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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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.
More Scouting Book Info on 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.
More Scouting Book Info on 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.
More Scouting Book Info on 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.
More Scouting Book Info on 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.
More Scouting Book Info on 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.
More Scouting Book Info on 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).
More Scouting Book Info on 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.
More Scouting Book Info on 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.
More Scouting Book Info on 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.
More Scouting Book Info on Chris Dwyer
SB 380BA SC BP SN ES ML
Max is a professional hitter with a career .295/.389/.478 line in the minors. He's athletic enough to play first, third or even the outfield, but his size and skill set is still best-suited to receiving, where he has a good arm and has proven to be a reliable game-caller. He's spent half his career on the trading block, but he's looking like a very good bet to play most of 2012 on Texas's major league roster, if only as a backup.
More Scouting Book Info on Max Ramirez
SB 381BA SC BP SN ES ML
Drafted by the Phillies in the first round of the 2007 Draft and signed with a $1.4M gift basket, Joe Savery finally started to show the talent that merited that bonus in 2011. He didn't play all that much, so the sample size is small, but he did take the mound for four different organization teams, including the major league club (three innings, one hit). A starter who many scouts prefer as a late-inning specialist, his 2012 role is still uncertain, and the Phils might very well want to see if he can nail his progress down over a longer period of time before committing too much more to his short-term future. That said, the team doesn't have a plethora of LOOGY options, especially if the flier the team took on Dontrelle Willis doesn't pan out.
More Scouting Book Info on Joe Savery
SB 382BA SC BP SN ES ML
A compact, powerful bat with an explosive short swing, youngster Angel Salome probably isn't a long-term catching option anymore, but he's still an interesting prospect. He's a bit rough around the edges, but there's not much keeping Salome from putting on a Mariner-blue chest protector right now, if only as a backup.
More Scouting Book Info on Angel Salome
SB 383BA SC BP SN ES ML
A 6-7 righthander from Phoenix with a plus-plus curveball, terrific control, and a lot of moving parts, ex-Giant Tim Alderson is looking more and more like a relief pitcher after bouncing back from a terrible 2010 season. Working mainly from the bullpen in 2011, he reproduced his traditionally nice strikeout-to-walk ratio (57:27 in 74 innings) and turned in a decent 1.30 WHIP. He'll look to build on that in 2012, and while a return to the rotation isn't out of the question yet, he's more likely to be working in the Pirate pen before the coming season is over.
More Scouting Book Info on Tim Alderson
SB 384BA SC BP SN ES ML
An on-again/off-again prospect, Crabbe's chances of breaking into major league ball are declining rapidly as he turns 28, though he still has the tools to do so. A contact hitter with good on-base skills and solid infield hands, Crabbe's short-term value may be as a utility player, and he does evoke a certain Pokey Reese style in his day to day play. If an injury takes out any of the infielders ahead of him, he's more than capable of stepping in and holding his own. P.S.: Those of you thinking about how great a baseball name Callix Crabbe has may also wish to note that the gentleman's middle name is 'Sadeaq'.
More Scouting Book Info on Callix Crabbe
SB 385BA SC BP SN ES ML
A surprise pick by the Brewers in the first round of 2010, righthander Dylan Covey went to college instead, which means he'll be back soon. A polished pitcher with a fastball that can touch 96mph with good motion and natural sink, he also shows a hard, looping curve and a slider that's even harder. His changeup is advanced for a young player, but it still lags behind, raising early questions about his eventual role. He's worth an occasional look, but it'll be a few years before anyone is sure what they have here.
More Scouting Book Info on Dylan Covey
SB 386BA SC BP SN ES ML
Kelvin de la Cruz is a skeletal left-handed strike machine buried in the Indians' farm system. A fastball specialist who rose through three levels of minor league play iback in 2008, he found some floor since, most recently posting a pedestrian 5-6, 4.19, 1.48 line in 86 AA innings (16 starts and 7 bullpen gigs) for Akron. He's still got crazy-good stuff, but he's running out of time to show that he can harness it and make it do what he needs it to do: hit the strike zone. 95 strikeouts in those 86 innings last year sounds great, until you factor in the 57 walks.
More Scouting Book Info on Kelvin de la Cruz
SB 387BA SC BP SN ES ML
One of the top pitchers in Latin America from 2010's signing period, righthander Felix Jorge is one of the most promising Latin American prospects in baseball. He entertained offers from several MLB teams, but the Twins made the best push after seeing him perform at an all-scouts tryout in early 2011.
More Scouting Book Info on Felix Jorge
SB 388BA SC BP SN ES ML
A multitalented prospect signed by Texas out of the DR, Guillermo Pimentel is a lithe and athletic ballplayer who can handle any outfield position. As an 19 year old now in the Mariner system, he's still filling out his frame and learning how to use his tools, but he's got a higher upside than almost any other outfield bat in the minors.
More Scouting Book Info on Guillermo Pimentel
SB 389BA SC BP SN ES ML
A very big, sturdy lefthander from California, Hobgood is a fastball-curve pitching machine who projects as an innings-eating workhorse someday. He's a few years away, though, and he'll definitely need to develop a changeup before he can be set loose on advanced hitters. His velocity, a concern in 2010, improved in 2011, though he's still struggling with command issues. Since he's still got all the stuff he ever showed before, a new coach or a random light bulb could turn him into a top prospect overnight.
More Scouting Book Info on Matt Hobgood
SB 390BA SC BP SN ES ML
Prospects
Top Prospects 2012
Combined Ranking
371 to 390 of 525 Prospects
