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 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
391 to 400 of 525 Prospects
