Scouting Book: The Best Baseball Prospects for 2008 (Sleepers Too!)

Baseball Prospect Rankings for 2008

Scouting Book's Top Prospects list is different than other prospect lists: we're not in a bubble, and we never sit still. We show you not just our own rankings, but also rankings from some of the other major ranking lists for each player. You can now sort, for example, by Baseball America's rankings, or view the top prospects as chosen by the wizards at Baseball Prospectus, or compare our rankings to those from Sports Illustrated. Also, unlike most lists, we don't publish a book! Our lists are updated often during the offseason, and updated daily during the pre-season to show the latest situations and adjusted for spring results. This means we're always a work in progress. We also think this means our lists are much more useful for fantasy draft purposes. If you notice a mistake or have a suggestion feel free to let us know by mailing mistakes (at) our domain name. For more on our methods, see this blog entry.

Baseball's Top Prospects for Spring 2008

1. Jay Bruce

OF, CIN

In the past five years, only 21 players have slugged .500 or better in the Midwest League. And only four (4) have done so at age 19 (or younger). With Bruce's swing, expect many of those doubles to turn into HR's as he gets older and stronger.

Bruce was Minor League Baseball's Player of the Year for 2007, leaving him nowhere to go but the homer-happy confines in Cincinnati. An elite power prospect, he might be the best hitter available in the minors, but not for long. He's been marked as untouchable in response to trade offers for two years in a row now, which means that the Reds see him as a franchise player.

In Cincinnati this year, he'll have to beat out Ryan Freel or another veteran for playing time, but once he gets it, he won't be looking back.

More Scouting Book Info on Jay Bruce >

SB #1 | BA #1 | BP #1 | ML #1 | SN #1 | ES #2

2. Joba Chamberlain

RHP, NYY

Joba, Joba, Joba. Nothing can stop Joba (okay, except maybe a few bugs.)

A late-round, high-risk draft pick that some scouts called 'insightful' and others labeled 'insane', Joba turned out to be all that the Yankees imagined in 2007. In 2008, he'll be rushed into the rotation. While we'd like to see how he'd react to a full-season of regular use, it's unlikely the Yankees will indulge us: the early rumblings from Florida suggest that he may be used in the bullpen to start the year, or 'rested' there during the heat of summer, in an attempt to keep his innings down. While we love Joba as a reliever, we don't like the idea of shuffling him back and forth. Joba as a starter would be a different kind of pitcher (for one thing, we might see some more offspeed pitches), and until we see that pitcher for awhile, it'll be hard to evaluate. For now, we're a bit bearish on Joba's 2008, because of the risk of Yankee mishandling, multiple adjustment periods for his evolving role, and the near-guarantee that he won't be used enough to rank among the league's best pitchers.

Of course, should the Yankees reverse field again and give Joba one role to stick to all season, and then actually stick to that plan, we'll be higher on the boy.

More Scouting Book Info on Joba Chamberlain >

SB #2 | BA #3 | BP #4 | ML #5 | SN #4 | ES #3

3. Clay Buchholz

RHP, BOS

Boston, seeing stars in the future, modeled their development of Buchholz after their previous success with the similar Jon Papelbon. While Dice-K got all the early press last year, it was Buchholz who turned heads with his late-season no-hitter. While talk of a possible six-man Boston rotation for 2008 has fantasy players worried, even a small number of starts from Buchholz will be a good thing to have in 2008. A wider rotation may help keep Buchholz's innings down, of course, which may be a good thing: he's still a couple of good years away from real workhorse status.

More Scouting Book Info on Clay Buchholz >

SB #3 | BA #4 | BP #2 | ML #6 | SN #2 | ES #4

4. Kosuke Fukudome

OF, CHC

A power hitting corner outfielder that most scouts place on par with Hideki Matsui, Fukudome is likely to be the biggest Japanese import into MLB in 2008. The number one overall pick in the Japanese draft of 1999, Fukodome is a left-handed professional hitter, posting OPS's over 1.000 three times in the last five years. If he spends enough time in a hitter's park in MLB, it's possible that he will flirt with 30 homers, but he's more likely to go home with 20.

While primarily a corner outfielder, Fukudome is also experienced at both 1B and 3B. While recent elbow surgery probably means he won't see any action at third again, his versatility is a definite asset.

More Scouting Book Info on Kosuke Fukudome >

5. Evan Longoria

3B, TB

The Rays have so much talent in their system that it was impossible for Longoria to get a chance in 2007, and even 2008 might be asking too much for someone so young. There may be no in-between with Longoria: Tampa may open the season with the very raw prospect as their primary third baseman, in which case anything from an overmatched .131 to a red-hot .351 is possible... but if they don't, expect the opposite extreme, as he languishes in the minors until September once again, so that the thrifty Rays don't start his MLB salary clock any sooner than they have to. Anyone who remembers Delmon Young's outburst knows that Tampa will be in no hurry to promote someone to the (more expensive) majors until they're sure they will use him, and use him a lot.

More Scouting Book Info on Evan Longoria >

SB #5 | BA #2 | BP #3 | ML #2 | SN #5 | ES #1

6. Joey Votto

1B, CIN

He's got a New Yawk name, but he's the first-baseman of the future for Cincinnati. A .319 hitter with 22 HR's at AA last year, he also showed good speed, notching 24 steals in a full season.

While he may make the Reds out of spring training, a midseason callup is more likely, especially considering the aged state of Cincy's veteran fielders. Votto's only obvious shortcoming is an inability to do much against southpaws: he slugged only .399 against them last year. If he patches this hole, and if manager Dusty Baker's penchant for benching rookies doesn't get in his way, he could find his way to Cincinnati next year to stay. If he doesn't, he still has a long and solid career as a platoon-player ahead of him. Of course, in Great American, that might still be enough for 30 homers.

More Scouting Book Info on Joey Votto >

SB #6 | BA #44 | BP #21 | ML #34 | SN #12 | ES #56

7. Cameron Maybin

OF, FLA

He might not be the second coming of Ken Griffey Jr., but this potential five-tooler has a place in the everyday lineup in the very near future. Look for a good mix of average, steals and power to continue to grow, if slowly, as he nears the big lights.

Since being acquired by Florida, Maybin stands a better chance of playing regularly, though the lineup around him won't produce quite as much, and the park won't help his numbers.

More Scouting Book Info on Cameron Maybin >

SB #7 | BA #6 | BP #10 | ML #3 | SN #3 | ES #13

8. Johnny Cueto

RHP, CIN

A stunning ERA and WHIP in the minors booked Johnny on his way to the Show in Cincy. With a solid four-pitch selection (fastball, slider, sinker and change) he's got some of the best young stuff in baseball, but if his offspeed stuff develops just a bit more, that 97mph fastball should be all he needs to rack up the K's.

More Scouting Book Info on Johnny Cueto >

SB #8 | BA #34 | BP #41 | ML #47 | SN #25 | ES #30

9. Colby Rasmus

OF, STL

While often lost among the Prince Fielders and Cameron Maybins of hitting peers, Rasmus possesses a polish that few have at his level, a refinement that extends to his offensive approach, baserunning and defense. He strikes out a bit too much, but when he makes contact it's almost always solid contact: he's often compared to J.D. Drew. Of course, the Cardinals hope he comes with a less fragile set of bones.

By letting Jim Edmonds go, and bringing in no clear replacement (yet), the Cards seem to be signalling that they feel Rasmus is ready. It could be an exciting spring in St Lou.

More Scouting Book Info on Colby Rasmus >

SB #9 | BA #5 | BP #8 | ML #7 | SN #17 | ES #5

10. Geovany Soto

C, CHC

Once a promising slugger with only adequate defense, Soto had been filed away as a platoon specialist by hitting .344 vs. lefties at Triple-A, but only .245 vs. righties. The Cubs were originally expected to carry him as a backup or platoon catcher in 2008, but his breakthrough September convinced them to let Jason Kendall go and make Soto their everyday catcher in 2008. Whether he can keep up good numbers in an everyday role is still a question mark, but he has the attitude and work ethic to do it. Unless his 2007 was a mirage, Soto will be a top-10 catcher in MLB very soon.