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

201. Jose Capellan

LHP, SF

No, not that Jose Capellan. The other one.

Once a prize prospect in the Boston system, this Jose Capellan posted a 4-3 record with a 3.69 ERA last year for Boston's single-A affiliate Lowell. While limiting opponents to a .238 batting average, he struck out an impressive 77 batters while walking only 11. He's walked fewer than one batter per start (49 in 50) in his young pro career.

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201

202. Blake Beavan

RHP, TEX

Beavan is a huge, powerful righthander who at the age of 19 is already showing a 96mph fastball. He also brings a polished slider that acts more like a slurve, with big, loose movement that keeps batters off balance. Even his third pitch, a more traditional changeup, is better than average.

After posting a non-typo 0.21 ERA at Cal Irvine, he was drafted by the Rangers in the 1st round (17th overall), but he held out signing long enough to miss the end of the season, which means his first pro pitches will come in 2008. He's a live arm, but he's still a couple of years away from impact status.

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203. J.P. Arencibia

C, TOR

Picking catchers in the Toronto minor leagues is a bit of a matter of taste. Some scouts like Curtis Thigpen, while others think Robinson Diaz is the future of the Blue Jays' facemask. While we don't hate either of those fine fellows, our money is on JP Arencibia for now.

A big, strong right-handed hitter from Florida, Arencibia is a catcher of the offensive variety, though he does have a strong throwing arm to go along with his bat. He's also got a great personality for leadership and should be able to handle a pitching staff if he can stay behind the plate. While at-bat, he's a dead pull slugger with plus power. He just needs to learn a little plate discipline to stop big-league pitchers from picking him apart before he can get his bat into play.

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204. Eric Campbell

3B, ATL

Campbell doesn't walk much, but his power is significant, and he projects to whiff less than 17% of the time, so that'll help the old averages. He looks like a younger Rocco Baldelli, which is not a bad similarity to have.

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204

205. Michael Main

RHP, TEX

An intriguing prospect, Main was drafted as a two-way player (starter and right fielder) out of high school, thanks to his best-of-class right arm. He's been clocked at 98mph with his fastball, and his hard curve is developing so fast that it's already his go-to pitch. He needs a changeup or another off-speed pitch, and his control isn't all there yet, but scouts are in love with his smooth, carbon-copy pitching mechanics. If he can stay healthy while picking up secondary pitches and improved control, he'll be a valuable major leaguer in the very near future. He's looking like a middle-of-rotation starter right now, but as his control improves he could morph into an ace. He'll spend 2007 in A ball, with a AA promotion possible.

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SB #205 | BA n/a | BP #73 | ML unranked | SN unranked | ES #46

206. Kyle Blanks

1B, SD

Signed as a DFE prior to the 2005 draft, Blanks was signed for his big bat potential, and through 2007 he did nothing but live up to that destiny. An imposing hulk in the batter's box, he doesn't have much plate discipline (think Adam Dunn) but he does have a very big hot zone (think Vlad Guerrero), which means anything he gets his bat on is likely to travel a very, very long way. His fielding skills are almost completely absent, but when you can hit a ball 500 feet, nobody cares too much about your glove. The Padres will try Blanks at AA for the first time this season, and they're likely to keep promoting Blanks as long as his bat holds up. AA pitchers are likely to try to work him hard and inside to steal his power: it'll be interesting to see who wins the war over the long haul.

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207. Gerrit Cole

RHP, NYY

Often listed as one of the five best arms in the 2008 draft, righthander Gerrit Cole fell to the Yankees at the 28th pick due to signability concerns and the ever-looming shadow of superagent Scott Boras, who must be cloning himself by now to represent so many players at the same time. Cole throws a high-90's fastball and shows a plus slider at times, with a changeup that could also develop into a plus offering. Some coaches, though, see problematic mechanics that could lead to injury down the road. The Yanks aren't saying whether they see Cole as a starter or closer, but either way it's hard to not take his stuff seriously.

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208. Wes Hodges

3B, CLE

Drafted as a shortstop out of Georgia Tech in the 2nd round of the 2006 draft, Hodges is a professional line-drive hitter with a very quick bat and an explosive, level swing. He has good hands and a plus arm at third base, with acceptable range for the corner, which means he's likely to stay there as the Indians continue to groom him for the MLB duty that was once Andy Marte's destiny.

At high-A last year he posted a 288/.367/.473 line, with 15 homers in 104 games. He strikes out a bit too much (90 times in that same season), especially for a player at his stage of development, but he's a good student and has been working to improve his pitch discretion. He'll start 2008 at AA, but if he keeps slamming the ball, it's possible the Indians will give him a late-season look upstairs.

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209. Casey Weathers

RHP, COL

How many closers do the Rockies need, exactly? Vanderbilt's elite fireman (31 saves, 0.93 WHIP) was originally drafted by the Tigers in 2006, but after re-entry was snapped up by Colorado in 2007.

Weathers works with an arrow straight 95mph fastball that seems under his complete control, mixing in a plus change for devastating effect. He can also bring a nasty slider for good measure. While the Rockies have no screaming need for a closer in the near future, he could be valuable soon in a setup role, or if the bullpen grows injury riddled.

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210. Aaron Poreda

RHP, CHW

A late first round pick in 2007 out of the University of San Francisco, lefty Aaron Poreda projects as a middle-of-rotation innings-eater. The big, 240-pound hurler brings one of the best fastballs in the minors (up to 97mph and sinking) with an improving slider that may grow to be his best pitch if he can learn to control it.

While many in the Sox system see him as a reliever, there's no reason to doubt that he could also start. His frame is large and he proved durable during his college years. He's unlikely to contribute meaningfully in 2008, but he's one to watch for the years to come.