Top Baseball Prospects for 2013

Now updated for 2013'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're coming to this page directly, you're missing 9/10ths of what we do, so please also visit our home page, and read this blog entry before telling us how stupid we are. Thanks!

Walker Weickel

RHP

Currently

270

Full Scouting Report for Walker Weickel

SB 270BA SC BP SN ES ML

Mitch Brown

RHP

Currently

271

A strong and rugged-looking righthander, Cleveland's Mitch Brown is a workhorse in the making. His breaking pitches don't really exist in any meaningful way yet, but the adroitness he exhibits with his sinking 94mph fastball is impressive, making him a promising project from here on out.

Full Scouting Report for Mitch Brown

SB 271BA SC BP SN ES ML

Matt Szczur

OF

Currently

272

Originally drafted by the Dodgers in 2007, Matt Szczur passed on LA and went to Villanova University, where he played both baseball and football. (His complete college CV would read something like WR/RB/QB/KR/OF/2B/SS/Catcher.) Redrafted by the Cubs three years later, he thankfully dedicated himself to baseball and performed very well. Spending most of 2012 in high-A ball, Szczur (it sounds a lot like 'scissor') stroked a .295/.394/.407 line before bellyflopping during his AA dip in the pool. A small fielder but a fast one, with all the tools you'd expect from his background: good reflexes, smart and athletic, and generally durable. His centerfield defense needs work, but he'll probably have all year to work on that.

Full Scouting Report for Matt Szczur

SB 272BA SC BP SN ES ML

Patrick Wisdom

3B

Currently

273

A pure power hitter with iffy judgment to date, Cardinal prospect Pat Wisdom will need to live up to his name in order to hit for a high enough average to move up. That .282 last season is enough to get a promotion this year, for example, but he'll need to keep it up. He's in a good system for this, of course, as the Cardinal farm has always excelled at squeezing maximum performance from AAAA hitters.

Full Scouting Report for Patrick Wisdom

SB 273BA SC BP SN ES ML

Clint Frazier

OF

Currently

274

A high school outfielder selected fifth overall in 2013's draft, Clint Frazier is a five-tool athlete with an advanced bat for such a young player. Some scouts disparage his small size, but his athleticism and performance rival (and in most cases exceed) his more universally-praised teammate Austin Meadows. A long-term building block for the Indians, he'll be moved slowly, as the team tries to slide all the necessary pieces into place in a coordinated roster rebuild.

Full Scouting Report for Clint Frazier

SB 274BA SC BP SN ES ML

Jesse Hahn

RHP

Currently

275

A polished college righthander who went from good to great when tested as a closer, VT's Jessie Hahn has dropped off many prospect lists due to his TJ surgery, but his need for it was well-known when Tampa drafted him, and he's no less exciting now that he's returning to action. Hahn struck out 55 in 52 innings of NY-Penn ball last year working as a starter once again, which isn't surprising considering his background, but what impresses us most is that he walked only 14 batters all season. Hahn already has a near-unhittable 99-101mph fastball with movement, so if he's really managed to tune up his control, he's going to be very good indeed. Watch him move up, probably all the way to AA this season, and then on to Tampa sometime next year.

Full Scouting Report for Jesse Hahn

SB 275BA SC BP SN ES ML

Lucas Sims

RHP

Currently

276

With a lively fastball that can touch 95mph, native Georgian Lucas Sims is the latest entry in the Atlanta pitching derby. He's raw, but he the righthander already gets so much life on his pitches that there's little doubt he'll be effective in some role or other.

Full Scouting Report for Lucas Sims

SB 276BA SC BP SN ES ML

Chris McGuiness

1B

Currently

277

Chris McGuiness, a Citadel grad originally drafted by the Red Sox, came to the Indians a Rule 5 selection from Texas. That means he'll need to stick on the major league roster to remain an Indian, and there are indications he may be able to do just that. McGuiness smacked 24 homers and slashed a .268/.366/.474 line at AA Frisco last season while playing first base exclusively. If he can do that again in the majors, well... those are numbers that the Indians would take from a left-handed first baseman / designated hitter.

Full Scouting Report for Chris McGuiness

SB 277BA SC BP SN ES ML

Angelo Gumbs

2B

Currently

278

New York's second round pick in the 2010 Draft, young Angelo Gumbs was the first high school position player drafted that year, which should help you guess the gist of his ups and downs. To wit, and by the book: he's a gifted athlete, one of the best pure physical specimens in the Yankee stable, with all the signs of plus speed and power hanging on his room-to-grow frame.

He's got a strong arm, shows good range, and though the Yanks have thus far looked to him as an infielder, trying him out at short and second, but any position designation should be considered the lightest of pencil at this point: there's nothing about his toolset that wouldn't work well in left field, for example.

Like almost all young players, he lacks real discipline or judgment in the strike zone, and he has a propensity to swing for the seats even when all the team really needs is a poke to the opposite field. But that's all a maturity thing, and the Yankees have nothing but time to season Gummo: he'll still be a teenager for two more years.

Full Scouting Report for Angelo Gumbs

SB 278BA SC BP SN ES ML

Matt Skole

3B

Currently

279

A third base prospect in the Washington Nationals system (how discouraging for him), Matt Skole is also the brother of the better-known Jake. While Jake went to Texas in 2010's first round, Matt was drafted by the Washington Nationals in 2011's 5th.

A solid hitter with a plus eye at the plate and a nice-looking power swing that doesn't mess up his timing much, he looked very good at high-A Carolina in 2012, slashing .314./355/.486, which should be enough to get himself a ticket to AA ball this season and Washington's speed-dial thereafter. How he handles the increasingly-ungodly breaking balls in AA will be the bellweather for Skole, but there's no reason to doubt him yet. If he puts together another strong year in the minors, we'll probably see him in September.

Full Scouting Report for Matt Skole

SB 279BA SC BP SN ES ML

Drew Vettleson

OF

Currently

280

A corner outfielder with a well-rounded toolset, Drew Vettleson is a Washington state native currently stewing in the Rays system. His lefthanded bat has good pop, as shown in the .275/.340/.432 line and 15 homers he smashed in his first taste of A-ball, 113 games played with in the Midwest League. His power will be interesting to watch as he moves up the ladder: if he can sustain numbers close to those early ones, he'll be an everyday lineup power by mid-2015.

Full Scouting Report for Drew Vettleson

SB 280BA SC BP SN ES ML

270 to 280 of 750 Prospects

Top Prospects 2013

Combined Ranking

1+	10	20	30	40
50	60	70	80	90
100	110	120	130	140
150	160	170	180	190
200	210	220	230	240
250	260	270	280	290
300	310	320	330	340
350	360	370	380	390
400	410	420	430	440
450	460	470	480	490
500	510	520	530	540
550	560	570	580	590
600	610	620	630	640
650	660	670	680	690
700	710	720	730	740

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

LAA	CHW	BAL
OAK	CLE	BOS
SEA	DET	NYY
TEX	KC	TB
HOU	MIN	TOR

ARZ	CHC	ATL
COL	CIN	MIA
LAD	STL	NYM
SF	MLW	PHI
SD	PIT	WAS

Prospect Notes

Recent Player News

Zack Wheeler, NYM

6/18/2013: Only a few hours after Matt Harvey dominated Atlanta with 13 strikeouts, Zack Wheeler struck out seven more Braves in six scoreless innings to win his MLB debut in the second half of today's doubleheader. Though he threw barely half his pitches for strikes and walked five, he should be commended for the cool he showed as he worked out of trouble again and again. With Harvey and Wheeler at the front of next year's rotation, Mets fans should have something to feel hopeful about.
More on Wheeler >

Also In The News...

Top Prospects 2013

Combined Ranking

1+	10	20	30	40
50	60	70	80	90
100	110	120	130	140
150	160	170	180	190
200	210	220	230	240
250	260	270	280	290
300	310	320	330	340
350	360	370	380	390
400	410	420	430	440
450	460	470	480	490
500	510	520	530	540
550	560	570	580	590
600	610	620	630	640
650	660	670	680	690
700	710	720	730	740

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

LAA	CHW	BAL
OAK	CLE	BOS
SEA	DET	NYY
TEX	KC	TB
HOU	MIN	TOR

ARZ	CHC	ATL
COL	CIN	MIA
LAD	STL	NYM
SF	MLW	PHI
SD	PIT	WAS

CloserWatch Notes

Recent Closer News

Update: DET: 6/14/2013

Rumors are swirling that Detroit is seeking a veteran closer via trade to staunch the bleeding caused by Jose Valverde's ineffectiveness. If true, it will be interesting to see what the not very farm-strong Tigers will offer back in young talent.

More Info >

About ScoutingBook.com

ScoutingBook.com is the backyard toolshed of a handful of swell fellas (and one sassy lady) who live, work or breathe baseball, information processing, online gaming, economic theory, infographicology, or some combination of those things.

We made it to combine our overlapping work for our own benefit and amusement. If it's useful to you, too, that's a bonus.

For more about us, and how our prospect-ranking system works, read this.

1+	10	20	30	40
50	60	70	80	90
100	110	120	130	140
150	160	170	180	190
200	210	220	230	240
250	260	270	280	290
300	310	320	330	340
350	360	370	380	390
400	410	420	430	440
450	460	470	480	490
500	510	520	530	540
550	560	570	580	590
600	610	620	630	640
650	660	670	680	690
700	710	720	730	740

1+	10	20	30	40
50	60	70	80	90
100	110	120	130	140
150	160	170	180	190
200	210	220	230	240
250	260	270	280	290
300	310	320	330	340
350	360	370	380	390
400	410	420	430	440
450	460	470	480	490
500	510	520	530	540
550	560	570	580	590
600	610	620	630	640
650	660	670	680	690
700	710	720	730	740

Scouting Book

Tools and Lists for Finding Better Baseball Prospects, Closers and More!

Top Baseball Prospects for 2013

Now updated for 2013's Top Prospects

RHP

Currently

270

RHP

Currently

271

OF

Currently

272

3B

Currently

273

OF

Currently

274

RHP

Currently

275

RHP

Currently

276

1B

Currently

277

2B

Currently

278

3B

Currently

279

OF

Currently

280

Top Prospects 2013

Prospect Notes

Also In The News...

Top Prospects 2013

CloserWatch Notes

Update: DET: 6/14/2013

About ScoutingBook.com

Rising and Falling

Scouting Book Toolbox

NEWCloser Watch 2.0

New Articles

We Recommend...

1+	10	20	30	40
50	60	70	80	90
100	110	120	130	140
150	160	170	180	190
200	210	220	230	240
250	260	270	280	290
300	310	320	330	340
350	360	370	380	390
400	410	420	430	440
450	460	470	480	490
500	510	520	530	540
550	560	570	580	590
600	610	620	630	640
650	660	670	680	690
700	710	720	730	740