Aaron Fitt: First of all, welcome everyone to the NY-P chat. We already have a number of questions, so I'm going to go ahead and get started a few minutes early.

Aaron Fitt: Mahoney is a converted catcher who can really rev it up there - he hit 100 on the gun this spring. But he's only been pitching for a year and he's very raw. For a college guy, he's still a longterm project.

Aaron Fitt: Brinkley did have a terrific year, and league managers liked him as a player. He handles the bat well, uses all fields, plays hard and plays solid defense. But he's not a real big guy, only 5-10, 180 pounds, and he projects best as a fourth or fifth outfielder in the big leagues. Still, it's worth noting that a couple managers think he'll develop some power - one even said that his swing reminds him of Miguel Tejada. Brinkley has an outside shot of becoming an overachieving starting outfielder in the majors.

Aaron Fitt: To your first question, Dobies and Hottovy logged quite a few innings this spring for Virginia and Wichita State, respectively, so the Red Sox were very careful not to overwork them at Lowell. They would generally each start every five days, but they'd only go about two innings per start - a way to get them some work on a regular schedule without putting their arms in jeopardy. It's a common practice with the Theo Epstein Red Sox.

Aaron Fitt: To your second question, you nailed half of it: "were they supposed to be pitching low A in 2004 instead of dominating short season A hitters?" Ramirez is 22 and spent the last two years in the GCL – he should be farther along than he is. Ramirez is essentially just a fastball pitcher with a raw curveball that needs to be tightened up to become an average pitch. MacLane will be 22 in November, but he pitched well in the Sally League early this year and would still be there except the Mets like to make sure their Brooklyn club is competitive. Maclane can locate very well - the proverbial "guy who knows how to pitch" - but he doesn't throw quite hard enough to make this list. He tops out at about 89, although he complements it with a good changeup, and his control is outstanding.

Aaron Fitt: Couple of Blue Jays questions here, let's start with this one. Jackson and Purcey got a late start because they went through a throwing program for a month after signing, so managers didn't get to see a lot of them. But both of them are big, strong lefthanders who throw strikes and change speeds. Jackson struggled a bit in limited action this season, posting a 5.40 ERA in 15 innings, but it's nothing to worry about. Purcey's debut was more impressive - he struck out 13 and walked just one in 12 innings.

Aaron Fitt: Lind is an interesting case. He was one of the guys who was just off the top 20. There's no doubt he can hit - he went .308-7-50 for Auburn - but he's below average defensively and he's not a terrific athlete. He played a lot of first base at South Alabama, but the Blue Jays moved him to left field, where he's still got a long way to go. He does have a nice swing, though, and rarely misses his pitch at the plate. He should develop some more power eventually.

Aaron Fitt: Harris and battle are both high school guys from the Yankees' 2003 draft, and both are still just 19. They're both very raw, but Staten Island manager Tommy John is quite high on both of them. They're both very athletic, and Battle can flat-out fly. Harris has extremely fast hands, and when he hits the ball he hits it hard. But making consistent contact has been the problem for these two. They are still young and still need to learn how to hit (Battle's BB-K ratio this year was 14-74, and Harris' was 18-65).

Aaron Fitt: Tommy Hottovy or Jason Vargas were the most polished pitchers in the league this year, and one of them will probably be first to the majors. Ben Zobrist could be the first position player to the majors.

Aaron Fitt: Jaramillo's stats were not very impressive, but he's a switch hitter who swings the bat well from both sides and shows promise as a receiver.

Aaron Fitt: I think it's too early to get down on Bixler. Sure, he is a speedy contact hitter right now, but he has excellent instincts for the game and absorbs instruction very well, according to his manager. He's got a lot to learn offensively and defensively, but he's got the potential to be a gap-to-gap, line-to-line hitter with occasional pop.

Aaron Fitt: His size is the primary reason he was not higher. Not only are there longterm questions about Barratt's durabilty, but he suffered some arm fatigue issues this season. He does have one of the best curveballs in the league, and his fastball velocity is impressive for someone of his physical stature.

Aaron Fitt: That depends which pitching performances you're talking about. A guy like Ronnie Martinez, who posts a terrific 11-2 record and an ERA less than two but doesn't put up great K per nine innings numbers, you have to wonder if he can continue his success at the next level. But pitchers like Anibal Sanchez and Jesse Hoover just dominated the league, posting low ERAs and terrific strikeout numbers, which are very important at the lower levels of the minors.

Aaron Fitt: Let's take a couple questions about the league-champion Scrappers. Finegan is a scrappy shortstop who makes plays defensively and can hit a little, but he'll be 23 in December and doesn't seem to have a lot of upside. He's a nice player, but probably an organizational player.

Aaron Fitt: Toregas does have solid defensive skills, and he hit much better for Mahoning Valley than he did for Virginia Tech this spring. A number of managers liked him as a receiver, where he has soft hands, good setup and approach. He projects as a major league backup catcher, although he could develop 10-15 home run potential.

Aaron Fitt: There are a number of decent Renegades position player prospects. Third baseman Pat Cottrell is one of the better ones - he's not a real big guy, and could eventually move to second base, but he plays hard, he's very aggressive, and he hits the ball to all fields with occasional power. Outfielder Fernando Perez was one of the fastest players in the league this year. He can track down balls in the outfield and he's an excellent base runner who stole 24 bases in 28 attempts. He has no power, and he needs to develop better strike zone judgment. Also, catcher John Jaso is a good receiver with very good plate discipline.

Aaron Fitt: There is no doubt that Concepcion is a blue-chip prospect, but he probably won't move all that quickly - he still has some holes to work out in his swing. As for his age, a couple managers questioned whether he is really 20, but if he is then he's right on track.

Aaron Fitt: Sanchez has a high ceiling - he dazzled this year with his mid-90s fastball with excellent movement, and he has a good feel for his secondary pitches. He needs time to polish them, however, and probably won't reach the big leagues before teammates Hottovy, Andrew Dobies and maybe R.J. Swindle do. When he gets there, though, he projects as a front-to-middle of the rotation starter.

Aaron Fitt: At this level, league records often have little to do with the quality of prospects on the roster, particularly when it comes to pitching. The best pitching staffs in the league - from a prospects perspective - probably belonged to last-place Staten Island, last-place Lowell, and Jamestown, which finished 15 games under .500. Vargas and Tankersley look like they could be the real deal. It will be very interesting to see what they do once they get a full season under their belts. Tankersley might have slightly more upside than Vargas, but Vargas is more of a sure thing. They both could pitch in the big leagues, perhaps both as starters.

Aaron Fitt: Baez has some serious tools, but he's very raw. He's got good power potential but he needs to make more consistent contact. Lowrance is an aggressive hitter with a finish that reminds the Expos of Mo Vaughn. He is not a good defensive player right now, but he's still 20 years old. On the pitching side, Greg Bunn has an outstanding curveball that could take him places, and Ben Cox throws a mid-to-high 90s fastball with good movement - he could be a sleeper if he can find command.

Aaron Fitt: Jones was not far out of the top 20. He is a big, physical righthander who knows how to pitch with his breaking ball and has good sink on his 88-91 mph fastball.

Aaron Fitt: Opposing managers thought Reyes was a real pain as a leadoff hitter, which is a good thing for him. He has plus speed and a knack for getting on base. He'll never be a power hitter, but he could become a decent gap hitter. Defensively, he has handled the move to center field very well, and his arm is strong enough and his range good enough to keep him there.

Moderator: Just a couple more questions, and then we'll have to wrap it up.

Aaron Fitt: Hoyman certainly would have merited strong consideration for this list if he had pitched enough innings.

Aaron Fitt: Rainwater's numbers were ugly, but he throws a good fastball in the mid-90s and is a smart pitcher. He's a little overweight, but he's just 19, so if he can trim down a bit, refine his secondary pitches, and throw more strikes, he could have a future. Flowers was one of the more athletic players in the NY-P, but he's nearly 21 now, he's in his third professional season, and he still hasn't quite put it together. Some managers wondered if he ever will.

Aaron Fitt: I think this will have to be the last question. Sorry I couldn't get to all of your questions - remember there are 14 teams in the NY-P, which is a lot of ground to cover.

Aaron Fitt: Ferris is still a legitimate prospect, with power to all fields, but he did not hit this year. He got into a slump early and had trouble recovering - he needs to hit early next year, and he should be okay. He showed decent athleticism at first base, and his bat will probably come around.

Aaron Fitt: Thanks for your outstanding questions, everyone. I've enjoyed reading them.