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1 Mike Trout - Many rate him the best prospect in all of baseball. He's even more valuable in roto because of his SB potential. He could even be in MLB before the year is out.
2 Bryce Harper - If you don’t think Trout is the best prospect, then either you think Harper is or else please explain yourself! Among the best power-potential of any prospect, and he's pretty athletic, too. Now that he's an OFer, he's even more desirable in roto.
3 Domonic Brown - Could be the starting RFer on opening day altho word is that this is not completely certain. Should be above average in 5 categories for a long time.
4 Desmond Jennings - Big SB potential and could be an opening starting OFer like Brown, but also like Brown this is not certain. His prospect status was down a little last year but I still expect he'll be in the top 30 or so on BA's list. The injury bug is a concern w him.
5 Jesus Montero - Some rate him the minors' best hitter. Another strong season after a slow start. Not likely to stick at catcher but his offense should make him a regular somewhere. Don’t expect a lot of help from him this year, but he should be a fixture in the lineup by at least 2012.
6 Eric Hosmer - Folks differ on which of the 3 stud KC hitting prospects is the best. I prefer Hoz because his bat is comparable to the other 2 and he'll get more SBs than they will. Don’t be fooled by the scouting reports that say he has below average speed. I've seen him play in person and he moves very well for a big guy. Those 14 SBs were no fluke. He looks athletic enough even to play corner OF, if necessary. He wont have a lot of SBs in MLB but expect 7-10 per year.
7 Anthony Rendon - The consensus top prospect in the 2011 draft. In addition to his hitting prowess, some rate him as the best defensive player in college. Also has fairly good speed, as his 14 SBs attribute to. His injury is not expected to effect him long-term.
8 Brandon Belt - 1 of 3 minor leaguers w 20+ HRs and SBs in 2010 (all are on this list). But his speed is supposed to be only solid-average. There was word that he might be the Giants' opening day 1Bman but now he apparently is ticketed for AAA. If he picks up where he left off last year, he should push Huff to the OF soon enough, or perhaps he could be athletic enough to play OF himself.
9 Mike Moustakas - The 2nd KC stud hitter. Moose was the minors' HR leader in 2010, along w Trumbo. Experts say his power is a tad better than Hoz' but I like Hoz better because of the extra SBs he'll get. I like Moose a little more than Myers because he's closer to MLB.
10 Freddie Freeman - The starting 1Bman's job in Atl is his to lose. Many dont expect him to hit a lot of HRs, but should be above average there, as well as in all other categories, except SBs.
11 Jeremy Hellickson - Now that Garza's gone, his spot in the Tampa rotation seems assured. Not considered to be an ace, but is solid and polished and will pitch in a nice park for pitchers. Also, BA's minors' POY.
12 Wil Myers - The 3rd KC hitting stud. KC decided to move him to OF now instead of later. See above for why he's below Hoz and Moose here.
13 Matthew Moore - Led the minors in K's for 2nd straight year and had the best K ratio of any starter (I think). His pattern has been the same each of the last 2 years: struggles mightily w control in 1st half, then is fine the 2nd half.
14 Julio Teheran - Also a pitcher w an outstanding K ratio. Moore's is a little better, which is why he's a notch above.
15 Dustin Ackley - He's the first guy on this list who's not a unanimous elite prospect. That's because his position is uncertain and people question whether his bat is strong enough for an OF corner, where he might end up, altho CF is an option, too. But reports indicate he may stick at 2B and his bat got better and better as the season went on. BA rated him the best college hitter of the last decade - hi praise indeed. Uncertain how many HRs he'll hit but everyone agrees he'll hit for a hi BA. Should be valuable in SBs, too. Could be a MLB starter on opening day; if not, he'll likely be soon.
16 Manny Machado - Many if not most already consider him the best SS prospect in the minors. I saw him play briefly and he looked good to me.
17 Nick Franklin - Another prospect the experts seem a little divided on. He's the 2nd of only 3 minor league hitters to have 20+ HRs and SBs. And he played in a pitchers' league! But his speed is supposed to be only solid-average.
18 Aroldis (Albertin) Chapman - Noone doubts his talent but his control issues and the uncertainty re: whether he'll be a starter, closer or setup guy keep me from ranking him higher. Set the official MLB speed record (105.1 MPH). I watched that game and no pitch was under 101 MPH!
19 Dee (Devaris) Gordon - Rated a lot higher here than he is on most 'real' prospect listw. But he's considered a good enough talent to project as a MLB regular. That and his SB potential is why I have him so high.
20 Billy Hamilton - The above write-up on Gordon pretty much applies to Hamilton, too. He's farther away than Gordon, but his SB potential is even greater. 48 SBs in 283 ABs projects to 100+ in a full MLB season, so he's potential roto gold!
21 Jean Segura - Another big SB guy that projects now to be a MLB regular. His plate discipline is better than any of the big SB guys so far besides Jennings. Supposed to have pretty good power, too.
22 Michael Pineda - Another starter who really racks up the K's and was very young for his leagues. He might make the Seattle rotation out of ST. Can throw 100 MPH. Some think his mechanics may make him an injury risk. Also, his secondary pitches have been inconsistent and he may end up as a reliever.
23 Shelby Miller - One of the best K ratios among minor league starters, and he was especially strong in the 2nd half.
24 Brett Jackson - Very good first full season. SB totals not expected to remain quite as high, altho he has plus speed. Could be above average in 5 categories.
25 Jameson Taillon - Word is that Pittsburgh liked him even more than Harper. We eagerly await his first pro pitch.
26 Jonathan Singleton - Really soared up the prospect charts last year. Tailed off some in the 2nd half, but still an outstanding year overall. Philly is moving him to the OF to prevent Howard from blocking him.
27 Brett Lawrie - Like Ackley, his defensive position is uncertain. Toronto apparently plans to move him to 3B. Experts believe in his bat, which has been very good so far and he was very young for his league. Despite the SBs, his speed supposedly is only around average. Some think he has some makeup issues.
28 Aaron Hicks - The stats don’t quite match the hype yet, but he did make progress last year. The still very favorable scouting reports cause me to rank him this high.
29 Miguel Angel Sano - Very young but experts rave about his talent and had good stats in pro debut.
30 Jacob Turner - Upside is top of the rotation starter. Very good stats so far and he was young for his leagues.
31 Lonnie Chisenhall - With Chizz, we seem to be moving from the elite prospects down to the next tier, roto-wise. Doesn’t project to be an all-star, and the stats are not outstanding but very solid and the experts think he'll be an above-average MLB regular.
32 George Springer - Perhaps the best power-speed combo in college and the 2nd-highest rated hitter behind Rendon. Very exciting player. Plate discipline needs a lot of work tho.
33 Chris Sale - Some thought he was the best pitcher in last year's draft, and he was the first draftee to reach MLB. Uncertain whether he'll be a starter rt away or not. He could be the opening day closer, altho I am skeptical of this. Can hit 100 MPH.
34 Anthony Gose - His talent is considerable but still raw. Very fast but needs much better SB success. His minor league stats remind me of Erick Aybar's. Hopefully, he'll be a little more successful in MLB than Aybar has been so far. His outstanding defense and arm in CF strengthen the case that he'll be a MLB regular.
35 Grant Green - Was considered 1 of the top 2 hitters in his draft, along w Ackley. He took a step forward last year, but needs better plate discipline. Also, questionable whether he can stick at SS, so he may move to 3B or, more likely, 2B.
36 Kyle Drabek - I saw him pitch as a High schooler. Were concerns back then about his make-up and control. The make-up concerns seem to be over and his control has improved but still needs more work. Supposedly, a starting rotation spot is his to lose.
37 Mike Minor - One of many very good Atl pitching prospects. Was considered a middle-of-rotation type out of the draft but his increase in velocity last year has folks thinking he can be even better. May be hard to crack that Atl rotation, but he has a good chance to be the Braves' 5th starter out of ST.
38 John Lamb - The first of many KC stud prospect pitchers. He's rated first here because BA also does and because he apparently may be in the opening day rotation, and because some think he may be the best KC pitcher anyway.
39 Jarrod Parker - Reports are that he's fully back from his injury so he's back to being an elite pitching prospect.
40 Kyle Gibson - A Callis favorite, he is considered to have more 2/3 starter potential than that of an ace. May be in the Minny rotation by summer.
2 Bryce Harper - If you don’t think Trout is the best prospect, then either you think Harper is or else please explain yourself! Among the best power-potential of any prospect, and he's pretty athletic, too. Now that he's an OFer, he's even more desirable in roto.
3 Domonic Brown - Could be the starting RFer on opening day altho word is that this is not completely certain. Should be above average in 5 categories for a long time.
4 Desmond Jennings - Big SB potential and could be an opening starting OFer like Brown, but also like Brown this is not certain. His prospect status was down a little last year but I still expect he'll be in the top 30 or so on BA's list. The injury bug is a concern w him.
5 Jesus Montero - Some rate him the minors' best hitter. Another strong season after a slow start. Not likely to stick at catcher but his offense should make him a regular somewhere. Don’t expect a lot of help from him this year, but he should be a fixture in the lineup by at least 2012.
6 Eric Hosmer - Folks differ on which of the 3 stud KC hitting prospects is the best. I prefer Hoz because his bat is comparable to the other 2 and he'll get more SBs than they will. Don’t be fooled by the scouting reports that say he has below average speed. I've seen him play in person and he moves very well for a big guy. Those 14 SBs were no fluke. He looks athletic enough even to play corner OF, if necessary. He wont have a lot of SBs in MLB but expect 7-10 per year.
7 Anthony Rendon - The consensus top prospect in the 2011 draft. In addition to his hitting prowess, some rate him as the best defensive player in college. Also has fairly good speed, as his 14 SBs attribute to. His injury is not expected to effect him long-term.
8 Brandon Belt - 1 of 3 minor leaguers w 20+ HRs and SBs in 2010 (all are on this list). But his speed is supposed to be only solid-average. There was word that he might be the Giants' opening day 1Bman but now he apparently is ticketed for AAA. If he picks up where he left off last year, he should push Huff to the OF soon enough, or perhaps he could be athletic enough to play OF himself.
9 Mike Moustakas - The 2nd KC stud hitter. Moose was the minors' HR leader in 2010, along w Trumbo. Experts say his power is a tad better than Hoz' but I like Hoz better because of the extra SBs he'll get. I like Moose a little more than Myers because he's closer to MLB.
10 Freddie Freeman - The starting 1Bman's job in Atl is his to lose. Many dont expect him to hit a lot of HRs, but should be above average there, as well as in all other categories, except SBs.
11 Jeremy Hellickson - Now that Garza's gone, his spot in the Tampa rotation seems assured. Not considered to be an ace, but is solid and polished and will pitch in a nice park for pitchers. Also, BA's minors' POY.
12 Wil Myers - The 3rd KC hitting stud. KC decided to move him to OF now instead of later. See above for why he's below Hoz and Moose here.
13 Matthew Moore - Led the minors in K's for 2nd straight year and had the best K ratio of any starter (I think). His pattern has been the same each of the last 2 years: struggles mightily w control in 1st half, then is fine the 2nd half.
14 Julio Teheran - Also a pitcher w an outstanding K ratio. Moore's is a little better, which is why he's a notch above.
15 Dustin Ackley - He's the first guy on this list who's not a unanimous elite prospect. That's because his position is uncertain and people question whether his bat is strong enough for an OF corner, where he might end up, altho CF is an option, too. But reports indicate he may stick at 2B and his bat got better and better as the season went on. BA rated him the best college hitter of the last decade - hi praise indeed. Uncertain how many HRs he'll hit but everyone agrees he'll hit for a hi BA. Should be valuable in SBs, too. Could be a MLB starter on opening day; if not, he'll likely be soon.
16 Manny Machado - Many if not most already consider him the best SS prospect in the minors. I saw him play briefly and he looked good to me.
17 Nick Franklin - Another prospect the experts seem a little divided on. He's the 2nd of only 3 minor league hitters to have 20+ HRs and SBs. And he played in a pitchers' league! But his speed is supposed to be only solid-average.
18 Aroldis (Albertin) Chapman - Noone doubts his talent but his control issues and the uncertainty re: whether he'll be a starter, closer or setup guy keep me from ranking him higher. Set the official MLB speed record (105.1 MPH). I watched that game and no pitch was under 101 MPH!
19 Dee (Devaris) Gordon - Rated a lot higher here than he is on most 'real' prospect listw. But he's considered a good enough talent to project as a MLB regular. That and his SB potential is why I have him so high.
20 Billy Hamilton - The above write-up on Gordon pretty much applies to Hamilton, too. He's farther away than Gordon, but his SB potential is even greater. 48 SBs in 283 ABs projects to 100+ in a full MLB season, so he's potential roto gold!
21 Jean Segura - Another big SB guy that projects now to be a MLB regular. His plate discipline is better than any of the big SB guys so far besides Jennings. Supposed to have pretty good power, too.
22 Michael Pineda - Another starter who really racks up the K's and was very young for his leagues. He might make the Seattle rotation out of ST. Can throw 100 MPH. Some think his mechanics may make him an injury risk. Also, his secondary pitches have been inconsistent and he may end up as a reliever.
23 Shelby Miller - One of the best K ratios among minor league starters, and he was especially strong in the 2nd half.
24 Brett Jackson - Very good first full season. SB totals not expected to remain quite as high, altho he has plus speed. Could be above average in 5 categories.
25 Jameson Taillon - Word is that Pittsburgh liked him even more than Harper. We eagerly await his first pro pitch.
26 Jonathan Singleton - Really soared up the prospect charts last year. Tailed off some in the 2nd half, but still an outstanding year overall. Philly is moving him to the OF to prevent Howard from blocking him.
27 Brett Lawrie - Like Ackley, his defensive position is uncertain. Toronto apparently plans to move him to 3B. Experts believe in his bat, which has been very good so far and he was very young for his league. Despite the SBs, his speed supposedly is only around average. Some think he has some makeup issues.
28 Aaron Hicks - The stats don’t quite match the hype yet, but he did make progress last year. The still very favorable scouting reports cause me to rank him this high.
29 Miguel Angel Sano - Very young but experts rave about his talent and had good stats in pro debut.
30 Jacob Turner - Upside is top of the rotation starter. Very good stats so far and he was young for his leagues.
31 Lonnie Chisenhall - With Chizz, we seem to be moving from the elite prospects down to the next tier, roto-wise. Doesn’t project to be an all-star, and the stats are not outstanding but very solid and the experts think he'll be an above-average MLB regular.
32 George Springer - Perhaps the best power-speed combo in college and the 2nd-highest rated hitter behind Rendon. Very exciting player. Plate discipline needs a lot of work tho.
33 Chris Sale - Some thought he was the best pitcher in last year's draft, and he was the first draftee to reach MLB. Uncertain whether he'll be a starter rt away or not. He could be the opening day closer, altho I am skeptical of this. Can hit 100 MPH.
34 Anthony Gose - His talent is considerable but still raw. Very fast but needs much better SB success. His minor league stats remind me of Erick Aybar's. Hopefully, he'll be a little more successful in MLB than Aybar has been so far. His outstanding defense and arm in CF strengthen the case that he'll be a MLB regular.
35 Grant Green - Was considered 1 of the top 2 hitters in his draft, along w Ackley. He took a step forward last year, but needs better plate discipline. Also, questionable whether he can stick at SS, so he may move to 3B or, more likely, 2B.
36 Kyle Drabek - I saw him pitch as a High schooler. Were concerns back then about his make-up and control. The make-up concerns seem to be over and his control has improved but still needs more work. Supposedly, a starting rotation spot is his to lose.
37 Mike Minor - One of many very good Atl pitching prospects. Was considered a middle-of-rotation type out of the draft but his increase in velocity last year has folks thinking he can be even better. May be hard to crack that Atl rotation, but he has a good chance to be the Braves' 5th starter out of ST.
38 John Lamb - The first of many KC stud prospect pitchers. He's rated first here because BA also does and because he apparently may be in the opening day rotation, and because some think he may be the best KC pitcher anyway.
39 Jarrod Parker - Reports are that he's fully back from his injury so he's back to being an elite pitching prospect.
40 Kyle Gibson - A Callis favorite, he is considered to have more 2/3 starter potential than that of an ace. May be in the Minny rotation by summer.