Complete Index of League Top 20s

By Will Lingo
October 5, 2004

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Chat Wrap: Will Lingo took your Southern League questions

TOP 20 PROSPECTS

1. Andy Marte, 3b, Greenville 2. Joel Guzman, ss, Jacksonville 3. Rickie Weeks, 2b, Huntsville 4. Prince Fielder, 1b, Huntsville 5. Jose Capellan, rhp, Greenville 6. Edwin Encarnacion, 3b, Chattanooga 7. Anthony Reyes, rhp, Tennessee 8. Kyle Davies, rhp, Greenville 9. James Loney, 1b, Jacksonville 10. Josh Barfield, 2b, Mobile 11. Brian Anderson, of, Birmingham 12. Josh Willingham, c/1b, Carolina 13. Renyel Pinto, lhp, West Tenn 14. Freddy Guzman, of, Mobile 15. Dan Meyer, lhp, Greenville 16. Michael Morse, ss, Birmingham 17 William Bergolla, 2b/ss, Chattanooga 18. Arnaldo Munoz, lhp, Birmingham 19. Brad Thompson, rhp, Tennessee 20. Brad Nelson, of/1b, Huntsville

The best prospect in the Double-A Southern League was so good he moved up before he could qualify for the prospect list.

Devil Rays phenom B.J. Upton opened the season with Montgomery but earned a promotion to Triple-A in May, on his way to making the big leagues by August. He hit .327 in 104 at-bats, about the same number that he got at the end of last season in the league.

There were plenty of hitters to take his place on the list, however. They were spread across the infield, with no outfielders making the Top 10. The league also was notably thin on pitching prospects, though a National League scout said it was as much because of a baseball-wide arms shortage as a down year for the league.

"Look in the big leagues and you'll see plenty of pitchers who aren't ready to be there," he said. "Anyone good enough to show something in this league is going to get called up."

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