I modified my system slightly after publishing my initial Low-A Top 25 list. This is an updated Low-A list that reflects the changes.
. . . . . .Rookie / Short-Season / Low-A / High-A / Double-A / Triple-A / Pitchers| @AdamWFoster's 2011 Offseason Prospect Rankings | ||||||||||
| Rk | Player | Pos | Comments | Age | Org | |||||
| 1 | Jurickson Profar | SS | Up-the-middle defender who does just about everything well | 18.4 | TEX | |||||
| 2 | Xander Bogaerts | SS | Likely big leaguer but he may not have the speed for shortstop | 18.7 | BOS | |||||
| 3 | Bryce Harper | RF | Two more months in Low-A and he'd almost certainly be No. 1 | 18.7 | WAS | |||||
| 4 | Ronald Torreyes | 2B | Outstanding line-drive hitter but upside is limited; rarely Ks | 18.8 | CIN | |||||
| 5 | Jonathan Schoop | 2B | Stayed afloat in A+ after being challenged with a June promo | 19.7 | BAL | |||||
| 6 | Sean Coyle | 2B | K-rate climbed steadily and warrants watching going forward | 19.5 | BOS | |||||
| 7 | Kolten Wong | 2B | 22nd overall pick from the 2011 draft hit the ground running | 20.7 | STL | |||||
| 8 | Gary Sanchez | C | Big boy, big power, big swing; a high-risk, high-reward talent | 18.6 | NYY | |||||
| 9 | Christian Vazquez | C | Catcher who had big power numbers; oldest player on this list | 20.9 | BOS | |||||
| 10 | Tomas Telis | C | Doesn't walk or strike out but could hit enough for a catcher | 20.0 | TEX | |||||
| Best of the Rest | ||||||||||
| Cheslor Cuthbert | 3B | Solid debut for teenage Nicaraguan who signed for over $1 Mil | 18.6 | KC | ||||||
| Oscar Taveras | RF | Somehow managed to put together a .448 BABIP over 347 PA | 19.0 | STL | ||||||
| Ronny Rodriguez | SS | Good power upside for a guy playing SS; doesn't draw walks | 19.2 | CLE | ||||||
| Teodoro Martinez | CF | Good contact hitter who has both speed and youth on his side | 19.3 | TEX | ||||||
| Jonathan Garcia | RF | Ks a lot and was streaky, but he definitely has some power | 19.6 | LAD | ||||||
| Christian Bethancourt | C | Good upside; cannon of an arm; doesn't draw walks, though | 19.8 | ATL | ||||||
| Cristhian Adames | SS | No standout numbers but solid all-around full-season debut | 19.9 | COL | ||||||
| J.R. Murphy | C | More solid than spectacular; value takes a hit if he can't catch | 20.1 | NYY | ||||||
| Miles Head | 1B | Dominant start earned him A+ promo, where he slowed down | 20.2 | BOS | ||||||
| Jacob Marisnick | CF | Impressive all-around season for 2009's 104th overall pick | 20.3 | TOR | ||||||
| Jacob Realmuto | C | 8 HR in August got him on this list; he had a promising July, too | 20.3 | FLA | ||||||
| Tucker Barnhart | C | Makes contact and draws walks; on this list because he's a C | 20.5 | CIN | ||||||
| Brandon Jacobs | LF | Had three really good months and two not so good months | 20.6 | BOS | ||||||
| Marcell Ozuna | RF | 50+ extra-base-hits & a bit of speed make him worth following | 20.6 | FLA | ||||||
| Marcus Semien | SS | Made it because he's a SS; was 3-for-7 in stolen base attempts | 20.8 | CHW | ||||||
| Billy Hamilton | SS | Speedster offers limited power & upside; has a thin, wiry build | 20.8 | CIN | ||||||
| Jiovanni Mier | SS | Low-A repeater had success here but hit a wall upon A+ promo | 20.8 | HOU | ||||||
| * Ages are as of July 1, 2011 | ||||||||||
| ** Minimum 200 plate appearances | ||||||||||
| *** If eligible, Manny Machado would have ranked 2nd on this list | ||||||||||
Warning: These rankings were created without utilizing scouting information. The list was assembled as a conversation starter/watch list by way of a relatively simple, objective prospect finding system. After weighing in scouting information, our rankings of players will change.
Methodology: Only players who were a deviation below level-average age were considered for the list above. The average Low-A age in 2011 was approximately 22, with a standard deviation of approximately 2. Players were ranked based simply on deviations from level-average age, strikeout percentage, walk percentage and isolated power. The position that the player primarily played for the final two months of the season was also factored into the rankings.