MiLB Top 10 Prospects Flashback: 2000 Midwest League

Through the years the low Class A Midwest League has been the starting point in full-season ball for the likes of Greg Maddux and Rafael Palmeiro (1985), Larry Walker (1986), Alex Rodriguez and Billy Wagner (1994), Miguel Cabrera (2001), Clayton Kershaw (2007) and Mike Trout (2010).

The MWL class of 2017 is shaping up to be historic, too, headed by Fernando Tatis Jr., Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Yordan Alvarez.  

But in 2000 the Midwest League was headlined by two future greats—No. 5 prospect Albert Pujols and No. 7 Jake Peavy—whose greatness snuck up on people because they were late-round draft picks.

2000 Midwest League Top 10 Prospects

No.	Player	Pos	Team	Org	PA/IP	WAR
1	Josh Beckett	RHP	Kane County	Marlins	2,051	37.2
2	Juan Cruz	RHP	Lansing	Cubs	655	4.4
3	Chris Snelling	OF	Wisconsin	Mariners	273	0.3
4	Austin Kearns	OF	Dayton	Reds	4,179	16.7
5	Albert Pujols	3B	Peoria	Cardinals	12,385	87.8
6	Ramon Santiago	SS	West Michigan	Tigers	2,794	5.5
7	Jake Peavy	RHP	Fort Wayne	Padres	2,377	43.7
8	Adam Dunn	OF	Dayton	Reds	8,328	25.6
9	Gerik Baxter	RHP	Fort Wayne	Padres	—	—
10	Mike Nannini	RHP	Michigan	Astros	—	—

Pujols was drafted in the 13th round in 1999 but signed late and made his pro debut in the 2000 MWL. He hit .324 with 17 homers to win league MVP honors and finished the year with Memphis in the Triple-A World Series. “He has power, he can hit and he’s a really good third baseman,” one manager said. “He has a chance to get to the big leagues quickly.”

Josh Beckett (No. 1) was the second overall pick in 1999 but pitched just 59 innings in the MWL between bouts of shoulder tendinitis. When healthy he threw a “consistent 95-96 mph” and his “hard curveball was an out pitch.”

Peavy came out firing a “fastball in the mid 90s to go with a good breaking ball.” He tied for the MWL lead with 164 strikeouts on his way to a Cy Young Award future in the big leagues.

Dayton teammates Adam Dunn (No. 8) and Austin Kearns (No. 4) were 1998 draft picks who rose through the Reds’ system together. Kearns led the MWL with 27 homers and offered “all five tools,” while Dunn had “prodigious power and a discriminating eye” and would go on to mash 462 big league homers.

Midwest League All-Time BA No. 1 Prospects

Players listed with career major league plate appearances/innings and FanGraphs WAR. Stats for active players current through mid August.

Year	Player	Pos	Team	Org	PA/IP	WAR
1981	Edwin Nunez	RHP	Wausau	Mariners	652	1.2
1982	Mark Grant	RHP	Clinton	Giants	639	1.0
1983	Shawon Dunston	SS	Quad Cities	Cubs	6,276	7.4
1984	Kurt Stillwell	SS	Cedar Rapids	Reds	3,478	1.2
1985	B.J. Surhoff	C	Beloit	Brewers	9,106	31.4
1986	Steve Gasser	RHP	Kenosha	Twins	—	—
1987	Derek Parks	C	Kenosha	Twins	125	-0.5
1988	Tom Gordon	RHP	Appleton	Royals	2,108	32.8
1989	Tom Redington	3B	Burlington	Braves	—	—
Year	Player	Pos	Team	Org	PA/IP	WAR
1990	Reggie Sanders	OF	Cedar Rapids	Reds	7,043	39.7
1991	Salomon Torres	RHP	Clinton	Giants	847	6.4
1992	Dmitri Young	3B	Springfield	Cardinals	5,253	12.5
1993	Charles Johnson	C	Kane County	Marlins	4,386	25.7
1994	Alex Rodriguez	SS	Appleton	Mariners	12,207	113.7
1995	Javier Valentin	C	Fort Wayne	Twins	1,663	2.9
1996	Valerio de los Santos	LHP	Beloit	Brewers	256	0.3
1997	Francisco Cordero	RHP	West Michigan	Tigers	825	16.3
1998	Pablo Ozuna	SS	Peoria	Cardinals	728	-1.4
1999	Corey Patterson	OF	Lansing	Cubs	4,499	10.9
Year	Player	Pos	Team	Org	PA/IP	WAR
2000	Josh Beckett	RHP	Kane County	Marlins	2,051	37.2
2001	Adrian Gonzalez	1B	Kane County	Marlins	8,046	36.4
2002	Joe Mauer	C	Quad City	Twins	7,960	52.5
2003	Prince Fielder	1B	Beloit	Brewers	6,853	27.5
2004	Brian Dopirak	1B	Lansing	Cubs	—	—
2005	Carlos Gonzalez	OF	South Bend	D-backs	5,551	25.6
2006	Jay Bruce	OF	Dayton	Reds	6,555	20.5
2007	Clayton Kershaw	LHP	Great Lakes	Dodgers	2,299	73.6
2008	Mike Moustakas	3B/SS	Burlington	Royals	4,571	16.3
2009	Aaron Hicks	OF	Beloit	Twins	2,570	12.2
Year	Player	Pos	Team	Org	PA/IP	WAR
2010	Mike Trout	OF	Cedar Rapids	Angels	5,372	74.4
2011	Taijuan Walker	RHP	Clinton	Mariners	555	5.9
2012	Javier Baez	SS	Peoria	Cubs	2,570	14.1
2013	Byron Buxton	OF	Cedar Rapids	Twins	1,440	7.9
2014	Alex Reyes	RHP	Peoria	Cardinals	56	2.1
2015	Gleyber Torres	SS	South Bend	Cubs	1,179	5.5
2016	Nick Senzel	3B	Dayton	Reds	467	1.0
2017	Vladimir Guerrero Jr.	3B	Lansing	Blue Jays	611	0.2
2018	Royce Lewis	SS	Cedar Rapids	Twins	—	—
2019	Wander Franco	SS	Bowling Green	Rays	—	—