Project Prospect's Top 25 Rankings

July 23, 2007
Check back every Monday for the only regularly updated in-season prospect rankings on the internet
No. Player   Pos Notes Age Org Level   Pre.
1   Phil Hughes   RHP   Allowed 1st run since 4/26 last Weds; 42 K vs. 12 BB in 35.2 combined '07 IP   21   NYY   MLB   1 ↔
2   Yovani Gallardo   RHP   Jumping into ROY race with his .198 BAA and 2.82 K/BB rate (through 34.2 IP)   21   MIL   MLB   2 ↔
3   Billy Butler   DH   He's good enough to be a No. 1 prospect; .333/.372/.500 w/ 13 XBH in 120 ab   21   KC   MLB   3 ↔
4   Jay Bruce   CF   MiLB XBH leader (59) is having a smooth AAA adjustment; 9-for-35 w/ 4 XBH   20   CIN   AAA   4 ↔
5   Clay Buchholz   RHP   K'd 14 while only walking 2 in first 8.0 AAA IP; clearly the top SP in the minors   22   BOS   AA   5 ↔
6   Justin Upton   CF   A .302/.382/.529 AA line is GREAT for a teenager, but he's slowing down a lot   19   ARI   AA   6 ↔
7   Brandon Wood   3B   Irregular PT didn't seem to hurt Salty's development, let's see how Wood does   22   LAA   MLB   9 ↑
8   Colby Rasmus   CF   Hasn't had an XBH since getting hit in the head (7/15); but went 2-for-4 on Sun.   20   STL   AA   7 ↓
9   Evan Longoria   3B   My interview with him & 19 2B vs. 19 HR show he's really swinging for fences   21   TB   AA   8 ↓
10   Adam Jones   CF   While he's tearing up AAA (.315/.382/.590), 32 BB vs. 96 K could be worked on   21   SEA   MLB   11 ↑
11   Clayton Kershaw   LHP   2 HR and 9 ER in last 11.0 IP; .198 BAA & 120 K vs. 43 BB say he's still on track   19   LAD   A   12 ↑
12   Andy LaRoche   3B   He's 26-for-59 (.441) w/ 7 2B and 9 HR since returning from shoulder soreness   23   LAD   MLB   15 ↑
13   Cameron Maybin   CF   A few weeks has already turned into 3; still no buzz about an imminent return   20   DET   A+   14 ↑
14   Fernando Martinez   CF   Sidelined by hand injury during All-Star break for the second season in a row   18   NYM   AA   16 ↑
15   Joba Chamberlain   RHP   Last start: 4.2 IP, 9 H, 7 ER, 3 HR, 3 BB, 7 K; has only thrown 79.1 pro innings   21   NYY   AA   13 ↓
16   Homer Bailey   RHP   His pro K/BB rate stands at 2.15, 1.28 WHIP; stock fading but still a prized arm   21   CIN   MLB   17 ↑
17   Reid Brignac   SS   Small sample, but '06 vs. '07 BABIP shows he may have been unlucky in 1st half 21   TB   AA   19 ↑
18   Daric Barton   1B   Has just 8 HR through 511 AAA at-bats; .319/.409/.486 w/ 52 BB vs. 47 K in '07   21   OAK   AAA   21 ↑
19   Jeff Clement   C   June hot steak is becoming distant as he's now .210/.329/.403 in 62 July at-bats   23   SEA   AAA   20 ↑
20   Andrew McCutchen   CF   Adapting to AA slower than fellow '05 HS 1st rounders, but he's coming around   20   PIT   AA   24 ↑
21   Jacoby Ellsbury   CF   1 XBH in his last 10 games; left Sat's game and missed Sun's due to groin injury   23   BOS   MLB   22 ↑
22   Will Inman   RHP   MiLB K's leader; six months younger than McGee; better numbers at higher level   20   MIL   AA   NR
23   Asdrubal Cabrera   SS   Disciplined hitter with a good amount of pop; note that he's playing in AA   21   CLE   AAA   23 ↔
24   Travis Snider   RF   Regaining momentum after slow June; .286/.431/.500 w/ 6 XBH in 56 July ab   19   TOR   A   25 ↑
25   Jacob McGee   LHP   After striking out 24 vs. 1 BB in first 2 July starts, 8 K vs. 8 BB in next two   20   TB   A+   18 ↓
Honorable Mentions: Adam Miller, Wade Davis, Neil Walker, Wladimir Balentien, Joey Votto, Chris Marrero, Brett Anderson, and Elvis Andrus.
Graduated (final ranking): Jarrod Saltalamacchia (10).                
Dropped Out of Top 25 (previous ranking): None.                
* Our rankings combine a player's ceiling with the odds that he'll reach it and favor recent production                
** Only players with less than 130 pro at-bats or less than 50 pro innings are considered for our rankings                
*** Ages are as of July 29th, 2007                    
**** Level is the highest level the player has reached                
***** Pre. is the player's rankings from last week's Top 25.                
                             
<<< Click here to see our July 16th Top 25 Rankings                
<<< Click here to discuss this week's rankings            

 

Disclaimer
Our in-season Top 25 rankings are a tool that we’ve chosen to implement for the first time this season. We realize that this weekly exercise cannot be as thorough as creating a Top 100 prospect list – which involves months of thought and research. So why even bother publishing these rankings? For fun.

Just like any coaches poll or other in-season rankings, our rankings won’t be as concrete as the ones that can be made when you’re looking at something somewhat after the fact. (We’re still adjusting to the volatile nature of in-season rankings as well.) Lists will stray far from then maybe come back to looking like our previous prospect lists. A few odd names will work their way into the rankings--emphasis is on recent performance.

Think of these rankings like a giant coliseum battle. Everyone will be going after everyone; the air will be cluttered with dust. Then our Top 100 prospect list will be our take once the dust settles. Until then, just remember that's we're trying to judge a battle while it's still in progress.

We hope to provide an entertaining glimpse of our thought process, and a snapshot of how the prospect scene changes throughout the season.

A few other important notes: 1) More than ever, we’re going to begin relying on numbers for our rankings. Perhaps we could make better lists by regularly talking to people in the industry, but that’s not our style. 2) We’ll be balancing 2006 and 2007 numbers in order to draw upon the best sample that we see fit – the same methods will be applied to each prospect.


I am prepared to answer questions in more detail upon email request,

Adam Foster
Project Prospect Founder
adamf@projectprospect.com