Top 25 Prospect List

by Project Prospect
August 1, 2009
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Rk   Player   Pos   Comments   Age   Org   Lvl   Pre
1   Jason Heyward   RF   Position on defensive spectrum is his only clear weakness; powerful contact hitter    20.0   ATL   AA   3 ↑
2   Carlos Santana   C   Six HR July came along with noteworthy BB% dip (to 5.8) and K% rise (to 14.6)   23.4   CLE   AA   6 ↑
3   Jesus Montero   C/DH   Near seamless transition from A+ to AA earns him our nod as minor's top teenager   19.7   NYY   AA   11 ↑
4   Brian Matusz   LHP   Also has adjusted from A+ to AA well; solid bet to be an above-average MLB SP   22.5   BAL   AA   5 ↑
5   Buster Posey   C   Hasn't hit for power in 60 AAA PA sample; walk, strikeout and LD% remain strong   22.4   SF   AAA   8 ↑
6   Chris Tillman   RHP   Can he maintain low AAA walk rate in bigs? If so, could be a top-of-the-rotation SP   21.3   BAL   MLB   9 ↑
7   Fernando Martinez   OF   Knee surgery latest in growing list of injuries; still an elite power hitting prospect   20.9   NYM   MLB   10 ↑
8   Mike Stanton   RF   K problem has resurfaced in AA and BB% is down, but awesome power remains   19.8   FLA   AA   12 ↑
9   Justin Smoak   1B   First basemen typically make up for lack of defensive value w/ power; Smoak isn't   22.7   TEX   AAA   7 ↓
10   Matt LaPorta   1B/LF   It's hard to get too excited about a 1B/LF prospect his age; upside limited, floor high   24.6   CLE   MLB   15 ↑
11   Logan Morrison   1B   Hot off of a godly July; he could easily win the Marlins' first base job entering 2010   22.0   FLA   AA   27 ↑
12   Dominic Brown   RF   Back from a broken thumb, his power wasn't there in July, but K% was way down   22.0   PHI   A+   17 ↑
13   Mat Gamel   3B   Struggling w/ contact in AAA; power and walk rate are elite; continues to play 3B   24.2   MIL   MLB   13 ↔
14   Desmond Jennings   CF   Woke up from cold June to hit way to AAA in July; speedster is near MLB-ready   22.8   TB   AA   25 ↑
15   Hector Rondon   RHP   Isn't getting the hype he deserves, despite back-to-back Futures Game showings   21.5   CLE   AAA   28 ↑
16   Pedro Alvarez   3B   While .377 BABIP (AA) will come down, it's hard to argue with his recent success   22.5   PIT   AA   22 ↑
17   Jhoulys Chacin   RHP   Proving durable after substantial IP jump from '07 to '08; potential ace in 2-3 years   21.6   COL   MLB   26 ↑
18   Carlos Carrasco   RHP   Inconsistent hurler w/ impressive raw stuff can throw his share of mistake pitches   22.4   CLE   MLB   14 ↓
19   Yonder Alonso   1B   Broken hamate bone will keep high-floor hitter out for the rest of regular season   22.3   CIN   AA   20 ↑
20   Nick Weglarz   LF   Don't be scared by low BA; BB%/IsoP could make up for lack of defensive value   21.7   CLE   AA   16 ↓
21   Jarrod Parker   RHP   He fell due to our concerns with his mechanics; K% also is down a lot from A+   20.7   ARI   AA   18 ↓
22   Mat Latos   RHP   If not for durability/injury concerns, he'd be one of the top 10 prospects on this list   21.7   SD   MLB   53 ↑
23   Madison Bumgarner   LHP   Breaking ball has made little progress since high school; K% down, BB% up from A+ 20.1   SF   AA   19 ↓
24   Alcides Escobar   SS   Great defensive SS by all accounts we've read; bat could be average at the position 22.7   MIL   AAA   NR ↑
25   Michael Saunders   LF/CF   Earned a trip to the big leagues as he posted career-best power and K% in the PCL   22.8   SEA   MLB   29 ↑
Honorable Mentions
26   Jake Arrieta   RHP   Continues to calm our preseason command concerns; note AA to AAA K% decline   23.5   BAL   AAA   46 ↑
27   Kyle Blanks   1B   Hit the ground running in bigs; will pitchers be able to exploit his contact deficiency?   22.9   SD   MLB   33 ↑
28   Daniel Hudson   RHP   Email adamf@projectprospect.com if you've seen a weakness in his game this year   22.5   CHW   AA   62 ↑
29   Jaff Decker   LF   Will need to mash due to lack of defensive value; not much to question w/ bat now   19.5   SD   A   51 ↑
30   Neftali Feliz   RHP   Hasn't started a game since 6/21/09; bullpen beast whose upside remains high   21.3   TEX   AAA   NR ↑
Dropped out: None.                        
Graduated: M. Wieters (1), D. Holland (2), T. Hanson (4), G. Beckham (21), A. McCutchen (23), V. Mazzaro (24) and B. Cecil (39).        
* Ages are as of August 15, 2009; Lvl is the highest level the player has reached; Our rankings factor in floor and ceiling            
                             
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