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

121. Nick Blackburn

RHP, MIN

Minnesota's young rotation is already full of talent, and Blackburn looks likely to be among the Next Generation in Minnesota. A tall, wiry right-hander, Blackburn is one of the best pitchers left in the system now that Garza, Bonser and Slowey have graduated into MLB.

Originally drafted by Tampa Bay out of high school, he chose to attend Seminole State instead. He was drafted by the Twins deep in the 29th round of the next year's draft. He blew through the Twins system in 2005 and 2006, being called up to triple-A Rochester after only seven starts in AA ball (two of those were complete games, one was a shutout, and he laughed his way to a 1.84 ERA in the course of a month). In 2007 he was tested in Minnesota bullpen with poor results, giving up 10 runs in only six relief appearances.

Despite his height, Blackburn is a 'stuff' pitcher without overpowering heat. He works confidently with a good assortment of breaking balls, and has also shown good control with two very good fastballs, which he can locate on either side of the plate.

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122. Mike Carp

1B, NYM

A power hitter who swings hard and misses often, Carp is also saddled with horrendous L-R splits. In 2007 he hit only .238 with just three home runs (in 151 at-bats) vs LHP.

Since his defense is unspectacular and he has no special baserunning ability, Carp needs to figure out how to hit lefties if he's ever going to be anything other than a reserve or platoon player. He's likely to get one last chance with the Mets in AAA this year, but if he does not perform, don't expect to see him on any prospect lists next season.

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123. Donald Veal

LHP, CHC

Not yet recovered from labrum sugery and showing no signs of the curve that once made scouts rave. Add in the fact that he's a one-pitch flame-thrower who will be working under the 'care' of the Cubs trainers, and you have a recipe for a very fantastic, and very short, major league career. He's got stuff (or at least he did pre-surgery) so take him if you need a lefty, but proceed with extreme caution: he's delicate and under pressure. A definite B pick.

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124. Jacob McGee

LHP, TB

With three plus-pitches, one of them a plus-plus curve, this is a left-hander with a very bright future. While you probably did not hear his name, much McGee led his AA league in strikeouts in 2006, adding six double-digit strikeout finishes to the morning papers. He slid a bit in 2007, but he's still a smart money bet for the future.

There is a strong concern over his stamina, however, so he may be in line for the bullpen in TB this year. Still, a left-handed strikeout artist is a nice pickup, no matter which inning it is when he takes the mound. If Tampa uses him as a five-inning starter, he won't be worth much in fantasy play, but if he's brought up as a setup man, watch out: he could be super-LOOGY or exceptional setup man very quickly.

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SB #124 | BA #15 | BP #40 | ML #20 | SN #30 | ES #26

125. Brian Matusz

LHP, BAL

One of the best left-handers available in the 2008 draft, Matusz is an experienced and clever strongman with four quality pitches. His fastball isn't overpowering, though, and his numbers showed some decline last season, so he won't be having a big impact on Baltimore's rotation (assuming the sign him) anytime soon. It'll be fun watching his use his guile along with his stuff to go after better pro hitters, though.

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126. Humberto Sanchez

RHP, NYY

Newly a Yankee, look for Sanchez to work in the bullpen, at least initially. Long-term, he might be better as an innings-eating starter, as his fastball control and work ethic make him a viable 200 inning guy in short order. Worth a pick.

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127. Callix Crabbe

2B, MLW

An on-again/off-again prospect, Crabbe's chances of breaking into major league ball increased with his pickup by San Diego, who has no long-term MI prospect after Matt Antonelli.

Playing his age 23/24 season with the Brewer's Nashville club in the AAA PCL, Crabbe hit .287 with nine homers, posting an OPS of .812, all espectable numbers at that level, especially from a middle infielder. His career walks-to-strikeouts ratio is dead even, and he has usable speed, swiping 17, 18 and 32 bases in his last three AA and AAA seasons.

A contact hitter with good on-base skills and solid infield hands, Crabbe's short-term value may be as a utility player. If an injury takes out any of the infielders ahead of him, he's more than capable of stepping in and holding his own.

Those of you thinking about how great a baseball name Crabbe has may also wish to note that the gentleman's middle name is 'Sadeaq'.

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128. Adam Ottavino

RHP, STL

Selected 30th overall by the Cardinals in the 2006 draft, Ottavino dominated hitters at Northwestern University with a K/9 rate over 10 and a notable ability to handle tough left-handed hitters. He projects a promising mix of confidence and stuff, and scouts see him as a future front-of-rotation starter.

Ottavino's main pitch is a heavy 95mph fastball that he throws more than half of the time. He combines it with a plus slider and a developing change that will launch him into super-prospect status if he can master it.

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129. James Hoey

RHP, BAL

A towering right-hander with lights-out potential, Hoey rode a brief rollercoaster in 2007, performing well in the minors and looking unhittable during his first week in Baltimore before crashing to earth. He ended the season with as many big-league walks as strikeouts (18 of each) and looks to need some more time in the minors before he can be seriously considered a future closer.

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130. Jeremy Hellickson

RHP, TB

A career 107:17 K to BB ratio is frighteningly good, and a 0.94 WHIP shows that he's not a one-act pitcher. A real sleeper in deep leagues, Hellickson is the sort of pitcher who can set a league on fire, especially his first time through. His low 3/4 delivery is deceptive, and his darting 94mph fastball is a deadly strikeout pitch. Still, unless he can get better and more consistent results with his breaking balls, he's likely to end up in the bullpen sooner or later.

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