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.
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A tall and lanky teenager who arrived in the DR in the winter of 2011, outfielder Jorge Soler is one of the most promising Cuban prospects in baseball today. He's already shown off his tools in Dominica, and while he looks like a centerfielder right now, physically, his height and young age make it quite possible he'll be a corner fielder when he finishes growing. And if his loopy power swing develops as expected, he'll hit like one too.
More Scouting Book Info on Jorge Soler
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The big slugger named Jonathan Singleton had no real future in Philadelphia, but in the AL-destined Astros he looks like a heck of a 1B/DH piece for the near future. Even as a corner outfield prospect, he's competent, and his powerful left-handed bat does nothing but hit. Singleton raked a nice .284 with 21 homers at AA Corpus Christi last season, which would have placed him squarely into contention for an Opening Day job in Houston if he hadn't derailed his career with a 50-game PED-free drug suspension. He'll be back around midseason and should push his way onto the MLB squad before the year is over, regardless.
More Scouting Book Info on Jonathan Singleton
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The best college arm available from Texas, St. Louis's Michael Wacha draws a lot of Jon Garland comparisons thanks to his size and bulldog approach, but he's probably got a higher ceiling due to his excellent stuff. Expected to move slowly in the Cardinal system, he's outplayed expectations and could be ready sooner than originally planned. That said, he probably needs a full season of professional ball before anyone will really understand how good he could be. Unless MLB injuries accelerate his path, that's how the Cardinals are likely to handle him.
More Scouting Book Info on Michael Wacha
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A smallish, toolsy outfielder drafted in 2011's supplemental round by the Red Sox, Jackie Bradley has been zipping up the prospect charts ever since. Bradley outclassed high-A ball in his first season of work, showing off on-base skills and speed on the bases that could make him a legit leadoff threat in the majors soon. Perhaps most promising, though, is Bradley's patience at the plate: there are not many minor leaguers who walk more often than they strike out. After dominating high-A early in 2012, he found a better level in AA ball (.271/.373/.437).
More Scouting Book Info on Jackie Bradley
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The proud owner of a name that's as much hiphop as shortstop, Arizona prospect Didi Gregorius looks to be the sort of long-term shortstop that Stephen Drew never quite became. Mariekson Julius Gregorius (okay, now we see why he prefers Didi) is a Netherlands native with a sweet lefthanded swing who can play all over the diamond, though he certainly does seem very much at home at shortstop. As a Reds prospect, he slashed .278/.344/.373 at AA Pensacola in 2012, proving that there wasn't much left between him and the big-league club, and attracting the eye of the DBacks, who snatched him up as the sexiest return from their trade of Trevor Bauer. In Arizona, he'll now compete with fellow arrival Nick Ahmed for Shortstop of the Future honors, and thanks to his MLB experience, he should get the chance to lock down an MLB job first.
More Scouting Book Info on Didi Gregorius
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Drafted by the Padres after winning the 2010 Brooks Wallace Award as the best shortstop in NCAA Division I, Jedd Gyorko has always been officially regarded as a third basemen by the organization, despite his smallish stature and better suitability for second. Of course, his bat has been nothing small since joining the Friars: In a season spent mainly in the AAA parking lot, Gyorko smashed a .328/.380/.588 line that included 24 dingers and another 24 doubles, numbers which should translate pretty well to gap-friendly Petco. With numbers like that, the Padres won't mind if they have to fudge his height in the official program. He's ready right now, but the usual contract gerrymandering might delay his MLB debut until June.
More Scouting Book Info on Jedd Gyorko
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It might look like a letter fell off the back of his jersey, but outfielder Oswaldo Arcia is actually a fully-named outfield prospect working in the backwoods of Minnesota. A legit power threat who hits and hits at every level with which he's faced, the Venezuelan Arcia only needs to refine his plate approach enough that he can take a walk once and awhile, rather than swinging and missing at ball four day after day. He's already looking just fine in the outfield, and the Twins have had plenty of time to see him in all three slots, too.
More Scouting Book Info on Oswaldo Arcia
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Scouts are still split on whether Cardinal prospect Trevor Rosenthal will be a starter or reliever going forward, but one way or another he should be able to bring his plus control and excellent pitcher's mind to bear at a high level soon. His fastball isn't overpowering, but it's a 94mph pitch that he controls well. He's still learning to get a consistent handle on his breaking pitches, but even when he can't find it, he locates them well enough to stay out of too much trouble. Combine that with excellent game smarts and you have a pitcher who could do well enough even with sub-par stuff. If he gains the command to throw any pitch in any count, though, he'll be even better than that.
More Scouting Book Info on Trevor Rosenthal
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A supplemental first round pick for the Brewers a few years back, Jake 'the Dog' Odorizzi is a tall righthander with a smooth and easy delivery that portends well for his future. Originally a part of the prospect package that moved Zack Greinke to Milwaukee, Odorizzi was a hot commodity again in 2012's offseason, as he was shipped to Tampa in favor of some more-seasoned veteran pitching. He's pretty much ready for action, though, and expectations will be high for him to fill that hole in the Rays' rotation ASAP. He'll enjoy the benefits of some nice pitching coaches, of course: Tampa is very very good at squeezing the best performance from young arms.
More Scouting Book Info on Jake Odorizzi
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Prospects
Top Prospects 2013
Combined Ranking
31 to 40 of 750 Prospects
