Alan Matthews: Our loyal readers might recall my Angels, Dodgers, Pioneer and Eastern League chats in years past, but this year we switched things up here at BA World Headquarters and I handled the NWL and Southern Leagues. The NWL had an interesting blend of older, four-year college talent that really performed well and some younger, raw Latin kids that have a long ways to go, but more upside, in most cases. Thanks for coming by, let's delve deeper . . .

Alan Matthews: No team was older and heavier in college players than the league's best team, Salem-Keizer. Manager Steve Decker was pleasantly candid about this crowd, and he mentioned several players that had potential to overachieve their way into prospect status down the road, including Downs. He was a 36th-rounder out of Alabama in 2006, and was repeating the league. He'll be 24 next spring training, and profiles on a corner, so how he hits for power will be important as he matures, and we'll need to see him do just that against better pitching before running him up any prospect lists.

Alan Matthews: Vitters spent just seven games in the AZL and seven more in the NWL, so he did not qualify for either league's Top 20 list. In my opinion, the best pure hitter available in this year's draft, Vitters has tremendous upside. His debut, though, was forgettable. He wanted to sign right away and get out and play, but based on his high draft status, he and his agent played the waiting game, got a reasonable signing bonus and then reported to pro ball. He's going to have to work on his approach as a pro, showing patience and willingness to use all fields, but he has great eye-hand coordination, bat speed, power, and all the intangibles to become a top-flight run producer down the line.

Alan Matthews: Holcomb was a pleasant surprise this summer from Gonzaga (12th-round, 2007) tore up the league, as you noted. He had back problems this spring, which might have been one reason he lasted until the 12th round, but there was more than one scout who saw him in college, wasn't interested, and then saw a completely different guy this summer in the NWL. I've concerns about how well he profiles on the corners, and he might wind up playing first base when it's all said and done, so he was one of the last couple of hitters to get cut from the list. He has a pull approach and doesn't have much room for physical growth as a block-bodied type of player, so let's wait and hope he repeats the performance against better pitching before we heap too much praise on him.

Alan Matthews: I liked Hill as an amateur and believe he's got value as a prospect, though only as a reliever. With the upside of power arms in the league, he was left off the 20. He had a great debut after signing for $70,000 in the seventh round this year out of Army. His makeup, work ethic and pitchabiltiy are far ahead of his stuff. He's going to pitch at 85-87 mph with a fringy breaking ball. He mixes his stuff well and had good command during most of his outings in the NWL.

Alan Matthews: We have a tremendous following among college baseball fans, and I love the way our readers keep tabs on players from college ball as they make their way up the minor league ladder. Payne had a great career in college at Ga. Tech, and he was a real leader for the Jackets as their center fielder and closer as an underclassman. He was one of the college position players who got a nice boost in the draft this year based on the scarcity of proven bats. He needs to hone his approach and situational hitting skills to maximize his value. One of those players with just enough power to get himself in trouble, Payne's going to play in the big leagues when he cuts down his swing and keeps the ball from gap to gap. He's not an exceptional runner, might not make it as a center fielder, and has very little physical projection, so again, how he profiles will become a quesiton when major league general managers are estimating his ultimate value.

Alan Matthews: Back-to-back ACC player questions . . . I can hear the Cali contingent groaning already . . . Thomas was a steal, in my opinion, in the third round. Tim Wilken considered taking him with an earlier pick in the Cubs draft room, but when he was still there in the third, he might have done a cartwheel or two. He's a good--not great--athlete with good aptitude and a strong work ethic. He's not going to be a fluid defender and he's not light on his feet, so he's going to cause some grey hairs for managers with his lack of mobility in the middle of the diamond, but he might hit enough to makeup for his defensive shortcomings, and I think he can stay at second base in pro ball.

Alan Matthews: Greene was a topic of conversation with some managers, but when the scouts graded out his toolset, he came up short. His versatility might be a product of the Rangers trying to maximize his value. He is not a real strong defensive catcher, and his bat is going to have to carry him. He has above-average raw power and managers appreciated the way he went about his work.

Alan Matthews: We have an early leader for the best question of the chat . . . Both guys are offensive-minded catchers out of good college programs. Donaldson shows more natural feel for the position than Canham, yet he played third base as a freshman at Auburn in 2005, began catching as a sophomore and boosted his reputation with a strong showing in the Cape Cod League last summer. A right thumb injury limited his action behind the plate as a junior, too, but I like his chances to develop into a solid-average defender. He has a slightly better approach and a better feel for hitting than Canham.

Alan Matthews: Another very good question . . . At the Rookie and short-season levels, there's going to be a greater emphasis placed on tools and potential than performance. SK has a phenomenal bullpen, as it didn't lose game after leading after 6 innings all summer. I think Edlefsen, a converted position player, has the best chance to make it to the big leagues out of the bunch. He has plus sink on his fastball from a deceptive arm slot.

Alan Matthews: He was on of several Interesting arms in Everett this summer. A 25-year-old NDFA out of Diablo Valley (Calif.) JC, his fastball ranges from 90-93 and he has plus control of it. He lacks feel for his breaking ball and doesn't repeat his delivery. He has good downhill plane on his FB.

Alan Matthews: Cabrera was one of a handful of Latin arms in Boise to show some promise this summer. He was shut down with shoulder fatigue, but has a live arm and sticks with his best pitch--a plus fastball with some life down in the zone. He's a 6-foot-4, 18-year-old from the D.R.

Alan Matthews: Having seen Huseby pitch as a high school underclassman at a tournament in Fort Myers way back in 2004, when he was already touching 92s, I was surprised to hear that his velocity was down at times this year. One report from Cubs camp had him touching 95 mph at one point, but three scouts who saw him said he was anywhere from 86-90 mph or the 88-91 range, depending on who saw him when. They all liked his delivery, though, and said he did it easy, so there's reason to be confident that he'll rediscover his velocity. He hasn't pitched much, having missed a year following Tommy John surgery, so there's no reason to think there are additional health concerns with this kid.

Alan Matthews: Neither Main nor Feliz qualified. They would have both ranked in the top 10. Main would have been No 1. He's got a quick, clean arm action, and began to make some adjustments in his approach to pitching. He has a power breaking ball with tight spin and more than just feel for his changeup. He's been up to 97 mph in the past, and was checking in with 93s and 94s in the NWL. One scout compared him to Mike Mussina with a slightly firmer fastball, and don't forget that Mussina could bring it in his prime, too. Feliz is less polished, but as one of the players the Rangers received from Atlanta in the Saltalamacchia trade this summer, he figures to add some depth to the Rangers system. He needs to work on his secondary stuff, but has big tools and a fastball that has been up to 98.

Alan Matthews: It certainly wasn't as strong as the GCL or NYPL, but compared favorably to the Pioneer and Appy Leagues. I'll take strike-throwing machines at 12 and 13, and a toolsy center fielder at 11. It wasn't heavy with no-brainer prospects that ooze tools and projection, but there was a very deep collection of guys with nice potential. Canham is a fave of practically everyone in the office, if not for the way he plays the game and carries himself on the field, but for the fact the guy needs a wheelbarrow to carry his ____ around. He's got a big heart, and when he took a foul tip to the worst place imaginable, he actually stayed in the lineup and tried to play before requiring surgery.

Alan Matthews: I was skeptical as I was interviewing scouts, and the numbers of both Ramirez and Fabio Castillo are underwhelming, for sure. At times, both pitchers lose their release point and have a hard time finding it again. But that's something that was said about dozens of pitchers who are cashing big league paychecks right now, so I tried to take into account the entire package on these guys. They have clean deliveries, arm speed, can spin a breaking ball--even if it doesn't wind up where they always want--and create plane. The ingredients are there, it's just going to take time.

Alan Matthews: For the second year in a row, Durango put up outstanding numbers. He led the NWL in average and hits, and was third in on-base percentage. He does it with bat control and speed. An 80 runner on the 20-80 scale, Durango deploys a slap approach and knows how to take advantage of his speed. He doesn't have much strength, and he's a below-average defender in center field. He gets some Tony Phillips comps, as well as Juan Pierre, but he'll always have to overcome the conventional concerns about his lack of size and strength as he fights for respect as a prospect.

Alan Matthews: What's wrong with Burke? This guy is a physical body of art, with strength and power to his game, as well as above-average athleticism. He's raw, but has lots of upside. He needs to hone his feel for hitting and control the strike zone better, but with his tools, it wasn't a stretch to rank him, and wasn't an indictment of the league in doing so. Kulbacki, while coincidentally drafted and signed by the same Padres area scout, Ash Lawson, is a completely different player. He lacks fluidity, but simply knows how to hit, and has a track record for doing so. A lot of people were down on his ability to hit with wood in the amateur scouting world after the Cape Cod League season last summer, but he actually came on relatively well late in the summer, and that was duly noted by San Diego. He can play everyday in the big leagues if he continues to develop his power and takes his defense more seriously.

Alan Matthews: Williams was drafted by the Giants with one of their extra picks in this year's draft, and his MO is defense. He can really receive--with good hands, quiet feet and a low target. Decker, a former catcher, called his technique the best he had ever seen for a player coming straight out of college. He needs to improve his swing, as he has an uppercut stroke and tries to lift the ball. His bat speed is not a plus. Schoop showed some improvement with his power, remains a prospect, but is still raw and slowly learning to make adjustments at the plate and defensively. Garret Baker has plus raw power, and might be the guy off this club that makes himself into the best prospect, despite the rigidity his game features. Otero was similar to most of the relievers there--solid- to fringe-average fastball fastball than he commanded well and a chase slider that works well when he was ahead in counts.

Alan Matthews: And the leader among deep-cut questions thus far, this one might even be hidden-track material. . . Falcon was one of two Dave Cline's Baseball Camp alumni in the league, along with Yakima righthander Jason Neighborgall. Of course, Neighborgall continues to struggle with his command, whereas Falcon just pounded the zone with fringy stuff. He turned some heads because of his aggressive approach and willingness to pitch to contact, two traits I believe I worked on with him when he was a 13-year-old camper, but with a fastball that was sitting at 83-86 mph, he didn't make the cut.

Alan Matthews: There have not been a lot of questions about the guys at the top of this list, but rather more focus on guys who did not make it, perhaps that's appropriate as the league was deeper than it was top-heavy. Latos strikes me more as a setup man or closer than a top-of-the-rotation guy. His feel for pitching doesn't jump out at you, but he can spot the ball to both corners on occasion. He fiddled with the grip of his changeup this summer, and showed some ability to get a more conventional one over for strikes, as opposed to the split-change grip he had before. He spikes his curveball and it's a plus pitch at times, but in order for me to call this guy a frontline starter, I'd have to really project high on the feel and command of these pitches. That said, a scout compared him to Todd Stottlemyer, and maybe he's a No. 3--I think that might be a high-end estimate on his ceiling, but a lot of how far he goes depends on how well he adapts to the pro setting and his ability to absorb instruction.

Alan Matthews: I think he's got the aptitude and tools to become a front-line catcher. He already has the arm strength and exchange, he needs work on receiving and some of the nuances of the position.

Alan Matthews: Schoop, Garett Davis and Sean VanElderen as position players and Edlefsen as a pitcher. The Giants might laugh at that pitcher pick, because he's just a reliever, but I'm a sucker for guys who throw strikes with heavy fastballs, and this guy has more sink than Michael Vick's QB rating.

Alan Matthews: We've already touched on Alberto Cabrera, and righthanders Audy Santana and Al Alburquerque are two others worthy of mention. Santana works off an 89-93 mph fastball and a solid-average breaking ball. he attacked hitters when he came in out of the pen. He's got lots of arm strength and some room for projection. Alberto Alburquerque is another 21-year-old Dominican who was 88-92 mph most of the summer and also has an aggressive approach and ability to get a breaking ball over for strikes.

Alan Matthews: Another Latin sleeper in this league that I have not been asked about, but would be remiss without mentioning is Evereth Cabrera at Tri City. A 20-year-old infielder who spent most of the summer playing second base across from Velazquez, he has good actions in the infield and a line-drive approach at the plate. He injured his ankle this season, but when he's right, he grades as a 7 runner on the 2-8 scale.

Alan Matthews: We have already touched on Falcon, but Laughter was another guy who drew lots of interest and contended for a spot on this list. He might have been the most consistent pitcher of the year for Spokane, although he's almost 23. He has a sharp, short-breaking slider that got lots of empty swings. His fastball was up to 94, and he also throws a changeup. He hides the ball well, and it has good sink. Very interesting guy.

Alan Matthews: Horton didn't have enough plate appearances to qualify. He's a nice player with an approach that will always be questioned, but I believe in his ability. He's going to play in the big leagues, though I don't know that he'll be an impact guy. A's east coast crosschecker Mike Holmes, one of a handful of the A's bright, up-and-coming evaluators out there who know much more than just numbers, and area scout Neil Avent were sold on Horton's ability to make consistent hard contact, and Oakland was happy to land him in the sandwich round of what was a very strong draft top-to-bottom. Grant Desme was another prospect at Vancouver that Oakland took this year in the supplemental round who did not qualify, but he has even more upside than Horton.

Alan Matthews: Thanks for coming by today. Be sure to check out our podcasts, as well, as we'll be going in depth this month about some of the gems we've uncovered during league top 20 calls.