Baseball Prospect Rankings for 2012

Now updated for 2012's Top Prospects

Scouting Book's Top Prospects list is a Combined List, a calculated summary of the overall valuations of the entire prospect universe.

Remember: this page is the result of an automatic process that re-sorts and re-ranks players often. If you think you have found a mistake, please read this blog entry before telling us. Then tell us.

Hisashi Iwakuma

RHP

Currently

131

A frighteningly tall and thin righthander, Hisashi Iwakuma is one of the most polished import pitchers from Japan. Best known to western eyes from his performance in the 2009 World Baseball Classic, Iwakuma's strength is his plus control. He works mainly from a sinking low 90's fastball that generates a very high ground ball percentage. He also throws a serviceable shuuto and splitter. While the Oakland A's secured the rights to Iwakuma prior to the 2011 season, the two sides failed to reach an agreement, returning the pitcher to Japan for one more season. The second time around, the Mariners won the blind auction and did not fail, signing Iwakuma to a one-year contract. He will compete for, and is expected to win, a rotation spot.

Full Scouting Report for Hisashi Iwakuma

SB 131BA SC BP SN ES ML

Chris Carter

1B

Currently

132

Jack Cust, we hardly knew you. Vernon Christopher Carter is an all-or-nothing, power hitting first baseman from Redwood City, California. One of the busload of prospects Oakland acquired from Arizona in the trade that sent Dan Haren to the desert, he's often confused with the other first base prospect named Chris Carter. Oakland's version is the bigger, stronger, younger and much more right-handed version.

His plate discipline hasn't developed as expected, but he did manage to hit .274 at AAA Sacramento in 2011 despite a high strikeout total. Called a 'dead red' hitter by one scout, Carter can hit mistake fastballs 500 feet... but he still flails at quality breaking balls. He looked awful in his cup of coffee in 2011, which will knock him down a lot of prospect lists, but he's still an exceptional prospect who mashed 21 homers in 81 minor league games last year. He'll probably be back in the high minors to start 2012, but don't give up on him. He'll make you pay.

Full Scouting Report for Chris Carter

SB 132BA SC 99BP SN ES ML

Rymer Liriano

OF

Currently

133

The Topps Player of the Year for the (A-level) Midwest League in 2011, outfielder Rymer Liriano is a five-tool talent on the fast-track to major league duty in San Diego. The Dominican native's award-winning season included 12 homers and 65 stolen bases to accompany a solid .319 average. He'll be 21 this year, and he should spend most of it in high-A ball, with a little AA toward the end of the summer if things go well.

Full Scouting Report for Rymer Liriano

SB 133BA SC 100BP SN ES ML 60

Drew Hutchison

RHP

Currently

134

The Blue Jays have a lot of pitching prospects that aren't wicked-nasty aces, but are smart, quality pitchers who could be just fine in the middle or back of an MLB rotation in the years to come. Righthander Drew Hutchison definitely fits into that category.

While he lacks the physicality and projectability of some of the glossier arms in the system, Hutchison has produced quiet, smart results by picking apart big swingers with superior control of pedestrian stuff. It's hard to complain about his 14-5, 2.54, 1.04 showing across three levels of play last year, especially when you note that he struck out an impressive 171 in 150 innings (27 starts).

If he has downsides, it's that his 92ish fastball isn't blowing many away, and he seems to have a lot of success early in games that he can't sustain past the fifth inning. He could also pack on a few more cheeseburgers, which might be related to that second issue. Of course, he's 20 years old, so let's see what happens in 2012 before judging the kid too harshly.

Next year will be his first to start in AA, and it should serve the usual purpose in sorting out how sustainable his low-minors performance will be.

Full Scouting Report for Drew Hutchison

SB 134BA SC 79BP SN ES ML

Daniel Corcino

RHP

Currently

135

A thin, wiry righthander from the Dominican Republic, Reds prospect Daniel Corcino doesn't do anything fancy on the mound. He simply mixes a maxed-out 98mph heater with a quality breaking ball and gets hitters out. In a full year of A-ball at Dayton in 2011, Corcino went 11-7, 3.42, striking out 156 would-be hitters in only 139 innings of work. Perhaps most impressively for such a hot arm, he walked only 34. If his progress continues unabated, he'll start 2012 in high-A and end up in AA before the season is over. That puts him on track for a midseason callup in 2013.

Full Scouting Report for Daniel Corcino

SB 135BA SC BP SN ES ML

Drew Smyly

LHP

Currently

136

Yet another promising lefthander in the Detroit system, University of Arkansas alum Drew Smyly has been impressing coaches since he signed back in 2010. A 4-3 record in his first sample of AA ball might not look like much, but that's why we have fancy sabermetrics these days: Smyly somehow went only 4-3 while notching a tiny 1.18 ERA and an even more ridiculous 1.03 WHIP. That's some bad luck.

He also struck out 53 and walked only 15 in his seven starts. While he doesn't have the electric stuff of some of Detroit's hotter young arms, Smyly does have two things his superiors don't: reliable command of all the pitches that he does possess, and a name that should get him instant access to the Muppet Show Live, now on Broadway.

Full Scouting Report for Drew Smyly

SB 136BA SC BP SN ES ML 82

Eddie Rosario

OF

Currently

137

A well rounded outfielder with great tools and a dedicated commitment to improving his skills, Twins outfielder Eddie Rosario could be a big sleeper star for Minnesota by late 2013. He's only nineteen, but so was Andruw Jones, and Eddie's .337/.397/.670 Appy line (with 21 homers in 67 games) looks frighteningly good, doesn't it? Miguel Sano will get the lion's share of glowing press in the next few years, but Eddie Rosario could be right at home hitting behind him.

Full Scouting Report for Eddie Rosario

SB 137BA SC BP SN ES ML

Tyler Pastornicky

SS

Currently

138

A good all-around athlete with superior baseball intelligence, infielder Tyler Pastornicky was an overlooked piece on the Yunel Escobar trade of 2011. His arm isn't the greatest, so he'd probably be better as a second baseman rather than a shortstop, and it isn't clear his on base skills are enough to bat high in the order, but he's got everything else necessary to be a tablesetter for the Atlanta lineup, including both raw speed and baserunning smarts. He's very likely to get a chance this Spring, as Atlanta doesn't have as many infield choices as years past. Rookie of the Year surprise or another kid pushed too fast? Tune in to TBS to find out.

Full Scouting Report for Tyler Pastornicky

SB 138BA SC BP SN ES ML

Chad Bettis

RHP

Currently

139

A dominant closer at Texas Tech, Rockies righthander Chad Bettis is exactly the right kind of pitcher to survive at Coors Field. He mixes a heavy and loose fastball with just enough of an effective mid-80's slider that prevents hitters from making square contact... the scariest kind of contact.

His brief time in the minors to date has been no challenge at all, as Bettis has easily delivered a shimmering 2.70 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in 237 career innings of work across three levels of play. He's also struck out out 240 and walked only 58 in that time. He's being groomed as a full-time starter, at least for now, and he still has to get over the hurdle of AA, but at this rate, he'll be banging on the door in Colorado before 2012 is finished. His sweet spot is mid-2013, though.

Full Scouting Report for Chad Bettis

SB 139BA SC BP SN ES ML 66

Alex Torres

LHP

Currently

140

A slightly built lefty from Venezuela with powerful stuff, pitcher Alexander Torres made 27 starts for AAA Durham last year, ringing up a 9-7 record with a 3.08 ERA but a scary 1.49 WHIP. Still, his crazy strikeout rate (156 in 146) were enough to get attention, and he threw eight relief innings with the big club in September, giving up three earned runs. He's obviously short on polish, but he's a hot and rising prospect who 'only' lacks enough control to dominate at the highest levels of play.

Full Scouting Report for Alex Torres

SB 140BA SC 72BP SN ES ML

131 to 140 of 525 Prospects

Top Prospects 2012

Combined Ranking

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1B	2B	3B	SS	OF
C	LHP	RHP	Matrix

Prospect Notes

Recent Player News

Roman Hernandez, KC

2/7/2012: Roman Hernandez has signed with the Royals, and will be sending a half-million dollar signing bonus back to his family in Cuba, one way or the other. Hernandez projects as a bench player with some power right now, and looks best in a corner outfield slot. At only 23, he still has room to grow, too.
More on Hernandez >

Also In The News...

Top Prospects 2012

Combined Ranking

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1B	2B	3B	SS	OF
C	LHP	RHP	Matrix

CloserWatch Notes

Recent Closer News

Update: SEA: 2/6/2012

Seattle took a flier on the sometimes dominant lefty reliever Hong-Chih Kuo today, signing him to an incentive-laden 1-year deal. Kuo, one of baseball's best lefthanders the last decade or so, struggled with both physical and emotional turmoil in his last year as a Dodger.

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Baseball Prospect Rankings for 2012

Now updated for 2012's Top Prospects

RHP

Currently

131

1B

Currently

132

OF

Currently

133

RHP

Currently

134

RHP

Currently

135

LHP

Currently

136

OF

Currently

137

SS

Currently

138

RHP

Currently

139

LHP

Currently

140

Top Prospects 2012

Prospect Notes

Also In The News...

Top Prospects 2012

CloserWatch Notes

Update: SEA: 2/6/2012

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