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91 Mikie Mahtook - Good SB potential, despite only slightly above average speed, and also good power potential. Supposed to be an advanced hitter. Tampa just keeps churning out top prospects.
92 Josh Vitters - His prospect star has dimmed some but still shines. Much maligned, he continues to hit pretty well despite continuing to not draw walks. Doesn’t K much, tho. Surprisingly , there is some talk of his being the Cubs' opening day 3Bman over Stewart if he outplays him this spring. That's why he's this high.
93 Jonathan Villar - Experts continue to believe in him despite mediocre hitting and plate discipline concerns. He is and has been very young for his leagues. Great SB potential and shows some pop, too. John Manuel indicated he should get strong consideration for BA's overall Top 100, but John apparently will have to do some heavy campaigning for him there because he didn’t make a BA League Top 20. Projects to be the future SS for the Astros.
94 A.J. Pollock - Very nice year after missing last year to injury. Good all-around tools and great makeup. Had 36 SBs, altho BA says his speed just average. Could develop average power. Could debut at the end of 2012, but the OF in Phoenix looks pretty crowded rt now.
95 Matthew Davidson - He just keeps hitting, albeit in hitters' leagues. Good power. After improving his defense in 2011, experts now think he can stick at 3B.
96 Cesar Puello - Potential 5-tool player who showed more power and less SBs last year. BA's rpt seems to indicate above average power and speed. His plate discipline appears to be a major concern now and he'll have to dramatically improve it to remain a top prospect. The main problem is that he has trouble recognizing breaking balls, but scouts think he can adjust.
97 Allen Webster - Good but not great stats and very good K rate. BA's rpt says his pitches are plus across the board, and could be a #2 starter.
98 Jarred Cosart - Hi-upside, hi-risk guy. Throws very hard, but K rate is surprisingly low. Scouts says he has a 'max-effort' delivery, even tho he's not smallish at 6'3". Could end up in pen if he doesn’t achieve consistency as starter.
99 Casey Kelly - Hasn’t been as good as expected, but his stats arent bad. K rate is rather low and his FB speed varies widely from 88-95, tho it has good sink. Experts seem to have diminshed expectations, but still believe.
100 Robbie Erlin - Experts continue to believe in this little lefty. They say he just knows how to pitch. Throws only 89-91, and profiles as a #3 starter. Petco Park will help his stats. Will we see him in the rotation in 2011?
101 Joe Wieland - After putting up great stats the last 2 years while being young for his leagues, he's starting to get some respect now. Like Erlin, great K and BB rates, altho he throws only 88-92. 5th in minors in ERA. BA says he profiles as a #4 starter but plays up due to his excellent control. Same question as w Erlin: will he start for the Padres in 2011?
102 Luis Heredia - Also very hi upside, but his minors performance has only been so-so so far. But he's only 17 y/o, and he was 16 y/o for most of the year! He was the youngest player that actually played pro ball in the US last year. He's a candidate for BA's Top 100 and if he makes it I believe he'd be the youngest player ever to make it. Sits at 92-93, but he's so young and also so projectible at 6'6" that he might add more velocity. Also, supposed to be very mature. No telling how good he could become. Get him now while he's available.
103 Tyrell Jenkins - Very hi upside and has performed well in low minors. Sits at 91-93. A bit raw. Stash him for the long-term, if you can.
104 Taylor Jungmann - One of 22 (if I counted correctly) newly-drafted players on this list. Was considered 1 of the 3 best pitchers in the draft coming into this season (along w G Cole and Purke) and had a great College season, but for some reason is not regarded quite as highly now as some of the other 2011 pitcher draftees. Still a very good prospect. FB sits at 90-94. Very projectible at 6'6". BA says he's a potential #2 starter.
105 Sonny Gray - An undersized righty, but BA's rpt says he has the arsenal to make up for it. Throws 90-94 and can touch 97. Also has a plus curve. BA says he could be a #2 starter.
106 Garin Cecchini - Just barely missed putting up a 300/400/500 slash stats line in his pro debut. BA says he's a pure hitter and should develop average power. Despite hi SB totals, he supposedly has only average speed.
107 Dante Bichette, Jr. - He's an advanced hitter w above-average power and average speed. Was BA's #1 prospect in the GCL in his 1st pro season. Also put up a 300/400/500 slash stats line in a decidedly pitchers league. Those family baseball genes are manifesting themselves.
108 Norichika Aoki - Well, he finally signed. I'm very surprised that he signed for only $1 mil. Because he has been a superstar in Japan for years, it's hard to imagine he would have accepted a bench role in MLB at all, so the Brewers may have indicated he will be getting signficant playing time if he plays well. Yet the low salary seems to indicate that he is willing to accept a less than full-time role. There's been recent talk about Hart playing some games at 1B so this may be potentially to clear an OF spot for Aoki. With Braun's likely suspension, he may be a starter for 50 games at least. After that, it's uncertain, maybe depending on whether Aoki or Gamel (1B) perform better. Whatever the case, he had a very down year in 2011. Hitting was very depressed in Japan this year because of 1) a new baseball and 2) darker stadiums because of the power shortage from the nuclear plant disaster. Maybe these factors affected him, but some players didnt seem to be very affected at all. I heard Aoki's timing at the plate this year was way off and he had trouble getting it back. The new ball supposedly has a sharper break to it, so maybe he needs more time to get used to it. Anyway, the uncertainty of his playing time and his plate problems cause me to rank him no higher that this on this list for now.
109 Hisashi Iwakuma - He's finally coming over. Had good stats in an injury-shortened season in Japan. But his velocity was down, which is a concern, but perhaps the injury was mainly responsible for this. Before this year, he threw 93-94, and he's 6'3" so, like Darvish, he throws harder and is taller than the typical Japanese pitcher. The injury was to his shoulder, which also is a concern. Safeco will help his stats. A bit of a wild card, but if healthy and he returns to form, I can see a Kuroda-like career for him, which wouldnt be bad at all.
110 Wei-Yin Chen - The 4th of 5 Japan Leagues imports to MLB on this list (not to mention the 2 Cuban ones). To my knowledge, he'll be the 2nd Taiwanese starter in MLB (after C. Wang). Between Chen and Wada, Chen is considered the better prospect. Even tho his K rate is much worse, supposedly he throws harder than Wada. But like Iwakuma, he had some injury problems in 2011 (leg and abdomen) which decreased his velocity. Before the injuries, he sat in the low 90's. One source says his velocity was back to normal by the end of the year. With the O's, he'll get his chance to succeed in MLB.
111 Addison Reed - Not often that a reliever is a team's top prospect, but that's the case for the ChiSox w Reed, at least at BA. Many have tagged him w the oft-used 'closer of the future' label, altho reportedly the Sox will give Thornton the 1st shot this year. Reed still figures to be in the pen somewhere. He throws in the mid-90's and has good secondary pitches, too, so he could end up as a starter, perhaps via the Neftali Feliz/Chris Sale route.
112 Tom Milone - After the trade of Moscos and Outman, looks like he's a favorite to be in the A's opening day rotation. But he figures to be a candidate to get bumped when Anderson and Braden return and when Parker is ready. He has gotten a lot of K's w/o an overpowering fastball (86-91 mph), and BA's rpt says his command, control and deception are the keys to his success. Has pretty good secondary pitches, too. BA projects him as a back of the rotation guy,
113 Brandon Guyer - BA's rpt says he has potential to be above average in both hitting and power and also has plus speed. Before the Luke Scott acquisition, he figured to have an everyday job in Tampa, but now he figures to be either on the bench or back in the minors (Upton, Jennings and Joyce in the OF and Scott the DH). If Upton is dealt, as many expect, he could get the 1st shot to replace him in the everyday lineup.
114 Nathan Eovaldi - Really enhanced his prospect status in 2011. He throws 94-98, and has hit 100. Doesn’t look like he'll open in the MLB rotation, but may be the 1st starter they call up. There is some question whether he will remain a starter.
115 Neil Ramirez - Had a breakout year in 2011 and has always had a very good K rate. Throws 92-94 and touches 96, and has a good curve and changeup, too. BA says he could be a #2 starter. Probably would have had a shot at the Texas rotation last year if he didn’t get hurt. Now he appears to be crowded out unless they trade C Lewis. He might get the first call, tho, if he does well again in the minors.
116 Drew Hutchison - 1st of several Jays' top pitching prospects on this list, and he's at a higher minors level than the others. Like the others, a great K rate. Throws 88-93 and could become a #3 starter. Could possibly be in MLB late this year.
117 Drew Smyly - Made his pro debut in 2011 and had a great season. Throws 87-92 and BA projects him as a #3-#4 starter. I heard that he could be in the MLB rotation sometime in 2012, and consequently he's a good enough prospect to deserve a spot here.
118 Daniel Norris - For a while, he was considered the best HS pitcher in the draft coming into last season but Bundy and A Bradley passed him. Still very highly regarded. FB sits in low 90's. BA he's a potential frontline starter.
119 Noah Syndergaard - He's the tallest of the top Toronto pitching prospects and throws the hardest; he works at 94-96 and has touched 100 mph. BA says his ceiling is #2 starter. Will he, Norris and Nicolino all be in the same rotation at Lansing next year?
120 Justin Nicolino - Difficult to figure which Toronto pitching prospect is the best. Nicolino soared onto the top prospects charts last year. FB sits at 89-92. BA says he profiles as middle of rotation starter.
92 Josh Vitters - His prospect star has dimmed some but still shines. Much maligned, he continues to hit pretty well despite continuing to not draw walks. Doesn’t K much, tho. Surprisingly , there is some talk of his being the Cubs' opening day 3Bman over Stewart if he outplays him this spring. That's why he's this high.
93 Jonathan Villar - Experts continue to believe in him despite mediocre hitting and plate discipline concerns. He is and has been very young for his leagues. Great SB potential and shows some pop, too. John Manuel indicated he should get strong consideration for BA's overall Top 100, but John apparently will have to do some heavy campaigning for him there because he didn’t make a BA League Top 20. Projects to be the future SS for the Astros.
94 A.J. Pollock - Very nice year after missing last year to injury. Good all-around tools and great makeup. Had 36 SBs, altho BA says his speed just average. Could develop average power. Could debut at the end of 2012, but the OF in Phoenix looks pretty crowded rt now.
95 Matthew Davidson - He just keeps hitting, albeit in hitters' leagues. Good power. After improving his defense in 2011, experts now think he can stick at 3B.
96 Cesar Puello - Potential 5-tool player who showed more power and less SBs last year. BA's rpt seems to indicate above average power and speed. His plate discipline appears to be a major concern now and he'll have to dramatically improve it to remain a top prospect. The main problem is that he has trouble recognizing breaking balls, but scouts think he can adjust.
97 Allen Webster - Good but not great stats and very good K rate. BA's rpt says his pitches are plus across the board, and could be a #2 starter.
98 Jarred Cosart - Hi-upside, hi-risk guy. Throws very hard, but K rate is surprisingly low. Scouts says he has a 'max-effort' delivery, even tho he's not smallish at 6'3". Could end up in pen if he doesn’t achieve consistency as starter.
99 Casey Kelly - Hasn’t been as good as expected, but his stats arent bad. K rate is rather low and his FB speed varies widely from 88-95, tho it has good sink. Experts seem to have diminshed expectations, but still believe.
100 Robbie Erlin - Experts continue to believe in this little lefty. They say he just knows how to pitch. Throws only 89-91, and profiles as a #3 starter. Petco Park will help his stats. Will we see him in the rotation in 2011?
101 Joe Wieland - After putting up great stats the last 2 years while being young for his leagues, he's starting to get some respect now. Like Erlin, great K and BB rates, altho he throws only 88-92. 5th in minors in ERA. BA says he profiles as a #4 starter but plays up due to his excellent control. Same question as w Erlin: will he start for the Padres in 2011?
102 Luis Heredia - Also very hi upside, but his minors performance has only been so-so so far. But he's only 17 y/o, and he was 16 y/o for most of the year! He was the youngest player that actually played pro ball in the US last year. He's a candidate for BA's Top 100 and if he makes it I believe he'd be the youngest player ever to make it. Sits at 92-93, but he's so young and also so projectible at 6'6" that he might add more velocity. Also, supposed to be very mature. No telling how good he could become. Get him now while he's available.
103 Tyrell Jenkins - Very hi upside and has performed well in low minors. Sits at 91-93. A bit raw. Stash him for the long-term, if you can.
104 Taylor Jungmann - One of 22 (if I counted correctly) newly-drafted players on this list. Was considered 1 of the 3 best pitchers in the draft coming into this season (along w G Cole and Purke) and had a great College season, but for some reason is not regarded quite as highly now as some of the other 2011 pitcher draftees. Still a very good prospect. FB sits at 90-94. Very projectible at 6'6". BA says he's a potential #2 starter.
105 Sonny Gray - An undersized righty, but BA's rpt says he has the arsenal to make up for it. Throws 90-94 and can touch 97. Also has a plus curve. BA says he could be a #2 starter.
106 Garin Cecchini - Just barely missed putting up a 300/400/500 slash stats line in his pro debut. BA says he's a pure hitter and should develop average power. Despite hi SB totals, he supposedly has only average speed.
107 Dante Bichette, Jr. - He's an advanced hitter w above-average power and average speed. Was BA's #1 prospect in the GCL in his 1st pro season. Also put up a 300/400/500 slash stats line in a decidedly pitchers league. Those family baseball genes are manifesting themselves.
108 Norichika Aoki - Well, he finally signed. I'm very surprised that he signed for only $1 mil. Because he has been a superstar in Japan for years, it's hard to imagine he would have accepted a bench role in MLB at all, so the Brewers may have indicated he will be getting signficant playing time if he plays well. Yet the low salary seems to indicate that he is willing to accept a less than full-time role. There's been recent talk about Hart playing some games at 1B so this may be potentially to clear an OF spot for Aoki. With Braun's likely suspension, he may be a starter for 50 games at least. After that, it's uncertain, maybe depending on whether Aoki or Gamel (1B) perform better. Whatever the case, he had a very down year in 2011. Hitting was very depressed in Japan this year because of 1) a new baseball and 2) darker stadiums because of the power shortage from the nuclear plant disaster. Maybe these factors affected him, but some players didnt seem to be very affected at all. I heard Aoki's timing at the plate this year was way off and he had trouble getting it back. The new ball supposedly has a sharper break to it, so maybe he needs more time to get used to it. Anyway, the uncertainty of his playing time and his plate problems cause me to rank him no higher that this on this list for now.
109 Hisashi Iwakuma - He's finally coming over. Had good stats in an injury-shortened season in Japan. But his velocity was down, which is a concern, but perhaps the injury was mainly responsible for this. Before this year, he threw 93-94, and he's 6'3" so, like Darvish, he throws harder and is taller than the typical Japanese pitcher. The injury was to his shoulder, which also is a concern. Safeco will help his stats. A bit of a wild card, but if healthy and he returns to form, I can see a Kuroda-like career for him, which wouldnt be bad at all.
110 Wei-Yin Chen - The 4th of 5 Japan Leagues imports to MLB on this list (not to mention the 2 Cuban ones). To my knowledge, he'll be the 2nd Taiwanese starter in MLB (after C. Wang). Between Chen and Wada, Chen is considered the better prospect. Even tho his K rate is much worse, supposedly he throws harder than Wada. But like Iwakuma, he had some injury problems in 2011 (leg and abdomen) which decreased his velocity. Before the injuries, he sat in the low 90's. One source says his velocity was back to normal by the end of the year. With the O's, he'll get his chance to succeed in MLB.
111 Addison Reed - Not often that a reliever is a team's top prospect, but that's the case for the ChiSox w Reed, at least at BA. Many have tagged him w the oft-used 'closer of the future' label, altho reportedly the Sox will give Thornton the 1st shot this year. Reed still figures to be in the pen somewhere. He throws in the mid-90's and has good secondary pitches, too, so he could end up as a starter, perhaps via the Neftali Feliz/Chris Sale route.
112 Tom Milone - After the trade of Moscos and Outman, looks like he's a favorite to be in the A's opening day rotation. But he figures to be a candidate to get bumped when Anderson and Braden return and when Parker is ready. He has gotten a lot of K's w/o an overpowering fastball (86-91 mph), and BA's rpt says his command, control and deception are the keys to his success. Has pretty good secondary pitches, too. BA projects him as a back of the rotation guy,
113 Brandon Guyer - BA's rpt says he has potential to be above average in both hitting and power and also has plus speed. Before the Luke Scott acquisition, he figured to have an everyday job in Tampa, but now he figures to be either on the bench or back in the minors (Upton, Jennings and Joyce in the OF and Scott the DH). If Upton is dealt, as many expect, he could get the 1st shot to replace him in the everyday lineup.
114 Nathan Eovaldi - Really enhanced his prospect status in 2011. He throws 94-98, and has hit 100. Doesn’t look like he'll open in the MLB rotation, but may be the 1st starter they call up. There is some question whether he will remain a starter.
115 Neil Ramirez - Had a breakout year in 2011 and has always had a very good K rate. Throws 92-94 and touches 96, and has a good curve and changeup, too. BA says he could be a #2 starter. Probably would have had a shot at the Texas rotation last year if he didn’t get hurt. Now he appears to be crowded out unless they trade C Lewis. He might get the first call, tho, if he does well again in the minors.
116 Drew Hutchison - 1st of several Jays' top pitching prospects on this list, and he's at a higher minors level than the others. Like the others, a great K rate. Throws 88-93 and could become a #3 starter. Could possibly be in MLB late this year.
117 Drew Smyly - Made his pro debut in 2011 and had a great season. Throws 87-92 and BA projects him as a #3-#4 starter. I heard that he could be in the MLB rotation sometime in 2012, and consequently he's a good enough prospect to deserve a spot here.
118 Daniel Norris - For a while, he was considered the best HS pitcher in the draft coming into last season but Bundy and A Bradley passed him. Still very highly regarded. FB sits in low 90's. BA he's a potential frontline starter.
119 Noah Syndergaard - He's the tallest of the top Toronto pitching prospects and throws the hardest; he works at 94-96 and has touched 100 mph. BA says his ceiling is #2 starter. Will he, Norris and Nicolino all be in the same rotation at Lansing next year?
120 Justin Nicolino - Difficult to figure which Toronto pitching prospect is the best. Nicolino soared onto the top prospects charts last year. FB sits at 89-92. BA says he profiles as middle of rotation starter.
- Wonderboy
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