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Matt Eddy: Humber finished just outside the top 20. He was well regarded, but nobody made a strong case for his inclusion. He's got a solid low-90s fastball and 12-to-6 curveball, a pitch that can be groundball offering for him when it's working. His change is his third pitch, and he made strides with it.

Matt Eddy: Often Humber seemed to try to do too much, possibly because the Mets opted to give big league starts to Jason Vargas, Chan Ho Park and Brian Lawrence instead of him. His mound presence often wavered, too, and he showed a tendency to get rattled.

Matt Eddy: Thanks for the setup. Jack Etkin wrote in the most recent Rockies org report that Stewart will get a look at second base in instructional league. Despite his hot playoff stretch, Kazuo Matsui cannot be regarded as a long-term solution. Will the Rockies be able to walk away?

Matt Eddy: You're right, Stewart is too talented to keep in the minors for all of 2008. The idea of moving him to the outfield was discussed in 2006 and ultimately discarded. He was only in Double-A then, though, so Colorado has a stronger impetus to make a position switch this time around.

Matt Eddy: It's easy to root for Young. Check out the feature we ran on him during the season for more on that. But about his major league potential, league observers seemed to think he'd fit best as a part-timer or pinch hitter at the big league level. Lenny Harris' name was dropped.

Matt Eddy: However, Young's defense has gotten better in the outfield, and he has a real ability to put the bat on the ball versus different types of pitching. Young also shortened his stroke and showed improvement as a righthanded batter in 2007.

Matt Eddy: Predicting true acedom for Pelfrey at this point would seem to be far-fetched. That's not to say he couldn't find success in the majors, especially in light of the good September starts he had. At times, Pelfrey was so tantalizingly close to breaking through, but a bad inning would completely unravel him. So I'm not sure he has a lot left to learn in the minors.

Matt Eddy: Confidence in his fastball was an issue after Pelfrey got hit around in the majors early in the year, but he got back on track with New Orleans. Hold out hope, but proceed cautiously.

Matt Eddy: We'd love to see Soto succeed, but his performance this season was just so unprecedented that it's hard to get a read on him. He crushed all season, but still the Cubs stuck with mediocre veteran receivers in the majors. Soto can hit, though, and he can catch and he can throw. He sounds like a big league regular to me, and it looks like the Cubs are coming around to the idea as well.

Matt Eddy: Hernandez hit throughout his minor league career, so I'd hold off on the comp for now. First, let Soto prove he can catch 130 games and keep up his production.

Matt Eddy: Keep in mind, the Triple-A and low Class A top 20s should be regarded differently from the other two levels' lists because of the distribution of affiliates between two leagues. As larger leagues, the IL and PCL lists may seem more exclusionary, but it's really just a function of 14- and 16-team leagues.

Matt Eddy: Abreu was a late scratch from this list. He has uncanny hitting ability (he's potentially a 70 hitter on the 20-80 scouting scale) and he's a good defender at second base with a strong arm. He has some pop from the right side of the plate, too, so there's a lot to like.

Matt Eddy: However, Abreu's plate plate discipline is poor and he chases too many pitchers' pitches now. He improved in that regard during the season, though, and might be able to handle shortstop if given the chance.

Matt Eddy: That's a fair assessment. Keep in mind, Pie has acclimated himself to Triple-A competition much better than Patterson did. And that the Cubs have taken it slow with Pie, letting him dominate a level before moving him up. People who watch Pie think the power is there, and that because he throws so well he might even be a right fielder down the line. And he loves to play and he takes instruction well.

Matt Eddy: Getting him more experience against tough pitching -- especially lefties -- will be the Cubs' next priority. And maybe that comes in a Latin American league this winter. I would not temper my enthusiasm for Pie because the ghost of Corey Patterson still clings to the Cubs organization.

Matt Eddy: Gallagher is a starter. He just missed qualifying for this list, but he probably would have ranked somewhere after Hochevar and ahead of Volquez.

Matt Eddy: Gallagher has an aggressive mound presence, he's confident and he commands his stuff to both sides of the plate. He really uses his lower half well and gets tremendous extension out in front. With 89-93 mph heat, a hard breaking ball and a feel for a changeup, Gallagher looks to be a No. 3 or better.

Matt Eddy: One scout thought Schierholtz could be a platoon right fielder as soon as next season. (Yes, I know he hit an adequate .279-.322-.541 vs. lefties this year.) That's how far he's come in changing from a pure-pull approach. Schierholtz still has a cannon for an arm, of course, but now he projects to be a fringe-average hitter and above-average power hitter.

Matt Eddy: Among Grizzliles who qualified for this list, Patrick Misch showed promise as a potential back-end starter or left-on-left reliever. He started throwing across his body a little more to improve the life on his breaking ball without losing feel for his fastball or change. That sounds like reliever material. LHP Erick Threets needs consistency, but still has a "damn good arm," as one scout put it.

Matt Eddy: The subject of Butler's weight did not come up. But the Royals already seem reserved to the fact they've got a DH on their hands. They played him in the field just 19 times in 92 games in 2007, not a common distribution for a rookie.

Matt Eddy: A textbook case of old player's skills -- no running, defense or arm -- Butler may not have a long career, but his bat should carry him through his prime seasons.

Matt Eddy: Braun and Lincecum would have ranked No. 1 and No. 2, no question. As to who would have come out on top . . . my gut says Lincecum because of his plus fastball and curveball. He's ridiculously talented.

Matt Eddy: No offense to Braun, who had perhaps the finest offensive season by a rookie since Albert Pujols in 2001.

Matt Eddy: With the progress he showed with the changeup in 2007, Buckner is a starter all the way. Is he a front-of-the-rotation guy? No, probably not. But Buckner keeps the ball on the ground and doesn't hurt himself with walks.

Matt Eddy: And would you look at the quality arms the Royals are amassing in Triple-A and the big leagues: Gil Meche, Hochevar, Butler, Zack Greinke and Brian Bannister

Matt Eddy: Carter elicited one of the funniest comments I received in researching this list. According to one scout, Carter has goofy actions and a goofy body. He's a well below-average fielder at first base and doesn't offer a ton of power, but Carter has a great batting eye and a great feel for hitting. He sounds like a good part-time DH.

Matt Eddy: Jones has the defensive tools to play right field, assuming Ichiro stays in center. You'd definitely like to see the Mariners make room for him, but keep in mind Jones is not quite a finished product. He improved his command of the strike zone in 2007, but it needs further tightening. And he's spent just two years in center, so it's not quite second nature for him yet. Jones also hasn't developed a real feel for stealing bases, despite very good speed.

Matt Eddy: If Seattle can find someone -- anyone? -- to take Richie Sexson off their hands, Ibanez could conceivably shift to first base, opening an outfield position.

Matt Eddy: A little of both. LaRoche will be a solid-average big league third baseman because the defensive tools are there. Will his shoulder hold up over the course of a season? That's the biggest question remaining.

Matt Eddy: Pie got the nod on this list because he has more present power and because of his lefty bat. It's a toss-up as to which of them was the better center fielder (each had his supporters), but Gomez clearly had more speed and better baserunning acumen.

Matt Eddy: Because Gomez is a plus-plus runner, it's easy to assume he's just a waterbug. In fact, he's a 6-foot-4, 195-pound athlete who's still learning how to apply his natural hitting ability in games. He made giant strides in the plate discipline department with New Orleans, but he needs to cut down his swing. More often than not, Gomez swung from the heels after coming back from his hamate bone surgery in September.

Matt Eddy: Given that both the Cubs and Mets will be playing for 2008, it might not be the worst idea to give both Pie and, particularly, Gomez in Triple-A for a few months.

Matt Eddy: With just 3 innings in the PCL, Blevins fell well short of qualifying -- about 45 innings short, in fact. However, his season was just incredible, so I've posted your question. Dig this: Blevins fanned 102 minor league batters while walking just 18 in 77 innings.

Matt Eddy: Hurley sounds like a quality power sinker and slider type guy, someone who projects more as a No. 3 than a 2.

Matt Eddy: Butler probably would have ranked higher if he had any defensive ability, but Jones offers true five-tool potential. Those guys are harder to find.

Matt Eddy: You are not wrong. Quality minor league catching is severely underrated. We want to see Soto succeed, and we believe in the tools, but why did the Cubs leave him in Triple-A all year?

Matt Eddy: The PCL seems deeper, but it's hard to argue with the IL's top two of Jay Bruce and Homer Bailey.

Matt Eddy: OF Nate Schierholtz, Fresno; OF Brett Carroll, Albuquerque; 2B Tony Abreu, Las Vegas; C Kurt Suzuki, Sacramento; and RHP Philip Humber, New Orleans

Matt Eddy: A long-winded question from an (apparently) ardent Brandon Wood supporter. Comping minor leaguers to Hall of Famers makes no sense to me, but I agree with you that the Angels should make a decision about Wood and stick with it.

Matt Eddy: Most everybody thought that while he wouldn't set the world on fire, Wood would be a competent big league shortstop. Yes, he's always going to strike out a ton, but the power is real. That doesn't seem to fit with the Angels present M.O., so maybe a trade is in order.

Matt Eddy: All Loney's done to this point in the big leagues is exceed expectations. On the optimistic side, yes, we could be seeing the next Mark Grace or John Olerud -- a high-average, mid-range power first baseman who defends well.

Matt Eddy: Clement probably always will struggle to throw out basestealers, but he also offers lefthanded power at catcher, maybe the rarest of all commodities.

Matt Eddy: Only the Mariners know how Clement's career will play out. It wouldn't make sense for them to move Johjima because he's a huge asset for them, meaning Clement may have to break in at first base or DH. Perhaps Seattle would be able to maximize his value by trading him to a club willing and able to play him at catcher.

Matt Eddy: No, Billy Buckner is not related to the Dodgers, Cubs and Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner. Interestingly enough, the elder Buckner's son Bobby, a middle infielder, is an incoming freshman with Texas.

Matt Eddy: OF Rick Ankiel was their obvious candidate. He showed plus power, very good range in center field and, naturally, a cannon for an arm. Aside from him, SS Brendan Ryan had a nice rookie season in the big leagues, and would likely have ranked in the 31-40 range.

Matt Eddy: Marmol compiled 77 big league innings in 2006, exhausting his rookie eligibility for 2007 and making him ineligible, also, for these lists.

Matt Eddy: Portland had the league's worst team, both from a performance and prospects standpoint. Vince Sinisi, Brian Myrow and Paul McAnulty all could be bats off the bench. 2B Craig Stansberry, a fringe-average hitter, doesn't really have the defensive profile to be a big league utilityman. And LHP Ryan Ketchner is a competitor, but has no real breaking ball, making him a less than ideal fit as a reliever.

Matt Eddy: Meloan ranked seventh in the Dodgers system coming into the year, and was a minor league all-star selection this year on the second team.

Matt Eddy: Not likely. The outfield picture is too crowded, and Balentien could use more seasoning, anyway. He's a good prospect, but he could use a more consistent approach, offensively and defensively, before he's ready for regular big league play.

Matt Eddy: Longterm, I'd go with Gomez and Martinez.

Matt Eddy: Martinez probably will be the best hitter of the group, so he's an easy choice. Regarding, Gomez vs. Milledge: I think Gomez is just a more natural, complete player. Some in the Mets organization championed Gomez over Milledge dating back to 2004, when Gomez was a wee 18-year-old GCL Met who hadn't proven anything on the field.

Matt Eddy: Given how far Hu came with the bat in one season, I'd like to see him do it again. But his glove alone should make him a candidate for regular play.

Matt Eddy: Relax. You've got just one more season of Furcal, and it's a contact year.

Matt Eddy: Would you honestly have expected Daric Barton to perform so poorly over a stretch of 416 at-bats? Sure he was just 22, but with such a limited ceiling, shouldn't we be in position to demand a more consistent performance than what he gave in 2007?

Matt Eddy: I framed the performance debate around his hot steak as a shorthanded way of saying Barton hit .221-.306-.314 in April; .260-.347-.385 in July and .236-.358-.355 in August, all of which are accurate.

Matt Eddy: Let's touch on a couple Colorado Springs players.

Matt Eddy: Koshansky is a grinder with a solid offensive approach, but observers wondered if he had enough bat to be a big league regular at first base. His bat is a bit slow and his swing is long.

Matt Eddy: OF Seth Smith is similar to Koshansky in that he's a lefthanded batter who knows how to hit. But Smith's ability to play all three outfield spots will probably earn him many looks as a reserve. He's a slightly below-average out there because he's not especially athletic, but not a butcher. In a lot of ways, Smith is a lefthanded version of Ryan Spilborghs.