Prospects: Column
Undervalued Bats Key Phillies Attack
Nov. 3, 2009
Even with five all-stars this year, the Phillies lineup is filled with players who weren't always highly regarded. [...] Continue Reading »
Draft Report Card For The Decade
Oct. 26, 2009
Our annual Draft Report Cards are one of the most labor-intensive projects at Baseball America, and we have more trouble making deadlines than the Pirates did when they were trying to sign Pedro Alvarez. But it's a labor of love, even if forecasting the future for draftees a few short months after they turn pro is as easy as hitting Tim Lincecum. With that in mind, let's review the DRCs from this decade and identify the best of the best. For each of our standard categories, here's the top player from among the 10 selected as the standout in that category for each year of the 2000s. [...] Continue Reading »
Clubs Assume Great Risk In International Market
Oct. 9, 2009
Jim Callis looks at the international talent market and warns that an international draft isn't an easy answer. [...] Continue Reading »
September Callups Fail To Impress This Year
Sep. 22, 2009
When I first started working at Baseball America, one of the most exciting months of the year was September, and not just because the humidity in North Carolina kindly dissipated. Teams annually would debut top prospects when rosters expanded, and in those pre-Internet days, that usually meant our first chance to see them in action. [...] Continue Reading »
Indians Should Have Held On To Stars
Aug. 3, 2009
Last summer, trading C.C. Sabathia was a no-brainer for the Indians. But they should have resisted trading Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez at this year's deadline. Jim Callis also takes a quick look at other deadline deals of note. [...] Continue Reading »
These Pitchers Can Hit
Jul. 29, 2009
Casey Kelly may have been the most notable two-way player at the Futures Game, but he's not necessarily the only player there who could pull off a switch to playing a position. [...] Continue Reading »
Just Say No
Jul. 14, 2009
In sports, the term "silly season" most often is applied to NASCAR, referring to the offseason dance of riders, sponsors and crew members looking to hook up with new teams. It also aptly describes the shenanigans surrounding baseball's draft. [...] Continue Reading »
Ability Over Signability
Jun. 26, 2009
Jim Callis picks another of his annual hypothetical drafts. [...] Continue Reading »
Rangers, Rockies Take Good Gambles On First Day
Jun. 19, 2009
Jim Callis checked in just after broadcasting the 2009 draft with his impressions of how teams did on the first day. [...] Continue Reading »
The Clear No. 2
Jun. 1, 2009
For months, this draft has shaped up as Stephen Strasburg and everyone else, with no consensus No. 2 prospect behind perhaps the best talent in the draft era. That's no longer the case. North Carolina first baseman Dustin Ackley has stepped up as the second-best prospect in this draft. [...] Continue Reading »
Still Talent To Be Found
May. 19, 2009
The prevailing vibe is that this draft is as appealing as the swine flu, that the talent pool pretty much starts and ends with San Diego State righthander Stephen Strasburg and is bereft of position players, especially on the college side. Don't believe it. [...] Continue Reading »
No Guarantee
May. 1, 2009
Patrick Schuster's four straight no-hitters brought him within two of the national high school record, and brought him a national television audience via ESPNEWS. But that doesn't necessarily guarantee him pro success, as a study of past high school pitching stars shows. [...] Continue Reading »
NFL Draft Has A Baseball Feel
Apr. 21, 2009
The NFL draft will have some interest for baseball fans with several ex-minor leaguers and MLB draftees. [...] Continue Reading »
Less Than Expected
Apr. 14, 2009
Though clubs annually dole out significant bonuses to land sophomore talents, there hasn't been a lot of success for teams drafting college sophomores. [...] Continue Reading »
Big Disagreement
Mar. 27, 2009
Stephen Strasburg entered the year as the hands-down No. 1 prospect for the 2009 draft, so there was no way for him to improve his stock. Though he can't go any higher in the draft, scouts are more bullish on him than ever. But not everyone is so bullish on Strasburg. [...] Continue Reading »
Looking Into The Crystal Ball
Mar. 11, 2009
Four years ago, the Rays were coming off a 70-91 season that represented the best performance in the franchise's dismal seven-year history. Who could have predicted that Tampa Bay would rocket into respectability in 2008? Me, that's who. [...] Continue Reading »
A Series of Mistakes
Mar. 4, 2009
Jim Callis looks back at the series of mistakes that led the Padres to drafting Matt Bush. [...] Continue Reading »
What Could Have Been
Feb. 16, 2009
If baseball were like football, requiring players to spend three years in college before turning pro, the college All-American would have a dramatically different look. [...] Continue Reading »
The 32nd Team
Feb. 3, 2009
Starting in 2003, it has been an annual tradition to present what we like to call The 31st Team, a collection of all the scouting reports that are written for but don't quite make it into the Prospect Handbook. This year, as a premium for those who bought the Handbook directly from us, we included a No. 31 prospect to accompany the Top 30 lists we put together for every team. But we still have more bonus material to offer. There are 17 extra reports that didn't make it into the Handbook or the premium, so we present the first edition of . . . The 32nd Team. [...] Continue Reading »
Clubs Build Systems In Different Ways
Jan. 21, 2009
Jim Callis analyzes the trends on how each team's top prospects were acquired. [...] Continue Reading »
The Longest Of Longshots
Dec. 31, 2008
It requires scouting to unearth a hidden gem and patience to give up a big league roster spot for a year, but teams can find talent in the major league Rule 5 draft. But as Jim Callis shows, it's also possible to find talent in the minor league Rule 5 draft, even if the hits are few and far between. [...] Continue Reading »
The Best Of The Rest
Dec. 10, 2008
Nothing we do at Baseball America sparks as much debate as our organization Top 10 Prospects lists. It's a given that fans (and sometimes the teams themselves) will get outraged by where guys rank—go look for some Nick Hagadone discussion on any Red Sox message board—or by the fact that they missed out altogether. We have the same arguments within the walls of BA, and we can get just as spirited. Even with the thinnest of farm systems, our writers usually agonize over not having enough room on the Top 10 to include everyone they want. So for the sixth straight year, we present our American League all-non-Top 10 team. [...] Continue Reading »
Don't Stop Believing
Nov. 26, 2008
Boston and New York are the two most demanding places to play baseball. Red Sox and Yankees fans expected—or demanded—that Clay Buchholz and Phil Hughes would help lead their teams to postseason glory in 2008. The teams, while more realistic and less emotional, expected Buchholz and Hughes would nail down rotation spots for playoff clubs. [...] Continue Reading »
Mariners Make Wise Pick
Nov. 14, 2008
If I ever get a few hundred million dollars together and buy a baseball team, I'll want the general manager running my team to have a keen eye for talent. I'd want to do what the Mariners just did and hire someone like Jack Zduriencik. [...] Continue Reading »
It's Never Too Early . . .
Oct. 9, 2008
The vast majority of baseball fans may be getting geeked up over the playoffs, but at Baseball America, we always keep one eye on the draft, even if it's eight months away. A lot can change between now and June, but that can't deter us from offering our first mock 2009 draft. [...] Continue Reading »
How The West Will Be Won
Oct. 2, 2008
Los Angeles has taken four of the last five division titles and made a mockery of the West this year. It never trailed by more than two games (and that was for one day), took first place for good on May 13 and wrapped up the West on Sept. 10. But there's good news for fans who want more suspense in their division races. No teams have added more talent than the Rangers and Athletics in the last two years, and they now have the two best farm systems in baseball. The West should be a three-team battle soon. [...] Continue Reading »
Hard To Predict
Sep. 5, 2008
As with any good argument, there are two sides to the Players Association's grievance that the commissioner's office unilaterally extended the signing deadline past midnight on Aug. 15, allowing the Pirates and No. 2 overall pick Pedro Alvarez to agree on a $6 million deal. [...] Continue Reading »
Swap Meet
Aug. 12, 2008
Activity at the trading deadline usually resembles the annoying cast of "The Hills." Lots of rumors, little substance. This summer was different, however. Future first-ballot Hall of Famers Ken Griffey Jr., Manny Ramirez and Pudge Rodriguez switched teams. So did a reigning Cy Young Award winner (C.C. Sabathia), one of the most devastating switch-hitters in the game (Mark Teixeira) and a pitcher whose pure stuff matches up with anyone's (Rich Harden). [...] Continue Reading »
Big Leaguers Galore
Aug. 1, 2008
After the Beijing Games, baseball will disappear from the Summer Olympics. The International Olympic Committee has made no secret that it wants the best athletes, and MLB's unwillingness to deliver big leaguers led to a surprise 2005 vote that knocked baseball out of at least the 2012 London Games. [...] Continue Reading »
Worth The Risk
Jul. 11, 2008
The Brewers and Cubs made a pair of trades that were worth making as they battle for the NL Central crown. [...] Continue Reading »
Undervalued Bats Key Phillies Attack
Nov. 3, 2009
Even with five all-stars this year, the Phillies lineup is filled with players who weren't always highly regarded. [...] Continue Reading »
Draft Report Card For The Decade
Oct. 26, 2009
Our annual Draft Report Cards are one of the most labor-intensive projects at Baseball America, and we have more trouble making deadlines than the Pirates did when they were trying to sign Pedro Alvarez. But it's a labor of love, even if forecasting the future for draftees a few short months after they turn pro is as easy as hitting Tim Lincecum. With that in mind, let's review the DRCs from this decade and identify the best of the best. For each of our standard categories, here's the top player from among the 10 selected as the standout in that category for each year of the 2000s. [...] Continue Reading »
Clubs Assume Great Risk In International Market
Oct. 9, 2009
Jim Callis looks at the international talent market and warns that an international draft isn't an easy answer. [...] Continue Reading »
September Callups Fail To Impress This Year
Sep. 22, 2009
When I first started working at Baseball America, one of the most exciting months of the year was September, and not just because the humidity in North Carolina kindly dissipated. Teams annually would debut top prospects when rosters expanded, and in those pre-Internet days, that usually meant our first chance to see them in action. [...] Continue Reading »
Indians Should Have Held On To Stars
Aug. 3, 2009
Last summer, trading C.C. Sabathia was a no-brainer for the Indians. But they should have resisted trading Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez at this year's deadline. Jim Callis also takes a quick look at other deadline deals of note. [...] Continue Reading »
These Pitchers Can Hit
Jul. 29, 2009
Casey Kelly may have been the most notable two-way player at the Futures Game, but he's not necessarily the only player there who could pull off a switch to playing a position. [...] Continue Reading »
Just Say No
Jul. 14, 2009
In sports, the term "silly season" most often is applied to NASCAR, referring to the offseason dance of riders, sponsors and crew members looking to hook up with new teams. It also aptly describes the shenanigans surrounding baseball's draft. [...] Continue Reading »
Ability Over Signability
Jun. 26, 2009
Jim Callis picks another of his annual hypothetical drafts. [...] Continue Reading »
Rangers, Rockies Take Good Gambles On First Day
Jun. 19, 2009
Jim Callis checked in just after broadcasting the 2009 draft with his impressions of how teams did on the first day. [...] Continue Reading »
The Clear No. 2
Jun. 1, 2009
For months, this draft has shaped up as Stephen Strasburg and everyone else, with no consensus No. 2 prospect behind perhaps the best talent in the draft era. That's no longer the case. North Carolina first baseman Dustin Ackley has stepped up as the second-best prospect in this draft. [...] Continue Reading »
Still Talent To Be Found
May. 19, 2009
The prevailing vibe is that this draft is as appealing as the swine flu, that the talent pool pretty much starts and ends with San Diego State righthander Stephen Strasburg and is bereft of position players, especially on the college side. Don't believe it. [...] Continue Reading »
No Guarantee
May. 1, 2009
Patrick Schuster's four straight no-hitters brought him within two of the national high school record, and brought him a national television audience via ESPNEWS. But that doesn't necessarily guarantee him pro success, as a study of past high school pitching stars shows. [...] Continue Reading »
NFL Draft Has A Baseball Feel
Apr. 21, 2009
The NFL draft will have some interest for baseball fans with several ex-minor leaguers and MLB draftees. [...] Continue Reading »
Less Than Expected
Apr. 14, 2009
Though clubs annually dole out significant bonuses to land sophomore talents, there hasn't been a lot of success for teams drafting college sophomores. [...] Continue Reading »
Big Disagreement
Mar. 27, 2009
Stephen Strasburg entered the year as the hands-down No. 1 prospect for the 2009 draft, so there was no way for him to improve his stock. Though he can't go any higher in the draft, scouts are more bullish on him than ever. But not everyone is so bullish on Strasburg. [...] Continue Reading »
Looking Into The Crystal Ball
Mar. 11, 2009
Four years ago, the Rays were coming off a 70-91 season that represented the best performance in the franchise's dismal seven-year history. Who could have predicted that Tampa Bay would rocket into respectability in 2008? Me, that's who. [...] Continue Reading »
A Series of Mistakes
Mar. 4, 2009
Jim Callis looks back at the series of mistakes that led the Padres to drafting Matt Bush. [...] Continue Reading »
What Could Have Been
Feb. 16, 2009
If baseball were like football, requiring players to spend three years in college before turning pro, the college All-American would have a dramatically different look. [...] Continue Reading »
The 32nd Team
Feb. 3, 2009
Starting in 2003, it has been an annual tradition to present what we like to call The 31st Team, a collection of all the scouting reports that are written for but don't quite make it into the Prospect Handbook. This year, as a premium for those who bought the Handbook directly from us, we included a No. 31 prospect to accompany the Top 30 lists we put together for every team. But we still have more bonus material to offer. There are 17 extra reports that didn't make it into the Handbook or the premium, so we present the first edition of . . . The 32nd Team. [...] Continue Reading »
Clubs Build Systems In Different Ways
Jan. 21, 2009
Jim Callis analyzes the trends on how each team's top prospects were acquired. [...] Continue Reading »
The Longest Of Longshots
Dec. 31, 2008
It requires scouting to unearth a hidden gem and patience to give up a big league roster spot for a year, but teams can find talent in the major league Rule 5 draft. But as Jim Callis shows, it's also possible to find talent in the minor league Rule 5 draft, even if the hits are few and far between. [...] Continue Reading »
The Best Of The Rest
Dec. 10, 2008
Nothing we do at Baseball America sparks as much debate as our organization Top 10 Prospects lists. It's a given that fans (and sometimes the teams themselves) will get outraged by where guys rank—go look for some Nick Hagadone discussion on any Red Sox message board—or by the fact that they missed out altogether. We have the same arguments within the walls of BA, and we can get just as spirited. Even with the thinnest of farm systems, our writers usually agonize over not having enough room on the Top 10 to include everyone they want. So for the sixth straight year, we present our American League all-non-Top 10 team. [...] Continue Reading »
Don't Stop Believing
Nov. 26, 2008
Boston and New York are the two most demanding places to play baseball. Red Sox and Yankees fans expected—or demanded—that Clay Buchholz and Phil Hughes would help lead their teams to postseason glory in 2008. The teams, while more realistic and less emotional, expected Buchholz and Hughes would nail down rotation spots for playoff clubs. [...] Continue Reading »
Mariners Make Wise Pick
Nov. 14, 2008
If I ever get a few hundred million dollars together and buy a baseball team, I'll want the general manager running my team to have a keen eye for talent. I'd want to do what the Mariners just did and hire someone like Jack Zduriencik. [...] Continue Reading »
It's Never Too Early . . .
Oct. 9, 2008
The vast majority of baseball fans may be getting geeked up over the playoffs, but at Baseball America, we always keep one eye on the draft, even if it's eight months away. A lot can change between now and June, but that can't deter us from offering our first mock 2009 draft. [...] Continue Reading »
How The West Will Be Won
Oct. 2, 2008
Los Angeles has taken four of the last five division titles and made a mockery of the West this year. It never trailed by more than two games (and that was for one day), took first place for good on May 13 and wrapped up the West on Sept. 10. But there's good news for fans who want more suspense in their division races. No teams have added more talent than the Rangers and Athletics in the last two years, and they now have the two best farm systems in baseball. The West should be a three-team battle soon. [...] Continue Reading »
Hard To Predict
Sep. 5, 2008
As with any good argument, there are two sides to the Players Association's grievance that the commissioner's office unilaterally extended the signing deadline past midnight on Aug. 15, allowing the Pirates and No. 2 overall pick Pedro Alvarez to agree on a $6 million deal. [...] Continue Reading »
Swap Meet
Aug. 12, 2008
Activity at the trading deadline usually resembles the annoying cast of "The Hills." Lots of rumors, little substance. This summer was different, however. Future first-ballot Hall of Famers Ken Griffey Jr., Manny Ramirez and Pudge Rodriguez switched teams. So did a reigning Cy Young Award winner (C.C. Sabathia), one of the most devastating switch-hitters in the game (Mark Teixeira) and a pitcher whose pure stuff matches up with anyone's (Rich Harden). [...] Continue Reading »
Big Leaguers Galore
Aug. 1, 2008
After the Beijing Games, baseball will disappear from the Summer Olympics. The International Olympic Committee has made no secret that it wants the best athletes, and MLB's unwillingness to deliver big leaguers led to a surprise 2005 vote that knocked baseball out of at least the 2012 London Games. [...] Continue Reading »
Worth The Risk
Jul. 11, 2008
The Brewers and Cubs made a pair of trades that were worth making as they battle for the NL Central crown. [...] Continue Reading »
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