MLB: Top 50 Prospects for 2008

andrew gone — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 13:22:22 -0500

Spring training is about a month away.

Don't worry—the void in your life caused by the Major League Baseball offseason is almost over.

However, not only will you be able to watch your team prepare for the season, you'll also be able to see some of your team's up-and-coming farmhands show what they've got before they're inevitably sent back down to the minors.

The future stars of MLB are playing in towns like Colorado Springs, Corpus Christi and Toledo before their ascent to fame in major league cities.

Some of these guys won't even get an opportunity to play in the show for another three years, so this will be a way to get to know the crop of new players about to take over the reigns from the grizzled veterans heading out.

Here's a list I put together of the Top 50 prospects in baseball today. Of course, this is only my opinion, and prospect lists will vary from analyst to analyst. I'll break it down a bit afterwards.

1. Jay Bruce, OF, Reds

2. Evan Longoria, 3B, Rays

3. Clay Buchholz, P, Red Sox

4. Joba Chamberlain, P, Yankees

5. David Price, P, Rays

6. Travis Snider, OF, Jays

7. Cameron Maybin, OF, Tigers

8. Clayton Kershaw, P, Dodgers

9. Matt Wieters, C, Orioles

10. Colby Rasmus, OF, Cardinals

11. Rick Porcello, P, Tigers

12. Andy LaRoche, 3B, Dodgers

13. Jacoby Ellsbury, OF, Red Sox

14. Wade Davis, P, Rays

15. Homer Bailey, P, Reds

16. Chase Headley, 3B, Padres

17. Matt LaPorta, OF, Brewers

18. Carlos Gonzalez, OF, Athletics

19. Chin-Lung Hu, SS, Dodgers

20. Johnny Cueto, P, Reds

21. Jordan Schafer, OF, Braves

22. Joey Votto, 1B, Reds

23. Jeff Clement, C, Mariners

24. Mike Moustakas, 3B, Royals

25. J.R. Towles, C, Astros

26. Geovany Soto, C, Cubs

27. Andrew McCutchen, OF, Pirates

28. Brandon Wood, SS/3B, Angels

29. Reid Brignac, SS, Rays

30. Ian Kennedy, P, Yankees

31. Franklin Morales, P, Rockies

32. Manny Parra, P, Brewers

33. Matt Antonelli, 2b, Padres

34. Jacob McGee, P, Rays

35. Chris Marrero, 1B, Nationals

36. Desmond Jennings, OF, Rays

37. Nick Adenhart, P, Angels

38. Angel Villalona, 3B, Giants

39. Jason Heyward, OF, Braves

40. Steve Pearce, 1B, Pirates

41. Chris Tillman, P, Mariners

42. Josh Vitters, 3B, Cubs

43. Daric Barton, 1B, Athletics

44. Jed Lowrie, SS, Red Sox

45. Fautino de los Santos, P, Athletics

46. Brett Anderson, P, Athletics

47. Austin Jackson, OF, Yankees

48. Brent Lillibridge, SS, Braves

49. Taylor Teagarden, C, Rangers

50. Jarrod Parker, P, Diamondbacks

The teams most represented in this list are the Rays (6), Reds (4) and A's (4). Six teams did not register a single player.

Of course, the top prospects of a team's farm club doesn't necessarily make or break that club, although Tampa's superiority in my list is also shown in their number one organizational ranking from Baseball America.

For example, the Rangers were ranked fourth in said organizational ranking, yet they have only one player (Taylor Teagarden, 49) on the above list.

Jay Bruce (1), who has basically been unanimously named the top prospect in baseball, was a first-round pick straight out of high school in 2005. Bruce hit .325/.379/.586 last season at Class-A Sarasota before being promoted to Chattanooga, where continued success earned him yet another promotion to Triple-A Louisville.

Bruce earned the Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year award for his outstanding success at three different levels. Former winners include Frank Thomas, Manny Ramirez, Derek Jeter, Andruw Jones and Josh Beckett. He'll be competing for a starting job in Cincinnati's outfield this spring.

Matt LaPorta (17), seventh overall pick of the Brewers in 2007, put up absolutely astounding numbers as a member of the University of Florida baseball team. He hit .402 his senior season, smashing 20 home runs in only 169 ABs.

LaPorta could have gone as high as first overall in the draft, but teams were concerned with his signability, as he is represented by agent Scott Boras.

LaPorta is said to possibly have more power than any other minor leaguer in baseball right now. He generates a lot of his power from his torso and hips and has a very natural looking swing.

He had success in his only professional stint so far, slugging for an astounding .750 in 88 ABs at Single-A West Virginia. LaPorta has been invited to spring training this season, but will probably start the season in Double-A.

J.R. Towles (25) is usually not seen in the top 50 of most prospect lists, although he is ranked number one in Houston's barren minor league system.

The 23-year-old catcher started 2007 in Single-A, but was promoted all the way through the system, ending up behind the plate in Minute Maid Park in September. Towles is a consistent .300 hitter and has hit for pretty good power, a .471 slugging percentage, especially for a catcher.

Towles is going into spring training as the Astros starting catcher, but if he struggles and the Astros are in contention, don't be surprised to see veteran Brad Ausmus take his job back.

The level of uncertainty is tremendous when trying to judge baseball talent before they get to the majors. Scouting reports are extremely helpful, but who's to know how a player will perform when they're under the bright lights of a major league stadium. Just ask Zach Greinke.

There's bound to be plenty of busts among the above 50 players, but also a couple of gems. Be assured the Reds are praying that Jay Bruce doesn't turn into another Brien Taylor.

Who?

Exactly.

Red Sox Offseason: No New Names, But Perhaps New Results

andrew gone — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 17:36:37 -0500

Has complacency seized the Red Sox front office?

Since the team won its second World Series championship in four years, General Manager Theo Epstein has not made any big moves—outside of re-signing his own players. And now that Johan Santana is heading to Queens, it doesn't seem like any major refiguring is on the horizon either.

But really, what move has there been to make? A year after spending a combined $210 million on just three players (all who underperformed in '07), the Sox extended themselves on only one front: to trade for Johan Santana.

They did casually look into plenty of players (most notably Kerry Wood, Mike Lamb, and Brad Wilkerson) and these three would all have made sense for the Sox, one way or another.

Wood, a low-risk/high-reward guy, would have been given a shot in the bullpen, completing a solid dominance for Sox pitchers. However, that was the hope this past season in Chicago where Wood had injury problems and threw only 24 innings.

Lamb is probably the best non-starter in all of baseball (though he should be getting a starting gig in Minnesota), and would be good for any team that signed him.

Brad Wilkerson, who was a pretty good player from 2002 to 2004, isn't really all that useful anymore. He had a .786 OPS, which isn't terrible if you're a shortstop playing in Petco, but Wilkerson is a corner outfielder hitting in a bandbox. Wilkerson performed horribly at bat last year away from Arlington, ringing in an average below the Mendoza line.

What about some of the free agents available? Andruw Jones? Aaron Rowand? Kosuke Fukudome? None make sense at this point.

Jacoby Ellsbury has been given some very lofty projections from experts, even higher than the numbers projected for guys like Rowand and Jones. Fukudome is expected to hit an OPS from .800 to .850, which is lower that J.D. Drew's career number.

I know, Drew was a disaster last season…wait, no...no, he wasn't. Drew served up an OPS of .796. Yes, this was lower than expected, but he certainly didn’t need to be run out of town.

After the re-signing of Mike Lowell, Doug Mirabelli, Curt Schilling, and Mike Timlin, the Red Sox didn't really have many holes to fill.

In fact, the only hole in the lineup not accounted for is Julio Lugo. Lugo was an absolute atrocity at the plate, hitting for an OPS+* of 65, ranking as the 5th worst among American League regulars. The four players behind Lugo were, John McDonald, Josh Barfield, Nick Punto, and Gerald Laird…and they have all lost their starting jobs.

The Sox FO is going to give Lugo another shot, which is what you’ve got to do when you’ve given a mediocre player a four-year contract. If he's still hitting like a pitcher (Micah Owings excluded) in July, look for Jed Lowrie to get a real shot at the position.

At this point, the Sox look to have a pretty good chance at repeating the success of this past season. Most expect improvements at shortstop, right field, and centerfield with Mike Lowell possibly regressing to his 2006 form.

No new players, yet new results are ahead for the 2008 Boston Red Sox. Pitchers and catchers report in two weeks.

*OPS+ is OPS adjusted for park factors and the league average; 100 is average.

Bleacher Report - Articles by andrew gone

MLB: Top 50 Prospects for 2008

Red Sox Offseason: No New Names, But Perhaps New Results