Prospects: Prospect Pulse

Three Years In, Rangers New Pitching Approach Gets Results
Feb. 1, 2012
The changes to the Rangers' pitching program beginning back in 2009 appear to have helped Texas finally find success on the mound. [...] Continue Reading »

Introducing BA Grades
Jan. 26, 2012
Here's the story from the Baseball America Prospect Handbook explaining our new BA Grades and Risk Factors that are assigned to all 900 prospects in the handbook. [...] Continue Reading »

Reds Have Surpluses At Several Positions
Dec. 13, 2011
If you're a Reds' hitting prospect, bright futures currently come with a built-in delay. [...] Continue Reading »

Rule 5 Preview, Part II
Dec. 2, 2011
Part II of our Rule 5 Preview focuses on players better suited as 2012 role players rather than future lottery tickets. [...] Continue Reading »

Rule 5 Preview, Part I
Nov. 28, 2011
Taking our first look at the crop of eligible players for the Rule 5 draft. [...] Continue Reading »

Braves Examining Options For Shortstop In 2012
Oct. 28, 2011
History has a way of repeating itself in baseball. And if the past proves once again to be a harbinger of things to come, the Braves will field a homegrown shortstop for the foreseeable future. [...] Continue Reading »

Just-Missed Prospects Offer Hidden Potential
Oct. 12, 2011
In 14- and 16-team leagues, our prospect lists easily could extend beyond 20 places. Such depth has the effect of leaving a handful of interesting prospects on the cutting-room floor. In smaller leagues, non-traditional prospects sometimes get omitted, their stories never told. Here the various Top 20 Prospects authors shed light on one player who just missed the cut in his league. [...] Continue Reading »

Playoff Rosters: Measuring Which Teams Built From Within
Sep. 30, 2011
Ben Badler studies which playoff teams have gotten the most production from homegrown players this season. [...] Continue Reading »

Ranking The Top September Callups
Sep. 15, 2011
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After Ditching Pitching, Jiwan James Shows Five-Tool Talent
Aug. 10, 2011
Developing a five-tool prospect is always difficult. Even moreso when that wasn't even what the organization was originally looking for. [...] Continue Reading »

In Appy League, Five-Tool Players Are All About Projection
Aug. 10, 2011
Great five-tool players aren't born that way. And great five-tool players aren't just the products of hard work. To be a true five-tool player, you have to be lucky enough to have been blessed with exceptional athletic ability. Then you have to marry that ability with the hard work and discipline needed to allow those tools to develop into skills. All of that takes lots of at-bats and physical maturity to bring together. And when you take a trip to the Rookie-level Appalachian League, you can watch the next generation of five-tool talents in their incubators. [...] Continue Reading »

Midseason Prospect Reports: Stock Up/Stock Down Report
Jul. 7, 2011
In addition to our Midseason Top 50 Prospects list, we take a look at some non-Top 50 prospects who either climbed close to the list, fell off the list or are just in need of a little more resume. [...] Continue Reading »

Midseason Top 50 Prospects
Jul. 7, 2011
Here is our Midseason Top 50 Prospects list. By our rules, no players in the majors as of July 6th, no players who have exhausted their rookie status, and no player currently in the minors on a major league rehab assignment (like Brandon Belt) qualify for the list. Also, 2011 draftees are not yet eligible. So seven of our preseason Top 10 and 11 of the Top 20 prospects are no longer eligible for the list. [...] Continue Reading »

Signing College Pitchers To MLB Deals Yields Mixed Results
Jun. 14, 2011
The 2001 draft brought baseball a significant amount of talent, but it also signaled a sea change in the industry. Less wary of hard-line agents and their demands, teams again began drafting the top players, regardless of bonus demands. College pitchers have benefited the most. Now, the upper echelon of each draft class often secure big league deals, a practice that traces its roots to two pitchers from the class of 2001. [...] Continue Reading »

Developing All-Around Catchers Remains Elusive Goal
Apr. 19, 2011
Developing catchers who can hit and handle the position remains a primary goal for most clubs because there aren't enough Joe Mauers to go around. [...] Continue Reading »

Varitek Q & A: Veteran Continues To Refine His Craft
Apr. 19, 2011
In many ways, Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek epitomizes what major league teams look for in a catcher. In an interview with John Manuel, the 39-year-old backstop talks about what his role as captain and his position mean to him. [...] Continue Reading »

2011 Preseason Position-By-Position Rankings
Apr. 7, 2011
Our preseason 2011 position-by-position rankings take a look at how players rank all across the diamond. [...] Continue Reading »

Players Seek Edge With Winter Workouts
Feb. 10, 2011
Among minor leaguers who aren't premium prospects or aren't playing winter ball, some players seek an edge in the private sector to coordinate their offseason workouts. [...] Continue Reading »

International Signings Carrying Mets Farm System
Dec. 23, 2010
Ben Badler studies the results of the Mets' international signings since 2005. [...] Continue Reading »

Tigers Like To Hurry Up
Dec. 23, 2010
When it comes to pitching prospects, the Tigers don't mind a speedy climb through the system. [...] Continue Reading »

Rule 5 Loses What Luster It Had
Nov. 30, 2010
Matt Eddy details how the Rule 5 draft has produced stars such as Josh Hamilton, Jose Bautista, Dan Uggla and Joakim Soria, but more often than not proves to be much ado about not much. [...] Continue Reading »

Pitchers' Improvement Gives Yankees Newfound Depth
Nov. 10, 2010
The Yankees got several pitchers back from injuries, which led to improved depth on the mound. [...] Continue Reading »

Toronto's New Focus Shows Promise
Nov. 5, 2010
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Shelby Miller May Be On The Fast Track
Oct. 26, 2010
A strong finish to his 2010 season has the Cardinals at least considering the possibility to getting Shelby Miller to Double-A relatively quickly in 2011. [...] Continue Reading »

One Step Short Of The Goal
Oct. 26, 2010
Mariners' righthander Michael Pineda's outstanding 2010 season ended up just short of his goal. [...] Continue Reading »

Rangers Ask More Of Their Pitches
Sep. 17, 2010
One of Nolan Ryan's earliest priorities also was improving the organization's pitching from the inside-out. In BA's 2009 Minor League Preview, Ryan made clear that the Rangers would be changing their direction, asking more out of their minor league arms, in order to get more from their minor league arms. [...] Continue Reading »

Robinson Hopes To Return Home
Sep. 6, 2010
In Little League, Chattanooga center fielder and Los Angeles native Trayvon Robinson would go to Family Fun Day at Dodger Stadium and dream about one day playing in a similar stadium. [...] Continue Reading »

Eight Teams Fetch Top Talent In Deadline Deals
Aug. 6, 2010
This July, we saw organizations part with eight players who ranked among their Top 10 Prospects heading into the year. It's a list that includes such projected regulars as Justin Smoak, Wilson Ramos and Dan Hudson. Find out which selling clubs acquired the most talent in deadline deals. [...] Continue Reading »

Midseason Stock Report
Jul. 9, 2010
As a companion piece to our Midseason Prospect Update, we go deeper with quickie scouting reports on players who have improved their stock this season and who could be Top 100 Prospects next spring, when our annual list is presented. Our Stock Down list checks in with those who have not fulfilled expectations, even if those expectations were somewhat unreasonable. We also check in on organizations having strong years, an important consideration with the trade deadline looming. [...] Continue Reading »

Making The Cut?
May. 11, 2010
The cut fastball is baseball's hot pitch, but is it a fad or a fixture? [...] Continue Reading »