Baseball America Online - 2002 Draft Preview

Position Player Rankings

By Allan Simpson
May 30, 2002

CATCHER
There isn't a consensus first-round pick at the position. Unless a team overdrafts a catcher to fill a need, it would mark the first time since 1998 that a catcher isn't selected in the first round. Overall, it's a better crop than 2001--even though the Twins picked a catcher, hometown boy Joe Mauer, No. 1 overall. Like Mauer, the top two receivers this year are offensive-oriented lefthanded hitters. Iowa's Jeff Clement and Georgia's Brian McCann both can put a charge in the ball, but scouts say they rate as sandwich picks, at best. The player given the greatest chance of sneaking into the first round is Chris Snyder, a take-charge catcher with solid catch-and-throw skills. He profiles more as a third-round talent because scouts aren't convinced he'll hit with wood, but at least two clubs have pursued him vigorously. Ben Fritz and Matt Capps have attacted interest behind the plate, but teams see greater upside in the pair on the mound.

Strength of Position (1-to-5 scale): 2.
Best hitters: 1. Jeff Clement. 2. Brian McCann. 3. Alberto Concepcion.
Best defensive players: 1. Chris Snyder. 2. Matt Liuzza. 3. John Schneider.
Best athletes: 1. Mike Nixon. 2. Drew Olson. 3. Nick Hundley.

	Player	High School/College	Class	Age	B-T	Ht.	Wt.
1.	Jeff Clement	Marshalltown (Iowa) HS	Sr.	18	L-R	6-1	190
2.	Brian McCann	Duluth (Ga.) HS	Sr.	18	L-R	6-2	195
3.	Adam Donachie	Timber Creek HS, Orlando	Sr.	18	R-R	6-2	180
4.	Tyler Parker	Georgia Tech	Jr.	21	R-R	6-3	212
5.	Chris Snyder	U. of Houston	Jr.	21	R-R	6-3	224
6.	Alberto Concepcion	U. of Southern California	Jr.	21	R-R	6-0	215
7.	*Ben Fritz	Fresno State U.	Jr.	21	R-R	6-4	220
8.	Josh Bell	North Side HS, Jackson, Tenn.	Sr.	17	R-R	6-0	200
9.	Jim Anderson	UC Riverside	Jr.	20	R-R	6-2	200
10.	Chris Robinson	Lord Dorchester HS, Dorchester, Ontario	Sr.	18	R-R	6-1	185
11.	Paul Keck	Granada HS, Livermore, Calif.	Sr.	17	R-R	6-3	190
12.	Nick Hundley	Lake Washington HS, Redmond, Wash.	Sr.	18	R-R	6-1	185
13.	Matt Liuzza	Archbishop Rummel HS, Kenner, La.	Sr.		R-R	6-0	185
14.	Patrick Arlis	U. of Illinois	Jr.	21	R-R	6-0	205
15.	Chris Miller	UC Irvine	Jr.	21	R-R	6-2	215
16.	Mark Wagner	Mayfair HS, Lakewood, Calif.	Sr.	17	R-R	6-1	185
17.	Neil Wilson	Vero Beach (Fla.) HS	Sr.	18	R-R	6-1	195
18.	*Matt Capps	Alexander HS, Douglasville, Ga.	Sr.	18	R-R	6-2	220
19.	Matt Lauderdale	College of Charleston	Jr.	21	R-R	5-10	185
20.	Drew Olson	Piedmont (Calif.) HS	Sr.	19	R-R	6-3	190
21.	John Schneider	U. of Delaware	Jr.	22	R-R	6-3	215
22.	Adam Shorsher	San Jose State U.	Sr.	21	R-R	6-2	218
23.	Jake Smith	Southeast Guilford HS, Greensboro	Sr.		R-R	6-2	185
24.	Chris Hamblen	U. of Cincinnati	Jr.	22	B-R	6-1	194
25.	Mike Nixon	Sunnyslope HS, Phoenix	Sr.		R-R	6-2	185

*Also listed as pitchers

FIRST BASE
Outside of pitching, this is the strongest position in the draft. It certainly has a monopoly on power hitters, led by two Florida high school sluggers, Brian Dopirak and Prince Fielder. Nate Gold (the NCAA leader with 33 homers), Michael Johnson, Josh Kreuzer, John Mayberry, Corey Shafer, Ryan Shealy, Nick Swisher and Chris Walston also rank among the top home run hitters in the draft. Fielder and Mayberry come by their power naturally as they are the sons of former all-star first basemen Cecil Fielder and John Mayberry, who combined for 574 big league homers. Swisher is also the son of former all-star catcher Steve Swisher. All three offspring are possible first-round picks. Should Mayberry and Swisher be drafted there, they and their fathers would join the Grieves (Tom and Ben), Burroughs (Jeff and Sean) and Parrishes (Lance and David) as the only father-son first-round acts of the draft era. Mayberry is by far the most athletic of the first basemen; his speed and athletic ability may lead to his moving to the outfield at the next level.

Strength of Position (1-to-5 scale): 5.
Best hitters: 1. Prince Fielder. 2. Brian Dopirak. 3. John Mayberry.
Best defensive players: 1. Nick Swisher. 2. John Mayberry. 3. Larry Broadway.
Best athletes: 1. John Mayberry. 2. Nick Swisher. 3. Fernando Pacheco.

	Player	High School/College	Class	Age	B-T	Ht.	Wt.
1.	John Mayberry	Rockhurst HS, Kansas City, Mo.	Sr.	18	R-R	6-4	195
2.	Prince Fielder	Eau Gallie HS, Melbourne, Fla.	Sr.	18	L-R	6-0	240
3.	Nick Swisher	Ohio State U.	Jr.	21	B-L	6-0	200
4.	Brian Dopirak	Dunedin HS, Crystal Beach, Fla.	Sr.	18	R-R	6-5	220
5.	Michael Johnson	Clemson U.	Jr.	21	L-R	6-2	220
6.	Larry Broadway	Duke U.	Jr.	21	L-L	6-4	218
7.	Corey Shafer	Choctaw (Okla.) HS	Sr.	19	L-L	6-3	210
8.	David Jensen	Brigham Young U.	So.	22	L-L	6-3	200
9.	Jason Perry	Georgia Tech	Jr.	21	L-R	6-1	220
10.	Fernando Pacheco	Montgomery HS, San Ysidro, Calif.	Sr.	17	L-L	6-2	190
11.	James Jurries	Tulane U.	Sr.	23	R-R	6-0	180
12.	Ryan Shealy	U. of Florida	Sr.	22	R-R	6-5	245
13.	Nate Gold	Gonzaga U.	Sr.	21	R-R	6-3	225
14.	Josh Kreuzer	West Valley (Calif.) JC	So.	19	R-R	6-6	245
15.	Chris Walston	El Capitan HS, Lakeside, Calif.	Sr.	17	R-R	6-4	240

SECOND BASE
Second base is normally a dead-end position at the high school and college level and, sure enough, none of the first nine players on the accompanying list spent this season at second base--except on rare occasions. All were predominantly shortstops but scouts say their size and/or lack of range or arm strength will dictate moving to the other side of the bag in pro ball. Several ideally project as utility players. Top prospect Russ Adams is better suited for second base because his arm is only average by middle-infield standards. But he's very steady in the field and has soft hands. A prototype leadoff hitter who steals bases and plays extremely hard, he has the best balance of offensive and defensive skills and that puts him at the top of the heap. Most of the remaining players will be offensive second basemen.

Strength of Position (1-to-5 scale): 3.
Best hitters: 1. Micah Schilling. 2. John McCurdy. 3. Russ Adams.
Best defensive players: 1. James Guerrero. 2. Russ Adams. 3. Don Murphy.
Best athletes: 1. Russ Adams. 2. Trevor Crowe. 3. John McCurdy.

	Player	High School/College	Class	Age	B-T	Ht.	Wt.
1.	*Russ Adams	U. of North Carolina	Jr.	21	L-R	6-1	170
2.	*John McCurdy	U. of Maryland	Jr.	21	R-R	6-2	195
3.	*Micah Schilling	Silliman Institute, Clinton, La.	Sr.	19	L-R	6-0	185
4.	*Trevor Crowe	Westview HS, Portland, Ore.	Sr.	18	B-R	5-11	180
5.	*Don Murphy	Orange Coast (Calif.) JC	Fr.	19	R-R	5-10	175
6.	*Javy Rodriguez	U. of Miami	Sr.	23	R-R	5-11	188
7.	*James Guerrero	Fontana (Calif.) HS	Sr.	18	R-R	5-9	165
8.	*Mark Kiger	U. of Florida	Sr.	22	R-R	5-11	180
9.	*David Uribes	South Hills HS, Covina	Sr.	17	R-R	5-11	170
10.	Eric Arnold	Rice U.	Sr.	21	R-R	6-1	180
11.	Chris O'Riordan	Stanford U.	Sr.	22	R-R	5-9	175
12.	Anthony Lunetta	U. of Southern California	Jr.	21	R-R	5-10	185
13.	Brian Burgamy	Wichita State U.	Jr.	20	B-R	5-10	180
14.	Luke Appert	U. of Minnesota	Jr.	21	L-R	5-11	175
15.	*Joey Monahan	Liberty U.	Jr.	21	R-R	6-1	185

*Played shortstop this season

THIRD BASE
Next to first base, the hot corner is the strongest everyday position in the draft. The number of true third basemen makes it a representative position on its own merit, but it is enhanced by scouts saying that most of this year's top shortstops profile better as third basemen at the next level. Three Californians--Scott Moore, Sergio Santos and Jake Blalock--are symbolic of this year's pseudo shortstop crop. None have ideal range to remain at short, but all have the arm strength to stay on the left side of the infield and potentially explosive bats to play on an infield corner. Not only does the potential exist for there to be four third basemen drafted in the first round, but the position is unusually deep as well.

Strength of Position (1-to-5 scale): 4.
Best hitters: 1. Scott Moore. 2. Jeff Baker. 3. Matt Whitney.
Best defensive players: 1. Mark Teahen. Brian Barden. 3. Jeff Baker.
Best athletes: 1. Justin Tyler. 2. Travis Hanson. 3. Scott Moore.

	Player	High School/College	Class	Age	B-T	Ht.	Wt.
1.	*Scott Moore	Cypress (Calif.) HS	Sr.	18	L-R	6-2	170
2.	Jeff Baker	Clemson U.	Jr.	20	R-R	6-1	215
3.	Matt Whitney	Palm Beach Gardens (Fla.) HS	Sr.	18	R-R	6-4	190
4.	*Sergio Santos	Mater Dei HS, Hacienda Heights, Calif.	Sr.	18	R-R	6-3	190
5.	*Jake Blalock	Rancho Bernardo HS, San Diego	Sr.	18	R-R	6-4	205
6.	Brandon Jones	Wewahitchka (Fla.) HS	Sr.	18	L-R	6-0	180
7.	*#Zack Greinke	Apopka HS, Orlando	Sr.	18	R-R	6-2	185
8.	*Chris Lewis	Northwood HS, Irvine, Calif.	Sr.	18	R-R	6-1	180
9.	*Matt Craig	U. of Richmond	So.	21	B-R	6-3	198
10.	Brian Barden	Oregon State U.	Jr.	21	R-R	5-11	190
11.	Mark Teahen	St. Mary's (Calif.) College	Jr.	20	L-R	6-3	205
12.	Pat Osborn	U. of Florida	Jr.	21	R-R	6-4	205
13.	*Travis Buck	Richland (Wash.) HS	Sr.	18	L-R	6-2	190
14.	Kevin Howard	U. of Miami	Jr.	20	L-R	6-3	185
15.	*Travis Hanson	U. of Portland	Jr.	21	L-R	6-2	190
16.	*Gabriel Sanchez	Brito Private HS, Miami	Sr.	18	R-R	6-2	180
17.	Justin Tyler	Jones County HS, Gray, Ga.	Sr.	18	R-R	6-4	210
18.	Scott White	Walton HS, Marietta, Ga.	Sr.	18	R-R	6-2	180
19.	Rafael Mendez	Notre Dame HS, Caguas, P.R.	Sr.	18	R-R	6-0	190
20.	Mark Schramek	U. of Texas-San Antonio	Sr.	21	L-R	6-3	215
21.	David Bagley	U. of San Diego	So.	21	R-R	6-3	195
22.	Hunter Brown	Rice U.	Sr.	22	R-R	6-2	190
23.	Alex Gordon	Southeast HS, Lincoln, Neb.	Sr.		L-R	6-1	195
24.	Brad McCann	Gulf Coast (Fla.) CC	Fr.	19	R-R	6-2	195
25.	Matt Hagen	Liberty U.	Jr.	22	R-R	6-4	215

*Played shortstop this season
#Also listed as a pitcher

SHORTSTOP
Virginia high school star B.J. Upton stands head and shoulders above everyone else in this year's shortstop class. He's a five-tool talent who is compared to Derek Jeter at a similar level of development. Baseball America ranks Upton as the best overall talent in the draft, but Pittsburgh is not expected to take him with the first overall pick because of a more pressing need for immediate help. Instead, he is expected to go second to Tampa Bay. Most of the top remaining shortstops lack an important tool--and, as a result, will end up at either second base or third base in pro ball. Drew Meyer has solid shortstop tools and will most likely stay at short in pro ball. But scouts say Meyer could also be a dynamic center fielder. Beyond Upton, the high school shorstop crop is so thin that Clint Everts, who should be picked in the first round as a pitcher, is considered by some teams to be one of the three best high school shortstop prospects.

Strength of Position (1-to-5 scale): 2.
Best hitters: 1. Khalil Greene. B.J. Upton. 3. Drew Meyer.
Best defensive players: 1. B.J. Upton. 2. Taber Lee. 3. Cliff Pennington.
Best athletes: 1. B.J. Upton. 2. Drew Meyer. 3. Clint Everts.

	Player	High School/College	Class	Age	B-T	Ht.	Wt.
1.	B.J. Upton	Greenbrier Christian Academy, Chesapeake, Va.	Sr.	17	R-R	6-2	170
2.	Drew Meyer	U. of South Carolina	Jr.	20	L-R	5-11	183
3.	Khalil Greene	Clemson U.	Sr.	22	R-R	5-10	190
4.	Taber Lee	San Diego State U.	Jr.	21	B-R	6-0	185
5.	Tyler Greene	St. Thomas Aquinas HS, Plantation	Sr.	18	R-R	6-3	175
6.	Robert Andino	Southridge HS, Miami	Sr.	18	B-R	6-0	170
7.	Tila Reynolds	U. of Washington	Jr.	21	R-R	5-11	175
8.	Cliff Pennington	Carroll HS, Corpus Christi, Texas	Sr.	17	B-R	5-10	160
9.	*Clint Everts	Cypress Falls HS, Houston	Sr.	17	B-R	6-2	170
10.	Gera Alvarez	Texas Tech	Sr.	22	R-R	5-11	170
11.	Billy Hogan	Newman Smith HS, Carrollton, Texas	Sr.	19	R-R	6-3	185
12.	Kyle Boyer	Dixie (Utah) JC	So.	22	R-R	6-0	185
13.	Kenard Springer	Nettleton (Miss.) HS	Sr.	18	R-R	6-0	215
14.	Chase Lambin	U. of Louisiana-Lafayette	Sr.		B-R	6-2	198
15.	Justin Tordi	Dr. Phillips HS, Orlando	Sr.	18	R-R	6-3	190
16.	Christian Colonel	JC of Southern Idaho	So.	20	R-R	6-2	210
17.	Luis Rivera	Calvin School, Carolina, P.R.	Sr.		R-R	6-2	175
18.	Alexy Hernandez	Monsignor Pace HS, Hialeah, Fla.	Sr.	18	R-R	5-11	170
19.	Josh Murray	Jesuit HS, Tampa	Sr.		R-R	6-1	170
20.	Victor Menocal	Georgia Tech	Sr.	22	R-R	6-4	215
21.	Rene Quintana	Patria la Torre HS, San Sebastien, P.R.	Sr.		L-R	5-11	150
22.	Brian Ellerson	Montclair State U.	Sr.	22	R-R	6-2	200
23.	Adam LaRoche	Grayson County (Texas) CC	Fr.	18	R-R	5-11	175
24.	Todd Davison	St. Augustine Prep, Somers Point, N.J.	Sr.	18	R-R	5-10	170
25.	Calvin Hayes	East Rowan HS, Salisbury, N.C.	Sr.		R-R	5-11	190

*Also listed as a pitcher

CENTER FIELD
This position demands speed and athletic ability--qualities that enable players to chase down fly balls. Few players are faster than Denard Span or have more athletic ability than Jeff Francoeur, both heavily-recruited football players. Span committed to Florida, Francoeur to Clemson. Almost every player on this list is long on speed and short on raw power, and many have football on their resumes. Jarrad Page (UCLA) and Gavin Dickey (Florida State) were top football recuits, while Skyler Fulton (Arizona State), Freddy Lewis (Mississippi Gulf Coast JC) and Mike Goss (Jackson State) all have played football at the collegiate level. Francoeur and Steven Doetsch have the size, arm and power to play right field but their speed enables them to play in center.

Strength of Position (1-to-5 scale): 3.
Best hitters: 1. Denard Span. 2. Jon Slack. 3. Jeremy Reed.
Best defensive players: 1. Denard Span. 2. Jeff Francoeur. 3. Kennard Jones.
Best athletes: 1. Jeff Francoeur. 2. Jarrad Page. 3. Denard Span.

	Player	High School/College	Class	Age	B-T	Ht.	Wt.
1.	Denard Span	Tampa Catholic HS, Tampa	Sr.	18	L-L	6-1	175
2.	Jeff Francoeur	Parkview HS, Lilburn, Ga.	Sr.	18	R-R	6-4	205
3.	Steven Doetsch	Dunedin HS, St. Petersburg	Sr.	18	R-R	6-2	180
4.	Xavier Arroyo	Antilles HS, Fort Buchanan, P.R.	Sr.	17	B-R	6-1	175
5.	Jon Slack	Texas Tech	Jr.	20	L-L	5-11	180
6.	Jarrad Page	San Leandro (Calif.) HS	Sr.	17	B-R	6-0	185
7.	Kennard Jones	U. of Indiana	Jr.	20	L-L	6-0	175
8.	Bo Flowers	Walter Lutheran HS, Maywood, Ill.	Sr.	18	R-R	6-2	190
9.	Bobby Kingsbury	Fordham U.	Jr.	20	L-L	6-1	180
10.	Jeremy Reed	Long Beach State U.	Jr.	20	L-L	6-0	185
11.	Freddie Lewis	Southern U.	Jr.
12.	Ryan Spilborghs	UC Santa Barbara	Jr.	22	R-R	6-1	190
13.	John DeFendis	Xaverian HS, Brooklyn, N.Y.	Sr.	18	L-R	6-1	175
14.	Gavin Dickey	Lincoln HS, Tallahassee, Fla.	Sr.			6-0	190
15.	Jeff Salazar	Oklahoma State U.	Jr.	21	L-L	6-0	185
16.	Josh Womack	Crawford HS, San Diego	Sr.	18	L-L	6-1	185
17.	Robert Andrews	Rancho Buena Vista HS, Vista, Calif.	Sr.	18	R-R	5-11	200
18.	Mike Goss	Jackson State U.	Jr.	21	L-L	5-11	185
19.	Jason Waugh	St. Mary's (Calif.) College	Jr.	22	R-R	6-1	195
20.	Dan Ortmeier	U. of Texas-Arlington	Jr.	21	B-L	6-4	220
21.	Skyler Fulton	Skagit Valley (Wash.) CC	Fr.	19	B-R	6-1	210
22.	Jeff Leise	U. of Nebraska	Jr.	21	L-L	5-10	165
23.	Larry Grayson	Manatee (Fla.) CC	Fr.	19	R-R	5-10	190
24.	Steve Stanley	U. of Notre Dame	Sr.	22	L-L	5-7	155
25.	Randy Walter	Wichita State U.	Jr.	21	R-R	6-2	205

CORNER OUTFIELD
Two themes are evident here: a handful of high school outfielders with advanced hitting skills and a decided lack of premium college players. Jeremy Hermida is regarded as the best hitting prospect in the entire draft--possibly the best high school hitter since Eric Chavez six years ago, according to some scouts. Brent Clevlen, Travis Ishikawa and Jason Pridie are also advanced hitters. The college crop is as thin as it's been in years. Stanford's Jason Cooper is the most attractive talent, but he no longer is seen as a first-rounder. He may have the best power in the draft but has been so slow to regain his arm strength from surgery in 2000 that he is viewed more as a DH. Curtis Granderson was one of the top hitters in NCAA Division I this spring, but skeptical scouts want to see how he'll fare against better competition.

Strength of Position (1-to-5 scale):
Best hitters: 1. Jeremy Hermida. 2. Brent Clevlen. 3. Jason Pridie.
Best defensive players: 1. Jason Pridie. 2. Sean Barker. 3. Ben Francisco.
Best athletes: 1. Robbie Sovie. 2. Elijah Dukes. 3. Nic Carter.

	Player	High School/College	Class	Age	B-T	Ht.	Wt.
1.	Jeremy Hermida	Wheeler HS, Marietta, Ga.	Sr.	18	L-R	6-3	180
2.	Brent Clevlen	Westwood HS, Cedar Park, Texas	Sr.	18	R-R	6-2	185
3.	Jason Pridie	Prescott (Ariz.) HS	Sr.	18	L-R	6-1	175
4.	Travis Ishikawa	Federal Way (Wash.) HS	Sr.	18	L-L	6-3	205
5.	Robbie Sovie	Stratford Academy, Macon, Ga.	Sr.	18	B-R	6-0	195
6.	Jason Cooper	Stanford U.	Jr.	21	L-R	6-3	215
7.	Curtis Granderson	U. of Illinois-Chicago	Jr.	21	L-R	6-0	175
8.	Elijah Dukes	Hillsborough HS, Tampa	Sr.	17	R-R	6-3	215
9.	Sean Scobee	Rio Linda (Calif.) HS	Sr.	17	R-R	6-1	200
10.	Eddy Martinez-Esteve	Westminster Christian HS, Miami	Sr.	18	R-R	6-2	185
11.	Randy Braun	Belton (Mo.) HS	Sr.	18	L-L	6-4	180
12.	Wes Bankston	Plano East HS, Plano, Texas	Sr.	18	R-R	6-3	200
13.	Sean Barker	Louisiana State U.	Sr.	22	R-R	6-3	215
14.	Bob Malek	Michigan State U.	Jr.	20	L-R	6-0	180
15.	Val Majewski	Rutgers U.	Jr.	20	L-L	6-2	200
16.	Tyler Davidson	U. of Washington	Jr.	21	R-R	6-4	225
17.	Ryan Broderick	Palm Desert HS, Rancho Mirage, Calif.	Sr.	18	L-L	6-3	178
18.	Ben Francisco	UCLA	Jr.	20	R-R	6-0	180
19.	Adam Lind	Highland HS, Anderson, Ind.	Sr.	18	L-L	6-2	175
20.	Nic Carter	Campbell U.	Jr.	21	B-R	6-3	185
21.	Tim Gilhooly	U. of the Pacific	Jr.	21	R-R	6-3	210
22.	Jarrod Schmidt	Clemson U.	Jr.	21	R-R	6-1	215
23.	Matt Carson	Brigham Young U.	Jr.	20	R-R	6-2	195
24.	Jay Garthwaite	U. of Washington	Jr.	21	R-R	6-2	205
25.	Derrick Smith	Dooly County HS, Vienna, Ga.	Sr.	18	L-L	5-11	185
26.	Brian Stavisky	U. of Notre Dame	Jr.	21	L-R	6-3	220
27.	Joseph Hunter	Germantown (Tenn.) HS	Sr.	18	R-R	6-1	175
28.	Lance Pendleton	Kingwood (Texas) HS	Sr.	18	L-R	6-3	175
29.	Eric Verbryke	Cal State Northridge	Jr.	20	L-L	6-2	220
30.	Brad Corley	Pleasure Ridge Park HS, Louisville	Sr.	18	R-R	6-2	185
31.	Caleb Maher	Ceres (Calif.) HS	Sr.	17	R-R	6-3	190
32.	Joey Gomes	U. of Santa Clara	Sr.	22	R-R	6-2	210
33.	Daylon Monette	Oklahoma State U.	Jr.	20	B-L	6-3	200
34.	Jason Fransz	U. of Oklahoma	Jr.	21	R-R	6-3	200
35.	Brian Wright	North Carolina State U.	Sr.	22	L-R	6-1	200