"Baseball America's" Top 100 Prospects

My rankings tend to favor guys who can play defense than those who are pure sluggers, so that's why there are fewer 1B,DH,and LF than one would expect. Also durability isn't factored into any of the rankings, so there are instances where a relief pitcher is rated really high but might not be able to pitch every other day. To qualify for the list a player cannot have a year of ML service time. I'm going to break up the post so it doesn't get super long. I'll post 81-100 tonight and then hopefully sometime tomorrow post 61-80, with the top 20 being posted sometime near the end of spring training.

Santa Fe leads the league with a grand total of 8 players on the top 100 list this season. Tied for second are New Orleans and New York who both have 6. On the other end of the spectrum there are two teams that both have zero prospects on the list; Honolulu and Philadelphia. So without further ado here is the list.


#81 Wil Sturtze DH, Chicago Snow Storms
Was Chicago's number one pick back in Season 3. Due to Iron_Emu's mishandling of the team Wil didn't devlop as much as he could have last year. Most likely will spend the year at either AA or AAA.

#82 Juan James C, Huntington Blazers
Juan, in my mind, was a bargain on the Internationals market back in Season 3, only costing the team $7.2million. He is also Huntington's only player on the list this year. Looks to be almost reaching his projections just fine, though his arm accuracy could improve. Could start the year in the Majors but most likely will see himself at AAA as he is only 21.

#83 Tony Aramboles SS, Helena Mountaineers
Tony decided to forgo his senior season at Witchita State and was a first round pick of Helena last year. Most likely will spend the year at AA as he has a little bit farther to go before he reaches the show.

#84 Jeff Gload SP, Cleveland Cuyahogas
It appears that Jeff is going to be a workhorse of a pitcher with his stamina. Was a 4 year standout at Coastal Carolina University before he was drafted in the first round of Season 3 by the Cuyahogas, and their only player on the list this year. He spent all of last year at AAA where he performed decently, posting a 10-5 record, with 6 CG and a 1.32 whip. Jeff is all set to compete for a spot in Cleveland's rotation this year.

#85 Jay Stern CF, Detroit Stars
A 4 year starter at shortstop for The University of South Carolina, Jay was the 11th pick of the draft last season. Detroit currently has him slated to play center field for their High A team this year. His glove and arm accuracy need to catch up to the development of his bat before he will ever see the Majors though.

#86 Ralph Schofield RP, New York Leathernecks
Ralph was a steal going in the 7th round of the draft last season. He is the first person ever to be drafted from Trinity Christian High School in New Jersey. Most likely will develop to be a setup guy as he won't be able to pitch on back to back days too often. Already possessing an outstanding change up, he should be able to dominate hitters and generate a slew of ground balls.

#87 Gerald Kramer RP, Las Vegas Hardways
Gerald is the first of Las Vegas' two prospects on the list. Coming out of junior college at the age of 19, he was the Hardways' first round pick in Season 3. He should develop a plus sink and curveball that will allow him to dominate most hitters in the league. It appears that Gerald will spend the year in AA with a possible September call up in the future.

#88 Robin Kelly RP, Detroit Stars
Robin dominated hitters in the shortened rookie season last year, going 12 for 12 in save opportunities and a K:BB ratio of 4 to 1. Most likely headed to a setup role in the majors, he should be able to make right handed hitters look foolish with a sinker that has some sharp late movement. Robin will most likely spend the year at AA developing his skills.

#89 David Hernandez SS, Los Angeles Trolley Dodgers
When scouts talk about David they always mention his combination of speed and power. He is easily one of, if not, the fastest guys in the league. Though it would appear that he should be able to burn up the base paths, he's not the smartest at running them as evidenced by him getting caught 37 times trying to steal a base. His defense at short should give Los Angeles a possible gold glove contender for years to come.

#90 Shane Cohen SP, Las Vegas Hardways
Shane is the last prospect for the Hardways on the list this year, but he isn't a chump either. He was very dominant in the minors, posting a 40-19 record in 91 starts while striking out 447 batters and a 1.28 whip. Shane will be looking to improve over the 20 appearances he made last year though where he 4.74era over 76 innings. His 4 seam fastball should be able to overpower most hitters while his curve ball is good enough to keep them on their heels.

#91 Alex Cora SP, Los Angeles Trolley Dodgers
When you watch Alex pitch, the first thing you realize is that his repertoire is not what you would expect from most major league pitchers these days. That's because his best pitch is a forkball. Coming off a strong showing in the College World Series for The Citidal, Alex was the number one pick for the Trolley Dodgers last year. Though righties should be able to figure him out, they'll have to work to get on base as he doesn't issue many walks. Alex is slated to start the year at High A.

#92 Francisco Martin SP, Boston BackBay BadBoys
Two injuries that put Francisco on the 60 day DL have held back his development for Boston. He was only able to pitch 31 innings last year before having elbow surgery, but those 31 innings were flawless. He is scheduled to start the year at AAA Pawtucket, but I wouldn't count on him staying their too long before getting a call from the big leagues. He possesses two plus pitches in a sinker and a 4 seam fastball.

#93 Wally Everhart SP, Boston BackBay BadBoys
Next on the list and Francisco's teammate in Boston is the pride of Waterford, NY, Wally Everhart. Scouts say his mechanics are flawless and his delivery places no strain on his arm. So the one injury Wally has had so far is said to have been a fluke. Wally came over to Boston as part of the deal that sent Ray Slocumb to Cheyenne in exchange for Stephen Taylor. Almost fully developed, I wouldn't expect Wally to be sitting in AAA much longer.

#94 Albert Montero 2B, Portland Princes.
Albert is Portland's only player on the list this year, but makes up for it in his potential power. Albert was a teamate of Jay Stern at The University of South Carolina and was also picked in the first round last year. Scouts predict that Albert will eventually be moved to left field as his defense is sub par for 2nd base. A switch hitter, he should be a mainstay in Portland for years to come. Although he is currently in Low A, I see him being promoted to either AAA or AA at the least.

#95 Tom Wise SP, Detroit Stars
Coming out of high school at the age of 18, he has spent his entire pro career in Detroit's system. Tom doesn't thorw particularly hard as he tries to work the corners with a 4 seam fastball and a slider. He's almost ready for the show and shouldn't spend too much time down in AAA this yaer.

#96 Ben Logan CF, New Britain Bees
Logan is a future defensive standout who will be able to challenge for the lead in home runs, if he can keep himself from being ejected every game that is. What makes Ben's situation particularly interesting is that he graduated from Unity Christian High School, yet still has one of the worst tempers in the game. Maybe the nuns beat him and he's resentful for their punishment. I don't think we'll ever know. Ben should be able to handle right handed pitchers fairly effectively, but if it wasn't for his power potential he would be sitting against lefties.

#97 Pedro Carrara RP, Cheyenne Magic Bus
Pedro is making the jump all the way from High A to the Majors this year. While at the High A level he tormented hitters to the tune of a .196 batting average against. Shows remarkable control, he should be able to work the corners with his fastball and slider while becoming a mainstay in Cheyenne's bullpen for years to come.

#98 Paul Houston SP, Tacoma Pilots
One of the oldest players on the list this year, Paul is looking to break into the bigs in a big way this year. He spent some time in the majors last year, but was less than spectacular, posting a 4.44era in 73 innings. Paul should definitely benefit from the huge confines of Tacoma that has made it one of the premier pitcher parks in the league.

#99 Trey Christenson C, Atlanta Incorruptibles
Trey hails from our northern friends in Canada and was signed last year for a measley $673,000. While he may lack major power, he should be able to hit for average and draw a fair amount of walks in the future. Scouts also rave about his ability to shut down opponent's running games with his rocket of an arm. The only thing holding Trey back is his durability and the fact that he has had some health problems in the past before coming to America.

#100 Juan Martin SP, San Francisco Banana Slugs
The last player on this year's list is Juan Martin, a native of Double Springs, Alabama. Other GM's were somewhat skeptical of San Fransisco's choice to pick Juan with the 10th pick of last years draft due to his tenancy to do his best Rick Ankiel impression. If he is ever able to keep his 4 seem under control then he is a threat to be dealt with due to ability to get hitters out. Look for Juan to spend the year in Low A working on his control.