J.J. Cooper: Ehlers was in the 25-30 range. I'll probably end up saying this a lot, but as usual, the FSL was a very talented league, especially on the pitching side. Managers liked Ehlers, describing him as a grinder who went out and put togetehr solid at-bat after solid at-bat while showing solid pop. He also was solid defensively over at first. As a 24-year-old returning to the FSL in a league filled with younger prospects, Ehlers needs to pick up his pace to the majors, but he definitely put himself on the prospect map for the Yankees this year, after being viewed as more of an organizational player in the past.

J.J. Cooper: Both Elbert and Bailey have high ceilings, but Bailey's is a tick higher according too most of the managers and scouts I talked to. Hype doesn't have anything to do with it--when you ask managers and scouts who stood out the most in the FSL, there answering was almost unanimously Bailey. He had the leagues best fastball, solid command and a curveball that can also be plus-plus. Since Elbert's a lefty, his 92-93 mph fastball doesn't compare too poorly to Bailey's 95 mph heater, but Bailey's command is significantly better right now, and Bailey's secondary stuff is also a tick better. As far as who reaches their ceiling first? Bailey is closer to the big leagues, and closer to being a front-line starter. Long-term, I'll take Bailey, which is why I ranked him No. 1

J.J. Cooper: Fox was in the No. 20-25 range. He has a solid bat with a patient approach and he did a good job of generally staying back to drive the ball with power. The bad? Some managers felt he was too pull happy at times, and there are still questions about his defense at catcher. He's adequate receiver who struggles to throw guys out. If he ends up having to move off of catcher, his value would take a significant hit, obviously. And the fact that he's a 24-year-old repeating the league makes his year look a little less impressive. Fuld was a scapper, the kind of guy that every manager wanted to have on their team because of his hard-nosed approach. He can run, and plays a solid center field, but obsevers worried that he's already maxing out his talent, as he's a small guy who'll have to prove it in each step up the ladder. He was also 24 for the entire year, which hurt him when comparing him to some of the other guys battling for the last spots on the list.

J.J. Cooper: Harvey did finish strong (.316 in July and August) after a brutal first half of the season, but are still plenty of concerns. Yeah, he's got great power, but he struggles way too much with strikeouts, and teams found that they could bust him in, then get him to chase out of the zone away. His hands seem quick enough to handle being busted with inside heat, but something about his swing path means that it's a long swing that causes him to struggle to pound pitches that he should hit out of the park. That said, he has a ton of tools, and its still too early to give up on him. But he has a long way to go.

J.J. Cooper: With the pitching in this league, it was tough for relievers to make the list, but Whelan was one of a number of relievers who got consideration. Managers liked his split and his fastball and were impressed with his makeup on the mound.

J.J. Cooper: Yeah, the Twins had a ton of pitching talent come through Fort Myers this season. In addition to Garza and Slowey (and don't forget Mijares), Kyle Aselton is an interesting guy, as a big lefty with a major league fastball but current command issues. Anthony Swarzak showed a little less stuff this year. He was 91-93 in the past, but this year, he pitched more at 89-90 with some command issues in the first half.

J.J. Cooper: Still a prospect, but he needs to work on his conditioning and continue to hit for power as he climbs the ladder. He knows how to sort through pitches until he finds one to drive, but as a slow first baseman, a walk's not as valuable as for a guy who can run some. He also needs to improve against lefties (.145 in 76 at-bats with only two extra-base hits).

J.J. Cooper: Patterson had a very solid season, but yes, his ceiling is lower than pretty much everyone ahead of him. There's no tool that grades out as above average (except maybe power, which was pegged at a 55 by a couple of observers). What impresses about him is how he gets everything out of his tools. As one manager described it, "he doesn't profile as a guy who can handle center field, but when he's out there, he gets the job done." But there are some concerns about his swing, which still has some remnants of a metal bat swing (all arms, no legs), and his strikeout-to-walk ratio raises some concerns, even though that's usually not a problem for Blue Jays prospects.

J.J. Cooper: Not overlooked, see my above response, his stuff simply dropped off some this year. It happens sometimes, we'll see next spring if his arm has bounced back, but he definitely took a step back this year, but he did show the ability to make adjustments and too compete when he didn't have his best stuff.

J.J. Cooper: Guys, I think I've answered a question like this every year. These lists are not entirely based on who had the best stats at a level. If they were, they'd be a lot easier to do, but at the same time, you'd have a legitimate reason to ask why it's worth reading, since anyone of you with Excel can order the stats as well as we can. Yes, stats matter, but they're also combined with stuff, which is why you'll see a guy like Rogers still rank high despite an awful season. I hope the writeup made it very clear that he's a high risk guy, but at the same time, his arm is one of the five best in the minors and he has a second pitch that also shows signs of being an out pitch. Comparing Gallagher to Rogers, Gallagher is MUCH more likely to reach his ceiling than Rogers, but if Rogers reaches his, he could be one of the best pitchers in the majors. I know one's a lefty and one's a righthander, but check out Randy Johnson's FSL line as a 23-year-old, he walked 94 guys in 120 innings. With pitchers with elite arms, you have to give them plenty of chances to figure it out. Some don't which leads to some of our more famous misses over the years, but those that do are the guys who are aces, which is why we want to highlight them for you.

J.J. Cooper: He wasn't real close, but that's more a reflection on the depth of the league. Solid season where he really figured things out as the season rolled along. He'll rank among the Reds' better pitching prospects.

J.J. Cooper: A lot of guys in the FSL think he'll end up as a reliever because of his build, but then, that's what was said about Pedro Martinez as he came through the minors as well. I'd say he needs another season in the minors, but an '08 callup seems about right. What he needs to improve is his command. He has control, but his command isn't there yet.

J.J. Cooper: Considering the way he dominated Double-A, there's no reason to think that Bailey hasn't earned the right to compete for a starting spot coming out of spring training, but I'd figure he's pitching for Cincy by midseason at the latest. Like any starter, he could face some adjustments as he makes the jump, but he has elite stuff, and could give the Reds their first true homegrown ace since....Mario Soto?

J.J. Cooper: I asked about Costanzo a lot. Some guys loved him as a solid defensive third baseman with a great arm and developing power. He seemed to do a good job of hitting the ball the other way after the Clearwater staff worked with him on using the whole field, and he's strong enough to drive the ball out the other way--the Phillies point out to him that Ryan Howard's had plenty of success with a similar approach. Others saw big holes in his swing and troubles against breaking balls.

J.J. Cooper: Yeah, ranking Evans was a big puzzle. He was probably the toughest guy on this list to rank. He was old for the league, and had no track record of success before this season. That said, his year was very loud, and he's always had tools, he just had never put them into play before. I wouldn't expect him to hit for the same power as he did this season, just because guys normally return to the mean somewhat after a season as big as this one was, but he's got enough tools to be a solid major leaguer. That's what stood out, this isn't some hacker who figured out how to run into some pitches, this is a guy who plays a solid outfield, with a good arm, who runs the bases well and hits for power. It's a nice package, even if his sudden arrival is puzzling.

J.J. Cooper: Flores impressed managers with his power, although he also showed he can be pitched to because of his tendency to chase, and he's still a solid receiver, although he seems to have regressed a bit defensively since his GCL days, when he was known as a receiver first and hitter second. Flores was the league's best catching prospect as far as a pure catcher. He's one of the only guys in the league to combine potential at the plate with potential behind it as well.

J.J. Cooper: As far as Andrew Miller, I'm sure he would have ranked quite high, but he didn't have time to get his mail forwarded to Lakeland, much less make an impression with managers. I've touched on Whelan before, but as far as Larish, guys liked his power and he's good at first base, but a little pull happy right now.

J.J. Cooper: I do the Reds list for us, so you're pitching into my wheelhouse. I touched on Lecure above, but Strait fascinates me. He's about as pure a tools guy as you'll find, for good and bad. The good, he can run (50 steals, 9 caught), plays a great outfield with a plus arm and hits for power (57 extra-base hits). The bad? His approach is pretty simple right now, which means good pitching can carve him up, as long as you don't make a mistake (108 Ks in 399 at-bats). Janish is a major league shortstop defensively, as you said, the question will always be the bat. I bet all three make the majors at some point, with Strait having the highest ceiling, but Janish more likely to reach his.

J.J. Cooper: League championships don't really mean a thing when it comes to this list. As a reminder, the best minor league teams are very rarely the ones filled with the best prospects. Check out the Sally League's Augusta GreenJackets, they piled up a great record this year, but when it comes to prospects, they're lacking. Carp was the Mets best prospect, while Flores was the other one who came close to making the list. The other Mets prospects to come through St. Lucie (Philip Humber, Mike Pelfrey, Alay Soler and Fernando Martinez) didn't play enough to qualify.

J.J. Cooper: I wanted to answer this question just because it includes so much info itself. Nice question Mike. Yeah, I think it makes a lot of sense to give Homer half a season in Triple-A for a couple of reasons. 1. It will give him time to add some final polish to his stuff, especially his changeup, which still is a work in progress. 2. It takes some pressure off of him being a rotation saviour early in the season, and for practical reasons: 3. It would save the Reds money by delaying his arbitration for a year. But I'll be the first to predict, if he's lights out in spring training, you have to promote him right away. The Reds weren't that far away from making the playoffs this past year. If Bailey can help the big league team without risking his long-term health, you can't artificially hold him back, even if he'd be a little bit better for it. The big question will be: is he one of their top five starters, and I'm guessing the answer to that will be yes.

J.J. Cooper: I don't think being a first baseman hurts him, because he first the 1B profile. He's a lefty bat with power who also plays a very solid 1B, that is team's ideal 1B profile.

J.J. Cooper: At some point you give up on him, but not when he's just 20. We're not talking Colt Griffin here. Right now Rogers has already had nights where he's lights out. The Brewers just want to figure out how to make that more than a once a month occurence.

J.J. Cooper: Comparing him to the guys above him, the big concern is right now he's a maestro with one great pitch. His secondary stuff isn't that great yet. Because his command is exceptional, he could likely survive in the majors right now, but long-term, he has to develop a second pitch, as major league hitters will hit the perfectly placed 90 mph fastballs that leave FSL hitters baffled.

J.J. Cooper: Plouffe shortened his swing, which helped him start to put it together, but he's still a toolsy guy with a long way to go. A couple of scouts I talked to projected him as a major league utility guy long term, although he's young enough to exceed that projection.

J.J. Cooper: Managers in the league liked his defense, with a couple saying he'll end up as an above-average third baseman, but there were a couple of suggestions he may be an even better center fielder, which may be a need for the Brewers if Bill Hall doesn't slide to the spot.

J.J. Cooper: Philip Hughes would have been high up on the list if he had qualified. The closest two guys who didn't make the list were Ehlers and Brett Gardner. Everyone in the league loved Gardner's gnat-like qualities--he's the guy you hate if he's on the other team and love if he's on yours because he does all the little things to help a team win. He was absolutely fearless going after balls in the outfield, and he knows how to get on base, and then make pitchers pay once he reaches. Chase Wright got a little support as a guy who could be a middle reliever down the road with great pitchability and good secondary stuff.

J.J. Cooper: See the answer above. I expect we'll eventually see him in the majors, as he does too many things well enough to be valuable to a big league club. He would have been somewhere in that 20-30 range.

J.J. Cooper: Sorry for the run of Yankees questions, but I'll throw out one more name. Some observers liked shortstop Ramiro Pena's actions. Felt his was very smooth with a good arm, although there are questions about his bat.

J.J. Cooper: Robinson is the kind of guy who should keep climbing the ladder because he's got solid receiving skills. There are a lot of questions about whether he'll hit as he moves up, but he'll keep advancing because he is solid defensively.

J.J. Cooper: Yep, he's eligible. I actually had him ranked at No. 2 before realizing that he had just missed qualifying innings wise. As a bonus for subscribers, here's the scouting report I wrote up on him. In many other years, Garza would have been a clear No. 1 on this list. Fort Myers was only the first stop on his wild ride through the minors that ended with him making the majors in his first full pro season. Garza dominated FSL hitters with fastball that sat at 93 mph, as he moved up the ladder, he added tick to that fastball to pitch at 94-95. He has a very loose arm and the potential to have two more quality pitches with a tight slider and a slower, downward breaking curveball. Probably Garza's most impressive aspect is his moxie. He attacks the zone, trusting his stuff and showing little fear of hitters. He is a good athlete and fields his position well. Garza pitched with control at Fort Myers, but is still working on his command. He can throw strikes, but had not yet shown the ability to always hit his spots.

J.J. Cooper: Lot of Swarzak questions so I'll answer another one. Quite simply the stuff managers and scouts saw in the FSL didn't equal the stuff they saw in the Midwest League last year. I can understand why all the questions are popping up, because based on last year's stuff, he would have made this list, but that's why we spend days tracking down managers and scouts to get updated scouting reports.

J.J. Cooper: I don't think Mijares is ready to help the Twins next year. Too many questions about conditioning and makeup. He's a guy that needs to earn his way to the bigs, not have it handed to him. But that said, I love Mijares, as his arm ranks with anyones in the league. I had more than one manager say that on his best days, Mijares had the league's best fastball and best breaking ball.

J.J. Cooper: Whelan and Scott Nestor were a pair of relievers who almost made the list, but with the plethora of starters in this league, it was really hard for relievers to crack the list. Jose Mijares, he of the insane stuff, was the only one.

J.J. Cooper: Garcia was in the 25-30 range. He shows solid command of four pitches (fastball, slider, change and curve) and he has the ability to change up his arm angle to confuse hitters. His stuff is solid (91-92 mph), and his changeup is his second best pitch behind the fastball. He would have been the third Jupiter pitcher to be ranked behind Scott Nestor and Harvey Garcia.

J.J. Cooper: Ramsus was a tough rank, as few guys in the league saw him good, as he was a late callup, and he struggled in the FSL. To explain the discrepancy, we're not the politburo here, so while we compare notes, the rankings do depend a lot on guys who saw a guy in that league. Veal was dominant in the FSL, while Garcia and Rasmus were so-so. Not surprisingly, FSL managers and scouts saw Veal better than MWL guys. All three are solid prospects, and Veal's athleticism impressed.

J.J. Cooper: Roberts who was traded to the Twins was dangerous on the bases, but he really doesn't have much pop, which is the concern about him. He got some mentions, but Brett Gardner would have been the first speedy center fielder to make the list.

J.J. Cooper: If they both stay as starters, Gallagher. Veal could move quickly as a reliever, but he still has some work to do on his secondary stuff as a starter.

J.J. Cooper: Xavier Paul got some consideration, as he has a strong arm, and good power, but there are some concerns about his approach at the plate. I've mentioned Cory Dunlap. Wes Wright is an interesting reliever.

J.J. Cooper: Yeah, the Futures Game was an abberation. He knew he was on a big stage, so he decided to simply rear back and fire away (a blister also helped make that decision easy). In actual games, he used his curveball and his change effectively. It was a point of emphasis of the Reds, and Bailey, to make sure he didn't just rely on his fastball, so he threw his secondary stuff, even when he could get guys out just with his fastball.

J.J. Cooper: I'd say Slowey, but I think both will be big leaguers.

J.J. Cooper: Gallardo is definitely a notch behind them, but that still puts him among the best pitching prospects in the minors.

J.J. Cooper: Ok, I'll take a swing at it. My view: I'll say Bailey #1, Hughes #2, but really that's a question with no right or wrong answer... they're both outstanding prospects. After typing that, I almost went back and flipped it, they're that close.

J.J. Cooper: Actually it's 12 pitchers, 8 position players, but this was a pitchers league this year.

J.J. Cooper: I wouldn't say you could project him as that right now, he simply has too far to go. But tools-wise, he compares with any position player in the league, which is why he makes the list as a flier at No. 20. He has a lot of learning to do to make the majors, but he has time to still figure it out, as he's very toolsy, and still young.

J.J. Cooper: Actually I think we're coming up on 50 questions after 2:15...and we're still rolling along, but thanks for reading and subscribing.

J.J. Cooper: Not yet. But yeah, that's always an option if the light bulb doesn't go off as a starter.

J.J. Cooper: He's a one-trick pony, but it's a really good trick. Using a nearly sidearm motion, his slider is nearly unhittable if he gets ahead in the count, and unlike most sidearmers, it's also effective against lefties. Yeah, he'll have to prove it each step up the ladder, but he's earned the right to prove it in Double-A.

J.J. Cooper: He's a long ways away from going to the pen. The Dodgers will get him plenty of chances to prove he can be a starter.

J.J. Cooper: Yeah, he impressed some guys with a nice swing and developing power. He likely will end up as a power hitting first baseman, but he has the power to stick there.