http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/ The Home For Baseball Insiders Fri, 25 May 2012 18:10:23 EST en-us http://www.baseballamerica.com/images/baonlinelogo4.gif http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/ 96 9 1 http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/rankings/organization-top-10-prospects/2011/2612699.html Content: The two-year reign of Jed Hoyer as Padres general manager ended abruptly in November when he left to take the same position with the Cubs, taking vice president of scouting and player development Jason McLeod with him. Hoyer and McLeod reunited with Chicago's new president of baseball operations Theo Epstein, for whom they served as top lieutenants with the Red Sox. Josh Byrnes, yet another former Epstein disciple, replaced Hoyer in San Diego. He joined the Padres following the 2010 season after being fired as Diamondbacks GM that July. Byrnes has an extensive professional history with San Diego CEO Jeff Moorad, who bought the club early in 2009, and so do other key members of the reconstituted front office. When he was team president of the Diamondbacks, Moorad hired Byrnes for his first GM gig in October 2005. Newly minted Padres assistant GMs A.J. Hinch and Chad MacDonald also worked with Moorad and Byrnes in Arizona. MacDonald left his post as Mets scouting director in November to join San Diego. A restocked farm system may be Hoyer's lasting legacy with the Padres. San Diego built depth quickly through a pair of trades that returned prospects for veterans Adrian Gonzalez and . . . Mon, 12 Dec 2011 09:47:17 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/rankings/organization-top-10-prospects/2011/2612699.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612458.html Content: Ben (Leland Grove): Thoughts on Drabek's struggles in Vegas? Late cut from the list? What does he project as? Nathan Rode: Let's get this show started shall we? I'll get to as many questions as I can, but also let you go soon enough to catch Game 2 of the ALCS. As for Drabek, he was on an early version of this list and was a very tough player to place. On pure stuff and upside, he makes the list. But it was just a bad, bad year for him. He didn't command his fastball, which allows hitters to lay off the breaking stuff. Not to mention, Las Vegas is a brutal place to pitch. With that being said, people I talked to still liked him and felt he would figure things out. But they're not sold he's a starter for sure. If he isn't, there is upside in the back of the bullpen for him. Frank (Chicago): Did Neil Ramirez qualify? Did he look to be over his head in the PCL? Nathan Rode: I've been a Ramirez fan for a while now, but that might be a biased feeling because he hails from Virginia. He ended up in . . . Mon, 10 Oct 2011 17:14:18 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612458.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612454.html Content: The Triple-A Pacific Coast League favors batters, and the circuit's talent leaned heavily in the direction of offense in 2011. The first six players on our Top 20 Prospects list were hitters, led by Las Vegas third baseman Brett Lawrie and Tacoma second baseman Dustin Ackley, who made their presence felt in the majors before the year was done. Just four pitchers made the list, starting with Omaha lefthander Mike Montgomery—and even he got beat up to the tune of a 5-11, 5.32 record. Montgomery was one of three PCL pitchers who ranked in the upper third of our preseason Top 100 Prospects list, and the other two got pounded worse. Round Rock lefty Martin Perez went 4-4, 6.43 and Las Vegas rigthy Kyle Drabek went 5-4, 7.44. The Royals' farm system was heavily acclaimed as baseball's best at the start of 2011, and its depth resulted in a championship for Omaha. Interestingly, Montgomery was the only blue-chip prospect still with the Storm Chasers for the playoffs. First baseman Eric Hosmer would have taken the top spot on this list from Lawrie had he stayed longer, but he went to Kansas City in early May and later was joined by . . . Mon, 10 Oct 2011 09:55:13 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612454.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612455.html Content: See also: Pacific Coast League Top 20 Prospects With Scouting Reports See also: Pacific Coast League Top 20 Prospects Chat The Triple-A Pacific Coast League favors batters, and the circuit's talent leaned heavily in the direction of offense in 2011. The first six players on our Top 20 Prospects list were hitters, led by Las Vegas third baseman Brett Lawrie and Tacoma second baseman Dustin Ackley, who made their presence felt in the majors before the year was done. Just four pitchers made the list, starting with Omaha lefthander Mike Montgomery—and even he got beat up to the tune of a 5-11, 5.32 record. Montgomery was one of three PCL pitchers who ranked in the upper third of our preseason Top 100 Prospects list, and the other two got pounded worse. Round Rock lefty Martin Perez went 4-4, 6.43 and Las Vegas rigthy Kyle Drabek went 5-4, 7.44.The Royals' farm system was heavily acclaimed as baseball's best at the start of 2011, and its depth resulted in a championship for Omaha. Interestingly, Montgomery was the only blue-chip prospect still with the Storm Chasers for the playoffs. First baseman Eric Hosmer would have taken the top spot on this list from . . . Mon, 10 Oct 2011 09:12:09 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612455.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612453.html Content: Moderator: James Bailey will answer your International League questions beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET. James Bailey: It's chat time. Looks like we've got a lot of great questions today, so let's get rolling ... @Jaypers413 (IL): Could you tell us how close Betances and Banuelos came to cracking your list, and what was said about their stints in the IL this year? Thanks. James Bailey: A couple of managers threw their names at me, but because we had a minimum of 1/3 IP per # games played for each team (roughly 48 IP), neither qualified for our IL list. Should they return next season and stick around long enough to qualify, I'm sure Betances and Banuelos will garner some attention from league managers. Brad (Boston): Did Jose Iglesias regress this year in your eyes? What does he need to work on most? James Bailey: Iglesias was Boston's #1 prospect last spring kind of by default after the Red Sox traded so much talent away in the Adrian Gonzalez deal. At 21, he was young for the IL, and it's clear he wasn't really ready to be there yet offensively. His defense is phenomenal and he could play a big league . . . Fri, 07 Oct 2011 19:41:58 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612453.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612452.html Content: See also: International League Top 20 Prospects With Scouting Reports See also: International League Top 20 Prospects Chat Even without Stephen Strasburg, it was another great year for prospect dreaming in the Triple-A International League. Twenty-six members of Baseball America's preseason Top 100 Prospects list competed with IL clubs at some point during the season, including three of the top five in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre catcher Jesus Montero, Lehigh Valley outfielder Domonic Brown and Gwinnett righthander Julio Teheran. The league's youngest regular, Teheran shredded hitters en route to winning the league's most valuable pitcher award. The IL pitching discussion began and ended with him—until the Rays promoted lefthander Matt Moore to Durham in July. Moore was even more untouchable than Teheran and beat him out for the No. 1 spot on this list. While Brown struggled a bit, Louisville's Devin Mesoraco was the best position prospect in the league and one of three slugging catchers to make this Top 20. Scranton's Montero and Pawtucket's Ryan Lavarnway can't match Mesoraco's defense, but managers found plenty to like in all three bats. All three hit their first big league homers in September. Columbus compiled the IL's best regular-season record (88-56) and went 6-1 in . . . Fri, 07 Oct 2011 11:27:43 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612452.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612451.html Content: Even without Stephen Strasburg, it was another great year for prospect dreaming in the Triple-A International League. Twenty-six members of Baseball America's preseason Top 100 Prospects list competed with IL clubs at some point during the season, including three of the top five in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre catcher Jesus Montero, Lehigh Valley outfielder Domonic Brown and Gwinnett righthander Julio Teheran. The league's youngest regular, Teheran shredded hitters en route to winning the league's most valuable pitcher award. The IL pitching discussion began and ended with him—until the Rays promoted lefthander Matt Moore to Durham in July. Moore was even more untouchable than Teheran and beat him out for the No. 1 spot on this list. While Brown struggled a bit, Louisville's Devin Mesoraco was the best position prospect in the league and one of three slugging catchers to make this Top 20. Scranton's Montero and Pawtucket's Ryan Lavarnway can't match Mesoraco's defense, but managers found plenty to like in all three bats. All three hit their first big league homers in September. Columbus compiled the IL's best regular-season record (88-56) and went 6-1 in the playoffs to win its second straight championship. The Clippers had a prospect-laden infield with Jason Kipnis, Lonnie . . . Fri, 07 Oct 2011 11:12:36 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612451.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612450.html Content: Moderator: Will Lingo will answer your questions beginning at 2 p.m. ET. Will Lingo: All right, everyone. We're in the midst of great playoff action and nearing the end of our minor league prospect run, but of course prospect season is just getting under way. Today's it's the Texas League, so I thought it appropriate to listen to Stevie Ray Vaughan during our time together. I was lucky enough to see him live on New Year's Eve in Atlanta many, many years ago, so I've got that going for me, which is nice. But you don't care about that. You want to know why I didn't rank your favorite prospect. So let's get to the business at hand. Ben (Leland Grove): Was Juan Nicasio a 21-25 prospect? Thoughts on his pitches? Will Lingo: Nicasio I think we almost have to hold in abeyance because of the ugly injury he sustained after moving up to the big leagues. We had an organization report in the issue with all the minor league prospect lists that said his rehab was going well, but it also had a quote from Jim Tracy, who was asked when Nicasio might pitch again: "That's a complete unknown . . . Thu, 06 Oct 2011 16:07:08 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612450.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612449.html Content: See also: Texas League Top 20 Prospects With Scouting Reports See also: Texas League Top 20 Prospects Chat San Antonio dominated the Double-A Texas League from start to finish in 2011, posting 94 regular-season wins and going 6-1 in the playoffs to take the league title. The Missions also had a wealth of talent, with standouts like righthander Casey Kelly and third baseman James Darnell to start the season. After they were promoted, Jedd Gyorko replaced Darnell at third base and pitchers Robbie Erlin and Joe Wieland moved from Frisco to San Antonio when the Rangers traded for Padres reliever Mike Adams. Still, the player who commanded the most attention was Arkansas outfielder Mike Trout, Baseball America's Minor League Player of the Year. He was the catalyst in the Travelers' playoff drive, though he was in the big leagues by the time the postseason rolled around. Another dynamic player, Frisco outfielder Leonys Martin, would have ranked near the top of this list if he hadn't passed through the TL too quickly to qualify. Righthanders Jarred Cosart and Paul Clemens, two more trade acquisitions who joined Corpus Christi after the parent Astros dealt away Hunter Pence and Michael Bourn, also made . . . Thu, 06 Oct 2011 09:31:11 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612449.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612448.html Content: San Antonio dominated the Double-A Texas League from start to finish in 2011, posting 94 regular-season wins and going 6-1 in the playoffs to take the league title. The Missions also had a wealth of talent, with standouts like righthander Casey Kelly and third baseman James Darnell to start the season. After they were promoted, Jedd Gyorko replaced Darnell at third base and pitchers Robbie Erlin and Joe Wieland moved from Frisco to San Antonio when the Rangers traded for Padres reliever Mike Adams. Still, the player who commanded the most attention was Arkansas outfielder Mike Trout, Baseball America's Minor League Player of the Year. He was the catalyst in the Travelers' playoff drive, though he was in the big leagues by the time the postseason rolled around. Another dynamic player, Frisco outfielder Leonys Martin, would have ranked near the top of this list if he hadn't passed through the TL too quickly to qualify. Righthanders Jarred Cosart and Paul Clemens, two more trade acquisitions who joined Corpus Christi after the parent Astros dealt away Hunter Pence and Michael Bourn, also made a strong impression but didn't pitch enough innings to make the Top 20. . . . Thu, 06 Oct 2011 09:11:56 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612448.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612447.html Content: Ben Badler: I'm here, and I'm just as confused as you as to why anyone would intentionally walk the bases loaded to face Paul Goldschmidt. Let's chat, shall we? Roger (Greenville, SC): Where would Parker slot into a rotation? A probable #2 SP? Ben Badler: I could see a No. 2, but I think there's still ace upside once he's further removed from Tommy John surgery. He has the potential for three legitimate 60 or better pitches on the 20-80 scale, and if he can command them against major league hitters, that's rare to find. Neil (Cincinatti): Who do you see being the Reds' catcher of the future: Grandal or Mesoraco? Ben Badler: Mesoraco is just better all-around and is big league ready. I like both of them, but Grandal makes more sense as a trade chip. bob (Colorado): Ben why no Scott van Slyke who after Goldschmitt was best hitter in southern league..?? How do you project him? is he a AAAA player or MLB player? Ben Badler: Goldschmidt got universal praise from scouts and managers around the league, probably more than anyone other than Matt Moore. Van Slyke, he surprised a lot of people. He shortened his swing . . . Wed, 05 Oct 2011 15:58:00 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612447.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612443.html Content: Pitching prospects stood out in the Double-A Southern League this year, none more than Montgomery lefthander Matt Moore. He started to establish himself as the top pitching prospect in the minors while with the Biscuits, solidified the notion with even more dominating numbers in Triple-A and put an exclamation point on it by striking out 11 Yankees in five shutout innings in his first big league start. Mobile had the most prospect-laden rotation in the league by the end of the season with Tyler Skaggs, Jarrod Parker, Patrick Corbin and No. 3 overall pick Trevor Bauer. Despite the promotion of league MVP Paul Goldschmidt to Arizona, the BayBears won the playoffs thanks to their pitching staff and a well-rounded lineup. Pitchers grabbed 13 of the spots on this Top 20, and that number would have been higher had Bauer, Chattanooga's Rubby de la Rosa, Jackson's James Paxton and Birmingham's Addison Reed logged enough work to qualify. . . . Wed, 05 Oct 2011 10:34:47 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612443.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612445.html Content: See also: Southern League Top 20 Prospects With Scouting Reports See also: Southern League Top 20 Prospects Chat Pitching prospects stood out in the Double-A Southern League this year, none more than Montgomery lefthander Matt Moore. He started to establish himself as the top pitching prospect in the minors while with the Biscuits, solidified the notion with even more dominating numbers in Triple-A and put an exclamation point on it by striking out 11 Yankees in five shutout innings in his first big league start. Mobile had the most prospect-laden rotation in the league by the end of the season with Tyler Skaggs, Jarrod Parker, Patrick Corbin and No. 3 overall pick Trevor Bauer. Despite the promotion of league MVP Paul Goldschmidt to Arizona, the BayBears won the playoffs thanks to their pitching staff and a well-rounded lineup. Pitchers grabbed 13 of the spots on this Top 20, and that number would have been higher had Bauer, Chattanooga's Rubby de la Rosa, Jackson's James Paxton and Birmingham's Addison Reed logged enough work to qualify. . . . Wed, 05 Oct 2011 10:17:22 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612445.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612444.html Content: John Manuel: Ready to take your Q's now on the EL, thanks to the Backyard BBQ Pit. Getting hungry again just typing that. On to the succulent Eastern League ... or something. Commish (NY): Gose potential - greater than, equal to, or less than Carl Crawford and what are the chances he reaches that potential. ETA? John Manuel: I don't think it's instructive to use Crawford as a comp right now for anybody. Nevertheless, you asked, so let's talk about what Gose does. He's a good defender in CF; Crawford never was. His arm is a weapon; never true of Crawford. Gose's bat has a long way to go; I saw Crawford in Triple-A and don't recall thinking his approach was as raw as Gose's is. I think Gose will need a full Triple-A year, but he'll be an asset on defense as soon as he gets to Toronto, so he might get there sooner. There's a pretty defined trio of top prospects in Bryce Harper, Mike Trout and Matt Moore. Outside of those guys, I might pick Gose as the most exciting player in the minors. He's not Jurickson Profar good as a prospect but he's thrilling to watch. . . . Tue, 04 Oct 2011 17:03:35 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612444.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612441.html Content: See also: Eastern League Top 20 Prospects With Scouting Reports See also: Eastern League Top 20 Prospects Chat A year after reaping the benefits of Stephen Strasburgmania, Harrisburg once again had the Double-A Eastern League's star attraction. Bryce Harper may have generated even more hype when he jumped two levels from low Clas A in early July. His outstanding power and overall package of tools allowed him to follow in Strasburg's footsteps and rank atop our EL Top 20 Prospects list. While the Senators had Harper and the league's best regular-season record, New Hampshire had the EL's top cache of prospects and wound up winning the playoff championship. Catcher Travis d'Arnaud and center fielder Anthony Gose anchored the lineup all season long as the Fisher Cats edged Richmond for their first title since 2004. When righthanders Henderson Alvarez and Joel Carreno got promoted to Toronto, New Hampshire replaced them with two more quality arms in Drew Hutchison and Deck McGuire. Power arms stood out all over the EL, on the mound, behind the plate and in the infield and outfield. The league's best pitching prospects—Harrisburg's Brad Peacock, Erie's Jacob Turner and Trenton's Manny Banuelos—all could light up radar guns. Many . . . Tue, 04 Oct 2011 10:46:21 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612441.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612440.html Content: A year after reaping the benefits of Stephen Strasburgmania, Harrisburg once again had the Double-A Eastern League's star attraction. Bryce Harper may have generated even more hype when he jumped two levels from low Clas A in early July. His outstanding power and overall package of tools allowed him to follow in Strasburg's footsteps and rank atop our EL Top 20 Prospects list. While the Senators had Harper and the league's best regular-season record, New Hampshire had the EL's top cache of prospects and wound up winning the playoff championship. Catcher Travis d'Arnaud and center fielder Anthony Gose anchored the lineup all season long as the Fisher Cats edged Richmond for their first title since 2004. When righthanders Henderson Alvarez and Joel Carreno got promoted to Toronto, New Hampshire replaced them with two more quality arms in Drew Hutchison and Deck McGuire. Power arms stood out all over the EL, on the mound, behind the plate and in the infield and outfield. The league's best pitching prospects—Harrisburg's Brad Peacock, Erie's Jacob Turner and Trenton's Manny Banuelos—all could light up radar guns. Many of its best position prospects, most notably Harper and Portland third baseman Will Middlebrooks, also had plenty of . . . Tue, 04 Oct 2011 09:35:30 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612440.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612438.html Content: Jim Shonerd: Hey, everyone. Thanks for stopping by. Let's get into some FSL talk. Frank (Chicago): Is Darin Gorski someone to keep an eye on? Is he someone who is considered to be not as good as his numbers? Jim Shonerd: St. Lucie lefty Darin Gorski was the FSL's pitcher of the year and its ERA leader, but yeah, his prospect status doesn't match up with his 11-3, 2.08 mark. He pitches at 90-91 mph with his fastball and throws strikes, but his breaking ball will limit him. Henry (Toronto): Is Wojo a future SP or RP? Prospect or suspect? Jim Shonerd: Guys believed in Wojciechowski enough as a starter, though his command got away from him at times this year. He just doesn't have anything that's above average in his 89-91 fastball, his changeup and a slider he's trying to tighten. Nelson (Tacoma, WA): Nice to see AJ Jiminez getting some props. Do you see him moving up to New Hampshire next year? Jim Shonerd: Absolutely. @Jaypers413 (IL): Who would you say has the higher ceiling between Shelby Miller and Carlos Martinez, and why? Jim Shonerd: Interesting. I might give Martinez the higher ceiling just because arms like his . . . Mon, 03 Oct 2011 17:07:14 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612438.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612437.html Content: See also: Florida State League Top 20 Prospects With Scouting Reports See also: Florida State League Top 20 Prospects Chat Thanks to the high Class A Florida State League's big parks and sea-level altitude, pitchers typically stand out more than the hitters. This year was no different, as power-armed righthanders Shelby Miller (Palm Beach) and Matt Harvey (St. Lucie) headlined our Top 20 Prospects list. Charlotte shortstop Hak-Ju Lee was the highest-ranked position player at No. 3, followed by three more righties in Trevor May (Clearwater), Alex Colome (Charlotte) and Carlos Martinez (Palm Beach).Clearwater placed three starters on the Top 20, with righthanders Jarred Cosart and Brody Colvin joining May, and nearly had two more. Julio Rodriguez (2.76) and Jon Pettibone (2.96) drew consideration after posting the best ERAs in the Threshers rotation and ranking in the top five in the FSL, with Rodriguez leading the league with 16 wins. Despite placing a league-high five players on the list, Clearwater failed to reach the postseason. By contrast, Daytona won the FSL championship with only one Top 20 prospect, outfielder Matt Szczur. Though he often looked worn out after his mid-July promotion, his athleticism was obvious and he rallied to bat . . . Mon, 03 Oct 2011 10:47:57 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612437.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612436.html Content: Thanks to the high Class A Florida State League's big parks and sea-level altitude, pitchers typically stand out more than the hitters. This year was no different, as power-armed righthanders Shelby Miller (Palm Beach) and Matt Harvey (St. Lucie) headlined our Top 20 Prospects list. Charlotte shortstop Hak-Ju Lee was the highest-ranked position player at No. 3, followed by three more righties in Trevor May (Clearwater), Alex Colome (Charlotte) and Carlos Martinez (Palm Beach). Clearwater placed three starters on the Top 20, with righthanders Jarred Cosart and Brody Colvin joining May, and nearly had two more. Julio Rodriguez (2.76) and Jon Pettibone (2.96) drew consideration after posting the best ERAs in the Threshers rotation and ranking in the top five in the FSL, with Rodriguez leading the league with 16 wins. Despite placing a league-high five players on the list, Clearwater failed to reach the postseason. By contrast, Daytona won the FSL championship with only one Top 20 prospect, outfielder Matt Szczur. Though he often looked worn out after his mid-July promotion, his athleticism was obvious and he rallied to bat .368 in the playoffs. . . . Mon, 03 Oct 2011 10:28:11 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612436.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612435.html Content: Josh Leventhal: Sorry for the delay here everyone. Just reporting that the Yankees Triple-A affiliate will be playing in six "home" ballparks next year while its stadium is under construction. Should make for a fun season. But let's get started. Ben (Leland Grove): Was Edwar Cabrera considered for the list? Is he a classic case of not being as impressive as his numbers? Josh Leventhal: Cabrera was considered for the list and there was plenty of praise for his 90-92 mph fastball and above-average changeup combo. The question is how it will play as he moves up and whether he'll develop a third pitch that he'll likely need to remain a starter. Deywane (Memphis): How close was J.C. Sulbaran to making the list, he made some good strides since last year in Dayton? Josh Leventhal: Sulbaran's stuff has plenty of potential. The questions were about his consistency and ability to control his emotions on the mound. He has the makings of a major league changeup, but can be wild with his fastball. Kelly (St. Cloud, MN): How far off the list did Borchering land? Is his bat the only thing that will carry him? Josh Leventhal: The bat is certainly . . . Fri, 30 Sep 2011 21:48:19 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612435.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612433.html Content: See also: California League Top 20 Prospects With Scouting Reports See also: California League Top 20 Prospects Chat The high Class A California League had an obvious top prospect in the previous two seasons, when Buster Posey (2009) and Mike Trout (2010) ran away from the field. The battle for No. 1 honors was more competitive this year, with Visalia lefthander Tyler Skaggs, Lake Elsinore third baseman Jedd Gyorko and San Jose outfielder Gary Brown all receiving strong support. With his combination of stuff and polish, Skaggs ultimately got the nod. Brown's Giants appeared on their way to a third straight championship after going 51-19 in the first half, 13 games better than any other club. San Jose tied for the league high with four Top 20 Prospects but wasn't the same team after third baseman Chris Dominguez was promoted and righthander Zack Wheeler was traded. The Giants still led the league with 90 regular-season victories, but they won just once in the playoffs. Though Gyorko was long gone, the Storm captured its first outright title since 1996. Former first-round pick Nick Schmidt allowed three earned runs in three postseason starts and won the clincher in each of the final . . . Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:14:55 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612433.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612430.html Content: The high Class A California League had an obvious top prospect in the previous two seasons, when Buster Posey (2009) and Mike Trout (2010) ran away from the field. The battle for No. 1 honors was more competitive this year, with Visalia lefthander Tyler Skaggs, Lake Elsinore third baseman Jedd Gyorko and San Jose outfielder Gary Brown all receiving strong support. With his combination of stuff and polish, Skaggs ultimately got the nod. Brown's Giants appeared on their way to a third straight championship after going 51-19 in the first half, 13 games better than any other club. San Jose tied for the league high with four Top 20 Prospects but wasn't the same team after third baseman Chris Dominguez was promoted and righthander Zack Wheeler was traded. The Giants still led the league with 90 regular-season victories, but they won just once in the playoffs. Though Gyorko was long gone, the Storm captured its first outright title since 1996. Former first-round pick Nick Schmidt allowed three earned runs in three postseason starts and won the clincher in each of the final two rounds. . . . Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:59:50 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612430.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612411.html Content: Moderator: J.J. Cooper will answer your Carolina League questions beginning at 3 p.m. ET. steve (western Mass.): OK, JJ, which is the real Ranaudo? 96 or 90? Hammer or hanger? #1 starter potential or one of the staff? J.J. Cooper: Hey everyone. Thanks for all the questions and thanks for subscribing to Baseball America. You are the ones who pay our bills around here and ensure we can put together these scouting reports and talk to all these scouts and managers. So thanks again. Ranaudo is a good one to start out with because he's a truly puzzling prospect. Based on pedigree, you wouldn't be shocked to see him in the top five on this list, and when he's at his best, he has better stuff than any pitcher on this list not named Drew Pomeranz. But ... You probably know the follow-up point by now. You don't see that great stuff all that often. There was a scout or two I talked to who said they wouldn't necessarily have Ranaudo in a Top 20 list for the league. And if you look at Ranaudo's track record, it's really pretty poor. He was hurt with an elbow problem as a . . . Thu, 29 Sep 2011 16:06:51 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612411.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612410.html Content: See also: Carolina League Top 20 Prospects With Scouting Reports See also: Carolina League Top 20 Prospects Chat With fewer teams (eight) than any other full-season circuit, the high Class A Carolina League is rarely loaded with talent. The Nationals' decision to skip Bryce Harper past Potomac didn't help matters, but the CL still had two of the top five picks from the 2010 draft and they headlined our Top 20 Prospects list. Shortstop Manny Machado came to Frederick in mid-June and was at his best in the playoffs, when he hit .344 with a league-best nine RBIs as the Keys won the championship. Shortly after Machado arrived, Kinston lefthander Drew Pomeranz departed for Double-A and finished his first pro season in the majors after the Rockies acquired him in the Ubaldo Jimenez trade. No club in the league could match Myrtle Beach's depth in prospects. The Pelicans placed seven players on the Top 20, led by third baseman Mike Olt, and righthanders Barrett Loux and Johan Yan and outfielder Ryan Strausborger didn't miss the list by much. . . . Thu, 29 Sep 2011 11:04:43 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612410.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612409.html Content: With fewer teams (eight) than any other full-season circuit, the high Class A Carolina League is rarely loaded with talent. The Nationals' decision to skip Bryce Harper past Potomac didn't help matters, but the CL still had two of the top five picks from the 2010 draft and they headlined our Top 20 Prospects list. Shortstop Manny Machado came to Frederick in mid-June and was at his best in the playoffs, when he hit .344 with a league-best nine RBIs as the Keys won the championship. Shortly after Machado arrived, Kinston lefthander Drew Pomeranz departed for Double-A and finished his first pro season in the majors after the Rockies acquired him in the Ubaldo Jimenez trade. No club in the league could match Myrtle Beach's depth in prospects. The Pelicans placed seven players on the Top 20, led by third baseman Mike Olt, and righthanders Barrett Loux and Johan Yan and outfielder Ryan Strausborger didn't miss the list by much. . . . Thu, 29 Sep 2011 10:49:16 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612409.html