeup with Nardi Contreras this spring.

4. David Robertson RHP (B+)- Robertson showed his stuff off after being called up with the Yankees before tiring and getting shelled. The potential is there though. The kid throws 92-96 with a hammer 12-6 curveball clocked at about 80 mph. In 30 innings with the big club he struck out 36, and in AAA he struck out 51 in 35 innings and gave up only 20 hits and his era was a sparkling 2.06. Hughes and Kennedy got all of the hype but Robertson may be the most ready pitcher for the majors in their system. He could be the Yankees' version of Papelbon once Rivera's arm finally falls off.

5. Austin Romine C (B+)- Romine is the son of former MLB catcher Kevin Romine and has some good genes to be successful. His arm is the best in the minors as a position player, not just catcher and runners are quickly learning to not test him. He gave up 18 past balls in 2008 so he needs some work behind the plate but his .300 batting average and nice line drive swing shows that his bat is maturing at a nice rate. He's still young and has some work but he is more major league ready than Montero at this point. He's a good all around player kind of like Lou Marson is for the Phillies.

6. Andrew Brackman, LHP, (B)- "Breakman" hasn't pitched a professional inning with the Yanks thus far due to a shredded elbow. Fresh farm surgery Brackman has looked pretty decent lately according to Yankees' coaches and my man Nardi Contreras. He won't throw 98 like he did in college but his 2 seamer that runs 91-94 and his riding four seamer from 92-96 are pretty darn good anyway. He also throws a nice knucke curve. He's huge at 6'8" but like B.J. Ryan, he may be more suited for a late inning set-up or closer's role. Could be a nice heir to Mariano.

7. Phil Coke LHP (B)- Coke was once a low-grade prospect for the Yanks' system before this year and has since turned into a fantastic reliever after being converted from a pretty-good-starter in the minors. Kind of what the Yankees' hoped Ohlendorf would do. Coke pitched 118 innings, struck out 115, had a 2.51 ERA and won 9 games with AA Trenton in 2008. His numbers as a reliever with the Yankees sparkled-- in 14.2 ip he gave up only 8 hits, 2 walks and 1 earned run.

8. Christian Garcia, RHP, (B)- Garcia throws a 92-95 MPH fastball with plenty of life and a sharp curve as well as a tumbling change. He was drafted right out of and was a victim of TJ surgery before dominating last year. In 49.2 innings pitched in 2008 he struck out 60 and had a pretty sexy 2.90 era. His stuff is good but he may be converted to a reliever due to his durability issues by the time he gets to the MLB.

9. Mark Melancon, RHP (B)- Melancon came back from TJ surgery and pitched extremely well in 2008. In AA he pitched 49 innings, struck out 47 and had a 1.81 era and had comparable numbers in Scranton. Melancon has some good stuff--kind of a Brett Cecil type. He throws 92-95 mph fastballs and a nice hard slider that runs about 80-84. His real plus is that he's super efficient and rarely pitches himself into a full count or an 8 pitch at bat. In his career he's only given up a little more than 6 hits per 9 innings.

10. Wilkins De La Rossa, LHP (B-)- Originally De La Rossa was an outfielder with a rocket arm, decent speed and a crappy bat. The Yankees converted him to pitcher in A ball and he has since been a fierce presence. He throws 92-96 and has two pretty sweet breaking pitches. He's a K machine like Betances and struck out 110 in 90 innings with Charleston in '08 and only gave up 60 its. At 6'0" 155 he's going to have to add some bulk to avoid being a glass-armed Scott Kazmir but as of now he looks pretty good.

Prospects With Power Tools

The Best Athletes in the Minor Leagues
2/27/09
Ryan Kelley



There's a lot of guys out there that can make it in the Bigs without many physical gifts beyond brains and eyesight- Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia are two very good examples. In the end however, I, along with most scouts, like to see a physical specimen. We like a guy with all 5 tools and a goody body. Below is a list of players that are physically gifted. How gifted? That's what the list is for...

1. Tim Beckham, SS, Tampa Bay Rays- Beckham was drafted out of highschool almost purely because of his body. If you want to talk about 5 tool players here's a damn good example. Beckham is as fast as diamonds are valuable and makes contact with the best of them. His .243 average in his first taste of professional ball isn't supporting the scouts raving about his ability, but he definitely will make the big ball club. It's always a crapshoot as to whether or not a super prospect will be a star, or even make their MLB team, but Beckham looks pretty close to a sure thing.

2. Matt Wieters, C, Baltimore Orioles- Wieters again!? Yeseroo. Wieters has the best tools of any catcher in the minors and maybe even the majors (not counting Joe Mauer). He has a rifle for an arm, great range, good speed for a catcher and the best bat in the minors. He makes contact at an insane rate and flashed some serious power in AA in 2007. His career 1.054 OPS and .355 batting average in the minors tell Wieters' story.

3. Aaron Hicks, CF, Minnesota Twins- Hicks is one of the few guys on this blog that I haven't seen or met in person. I'm breaking my pledge and rating him here because he's just THAT GOOD. The Twins want him slotted in as an OF, but prior to the draft other teams considered him a pitcher because of his 96 mph fastball. His arm is a rocket, he has great speed and he has been compared to Darryl freak'n Strawberry with the bat. In less than a third of a season in 2008, Hicks hit .318, stole 12 bases and belted 4 bombs.

4. Jeff Samardzija, RHP, Chicago Cubs- Samardzija was Notre Dames version of the "Great White Hope" (as Jim Brown calls it) at wide receiver. Since his huge signing bonus with the Cubbies Samardzija has lived up to his hype. He hits 95 on the gun almost consistently and can dial it up to 97-98 when he wants to. He's a big dude, 6'5" and 220 lbs and he has great stuff. He throws a plus-plus four seamer, a good two seamer, a splitter and a low 80's slider and sometimes a catch-'em-off-guard-change as well. He posted a 3.13 era in AAA in 2008 and then dominated with the Cubs wielding a 2.28 era with 25 k's through 27 innings.

5. Jason Heyward, CF, Atlanta Braves- Heyward won't even be 20 until August 2009 and he's already got scouts mouth's watering. In single A with the Rome Braves, at age 18, he hit .323 with 11 homers and 15 stolen bases in about two thirds of a season. The kid has a super human body is a hulk at 6'4" 220 for a guy with his speed. Heyward is a lot like Elijah Dukes as an athlete, big, fast and strong but he absolutely does not have the asshole gene that Dukes has.

6. Andrew McCutchen, CF, Pittsburgh Pirates- McCutchen's career minor league stats aren't all that impressive- .284/.362/.415-- but I'd rather take a guy with that line that has McCutchen's body than a young Youkilis-bodied player that has hit .300 at every stop. He might be a little bit overrated but he's still darn good. He's been pushed far too quickly through the Pirates' system and they'll clearly make the mistake of sitting him on the MLB team's bench instead of letting him have a breather year in AAA.

7. Greg Halman, CF, Seattle Mariners- Originally I forgot about Halman until a friend of mine reminded me of his Heywardian talent and build. Like Hicks I haven't met Halman just because he plays too darn far away and I try my best to see and meet as many guys as I can, but generally miss the youngest ones. I talked to my uncle, who is a MLB scout, and he let me know that leaving Halman off of this list should land me in prison for 20-life. His stats are pretty darn toolsy, and he has a lot of power and some good speed. With the High Desert Mavericks in the California League in 2008 Halman hit 19 bombs and stole 23 bases (being caught only once) in less than a half season. He put up similar numbers with AA West Tennessee as well. Things that might get him in trouble at higher levels are his less than superb contact (.268 at A+) and his lack of patience which usually leaves him on pace for 30 walks a season. His patience isn't THAT bad, and its often the first thing that improves with age, then power comes.

8. Andrew Brackman, LHP, New York Yankees Brackman was a good basketball player at NC State and has shown that he has the stuff to play pretty well in the majors. The 6'8" beast has the body on a pitcher that scouts like to see, so his obvious need for elbow surgery didn't bother the Yankees when they decided to sign him out of college. The kid throws a fastball between 93-97 mph with plenty of sink. Really he throws 2 fastballs, a four seamer that rides and a 2 seamer that sinks. He also throws a tight knuckle curve that is a plus. His changeup currently reeks but is projected to be plus-plus with some work, and that won't be hard with the Yankees' version of Merlin, minors pitching coach Nardi Contreras.

9. Ben Revere, CF, Minnesota Twins- Revere is my favorite type of player. He makes great contact, he's fast and he plays good defense. In about half a season at single A Revere hit .379 and stole 44 bases. I'm no mathematician but I'd say that projects to be pretty effing sick-nasty over a full season. Revere isn't a big guy, barely 5'9" on his tippie toes, but he's a hell of an athlete/burner. Whats scary is, his small frame packs quite a wallup and may develop 15 homerun power by the time he gets to the majors. Think Ichiro jr.

10. Austin Jackson, CF, New York Yankees- Jackson turned down basketball to sign with the Yanks. He hasn't put his tools to good use yet, but he gets to first in 4.20 seconds (damn quick) and he did hit .345 at A+ in 2007. His dropoff last year in AA was almost expected as he's very inexperienced and only 21. If he can put it together in 2009 there's still hope that he's not Melky Cabrera part II.

11. Michael Main, RHP, Texas Rangers- A superb athlete, the kid, drafted out of highschool, was originally a two way player. The Rangers couldn't let his power arm go to waste though so they quickly converted him to a full time starter to allow him to concentrate on pitching. The kid throws a 98 mph fastball and an 80-85 mph Steve Karsayian power curve. His curve is already plus-plus and is his strikeout pitch--that's saying a lot when he also wields 98 mph heat. The kid looks so good that not even Texas can f*** him up. At age 19 Main had a 2.58 era and struck out 50 in 45 innings in single A. He's such a nuts athlete that he even stole 3 bases and batted .267 in 8 games in the field.

12. David Price, LHP, Tampa Bay Rays- Price is rated by most as the best pitching prospect out there and his body is exactly the kind I like to see on a prospect. Like Jay Bruce, Price has one of those soft (not fat), young, frames that has plenty of room to add muscle-- a stark difference from the overly swollen and muscle-packed frames of Travis Snider and Colby Rasmus. He's not rated the best prospect because he has Chamberlain stuff and could be the next Nolan Ryan but because he's a sure shot to be a great no. 2 or a good number 1. A healthy A.J. Burnett from the left side is a lot like Price. He's a 2 pitch guy, and both are plus-plus.

13. Neil Walker, 3B, Pittsburgh Pirates- For such a quick and agile playe in the field its hard to believe Walker doesn't steal more than 10 bases a season. Still, Walker, a catcher-third convert has a rocket arm, covers a lot of ground at third and has the tools to hit for a lot of power. Unfortuntaly for him he'll have to compete with former top prospect Andy LaRoche and super-phenom Pedro Alvarez for the job at third. I personally would bench Jack Wilson and give him a try at third but what the ef do I know. Think of a healthy Brandon Inge.

14. Desmond Jennings, CF, Tampa Bay Rays- Jennings was torn up in 2008 but his '07 numbers tell the story. He stole 45 bases and batted .315 with a .401 OBP and an .865 OPS. The dude covers some serious ground in center and although his game is built around his superb athleticism the kid has good fundamentals as well. Jennings walked 45 times in a half season in 2007 and struck out just 53 times--an impressive number for a young hitter. Maybe a Carl Crawford.

15. Frederick Freeman, 1B, Atlanta Braves- Its strange to have a first basemen on a list of top athletes, but if you had to pick the most athletic first basemen in the minors to put on this list then Freeman fits the bill. Formerly a two-way player, Freeman was moved to first from third because of his stone hands. Anyway at age 18 he had an .899 OPS and batted .316 with 18 homers with the Rome Braves through 4/5 of a season. He'll shoot up this list if he can learn to field somewhat and the Braves will probably move him back to third in that case.

16. Brett Gardner, CF, New York Yankees- Quietly Gardner has climbed the Yankees' prospect ladder the last few years and ended up in the majors in 2008. Gardner is not a 5 tool guy, his arm is average and he lacks any sort of power-most of his hits are soft line drives. Gardner's true athleticism is his blinding speed and can get to first base in less than 4 seconds (wow). He convinced me that he deserves to stay in the majors not with his two game winning hits last season but the fact that he turned a dunk-in single into a triple because Jose Guillen took a split second too long to get the ball back in. He's very patient, almost too patient for a guy with no power, but if he can improve like he always does his second time around at each level then he could be a baby Juan Pierre. At the very least the bullet from Holy Hill, SC will be the top pinch runner in the AL.

17. Austin Romine, C, New York Yankees- The Yankees may not have the top farm with the departure of Chamberlain, Kennedy and Hughes but they sure have plenty of athletes. Romine was originally drafted for his defense. The son of former MLB catcher Kevin Romine has THE best arm in the minors among position players--not just catchers. He let 18 passed balls go by him in 2008, true, but he'll improve his work behind the plate with age like every other catching prospect. Runners will learn not to run on Romine just like they learned not to run on I-Rod in the late 90's. His also showed off his bat in 2008 and batted an even .300 with 10 homers in 2/3 of a season in the Sally League.

18. Trevor Crowe, OF, Cleveland Indiands- A top prospect Crowe is not but a top 50 prospect is a nice label. Crowe's minor league numbers aren't super impressive but he has shown that he has great speed, makes contact and has some pop. The lanky outfielder stole 45 bases in 2006 in only a little bit more than half a season. He has hit over .300 (.329, .323) at A+ and AA over the past two seasons and has shown that he can swat doubles with the best of 'em as well as a a few homers. He was on pace to hit 44 doubles in 2006 and 50 in 2008 and pronked 5 homers in only 146 at bats at AAA in 2008. A twenty home run guy? Probably not. A decent average, 10-15 homers and 20-30 stolen bases is very possible. Kind of like a Randy Winn.

19. Tyler Colvin, OF, Chicago Cubs- Colvin is a good lesson for scouts that draft purely on athleticism. The kid is quite the athlete but he swings at everything and doesn't walk. He hit .300, stole 17 bases, slugged .488 and hit 15 homers in about 4/5 of a season in 2007. He hasn't been disappointing by any stretch but he hasn't really shown that he's a Carlos Beltran either. Anyway Colvin walked a surprising 44 times in 2008, damn good for him, but has shown poor discipline every other year prior. Anway he's a pretty decent player and he looks like he could be a young Aaron Rowand.

20. Dellin Betances, SP, New York Yankees- Once again, the Yankees are loaded with athletic prospects. Betances is everything a scout wants to see in a young pitcher. He's tall, 6'9" and lean and has arms that are long and lanky. The kid has absolutely nasty stuff, throwing 93-97 mph fastballs and a filthy knuckle-curve. His control, his delivery and his change need work but that's a given considering he just turned 21. He has the body to start, but if the Yankees are ever desperate for a closer once Rivera leaves he, Melancon and Brackman could slide in to that spot pretty easily.

21. Elvis Andrus, SS, New York Mets- The Venezuelan with the Alabamian first name is an absolute Energizer Bunny. He stoled 54 bases in less than a full season in 2008 and hit .295 all while flashing some good line-drive power. He has silly-awesome range regularly with a Rf around 5.00 and a filthy zone rating, but he makes way too many errors (32 in 2008). He'll be at short for the Rangers in 2009, and as long as he softens those hands he'll be there for a while.

22. Alcides Escobar, SS, Milwaukee Brewers- Escobar is already the best defensive shortstop in the minors but he has now added a nice stick to go with it. He hit a sparkling .328 and stole 34 bases through about 500 at bats in AA Huntsville in 2008. His OPS isn't great and his patience needs some serious imrovement so instead of rushing him to the majors in 2009 they should let JJ Hardy be and work with Escobar on plate discipline and maybe let his power develop a little more as well.

23. Dexter Fowler, CF, Colorado Rockies- The super thin Fowler is 6'5" and a whole lot of arms and legs. He's only 189 pounds but he generates a ton of power (for a skinny guy) with his legs. He is a 5 tool guy with speed, power, some good D' and some pretty good fundamentals. I actually didn't seek out Fowler, I met him at an autograph signing and the kid is cooler than lemonade and seems way too personable for young super-prospect-- Price and Samardzija are less than friendly/modest if you know what I mean. Anyway Fowler has flashed a pretty nice arm and had 8 assists with Tulsa in 2008. His stolen bases numbers have dropped somewhat, but his contact, patience and whiff rate have all improved over the last few years. The kid doesn't strike out that much and has shown some nice pitch recognition. I've watched him more than a few times in the last few years and can definitely say that he's going to be a nice MLB player--ESPECIALLY when he adds about 10-15 pounds of muscle (power).



24. Sean West, LHP, Florida Marlins- The 6'8" left hander weighing in at 200 pounds has a hell of a body for a pitcher. Like Betances, West is tall and lanky and features some good stuff. He walks way too many people but makes up for it with strikeouts and saavy. Through 100 innings at A+ he 2.41 era, 92 strikeouts and 60 walks. He can walk at that rate in the low minors but once he gets to AAA/MLB he'll have some serious problems unless he works the magic that Bobby Witt did.

25. Michael Saunders, OF (and 3B?), Seattle Mariners- Saunders is tall, fast and strong. He has a good arm, hits for power, makes good contact and can steal about 30 bases in a full season. What more could you ask for? He's not particularly adept at any one aspect of the game but at one stop or another he's either hit about .300, slugged around .480 or stolen 25 bases. There aren't any flaws in his game and the Mariners gave up on him playing third way to early--not ever placing him there after he was drafted. If he's that athletic how can he not figure out how to field a corner spot?

Just Missed

1. Brent Brewer, SS, Milwaukee Brewers- Brewer, the perfect name for his organization, is generally considered the best athlete in the Brewers' system, especially since he turned down a football scholarship just to join the Brewers. BB does a lot of thing right but too many things wrong. First of all, even though he has plus speed and great range, Brewer may be the worst fielding shortstop I've ever seen in person--even beating "Ol' Paddle Hands" Jesus Guzman. The dude made freaking 48 errors in 2007, yes I wrote 48, 4-8 errors in only 125 games. Yea he's that terrible. His bat hasn't woken up just yet, but when it does he could be a .280 and 15 homer guy at his best in the MLB. His speed is plus and he stole 42 bases after hitting 11 homers in 2007. The potential is there. Will he reach it? 50-50.

2. Michael Stanton, 1B/Corner Outfield, Florida Marlins- Stanton isn't a 5 tool guy and lacks both speed and patience. What he does have is an absolutely ripped body and some serious power. Like fellow prospect Brandon Wood he strikes out way too much and pulls tons of bombs. What's even nicer to see is his ability to pull Sammy Sosa and hit a homerun to the opposite field off the end of the bat (all wrist/forearm power)--a nice ability to have for the fastballs in AAA and the MLB. Still he's slow and isn't a good fielder even though his arm is pretty nice. The Marlins have pretty much given up on him as an outfielder and have moved him to first. Personally I would've left him in the outfield--his body isn't bad and if bulky Nick Swisher can play CF for half a season in the majors then Stanton can man RF in the minors.

3. Eric O. Young, CF, Colorado Rockies- Young's time in the infield is over and he's being trained in the art of fourth outfielder--something the Brewers should finally consider doing to Brent Brewer (and sending him to a Beer League). Young is basically Brett Gardner and is all speed. He strikes out way too much for a lead off guy, and his patience and high walk numbers won't last in AAA or the MLB as long as he's hitting below .300 and slapping 3 homers a season. Yes, he's related to the former MLB player Eric Young, but unfortunately hasn't shown to be at Dad's level. Still, he makes this list with his speed, his surprisingly good arm for a former second basemen and the range he's projected to show in the outfield. He has surprisingly good line-drive power for such a little guy as well.

4. Kellen Kulbacki, OF, San Diego Padres- The thin Kulbacki weighing in at a generous 180 lbs and being measured at a very generous 5'11" deserves his place on this list because a guy with a less-than-hulking frame, like Kulbacki's, mashing the way he does HAS to be a damn good athlete. KK had a 1.017 OPS, walloped 2o homers and hit .332 with the California League's Lake Elsinore Storm through a half-season in 2008. The kids bat is serious and he's way too underrated for a guy with that talent. The Padres are said to be prospectless by many of the top names at ESPN and whatnot, but they apparently haven't heard of this guy.

5. Adam Miller, RHP, Cleveland Indians- Like Jeffress, Miller is a flame thrower that doesn't miss as many bats in AA/AAA as I'd like to see. He reminds me a little bit too much of the young Matt Andersons and Mike McDougals that get rushed to the majors and start giving up bombs as soon as they throw their first 100mph heat. Anway, I can't be all that mean about a kid that throws 94-98 mph consistently and can dial it up to 100 when he gets loose. Miller has been groomed as a starter and part of that is because the Indians are already full of good, young relievers and just signed a top tier closer for 2010. I don't know, give it a try but I definitely can't give a very good endorsement for Miller before he learns to pitch.

The Over/Under- Once Overrated Prospects That Are Now Underrated

This happens a lot. There's tons of a hype for an unproven prospect and then he slips up. After he "slips" suddenly he falls back into the abyss of minor league mediocrity- no press, no scouts no chance. Some of the time these prospects are totally toast but other times they had a hiccup and are now top prospects again.

1. Ross Detwiler, LHP, Washington Nationals (B+)- Coming out of college Detwiler had high expectations and rightly so--a left that throws 97-100 and wields a roger Clemens' splitter is pretty mouthwatering for most MLB teams. Then reality hit, the kid needs a lot of work before he can make it big. His mechanics were said to be his primary problem, of course not his stuff. His stiff-legged motion put too much pressure on his shoulder, tired him quickly and let the ball fly out of the strike zone way too often. His 4.68 ERA in A ball was certainly not what was expected by the Nats. But is Jordan Zimmerman really the best Nats' prospect? Even over this fireballer? No way. Dewiler went from tops to a mid-range prospect overnight, slipping fairly deep in fantasy drafts. THE KID THROWS 100 MPH WITH HIS LEFT HAND WHAT ARE YOU THINKING!? Detwiler will be in the bigs AGAIN in to time, maybe as a closer (I prefer him there) or a frontline starter. To be a start though he needs to add something offspeed to his 2 pitch repertoire although both of the pitches are plus-plus.

2. Justin "J.R." Towles, C, Houston Astros (B)- Unfortunately his name isn't as fun as I once thought (I thought it was Towels). Instead its pronounced "Tolls." Towles was a huge prospect for the Astros and was handed the starting job in Houston before last season. His performance was dismal and after posting an 864 OPS in the minors, and outside of a few hiccups routinely around 900 actually, he posted an OPS well below 700 batting below the Mendoza line. For this he's been all but forgotten by anyone and everyone but the Astros. The fantasy community has abandoned him and in my three leagues I picked him up off waivers (eve in the 20 team 40 player-roster leagues). Listen, he was disappointing last year but so is Justin Upton, Steven Drew was in his first year, Mauer was nothing to write home about and neither was Reyes. Simply put most prospects don't exactly start off on fire--it took Zach Greinke near half a decade to put it together. If Towles does what he's supposed to his ceiling will be 20 homers and .300 batting average. For now he'll probably hit about .280 and crack about 15 homers.

3. Kosuke Fukudome, CF/RF, Cubs (C+/B-)- Okay, we saw Fukudome play very well in the first half--walking a ton, making good contact and playing well in the outfield. If he can return to those numbers he can be a Kevin Youkilis--pre the power increase-- in the outfield. His second half last year was SOO BAD that he lost his job to Milton Bradley and maybe even Hoffpauir. Don't forget the guy though, he doesn't have a huge ceiling but he does have a potential to be a Mark Teahen with a good OBP-- .280-.290, 12-15 homers, 10-15 stolen bases and 80-100 runs.

4. Phil Hughes, RHP, New York Yankees, (B/B+)- Okay, Hughes pitched like a D- pitcher overall last year but when he was healthy he was B+. Its easy to forget that in 2007 he nearly threw a no hitter in his first-call up. He has an intense knuckle curve, as good as Mike Mussina's, a 91-94 mph fastball he places very well that usually sits around 92 and a good change and a cutter he's working on. The problem with Hughes has always been his health. He has a glass jaw and even cracked a rib, an injury only my grandmother could get, while pitching. If he can get to 150 innings or even 180 he could be a fantastic starter. Dan Haren and Cole Hamels comparisons may be asking too much but I think he's definitely in the realm of a Josh Johnson.

5. Ian Kennedy, RHP, New York Yankees, (C+/B-)- Kennedy has a low ceiling and if you've been reading my blog you've probably noticed I'm not his biggest fan. His stuff isn't great. He throws a 86-90 4-seamer, a decent 12-6 curve that he has no control over and a plus-plus Vulcan change. His placement was supposed to be his best weapon but he walked 26 guys in 39 innings last year. If he can get 1 more pitch or at least get some control over his curve he could be a young El Duque, or even John Lannan. He struck out batter after batter in the minors with that awesome change, but it doesn't look like he'll ever get more than 6k's per 9 in the majors. Still, a C+/B- fifth starter is always a hot commodity, even for the Yankees, the team that had Sidney Ponson, Darrell Rasner and Dan Giese starting for much of the year.

6. Andrew Brackman, RHP, New York Yankees, (B)- Man, the Yankees have a lot of dissapointments...Brackman would've went in the top ten in the '07 draft but with Scott Boras as his agent he slipped all the way to the Yankees. The 6'8" (he claims 6'9") hurler throws a 94-97 four seamer that has touched 99 as well as a 91-93 2 seamer with a lot of sink. He also featuers a 82-84 mph change, and a plus knuckle curve that has a lot of movement but is also hard for him to control. The kid got Tommy John surgery which was already expected so whats the problem? Well he has very little experience in baseball and spent a lot of his time shooting hoops for NC State. Still with stuff like that he may very well end up in the Yank's rotation or even River's ayre if Robertson and Melancon can't secure the role.

7. Chris Nelson, SS, Colorado Rockies, (B-)- Nelson broke his hamat bone in 2008 and as a result had a very down year hitting .237 and had a .670 OPS. The kid has a ton of power for a shortstop, bopping .503 and then .508 between his time in the Rookie League at 18 and A+. An eighteen year old that mashes a .670 OPS is a prize. He's been ranked as high as 26 by baseball America and as a youngin he still has plenty of potential to burn. Look for him to move to second/centerfield to remedy the whole Tulowitzki blocking him problem.

8. Troy Tulowitzki, SS, Colorado Rockies, (A)- We were just talking about the guy and here he is. Tulo is an incredibly talent, especially at short stop but he is prone to injury and prolonged slumps. We saw in 2007 a future star--a guy that plays Ozzie Smith defense (a range factor well over 5.00) and has the potential to his .300 and 30-35 homers. In his first full season with Colorado he had an 838 OPS, walked 57 times and hit 24 dingers in 155 games. He's sick nasty and look for his OPS to be near 900 as long as he stays healthy and matures. If and when he reaches his potential he'll be the best all around shortsop in both leagues (beating out Hanley with his super superb defense). Don't ever forget about this guy--you probably already have--BUT DO NOT

9. Troy Patton, LHP, Baltimore Orioles, (B-/B)- Out of highschool Patton was looked at as a future Mike Mussina/ace. Houston traded him and his scrapped arm to the Orioles, kind of a dirty move in hindsight, for Miguel Tejada. As soon as Patton got to Baltimore his arm nearly fell off and the poor guy needed serious should surgery.He's posted some awesome numbers in the minors. He had a 2.94 ERA and 102 k's in 101 innings pitched in single A, and then a 3.00 ERA with 69 K's in another 100 ip in AA. He strikeouts have dipped somewhat, and will probably level off around a Jeremy Sowers rate now that his arm has been converted to a Frankensteinian limb. Actually, Sowers is the best comparison I can think of. A back of the rotation for most teams but probably a 3 for the Orioles. A 4.00-4.40 ERA, 180 innigs, and 100 K's sounds like his peak.

10. Jake McGee, LHP, Tampa Bay Rays, (B+)- Poor McGee. Blah blah blah, David Price, Wade Davis and Jeremy Hellickson are the future of the Rays blah blah blah--that's all McGee hears these days. The truth his McGee is just as good as price and BETTER than both Davis and Hellickson. A strikeout machine, leading AA in 2006, and a left-hander with good but not great mechanics McGee is a serious blue chip. He needed TJ surgery in 2008 and won't be back until 2009 but when he does make the majors you'll enjoy watching his Barry Zito curveball and his slider-like 91-95 mph fastball. To give you an idea of how insane McGee's stuff is, here's his line from 2006 in A ball- 134 ip, 3.04 ERA, 101 hits, and 171 yes, that's 171 strikeouts. He posted almost identical numbers in AA the next year. He has the potential to be a superb pitcher, not Tim Lincecum but certainly Scott Kazmir or even a Cole Hamels if every single thing goes his way.