World Wood Bat Class Of 2007 Top 20 Prospects

By Alan Matthews
November 2, 2006

The WWBA fall championship is the final major scouting event of the year and has become a valuable setting for scouts to evaluate some of the country's best high school players. Here's a look at the top 20 seniors in attendance, as judged by BA's Alan Matthews in conjunction with scouts in attendance. Rankings reflect the player's ceiling and likelihood of reaching that ceiling with some consideration to performance at the event.

Rank	Name, pos	High School	The Skinny
1	Rick Porcello, rhp	Seton Hall Prep, West Orange, N.J.	Scouting directors are stocking up on thermal underwear, as Porcello is one of a bevy of big arms out of the Northeast.
2	Jack McGeary, lhp/1b	Roxbury (Mass.) Latin HS	McGeary isn't among the class' hardest throwers, but his feel for pitching, secondary stuff and command make him a potential front-of-the-rotation starter.
3	Michael Burgess, of	Hillsborough HS, Tampa	Burgess' bat speed is unmatched among high school hitters, prompting one scout to compare it to that of Mets prospect Lastings Milledge.
4	Josh Vitters, 3b	Cypress (Calif.) HS	The class' best pure hitter, Vitters reinforced his stock with another strong performance.
5	Jason Heyward, of	Henry County HS, McDonough, Ga.	A man-child with strength and power, Heyward combines awe-inspiring physical tools with instincts and feel for the game.
6	Michael Main, rhp/of	Deland (Fla.) HS	While his performance was lackluster in Jupiter, Main's lightning-quick arm and athleticism make him a potential first-rounder.
7	Ryan Dent, ss	Wilson HS, Los Angeles	Dent displayed the event's best top-of-the-lineup tools, and his all-out, aggressive approach made a positive impression.
8	Nick Noonan, ss/2b	Parker HS, San Diego	Another high-profile event, another solid performance for Noonan, who has a knack for making consistent hard contact with wood.
9	Josh Smoker, lhp	Calhoun (Ga.) HS	If ever performance was a factor in evaluating a high school prospect, it has to be considered with Smoker, who struck out 21 in nine innings.
10	Justin Jackson, ss	Roberson HS, Asheville, N.C.	Jackson, who was Team USA's starting shortstop in Cuba last month, looked exhausted and didn't perform well, but remains one of the class' top shortstop prospects.
11	Yasmani Grandal, c	Miami Springs (Fla.) HS	For those riding the fence on Grandal's prospect status, they likely left Jupiter convinced he can remain behind the plate and handle the bat adequately.
12	Peter Kozma, ss	Owasso (Okla.) HS	Kozma quietly continues to impress with well-above-average defensive skills, plus running ability and a confident approach at the plate.
13	Christian Colon, ss/2b	Canyon HS, Anaheim	Colon swung the bat well in Jupiter and compares with Kozma defensively.
14	Kevin Ahrens, 3b	Memorial HS, Houston	Ahrens' towering home run punctuated the Heat's win over East Cobb (Ga.) and showed one of the many ways this talented switch-hitter can affect a game.
15	John Tolisano, 2b	Estero (Fla.) HS	Like Jackson, Tolisano didn't perform especially well, but has a chance to stay in the middle of the diamond and hit for average in the big leagues.
16	Andrew Lambo, 1b/of	Newbury Park (Calif.) HS	Lambo raised his profile by displaying plus hitting ability and a mature approach that produced eight hits in 21 at-bats.
17	Nathan Vineyard, lhp	Woodland HS, Cartersville, Ga.	This loose, projectable lefthander has a chance for three plus pitches, and a solid-average fastball that could climb in velocity.
18	Brett Krill, of	Aliso Niguel HS, Aliso Viejo, Calif.	Like Heyward, Krill is physically imposing, though his approach is more aggressive and his power is a slightly more developed tool.
19	Derek Dietrich, 3b/c	Saint Ignatius HS, Cleveland	Throwback-style player makes hard contact from the left side of the plate, is instinctive and has one of the strongest arms in the class.
20	Danny Rams, c	Gulliver Prep, Miami	Like Tolisano, Rams is a veteran of these events and his powerful righthanded bat reminds us why he's been well-known for so long.