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.
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.
Current Overall SB ranking for 2012 shown in grid below.
Spending $8M to sign number one pick Gerrit Cole might have seemed extravagant for a 'small market' team like the Pittsburgh Pirates, but when you keep finishing in last place year after year, you need to get something out of it, right? The net result is that the Pirates look very wise indeed: the righthanded Cole joins Jameson Taillon in what might be the best 1-2 punch on any prospect roster in the majors, and giving Cole such a high bonus kept him from demanding a major league contract, which increases the Pirates' flexibility and future control over his career path. Mr. Boras will spin it otherwise, but the Pirates definitely won the first round of Cole's Career Management Battle.
Full Scouting Report for Gerrit Cole
SB 11BA 12SC 10BP 9SN ES 10ML 11
Like a taller twin to Gerrit Cole, righty James Taillon is a geniune monster power arm from Texas (via Quebec), a very high-ceiling pitcher who has already cracked 100mph on many radar guns. If that's not enough to get your attention, note that while his slider and change are below average, his curveball has already been rated a plus pitch. If he can hold his arm together under increasing workloads and develop his command and control to pro levels, he could be a viable #2 or #3 starter by 2014 or so, with a shot at being a genuine ace somewhere down the road. If Pittsburgh can keep Taillon, Cole and Allie together and healthy, they could have a rotation that evokes 1990's Atlanta only a few years from now.
Full Scouting Report for Jameson Taillon
SB 13BA 15SC 16BP 13SN ES 16ML 8
He might be the most talented everyday player in the Pittsburgh Pirates system, but if you haven't heard of him yet, don't feel too bad. An under-the-radar international signee from 2008, Marte was signed on pure projection: a fast, powerful, graceful athlete with great range in the outfield and a plus arm. He has an easy, natural swing and looks to deliver at least average power in the majors. With a little more polish and preparation, he could bump Andrew McCutchen to a corner very soon. Of course, he wouldn't look so bad in left field himself, either.
Full Scouting Report for Starling Marte
SB 83BA 73SC 87BP 56SN ES 72ML 40
Nobody expected young Josh Bell to sign in 2011, which is probably why he fell to the Pirates in round two of the draft. But one should never underestimate the allure of five million shiny dollars, and young Bell shocked other managers by inking with the Pirates and passing on the University of Texas. Bell immediately became the biggest bat in a Pirate system that's very lacking in offensive muscle, but his primo status doesn't only come from relative dearth: he's a valid top prospect all on his own merit. The switch-hitter who's carrying so many Pirate hopes will open 2012 at West Virginia.
Full Scouting Report for Josh Bell
SB 99BA 60SC 97BP 43SN ES 67ML 69
Born in Lakewood, Ohio but blessed with a name that really belongs in Texas, righthander Stetson Allie is one of the hottest teenaged arms in baseball. He played third base a great deal in high school, too, and is an average defender and slightly above-average hitter from that position, but most scouts agree his future is on the mound, where his signature is heat, heat and more heat. He can already bring a near-99mph fastball to the plate with an easy, repeatable delivery and mix in a filthy slider whenever he likes.
Full Scouting Report for Stetson Allie
SB 103BA SC BP SN ES ML
A sturdy outfielder who can nonetheless patrol center with skill, Pirates prospect Robbie Grossman has vaulted onto the top half of the sheet thanks to an impressive full season at high-A Bradenton last season. Grossman's .294/.418/.451 line showed strong improvement from his already-acceptable performance of a year earlier, and the way he added 24 steals to his 49 extra-base hits showed that he could bring his entire game to the park every day. He also proved durable, starting 134 out of 137 games. The switch-hitting Grossman became the first minor leaguer at any level to score 100 runs and walk 100 times in a season since Nick Swisher did so in 2004. He should play most of 2012 in Altoona, and could be contributing meaningful numbers in Pittsburgh before 2013 rolls into summer.
Full Scouting Report for Robbie Grossman
SB 161BA SC BP 76SN ES 86ML
A native of Miami, Jorge 'Tony' Sanchez is an offensive-minded catcher in the style of Matt Wieters (though with less power) or Buster Posey (but with less defensive prowess). He does show enough skill to stick at catcher, though, and his bat is legitimate. He's pretty much major league ready today, especially for a team like Pittsburgh that can provide as much low-pressure on the job training as required.
Full Scouting Report for Tony Sanchez
SB 185BA SC BP SN ES ML
The Pirates swear he's only seventeen years old, but young Luis Heredia sure looks a lot older than that, both physically and when you take a look at what he can do with a baseball. The big (6-6, 210) kid from Sinaloa throws hard: he touched 96mph last season in rookie ball as a sixteen-year old (!?), and he looks like as he grows into his body, he'll be able to increase number in the future, too.
Full Scouting Report for Luis Heredia
SB 203BA SC 80BP 42SN ES ML
If the Pirates have collected one thing in the last few years, it's pitchers with high ceilings. The latest from a long line of lefthanders grown on the Atlanta farm, willowy Jeff Locke's 94mph fastball is a definite plus pitch, with late movement that he can command at will. His curve ball is also well under control and projects as a second plus pitch. Acquired by the pitching-poor Pirates in June 2009, 'The Redstone Rocket' has a terrific opportunity to step up as a rotation candidate in the very near future.
Full Scouting Report for Jeff Locke
SB 207BA SC BP SN ES ML
A third round pick by the always-clever Pirates in the 2011 draft and signed despite concerns about his future plans, ex-Hoosier Alex Dickerson is a slugger of the first order. He should help the Pirates offset a pitching-heavy talent pool in the near future. While dropping to the third round helped him fade from some writers' memories, his first-year pro line at low-A State College (.313/.393/.493) propelled him back into the top ranks. He's not elite, but he's definitely one of the better 1B prospects in baseball.
Full Scouting Report for Alex Dickerson
SB 239BA SC BP SN ES ML
A polished prep pitcher who should provide some 'veteran' balance to the very very young core that Pittsburgh is building, the University of Mobile's Kyle McPherson is not surprisingly closer to the majors than most of that deservedly-hyped talent.
Full Scouting Report for Kyle McPherson
SB 251BA SC BP SN ES ML
A tweener talent from the Red Sox system, Pirate shortstop Yamaico Navarro is a native of The Land of Shortstops, San Pedro de Macoris, and while his development has been slower than some, he still shows signs of following in the footsteps of so many who came down that road before. A bit bulkier than most, he might be best suited for second or third base, so for now let's just say he's an offensive-minded infielder of some sort, with a powerful, aggressive approach at the plate. His bat is quick, and he adds some natural loft to most of his line drives, which should translate into a threat, though the results haven't been all-there yet. In the field, he's a bit clumsy around the bag, but has a plus arm and slick glove, with a penchant for turning in dazzling plays at least once a week.
Full Scouting Report for Yamaico Navarro
SB 300BA SC BP SN ES ML
A huge righthander in the Pirate system, Nicholas Kingham (not Kingman) is another young power arm in a system that's busting at the seams with them. Drafted fresh out of high school in 2010, he's busy going through the traditional 'fastball, fastball, fastball' period of his ongoing development with the Pirates, so it's difficult to judge how much more than that he'll be able to offer when the time comes. He did show off a quality change back in high school, as well as a very rough curve, so there's potential.
Full Scouting Report for Nicholas Kingham
SB 301BA SC BP SN ES ML
A slappy, scrappy, switch-hitting wheels player, Pirate prospect Alen Hanson was a low-visibility 2011 IFA signing from the Dominican. He'd probably get more attention if his name was Alvarez or Concepcion or something that looked more Latin and less Nordic. At least 'Alexi'. Something. Make an effort, kid!
Full Scouting Report for Alen Hanson
SB 347BA SC BP SN ES ML
After a brief stint in the Atlanta system, onetime Tiger prospect Gorkys Hernandez was shipped to the Pirates for Nate McLouth in 2009 before ever getting a real shot with the Braves. His wheels and defense aren't in question, though his bat isn't really as hot as many would like, especially if he's expected to be an MLB regular someday. Still, a .283/.348/.392 line at AAA Indianapolis might be enough to give him an MLB job in 2012 or at worst 2013. He can definitely contribute, and playing next to Andrew McCutchen in Pittsburgh every day might be the perfect place to do so. Maybe some of that hitting mojo will rub off on him.
Full Scouting Report for Gorkys Hernandez
SB 379BA SC BP SN ES ML
A big, sturdy lefthander from central Texas, Pirate pitching prospect Colton Cain doesn't get the spotlight of some of the organization's shinier names, but that might be just fine: he's more of a workhorse than a flashy ace, anyway. Drafted by the Pirates out of high school, Cain tasted pro ball in 2010 for the first time, and did more than all right. In two seasons of Rookie and A-ball he's accumulated a 1.144 WHIP and a strikeouts per nine of just under 7.5. He did most of that on the strength of his fastball, a nice repeatable 94mph offering that comes with enough natural sink to keep him in ballgames even when he doesn't have the best stuff. His secondary pitches are an average curve and a developing change, but those are a couple of years away from any level where they can fairly be evaluated. Give the big kid a couple more years, and he should do just fine.
Full Scouting Report for Colton Cain
SB 391BA SC BP SN ES ML
The 49th overall selection in the 2009 draft, high schooler Zachary Von Rosenberg was a high-upside pick for the Pirates, who went well over their usual budget to sign him and keep him away from LSU. A big, strong player with good overall athleticism, he projects as an innings-eating workhorse, as long as he can stay healthy. He's no ace, but he's already quite well-developed, with three pitches that look like they could play in the majors quite soon: a 90mph fastball with movement that should get harder as he grows, an already-advanced curve, and a changeup that's quite a bit ahead of average.
Full Scouting Report for Zack Von Rosenberg
SB 402BA SC BP SN ES ML
Alex Dickerson gets a lot of press in Piratelandia, but it could be another first base masher, the smaller but just as potent Matthew Curry, who ends up launching dingers in Pittsburgh first. Curry, a 16th round (!) selection back in 2010, destroyed the Sally League last year to the tune of a .361/.477/.671 line before being fast-tracked to AA Altoona. He came to earth a bit at the higher level, but still held his own, knocking six more dingers and proving that he belonged in real pro ball. His performance this season, likely to start again in Altoona, will determine his fate with the big club. A strong full season could see him in a Pirate uniform for 2013, and he could be a nifty midseason sleeper before that.
Full Scouting Report for Matt Curry
SB 408BA SC BP SN ES ML
A lefthanded bulldog in the Pittsburgh Pirates system, Texan Zack Dodson is a groundball pitcher who deploys a 92mph fastball and solid curve with good command to induce a larger than average number of weak grounders. Don't let his stat line from 2011 dissuade you: he spent the better part of the season recuperating from a broken hand. Dodson doesn't have the raw stuff of some of Pittsburgh's better-known prospects, and he's not going to blossom into a superstar, but he does have a strong work ethic and good overall baseball smarts, which should be enough to propel him to the next level.
Full Scouting Report for Zack Dodson
SB 442BA SC BP SN ES ML
A California boy grinding away in the Midwest, Pirate pitcher Justin Wilson is easy to miss, thanks to all the brighter young arms starring in that system already. He's always struggled with control, even in his college days at Fresno State, walking far too many hitters, but his blazing heat helped him get away with it. At least until last season, when he stumbled hard after being pushed to AAA. He's always been a starter, but unless he shows some progress in 2012, the Pirates might end up thinking about converting him to bullpen work instead. Showtime.
Full Scouting Report for Justin Wilson
SB 448BA SC BP SN ES ML
