| 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 | Exceptional combination of unmatched power and true bat skills | 20.5 | Jr. | VAN | SEC | |||||||
| 2 | Justin Smoak | 1B | Switch-hitter holds a sweet, powerful stroke and keen eye at the dish | 20.7 | Jr. | SC | SEC | |||||||
| 3 | Brian Matusz | LHP | Powerful lefty with the polish and arsenal to be a dominant pro pitcher | 20.5 | Jr. | SD | WCC | |||||||
| 4 | Kyle Russell | OF | Out to prove that .336/.456/.807 doesn't just happen by accident | 21.1 | Jr. | TEX | Big-12 | |||||||
| 5 | Brett Wallace | 1B | Beastly slugger (6-foot-1, 245-pounds) mashes w/ a sound approach | 21.0 | Jr. | ASU | Pac-10 | |||||||
| 6 | Tyson Ross | RHP | 6'5'', 215-pounder offers advanced secondary stuff, power fastball | 20.3 | Jr. | CAL | Pac-10 | |||||||
| 7 | Lance Lynn | RHP | 6-foot-5, 260-pound mountain man went 146 K vs. 44 BB in 123.1 IP | 20.2 | Jr. | UMS | SEC | |||||||
| 8 | Yonder Alonso | 1B | Excellent combination of patience (64:31 BB to K), power (40.5% XBH) | 20.3 | Jr. | MIA | ACC | |||||||
| 9 | Jacob Thompson | RHP | Carries plus curve, keeps runners of base paths: .198 BAA, 2.53 BB/9 | 20.7 | Jr. | UVA | ACC | |||||||
| 10 | Brandon Crawford | SS | Excellent defender, all-around athlete went .335/.405./504 last season | 20.5 | Jr. | UCLA | Pac-10 | |||||||
| Honorable Mentions: Jemile Weeks (2B, Miami), Roger Kieschnick (OF, Texas Tech) and James Darnell (3B, South Carolina). | ||||||||||||||
| * Ages are as of 8/27/07 (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 | ||||||||||||||
| <<< Our August 14th College Prospect Rankings | ||||||||||||||
| <<< Discuss these rankings in our forums | ||||||||||||||
With the 2007 MLB Draft in the past and next year’s installment a mere 10 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 continue to preview the nation’s best collegiate talent by presenting College Prospect Rankings approximately every other week this offseason. Each installment will offer a longer list of rankings, as we build up to our weekly updated in-season Top 25 College Prospect Rankings.
Kyle Russell, OF, Texas (6/27/86)
After producing one of the best individual campaigns that 2007 had to offer, Kyle Russell will be looking to complete the second installment of the Texas two-step with the 2008 season. Hailing from Tomball, Tex., Russell posted seemingly impeccable .336/.456/.807 vitals, thanks in part to 28 HR in just 223 at-bats. Russell will have to hit the weight room to fill out his 6-foot-5, 185-pound frame this season, but there's no debate that the raw power is already present for the Longhorn slugger. If Russell can prove that last season wasn't fluke, there will be little debate regarding his decision to return to school once his name is called amongst the first few bats in the nation.
Ready to get a start on next year’s draft boards, too? Adam Loberstein can be reached at aloberstein@projectprospect.com.