Top 100 Prospects: 1-20

From Matt Wieters to Gordon Beckham

Staff Report
February 24, 2009

See Nos. 21-40 >>

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See also: Major league executives debate Price vs. Wieters
See also: John Manuel and Jim Callis chat
See also: Top 100 Prospects, Inside The Numbers
See also: Prospect Q&A: David Price
See also: Prospect Q&A: Matt Wieters
See also: Top 100 Podcast

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This is Baseball America's 20th annual Top 100 Prospects list, our definitive annual list of the absolute best young talent in the game and the culmination of months of prospect rankings that preceded it.

This year we had six people who contributed to the voting that determines the list: editors in chief Will Lingo and John Manuel and executive editor Jim Callis, who have helped shape these lists for years; as well as Ben Badler, Kary Booher and Matt Eddy, who contribute significantly to our prospect coverage both in print and on the Web. Each person voted on a personal top 150 list, and after those results were tabulated, the six voters got together to go over the raw numbers and make adjustments before settling on a final list.

The list follows our standard prospect guidelines, which means any player who has not exceeded the rookie limits of 130 at-bats or 50 innings in the major leagues (without regard to service time) is eligible for the list. Voters put together their ballots after talking with general managers, scouting directors, farm directors, scouts, managers, coaches and other people in the game, as well as many discussions with each other.

As always, our view is not to what a player may contribute this season, but what his ultimate major league ceiling might be, weighed against the probability that he will reach that ceiling. The capsules focus on numbers that make each prospect significant.

01 MATT WIETERS C,ORIOLES 1.054: His on-base plus slugging percentage in 2008 between two minor league levels. Opening Day Age: 22 ETA: 2009		11 TREVOR CAHILL RHP, ATHLETICS 2.25: ERA for Team USA in two Olympic starts last season en route to a bronze medal Opening Day Age: 21 ETA: 2009
02 DAVID PRICE LHP, RAYS 109: Strikeouts, in 110 minor league innings, between three levels last season. Opening Day Age: 23 ETA: 2009		12 PEDRO ALVAREZ 3B, PIRATES 9/24: Date he signed with the Pirates—more than a month after the Aug. 15 deadline—after the union's grievance on his behalf. Opening Day Age: 22 ETA: 2009
03 COLBY RASMUS OF, CARDINALS 2005: Year he led Russell County High to Alabama and national championships, when he also was a first-round pick. Opening Day Age: 22 ETA: 2009		13 MIKE MOUSTAKAS 3B, ROYALS 1992: The last time a teenager led the Midwest League in homers, before he did it with 22 in 2008. Opening Day Age: 20 ETA: 2010
04 TOMMY HANSON RHP, BRAVES 49: Strikeouts in just 29 innings in the Arizona Fall League, when he became the first pitcher to win the league MVP award. Opening Day Age: 22 ETA: 2009		14 BUSTER POSEY C, GIANTS .879: Division I-best slugging percentage for Florida State last spring, when he won BA's College Player of the Year award. Opening Day Age: 22 ETA: 2010
05 JASON HEYWARD OF, BRAVES 14: Overall pick in the 2007 draft where the Braves nabbed Heyward, who wasn't expected to fall that far. Opening Day Age: 19 ETA: 2010		15 DEXTER FOWLER OF, ROCKIES 14: Round in which he was drafted; he signed for $925,000, turning down a Miami scholarship. Opening Day Age: 23 ETA: 2009
06 TRAVIS SNIDER OF, BLUE JAYS 50: Minor league homers in 305 career games. Opening Day Age: 21 ETA: 2009		16 MIKE STANTON OF, MARLINS .988: OPS away from Greensboro's cozy NewBridge Bank Park; it was .996 at home. Opening Day Age: 19 ETA: 2010
07 BRETT ANDERSON LHP, ATHLETICS 10.11: Strikeouts per nine innings he compiled in 2008 between two levels. Opening Day Age: 21 ETA: 2009		17 LARS ANDERSON 1B, RED SOX .404: Career OBP in 252 career minor league games. Opening Day Age: 22 ETA: 2009
08 CAMERON MAYBIN OF, MARLINS 8/18/07: Date when he hit his first big league homer—off Roger Clemens. Opening Day Age: 22 ETA: 2009		18 LOGAN MORRISON 1B, MARLINS 29: RBIs in 25 games he played in the AFL while hitting .404. Opening Day Age: 21 ETA: 2010
09 MADISON BUMGARNER LHP, GIANTS 1.46: His minor league-best ERA last season at low Class A Augusta. Opening Day Age: 19 ETA: 2010		19 ALCIDES ESCOBAR SS, BREWERS 5.44: His range factor last season—best among shortstops in BA's Prospect Handbook, and another way to say he's an elite defender. Opening Day Age: 22 ETA: 2009
10 NEFTALI FELIZ RHP, RANGERS 3: Home runs allowed last season in 127 innings. Opening Day Age: 20 ETA: 2009		20 GORDON BECKHAM SS, WHITE SOX 28: Home runs he hit for Georgia last season, tied for the NCAA Division I lead. Opening Day Age: 22 ETA: 2009

See Nos. 21-40 >>