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.
If you think you have found a mistake, please read this blog entry before telling us. Then tell us.
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.
Full Scouting Report for 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.
Full Scouting Report for 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.
Full Scouting Report for 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.
Full Scouting Report for 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'.
Full Scouting Report for 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.
Full Scouting Report for Dylan Covey
SB 386BA 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.
Full Scouting Report for Felix Jorge
SB 387BA 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.
Full Scouting Report for Guillermo Pimentel
SB 388BA 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.
Full Scouting Report for Kelvin de la Cruz
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.
Full Scouting Report for Matt Hobgood
SB 390BA SC BP SN ES ML
A powerful lefthanded outfielder, Yankee prospect Slade Heathcott looks like a future offensive monster, especially if he remains on a path leading to New Yankee Stadium. A professional hitter, Heathcott has plus contact and power skills, not to mention superior baserunning ability. He's more than adequate in the field, and while he can play center, his body type might be better-suited to a corner outfield position. All told, he's a legitimate 30-30 candidate as long as he stays focused on development. Mumblings about possible off-field issues seem to be more smoke than substance, but even if there's something to them, the button-down Yankees system is a good place to straighten out any young man looking for discipline and guidance.
Full Scouting Report for Slade Heathcott
SB 391BA SC BP SN ES ML
He was the Orioles' shortstop of the future until the drafting of Manny Machado, but no matter wher ehe ends up, infielder Mychal Givens should be an impact player sooner or later. In 2011, he blew through low-A (361 .337 .698) and had a more respectable good time in A-level Delmarya (.260 .229 .488). He should be able to hit near-.300 at any level once he finds his feet, and projects as a nice contact bat. His rough glovework, which was once a major concern, seems to be improving, though he'll need to be better than a 19-out-of-20 fielder to succeed at shortstop.
Full Scouting Report for Mychal Givens
SB 392BA SC BP SN ES ML
A third-round pick from the 2006 draft class, the 6-4 and 240 pound Bates is a big, strong hitter with solid plate discipline. Aaron has plus power that's near big-league ready, but not much else. His bat-speed is suspect, which means he may flounder at higher levels if he keeps trying to hit every pitch 600ft. In his first full season under the Twins' tutelage, he seemed to curtail some of his free-swingingness, slashing .316/.408/.439 and taking 53 walks versus only 90 strikeouts at AAA Rochester. He could see 1B/DH duty in Minnesota this year.
Full Scouting Report for Aaron Bates
SB 393BA SC BP SN ES ML
A righthander with some tangible upside, White Sox pitcher Gregory Infante looked good in AA last year (14 strikeouts in 15 innings) but stumbled when parked in AAA (40:21 and a 1.47 WHIP in 24 appearances). He's got a nice, easy mid-90's fastball and a promising curve, but he needs a reliable third pitch if he's going to fool batters more than once or twice each. Look for him to hover around the fringes of the White Sox bullpen in 2012.
Full Scouting Report for Gregory Infante
SB 394BA SC BP SN ES ML
A big right-hander who projects as an innings-eating workhorse down the road, Brewer prospect Eric Arnett throws a 94mph fastball with heavy sink, and complements it with a still-erratic low-80's slider. A still-developing splitter and changeup are also in the quiver, though he doesn't use either with confidence just yet.
Full Scouting Report for Eric Arnett
SB 395BA SC BP SN ES ML
A 4th round 2007 pick out of Newberry Park (Los Angeles) high school, first baseman Andrew Lambo fell lower than his talent dictated due to character concerns, but now that he's maturing, he's a civilized monster waiting to happen. The Dodgers preferred to use his all-around athletic ability in the outfield, but his new owners in Pittsburgh may reopen the question of Lambo as a future first baseman. In any case, he'll need to develop a little more contact ability if his power is going to have much impact: his .184 average across 60 AAA games last season wasn't exactly impressive.
Full Scouting Report for Andrew Lambo
SB 396BA SC BP SN ES ML
Ex-Tiger Chance Ruffin, son of ex-MLBer Bruce Wayne Ruffin (yes, really), is a Seattle-owned righthander who works mainly from a 94mph fastball that has run, tail, and sink thanks to his arm angle and somewhat violent delivery. Ruffin is something of a flinger, luring hitters into chasing darting fastballs and hard curves that are often out of the strike zone. This seems to be working so far, at least at lower levels: Ruffin's 5:1 strikeout to walk ratio in college decayed to 3:1 in the minor leagues, and 2:1 during his two stints in the majors. That's the wrong direction for change. He needs to learn to be effective when smarter hitters force him to pitch inside the box if he's going to blossom into a serious pitching force in Seattle, or anywhere.
Full Scouting Report for Chance Ruffin
SB 397BA SC BP SN ES ML
A power pitcher with a three-quarter delivery and a wicked 96mph fastball who's zoomed up the charts in the last year, lefthander Drake Britton was once one of the Red Sox's top pitching prospects before being dreailed by injury. Working his way back in 2011, he had a troubled year in high-A Salem, posting a nasty 6.91 ERA and hard to look at 1.70 WHIP, all of which resulted in a glaring 1-13 record. He works a plus curve from that fastball, but he seems to have lost the ability to throw his once devastating 80mph change reliably, which will keep him from advancing in the system.
Full Scouting Report for Drake Britton
SB 398BA SC BP SN ES ML
The kind of big, strong lefthander that scouts fall in love with, the six-foot-six Matzek not only brings overpowering heat from the left side but flusters hitters with three different offspeed pitches to boot. A king-sized almost-ace in the making, Matzek stumbled hard at high-A Modesto last season, but he still has the raw stuff to be the anchor of many Major League teams in the future. He's striking out more than one batter per inning, but he's walking even a higher number, which means he's got some distance to go before reaching Coors Field. He's a good bounce-back candidate for 2012.
Full Scouting Report for Tyler Matzek
SB 399BA SC BP SN ES ML
A third base prospect deep 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.
Full Scouting Report for Matt Skole
SB 400BA SC BP SN ES ML
Prospects
Top Prospects 2012
Combined Ranking
381 to 400 of 525 Prospects
