This list was originally posted November 24, 2007. THIS IS NOT A NEW LIST!! THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE OLD LIST!!!!!!!

1) Taylor Teagarden, C, Grade B+
      A disappointing .217/.331/.378 between Double-A and Triple-A this year, with excessive strikeouts the main problem. I have liked him a lot and still do, but I exepcted more.
2) Eric Hurley, RHP, Grade B+
      4.83 ERA with 74/30 K/BB in 82 innings between Double-A and Triple-A, 5.47 with 13/9 K/BB and five homers allowed in 25 major league innings. The fly ball tendency looks like it is going to be an issue.
3) Elvis Andrus, SS, Grade B+
     .285/.340/.359 with 47 steals for Double-A Frisco. Just 19 years old and in Double-A, so at this point the lack of power doesn't worry me too much given his other skills.
4) Chris Davis, 3B, Grade B+
     .333/.386/.643 between Double-A and Triple-A, .270/.310/.546 in the majors. Incredible power, so far the strikeouts have not hurt him.
5) Matt Harrison, LHP, Grade B+
      3.43 ERA withi 55/28 K/BB in 84 innings between Double-A and Triple-A. 7.07 ERA with 7/19 K/BB in 36 innings in the majors. Capable of better, but has to make the adjustments and get the components back in line.
6) Michael Main, RHP, Grade B
     2.61 ERA with 43/17 K/BB in 41 innings between AZL Rangers and Clinton in the Midwest League. Looks good right now.
7) John Mayberry Jr, OF, Grade B
     .270/.322/.478 for Triple-A Oklahoma. Has all the tools, shows flashes of skills but still pretty raw.  
8) Kasey Kiker, LHP, Grade B
     4.30 ERA with 90/29 K/BB in 103 innings for Class A Bakersfield, 110 hits allowed. Not bad for a 20 year old in the Cal League.
9) Max Ramirez, C, Grade B
     .354/.450/.646 for Double-A Frisco, .233/.313/.395 in 13 games for the Rangers. Looks like a terrific hitter, main problem is finding a defensive home.
10) German Duran, 2B, Grade B
      .225/.279/.363 for the Rangers. Capable of better, but has just 20 games of Triple-A under his belt.
11) Omar Poveda, RHP, Grade B
       5.05 ERA with 77/29 K/BB in 73 innings, 69 hits allowed for Bakersfield. Component ratios are better than the ERA; he's still a good prospect.
12) Neftali Feliz, RHP, Grade B-
       Massive breakthrough season, 2.52 ERA with 106/28 K/BB in 82 innings in the Midwest League, then 3.56 ERA and 35/17 K/BB in 30 innings after skipping High-A and moving to Double-A. One of the best pitching prospects in baseball.
13) Blake Beavan, RHP, Grade B-
      2.56 ERA with 61/17 K/BB in 106 innings for Clinton, 93 hits allowed. Good command, but strikeout rate is low and ground ball tendency may not be quite strong enough to overcome that. Still very young.
14) Brandon Boggs, OF, Grade C+
      .237/.335/.397 for the Rangers. He will do better with more experience and should/could have long career as a fourth outfielder.
15) Johnny Whittleman, 3B, Grade C+
       .265/.379/.403 for Bakersfield. Has drawn 81 walks, but power production has been disappointing.
16) Julio Borbon, OF, Grade C+
       .307/.347/.405 with 46 steals combined between Bakersfield and Frisco. Lacks plate discipline, but has doubles power to go with the speed.
17) Tommy Hunter, RHP, Grade C+
        3.56 ERA with 95/29 K/BB in 144 innings, 151 hits combined between A-ball, Double-A, and Triple-A. Has been crushed in three major league starts, but given meteoric rise this is not unexpected.
18) Armando Galarraga, RHP, Grade C+
      Traded to Tigers, 11-4, 3.11 with a 92/44 K/BB in 133 innings, 109 hits allowed in the majors, much better than expected.
19) Neil Ramirez, RHP, Grade C+
       3.38 ERA with 35/18 K/BB in 29 innings for Spokane in the Northwest League. Good K/IP, needs better command.
20) Brennan Garr, RHP, Grade C+
       3.40 ERA with 52/24 K/BB in 42 innings for Frisco. Command needs sharpening, but still on line to provide bullpen help eventually.

The development of Feliz is terrific, of course. I'm very worried now about Hurley's gopher problems. He might need another organization. Mayberry could languish but still has a great tool set and shows flashes of the skills needed to make it work. There have been some guys jumped ahead of schedule to the majors, but overall I think the Rangers have a bright future.

This list was originally posted January 15th, 2008. THIS IS NOT A NEW LIST!!! THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE OLD LIST!!!!!

1) Angel Villalona, 3B, Grade B+
     .248/.298/.400 with 13 homers, 18 walks, 111 strikeouts in 407 at-bats for Augusta in the Sally League. Horrible strike zone judgment, but just 17 years old most of this season.
2) Henry Sosa, RHP, Grade B
     4.31 ERA with 58/18 K/BB in 56 innings for Class A San Jose, pitching time limited by knee injury..
3) Tim Alderson, RHP, Grade B
     2.99 ERA with 112/34 K/BB in 132 innings for San Jose, 118 hits allowed. Excellent command with good stuff, and young for the level.
4) Madison Bumgarner, LHP, Grade B-
     1.52 ERA with 145/20 K/BB in 130 innings for Augusta, 102 hits allowed. Not nearly as raw as most expected, breaking ball still needs some work but tremendous fastball command has made him unbeatable at this level.
5) Nate Schierholtz, OF, Grade B-
      .314/.360/.571 for Triple-A Fresno. Has nothing left to prove here. Needs a clean chance in the majors or a new organization.
6) Nick Noonan, 2B, Grade B-
     .279/.307/.409 with 26 steals for Augusta. Poor plate discipline is biggest concern right now.
7) Clayton Tanner, LHP, Grade B-
     3.92 ERA with 72/33 K/BB in 101 innings for San Jose, 107 hits allowed. Efficient strike thrower who gets grounders. Double-A transition in 2009 will tell the tale.
8) Eugenio Velez, UT, Grade B-
     .310/.372/.509 in Triple-A, .219/.267/.320 in the majors. Speed and versatility will get him more chances.
9) Wendell Fairley, OF, Grade C+
      .241/.371/.324 in the Arizona Rookie League. Unimpressive, tools are not turning into skills yet.
10) John Bowker, OF, Grade C+
      .247/.296/.397 in 96 games for the Giants. He's capable of better but I don't see why he gets to play and Schierholtz doesn't.
11) Charlie Culberson, INF, Grade C+
      .234/.290/.319 for Augusta. Not producing much of anything, just six steals, no power, weak on-base skills. Young enough to improve.
12) Osiris Matos, RHP, Grade C+
       1.08 ERA with 44/12 K/BB in 42 innings between Double-A and Triple-A, 4.05 ERA with 10/6 K/BB in 13 innings in the majors. Should be a useful reliever.
13) Wilber Bucardo, RHP, Grade C+
      4.86 ERA with 28/12 K/BB in 50 innings, 67 hits for Salem-Keizer in the Northwest League. Gets grounders and throws strikes, other marks not impressive at all.
14) Jose Capellan, LHP, Grade C+
       Returned to Red Sox  under Rule 5. 3.97 ERA with 40/11 K/BB in 57 innings for Class A Greenville, 76 hits. Good command but otherwise mediocre. 
15) Sergio Romo, RHP, Grade C+
       3.27 ERA with 37/9 K/BB in 33 innings between Double-A and Triple-A, 4.41 ERA with 16/4 K/BB in 16 major league innings. Gotta love the K/BB and K/IP. Main concern is strong fly ball tendency leading to excessive homers.
16) Travis Denker, 2B, Grade C+
       .239/.345/.359 at three minor league levels, .243/.333/.486 in 24 major league games. Offense-oriented middle infielder.
17) Emmanuel Burriss, SS, Grade C
       .247/.310/.282 for the Giants. Good speed, but total lack of power will preclude big success.
18) Nick Pereira, RHP, Grade C
      5.70 ERA with 86/47 K/BB in 101 innings in Triple-A, 116 hits allowed. Sent back to the Cal League, pitched well in two starts there.
19) Ben Copeland, OF, Grade C
        .261/.334/.417 with 21 steals for Double-A Connecticut, .350/.422/.400 in his first 10 games for Triple-A Fresno. Still looks like a reserve outfielder to me.
20) Benjamin Snyder, LHP, Grade C
       2.00 ERA with 73/18 K/BB in 86 innings for San Jose, 6.40 ERA with 36/21 K/BB in 45 innings for Connecticut. Having problems making transition to Double-A, a common issue for finesse pitches.

Villalona could develop into a superstar. He could also fail to gain command of the strike zone and end up as a big bust. It is just too early to know. Alderson has been really good, and Bumgarner has been unstoppable. The middle infield options don't look too great right now, with failures to hit sufficiently among the guys on this list. But overall the Giants system is in better condition than it has been in recent years.

This list was originally posted January 14th, 2008.  THIS IS NOT A NEW LIST!! THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE OLD LIST AND OLD GRADES!!!!

1) Adam Miller, RHP, Grade B
     1.88 ERA with 20/12 K/BB in 29 innings for Triple-A Buffalo, before going on the DL, his home away from home, with a finger injury. He's a Grade A- when healthy but can't seem to stay that way.
2) Chuck Lofgren, LHP, Grade B
      5.33 ERA with 70/46 K/BB in 79 innings for Double-A Akron, 81 hits allowed. Has pitched much better after moving to relief recently, but overall this is not a good season.
3) Beau Mills, 3B-1B, Grade B
     .294/.377/.502 for Class A Kinston. An impressive season. Should he move up to B+ for 2009?
4) Josh Rodriguez, SS, Grade B
     .254/.347/.379 for Double-A Akron, 69 walks, 113 strikeouts, 11 steals in 472 at-bats. I think he could do a bit better than that in the future.
5) Wes Hodges, 3B, Grade B-
     .280/.351/.427 for Akron. Power production may not be enough.
6) Brad Snyder, OF, Grade B-
     .251/.305/.428 for Buffalo, 106 strikeouts in 102 games. I stuck with him too long, his hitting skills haven't developed like I'd hoped and have gone backwards in some ways.
7) Jensen Lewis, RHP, Grade B-
     3.99 RA with 33/22 K/BB in 47 innings for the Indians. A competent reliever who should put up similar numbers going forward.
8) Jared Goedert, 3B, Grade B-
     .264/.342/.382 at Kinston. Good plate discipline, but unable to live up to gaudy 2007 numbers in the Sally League.
9) Trevor Crowe, OF, Grade C+
      Finally got bat going in Double-A, .323/.404/.485 with 13 steals in 49 games. .247/.344/.457 numbers in Triple-A aren't as good but aren't terrible. Fourth outfielder?
10) Jon Drennen, OF, Grade C+
     .230/.303/.312 for Kinston. Not developing at all.
11) Aaron Laffey, LHP, Grade C+
      2.35 ERA with 38/14 K/BB in 46 innings for Buffalo, 4.23 with 43/31 K/BB in 94 innings for the Indians. Low strikeout rate in the majors is worrisome but he gets grounders. Fourth starter.
12) David Huff, LHP, Grade C+
       1.92 ERA with 62/14 K/BB in 66 innings for Akron, 2.94 ERA with 65/10 K/BB in 64 innings for Buffalo. Very efficient strike-thrower with K/IP of a power pitcher. Good health is the best news.
13) Nick Weglarz, OF, Grade C+
      .273/.440/.440 for Kinston. Good strike zone judgment, power should improve. I like him.
14) Scott Lewis, LHP, Grade C+
      2.33 ERA with 61/9 K/BB in 73 innings, 62 hits for Akron. Just promoted to Buffalo, killed in first start. I like him if he can stay healthy, which has been a problem.
15) Matthew McBride, C, Grade C+
      HIt .175 in 16 games for Kinston, now on rehab in the Gulf Coast League rehabbing labrum.
16) Jordan Brown, 1B, Grade C+
      .282/.338/.407 for Buffalo. Power too marginal for first base.
17) Paolo Espino, RHP, Grade C+
       Killed as a starter at Kinston, 8.49 ERA with weak peripherals. Much better in relief at Lake County, 2.88 ERA with 25/7 K/BB in 25 innings.
18) Generalissimo Ben Francisco, Caudillo de Cleveland, OF, Grade C+
       .283/.342/.467 for the Indians. Wish I had rated him higher on this list, as I've liked him as a sleeper prospect for a long time.
19) Adam Davis, 2B, Grade C
       .198/.295/.318 combined for Kinston and Lake County. Obviously this isn't going to get it done.
20) T.J. McFarland, LHP, Grade C
        4.63 ERA with 33/12 K/BB in 47 innings, 58 hits for the GCL Indians. Not a lot to get excited about either way here, but he's very young.

Lofgren could be very nice as a reliever; something was sure wrong with him earlier this year. Miller is great but has singlehandedly driven health insurance premiums in the US up 4% by himself. Mills and the newly-acquired Matt LaPorta will rank at the top of the list next year. Ben Francisco is a fine, fine player, helping take the sting out of the apparent development failures of Drennen and Snyder.

This list was originally posted December 30th, 2007. THIS IS NOT A NEW LIST!! THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE OLD LIST AND OLD GRADES!!!!!!

1) Matt LaPorta, OF, Grade B+
     .288/.402/.576 for Double-A Huntsville before being traded to Cleveland. Is hitting just .212/.250/.288 in 14 games for Double-A Akron after the trade, with much worse plate discipline.
2) Manny Parra, LHP, Grade B+
     4.25 ERA with 106/58 K/BB in 125 innings for the Brewers, 130 hits allowed. A nice solid rookie season.
3) Mat Gamel, 3B, Grade B
     .332/.400/.542 for Huntsville. Has been in a slump lately, but overall remains a very strong prospect.
4) Jeremy Jeffress, RHP, Grade B
     4.08 ERA with 102/41 K/BB in 79 innings for Class A Brevard County, 65 hits allowed. Excellent K/IP and H/IP marks. Was hit hard in first Double-A start on August 13th, but very young for that level.
5) Jonathan Lucroy, C, Grade B-
     Combined .299/.372/.490 between Class A West Virginia and Class A Brevard County. A solid hitter.
6) Taylor Green, 3B, Grade B-
     Hitting .289/.382/.442 with good plate discipline for Brevard County, 61 walks and 59 strikeouts in 418 at-bats. Double-A transition next year will be crucial.
7) Cole Gillespie, OF, Grade C+
     .287/.390/.486 with 14 steals and 13 homers for Huntsville, also 37 doubles. Has some broad skills, worth tracking closely.
8) Alicides Escobar, SS, Grade C+
    .346/.381/.456 with 31 steals for Huntsville. Speed and high batting average are attractive, walk rate is low and OBP may not hold up if he can't maintain the high BA.
9) Caleb Gindl, OF, Grade C+
     .291/.376/.437 with 57 walks and 127 strikeouts in 446 at-bats for West Virginia. Just 19, needs to watch the Ks but has promise.
10) Angel Salome, C, Grade C+
      .356/.408/.542 for Huntsville. An extremely intriguing player, have to raise this grade for 2009.
11) Michael Brantley, OF, Grade C+
      .325/.403/.410 with 25 steals for Huntsville. Speed and OBP ability continue to stand out, power still hasn't developed.
12) Lorenzo Cain, OF, Grade C+
       .287/.358/.448 for Brevard County, .288/.377/.512 for Huntsville, 25 steals on the year. Has made some progress turning his tools into skills.
13) Zach Braddock, LHP, Grade C+
       5.56 ERA with 66/36 K/BB in 57 innings for Brevard County, 49 hits allowed. Strong K/IP, but control the big issue here.
14) Robert Bryson, RHP, Grade C+
      4.25 ERA with 73/20 K/BB in 55 innings for West Virginia. Traded to Indians, has 2.38 ERA with 9/6 K/BB in 11 innings for Lake County. Impressive K/IP ratios, has a chance to be very good.
15) Hernan Iribarren, 2B, Grade C+
      .278/.333/.332 with 18 steals for Triple-A Nashville. Not sure he's going to hit enough.
16) Brent Brewer, SS, Grade C
       Combined .235/.298/.338 with 26 steals for West Virginia and Brevard County. I am very skeptical at this point that he will live up to his physical potential.
17) R.J. Seidel, RHP, Grade C
      5.23 ERA with 66/41 K/BB in 103 innings, 121 hits allowed for West Virginia. Hard to find many positives here. Best attributes are command and youth.
18) Zack Jackson, LHP, Grade C
       Traded to Indians, had an ugly 7.85 ERA with 34/18 K/BB and 81 hits allowed in 57 innings for Nashville before the trade. Has been more effective for Cleveland, 4.05 ERA for Triple-A Buffalo with 20/5 K/BB in 27 innings. Perhaps change of scenery is what he needed.
19) Cody Scarpetta, RHP, Grade C
      0.57 ERA with 27/8 K/BB in 16 innings in the Arizona Rookie League, then 11/1 K/BB in six innings for Helena in the Pioneer League, though with five runs allowed. Gotta love the 38 strikeouts in 22 innings.
20) Dan Merklinger, LHP, Grade C 
      5.87 ERA with 76/38 K/BB in 80 innings for West Virginia, 79 hits allowed. Nice K/IP, control and other numbers not as impressive. 22 years old in the Sally League and a 5.87 ERA is not a good combo.

The trade with Cleveland reduces depth somewhat, but there are still things to like here. Parra has had a fine rookie season. Gamel's recent slump has cut into his dominant numbers but the overall line is still strong. Jeffress has immense potential, and there is some depth behind the top guys.

This list was originally posted December 14th, 2007. This is NOT A NEW LIST!!! THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE OLD LIST AND OLD GRADES!!!!!!!!!

1) Clay Buchholz, RHP, Grade A
     6.32 ERA with 71/37 K/BB in 73 innings for the Red Sox, 89 hits allowed. 2.47 ERA with 43/17 K/BB in 44 innings for Triple-A Pawtucket. Good example of why even Grade A pitching prospects carry big risks. He should still be really good eventually, if he stays healthy.
2) Jacoby Ellsbury, OF, Grade A-
    .271/.336/.375 with 38 steals for the Red Sox. He'll be fine.
3) Jed Lowrie, SS, Grade A-
     Boy, I took a lot of crap for this one. Slow start looked bad, hit .268/.359/.434 in Triple-A but has looked great for the Red Sox, hitting .310/.368/.468 in the majors.
4) Lars Anderson, Grade B+
     .317/.408/.513 at Class A Lancaster, .333/.427/.617 since being promoted to Double-A in late July. An elite first base prospect.
5) Michael Bowden, RHP, Grade B
      2.33, 101/24 K/BB in 104 innings for Double-A Portland, 3.58 with 20/4 K/BB in 28 innings for Triple-A Pawtucket. Still reminds me of Jeff Suppan.
6) Justin Masterson, RHP, Grade B
     3.36 ERA with 54/30 K/BB in 67 innings for the Red Sox, 50 hits allowed. Gets plenty of grounders, has probably been a bit lucky but a good young pitcher.
7) Nick Hagadone, LHP, Grade B
     Went on the DL with a bad elbow after 10 innings of work for Class A Greenville.
8) Ryan Kalish, OF, Grade B
     .281/.378/.356 with 18 steals for Greenville. Good strike zone judgment and speed, power hasn't blossomed this year.
9) Will Middlebrooks, 3B-SS, Grade B-
     .241/.282/.340 for Lowell in the New York-Penn League.Strike zone judgment has been a big problem for him so far.
10) Josh Reddick, OF, Grade B-
       .343/.375/.593 for Lancaster, but just .219/.282/.422 in 18 games of Double-A so far. Needs to make some adjustments.
11) Oscar Tejeda, SS, Grade B-
        .243/.284/.310 for Greenville. Not very good hitting performance, but just 18 years old.
12) Aaron Bates, 1B, Grade B-
       .275/.368/.411 for Portland. Capable of better, but was overrated at this grade.
13) Brandon Moss, OF, Grade C+
       .282/.346/.528 for Pawtucket. Traded to Pirates, is a combined .256/.321/.432 in the majors. Should be a nice solid player.
14) Craig Hansen, RHP, Grade C+
       Looked good at Pawtucket, 1.62 with a 17/5 K/BB in 17 innings and just six hits. Continues to struggle with command in the majors, 5.35 ERA with 25/29 K/BB in 35 innings between the Red Sox and Pirates.
15) Dustin Richardson, LHP, Grade C+
       Pitched well in April, then fell apart, 7.13 ERA with 83/45 K/BB in 83 innings for Portland, 91 hits allowed. Good strikeout rate but everything else looks bad.
16) Reid Engel, OF, Grade C+
       .248/.298/.396 for Lancaster in the Cal League, has had problems with the strike zone.
17) Yamaico Navarro, SS, Grade C+
       .280/.341/.412 for Greenville, .347/.386/.525 in his first month for Lancaster. Just 20, looks like an intriguing player.
18) Ryan Dent, SS, Grade C+
      .159/.266/.318 with 15 steals for Lowell, 70 strikeouts in 170 at-bats. Obviously has some serious problems making contact.
19) Zach Daeges, OF, Grade C+
       .316/.420/.464 for Portland. Excellent strike zone judgment, but has hit just five homers making the full transition to Double-A.
20) Bubba Bell, OF, Grade C
       .285/.363/.478 for Portland, showing more pop than Daeges though not as good at controlling the zone.

Overall things are going pretty well with the Red Sox system. Although Buchholz has had problems, I still think he's going to be a really good pitcher if he avoids health issues. Ellsbury hasn't been as lucky this year as last year, but I expect better in the future. I'm glad I took the chance with Lowrie. Bowden and Masterson look like solid inning-eaters.

This list was originally posted December 12th, 2007. THIS IS NOT A NEW LIST!!! THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE OLD LIST AND OLD GRADES!!!!!!

1) Chase Headley, 3B, Grade B+
    .305/.383/.556 in Triple-A, .261/.330/.455 in the majors. Still making some adjustments but he's going to be a good one.
2) Matt Antonelli, 2B, Grade B+
     .204/.329/.297 for Triple-A Portland. One of the biggest Whiskey Tango Foxtrot prospects this year. Drawing lots of walks, controlling the zone well, but no power and the base hits aren't falling. Finally got his average over the Mendoza line this month. I have no clue what to expect in the future.
3) Matt Latos, RHP, Grade B
     3.28 ERA with 23/8 K/BB in 25 innings in the Midwest League. Now on rehab assignment due to an intercostal strain in the AZL Rookie league, has fanned 14 in nine innings.
4) Wade LeBlanc, LHP, Grade B
     5.22 ERA with a 121/40 K/BB in 121 innings for Portland, 118 hits allowed. Numbers don't add up to a 5.22 ERA. Home run rate is somewhat high but overall he has pitched better than the ERA indicates.
5) Will Inman, RHP, Grade B
     3.43 ERA with 133/62 K/BB in 123 innings for Double-A San Antonio, 106 hits allowed. Has done quite well in the Texas League, contrary to the predictions of some scouts. Still needs to lower walk rate.
6) Kellen Kulbacki, OF, Grade B
    .349/.441/.622 in the California League, obviously strong performance. Want to see how that carries into a tougher environment.
7) Cedric Hunter, OF, Grade B- 
    .317/.360/.434 in the California League. Having a nice season, power may be marginal at higher levels but he's just 20.
8) Kyle Blanks, 1B, Grade B-
     .306/.387/.471 for Double-A San Antonio. Perhaps not quite as much power as you'd like from a 6-6, 270 pound guy, but I still like him.
9) Chad Huffman, OF, Grade B-
      .290/.389/.433 for San Antonio. Good plate discipline, has drawn 61 walks, but performance overall hasn't been dominant.
10) Nick Hundley, C, Grade C+
      .232/.285/.451 with 12 homers for Portland, .215/.247/.367 in the majors. I have always like this guy more than I should. Can have a long career as a backup perhaps.
11) Drew Miller, RHP, Grade C+
       5.70 ERA with 90/40 K/BB in 120 innings in the Cal League, 147 hits allowed. Unimpressive performance, rather disappointing overall.
12) Steve Garrison, LHP, Grade C+
       3.61 ERA with 103/33 K/BB in 125 innings for San Antonio, 115 hits allowed. A solid, very competent strike-thrower.
13) Josh Geer, RHP, Grade C+
       4.44 ERA with 89/39 K/BB in 148 innings in Triple-A, 162 hits allowed. Another strike-throwing inning-eater type, stuff is marginal.
14) Mitch Canham, C, Grade C+
      .285/.391/.439 with 11 steals in the Cal League. Good plate discipline, athletic for a catcher, perhaps not as much power as anticipated.
15) Cory Luebke, LHP, Grade C+
       6.84 ERA with 60/23 K/BB, 97 hits in 72 innings in the Cal League. Sent back to the Midwest League, 3.56 ERA with 21/7 K/BB in 30 innings, 33 hits allowed. May not have enough for higher levels.
16) Jeremy Hefner, RHP, Grade C+
      3.22 ERA with 123/34 K/BB in 123 innings, 105 hits in the Midwest League. I liked him a lot pre-season and see no reason to change that, but need to check how fly ball tendency projects at higher levels.
17) Carlos Guevara, RHP, Grade C+
      6.50 ERA with 20/9 K/BB in 18 innings for Portland, 5.84 ERA with 11/9 K/BB in 12 innings for the Padres. I liked him as a sleeper, but expected better than this. Health has been an issue with hamstring and leg problems.  
18) Michael Gardner, RHP, Grade C+
      Returned to the Yankees under Rule 5. 4.02 ERA with 42/36 K/BB in 47 innings for Double-A Trenton. Was more effective at the same level last year.
19) Corey Kluber, RHP, Grade C+
       Struggled in the Cal League, 6.01 ERA with 75/34 K/BB in 85 innings, 93 hits. Sent back to the Midwest League, 4.38 ERA with 45/8 K/BB in 37 innings, 39 hits. I thought he was capable of better.
20) Ernest Frieri, RHP, Grade C+
      4.23 ERA with 102/29 K/BB in 117 innings in the Cal League, 120 hits. Extreme fly ball tendency could be a problem at higher levels.

Headley looks good. I don't know what the hell is going on with Antonini. There's a reasonable mix of hitting and pitching, and while the strike-throwing inning-eater types may top out in Triple-A, they provide some leavening for the system. It will be interesting to see what Hunter and Kulbacki do in Double-A next year.

I've got some time crunch problems Wednesday, so here is a discussion question to keep you busy.

If you were the Rays, what, if anything, would you do with David Price on September 1st?

Would you leave him in the minors, keep the stress off the elbow and shut him down once the minor league season ends?

Would you promote him to the majors and use him in the bullpen for the stretch run?

Would you promote him to the majors and use him as a starter for the stretch run?

Discuss...

This list was originally posted December 17, 2007. THIS IS NOT A NEW LIST!!! THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE OLD LIST AND OLD GRADES!!!!!!!!!

1) Joba Chamberlain, RHP, Grade A
     2.63 ERA with 104/36 K/BB in 89 innings for the Yankees. Conversion to starting resulted in a sore arm, hardly unexpected...it was a risky move to do that in-season.
2) Jose Tabata, OF, Grade B+
     .248/.320/.310 for Double-A Trenton, traded to Pirates. Seems stagnant as a prospect, though injuries have not helped. Turns 20 on August 12th, still very young.
3) Ian Kennedy, RHP, Grade B+
     Has a composite 1.99 ERA with 49/14 K/BB in 54 innings in the minors, but 8.17 ERA with 27/26 K/BB in 40 innings in the majors. Lack of plus stuff makes it hard for him to succeed if his command isn't on.
4) Alan Horne, RHP, Grade B
     5.63 ERA with 24/22 K/BB in 32 innings in Triple-A before going on the DL with a tired arm. Injury reports have been vague. 
5) Austin Jackson, OF, Grade B-
     .289/.361/.435 with 15 steals for Double-A Trenton. Developing nicely but I think he will need a year of Triple-A before being ready for the majors.
6) Bradley Suttle, 3B, Grade B-
     .275/.339/.478 for Class A Charleston. OK performance but not as good as anticipated overall.
7) Dellin Betances, RHP, Grade B-
     3.57 ERA with 105/53 K/BB in 93 innings for Charleston, 68 hits allowed. Needs better command and must prove he can stay healthy, but like the K/IP and H/IP.
8) Austin Romine, C, Grade B-
      .279/.317/.403 for Charleston, not great but something to build on. Needs to improve walk rate though at least strikeouts are fairly low.
9) Jesus Montero, C, Grade C+
      .319/.370/.477 with 13 homers for Charleston. Bat is coming along nicely, stock is definitely rising.
10) Dan McCutchen, RHP, Grade C+
      2.55, 52/18 K/BB in 53 innings in Double-A, 3.58 with 58/11 K/BB in 70 innings in Triple-A, traded to the Pirates. A solid pitching prospect who should be a useful inning-eater if home run tendencies don't get out of control.
11) Brett Gardner, OF, Grade C+
       .284/.406/.409 with 37 steals for Triple-A Scranton. Very fast, draws lots fo walks, power is unimpressive but should be above Gathright levels.
12) Damon Sublett, 2B, Grade C+
       .263/.364/.375 for Class A Tampa until going on the DL in May. Capable of better if healthy, but that was also a problem in college.
13) Andrew Brackman, RHP, Grade C+
       Rehabbing.
14) Jeffrey Marquez, RHP, Grade C+
        4.69 ERA with 33/24 K/BB in 81 innings for Scranton, 93 hits allowed. Gets grounders but also has given up 12 homers. Not impressive.
15) George Kontos, RHP, Grade C+
       3.58 ERA with 128/50 K/BB in 128 innings for Trenton, 107 hits allowed. Looks good to me. Needs to tighten his control a bit more perhaps.
16) Kevin Whelan, RHP, Grade C+
      1.42 ERA with 16/8 K/BB in 13 innings for Trenton, had a 4.67 ERA with 19/14 K/BB in 17 innings for Tampa as well. Good K/IP marks but command remains spotty.
17) Frank Cervelli, C, Grade C+
      Limited to just 10 games this year by a wrist injury.
18) David Robertson, RHP, Grade C+
      1.39 ERA with 74/22 K/BB in 52 innings between Double-A and Triple-A. Unable to replicate in the majors yet, 6.75 with 23/10 K/BB in 17 innings. K-rate remains strong in the majors, a good sign for the future.
19) Jairo Heredia, RHP, Grade C+
       3.12 ERA with 86/40 K/BB in 92 innings for Charleston, 87 hits allowed. Interesting prospect making progress.
20) Zach McAllister, RHP, Grade C+
       Combined 12-9, 2.30 with 103/18 K/BB in 137 innings in A-ball, 125 hits allowed. K-rate dropped in Advanced-A, but other marks remained strong. A sleeper prospect panning out this year.

Good and bad news here. Joba has been great, although hopefully the arm problem isn't a huge issue going forward; it would be most unfortunate if it was and the Yankees would have no one to blame but themselves.  Injuries to and inconsistency from other prospects have been troublesome, although at least the disappointing Tabata netted some stretch-run help. He still has lots of time to improve. Some sleeper types like McAllister and Heredia have emerged. Montero looks good right now.

This list was originally posted January 5, 2008.  THIS IS NOT A NEW LIST!!! THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE OLD LIST AND PRE-SEASON GRADES!!!!!!!!

1) Carlos Carrasco, RHP, Grade B
     4.32 ERA with 109/45 K/BB in 115 innings in Double-A. Just promoted to Triple-A, has looked great in his first two starts. Numbers have not always matched reputation but he's made definite progress this year.
2) Adrian Cardenas, 2B, Grade B
     .309/.374/.444 for Clearwater in the Florida State League before trade to Oakland, where he was just promoted to Double-A. Quite promising.
3) Josh Outman, LHP, Grade B
     3.20 ERA with 66/37 K/BB in 70 innings for Double-A Reading before trade to Oakland. Athletics are moving him back to starting role. Still a good prospect.
4) Joe Savery, LHP, Grade B
      4.36 ERA with 104/56 K/BB in 126 innings for Clearwater, 147 hits. A mixed bag, gets a lot of grounders but hittable. At least he is healthy.
5) Kyle Drabek, RHP, Grade C+
      Rehabbing from surgery in the Gulf Coast League.
6) Jason Donald, SS, Grade C+
      .308/.388/.509 with 10 steals and 14 homers for Reading. Looks good to me after proving he can handle this level pitching.
7) Greg Golson, OF, Grade C+
     .283/.330/.433 with 19 steals, 10 homers, 26 walks, 117 strikeouts for Reading. Great tools, skills have improved but not enough to make me confident he will live up to potential.
8) Travis Blackley, LHP, Grade C+
      5.47 ERA with 78/54 K/BB in 109 innings for Triple-A Lehigh Valley, 114 hits. Not impressive at all.
9) J.A. Happ, LHP, Grade C+
      3.30 ERA with 127/41 K/BB in 117 innings in Triple-A, 97 hits. Fourth/fifth starter type if he can maintain his command in the majors.
10) Lou Marson, C, Grade C+
       .319/.434/.423 in 97 games for Reading. Good strike zone judgment, reasonable defense, lacks power.
11) Antonio Bastardo, LHP, Grade C+
       3.49 ERA with 41/29 K/BB in 49 innings for Reading, before missing most of July with injury. Just reactivated. Interesting prospect if command is there.
12) Julian Sampson, RHP, Grade C+
       4.50 ERA with 53/46 K/BB in 112 innings for Class A Lakewood, 132 hits allowed. Projectable strike-thrower, but low strikeout rate an issue.
13) Travis D'Arnaud, C, Grade C+
      .313/.376/.481 for Williamsport in the New-York-Penn League. Need higher level data but this is obviously a nice marker for a 19 year old player.
14) Matt Spencer, OF, Grade C+
      .249/.317/.367 for Clearwater, though capable of better. Traded to Oakland, hitting .370/.429/.605 in 20 games in the Cal League, though with poor plate discipline.
15) Andrew Carpenter, RHP, Grade C+
       5.99 ERA with 50/25 K/BB in 74 innings for Reading, 94 hits allowed. Only strong attribute is control.
16) Jeremy Slayden, OF, Grade C 
       .292/.367/.467 for Reading. Old for a prospect at 26 but he continues to produce solid numbers.
17) Scott Mathieson, RHP, Grade C
       Hasn't pitched this year due to Tommy John.
18) Tyler Mach, 3B-2B, Grade C
       Hasn't played this year.
19) Travis Mattair, 3B, Grade C
       .253/.319/.329 for Lakewood. Nothing very positive in these numbers.
20) Dominic Brown, OF, Grade C
     .296/.381/.430 with 19 steals for Lakewood. Big step forward, tools are developing into skills, will be much higher on this list next year. I like him a lot.

Trading Cardenas and Outman thins the system further, though the development of Brown and (possibly) outfielder Michael Taylor helps. I still don't trust Golson to develop into a useful player, the BB/K/AB ratio scares me a lot. I still don't have a good instinct either way for Carlos Carrasco, who seems to come and go performance wise but did take a step forward this year and who has done very well in his first two Triple-A outings.

This was originally posted on January 3, 2008. THIS IS NOT A NEW LIST!! THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE OLD LIST AND OLD GRADES!!!!!!

1) Gio Gonzalez, LHP, Grade B+
    Traded to Oakland. 4.24 ERA with 128/61 K/BB in 123 innings for Triple-A Sacramento, 106 hits allowed. Not bad at all for the PCL. A fine prospect.
2) Fautino De Los Santos, RHP, Grade B+ 
    Traded to Oakland. Tommy John.
3) Aaron Poreda, LHP, Grade B+
     3.43 ERA with 55/17 K/BB in 66 innings since promotion to Double-A. Meeting expectations.
4) Jack Egbert, RHP, Grade B-
     4.89 ERA with 99/33 K/BB in 107 innings, 110 hits allowed at Triple-A Charlotte. Capable of better.
5) Ryan Sweeney, OF, Grade C+
     .293/.344/.388 for Oakland. Lack of power is going to make him a bench guy.
6) Lance Broadway, RHP, Grade C+
     4.68 ERA with 96/43 K/BB in 138 innings in Triple-A, 160 hits allowed. Stuff may be too marginal for big success.
7) Nevin Griffith, RHP, Grade C+
     Looked good in first two short-season outings, but was hit by a line drive on the throwing elbow in his third start and hasn't pitched since.
8) John Ely, RHP, Grade C+
     4.60 ERA with 115/39 K/BB in 123 innings, 123 hits for Winston-Salem in the Carolina League. Numbers don't project well at higher levels.
9) Kyle McCulloch, RHP, Grade C+
     4.46 ERA with 75/52 K/BB in 133 innings, 153 hits for Double-A Birmingham. Unimpressive components, may not have enough stuff.
10) Charlie Haeger, RHP, Grade C+
       4.62 ERA with 92/65 K/BB in 142 innings, 135 hits for Charlotte. Not a great performance but you never know with knuckleballers.
11) John Shelby, OF, Grade C+
      .283/.324/.475 with 27 steals for Winston-Salem. Strike zone judgment will be a problem.
12) Jimmy Gallagher, OF, Grade C+
      .268/.301/.412 for Kannapolis in the Sally League. Unimpressive.
13) Jose Martinez, OF, Grade C+
      .306/.359/.382 in 39 games for Kannapolis, on DL since mid-May with a leg injury. Young enough at age 20 to have a bright future.
14) Fernando Hernandez, RHP, Grade C+
      3.78 ERA with 43/26 K/BB in 50 innings for Birmingham. Middle relief candidate if control is there.
15) Oneli Perez, RHP, Grade C+
      Now in Yankees system. 7.14 ERA with 55/28 K/BB in 47 innings, 60 hits combined between three teams at Double-A and Triple-A. Seems to have fallen apart this year.
16) Brian Omogrosso, RHP, Grade C+
      4.06 ERA With 18/22 K/BB in 31 innings for Birmingham. On DL since mid-May.
17) Ehren Wasserman, RHP, Grade C
       1.67 ERA with 24/10 K/BB in 27 innings for Charlotte. 9.00 ERA with 6/10 K/BB in 15 innings in the majors. Will bounce between Triple-A and the Show for the next five years.
18) Christian Marrero, 1B, Grade C
      .278/.353/.433, 11 steals,  for Kannapolis. Decent strike zone judgment with a bit of speed and pop, but not enough to really vault up the lists in most systems.
19) Clayton Richard, LHP, Grade C 
       2.47, 86/20 K/BB with 98 hits allowed in 128 innings for Charlotte. Has been hit hard in three major league starts, 10.38 ERA. Finesse guy with little margin for error, but has a chance.
20) Leroy Hunt, RHP, Grade C
      2.23 ERA with 35/22 K/BB in 36 innings for Kannapolis, 7 saves. Needs better command at higher levels.

Well, this wasn't a strong list to begin with, made weaker by trades and and injuries. Poreda is the gem now, but aside from him the list is question marks and marginal players.