Chris Kline: I'm not sure if this is some kind of record or what, but three chats in the span of two weeks? I don't think I've ever been this chatty. It's a beautiful day here in Eastern N.C., so let's get right after it.

Chris Kline: Maybin is capable of playing all three outfield spots, so it's a good problem to have. And he's got the speed to hit up in the order or hit in the middle and drive in runs. All five tools, and he barely qualified for this list because of the lingering shoulder issue. But there's no question he was the top guy.

Chris Kline: Let's see. Morton has a solid arsenal with command of four pitches. He can get outs with his slider, but his curveball has really come on as well. There were several sleepers in the league this year, and Morton was one.

Chris Kline: The one guy that impressed some people in Arizona was Pereira. He's probably a middle reliever, but really needs a consistent weapon to attack lefthanded hitters.

Chris Kline: I'm having flashbacks to the Phillies top 10 chat, after which I was referred to as a Ruben Amaro clone. That's fun. Funny story about Jackson: Back in my younger days growing up right next to the friendly confines of what was once Reading Municipal Stadium, I saw Jackson play a lot. Often times, he was in the lineup to play right field but ran out to left. I'll always remember Reading's hitting coach popping out of the dugout yelling, "No, Jeff! RIGHT field!" Needless to say, Jackson was a little aloof. Golson isn't that way. He's one of the most intelligent players in the Phillies system, so if you read the Phillies' chat the other day—and I know you did, Mr. Snapper Bean in Kensington—you know I still believe in the upside.

Chris Kline: Willow Spring Represent! He was in the mix, as a lot of guys were in this prospect-laden league, but there are still too many questions about his long term health. During instructional league this year, Aubrey couldn't play every day, which was the same story during the tail end of the regular season at Double-A Akron. There is no question the tools are there. That's never been the issue. I think it's still too premature to predict numbers in the big leagues based on the recent track record. But he's got all kinds of power and can shorten his stroke to use the whole field. Very smart player who knows his limitations in terms of his injury history. If Aubrey doesn't wind up making it, it has nothing to do with the size of his heart.

Chris Kline: Oh, there you are, JAYPERS. Disappointed you were nearly five questions in, slacker. With the tools and the polish, it's hard to say he needs a full season in Triple-A, but I think that's what it comes down to.

Chris Kline: Rock on, JAYPERS. Conceivably, yes. I don't think he's seen as a Bull heading into the spring, and there is little for him left to prove. Still, a half-season in Durham could serve him well.

Chris Kline: Take your pick of any power-hitting 1blf righthanded batters. LaPorta's power is legit, and he worked hard this fall to hit with that kind of juice to all fields. He'll start in Huntsville and go from there. I don't see a callup next year based on his reads, jumps and routes in left in the AFL, but he's worked hard on that also. At least a grade above Billy Butler in left right now at the same stage when Butler was in Arizona.

Chris Kline: OK, let's skip ahead a little bit to the outrage. Nice season in the AFL, but not great. And your clone's outfield play was suspect at best at times. I like Einertson as a hitter more now than when he won the Appy League MVP as a straight pull power hitter a couple years ago, but he wasn't a top 20-caliber player in this league.

Chris Kline: I think Miller comes into 2008 working out of the Tribe's pen in the big leagues. From there, they can move him to the rotation, but right now his velocity's better in short spurts and he has the ability to attack with all his pitches to either side of the plate.

Moderator: Maddox doesn't strike out that much. And where you really didn't envision Cannon as pure sleeper material last year, you kind of get that feeling with Maddox. He can do a little bit of everything and makes his average tools play up because he's a smart player. I don't think it's fair to compare him to Cannon. They're totally different players.

Chris Kline: OK, Honorable Mention goes to Nick Blackburn. As I've said numerous times before, this league was full of back-of-the-rotation starters and middle relievers on the mound, but Blackburn has a chance to be more than that. Still, based on what I saw (which carries some weight, but not much) and the opinion of many scouts (which is what this list is heavily based on), they considered him below the arms listed. In fact, most of the scouts polled for this list were more into Eduardo Morlan, if you want to just talk Twins.

Chris Kline: I say Maybin, but McCutchen says McCutchen.

Chris Kline: I think so, and scouts seem to think so too. The wrist injury might hurt him get back on track early next year, but it seems like this is a guy who profiles more than just a utility player. He plays a solid second base, making throws on the run across his body with more than enough arm strength and accuracy and is a line-drive gap hitter. The only thing he doesn't have is power.

Chris Kline: More of a reliever right now. The secondary stuff still has some questions.

Chris Kline: Performance is part of it, but Antonelli was the best second baseman out there and is one of the top second base prospects in the game. You have to take into account the full body of work, along with the tools, which is why Brignac is where he is. Maybin continues to be ranked so high because of the skill-level and the fact that he plays in the middle of the diamond . . . with power. You could really go either way, depending on what you like, because they both have game-changing tools. But Maybin can change games with speed and power, which is why he's No. 1.

Chris Kline: Reliever in the AFL, but the Diamondbacks are still committed to him in a starting role. Based on the quality of the stuff and the velocity he showed in short spurts, you really have to like him in the pen long term. But he's much more than a one- or two-pitch guy. He can command three above-average to plus pitches. He likely goes back to Mobile to begin 2008 in the rotation.

Chris Kline: I struggled with Brignac and Schafer on this list, but I think a lot of people can tend to jump ship too early on players at times and it's easy to do that with Brignac right now. I'm sticking with him. That's not to say I don't like Schafer. Everything about him is legit. For me, really, it came down to the premium position and Birgnac's athleticism at short. McCutchen's had problems all year getting extended against righthanders. Still, he just turned 21. He'll figure it out.

Chris Kline: Dang. McCutchen, but I really like Schafer's pure strength. I'm just banking on McCutchen figuring it out at the plate.

Chris Kline: USC.

Chris Kline: I don't think first base would be an option. The one thing he did show in RF was arm strength and he did run down a few balls that he probably shouldn't have gotten to based on his routes. Probably DH eventually, but he needs to get better defensively right now. And really, that and getting more ABs against lefties are his only weaknesses.

Chris Kline: Probably utility, though I think Wimberly has more of a chance to be an everyday player. He's a spark plug.

Chris Kline: I touched on this earlier, and you really could go either way. I just like the powerspeed combination of Maybin, but there's no doubt Longoria is going to be an impact guy.

Chris Kline: Well, he turns 26 in a few days, so that was against him. But Fuld is a valuable commodity and will find his way to the big leagues in some role. He can play all three OF spots and is just nails at the plate. Nothing fazes that guy. I think the thing that impressed me that I guess I was just missing before was his arm strength. He threw several balls from the warning track in right on the fly to the line at third base. With accuracy.

Chris Kline: Close, Fred. A better defender than Uggla at second who should hit for high average with some power.

Chris Kline: Great question! I'll call the research department, but right now, we're all hoping for him to stay healthy and graduate.

Chris Kline: Another good question, and I'm expecting we'll deal with Andrus shortly. As for Harrison, a lot of scouts were lukewarm on him. Personally, I think he's underrated. One scout I talked to called him Jeff Francis. Everything is hard and down. It doesn't matter how much his velocity fluctuates because he's constantly at the bottom of the strike zone. He barely missed this list. I don't know if I'd say the list was that good, but it was solid. And nearly all the scouts I talked to when putting this list together had the arms on the back end above Harrison.

Chris Kline: Guys were considerably down on Crowe this year, and it's tough to see what he'll be in the big leagues. He's not going to play center field, at least in Cleveland, he doesn't hit for power and he had an inconsistent 2007 season. As far as Reimold, I'm still a believer. He's still got some holes and his swing can get long, but the power is real. Both got consideration based on the body of work, but missed out in the end.

Chris Kline: Andrus qualified, but again, based on the number of scouts polled for this list, they had him below the 20. Managers loved him, and he hit in the AFL, but there are long term questions about the bat.

Chris Kline: Again, and bringing up Mayberry is good because there are obviously questions about his bat as well, but he's a polished defender who runs well with the ability to hit for power. Even though he's 23 and he might not ever hit for high average, you can't give up yet. I love Andrus' defense and his leadership skills, everything about him defensively is easy.

Chris Kline: The wrist has a lot to do with his struggles, but if he's 100 percent healthy he goes to Tulsa. I think he's at least two years away, yes.

Chris Kline: Good receiver, but needs to block balls better and his throwing mechanics need work. I know it's a small sample size, but he went 0-for-5 trying to gun down runners. He's young and needs to get better, but the athleticism is there.

Chris Kline: McCrory, yes. With as much time as Reimold lost last year, he's still at least a half season to a full year away.

Chris Kline: He's really interesting, especially to watch. If you haven't seen him, he has this dramatically violent leg kick in his delivery that oddly creates a lot of . . . ummmm . . . let's call it non-traditional deception. Left-left guy that could probably help in the bullpen now.

Chris Kline: I'm not sure about the big jump. According to several sources with the Phillies, they have him ticketed to start 2008 at low Class A Lakewood and move from there. His stuff wasn't very impressive in his debut, and I think that assessment had a lot to do with putting him at Lakewood. But after his AFL season, they might change their minds and start him higher. But yes, he is a guy who should move quickly.

Chris Kline: Davis didn't have enough ABs to qualify. For Andrus, see above.

Chris Kline: You know, for a guy who was DFAed twice I think, there is some upside as a lefty pen guy. Nothing to blow you away, but he kept the ball down early in the AFL season before some fatigue set in and started getting hit around some.

Chris Kline: I wouldn't set my expectations too high. Penn's secondary pitches weren't very good and for lack of a better way to explain it, he just kind of looked lost. The strikeouts were impressive and that's something to build on, but he falls out of his delivery pretty easy and a change of scenery might be for the best.

Chris Kline: It's funny, because in talking to a lot of international scouting directors over the course of the year, they all wanted to talk about Miranda and mentioned him taking over for Giambi. I think there's a pretty good chance you see him in the Bronx at some point in 2008. His swing can get long, but when he stays compact, he can drive fastballs or breaking balls all over the zone.

Chris Kline: He was very good, but it's hard to buy into it. Let's see him do it consistently in Double-A as a Fisher Cat again.

Chris Kline: Probably Blackburn in terms of contributing now. With all the time Swarzak missed this year, he's still a little ways away.

Chris Kline: I think what you mentioned is part of it, but it also comes down to fundamentals. And yes, some of the defensive play was abysmal. Talk to any infield coordinator around the game and they'll tell you the same thing . . . there's so much focus on the offensive side of the game, that guys often get a pass on their defense. It's become the nature of the beast. Ryan Braun is the best current example of that. I mean, it is a developmental league after all, but you'd expect the level of play defensively in a league like this to be not on par with watching the GCL, you know?

Chris Kline: He might have gone from being elite prospect status to solid prospect status in a lot of people's minds, and that's fair. I'm just trying harder to not automatically jump off the bandwagon on players. If I miss somebody or am wrong about someone, that's fine. Everybody does. I just want to stay true to what I believe. So I'm still on the Brignac train.

Chris Kline: Bruce is athletic enough to play center field and he runs a lot better, so while I can see it with the bat, I don't see it in the fielding and run tools. Like I said to a lot of guys when I got back from the AFL, if there was one player I completely fell in love with that I hadn't seen in person, it was Snider. Outstanding patience in his at-bats, plus strength and bat speed . . . I could really talk about him all day, but then my housecleaning would get neglected.

Chris Kline: Thanks for the kind words. Tell your friends. Well, the ones that aren't in the same leagues as you. I think Maybin makes a serious impact in 2009.

Chris Kline: Dickerson obviously needs to still cut down on his strikeouts, but he was more interesting than I expected. The guy I liked most was Craig Tatum behind the plate. Total sleeper.

Chris Kline: 25-30 is totally fair.

Chris Kline: Andrus above all the others. Lowrie didn't have a great AFL, but was learning multiple positions and I think if one guy could get dealt of those you mentioned, it's Hu.

Chris Kline: Everyone I talked to says No. 4 or 5, but he really has a chance to be a No. 3 if the secondary pitches come along.

Chris Kline: Arguably the most improved system with what they were able to do via trades, the draft and the way they work Latin America every year. I made several trips up to Surprise while I was in AZ to see their instructs camp. Watching that was enough to make at least two-thirds of all clubs envious. They're definitely on the rise.

Chris Kline: Love Surprise, but have to go with the Dogs, dude. This could be three in a row, and they play in Phoenix Muni, which resembles what a stadium would look like if there was one in Planet of the Apes (the 1968 Charlton Heston version). I always feel like I'm about to run into Dr. Zaius whenever I'm at the Muni.

Chris Kline: Well, Medlen is actually in Hawaii, so . . . both guys you mentioned have a chance to help their respective big league clubs in 2008.

Chris Kline: Thank you! And thanks for all the great questions, and there were a ton of them. Sorry I couldn't get to all of them, seriously. You guys are the greatest. Please check back in as we move onward in our organizational top 10s next week with a Hawaii Winter Baseball top 20 chat on the slate for Tuesday. So even though I wished everyone a happy Thanksgiving already, I'll hang on until Tuesday to do that. Later, CK