Matt Meyers: Welcome to the SAL top 20 prospects chat. I just did some long toss so I am warmed up and ready to go. Bill Simmons' marathon chat from the other day is in my sights.

Matt Meyers: Salome is a personal favorite of mine since we both come from the same neighborhood in NYC so he seems like a good place to start. He probably fits into the 26-30 range because despite his solid numbers, he has a major hole in his swing. He steps in the bucket and can be pitched away. This weakness will be exploited at the higher levels by pitchers with better command. He has some crazy strength due to forearms the size of Popeye's and can hit the ball as hard as anyone. Defensively, he has impressive arm strength, but needs better accuracy.

Matt Meyers: I was talking to one manager that told me that when his pitcher came back from the mound, the pitcher said that Erbe's front foot was landing about a foot closer to home plate than his. Because he finishes so close to the plate and he has such good velocity, the ball gets on you quickly. The concern is that he uses too much effort in every pitch. If he can't figure out how to be more efficient with his delivery, he will probably be a reliever. However, he is not yet 19 and has plenty of time to figure things out. Like most pitchers his age he needs to develop his changeup but that is less of a concern at this point. His arm strength is rare and he is certainly an excellent prospect.

Matt Meyers: Towles was one of the last two guys cut from the 20. Despite an impressive performance, his play did not excite observers but he is still a good prospect because he is a true catcher with solid defensive skills. At 22, he was a little on the old side for the leauge but was still the SAL's best catching prospect.

Matt Meyers: It is not a specific weakness, but he is rawer then the other position prospects. As far as ceiling goes, he rivals anyone in the league. Not sure if he is ever going to hit a lot of home runs, but with his speed he should hit a lot of doubles and triples. He needs to shorten his swing, but I like that his performance as both a lefty and righty were almost equal. He gets caught stealing way too much, but he is still learning technique and that will improve with time.

Matt Meyers: Art, isn't Vegas a little dangerous for you?

Matt Meyers: Niese wasn't that close to making the list, but he is still an intriguing prospect. The SAL is the largest league in the minors with 16 teams, so cracking the 20 is extremely difficult. Niese simply needs more consistency. When his curve is on, it can look like Zito's but too often it lacks tightness and he casts it. He rarely ever had all three pitches working on the same night and the one time that he did, he threw a complete game three-hitter. It was only one inning, but one scout said he was the most impressive pitcher at the SAL all-star game.

Matt Meyers: Yeah, he was in the 21-30 range and probably the second best catching prospect in the league. The problem is that there are major questions about his defense and it does not sound like he can stick at catcher. If he is not a catcher, then his prospect value obviously takes a huge hit.

Matt Meyers: Similar to Jim Callis' rationale for having Jay Bruce No. 1 in the MWL, Tabata got the nod for his bat. Martinez and Andrus offer more speed and defense, but Tabata will be fine in right field and at this point he looks more likely to be an impact bat. It would not surprise me if Martinez or Andrus turn out to be a better player though. They are studs too.

Matt Meyers: That comparison isn't bad, but I often think we get in the bad habit of limiting our comparisons based on race. I find that too often Latin players are only compared to other Latin players and black players to other black players. That being said, I don't really like to make comps of my own but at this point I would like to think McCutchen will turn out to be a better player then Grissom. Despite his speed, Grissom was never a great on-base threat. I think McCutchen will be, and should hit for more power.

Matt Meyers: As much as I like McCutchen, I would still take Hermida at this point despite his disappointing rookie year. If McCutchen develops similarly to Hermida, you would have to be thrilled as a Pirates fan. I'll give Hermida another year in the big leagues before I sour on him.

Matt Meyers: Sorry, I had to post this question. It is the funniest I have received thus far and certainly tickles my juvenile funny bone. Yes, I have an eighth graders sense of humor. Lots of Salome questions, but I addressed him earlier so scroll on up.

Matt Meyers: Settle down, Beavis. He is a polished bat, but a 2007 promotion for Drennen would be startling despite his home run off of Roger Clemens. No need to rush him and a late 2008 seems more likely if he continues at his current pace.

Matt Meyers: Side note, John Drennen might want to change his name to, "John Drennen, who homered off of Roger Clemens when Clemens made a rehab start in low Class A in 2006" because that is how he will be referred to for the next few years.

Matt Meyers: You nailed it. I had him on my preliminary list but he got bumped in favor of some players who I thought had higher ceilings. Lillibridge has decent tools across the board and the bat is his best one. People see him more as a utility guy, but he might hit enough to be a solid regular.

Matt Meyers: Jackson is certainly an impressive athlete, but his approach at the plate needs serious work. As you mentioned, he struck out 151 times. He was just too raw to be ranked in a 16-team league. Most people like his athleticism but I spoke to one scout who said that he wrote him up as a non prospect. I think it is way too early to give up on him, but he needs work. Between Jackson and Tim Battle, the Charleston club had a couple of guys that would make Rob Deer blush.

Matt Meyers: Martinez' defensive value could certainly give him the nod down the road, but people liked Tabata's bat better. I realize Martinez rate stats were better, but he also did it 192 at-bats while Tabata had 319. Martinez never really had a chance to have any weaknesses exposed and scouts and coaches agreed that Tabata has a more advanced approach. As I said earlier, it would not be at all surprising if Martinez turns out better. It is certainly an interesting debate.

Matt Meyers: Browning, thanks for checking in! What are you up to these days? It is still too early to tell what kind of numbers to project for Andrus, but I think a typical line of .300-.370-.450 is realistic. If he continues on his current pace, 2009 sounds about right, he needs to add some muscle so he can't be overpowered by plus velocity.

Matt Meyers: He is a prospect. But like most first baseman at the lower levels, you have to be a little skeptical. First base is a last resort for players who can't play another position and he is already there in A ball. However, it does sound like he has the raw power for first base and might have had the best raw power in the SAL. His average dropped by 100 points when he was promoted to high Class A, but the power stayed so that is promising.

Matt Meyers: Aaron Cunningham was far and away the best prospect on the team and fits in the 21-30 range. He gets the barrel of the bat through the zone well and can use the whole field. His fringy arm will likely limit him to left field, but his range is above-average there.

Matt Meyers: Better change that name now! He was not that close to making the list and has been a bit of a mystery since his impressive debut in the Pioneer League in 2004. He is too much of a free swinger and needs to tighen up his approach. It was his second time in the league, yet continued to chase breaking balls out of the zone, and these are SAL breaking balls. He obviously has some ability though, and it is too early to give up on him. It sounds like his range is a little limited for short and I would not be surprised to see him moved to second base at some point. However, if Young keeps playing like this it will be hard for Nelson to take time from him. My guess is that they will both go to high Class A together and be the DP combo.

Matt Meyers: Gotta take a question about a fellow NESCAC alum. Natale is small and he is already a second baseman so he is not that exciting from a tools standpoint. Not to mention the fact that he just turned 24-years-old. However, he has performed every step of the way and I will not count out guys who always perform until they stop performing. If this list were base purely on performance, he would be in the top 20. Natale should get a shot at Double-A next year, and that will be a huge test for him.

Matt Meyers: From the people who brought you, "Hide the Salome" comes this question. When I first saw the name Josh Outman, all I could think of was Bookman, the library guy from Seinfeld. As Kramer said, "That's like an ice cream man being named Cone."

Matt Meyers: Carrasco earned the top spot because he was the best blend of present performance and stuff with future projection. He is still young and has a body type that should allow him to add velocity. His feel for his secondary stuff really improved this year and put him ahead of the other pitching prospects for me.

Matt Meyers: I am not sure if he is the fastest, but he is in the discussion. Watching him play the outfield is a lot of fun because he can track fly balls with the best of them. For someone with his speed, he is too focused on home runs and needs to shorten the swing to make more contact and make use of his legs. Guys with his speed should not be striking out 133 times.

Matt Meyers: I wouldn't classify ranking him No. 15 in a 16-team league "so low." I didn't talk to James Andrews, and maybe his delivery will not prove to be a problem but the people I spoke to have some concerns. Even if his mechanics were fine, his stuff is not so amazing that it would easily put him over any of the guys ahead of him either. So coupled with questions about his mechanics and the fact that it is not as if he set the league on fire (3.51 ERA), I feel comfortable with the ranking.

Matt Meyers: It's hard to say because he pitched so little and he wasn't that effective when he pitched. However, because of his pedigree he probably would have cracked the top 10 if he had shown the stuff he had at Houston.

Matt Meyers: 2006 his was clearly a big step back for him, but he has some time. It is clear he was not ready for the FSL and the SAL caused him problems as well. It is certainly a surprise after how well he performed in the NYPL in 2005. My guess is he will be back in the SAL next year and won't turn 20 until June.

Matt Meyers: I agree, let him start until he proves he can't. As for him and the bullpen, all I said was that the lack of a changeup combined with his mechanics could mean he ends up in the bullpen. To say that the Red Sox have dismissed his mechanics as a future issue is ludicrous. Obviously, they felt the mechanics were not a big enough issue for them to not draft him, but there is no way to know how it will play out down the road. As we all remember, Mark Prior was supposed to have the cleanest mechanics you'd ever see, and he has had nothing but arm problems the last couple of years.

Matt Meyers: Meloan did not quite qualify, but might have fit into the back end of the top 20 if he did. He got some support for best fastball in our Best Tools survey, and he was reportedly up to 97 mph in the FSL. He even finished the season in Double-A and will probably crack the big leagues next year as another power arm for the Dodgers bullpen.

Matt Meyers: Cain has far more refinement at the plate then Abercrombie ever had. Cain has really developed quickly as a hitter, the question is if he has enough power to profile well in a corner. Some think he might be better off in center.

Matt Meyers: I don't think Volstad has the swing and miss kind of stuff that Hughes has, so I don't think he will be able to dominate like Hughes. However, he keeps the ball down and commands three pitches. I think he will move fast and be a good No. 2 or No. 3 starter. Of all the players in the league, I think he is most likely to reach his ceiling.

Matt Meyers: Augusta had a great season, but most of the guys were a little old for the league. For example, Eugenio Velez was MVP of the league, but he is already 24-year-old and playing second base. Similar to him was righthander Joseph Martinez who had an excellent year, but is already 23. Antoan Richardson has great speed, but he is about to turn 23 and his hitting approach did not impress anyone. Those guys will need to do it at a higher level to be considered good prospects.

Matt Meyers: Campbell was one of the more divisive players in the league. Some people say he has a great approach, others say he flies open in an attempt to pull everything. Some said he was a gamer, while others questioned his attitude. He does have good power and plays third base well, which is a good combination. He is a very aggressive hitter and that works for him, but it sounds like he could benefit from being a little more patient as he advances.

Matt Meyers: Henry did not impress anyone when he was with Charleston or Lakewood. He has a bad approach at the plate and is not smooth at shortstop. One scout he should be in left field already. Marson got a little support because he is good defensively behind the plate. The bat needs work though.

Moderator: Lightning round time...

Matt Meyers: Ivan Dejesus Jr. was close because of his impressive glove and feel for the game. Not surprising for the son of a big leaguer.

Matt Meyers: Yes and no. Drennen is an impressive bat, but if he can't stick in center (and there are doubts that he can) then he is a leftfielder without a lot of power. That has value, but his bat does not profile nearly as well there. He might turn out to be a 20-25 homer guy, but I am not convinced yet from what I have heard.

Matt Meyers: I like Gamel and he was the last guy cut. Not overly athletic and he does not make it look easy, but he has gotten it done thus far. Some people preferred him to Campbell at third base because he is a lefty bat who might have more power.

Matt Meyers: Bowden I addressed earlier so scroll up. Buchholz because he is a little older then the other guys. That being said, there is a lot to like there and I expect him to move fast. There was little separating a lot of the pitchers on this list.

Matt Meyers: Despite mediocre numbers, people still love Marcos Vechionacci. He is a stud on defense at third, and he can center balls up from both sides of the plate. A lot to like there, but you'd like to see the performance to start matching the tools at some point.

Matt Meyers: People make that comp, but I don't really see it beyond their position and the color of their skin to be honest. Everything Milledge does is loud. He has a big bat waggle at the plate and he is flashy in the field. McCutchen does everything quietly. He has no bat waggle and hardly any leg kick. He glides in the outfield and tracks balls with ease. If Milledge is AND1 baseball, McCutchen is John Stockton. Don't get me wrong, they are both talented players who should be impact big leaguers, I just don't see their games as being similar.

Matt Meyers: Alright, time for me to heard out. Thanks for the great questions. I had a blast and it is great to see such enthusiasm for the South Atlantic League. In the words of Spinal Tap on The Simpsons, "good night Springton, there will be no encore."