Columns

Buchholz hits a barrier - 08/28/2007

Something has been wrong with Red Sox top prospect Clay Buchholz dating back to his major league debut.

The Midweek Crisis: An Idiot's Guide to Collegiate Summer Baseball - 08/20/2007

Traveling over 4,400 miles could prove fatal, and now you have it all here in approximately 1,400 words.

The Weekend That Was - 08/06/2007

After a whirlwind record-setting weekend, it's time to take a look back at the three-record breakers and their impact on history.

The Midweek Crisis: Sandwich Round Checkup - 08/01/2007

With the 2007 MLB Draft a thing of the past, and the majority of prospects signed to their first professional contracts, now is the time to take note of who has excelled in the early stages of their respective

How Our Rankings Work - 07/28/2007

I get asked how our rankings work all the time, enough that I decided it was time to publish a glance into how we do things around here.

The Midweek Crisis: Second Round Checkup - 07/28/2007

Starting with the third round last week, and advancing to the first round in following weeks, Project Prospect will show you which prospects have already excelled in their young careers in professional baseball.

The Midweek Crisis: Third Round Checkup - 07/18/2007

Starting with the third round this week, and advancing through the second round, first supplemental, and first round in following weeks, Project Prospect will show you which prospects from the 2007 draft are already making good impressions.

Inside the U.S. Team's Clubhouse - 07/08/2007

Those of you who have kept up with my stuff may remember that I'm a little afraid of going into losing teams' clubhouses. I had three interviews I wanted to conduct with players from the U.S. Team after the game, and I was apprehensive about going into their clubhouse – they lost 7-2.

Live from the 2007 Futures Game - 07/08/2007

I set my alarm clock for 7:00 AM before I went to bed last night. My plan was to soak in every second possible in San Francisco at the Futures Game. Traffic to the game was a breeze, and my little brother Morgan (photographer) and I were on the field ready to get to work the second the US Team came out to start stretching.

The Midweek Crisis: Clayton Kershaw vs. Madison Bumgarner - 06/28/2007

In both the 2006 and 2007 draft classes, the talent evaluation world was able to draw an unchallenged consensus with regards to which prospect earned the title of "The Best High School Lefty:" Clayton Kershaw and Madison Bumgarner, respectively.

The Midweek Crisis: Andrew Miller vs. David Price - 06/20/2007

The University of North Carolina and Vanderbilt University are two of collegiate baseball’s finest programs. Products of the above programs, Andrew Miller and David Price are both lefthanded skyscrapers who feature overpowering arsenals – both were also the consensus top talents in their respective draft classes.

Prospect Focus: The Real Deal? - 06/16/2007

When a young pitcher has his first extended run of success there is an immediate question of whether or not his emergence is legitimate.

Draft Spotlight: Handing out the Hardware - 06/11/2007

There were 255 players selected in the NFL Draft this year, and until baseball’s installment ended on Friday, that number seemed like enough to fill a country waffle house. Fifty rounds and 1,453 picks later, it’s time to circle the wagons and crown the biggest winners of the 2007 MLB Entry Draft.

Reading Between the Baselines: '08 Top 100 Watch - 06/08/2007

As most of the people who kept up with our amazing draft thread know, pure draft position isn’t always a good indicator of how talented a prospect is. With that in mind, here’s my list of the Top 10 potential impact fantasy players from the 2007 Draft.

Reading Between the Baselines: '08 Top 100 Watch - 06/01/2007

Between emails and our forums, I’ve been hearing from a lot of people who want to know which 2007 draftees will blossom as top prospects entering 2008. I’ll cover that topic in detail next week. Until then, here’s all you need to know.

Prospect Focus: Raising Heat - 05/31/2007

Even in today’s heavily statistical world, where every facet of the game is intimately diagrammed and analyzed, closing out ballgames remains a bit of mystery.

The Midweek Crisis: Major League Reality Check - 05/30/2007

America’s pastime is a game of patience, but this big league season leaves us stuck in fast-forward. Approximately a third of the way into the campaign, take a gander at the Major League statistical leader boards.

Reading Between the Baselines: '08 Top 100 Watch - 05/25/2007

There’s a lot of annual movement along the Top 100 landscape. By early-2008, fans will be acquainted with dozens of newly crowned Top 100 prospects. Or you can get ahead by reading about them now.

Prospect Focus: Can Plate Discipline Be Taught? - 05/24/2007

Can plate discipline be taught?That’s the question – along with its nebulous answer – which has altered the baseball landscape. The notorious Moneyball articulated a growing belief that no, the odds are against prospects learning plate discipline.

Reading Between the Baselines: '08 Top 100 Watch - 05/18/2007

Thanks to your feedback, I’ve decided to knuckle down and expand our Top 25 Rankings to a special one-quarter of the way through the season Top 50. And with my focus on adding to our rankings this weekend, I couldn’t help but explore something Top-50 related in this week’s Top 100 watch.

Prospect Focus: Is Gordon Pulling a Hermida? - 05/17/2007

Despite multitudes of “can’t miss” players who either struggle to become quality major leaguers or who never reach that status despite tremendous buzz as a minor league phenom, each year the prospect mavens anoint more young players too good not to succeed — and quickly.

The Midweek Crisis: Grant the Destroyer - 05/16/2007

Piece this puzzle together: Hidden in the heartland of a rapidly growing region of California. Deceptively strong – masking his supernatural strength – and can outrun anything that comes across his territory. Meet Bakersfield’s reincarnation of Clark Kent:Grant Desme.

Free Fantasy Advice: Cyberspace Doubleheader - 05/15/2007

Here at Project Prospect, we’re as into following the big leagues as we are the minors. So we have perspectives on every kind of fantasy question. We’re making an effort to help your team out by providing Free Fantasy Advice once a week.

Reading Between the Baselines: '08 Top 100 Watch - 05/11/2007

Last week, I introduced 10 Low-A players who already look like solid bets to be '08 Top 100 prospects. This week, I’m going to look from the reverse angle.

What's Going On With Bailey? - 05/10/2007

Homer Bailey entered the season practically analogous with the word phenom. Project Prospect ranked him as the No. 3 pitching prospect in baseball while MiLB.com and Sports Illustrated had him as the game's best pitching prospect. Flash to Bailey after six starts into 2007.

The Midweek Crisis: GOSO a Go-Go - 05/09/2007

Monikers of success for pitchers have rapidly moved from the outdated W-L record to the ERA to the WHIP. At the rate these symbolic random letters are thrown together to create a sense of meaning, I’m approximately six to seven acronyms behind by taking the time to write them out. Let me redeem myself: GOSO. You’re welcome.

Top 150 Under 25: Close Calls - 05/08/2007

This is a list of can’t-miss prospects who have gone wrong, but with the caveat that they may actually turn themselves back into something useful or oven into a pretty special player.

Reading Between the Baselines: '08 Top 100 Watch - 05/04/2007

Following prospects closely over the last three years, one of the questions I’ve rarely seen taken head-on is: Who can I expect to jump into Top 100 lists next year? Yes, it’s pretty tough to predict something like that, but offering a stab at it couldn’t hurt.

The Midweek Crisis: Airwaves Feeling a Draft - 05/02/2007

For the first time in the history of the free world and some parts unknown, it’s finally baseball’s turn.

Reading Between the Baselines: Clubhouse Ethics 101 - 04/27/2007

My first two years as a member of the media have been pretty smooth. I’ve worked with dozens of college players and coaches, talked to baseball executives, met scouts, and interviewed a bunch of minor leaguers without so much as a hiccup. But those interactions all came on relatively neutral territory, not the beast that is the losing team’s clubhouse.