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

21. Nick Adenhart

RHP, LAA

The most successful of many Anaheim rebuilding projects, Adenhart now shows great control of his mid-90s two-seamer and has mixed in two new offspeed pitches. The Angels projected him to blossom into an ace last year, and this year he may get his chance. If you can only have one prospect in your draft this year, consider Adenhart. No right-hander (other than the Twins' Garza) has shown the makeup to survive being tossed into the fire at a young age. He may go down as one of the all-time draft steals.

More Scouting Book Info on Nick Adenhart >

SB #21 | BA #24 | BP #27 | ML #18 | SN #38 | ES #23

22. Jeff Clement

C, SEA

A power bat who shows no signs of patience (while homering every odd day in the Hawaiian League, he put up a .189 average), Clement also announced his intention to stick in MLB, using his September 2007 stint with the Mariners to show off a .375 average and two homers in only nine games: one of them a game-tying pinch hit, the other a ninth inning walk-off. Clearly, Clement an handle pressure.

But Seattle, with star Kenji Johjima already secured, might not be ready to dedicate a locker to Clement just yet. His development won't continue if he's used as a backup to Kenji, and it's unclear whether the Mariners can find a good trading partner willing to give him a full-time gig.

More Scouting Book Info on Jeff Clement >

SB #22 | BA #42 | BP #33 | ML #46 | SN #11 | ES #44

23. Fernando Martinez

OF, NYM

When the Mets assigned Martinez to be the youngest prospect to attend the Arizona Fall League, many were left skeptical of the Mets' chances at maximizing their value with the phenom. After all, in his final 15 games in the Florida State League, Martinez had gone 9-for-57 with three extra-base hits and 13 strikeouts.

However, injuries had kept Martinez inactive for much of his first full season, so the AFL presented an opportunity for consistent playing time. Martinez significantly responded, displaying huge power potential from the left side.

It appears the Mets know how to handle the teenager, who could use some time in the weight room and some improvements against southpaws to take the next step in 2008. The idea of Martinez and crosstown phenom Tabata reaching New York at the same time almost seems too good to be true, but the Mets haven't been this excited about an outfielder in a very long while.

More Scouting Book Info on Fernando Martinez >

SB #23 | BA #20 | BP #51 | ML #17 | SN unranked | ES #10

24. J.R. Towles

C, HOU

When the Astros moved J.R. Towles up to AAA last August, the signs were clear that they intended the youngster for their major league lineup very soon. And after his impressive cup-of-coffee debut in Houston, he might be up to stay already.

Towles earned the AAA promotion after destroying AA ball, hitting .324 with 11 homers and 49 RBIs in only 60 games, and when he finally got a shot in Houston in September, he did not disappoint. In 14 Major League games, the super-prospect catcher raked to a .375 clip and a 1.007 OPS, with one homer, three walks, and (most impressively) only a single strikeout. Though he's had only 40 major league at-bats entering 2008, he already holds the Astros franchise record for RBIs in a single game, thanks to an 8 RBI performance vs St Louis.

Towles is one of the hottest power-hitting catching prospects in baseball. And at age 24, he's just now ready for the big-leagues. A premium catching prospect.

More Scouting Book Info on J.R. Towles >

SB #24 | BA #53 | BP #54 | ML unranked | SN #35 | ES #61

25. Ian Kennedy

RHP, NYY

A late first round pick from the 2006 amateur draft, Kennedy is not an overpowering strikeout artist, but a polished, intelligent player who excels with his guile and determination. In his first full season in professional ball, Kennedy went 12-3 with a 1.91 ERA with stops in Tampa, Trenton, and Scranton.

Kennedy has a full selection of pitches, with a capable fastball, deceptive curve, developing changeup and functional slider. While his arm tops out at about 92mph, power is not his strength. Instead, he uses pinpoint control to infuriate batters, falling back on his changeup to put away batters who finally see what appears to be a hittable ball.

He's not Hughes, and he's not Joba, but that just means he doesn't get as much attention. As long as he keeps nibbling at the corners the way he's done in the minors, he's got a solid career ahead of him. That said, he's the most likely of the three youngsters to spend time in the minors in 2008, since it's unlikely the Yankees will enter the season as desperate for starters as they were in 2007. But don't let this scare you: because of the all the young pitching New York has to juggle, it's quite likely that each of their three youngsters will be handled with kid gloves. Starting one or two in the minors, or in the bullpen, might just be an inning-saving tactic. Long-term, Kennedy's combination of skills and smarts is viable and attractive. Don't be shy.

More Scouting Book Info on Ian Kennedy >

SB #25 | BA #45 | BP #34 | ML #26 | SN #13 | ES #45

26. Carlos Carrasco

RHP, PHI

An under-the-radar phenom, Carrasco is a good long bet this season.

With a 1.38 ERA (not to mention only allowing a single home run) at home last year, Carrasco did everything he could get the big club's attention, but to no avail. There's not much more he can do other than wait: he's already got three solid big-league ready pitches, he's shown durability and endurance needed to be a front-line starter, and he's got the brains to outsmart sluggers from outing to outing and at-bat to at-bat. If Philly gives the kid a shot, expect some highlight-reel performances. He was a real sleeper-pick special for 2007; in 2008, he'll be a much more visible and safe selection.

More Scouting Book Info on Carlos Carrasco >

SB #26 | BA #54 | BP #68 | ML #28 | SN unranked | ES #53

27. David Price

LHP, TB

Before the Rays made him the first pick of the 2007 Amateur Draft, David Price had already run up a polished resume, beginning with the 0.43 ERA he posted as a high school senior. The Dodgers drafted him in the 19th round in 2004, but Price chose to attend Vanderbilt on scholarship instead, where he became the immediate anchor to a strong rotation.

While his fastball has been clocked at 94mph a few times, he works more in the 90-91 range, relying on a high quality and high-80's slider with a very sharp bite. He has a good changeup, and rather than relying on power, he adds and subtracts with consistent, solid arm action. While he has always been able to throw strikes, Price has always had some command problems within the strike zone, and has been known to tip his changeup by dropping his arm angle. If this flaw sticks while he faces major leaguers -- or even high minor leaguers -- look for some very very long moonshots in Price's future.

In the short term, look for Price to be an early darling for a rotation spot in Tampa, though it seems more likely he'll spend the entire year in the minors, as the Rays work to develop his gamesmanship and stamina. If they bring him to the majors early, he's likely to end up as a closer or setup man, rather than the starter he could be with another year or two of development.

More Scouting Book Info on David Price >

SB #27 | BA #10 | BP #6 | ML #11 | SN #24 | ES #16

28. Andy LaRoche

3B, LAD

The Dodgers Minor League Player of the Year for 2005, LaRoche has done nothing in the two years since except hit, hit and hit. This still lesser-known LaRoche did half-time between AA and AAA last year, and he hit well at each level, breaking .300 each time while knocking 19 homers in 400 at-bats. While his disappointing audition with the 2007 Dodgers (he hit only .220) will scare away some people, scouts universally see him as a future stud in the mold of Ryan Braun.

LaRoche should compete for a starting job with LA during Spring Training. If he starts hot, he'll be locked into the lineup for the next ten years.

More Scouting Book Info on Andy LaRoche >

SB #28 | BA #31 | BP #14 | ML #33 | SN #10 | ES #25

29. Steve Pearce

1B, PIT

Pearce smashed his way through the Pirates' system in just his third professional season, starting in high 'A' Lynchburg (Va.), mowing down double-A Altoona (Pa.) in May, blasting past Indianapolis in July, and receiving a call-up to visit the major league team on Sept. 1st. He hit .294 with six RBIs in his brief appearance (23 ABs) with the big club. For his phenomenal season, Pearce was recognized by BA as the Minor League Offensive Player of the Year for 2007, and by MiLB and Topps as Baseball's Overall Minor League Player of the Year for 2007.

A natural first baseman learning the outfield, Pearce will either win a platoon/bench job in the majors this year, or be sent to AAA to stay ready. By next year, or sooner in the event of an Adam LaRoche trade or injury, he could get a shot at the full-time first base job. If he tears up the majors like he has every other level, he won't lose that job for a long, long time.

More Scouting Book Info on Steve Pearce >

SB #29 | BA #89 | BP #43 | ML unranked | SN unranked | ES unranked

30. Chuck Lofgren

LHP, CLE

Lofgren is an increasing-polished lefthander who could bring some solid innings-eating ability to the Indians rotation as early as 2008. He led the minor leagues in wins in 2006, then continued to develop in 2007 while bouncing between levels.

Of course, Cleveland is a club already jammed with left-handers, which means if he has a place on the club in the short term, it's probably going to be in the bullpen. Still, if you're looking for Tribe weapons, Lofgren (along with mate Scott Lewis) are fine picks that won't let you down in time.