Complete Index of League Top 20s

By Chris Kline
September 30, 2004

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Chat Wrap: Chris Kline took your Carolina League questions

TOP 20 PROSPECTS

1. Jeff Francoeur, of, Myrtle Beach 2. Michael Aubrey, 1b, Kinston 3. Brian Anderson, of, Winston-Salem 4. Zach Duke, lhp, Lynchburg 5. Kyle Davies, rhp, Myrtle Beach 6. Brandon McCarthy, rhp, W-S 7. Ryan Sweeney, of, Winston-Salem 8. Brian McCann, c, Myrtle Beach 9. Richie Gardner, rhp, Potomac 10. Fernando Nieve, rhp, Salem 11. Tom Gorzelanny, lhp, Lynchburg 12. Josh Fields, 3b, Winston-Salem 13. Ryan Garko, 1b/c, Kinston 14. Brad Eldred, 1b, Lynchburg 15. Anthony Lerew, rhp, Myrtle Beach 16. Chris Ray, rhp, Frederick 17. Sean Tracey, rhp, Winston-Salem 18. Rajai Davis, of, Lynchburg 19. Hayden Penn, rhp, Frederick 20. Mitch Maier, 3b, Wilmington

The Class A Carolina League is traditionally built on strong pitching prospects, but this year pitchers’ ERAs hovered around 4.00 for the most part and the hitters took center stage.

Led by Myrtle Beach right fielder Jeff Francoeur, the Kinston tandem of Michael Aubrey and Ryan Garko, and perhaps the two best hitters on one club in the league — Winston-Salem’s Brian Anderson and Ryan Sweeney — CL hitters raked their way through pitching staffs this season.

“There were a lot of legit bats in the league this year,” one American league scout said. “Probably more than you usually see. And with a whole lot more power than normal. The two guys who stand out the most to me are the Winston-Salem guys. To go from the Pioneer League to there was a hell of a jump, but you had one guy stay there for half a season (Anderson) and the other (Sweeney) holding his own at just 19.”

That’s not to say you couldn’t find good pitching in the league, but as usual, most of the top arms moved on after midseason. Half of the top 10 was made up of pitchers, led by Lynchburg lefthander Zach Duke, but three of the five were promoted after the all-star break: Duke, Myrtle Beach righthander Kyle Davies and Potomac righthander Richie Gardner.

Subscribers can access scouting reports on all 20 players. (How to subscribe)