By Bill Ballew
November 12, 2008

Baseball America's Top 10 Prospects lists are based on projections of a player's long-term worth after discussions with scouting and player-development personnel. All players who haven't exceeded the major league rookie standards of 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched (without regard to service time) are eligible. Ages are as of April 1, 2009.

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TOP TEN PROSPECTS

1. David Price, lhp 2. Tim Beckham, ss 3. Wade Davis, rhp 4. Reid Brignac, ss 5. Desmond Jennings, of 6. Matt Moore, lhp 7. Nick Barnese, rhp 8. Jeremy Hellickson 9. Jake McGee, lhp 10. Jeff Niemann, rhp

BEST TOOLS

Best Hitter for Average Tim Beckham Best Power Hitter Ryan Royster Best Strike-Zone Discipline John Jaso Fastest Baserunner Fernando Perez Best Athlete Desmond Jennings Best Fastball David Price Best Curveball Wade Davis Best Slider David Price Best Changeup Mitch Talbot Best Control Jeremy Hellickson Best Defensive Catcher Christian Lopez Best Defensive Infielder Reid Brignac Best Infield Arm Jairo de la Rosa Best Defensive Outfielder Fernando Perez Best Outfield Arm Justin Ruggiano

PROJECTED 2012 LINEUP

Catcher Dioner Navarro First Base Carlos Pena Second Base Akinori Iwamura Third Base Evan Longoria Shortstop Tim Beckham Left Field Carl Crawford Center Field Desmond Jennings Right Field B.J. Upton Designated Hitter John Jaso No. 1 Starter David Price No. 2 Starter Scott Kazmir No. 3 Starter Matt Garza No. 4 Starter James Shields No. 5 Starter Wade Davis Closer Jake McGee

TOP PROSPECTS OF THE DECADE

Year Player, Position 2008 1999 Matt White, rhp Out of baseball 2000 Josh Hamilton, rhp Rangers 2001 Josh Hamilton, rhp Rangers 2002 Josh Hamilton, rhp Rangers 2003 Rocco Baldelli, of Rays 2004 B.J. Upton, ss Rays 2005 Delmon Young, of Twins 2006 Delmon Young, of Twins 2007 Delmon Young, of Twins 2008 Evan Longoria, 3b Rays

TOP DRAFT PICKS OF THE DECADE

Year Player, Position 2008 1999 Josh Hamilton, of Rangers 2000 Rocco Baldelli, of Rays 2001 Dewon Brazelton, rhp Out of baseball 2002 B.J. Upton, ss Rays 2003 Delmon Young, of Twins 2004 Jeff Niemann, rhp Rays 2005 Wade Townsend, rhp Rays 2006 Evan Longoria, 3b Rays 2007 David Price, lhp Rays 2008 Tim Beckham, ss Rays

LARGEST BONUSES IN CLUB HISTORY

Matt White, 1996 $10,200,000 Rolando Arrojo, 1997 $7,000,000 Tim Beckham, 2008 $6,150,000 David Price, 2007 $5,600,000 B.J. Upton, 2002 $4,600,000

RAYS LINKS

Rays' Team Page Rays Top 10 Scouting Reports  Last Year's Rays Top 10 Prospects 2008 Draft: Rays (Basic Database) 2008 Draft: Rays  (Advanced Database) 2008 Draft Report Cards: Tampa Bay Rays  Complete Index of Top 10 Prospects Pre-Order the 2009 Prospect Handbook

Next up: Pigs fly and hell freezes over. The list of life's impossibilities decreased by one when the Rays went from last place in the American League East to the World Series. They joined the 1991 Braves as the only teams in major league history to reach the playoffs one season after having baseball's worst record.

Sporting the majors' second-lowest Opening Day payroll ($43.8 million) and its third-youngest roster, Tampa Bay entered the campaign never having won more than 70 games in a season and finishing out of last place just once in 10 seasons.

Fittingly, their sudden jump to 97 wins and the AL pennant was accomplished through player development.

After some missteps in the early days of the franchise, the Rays have built primarily from within. Their World Series roster featured nine one-time first-round picks, including B.J. Upton and leading AL rookie-of-the-year candidate Evan Longoria, who went in the top three picks, and Matt Garza and Scott Kazmir, acquired in trades for veterans.

The grow-your-own approach isn't expected to end any time soon, though the Rays will slip a little in our farm-system ratings after ranking No. 1 the last two seasons. Postseason hero David Price, the No. 1 overall pick in 2007, will carve out a significant role for himself in 2009, and he headlines the pitching that overflows throughout the system. The position players don't run as deep, with shortstop Reid Brignac topping a thin group at the upper levels. Tampa Bay addressed that by spending six of its first 2008 draft picks on hitters, including shortstop Tim Beckham with the No. 1 overall choice.

In fact, despite the Rays' long-held philosophy of building through the farm system, they never have been more oriented toward developing young players. In each of the past two drafts, for example, Tampa Bay has selected several of the youngest players eligible, such as righthanders Brad Furdal and Jason McEachern (neither of whom turned 18 until mid-October) in the 2008 draft.

Likewise, several of the college players the Rays draft last June, such as catcher Jake Jefferies and first baseman Mike Sheridan, were 20 during their pro debuts. The organization also is more driven than ever in developing international players after building facilities in the Dominican Republic and Venezuela in the past two years.

It's obvious that the entire organization, from top to bottom, has more planning and vision than at any time in its first dozen years. President Matt Silverman and GM Andrew Friedman have displayed a Midas touch with nearly every move they have made, ranging from dropping "Devil" from the team nickname to displaying the proper amount of patience for rising prospects to making the correct decisions in terms of adding major league talent.

Gone are the days when physical ability trumped everything, with strong mental makeup now the most desired trait for any Ray, on the field or off.

There's no reason why the Rays shouldn't remain contenders for the foreseeable future. This team was built for the long haul with a plethora of talented young players and pitchers, and their sudden surge in 2008 was no fluke.

Scouting reports for the Top 10 Prospects  (How to subscribe)

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