Top Baseball Prospects for 2013
Now updated for 2013'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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A tiny Dominican lefthander drafted as an IFA by the Diamondbacks in 2007, Eury De La Rosa is a crafty strikeout artist (68 strikeouts in 63 innings at AA Mobile) with plus control (only 17 walks). His fastball is a low-to-mid nineties model, but it comes with some sink and nifty movement, contributing to his good ground ball rate. The breaking ball, while not a plus pitch, is more than enough to keep hitters honest. More than the stuff, it's De La Rosa's advanced feel for pitching that will get him to a major league bullpen as early as 2013.
Full Scouting Report for Eury De La Rosa
SB 481BA SC BP SN ES ML
An infield prospect in a Washington system that doesn't have all that many, the fast-rising Zach Walters could muscle his way to the MLB bench in 2013. Walters, who's competent across the infield but best-deployed at third thanks to his strong arm and quick feet, could also fill in at shortstop if necessary. Walters showed a bit of power in AA last season, slashing .293/.326/.518, which puts a nice frosting on his traditionally solid on-base game. He maintained most of that even after a bump to AAA (.269/.304/.399), which shows that he's got the skills to survive, if only as a bench player.
Full Scouting Report for Zach Walters
SB 482BA SC BP SN ES ML
A towering righthander plucked from independent baseball by the Braves, ex-Padre Gary Moran has struggled with his mechanics for years, but may have finally found a handle on his long arms: his 2.91 ERA was enough to win the Southern League ERA title in 2012, vaulting him into the middle of the top Atlanta pitching prospects. Moran's control has always been decent, and in 2012, he struck out 117 and walked only 42. If the Braves brain trust has really found a way to help Moran turn the corner, he could have a solid late-blooming career ahead of him. He'll start 2013 in AA but could help the MLB team by midseason.
Full Scouting Report for Gary Moran
SB 484BA SC BP SN ES ML
A promising righthander with strikeout stuff, Bryson rose through three minor league levels in 2010 and appears to be knocking on the door for MLB work in the very near future. A flamethrower with a 96mph fastball and an electric if erratic slider, Bryson put up an 48:16 K:BB ratio in the 2011 while working at three levels of the Indians minor league system. Now fully-committed to the bullpen, he's free to focus on a two pitch approach that should be effective for him. After a whole lot of successful closing work in 2012, expect him to finally get an opportunity to join MLB's nastiest mob in 2013.
Full Scouting Report for Rob Bryson
SB 485BA SC BP SN ES ML
An international signee who collected an eye-popping $2.6M bonus from the Astros in 2011, young Ariel Ovando is an outfield prospect with very big offensive potential. While some have discounted him for repeating rookie ball, a young player with major adjustments has nothing to be ashamed of for taking the extra acclimitization. He also looked a lot better the second time around, slashing .287/.350/.444 against other teenagers. At 6-5 and still growing, Ovando is already showing glimpses of what could be plus power. He still has a lot to learn, and reaching high-A ball by the end of 2013 would be a big accomplishment, so be patient with him. If he continues to move up in a slow-and-steady fashion, he could be something special come 2016 or so.
Full Scouting Report for Ariel Ovando
SB 486BA SC BP SN ES ML
Buster Posey got a lot of attention in the 2008 draft, but Skippy showed the same sort of offensive potential, which led the Marlins to jump on him. Sadly, potential isn't all there is to baseball, as the .217/.285/.414 he slashed in AA last year proves. A left-handed and more pure power type of catcher, he also lags in the defensive and especially game-calling parts of the game, which means he might end up a quality run producer, sure, but not right away.
Full Scouting Report for Kyle Skipworth
SB 487BA SC BP SN ES ML
A team in reconstruction mode needs pitching, pitching and more pitching, and the Astros certainly seemed to realize this when drafting in 2012. While he might be a little advanced for a team that really needs a five-year plan, he's still young enough that he should be around when the team begins to contend. He's no ace, and barely scrapes 92mph with his fastball, but with good command of a small arsenal of different pitches, he could very well succeed in MLB in the near future. Rodgers also abounds in pitchability and general mound smarts. All of this means he could grow into a stable part of an exciting future ballclub, even if he has to weather some bad seasons before then.
Full Scouting Report for Brady Rodgers
SB 488BA SC BP SN ES ML
Starlin Rodriguez is another product of the St Louis farm system and Random Baseball Name Generator. A solid fielder who could play shortstop if called upon, he's more suited to second base, where his soft glove and quick reflexes shine. At bat, he has a short, quick stroke and the kind of discerning eye that should help him hit for a high average in his career, with a little bonus pop of power to boot. On the bases, he's a plus runner and smart base-stealer. It's an open question whether the infield-rich Cards can find a place for him to play, but even if they need to move him to the outfield, his bat should play at the MLB level.
Full Scouting Report for Starlin Rodriguez
SB 489BA SC BP SN ES ML
Another in the endless parade of young hitters with question marks in the Mariners' system, Triunfel has slipped a bit from his high-flying days of hype, but remains intriguing because of his advanced batting development at an early age. While he lacks real power, he does have line-drive stroke and an ability to work to all fields.
Full Scouting Report for Carlos Triunfel
SB 490BA SC BP SN ES ML
Prospects
Top Prospects 2013
Combined Ranking
480 to 490 of 650 Prospects
