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.
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A very strong athlete who could make many prospect lists as a power pitcher (his fastball is 92mph), ex-National and current Cub prospect Mike Burgess is a better bet to grow as a corner outfield bat. Right now he's all power and no discipline, but that power is special enough -- Jim Bowden called it 'thunderous' -- that he's worth keeping an eye on. High strikeouts or not, he's a great fit a future for Wrigley.
Full Scouting Report for Michael Burgess
SB 361BA SC BP SN ES ML
A surprise pick by the Cubs in 2010's first Draft round, Hayden Simpson is a prototypical college ace from a lesser-known Division II school. His 22-1 record and 2.73 ERA over his first two seasons at Southern Arkansas put him on the map, and subsequent scouting reports kept him there. Simpson works with a strong 92-94 fastball that can touch 96, and a power curve that's very well developed for an amateur. A bit smaller than scouts like to see, he could be a big league reliever soon, but he'll need to recover from a horrible 2011 when he looked simply out of his league. He'll repeat rookie ball to start 2012.
Full Scouting Report for Hayden Simpson
SB 362BA SC BP SN ES ML
A lefthanded changeup specialist in the Cubs system, Korean Dae-Eun Rhee is something of a sleeper. Signed by Steve Wilson as an international free agent in 2008, he's been busy since frustrating hitters with his changeup ever since. He could sniff MLB in 2012, but 2013 looks more likely.
Full Scouting Report for Dae-Eun Rhee
SB 363BA SC BP SN ES ML
A smart, savvy hitter with strong arms and developing power, Cleveland's Nick Weglarz's biggest problem has been staying on the diamond, as he's been crippled by injuries for two years in a row. When he's able to play, he uses his very fast hands to work the bat through the zone quickly, with line-drive power to all fields. Despite his massive build, his swing lacks the loft of a true power-hitter, though that may come soon as he continues to fill out. A first-baseman in high school, the Indians have been using him in left field, where his glove and arm are not better than average. While he still seems to be fighting with nagging knee problems that are dampening his power stroke, his eye remains as sharp as ever, as he walks almost as often as he strikes out: a golden star for any power hitter. He missed his chance to play in Cleveland last year when his own injuries coincided with Shin Soo Choo's season-ending malady, but if he ever puts together a healthy campaign he's bound to earn top marks in MLB.
Full Scouting Report for Nick Weglarz
SB 364BA SC BP SN ES ML
Another late inning specialist, Fields had no clear role in the Mariners, and was bundled off to a team more in need of middle relief when he moved to Boston in 2011 as part of the Erik Bedard package. Fields recorded a 3.92 ERA and 39:32 K:BB ratio in double and triple-A last season, and provides some insurance should the Red Sox 'pen suffer its traditional decimation at midseason.
Full Scouting Report for Joshua Fields
SB 365BA SC BP SN ES ML
Once a top prospect in the Marlins system, reliever Brett Sinkbeil probably isn't a future closer anymore, as his development has been hampered by a series of injuries from which he still doesn't seem to have recovered. When he can take the mound, though, he's an impressive kid: the combination of plus fastball and nasty slider could be useful in the late innings soon. He'll idle in AAA for the season unless the MLB bullpen suffers decimating injury or ineffectiveness.
Full Scouting Report for Brett Sinkbeil
SB 366BA SC BP SN ES ML
A smart value-pick from the 2008 draft by the Rockies, Friedrich was one of the two or three best lefthanders in the pool, as well as one of the best prep pitchers available, making him a steal at the 25th overall pick. He did nothing but move up the charts in his first year of pro ball, either, finishing second in all of minor league baseball in strikeouts per nine innings with an obscene 12.0. In addition to crazy heat, Friedrich shows off a 12 to 6 curve and a hard, biting slider that could blossom into true plus pitches in the majors. If he has a weakness, it's his so-so changeup, and his return to AA Tulsa in 2011 did little to alleviate this, as he turned in a near carbon-copy of his 2010 performance: lots of strikeouts but too many hits and runs on the board. If he can stay healthy and develop his change a little further, his main pitches will be a whole lot more effective at fooling hitters, though, and he could still blossom into a front-of-rotation starter.
Full Scouting Report for Christian Friedrich
SB 367BA SC BP SN ES ML
His star has faded a bit in Boston, and the long-term signing of Adrian Gonzalez leaves him as an older prospect with no clear path to the majors, but Lars Anderson can still hit baseballs a very, very long way, and in 2011 he launched 14 more dinger s(and 32 doubles) while cooling his heels in AAA Pawtucket. While he provides a little organization depth in a system that could some more infielders, his best opportunity in MLB might have to come with another team. A Jack Cust-like late bloom is possible, here.
Full Scouting Report for Lars Anderson
SB 368BA SC BP SN ES ML
In drafting Omaha native Conor Gillaspie in the supplemental round of the 2008 amateur draft, the Giants raised a lot of eyebrows. A high-average hitter with projectable power, he was expected to last later than that. The Giants gave him five MLB at-bats at the tail end of 2008, during which he walked twice and homered off, of all people, Dan Haren. Other than another 19 ABs (and another homer) in 2011, he's been back in his proper environment since, and has grown as his keepers hoped.. While he could be a bench player in the bigs immediately, the Giants are probably best off having him start in the minors again while waiting for an opening.
Full Scouting Report for Conor Gillaspie
SB 369BA SC BP SN ES ML
A toolsy infielder with good bat speed, Tejeda is a high-quality prospect with no obvious path in the Boston system. A smart player with a good attitude for learning and development, he possesses the raw skills to play almost any position. In Boston, that means it's possible he may be moved to third base if he develops a bit more power. At his current projection, he's more of a 10-15 homer guy than a major longball threat.
Full Scouting Report for Oscar Tejeda
SB 370BA SC BP SN ES ML
One of those offensive-minded 'shortstops' in quotation marks, A's prospect Yordy Cabrera seems to already be outgrowing the position, despite the fact he's barely old enough to shave. A 2010 draft pick out of high school, Cabrera's calling card is natural plus power from the right side of the plate. He's also got above-average wheels and a strong throwing arm, but it's the power bat the Athletics signed and it's the power bat they want to develop. As we expected, he started to show that power in A-ball last year, tapping six balls over the fence and another 21 into the gaps in 359 at-bats. That's a good start. He's got a way to grow yet, and there are the usual question marks, but if you absolutely must pencil in a Bay Area arrival, we'd bet on late 2013, probably as a third baseman or right fielder.
Full Scouting Report for Yordy Cabrera
SB 371BA SC BP SN ES ML
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. With most of his 2011 season lost to a thumb injury in the Reds system, he'll be spending 2012 trying to make Braves management regret cutting him.
Full Scouting Report for Eric Campbell
SB 372BA SC BP SN ES ML
Washington loves to collect raw, powerful hitters, and Hood probably has more raw power than any player of his draft class. A three-sport star in high-school, Hood's linebacker physique certainly looks the part of big league slugger already, and the 13 homers he hit while slashing .276/.364/.445 at high-A Potomac last year suggest that he could have the skills to go along with his muscle, too.
Full Scouting Report for Destin Hood
SB 373BA SC BP SN ES ML
The 49th overall selection in the 2009 draft, high schooler Zachary Von Rosenberg was a high-upside pick for the Pirates, who went well over their usual budget to sign him and keep him away from LSU. A big, strong player with good overall athleticism, he projects as an innings-eating workhorse, as long as he can stay healthy. He's already quite well-developed, with three pitches that look like they could play in the majors quite soon: a 90mph fastball with movement that should get harder as he grows, an already-advanced curve, and a changeup that's quite a bit ahead of average. Don't press too hard just yet, but you can pencil him into the middle of the Pirate rotation come 2014 or so.
Full Scouting Report for Zack Von Rosenberg
SB 374BA SC BP SN ES ML
The Cincinnati Reds' Minor League Player of the Year for 2008, infielder Chris Valaika has kept on developing since, slashing .261/.302/.355 in AAA Louisville last season and ending the season with his second MLB callup.He looks like a long-term shortstop, with good hands and quick feet. At the plate, he has an aggressive approach that's working well so far, with good line-drive power that could blossom into 20-homer pop in the future. He'll probably start the year back in AAA, but he'll be on speed dial once again.
Full Scouting Report for Chris Valaika
SB 375BA SC BP SN ES ML
A big, lefty-hitting shortstop from UCLA, Giants' prospect Brandon Crawford had an illustrious career with the Bruins, starting each and every of the 179 games the team played during his tenure. He hit over .300 each year, helping to lead the Bruins to the NCAA Tournament each season. As a Giant progeny, he's struggled somewhat to find his stick, but he's young and hard-working enough to improve. He might not stick at short, but as long as he can continue to grow, he should be able to slide into at least a utility role sometime in 2012 or 2013.
Full Scouting Report for Brandon Crawford
SB 376BA SC BP SN ES ML
With a name bound to be misspelled often in the coming years, Red Sox prospect Clevelan Santeliz is a right-handed pitcher from Valencia, Venezuela. A stocky six-footer with broad shoulders and high heat, he has the stuff to start, but if he wants to break out of the bullpen, he'll need to harness some additional control (he's still walking almost six per game).
Full Scouting Report for Clevelan Santeliz
SB 377BA SC BP SN ES ML
Puerto Rican native Ozzie Martinez has already bounced around a few organizations without finding a long-term home. He's a plus fielder and a decent hitter, and he's clearly pretty darn MLB-ready, which means the only remaining question is whether a club will commit to him in more than a part-time utility role. It would be nice to see what he could do with 400 at-bats.
Full Scouting Report for Osvaldo Martinez
SB 378BA SC BP SN ES ML
When Jose Julio Ruiz defected from Cuba in 2009 at age 25, he was ranked as one of the league's top-rated hitters. A pure offensive threat, the fireplug-shaped Ruiz will likely be relegated to 1B or DH duties in the USA, but his bat should be able to play at the major league level very soon. A gap hitter with decent but not great power, he has a smooth, quick swing from the left side that should allow him to maintain an average similar to the .300 he traditionally posted in Cuba. While the lack of plus power might hold him back from a top tier position, his overall path could be similar to slow-burning Angel Kendry Morales, who simmered for a couple of years before breaking out in 2009.
Full Scouting Report for Jose Ruiz
SB 379BA SC BP SN ES ML
A so-so season in NW Arkansas (AA) didn't do much to increase Dwyer's stock, but he's still young enough that his undeniable strikeout stuff could play out to KC's benefit. Like so many young flamethrowers, he just needs to harness it. As a lefty, he'll be given extra patience.
Full Scouting Report for Chris Dwyer
SB 380BA SC BP SN ES ML
Prospects
Top Prospects 2012
Combined Ranking
361 to 380 of 525 Prospects
