Top Baseball Prospects 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.
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Juan Yasser Serrano is lanky Cuban righthander who defected to the United States in April 2009. Serrano gained some attention in the US when he helped the junior national team to a 2-1 defeat of the USA for at the Pan-Am Games, but that's the extent of his exposure in America. Back in Cuba, he posted a 16-23 'lifetime' record as a starter, and didn't look like much of a premium prospect in his final year with Villa Clara. We can forgive his mind being on his pending defection, but what we have trouble forgiving is the 6.46 ERA and .312 opponents' batting average across sixteen starts.
More Scouting Book Info on Juan Serrano
SB 421BA SC BP SN ES ML
A two-way player drafted by the Cubs as a pitcher in 2008, Randy 'Jay' Jackson is a sturdy righthander with a heavy 93mph fastball and an average curve. Jackson went 8-14 with a 5.34 ERA in 26 starts with AAA Iowa this season. Originally selected by the Cubs in the ninth round of the 2008 Draft, he's got some 2012 sleeper potential as a fifth (or sixth) starter, but if the Cubs need a power righthanded arm in the bullpen sooner than that, the kid they (should) call 'Dawg' could get a look-see a lot sooner than that.
More Scouting Book Info on Jay Jackson
SB 422BA SC BP SN ES ML
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.
More Scouting Book Info on Michael Burgess
SB 423BA 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.
More Scouting Book Info on Josh Fields
SB 424BA 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.
More Scouting Book Info on Hayden Simpson
SB 425BA SC BP SN ES ML
A righthanded 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 plus change ever since. He could sniff MLB in 2012, but 2013 looks more likely.
More Scouting Book Info on Dae-Eun Rhee
SB 426BA SC BP SN ES ML
A talented but incomplete outfielder who committed to Georgia Tech in both football (safety) and baseball before being drafted by the Texas Rangers in the middle of 2010's first round, Jake Skole is the kind of powerful left-handed bat that plays well in Arlington. He looked pretty good in A-level Hickory (Sally League) in 2011, but his .264/.366/.389 line isn't what coaches expect to see in such a hitter-happy place, and his strikeout rate has been climing to scary-bad levels. He's still only nineteen, of course, so hang in there. He'll try to work into high-A ball this year, and pick up a little discipline along the way.
More Scouting Book Info on Jake Skole
SB 427BA SC BP SN ES ML
A natural centerfielder who the Cardinals snapped up a little sooner than expected in the 2011 draft, Charlie Tilson is a raw talent but a natural athlete. He shows a very quick bat with good natural eye at the plate, and if he can refine that to make solid contact more reliably, he'll be a capable leadoff man. He's already shown genuine plus speed, giving him the raw ability to manage center field with ease. He'll need a couple of years of skills training on both sides of the ball, but if he lives up to even most of his potential, he'll be a great table-setter in St. Louis come late-2014 or so.
More Scouting Book Info on Charlie Tilson
SB 428BA 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.
More Scouting Book Info on Nick Weglarz
SB 429BA SC BP SN ES ML
Every time we scan down the list of interesting teenagers on the IFA market, we say the same thing: this game needs a few more Vicmals. Thanks to Oakland's wily and aggressive international scouting department, we got our wish in 2011. Thanks, Sam!
More Scouting Book Info on Vicmal De La Cruz
SB 430BA SC BP SN ES ML
Prospects
Top Prospects 2012
Combined Ranking
420 to 430 of 500 Prospects
