2023 Holiday Prospects Quiz Answer Key
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Time to see how you did. For the second year in a row, we challenged Baseball America readers to guess prospects based on their anonymous scouting reports. Answers are below.
Warm-up Round
1. Mookie Betts — Sorry, Red Sox fans. Betts did settle into a new position (right field), but ultimately found his way back to second base upon joining the Dodgers organization.
2. Joe Mauer — Mauer’s 2001 draft report serves as a good reminder of his athleticism coming out of high school.
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3. Walker Buehler — The righty ranked as the Dodgers’ No. 1 prospect entering 2018 and his report teases at both the upside and durability concerns that remained present throughout his development.
4. Freddie Freeman — We’d say the Braves made the right move letting Freeman hit. This report was 2008, when he ranked in Atlanta’s Top 30 for the first time at No. 19 in the system.
5. Aaron Judge — Our draft report prediction of .250 and 30 or more homers a year ended up being light.
6. Felix Hernandez — Texas League managers in 2004 provided a great glimpse into Hernandez’s rising talent.
7. Joey Votto — Votto ranked as the Reds’ No. 14 prospect in 2003 and, of course, ultimately moved to first base.
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8. Randy Arozarena — His report hinted at his upside when he ranked No. 11 in the Cardinals system in 2018, although Arozarena’s breakout came once he reached the Rays.
9. Jose Altuve — He ranked as Houston’s No. 28 prospect in 2011. We’d say he was just fine at higher levels.
10. Zack Greinke — The perfect window into Zack Greinke, then as one of the top prospects in the Carolina League in 2003.
11. Andruw Jones — He ranked as Atlanta’s No. 2 prospect in 1995 and went on to win our Minor League Player of the Year award that season.
12. Johnny Cueto — It’s fun to revisit Cueto’s rise through the minor leagues.
13. Gary Sheffield — A Willie Mays comp! This report is from 1989, when Sheffield ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the Brewers system.
14. Russell Wilson — He may not have reached the majors in both sports, but Wilson did go on to win a Super Bowl in the NFL.
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15. Jake Arrieta — Baltimore’s goals of a future rotation built around Arrieta, Chris Tillman and Brian Matusz didn’t go according to plan.
16. Wily Mo Peña — Peña’s 2001 Southern League report nailed both his power potential and struggles to realize it in games.
17. Rich Harden — Oakland’s No. 1 prospect in 2003, Harden struggled to stay healthy and wasn’t quite as prominent as the likes of Tim Hudson, Barry Zito and Mark Mulder on the A’s teams, but he did throw 189.2 innings for a 91-win A’s team in 2004.
18. Juan Pierre — Pierre did become a dynamic leadoff threat, but his best years came with the Marlins, not the Rockies.
19. Scott Kazmir — While we wouldn’t fault you if you thought this was David Price’s draft report, Kazmir’s height and selection No. 2 overall to the Rays are the giveaways.
20. Hanley Ramirez — It’s easy to look back now and say he didn’t quite live up to those expectations, but Ramirez’s path through the minors is chock full of reports like this one lavishing praise on his ability.
