Check out the evolution of our prospect thinking. Revisit our 2008 Top 150 and 2007 Top 100.
| Rk | Player | Pos | Comments | Age | Org | Lvl | ||||||
| 1 | Matt Wieters | C | Much better power, contact, and walk rates than Longoria in AA; good defensive catcher | 22.8 | BAL | AA | ||||||
| 2 | David Price | LHP | From 2007's No. 1 pick to MLB in 15 months; 7.2% BB, 24.3% K in '08, lots of GBs (appx. 54%) | 23.5 | TB | MLB | ||||||
| 3 | Cameron Maybin | CF | Nearly replicated A+ (.406 wOBA) numbers in AA (.381); still K'd a ton (26.9%); .179 IsoP | 21.9 | FLA | MLB | ||||||
| 4 | Colby Rasmus | CF | After posting .397 wOBA in AA in '07, fell to .324 in AAA in '08; missed time w/ sprained knee | 22.5 | STL | AAA | ||||||
| 5 | Dexter Fowler | CF | Olympian had breakout year: career-best .401 wOBA; lots of BBs (12.9%), K's down (17.6%) | 22.9 | COL | MLB | ||||||
| 6 | Madison Bumgarner | LHP | Nearly flawless pro debut (29.4% K, 4.0% BB, 2.14 FIP) as the 4th-youngest SP in Low-A | 19.6 | SF | A | ||||||
| 7 | Brett Anderson | LHP | Dominated A+/AA last year (6.2% BB, 26.3% K, 57+% GB); Ks rose by 4.7% from A+ to AA | 21.1 | OAK | AA | ||||||
| 8 | Travis Snider | LF/DH | .361 wOBA across 4 levels in '08; lots of power, BB's, K's; could see regular time in bigs in '09 | 21.1 | TOR | MLB | ||||||
| 9 | Jason Heyward | RF | 6-foot-4, 220-pounder had .377 wOBA, 9.7% BB, not too many K's (14.7%) last year in Low-A | 19.5 | ATL | A+ | ||||||
| 10 | Pedro Alvarez | 3B | High upside hitter w/ power + patience; missed time in '08 (contract disputes/broken hamate) | 22.0 | PIT | NCAA | ||||||
| 11 | Mike Moustakas | 3B | Tale of two havles in '08; pre all-star: .228/.285/.386, post all-star: .321/.392/.557; .343 wOBA | 20.4 | KC | A | ||||||
| 12 | Derek Holland | LHP | One of biggest breakout arms in '08; 27.6% K, 6.8% BB (A/A+/AA); Juco signee in '06 ($100 K) | 22.4 | TEX | AA | ||||||
| 13 | Tommy Hanson | RHP | Power arm who had mediocre '08 walk/ground ball rates (27.8% K, 10.0% BB in AA; 410 TBF) | 22.5 | ATL | AA | ||||||
| 14 | Matt LaPorta | RF/LF | Went .279/.386/.539 ('08); plenty of power (.260 IsoP), 11.3% BB; slowed once traded to Tribe | 24.1 | CLE | AA | ||||||
| 15 | Neftali Feliz | RHP | Posted awesome 32.7% K in A (25.4 in AA), but BB% rose from 8.6 to 12.4 (324 TBF vs. 185) | 20.8 | TEX | AA | ||||||
| 16 | Justin Smoak | 1B | No. 11 overall pick had .372 wOBA (62 PA) in Low-A; .450 wOBA, 40% XBH in 48 AFL PA | 21.9 | TEX | A | ||||||
| 17 | Rick Porcello | RHP | Top paid '07 prep arm managed 6.3% BB, 13.7% K, and 65% GB as 5th-youngest player in A+ | 19.8 | DET | A+ | ||||||
| 18 | Lars Anderson | 1B | All he did was follow .398 wOBA showing in Cal League with .415 wOBA in Eastern League | 21.1 | BOS | AA | ||||||
| 19 | Jarrod Parker | RHP | K% doesn't wow you? Notice that Ks rose steadily from 19.4% in April to 30.6% in August | 19.9 | ARI | A | ||||||
| 20 | Trevor Cahill | RHP | Stellar strikeout/ground-ball pitcher; command will determine if he peaks as a No. 1 or No. 3-4 | 21.0 | OAK | AA | ||||||
| 21 | Mike Stanton | RF | Put up crazy .318 IsoP in 1st full pro season (39 HR in 540 PA), but tons of K's, too (28.3%) | 19.3 | FLA | A | ||||||
| 22 | Eric Hosmer | 1B | No. 3 overall pick brings advanced approach to the plate for a high schooler; some power, too | 19.3 | KC | R | ||||||
| 23 | Brian Matusz | LHP | The best NCAA pitcher in the '08 draft class; 40.8% K, 6.4% BB during his final college season | 22.0 | BAL | NCAA | ||||||
| 24 | Buster Posey | C | No. 5 overall pick off to solid start; had his way with HWB pitchers: .338/.405/.392 (84 PA) | 21.9 | SF | SS | ||||||
| 25 | Jordan Schafer | CF | HGH use cost him 50 games; good power (.202 IsoP), good BB's (14.0%), bad K's (25.2%) | 22.5 | ATL | AA | ||||||
| 26 | Carlos Santana | C | Call it a breakout: went .326/.431/.568 in '08 after .223/.318/.370 showing in '07; 16.5% BB | 22.9 | CLE | AA | ||||||
| 27 | Yonder Alonso | 1B | No. 7 overall pick sporting a .327/.436/.541 line (117 PA) in HWB; both power, patience | 21.9 | CIN | A+ | ||||||
| 28 | Jhoulys Chacin | RHP | Like Holland, broke out in '08; not a huge K guy; 23.5% K, 4.5% BB, 60% GB in 264 A+ TBF | 21.1 | COL | A+ | ||||||
| 29 | Chris Tillman | RHP | Another power arm w/ mediocre '08 BB/ground ball rates (26.6% K, 11.2% BB in AA; 580 TBF) | 20.9 | BAL | AA | ||||||
| 30 | Logan Morrison | 1B | As if his .386 wOBA in the Florida State League hasn’t impressive, he's at .484 in the AFL | 21.5 | FLA | A+ | ||||||
| 31 | Tim Beckham | SS | No. 1 overall pick in June's draft had .287 wOBA in 189 PA; low contact: 21.7% K, .251 AVG | 19.1 | TB | R | ||||||
| 32 | Gordon Beckham | SS | This Beckham had more success in pro debut: No. 8 pick went .394/.468/.652 in AFL (78 PA) | 22.4 | CHW | A | ||||||
| 33 | Fernando Martinez | CF | Wasn't overmatched as youngest AA player (.332 wOBA); IsoP up from .106 ('07) to .145 ('08) | 20.4 | NYM | AA | ||||||
| 34 | Tim Alderson | RHP | Started, finished w/ poor K% (27.1 in July); great command (5.9% BB); 4th-youngest SP in A+ | 20.3 | SF | A+ | ||||||
| 35 | Andrew McCutchen | CF | Still not much power (.115 IsoP); finding ways on base: 11.5% BB rate best since rookie ball | 22.4 | PIT | AAA | ||||||
| 36 | Brett Wallace | 3B | 13th pick ('08) had .419 wOBA between A+, AA (234 PA); went .309/.381/.585 in AFL (105 PA) | 22.5 | STL | AA | ||||||
| 37 | Jesus Montero | C | Hard not to be impressed: .322/.373/.488, .371 wOBA (571 PA) in first full season as a pro | 19.2 | NYY | A | ||||||
| 38 | Brett Cecil | LHP | Great GB pitcher had good K and BB rates in A+/AA; BB rise in AAA; pitched 118.2 '08 innings | 22.7 | TOR | AAA | ||||||
| 39 | Jordan Zimmerman | RHP | Adjusted well to AA after mediocre first 2 months (27.7% K, 6.3% BB in 2nd half); 2.54 A+ FIP | 22.8 | WAS | AA | ||||||
| 40 | Aaron Hicks | CF | No. 14 overall pick ('08) off to fast start: .314/.405/.491 in GCL (200 PA); 14.0% BB, 15.5% K | 19.4 | MIN | R | ||||||
| 41 | Carlos Carrasco | RHP | 2nd-youngest pitcher in AAA last year; K% rose by 5.7, BB% dropped by 1.3 from AA to AAA | 21.9 | PHI | AAA | ||||||
| 42 | Kyle Blanks | 1B | 6-foot-6, 270-pounder's .396 wOBA last season up slightly from .393 in Cal League in '07 | 22.5 | SD | AA | ||||||
| 43 | Dayan Viciedo | 3B | Cuban defector w/ big power upside and ability to walk; appears unlikely to stick at third base | 20.0 | CHW | INT | ||||||
| 44 | Jeremy Hellickson | RHP | FSL stud (28.05 K, 2.58 FIP) to AA launching pad (12% HR/Air); great command (3.3% '08 BB) | 21.9 | TB | AA | ||||||
| 45 | Daryl Jones | LF | After putting up .275 wOBA in '07, had breakout year in '08 (.383 between A+, AA); 10.9% BB | 21.7 | STL | AA | ||||||
| 46 | Michael Ynoa | LHP | "He is a very polished pitcher with three above-average pitches" - Billy Beane told ESPN last Jul. | 17.4 | OAK | A | ||||||
| 47 | Michael Bowden | RHP | Owned AA, decent in AAA (3.1% BB, 18.0% K, 161 TBF); 5th-youngest SP in AAA last year | 22.4 | BOS | MLB | ||||||
| 48 | Wilmer Flores | SS | Went .310/.351/.490 with .356 wOBA in 265 R-ball PA; puts ball in play: 4.5% BB, 10.6% K | 17.6 | NYM | SS | ||||||
| 49 | Wade Davis | RHP | Going to be a MLB starter, but his K and BB% lead us to believe he won't be more than a No. 3 | 23.5 | TB | AAA | ||||||
| 50 | Freddie Freeman | 1B | From .294 wOBA, 9% LD in '07 to .386, 19% in '08; 2007 2nd rounder could break out in '09 | 19.2 | ATL | A | ||||||
| 51 | Ben Revere | CF | Speedster (44 SB) had .403 wOBA; .496 SLG product of .378 AVG, not power (.118 IsoP) | 20.8 | MIN | A | ||||||
| 52 | Austin Jackson | CF | Went .284/.351/.415 in AA last year; .345/.398/.566 in 284 A+ PA in '07; IsoP down 90 points | 22.1 | NYY | AA | ||||||
| 53 | Mat Gamel | 3B | Anti-Moustakas: saw .400+ wOBA in April-June drop under .300 in July, August; .388 overall | 23.7 | MIL | AA | ||||||
| 54 | Nick Weglarz | LF | Matched great BB numbers from '07 in '08 (15.6%) while K rate dropped from 24.2% to 16.9% | 21.2 | CLE | A+ | ||||||
| 55 | Alcides Escobar | SS | Impressive .332/.362/.440 line comes with some red flags; LD up only 2%, but BABIP up 47 pts | 22.2 | MIL | AA | ||||||
| 56 | Jordan Walden | RHP | Overwhelmed Low-A hitters (2.96 FIP); then hit a speed bump in High-A (11.2% BB, 23.4% K) | 21.3 | LAA | A+ | ||||||
| 57 | David Huff | LHP | Coming off 24.2% K, 5.0% BB AA/AAA breakout (146.1 IP); had a strained elbow ligament in '07 | 24.5 | CLE | AAA | ||||||
| 58 | Elvis Andrus | SS | Posted .321 wOBA in 534 AA PA; very little power (.072 IsoP); still, very young for level | 20.5 | TEX | AA | ||||||
| 59 | Michael Main | RHP | Fractured ribs limited him to 58.2 '08 IP; great K% (27.1) could help him break out w/ healthy '09 | 20.2 | TEX | A | ||||||
| 60 | Kila Ka'aihue | 1B | After posting .347 wOBA last year, Hawaiian sat above .450 this season; walks a ton | 24.9 | KC | MLB | ||||||
| 61 | Max Ramirez | C | Conquered AA (.465 wOBA), defeated in AAA (.310), MLB (.327); 29.2% K in AAA, bigs | 24.4 | TEX | MLB | ||||||
| 62 | Danny Duffy | LHP | Numbers speak for themselves: 40.1 K% in '07; 31.4 K%, 7.7 BB% in Low-A in '08 (325 TBF) | 20.2 | KC | A | ||||||
| 63 | Matt Antonelli | 2B | After posting .382 wOBA in AA in '07, plummeted to .304 in AAA in '08; still, 14.1% BB rate | 23.9 | SD | MLB | ||||||
| 64 | Aaron Poreda | LHP | Solid bet to reach bigs (3.24 AA FIP); upside will hinge on K rate improving, GB staying solid | 22.4 | CHW | AA | ||||||
| 65 | Josh Vitters | 3B | Went .324/.361/.494 in SS after Low-A demotion; .378 BABIP vs. 15% LD; 4.7% BB, 16.2% K | 19.5 | CHC | A | ||||||
| 66 | David Cooper | 1B | No. 17 overall pick had .333/399/.502 vital (303 PA) across three levels in professional debut | 21.0 | TOR | A+ | ||||||
| 67 | Matt Dominguez | 3B | No. 12 pick ('07) put up .368 wOBA in 381 PA at Low-A Greensboro -- an extreme hitter's park | 19.5 | FLA | A | ||||||
| 68 | Nick Adenhart | RHP | Posted worst pro FIP (4.95) in the hitter-friendly PCL last season; middle-of-the-rotation upside | 22.5 | LAA | MLB | ||||||
| 69 | Dominic Brown | CF | Lanky 6-foot-5 center fielder has great discipline (12.4 BB%, 14.0 K%) and emerging power | 21.5 | PHI | A+ | ||||||
| 70 | Jeff Samardzija | RHP | Irregular development path, regular improvement; 23.6% K, 11.2% BB in 276 AAA/MLB '08 TBF | 24.1 | CHC | MLB | ||||||
| 71 | Dellin Betances | RHP | High K% pitcher made huge command progress in July/August; healthy '09 could mean breakout | 20.9 | NYY | A | ||||||
| 72 | Phillippe Aumont | RHP | Hard thrower who's still raw; good competitor (21.6% K, 8.2% BB, 56% GB in Low-A last year) | 20.1 | SEA | A | ||||||
| 73 | Gio Gonzalez | LHP | Reverted to '06 K and BB% in '08 (AAA): 24.4% K, 11.6% BB, 4.23 FIP; was in PCL, though | 23.4 | OAK | MLB | ||||||
| 74 | Jon Niese | LHP | Good combo of GB% (52), K% (21.5), BB% (8.4) in AA; Ks declined 2.3% in AAA (4.42 FIP) | 22.3 | NYM | MLB | ||||||
| 75 | Desmond Jennings | CF | Saw wOBA drop from .381 in Low-A ('07) to .337 in High-A ('08); high walk rate (13.7%) | 22.3 | TB | A+ | ||||||
| 76 | Jose Tabata | RF | Had .289 wOBA (329 PA) in AA with NYY before dealt to PIT (.414 in 97 PA); .326 overall | 20.5 | PIT | AA | ||||||
| 77 | Jeremy Jeffress | RHP | Huge ceiling, low floor; 29.9% last season in A+ to go with 12.4% BB; only totaled 94.0 '08 IP | 21.4 | MIL | AA | ||||||
| 78 | Gerado Parra | CF | Big breakout candidate; may not total a ton of home runs, but will double, triple, and make contact | 21.8 | ARI | AA | ||||||
| 79 | Tyler Flowers | C | Has clear path to the bigs in Chicago, great power (.206 isoP) and discipline (18.9% BB) for C | 23.1 | CHW | A+ | ||||||
| 80 | Chris Marrero | 1B | Missed most of the '08 season with broken right fibula; .337 wOBA, .205 IsoP in 287 PA | 20.7 | WAS | A+ | ||||||
| 81 | Christian Friedrich | LHP | 2008's 25th overall pick could be a fast riser; offers average fastball, plus curve, poor command | 21.6 | COL | NCAA | ||||||
| 82 | Adrian Cardenas | 2B | Went .279/.392/.326 in 102 AA PA; no power (.047 IsoP), K's (9.8%); lots of patience (14.7%) | 21.4 | OAK | AA | ||||||
| 83 | Taylor Teagarden | C | Olympian looked good in limited ML playing time; didn't fair as well in AA, AAA (.693 OPS) | 25.2 | TEX | MLB | ||||||
| 84 | Martin Perez | LHP | Given his age, Perez was impressive in Northwest League (19.1 K%, 10.1% BB, 48 GB%) | 17.9 | TEX | SS | ||||||
| 85 | Kyle Skipworth | C | No. 6 overall pick, Gatorade Nat'l H.S. Player of the Year pick got off to slow start (.254 wOBA) | 19.0 | FLA | R | ||||||
| 86 | Michael Burgess | RF | Low contact rates (.246 AVG, 29.9% K), but big power (.231 IsoP); solid walk rate (10.2%) | 20.4 | WAS | A+ | ||||||
| 87 | Kasey Kiker | LHP | Former 1st rounder ('06) was solid in CAL league (21.1 K%, 7.0 BB%); breakout candidate | 21.2 | TEX | A+ | ||||||
| 88 | Ivan De Jesus | SS | Followed .334 wOBA in A+ in '07 with .371 number in AA in '08; not much power (.099 IsoP) | 21.8 | LAD | AA | ||||||
| 89 | Jack McGeary | LHP | Signed for 1st-round money in '07; pro career stalled by academics; stellar '08 GCL numbers | 19.9 | WAS | R | ||||||
| 90 | Carlos Gutierrez | RHP | Missed '07 with TJ; 41.4% K, 11.5% BB last year in NCAA (174 TBF); 27th overall pick of '08 | 22.4 | MIN | A+ | ||||||
| 91 | James Simmons | RHP | Was solid across the board as 21-year-old in AA (5.6 BB%, 20.8 K%, 3.41 FIP), MLB in 2009? | 22.4 | OAK | AA | ||||||
| 92 | Brandon Allen | 1B | Displayed monsterous power in breakout season, .248 isoP in A+, .339 isoP in AA; 11.1 BB% | 23.1 | CHW | AA | ||||||
| 93 | Shairon Martis | RHP | Waiting for 2008's youngest AAA SP? Here's your guy (23.1% K, 9.3% BB, 30% GB, 3.24 FIP). | 21.9 | WAS | MLB | ||||||
| 94 | Aaron Cunningham | OF | Went .329/.400/.532 between AA, AAA; could have troubles breaking into crowded OAK OF | 22.8 | OAK | MLB | ||||||
| 95 | Nick Evans | 1B | Improved .321 wOBA in '06 to .364 in '07, .390 in '08; MLB struggles: .295 wOBA (119 PA) | 23.1 | NYM | MLB | ||||||
| 96 | Greg Halman | CF | Had .272/.326/.528 line (A+/AA); not much patience (5.9% BB), tons of K's (27.2%); .256 IsoP | 21.5 | SEA | AA | ||||||
| 97 | Angel Salome | C | 5-foot-7 with power: 30 2B, 13 HR, .559 SLG in 411 AA PA; .412 wOBA after .346 in '07 | 22.7 | MIL | AA | ||||||
| 98 | Chris Carter | 1B | Had his way in the Cal League: .389 wOBA, 39 HR, 57% XBH; lots of strikeouts, too (26%) | 22.2 | OAK | A+ | ||||||
| 99 | Mat Latos | RHP | Injuries limited his innings in 2008; still was successful at three stops between R, SS, and A | 21.2 | SD | A | ||||||
| 100 | Eric Young Jr. | 2B | Improved patience (7.5% BB in '07 vs. 12.8% in '08); .351 wOBA up 8 pts from Cal League | 23.8 | COL | AA | ||||||
| 101 | Kellen Kulbacki | RF | Quietly went .322/.428/.589 (.430 wOBA); let's see if he can do it outside the Cal League in '09 | 23.3 | SD | A+ | ||||||
| 102 | Michael Saunders | CF | Enjoyed his stay in AA (.363 wOBA in 288 PA) far more than AAA (.308 in 105) last season | 22.3 | SEA | AAA | ||||||
| 103 | Blake Beavan | RHP | Strikeouts weren't there in 2008 (15.2%), but 2007 first rounder had great command (4.2 BB%) | 20.1 | TEX | A | ||||||
| 104 | Wilfredo Boscan | RHP | 18-year-old was one of Northwest League's best pitchers (3.9 BB%, 24.6 K%, 2.95 FIP) | 19.3 | TEX | SS | ||||||
| 105 | Beau Mills | 1B | Had 58 XBH (544 PA), .507 SLG in A+; SLG has dropped to .386 (.313 wOBA) in 72 AFL PA | 22.5 | CLE | A+ | ||||||
| 106 | Matt Tuiasosopo | 3B | 3rd rounder ('04) coming off best pro year: .281/.364/.453 (500 AAA PA); 9.4% BB, 20.8% K | 22.8 | SEA | AAA | ||||||
| 107 | Jefry Marte | 3B | Put up .324/.393/.538 line in 163 GCL PA, but might be hard to match: .381 BABIP vs. 11% LD | 17.7 | NYM | R | ||||||
| 108 | Carlos Triunfel | SS | Higher BB, lower K rates in second Cal League season; .322 wOBA was highest as a pro | 19.0 | SEA | A+ | ||||||
| 109 | Angel Villalona | 1B | Potential, yes; results, not so much: .264/.313/.436 in Low-A; no BB (3.6%), high K's (23.5%) | 18.5 | SF | A | ||||||
| 110 | Zach McAllister | RHP | 6-foot-5 righty showed exceptional control (3.4 BB%) but K's and GB's took hit from A to A+ | 21.2 | NYY | A+ | ||||||
| 111 | Julio Borbon | CF | 19th overall pick ('07) went .321/.362/.425 between A+/AA (.343 wOBA) in 1st full pro season | 23.0 | TEX | AA | ||||||
| 112 | Drew Stubbs | CF | Went .277/.371/.417 in 549 PA between A+, AA, AAA in '08; BB rate went down each level | 24.4 | CIN | AAA | ||||||
| 113 | Brandon Erbe | RHP | Command greatly improved in 2008 (11.4 BB% to 8.0 BB%, strikeouts increased by 4.5% | 21.2 | BAL | A+ | ||||||
| 114 | Todd Frazier | SS/1B | After going .330/.411/.615 in 124 A PA, leveled off in A+: .281/.357/.451, .349 wOBA in 414 PA | 22.2 | CIN | A+ | ||||||
| 115 | Brett Gardner | CF | Not a high ceiling, but a pretty high floor: great discipline, speed, and decent power in 2008 | 25.5 | NYY | MLB | ||||||
| 116 | Allan Dykstra | 1B | 23rd overall pick in '08 draft got handful of games in A+, and was great (21.9 BB%, .421 wOBA) | 21.8 | SD | A+ | ||||||
| 117 | Jemile Weeks | 2B | No. 12 overall pick had .379 wOBA in 90 A PA; leadoff-type hitter had 14.4% BB, .108 IsoP | 22.1 | OAK | A | ||||||
| 118 | Nick Barnese | RHP | One of short-season's best pitchers in '08: 8.9 BB%, 31.0 K%, 55 GB%, 2.40 FIP in 66.0 IP | 20.1 | TB | SS | ||||||
| 119 | Chris Coghlan | 2B | .405 wOBA in A, .270 in A+ in '07 left questions; answered them with .369 wOBA in '08 in AA | 23.7 | FLA | AA | ||||||
| 120 | Nolan Reimold | OF | 2nd round pick in 2005 has been consistent since being drafted, .375 wOBA in AA in 2008 | 25.4 | BAL | AA | ||||||
| 121 | Seth Smith | OF | Had his way with AAA as 25-year-old: .411 wOBA, 15.2% BB; .346, 12.2% in 123 MLB PA | 26.4 | COL | MLB | ||||||
| 122 | Matthew Moore | LHP | Repeated rookie ball in '08 but cut walk rate in half (17.2% to 8.6%), increased K's to 34.8% | 19.7 | TB | R | ||||||
| 123 | Johnny Giavotella | 2B | 2nd rounder ('08) went .299/.354/.421, .341 wOBA in 308 A PA; puts ball in play (11% K) | 21.6 | KC | R | ||||||
| 124 | Julio Teheran | RHP | High-upside, low-floor teenager has only pitched 15.0 pro innings (17 K, 4 BB, 18 H, 4.46 FIP) | 18.1 | ATL | R | ||||||
| 125 | Casper Wells | CF | Improved dramatically in jump from A to AA (.352 to .404 wOBA), could be in Detroit in 2009 | 24.3 | DET | AA | ||||||
| 126 | Chris Parmelee | 1B | Little contact (.239 AVG, 28.7% K), lot of walks (18%) and power .257 IsoP; .378 wOBA | 21.0 | MIN | A | ||||||
| 127 | Ryan Tucker | RHP | 2005 1st rounder established himself in AA in last season: 19.7 K%, 9.9% BB, 49% GB | 22.2 | FLA | AA | ||||||
| 128 | Hank Conger | C | King Conger's '07, '08 stats in A, A+ eerily similar: 319 PA, 12% LD, 42% GB; wOBA up to .356 | 21.1 | LAA | A+ | ||||||
| 129 | James McDonald | RHP | Converted OF turned successful flyball pitcher: 27.1% K, 7.8% BB since 2007; 3.87 '08 FIP | 24.4 | LAD | MLB | ||||||
| 130 | Lance Lynn | RHP | 39th overall pick in 2008 displayed great command (5.6%), K ability (27.1%) in '08 (107 TBF) | 21.8 | STL | A | ||||||
| 131 | Jake Arrieta | RHP | Was effective in A+ (25.9 K%, 3.65 FIP), but his command (11.0 BB%) is a little worrisome | 23.0 | BAL | A+ | ||||||
| 132 | Brett Lawrie | 2B | Former "catcher" already switched to 2nd base; '08's 16th overall pick offers power potential | 19.1 | MIL | HS | ||||||
| 133 | Randall Delgado | RHP | Very impressive Appalacian League showing for a teenager (27.7 K%, 10.3% BB, 52 GB%) | 19.0 | ATL | R | ||||||
| 134 | Jake Odorizzi | RHP | Fastest rising HS pitcher last year, 4 average to plus pitches, FB hits 94 mph, short arm action | 18.9 | MIL | R | ||||||
| 135 | Ethan Martin | RHP | Excellent athlete with a low-to-mid-90's fastball and two other potential above-average pitches | 19.7 | LAD | HS | ||||||
| 136 | Chris Perez | RHP | RP was dominant in AAA, decent in bigs (36.2% K to 23.7); poor command (12.1% BB in '08) | 23.7 | STL | MLB | ||||||
| 137 | Lorenzo Cain | CF | Speedster broke out in '08 (.351 wOBA in A+) and took off in AA (.360 wOBA); more to come? | 22.9 | MIL | AAA | ||||||
| 138 | Vincent Mazzaro | RHP | Broke out in AA: 6.5 BB%, 18.7 K%; then was 4th-youngest SP in AAA; could make A's rotation | 22.4 | OAK | AAA | ||||||
| 139 | Gaby Sanchez | 1B | Old for AA but .392 wOBA is why Marlins may hand him starting 1B job in '09; good BB & K% | 25.5 | FLA | AA | ||||||
| 140 | Daniel Bard | RHP | Finally grasped control in '08 (3.8 BB% in A) jumped up again in AA (12.8%), gets tons of K's | 23.7 | BOS | AA | ||||||
| 141 | Lonnie Chisenhall | SS | No. 29 pick ('08) had .344 wOBA in 305 PA (21% LD); not a great bet to stick at SS -- too slow | 20.4 | CLE | SS | ||||||
| 142 | Kris Medlen | RHP | 5'10'' righty has done nothing but dominate his whole MiLB career, 24.2% K, 5.5% BB in AA | 23.4 | ATL | AA | ||||||
| 143 | Hector Rondon | RHP | Exceptional as A+ youngster (7.0 BB%, 24.0 K%, 3.61 FIP), may break out further in '09 | 21.0 | CLE | A+ | ||||||
| 144 | Clayton Richard | LHP | No flashy upside, but command (2.4% BB in AAA) and grounders (58 GB%) make him solid | 25.5 | CHW | MLB | ||||||
| 145 | Josh Donaldson | C | Liked CAL (.405 wOBA in 207 PA) far more than MID (.276 wOBA in 252 PA); in PHX for AFL | 23.2 | OAK | A+ | ||||||
| 146 | Jeff Locke | LHP | K% took a big hit from '07 to '08 (31.2 to 18.5); still displayed command (6.2% BB); good GB% | 21.3 | ATL | A | ||||||
| 147 | Josh Reddick | OF | wOBA dropped over 100 pts from Cal League to AA (.406 vs. .304), but BB rate improved 4% | 22.0 | BOS | AA | ||||||
| 148 | Mike Montgomery | LHP | 2008's 36th overall pick impressed in his pro debut (7.4 BB%, 21.0 K%, 62 GB%); high upside | 19.7 | KC | R | ||||||
| 149 | Scott Elbert | LHP | When healthy, he's a great strikeout pitcher who walks a lot of batters; could be a very good RP | 23.5 | LAD | MLB | ||||||
| 150 | Bryan Anderson | C | One of AAA's youngest players showed on-base ability (12.6% BB), little power (.098 IsoP) | 22.2 | STL | AAA | ||||||
| 151 | Jeff Niemann | RHP | 4th pick of '04 draft has been waiting in AAA (9.1 BB%, 23.4 K% in '08); consistently injured | 26.0 | TB | MLB | ||||||
| 152 | Ryan Perry | RHP | Closer was 21st overall pick in 2008, could find himself in Detroit's pen in the near future | 22.0 | DET | A+ | ||||||
| 153 | Jaff Decker | LF | 42nd pick in '08 had a very patient rookie debut (25.6 BB%), power too (.194 IsoP); 211 PA | 19.0 | SD | R | ||||||
| 154 | Andrew Lambo | LF | Proving makeup is merely what people make up about you; solid first full season between A/AA | 20.5 | LAD | AA | ||||||
| 155 | Jason Castro | C | No. 10 overall pick didn't make a bad first impression: .276/.382/.381, 14.5% BB in 159 PA | 21.7 | HOU | SS | ||||||
| 156 | Michael Taylor | LF | 6-foot-6, 250-pounder went .346/.412/.557 between A, A+ in '08; 9.0% BB, 16.1% K | 23.2 | PHI | A+ | ||||||
| 157 | Josh Fields | RHP | 20th pick in '08 took long to sign, but SEA got it done; good FB, great curve; MLB debut in 2009? | 23.5 | SEA | NCAA | ||||||
| 158 | Jason Donald | SS | U.S. Olympian showed consistency: followed .381 wOBA in A+ in '07 with .384 in AA in '08 | 24.5 | PHI | AAA | ||||||
| 159 | Trevor Reckling | LHP | Good GB pitcher had a 3.75 FIP as 5th-youngest SP in Low-A last season; 19.9% K, 9.2% BB | 19.8 | LAA | A | ||||||
| 160 | Che-Hsuan Lin | CF | 2008 Future's Game MVP has emerging power (.111 isoP), can handle CF, good BB and K% | 20.4 | BOS | A | ||||||
| 161 | Ryan Westmoreland | CF | BOS gave big money ($2.0 M) to sign him, will miss part of '09 (shoulder surgery); high upside | 18.8 | BOS | HS | ||||||
| 162 | Cole Gillespie | OF | Great discipline (13.7 BB% in AA) solid power (.191 isoP) give Gillespie a pretty high floor | 24.7 | MIL | AA | ||||||
| 163 | Reid Brignac | SS | Struggled to .303 wOBA in 386 AAA PA; IsoP (.162) down at every level since A+ in '06 (.231) | 23.1 | TB | AAA | ||||||
| 164 | Carlos Rosa | RHP | 2008 was easily his best year, showed command and strikeout ability between AA and AAA | 24.4 | KC | AAA | ||||||
| 165 | Gorkys Hernandez | CF | Speedster has improved discipline (10.3 BB%); power still hasn't fully appeared (.121 isoP) | 21.5 | ATL | A+ | ||||||
| 166 | Engel Beltre | CF | Has speed and pop; plate discipline (2.5 BB%) holding him back from being a star prospect | 19.3 | TEX | A | ||||||
| 167 | Michael Pineda | RHP | One of the Midwest League's best pitchers as a teenager (6.4 BB%, 23.2 K%, 2.98 FIP) | 20.1 | SEA | A | ||||||
| 168 | Jess Todd | RHP | Soared through three levels in '08, bulk of which was in AA (5.9 BB%, 20.0 K%, 53 GB%) | 22.9 | STL | AAA | ||||||
| 169 | Jairo Heredia | RHP | Solid across the board in the SAL (9.5 BB%, 21.0 K%, 57 GB%); youngest SP in his league | 19.4 | NYY | A | ||||||
| 170 | Daniel Schlereth | LHP | Soared up draft boards last spring and wound up as 26th overall pick; power lefty reliever | 22.8 | ARI | A | ||||||
| 171 | J.P. Arencibia | C | .357 wOBA, 41.4% XBH rate in 1st full season; 2.5% AA BB and 20.0% K show limited upside | 23.1 | TOR | AA | ||||||
| 172 | Cole Rohrbough | LHP | Spent '08 in A and A+, K's decreased (29.3% to 21.5 K) but walks did too (12.0% to 6.2 BB) | 21.8 | ATL | A+ | ||||||
| 173 | Junichi Tazawa | RHP | Japanese product signed $3.3 M deal with the Sox in Dec.; low-90s fastball; likely to start in AA | 22.7 | BOS | INT | ||||||
| 174 | Neftali Soto | 3B | Had .375 wOBA between R, A ball (302 PA); power, yes (.196 IsoP); patience, no (3.5% BB) | 20.0 | CIN | A | ||||||
| 175 | Kyle Lobstein | RHP | 08's 47th overall pick has yet to pitch a pro inning, but he has the chance to be a fast riser in '09 | 19.5 | TB | HS | ||||||
| 176 | J.A. Happ | LHP | Has basically proven he's major league ready (8.7 BB%, 27.4 K%, 3.54 FIP in AAA last season) | 26.4 | PHI | MLB | ||||||
| 177 | Jeremy McBryde | RHP | A little old for Low-A, but he was too dominant (4.1 BB%, 27.2 K%, 2.75 FIP) for us to overlook | 21.8 | SD | A | ||||||
| 178 | John Raynor | OF | Solid bet for MLB, had .384 wOBA, 11.7% BB rate as 24-year-old in AA; 23.0% K rate; burner | 25.1 | FLA | AA | ||||||
| 179 | Conor Gillaspie | 3B | Good contact hitter who can draw a walk; doesn't hit for much power; not a lock to stick at 3B | 21.6 | SF | MLB | ||||||
| 180 | Nick Noonan | 2B | Fell to .321 wOBA in 531 A PA after going .349 in R ball in '07; struggles w/ patience: 4.5% BB | 19.8 | SF | A | ||||||
| 181 | Richard Castillo | RHP | Spent '08 in A (313 TBF) and A+ (65); successful at both stops (22.0%, 29.2 K; 6.4%, 12.3 BB) | 19.3 | STL | A+ | ||||||
| 182 | Brett DeVall | LHP | 6-foot-4 lefthander was 40th overall pick in '08; has a few things in common w/ Brett Anderson | 19.1 | ATL | R | ||||||
| 183 | Marcus Lemon | SS | Went .295/.365/.434 in 515 Cal League PA; BB% down slightly, but K rate down 5.3% to 13.4% | 20.7 | TEX | A+ | ||||||
| 184 | Kevin Mulvey | RHP | Slight rise in K% from AA to AAA (17.2 to 18.9), drastic drop in GB% (55 to 40), similar BB% | 23.8 | MIN | AAA | ||||||
| 185 | Jason Motte | RHP | Devastating in AAA (37.9 K%), even better in the majors (40.0 K%, 40 TBF), could close in '09 | 26.0 | STL | MLB | ||||||
| 186 | Brad Lincoln | RHP | 4th pick of '06 returned from TJ in '08; 17.2%K, 3.9% BB against 436 Low-A/High-A batters | 23.8 | PIT | A+ | ||||||
| 187 | Sean Doolittle | 1B | Broke out power stroke in CAL League (.255 isoP, .389 wOBA); struggled in AA (.308 wOBA) | 22.4 | OAK | AA | ||||||
| 188 | Jose Ceda | RHP | 6'4'', 275 pound RP has command concerns (11.7% BB in '08) but gets plenty of K's (26.5%) | 22.1 | FLA | AA | ||||||
| 189 | Joshua Lindblom | RHP | 61st overall pick ('08) was converted from NCAA closer and immediately succeeded (7.4 K/BB) | 21.7 | LAD | AA | ||||||
| 190 | William Smith | LHP | 6-foot-5 lefty with pinpoint command struck out 25.5% of R batters he faced; '08 7th rounder | 19.6 | LAA | R | ||||||
| 191 | Will Inman | RHP | Gets K's (23.8%) but has command issues (12.3 BB%) and poor GB tendencies (38% in '08) | 22.1 | SD | AA | ||||||
| 192 | Mark Trumbo | 1B | Finally hit for power in '08 (.270 isoP in A+, .220 in AA) but lacking discipline for a 1B (5.7 BB%) | 23.1 | LAA | AA | ||||||
| 193 | Kelvin De La Cruz | LHP | Found success in A and A+ in '08; 24.3 combined K%, but BB% jumped from 9.4% to 16.9% | 21.1 | CLE | AA | ||||||
| 194 | Tim Melville | RHP | 115th overall pick in 2008 received well-above-slot bonus from Royals; no pro exp., low floor | 19.4 | KC | HS | ||||||
| 195 | Michael Brantley | CF | Incredible K/BB as a 10th-youngest AA hitter (10.3 BB%, 5.7 K%), lacking power (.079 isoP) | 21.8 | CLE | AA | ||||||
| 196 | Austin Romine | C | 2nd-rounder ('07) went .300/.344/.435, .342 wOBA (436 PA) in 1st pro season; .135 IsoP | 20.3 | NYY | A | ||||||
| 197 | Chris Withrow | RHP | 2007 1st-rounder has only 14.1 pro innings (injuries, elbow in '08); remains a high-upside talent | 19.9 | LAD | A+ | ||||||
| 198 | Cedric Hunter | CF | Hardly strikes out (7.3 K%), has shown improving power .124 isoP -- .196 isoP in August | 21.0 | SD | A+ | ||||||
| 199 | Ike Davis | 1B | 18th pick of '08 had a debut to forget (.071 isoP, .293 wOBA, 18.3% K, 9.8% BB, 235 PA) | 21.9 | NYM | SS | ||||||
| 200 | Andrew Cashner | RHP | Big, powerful college closer was 19th overall pick in '08; struggled with command in 85 pro TBF | 22.5 | CHC | SS | ||||||
| Honorables: Brad Emaus (2B), Reese Havens (SS), Zach Collier (OF), James Darnell (3B), Kyle Drabek (RHP), Wilmer Font (RHP), Casey Crosby (LHP), | ||||||||||||
| Jason Knapp (RHP), Cody Johnson (LF), Abraham Almonte (CF), Henry Alberto Rodriguez (RHP), Michael Almanzar (3B), L.J. Hoes (2B), Adys Portillo (RHP), | ||||||||||||
| and Cliff Pennington (SS). | ||||||||||||
| * Our rankings combine a player's ceiling with the odds that he'll reach it and favor recent production | ||||||||||||
| ** Ages are as of March 16th, 2009. | ||||||||||||
| *** Level is the highest level the player has reached | ||||||||||||
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