Top 2000 Minor League Prospects

[garrioch13]

I just posted my annual top 2000 list at my blog. It's the 3rd season I have done it. Links to the others are posted on the right hand side of the blog if you want to see my track record.

http://milbprospects.blogspot.com/2010/12/top-2000-prospects-for-2011-season.html

Here is the top 50:
1 Jesus Montero , C , NYY
2 Mike Trout , OF , LAA
3 Bryce Harper , OF , WSH
4 Freddie Freeman , 1B , ATL
5 Mike Moustakas , 3B , KC
6 Julio Teheran , P , ATL
7 Eric Hosmer , 1B , KC
8 Wil Myers , C , KC
9 Brett Lawrie , 2B , TOR
10 Aroldis Chapman , P , CIN
11 Lonnie Chisenhall , 3B , CLE
12 Dustin Ackley , 2B , SEA
13 Jameson Taillon , P , PIT
14 Matt Moore , P , TB
15 Domonic Brown , OF , PHI
16 Manny Machado , SS , BAL
17 Gary Sanchez , C , NYY
18 Brett Jackson , OF , CHC
19 Jeremy Hellickson , P , TB
20 Jonathan Singleton , 1B , PHI
21 Matt Dominguez , 3B , FLA
22 Yorman Rodriguez , OF , CIN
23 Martin Perez , P , TEX
24 Miguel Sano , SS , MIN
25 Jarrod Parker , P , ARI
26 Stetson Allie , P , PIT
27 Nick Franklin , SS , SEA
28 Desmond Jennings , OF , TB
29 Fernando Martinez , OF , NYM
30 Randall Delgado , P , ATL
31 Shelby Miller , P , STL
32 Manny Banuelos , P , NYY
33 Hank Conger , C , LAA
34 Nick Castellanos , 3B , DET
35 Jacob Turner , P , DET
36 Anthony Ranaudo , P , BOS
37 Nolan Arenado , 3B , COL
38 John Lamb , P , KC
39 Matt Davidson , 3B , ARI
40 Aaron Hicks , OF , MIN
41 Bobby Borchering , 3B , ARI
42 Carlos Perez , C , TOR
43 Dayan Viciedo , 3B , CHW
44 Jordan Lyles , P , HOU
45 Chris Carter , 1B , OAK
46 Mike Minor , P , ATL
47 Tyler Matzek , P , COL
48 Esteilon Peguero , SS , SEA
49 Matt Harvey , P , NYM
50 Yasmani Grandal , C , CIN

[MasterX1918]

Kyle Drabek at 93
Michael Pineda at 70
Simon Castro at 210
Dellin Betances at 289

some people seem absurdly high, like yorman rodriguez, Gary Sanchez and jon singleton. I don't think those guys should be top 50 on any lists.

[garrioch13]

I like to be ahead of the curve. A lot of guys say they have plenty of time to be rated higher, my question is why. Bryce Harper has next year, maybe two more years. Is it a top prospect list, or a list of prospects close to the majors? I prefer the former.

[mblax10]

Harper is not a good example to illustrate your point. He's top 5 in everybody's book no matter their philosophy.

I think a lot of people are overrating Singleton because of his 1 torrid month.

[garrioch13]

I've liked Singleton since he was drafted. I think he might be a little high here, but I really like him.
I used Harper to make a point. No one critques him being up at the top of the list because "he's top 5 in everybody's book" even though he hasn't even made his pro debut yet.
I think Sanchez and Yorman Rodriguez will be really high on prospect lists in the next couple years, I just don't want to wait. The talent is clearly there, and if I'm wrong, I'm wrong. I'd rather be wrong with a guy who could be a superstar than a guy who has a #3 starter.

[Havok1517]

I've liked Singleton since he was drafted. I think he might be a little high here, but I really like him.

Singleton moving to the OF limits his fantasy value quite a lot in my book.

[mblax10]

I used Harper to make a point. No one critques him being up at the top of the list because "he's top 5 in everybody's book" even though he hasn't even made his pro debut yet.

Guys like Harper, Sano, Machado, Trout, etc get passes by many for being young because they don't have the rawness of guys like Singleton, Aderlin Rodriguez, Luis Heredia, etc. The first group also has higher ceilings.

I'm completely with your philosophy. In general, I'd much rather have a high ceiling guy than a high floor guy. Harper does not illustrate your point because he fits both descriptions.

[garrioch13]

Sano is still very raw. More raw than Singleton in my opinion. Machado doesn't have an AB as a pro so it's tough to tell where he fits but I agree with the others being more polished and having higher ceilings.

[jeffmerk]

I've liked Singleton since he was drafted. I think he might be a little high here, but I really like him.

Singleton moving to the OF limits his fantasy value quite a lot in my book.

Is a 1B really more valuable than an OF in fantasy?

[kungfuwig]

Mike Montgomery at 200? He is a left hander who is close to the majors. Yeah, he has some injury problems, but has showed dominance.

Danny Espinosa at 396? Guy already shows that he can hit for power in the majors, the fact that he is already there is enough to put him near the top 100 if not in it. He will never hit for average, but a MI with a good chance of getting 20/20 is in the top 400 players in the majors, let alone among prospects.

Brent Morel at 644?!! really? the guy is going to start for a major league team this year. So you think that the actual scouts for MLB are just going to bring up a player who isnt even among the top 500 players in the minors to start at the hot corner? I dont think so.

There are many others, these are ones that just caught my eye. This list is ridiculous. I credit you for trying to make such a long list, but there is a reason people do not make lists this large, its impossible. Once you get past about the top 300 the players are pretty much a dime a dozen.