| Check back throughout the offseason as we add a new player to our College Prospect Rankings each week | ||||||||||||||
| No. | Player | Pos | Notes | Age | YR | TM | CON | |||||||
| 1 | Pedro Alvarez | 3B | Patient power hitter has 40 HR through his two collegiate seasons | 20 | Jr. | VAN | SEC | |||||||
| 2 | Justin Smoak | 1B | Switch-hitter with a sweet, powerful stroke and good athleticism | 20 | Jr. | SC | ACC | |||||||
| 3 | Brian Matusz | LHP | Powerful lefty with the polish and stuff to be a dominant pro pitcher | 20 | Jr. | SD | WAC | |||||||
| 4 | Brett Wallace | 1B | Pac-10 2007 Player of the Year mashes with a sound plate approach | 20 | Jr. | ASU | Pac-10 | |||||||
| 5 | Jemile Weeks | 2B | Good batting eye and baseball instincts; offers some speed, power | 20 | Jr. | MIA | ACC | |||||||
| 6 | Brandon Crawford | SS | Talented defender who hit .335/.405/.504 last season w/ 7 home runs | 20 | Jr. | UCLA | Pac-10 | |||||||
| 7 | Tyson Ross | RHP | 6'5'', 215-pounder offers advanced secondary stuff & 90 MPH fastball | 20 | Jr. | CAL | Pac-10 | |||||||
| 8 | Jacob Thompson | RHP | 6'6'', 190-pounder w/ a plus curve; K'd 101 vs. 32 BB in 114.0 '07 IP | 20 | Jr. | UVA | ACC | |||||||
| * Ages are as of 7/30/07 (only draft eligible players are considered) | ||||||||||||||
| ** TM is the player's school | ||||||||||||||
| *** CON is the player's conference | ||||||||||||||
| **** Our rankings combine a player's ceiling with the odds that he'll reach it and favor recent production | ||||||||||||||
| <<< Click here to see our July 17th College Prospect Rankings | ||||||||||||||
| <<< Click here to discuss these rankings in our forums | ||||||||||||||
With the 2007 MLB Draft in the past and next year’s installment a mere 11 months away, it’s never too early to get a head start on evaluating a new class of talent. To make sure that college baseball’s presence is felt year-round this offseason, Project Prospect will preview the nation’s best collegiate talent by presenting College Prospect Rankings approximately every week. Each week will offer a longer list of rankings, as we build up to our weekly updated in-season Top 25 College Prospect Rankings.
8. Jacob Thompson, RHP, Virginia (11/19/86)
Standing 6-foot-6, 190 pounds and holding a sinking, power fastball and plus curveball Thompson will quickly garner the attention of the amateur baseball world. Add control into the equation and the result will do more than simply raise a few eyebrows. A native of Danville, Va., Thompson paced the Cavaliers with a .198 opponents average and 1.50 ERA, resulting in an unbeaten (11-0) record for the season. Thompson allowed a meager 79 hits and walked just 32 batters in 114.0 innings of work in 2007 (0.97 WHIP). Pair this control with 101 strikeouts and Jacob Thompson's name is sure to become a household one by season's end.
Ready to get a start on next year’s draft boards, too? Adam Loberstein can be reached at aloberstein@projectprospect.com.