Pacific Coast League Top 20 Prospects List
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Brewers third baseman Ryan
Braun demolished National League pitching in an impressive campaign.
Things weren't much different in the Pacific Coast League, where he
paced the league with a .701 slugging percentage at the time of his
promotion to Milwaukee at the end of May.
Because of his early promotion, though, Braun fell 10 plate appearances short of qualifying for this list, while Giants righthander Tim Lincecum also missed the cut. Even those defections could not dent the overall talent level of the league. Five players on the top 20 list--Adam Jones, Andy LaRoche, Felix Pie, James Loney and Edinson Volquez--made it for the second straight season, though their inclusion made it difficult for a trio of power-hitting outfielders to make the cut.
Fresno's Nate Schierholtz broke his habit of trying to pull everything, though he remained aggressive at the plate, and established himself as a contender for a right-field job in San Francisco. Albuquerque's Brett Carroll found his power stroke with an assist from Isotopes Park, where he slugged .692, and took another step toward regular big league play. And after missing the 2006 season with a left knee injury, Memphis' Rick Ankiel, 28, slugged 32 home runs in one of the league's best stories, though the story took a turn with reports that he used human growth hormone in 2004.
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(Click
here to subscribe)| TOP 20 PROSPECTS |
| 1. Yovani Gallardo, rhp, Nashville Sounds (Brewers) |
| 2. Adam Jones, of, Tacoma Rainiers (Mariners) |
| 3. Billy Butler, of/1b, Omaha Royals |
| 4. Andy LaRoche, 3b, Las Vegas 51s (Dodgers) |
| 5. Ian Stewart, 3b, Colorado Springs Sky Sox (Rockies) |
| 6. Felix Pie, of, Iowa Cubs |
| 7. Carlos Gomez, of, New Orleans Zephyrs (Mets) |
| 8. James Loney, 1b/of, Las Vegas 51s (Dodgers) |
| 9. Brandon Wood, 3b/ss, Salt Lake Bees (Angels) |
| 10. Luke Hochevar, rhp, Omaha Royals |
| 11. Jeff Clement, c, Tacoma Rainiers (Mariners |
| 12. Mike Pelfrey, rhp, New Orleans Zephyrs (Mets) |
| 13. Edinson Volquez, rhp, Oklahoma RedHawks (Rangers) |
| 14. Wladimir Balentien, of, Tacoma Rainiers (Mariners) |
| 15. Troy Patton, lhp, Round Rock Express (Astros) |
| 16. Eric Hurley, rhp, Oklahoma RedHawks (Rangers) |
| 17. Billy Buckner, rhp, Omaha Royals |
| 18. Chin-Lung Hu, ss, Las Vegas 51s (Dodgers) |
| 19. Daric Barton, 1b, Sacramento River Cats (Athletics) |
| 20. Geovany Soto, c/1b, Iowa Cubs |
Because of his early promotion, though, Braun fell 10 plate appearances short of qualifying for this list, while Giants righthander Tim Lincecum also missed the cut. Even those defections could not dent the overall talent level of the league. Five players on the top 20 list--Adam Jones, Andy LaRoche, Felix Pie, James Loney and Edinson Volquez--made it for the second straight season, though their inclusion made it difficult for a trio of power-hitting outfielders to make the cut.
Fresno's Nate Schierholtz broke his habit of trying to pull everything, though he remained aggressive at the plate, and established himself as a contender for a right-field job in San Francisco. Albuquerque's Brett Carroll found his power stroke with an assist from Isotopes Park, where he slugged .692, and took another step toward regular big league play. And after missing the 2006 season with a left knee injury, Memphis' Rick Ankiel, 28, slugged 32 home runs in one of the league's best stories, though the story took a turn with reports that he used human growth hormone in 2004.
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