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 headline acquisition as part of the trade of pitcher Matt Garza, Hak-Ju Lee is a big, powerful shortstop from Korea who's now prominently positioned in the Tampa Bay system. Already a polished hitter (.317/.389/.442 at high-A Charlotte last year), Lee seems to have the footwork and arm to stick at shortstop, too, and he's shown improvement in the field every season. His 32 steals in 2010 is also a highlight worth remembering. He should get a shot at Tampa life come September, and compete for a job in 2013.
More Scouting Book Info on Hak-Ju Lee
SB 41BA SC 20BP SN ES ML 46
Juan Carlos Segura is a toolbox of talent currently growing in the Los Angeles Angels system. While long-seen as a solid gloveman, he's also got true plus speed, and he's slouch with the stick, either: the diminutive Dominican slashed .281/.337/.422 at high-A Inland Empire last season, stealing 18 bases in 24 attempts while at it. He also shows exceptional discipline at the plate for such a young player. He may end up moved to the outfield, depending how the Anaheim pipeline arranges itself, but it shouldn't matter: he can play anywhere. If he can get into AA by midseason, he'll be in position to make his final push for a big-league job.
More Scouting Book Info on Jean Segura
SB 42BA SC 22BP SN ES ML 55
The player formerly known as Carlos Matias is a high-risk, high-upside pitcher from the Dominican who brings an advanced fastball and pitchability to the US mound. He's a bit of a mystery, and there's some question about how well his stuff will translate to the US game, but his minor league performance in 2011 quelled any fears that he would be a bust, as he struck out 98 A and high-A batters in 85 innings of pro work.
More Scouting Book Info on Carlos Martinez
SB 43BA SC 19BP SN ES ML 30
One of three top prospects acquired in winter 2011 from the Nationals, AJ Cole is a six-foot-five, lanky righthander who can already touch 95mph with his fastball. Cole also mixes in a power curve and passable changeup that could develop into plus pitches with good coaching and support. He's already drawing comparisons to Justin Verlander, who was a similar pitcher at the same age.
More Scouting Book Info on AJ Cole
SB 44BA SC 76BP SN ES ML 88
The seventh overall pick in the 2010 draft, Matt Harvey is a tall righthander from Mystic, Connecticut who pitched his college ball at UNC, where a few tweaks to his high-school delivery paid off with extra cheese on his fastball. He can dial that smooth, easy heat up to 98mph and has a propensity for throwing ground balls. His command is spotty, but nothing out of the norm for such a young, high-upside arm. He should move quickly through a pitching-poor Mets system, and it wouldn't be a shock to see him in Flushing sometime in 2012.
More Scouting Book Info on Matt Harvey
SB 45BA SC 52BP SN ES ML 38
Taken by Boston in the fifth round of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft out of Liberty-Eylau High School in Texarkana, third baseman Will MIddlebrook is a sharp line-drive hitter with advanced baseball savvy. An offensive machine, he raked .302/.345/.520 with 18 homers for the AA franchise in 2011 before a late season taste of AAA. His fielding, on the other hand, is lagging behind, and he'll need to get a lot more sure with the glove and arm before he's ready for everyday MLB duty, especially at third base. But if the BoSox grow injury-riddled again, they may decide some power is worth a few kicked grounders: he's probably the most potent in-house bat available to the team for the next year or two.
More Scouting Book Info on Will Middlebrooks
SB 46BA SC 68BP SN ES ML 56
Two years from now, the Seattle Mariners might just have one of the very best rotations in all of baseball. Yes, really. In addition to solid and near-ready Danny Hultzen and phenom Taijuan Walker, the Mariners also own James Paxton, a tall, athletic Canadian lefthander. Paxton rose to national attention at U Kentucky, and was selected in the 2009 Draft's supplemental round by the Toronto Blue Jays. He did not sign, however, and quickly became embroiled in a hubbub and eventual lawsuit when it was revealed that his 'family adviser' Scott Boras may have negotiated with the Blue Jays on his behalf, which is against NCAA rules. He thus became ineligible to play NCAA ball in 2010, and instead parked himself in independent ball to await the next draft, when he was selected by the Mariners much later, at #132nd overall.
More Scouting Book Info on James Paxton
SB 47BA SC 71BP SN ES ML 77
The Red Sox first round pick in 2011, UConn's Matt Barnes was the 2011 Big East Pitcher of the Year. With a 98mph fastball and a curveball that looks downright impossible on a good day, he already looks like he could be a part of a big-league rotation, though his 1-2 pitch combo probably wouldn't work very well the third or fourth time through an MLB order. To fix this shortcoming, he'll work on developing his all-important third pitch, a change that's already reasonable but still raw. He'll do that while working in the minors this year, while the Red Sox try to train him to their style of play and development. Watch for him in 2013.
More Scouting Book Info on Matt Barnes
SB 48BA SC BP SN ES ML
He might sound more like a law firm than a pitcher (and there have indeed been a few ballplayers who've needed a good DUI lawyer in Chicago lately) but Addison Reed is actually a big, burly fireballer from Rancho Cucamonga who could push his way into the front of the White Sox bullpen as soon as this season. In seven innings.
More Scouting Book Info on Addison Reed
SB 49BA SC 58BP SN ES ML 100
A flamethrowing lefthander, Montgomery was grabbed early by the Royals in the 2008 draft. So far, he's looking pretty legitimate, if unspectacular. He's assembled a 3.47 ERA, a 1.24 WHIP and a 349/148 collection of strikeouts versus walks. He's only 22 years old, and he could probably use another year of polish after his stumbles in AAA last season, but the nothing-to-lose Royals might take a look at him sooner than that.
More Scouting Book Info on Mike Montgomery
SB 50BA SC 32BP SN ES ML 31
The Chicago Cubs Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2010, power righthander Chris Archer was the premium prospect returned to Tampa Bay in the trade that sent Matt Garza to Chicago. While his command is still spotty, the wild life he gets on a 97mph fastball and his true plus slider are tantalizing. As long as he can command his pitches a bit better and mix in his sub-average (for now) change, he still looks likely to be a near-ace starter come 2013 or so. If not, he's looking a lot like lights-out closer material already.
More Scouting Book Info on Chris Archer
SB 51BA SC BP SN ES ML 74
A thickly-built, wide-framed power bat from Texas who moves pretty well for his size, Mike Choice is a player destined for an outfield corner rather than the centerfield he played at UT. He draws comparisons to Pedro Alvarez for his body type and the attack angle of his quick right-handed swing. As an advanced bat with an excellent work ethic and (by all reports) a solid character, he should move quickly through the Oakland system.
More Scouting Book Info on Michael Choice
SB 52BA SC 29BP SN ES ML 59
A crafty Australian with a highly-deceptive darting fastball and advanced pitchability, Twins prospect Liam Hendriks blew through two more levels of play and just kept on embarrassing hitters again in 2011. Hendriks is a solid starter, mixing up four above-average pitches to deliver a 29-17, 2.78, 1.09 line over three years of minor league development. His career minor league K-to-BB ratio is a almost 6:1, one of the best qualifying ratios in modern minor league history. A clever control pitcher like Hendriks could be a godsend in the middle of the Twins rotation for years to come, and he's ready to start his Twins career right about... now.
More Scouting Book Info on Liam Hendriks
SB 53BA SC BP SN ES ML
Trade one young star, get two in return. Thats what the Padres did when they picked up not just Yonder Alonso, but also Yasmani Grandal by trading away young ace Mat Latos in 2011. A switch-hitting Cuban catcher with a powerful right arm, Grandal was the top actual-catcher of the 2010 draft class. While his receiving and game-calling need a lot of work, his bat is already looking like a premium contact weapon, and with his body type, overall athleticism and team-leader personality, he looks likely to remain behind the plate.
More Scouting Book Info on Yasmani Grandal
SB 54BA SC 91BP SN ES ML 68
A wiry power pitcher with three quality pitches and developing control, Randall Delgado looks every bit the part of a young phenom: some days he can blow hitters away, while on other days he looks lost on the mound. His fastball, which can touch 95, lives more in the 92mph range with significant late movement. He got a look at the Braves big club in 2011, and he should get a much longer look in 2012. Depending on how beat up the major league staff is in midsummer, he could even get a call to stay.
More Scouting Book Info on Randall Delgado
SB 55BA SC 55BP SN ES ML 42
Dominican catcher Wilin Rosario was signed by the Rockies as an IFA with little fanfare in 2008. He went on to destroy the Pioneer League (.316/.371.532) at the age of 19, the best performance by a PL catcher since Russell Martin's debut. He found his AA level last year, slashing .249/.284/.457 at Tulsa, and even took four dozen at-bats away from veterans in Colorado by season end. He looks like he will have the acumen and temperment to handle a pitching staff, and his catch-and-throw skills are developing rapidly. If he can remain a catcher, he could be a top prospect very soon, and it's hard not to drool a little thinking about his bat reaching Coors Field full-time in 2013 or so.
More Scouting Book Info on Wilin Rosario
SB 56BA SC BP SN ES ML 63
Originally drafted by the Dodgers in 2007, Matt Szczur passed on LA and went to Villanova University, where he played both baseball and football. (His complete college CV would read something like WR/RB/QB/KR/OF/2B/SS/Catcher.) Redrafted by the Cubs three years later, he thankfully dedicated himself to baseball and performed very well in A ball: .314/.366/.431 at A-level Peoria and .260/.283/.410 at high-A Daytona in the fall.
More Scouting Book Info on Matt Szczur
SB 57BA SC 82BP SN ES ML
Another two-way player inherited from the Phillies system, Jarred Cosart is primarily a pitcher as far as the Astros are concerned. As a pitcher, he displays a consistent, balanced delivery, with a mid-90's fastball and a polished 11-5 curve that's probably the best hammer in the Astro system. His change, while a bit rough, also looks to be a potential plus offering.
More Scouting Book Info on Jarred Cosart
SB 58BA SC 25BP SN ES ML 61
There aren't a lot of Arubans around MLB, but the tiny island's reputation should be well-represented by Red Sox infield prospect Xander Bogaerts. A player of exceptional baseball intelligence, the man with the name straight from a JK Rowlings novel has a graceful, quick swing with a little natural loft that should serve him well once his body fills out a bit more: it was already good enough for 16 homers at A-level Greenville. His contact is solid and strong to all fields, and he's an above-average baserunner to boot. His weaknesses to date are iffy strike zone judgement (he's young) and some awkwardness in the field, especially with his footwork (he's young). Given a couple more years, he could be a well-known prospect. He'll try to hit his way through A-ball this year.
More Scouting Book Info on Xander Bogaerts
SB 59BA SC 42BP SN ES ML 76
A talented lefty hitter who's played nothing but outfield since being drafted by the Brewers in 1998, Logan Shafer also put up one of the most impressive minor league seasons in baseball in 2011. Leaping from high A to AA to AAA and eventually getting a pat on the rear with eight games on the Milwaukee bench, Shafer actually performed better and better as he moved up the ladder, culminating in an eye-popping .331/.401/.521 during 40 games at AAA Nashville.
More Scouting Book Info on Logan Schafer
SB 60BA SC BP SN ES ML
Prospects
Top Prospects 2012
Combined Ranking
41 to 60 of 525 Prospects
