Prospects Top 20s

[Diamond Miners]

Prospects are always debate, and anybody please feel free to post your top 20 or just comments. I follow prospects just enough to get myself in trouble. I'm sure there are plenty of others that could give more insight into each player than I could.

Here is a list I found on the web the other day.

Batting Top 20
1. Jason Heyward ATL
2. Carlos Santana CLE
3. Buster Posey SF
4. Dustin Ackley SEA
5. Desmond Jennings TB
6. Justin Smoak TEX
7. Jesus Montero NYY
8. Pedro Alvarez PIT
9. Domonic Brown PHI
10. Mike Stanton FLA
11. Michael Taylor PHI
12. Fernando Martinez NYM
13. Yonder Alonso CIN
14. Logan Morrison FLA
15. Alcides Escobar MIL
16. Chris Carter OAK
17. Brett Wallace OAK
18. Donovan Tate SD
19. James Darnell SD
20. Todd Frazier CIN


Pitching Top 20
1. Brian Matusz BAL
2. Stephen Strasburg WAS
3. Neftali Feliz TEX
4. Hector Rondon CLE
5. Madison Bumgarner SF
6. Chris Tillman BAL
7. Mat Latos SD
8. Kyle Drabek PHI
9. Jhoulys Chacin COL
10. Daniel Hudson CHW
11. Jarrod Parker ARI
12. Wade Davis TB
13. Jeremy Hellickson TB
14. Jake Arrieta BAL
15. Christian Friedrich COL
16. Tim Alderson PIT
17. Jordan Lyles HOU
18. Ethan Martin LAD
19. Zack Wheeler SF
20. Michel Inoa OAK

[mblax10]

Those lists are good. Alonso is the only guy I think is way too high. Ackley is a bit high too. This draft was not very good. I also like Turner, than probably Leake over Wheeler as the #2 pitcher from this year's draft. Most will probably say I have Stras too low, but I think his mechanics are dangerous and has a higher injury risk.

My lists without too much thought:
Hitters:
1.Jayson Heyward
2.Jesus Montero
3.Buster Posey
4.Carlos Santana
5.Desmond Jennings
6.Pedro Alvarez
7.Justin Smoak
8.Michael Stanton
9.Dominic Brown
10.Michael Taylor
11.Chris Carter
12.Derrick Norris
13.Brett Wallace
14.Logan Morrison
15.Fernando Martinez
16.Matt LaPorta
17.Dustin Ackley
18.Brandon Allen
19.Mat Gamel
20.Jason Castro

Pitchers:
1.Neftali Feliz
2.Brian Matusz
3.Chris Tillman
4.Stephen Strasburg
5.Madison Bumgarner
6.Hector Rondon
7.Jeremy Hellickson
8.Mat Latos
9.Jarrod Parker
10.Jake Arrieta
11.Kyle Drabek
12.Christian Friedrich
13.Martin Perez
14.Wade Davis
15.Daniel Hudson
16.Jordan Lyles
17.Jhouulys Chacin
18.Matt Moore
19.Jason Knapp
20.Jennry Mejia

[Guaranteed Loser]

Latos is no longer a prospect

[mblax10]

Latos is no longer a prospect

When I posted a week ago, he was under 50 IP. Thanks for contributing.

[FouLLine]

Prospects are always debate, and anybody please feel free to post your top 20 or just comments. I follow prospects just enough to get myself in trouble. I'm sure there are plenty of others that could give more insight into each player than I could.

Here is a list I found on the web the other day.

Batting Top 20
1. Jason Heyward ATL
2. Carlos Santana CLE
3. Buster Posey SF
4. Dustin Ackley SEA
5. Desmond Jennings TB
6. Justin Smoak TEX
7. Jesus Montero NYY
8. Pedro Alvarez PIT
9. Domonic Brown PHI
10. Mike Stanton FLA
11. Michael Taylor PHI
12. Fernando Martinez NYM
13. Yonder Alonso CIN
14. Logan Morrison FLA
15. Alcides Escobar MIL
16. Chris Carter OAK
17. Brett Wallace OAK
18. Donovan Tate SD
19. James Darnell SD
20. Todd Frazier CIN


Pitching Top 20
1. Brian Matusz BAL
2. Stephen Strasburg WAS
3. Neftali Feliz TEX
4. Hector Rondon CLE
5. Madison Bumgarner SF
6. Chris Tillman BAL
7. Mat Latos SD
8. Kyle Drabek PHI
9. Jhoulys Chacin COL
10. Daniel Hudson CHW
11. Jarrod Parker ARI
12. Wade Davis TB
13. Jeremy Hellickson TB
14. Jake Arrieta BAL
15. Christian Friedrich COL
16. Tim Alderson PIT
17. Jordan Lyles HOU
18. Ethan Martin LAD
19. Zack Wheeler SF
20. Michel Inoa OAK

Smoak and Ackley (huge leap of faith to rank Ackley so well) both ranked higher than Montero? Montero is in the top 3 for me including pitchers. Let alone setting them aside into there own ranking system. Another big leap of faith on Micheal Inoa, but he does carry crazy hype for lighting up the scouting report at such a young age.

Big leaps of faith in highly touted Ackley, Donavan Tate, James Darnell and Inoa yet no love for Tim Beckham the #1 overall draft pick after a very productive first year in pro ball? A couple of names like Alcides Escobar, Tillman, and Latos have pretty much graduated from prospect to young major leaguer.

Otherwise that's a fairly solid list to me.

[kab21]

I apparently like Mejia and MPerez a lot more than the rest of you. they would both be in my top 10, maybe top 5. I'm off the bumgarner bandwagon. 90mph FB with average at best secondary offerings. Lower half of the top 20 imo.

Parker and his bum elbow drops him closer to the bottom of the top 20 also.

[FouLLine]

I apparently like Mejia and MPerez a lot more than the rest of you. they would both be in my top 10, maybe top 5. I'm off the bumgarner bandwagon. 90mph FB with average at best secondary offerings. Lower half of the top 20 imo.

Parker and his bum elbow drops him closer to the bottom of the top 20 also.

You are talking about 90 mph fast ball from a 19 year old. Who's velocity is reportedly down at the end of the season. The kid has already shown that he can hit low to mid 90's. Expect an increase in velocity next year. Not to mention the best thing about his fastball is the late life he has on it. Also for at best secondary offerings I would venture to say not many 19 year olds have secondary stuff as developed as Bumgarner. Not to mention pin point control.

If you put Jenry Mejia in the top 5, how can you possibly be off the bumgarner bandwagon? Mejia is nowhere near the prospect.

[kab21]

I apparently like Mejia and MPerez a lot more than the rest of you. they would both be in my top 10, maybe top 5. I'm off the bumgarner bandwagon. 90mph FB with average at best secondary offerings. Lower half of the top 20 imo.

Parker and his bum elbow drops him closer to the bottom of the top 20 also.

You are talking about 90 mph fast ball from a 19 year old. Who's velocity is reportedly down at the end of the season. The kid has already shown that he can hit low to mid 90's. Expect an increase in velocity next year. Not to mention the best thing about his fastball is the late life he has on it. Also for at best secondary offerings I would venture to say not many 19 year olds have secondary stuff as developed as Bumgarner. Not to mention pin point control.

If you put Jenry Mejia in the top 5, how can you possibly be off the bumgarner bandwagon? Mejia is nowhere near the prospect.

I guess I'm not a big fan of a prospect that has an unexplained loss of velocity (this is a concern imo) and averages 89.2mph in his cup of coffee when his secondary offerings are average at best. I'll move him back up when he starts hitting closer to the mid-90's or he develops his secondary stuff more. I do still have him in the top 20 so I think he's still a good prospect, just not great.

[Johnny Tuttle]

I've seen Hudson pretty high up on these lists here. What do you guys think of him?

Is his upside high enough to make him a difference maker fantasy wise?

[mblax10]

I've seen Hudson pretty high up on these lists here. What do you guys think of him?

Is his upside high enough to make him a difference maker fantasy wise?

There's definitely upside. He had a true breakout year dominating 4 levels. He throws strikes, works down in the zone and has confidence and durability. Also remember, this is a guy who went in the 5th round despite having a pretty poor junior year. If his Jr year resembled his Frosh or Soph seasons, he may have been a sandwich pick or higher.

Temper your short term expectations. It's probably likely he starts '10 in the Chicago bullpen until Freddy Garcia starts sucking or gets hurt.