Aaron Fitt: Hello all, welcome to the Cal League chat. We've got a lot to get to, so I'll try to move fast!

Aaron Fitt: The Cal League was definitely top-heavy this year, but the fact that it does have some legitimate impact guys at the top saves it from being a wreck. Just looking at the high Class A lists, I think the Cal list compares favorably to the Carolina League list. You have to remember also that it's hard to compare a 10-team league like the Cal League to a 16-team league like the Sally -- there are just a lot more prospects to choose from in the SAL. That league will always be deeper than the Cal League.

Aaron Fitt: It's hard to say exactly -- I knew all along that those guys would not qualify for this list, so I did not focus my questions on them. But they made enough of an impression that I would take both guys over Travis Buck at No. 6, and they might even rank 3 and 4 behind Gonzalez.

Aaron Fitt: Some guys who were among the final cuts: Shaun Cumberland and James Houser of Visalia, Matt Miller of Modesto.

Aaron Fitt: I don't think he's quite on their level yet, but there's plenty of burgeoning debate here in the office about Brignac v. Wood. I need to see what Brignac can do in a full season at AA before I put him ahead of Wood, because we just saw that Brandon Wood can handle AA and will keep on slugging his way to the majors. It remains to be seen if Brignac can stay at SS, but he's got a real chance to, and even if he moves he'll hit enough for a corner. But if he doesn't stick at shortstop, it would be hard to rank him on the same class as Han-Ram, Tulo and Drew.

Aaron Fitt: He had a brutal year, and I think serious doubts have surfaced about his arm strength and his bat. He's got great speed and instincts on the basepaths, but he's got no pop, and at this point he doesn't even have enough arm strength for second base. He wasn't healthy this year, but even at full strength I don't think there's any way his arm is strong enough for shortstop. He'll have a lot to prove next year.

Aaron Fitt: Cumberland has enough tools that he's still got a chance to be an everyday outfielder. He's got legitimate power, a strong arm, and he's a fine defensive right fielder. He'll probably never hit for a high average, and his offensive approach and ability to make consistent contact need work. If he can't figure those things out, he could still find a niche as a fourth outfielder type -- one scout compared him to John Vander Wal.

Aaron Fitt: A non-prospect, most likely. It's a nice story, and by all accounts he's a good guy that you have to pull for. But he lacks power and struggles against quality fastballs, and he was way too old for the league. Who knows, if he comes out gangbusters in AA next year, maybe he's got an outside chance, but it's a longshot.

Aaron Fitt: Barratt did get some consideration. He's got an average fastball and decent off-speed stuff, giving him a chance to be a lefty reliever down the road. It's just hard to project the guy as a starter with his little build.

Aaron Fitt: He's a big strong kid, but he needs to do a better job handling inside pitches -- he doesn't do a good job turning on the ball right now. He's got enough raw strength for a corner, though, and I think he's got a shot at third base. He's certainly not a shortstop.

Aaron Fitt: Eh, it was a pretty uninspiring group, really. I like Brian Horwitz ok -- that guy hits everywhere he goes -- but he doesn't profile as a regular. John Bowker looks like he could be a bat off the bench at the big league level, best case scenario. Sanders had a terrible year but is probably still the best position player prospect at San Jose, and as I mentioned earlier, there are lots of question marks with him.

Aaron Fitt: Brignac and Gonzalez actually have awfully similar tools -- both plus hitters with plus power potential, average runners, strong arms, the tools to be good defenders. Brignac gets the edge for several reasons: he had a slightly better year than Gonzalez (particularly if you look at the K-BB ratios) and was actually three months younger than Gonzalez; he's got a shot to play a premium position, and even if he doesn't stick there he could be just as good a corner player as Gonzalez; and managers absolutely rave about his makeup, while Gonzalez has a few makeup questions. That's not to bury Gonzalez on his makeup -- the guy is only 20 years old, and he sounds like a good kid for the most part, just sometimes acts a bit arrogant, and he had a few issues with not hustling. It's just that when you compare them head-to-head, Briganc stands out for his work ethic and field makeup. He really sounds like a guy who gets it, and is going to make it.

Aaron Fitt: There are questions about Rodriguez' bat -- he only hit .250 in the Midwest League last year, and sure his numbers were good this year, but the Cal League is very generous to hitters. It's not like this is a can't-miss bat. He's definitely got some pop in his swing, but it doesn't sound like he's got enough pop to be an everyday third baseman, and his body profiles better at third than it does at short. Few scouts and managers think Rodriguez will be a good enough defender to play SS every day. Offensively, his swing has some length to it, and it's not a classic stance -- very upright, high hands. He's got quick enough wrists that he can certainly continue to hit at higher levels, I just am not convinced he will hit enough to be a regular. There's nothing wrong with being a super-utility player -- his versatility is an asset.

Aaron Fitt: Hm, I'd probably take Gonzalez over Quentin in terms of pure upside, but Quentin's aptitude is part of what makes him such a good prospect. That's important. And I'm definitely not ready to bury Justin Upton. I think Gonzalez and Upton are both outstanding prospects. Upton was one of the most heavily scouted prep players ever going into the draft... nobody really doubted he could translate his tools into production. It was not a great debut, but if I had to bet my life on Gonzalez or Upton, I'd probably take Upton.

Aaron Fitt: He got just a little consideration, but not much. He's a max-effort guy with fringy stuff, although he is very driven and has a good feel for pitching, especially for a converted guy. His best pitch is his slider, but he relies too heavily upon it, at the expense of his 88-90 mph fastball and his changeup, which lags behind. Best-case scenario, No. 5 starter, but I think that might be too optimistic.

Aaron Fitt: Lenn Sakata is one of the best in the business. You can lay San Jose's success directly at his feet, because it was not a particularly talented bunch.

Aaron Fitt: He did not qualify -- he had 13 appearances, and relievers need 20 to qualify in a full-season league. Had he qualified, he would probably have ranked No. 6, thanks to a lively mid-90s fastball and perhaps the best slider in the Cal League this year.

Aaron Fitt: Neither was close to making this list, but both are a little bit intriguing. I've always been a Milons guy -- former football player with a nice tools package, including plus raw power. Just needs to continue refining his game. Both Milons and Brito were 23, a touch on the old side for the Cal League, but Brito really raked and showed pretty good plate discipline as well. He's a tough out with some pop, not a prototypical first baseman. He's got a chance as a late-bloomer.

Aaron Fitt: I addressed Barratt already, and as for Houser, his stuff was somewhat disappointing this year -- he showed a fringy fastball in the 86-88 range, touching 90, and his command tended to go through lapses. I'm not writing him off as a prospect -- he's still a big-bodied lefty with an average curveball -- but he'll need to get his velocity back up before he can be considered a great prospect.

Aaron Fitt: That caused me to do a double-take, myself, especially since nobody really ripped his defense to me. He's got the tools to be a fine defender, with arm strength, range, ok instincts, but my guess is he needs to work on his concentration. Perhaps some of those errors are a result of trying to do too much with his incredibly strong arm -- just speculation on my part, though.

Aaron Fitt: Mason keeps hitters off balance by moving the ball around and changing speeds, and he has a short, quick arm action but lacks projection. Mason has a tendency to leave the ball up in the zone, and he can let his emotions get to him. Once he gets rattled, things sometimes snowball for him. He profiles as a decent middle relief or setup man if he can harness his emotions.

Aaron Fitt: That's probably more of a Texas League question, but I will say this: the guy's only been pitching since 2004. He had 86 innings in his career entering this season, and he pitched 90 in the Cal League alone this year before throwing 60 more in Double-A. I think you could excuse him if he got a little fatigued. I'm not sure that Texas League performance affects his prospect status... he ranks as high on this list as he does because of his lightning stuff, not his stats. He's still raw though, and has a lot to figure out. I think he'll probably end up in the bullpen anyway, but he could be a serious impact arm in the pen if he figures it out.

Aaron Fitt: No, I think they'll leave him at third for now and hope his power comes along. I'm skeptical, but he can do enough things well that he could certainly be a valuable bench guy. I don't think you could project him at second over Barfield -- his body type is really more suited for a corner position, he just hasn't shown the power you'd like to see. Who knows though -- power is usually the last thing to come.

Aaron Fitt: Hey, you can never have too many quality shortstops - just ask the Angels. If Herrera has another season or two like this one as he moves up the ladder, the Rockies might be able to trade him for someone who can pitch. You certainly can't move the guy off shortstop if he can play the position. Develop him there and if he eventually forces your hand, worry about it then.

Aaron Fitt: I already addressed Barratt, and Anderson is another guy who was in that 20-30 range. Anderson competes very well and has a nice breaking ball - probably an average offering. But his fastball is fringy, 88-89 mph, and he profiles as a middle reliever at best.

Aaron Fitt: I don't know anything about selling tickets, but I know I'd pay to watch Danny Ray Herrera. The guy put up a 1.35 ERA --in the Cal League, of all places -- with a fastball in the low 80s that topped out at 85. I suppose that pitch looks quite a bit faster on the heels of a 55-61 mph screwball.

Aaron Fitt: I had Rahl in that 20-30 range on this list. He's an aggressive hitter with good power to the gaps, decent speed and he plays a nice CF. He has very quick hands and good pitch recognition. He's undersized, and I'd like to see what he does outside the friendly confines of Lancaster.

Aaron Fitt: On the contrary, Chris Nowak got plenty of love -- also in that 20-30 range. He plays a very nice first base, and his inside-out swing dumps balls to the opposite field and the gaps. He's not a typical pull-power first baseman, and his lack of home run power (as a first baseman) is why he missed this list, but he knows how to hit.

Aaron Fitt: You could go either way on that one, and if I were redoing this list today I might be inclined to slide Headley and Fernando Perez up a few notches. You're right, Ramos didn't miss too many bats this year, but he's got a nice repertoire and an easy delivery, and he's never going to be a strikeout pitcher anyway. He could be an innnigs-eater though, either in the back of a rotation (maybe even middle of a rotation, if things break right) or in the bullpen. I think a Bill Mueller comp is pretty good for Headley.

Aaron Fitt: I said I'd take Gonzalez on pure upside only -- if both players reach their ceilings, I think Gonzalez has the higher ceiling. The fact that Quentin has put up numbers at higher levels bodes well for him -- indicates he's got a better chance to reach his ceiling. I would take Quentin over Gonzalez as an overall prospect, partly because he's more advanced and partly because of his aptitide. But as far as upside, Gonzalez is only 20 years old, and he has all five tools. I like his overall tools package slightly more than Quentin's -- slightly better runner, stronger arm, could end up with just as much or more power and hitting ability.

Aaron Fitt: Wimberly did qualify -- he ranked in the 20-30 range as well. (I've probably hit on all the 20-30 guys by now.) I like him, a real high-energy guy at the top of a lineup with tons of speed, but he's undersized and might not hit enough to be a big leaguer. He's definitely got a chance though -- I do like him.

Aaron Fitt: You pretty much nailed it -- his stuff isn't great, and his curveball is his best pitch. He's got a strong, durable frame and decent pitchability. He needs to mature a bit, and he needs to do a better job throwing strikes. Chance to be a back of the rotation starter.

Aaron Fitt: Good tools, hasn't shown ability to make consistent contact or exercise any pitch selection. Has the tools to be a regular OF, but seems like a boom-or-bust type. Long way to go yet.

Aaron Fitt: I like him as a starter still, but he does need to work on his changeup.

Aaron Fitt: Couple more quick Rangers questions. Frostad showed an ability to make adjustments at the plate, particularly utilizing the left-center field gap instead of always trying to pull the ball. He remains a work in progress behind the plate, learning to call a game, and he's improving his throwing accuracy. He never let his defense affect his offense.

Aaron Fitt: I think he's got a chance for that, yes. He's got some legitimate power and a good major league body. My instinct is probably more like a fourth outfielder, but certainly has a chance to be a regular.

Aaron Fitt: Papa John's.

Aaron Fitt: His stuff is not overwhelming, but it's solid. He's definitely got a nice chance to be a mid-rotation starter.

Aaron Fitt: Rohrbaugh is a groundball pitcher with a good downward angle and deception - not great stuff, but could be a reliever in big leagues. O'Flaherty did not qualify.

Aaron Fitt: Yeah, he's a legitimate front-of-the-rotation kind of arm with terrific feel for pitching. I'd say ETA late 2007early 2008.

Aaron Fitt: Everyone in the Cal League seems to think he profiles as a starter, but I could see why you'd maybe think he'd be an effective closer, with that devastating two-pitch mix. Thing is, he's got a decent changeup too, so if he can ever get his command down, he could be a bona fide No. 1 starter, thanks to a plus-plus fastball and plus-plus breaking ball and average change.

Aaron Fitt: You'll just have to wait for my Rangers list -- not going to tip my hand!

Aaron Fitt: That's it for today everyone. Thanks for all the great questions, as always -- it always amazes me how educated and insightful our readership is. I look forward to my Rangers and Nationals chats coming up later this fall.

Aaron Fitt: Be sure to swing by tomorrow afternoon for Chris Kline's Carolina League chat.