Note: A player must have rookie status entering the 2007 season in order to qualify for our lists. We rank players based on their potential and the likelihood they will reach that potential.
1. Alex Gordon, KC: As Denny Foster suggested in his Project Prospect feature on Alex Gordon comparisons,
the Royals have a third base prospect who could end up hitting like
Mark Teixeira in the big leagues. Gordon ranked fourth in the minors in
slugging (.588) and fifth in extra-base hits (69), while putting up a
.325 batting average and .427 on-base percentage (1.015 OPS) in
Double-A Wichita.
The 6-foot-1, 220-pound second overall
pick from the 2005 draft could enter the season as the starting third
baseman in Kansas City and will be in the big leagues by midseason at
the latest – barring injury. If you thought it was a treat to watch
Ryan Zimmerman break into the big leagues last season, wait until you
see what Gordon can do in 2007.
2. Brandon Wood, LAA:
The man who totaled 101 extra-base hits in 2005 was back at it in 2006,
as he had 71 (second in the minors) in 453 Double-A at-bats. Wood
wasn’t able to hit for quite as much power in Double-A as he did in
High-A – .157 xbh/ab vs. .182 xbh/ab – but the 6-foot-3, 180-pound 23rd overall pick from 2003 remains one of the most powerful hitters in the minors.
Wood
finished his first season in the upper minors with a .276/.355/.552
line, mashing 25 home runs and stealing 19 bases (caught three times,
86.4% success rate). The biggest question for the Texas native will be
whether or not he can continue to progress as a minor league shortstop.
We think Wood will turn out to be the kind of power-hitting third
baseman Angels fans thought they were getting a few years ago with
Dallas McPherson.
3. Evan Longoria, TB:
In what the critics called one of the thinnest hitter draft crops in
recent history, Longoria played a big part in making the 2006 class
look surprisingly solid. The 6-foot-2, 180-pounder put up a
substantially higher slugging percentage in the minors than he did at
Long Beach (.597 vs. .421), with similar batting averages and on-base
percentages.
Taken 3rd overall in the 2006 draft
– he was undrafted (due to a much thinner frame) out of high school –
Longoria advanced all the way from Low-A Hudson Valley to Double-A
Montgomery in less than three months. He slowed down a bit in Double-A
(.267/.266/.486), but he picked up the pace again in the Southern
League playoffs (1.111 OPS in 25 at-bats).
Look for Longoria to start off in Double-A. With a solid first half, he could begin to push B.J. Upton into the outfield or give the Devil Rays motivation to trade Jorge Cantu.
4. Ryan Braun, MIL:
Taken three picks after Gordon in the 2005 draft, Braun was considered
to be a big drop off in talent from the Nebraska slugger. But the
University of Miami product has exceeded expectations, as he batted
.289/.357/.514 last season between High-A Brevard County and Double-A
Huntsville with 22 home runs and 26 stolen bases (caught stealing four
times, 100% success rate in Double-A).
Some critics believe that Braun does not have the all-around defensive package that major league teams want out of a third baseman. Others say that with his arm and athleticism, he’ll learn to become a stable defender. If Braun picks up where he left off in Double-A last season, he could be a major leaguer by next season. He’ll instantly become an above-average major league hitter.
5. Andy LaRoche, LAD: Based on our interview with LaRoche,
it sounds like he will enter 2007 healthy and ready to compete for a
major league job. Brandon Wood’s extra-base hit partner in crime for
the first half of 2005 – LaRoche finished the year with 57 (30 home
runs) – LaRoche dealt with labrum tears in both shoulders during the
2006 season, sapping some of his power. Still, the 6-foot-1,
215-pounder put up a .315/.410/.514 combined line between Double-A
Jacksonville and Triple-A Las Vegas.