Blast from the Past
Top Prospects of 1998
- Adrian Beltre, Grade A: Erratic, great at times.
- Ben Grieve, Grade A: Did well at first, but long-term bust.
- Paul Konerko, Grade A: Erratic, but usually effective.
- Todd Helton, Grade A: Superstar.
- Aramis Ramirez, Grade A: The Pirates didn't know what they had.
- Travis Lee, Grade A: Some success, but not as good as expected.
- Carl Pavano, Grade A-: Overcame injury problems, a good pitcher.
- Miguel Tejada, Grade A-: Power-hitting iron man.
- Kerry Wood, Grade A-: Dominating when on.
- Mark Kotsay, Grade A-: Solid player, one of my favorites.
- Matt Clement, Grade A-: Best may still be ahead for him.
- Chad Hermansen, Grade A-: Bust.
- Sean Casey, Grade A-: A fine player when healthy.
- Enrique Wilson, Grade A-: Utility guy. Was caught in Age-Gate.
- Scott Elarton, Grade A-: Success at first, hurt his arm.
- Fernando Tatis, Grade A-: Excellent 1999 season, sucked afterward.
- Eric Chavez, Grade A-: Excellent player with his best years ahead.
- A.J. Hinch,Grade B+: Young Catcher Stagnation Syndrome.
- Ramon Hernandez, Grade B+: A good player.
- Alex Gonzalez the Marlin, Grade B+: Erratic but sometimes good.
- Ron Wright, Grade B+: Ruined by injuries.
- Kris Benson, Grade B+: Decent rotation starter.
- Brad Fullmer, Grade B+: Good production at times, often injured.
- Nerio Rodriguez, Grade B+: Effective Triple-A starter, didn't adjust to the Majors.
- Brent Butler, Grade B+: Stopped developing at age 22. AAAA player.
- Eric Milton, Grade B+: Wins games, great K/BB, ERA remains high due to excess HR.
- Juan Encarnacion, Grade B+: Adequate player, frequent trade bait.
- Ramon Ortiz, Grade B+: Inconsistent, sometimes very good, average overall.
- D'Angelo Jimenez, Grade B+: Has played well last two years. Solid guy.
- Brian Rose, Grade B+: Ruined by injuries.
- Russ Branyan, Grade B+: Power bat, can't do anything else. Role player.
- Ruben Rivera, Grade B+: Bust. Bad plate discipline.
- Ken Cloude, Grade B+: Ruined by injuries.
- Mike Darr, Grade B+: Killed in car wreck.
- Javier Vazquez, Grade B+: Very good pitcher, outstanding at times.
- Ben Petrick, Grade B+: Developed Parkinson's Disease.
- Cesar King, Grade B+: Bust. Young Catcher Syndrome.
- Mike Lowell, Grade B+: Consistent, solid power bat.
- Mike Coleman, Grade B+: Bust. Tools guy who didn't develop.
- Bruce Chen, Grade B+: Career 4.44 ERA, an enigma wrapped in a riddle.
- Derrek Lee, Grade B+: Consistent, solid power bat.
- Donzell McDonald, Grade B+: Effective Triple-A player, didn't develop as expected.
- Cliff Politte, Grade B+: Turned into adequate relief pitcher.
- Ruben Mateo, Grade B+: Broken leg, plate discipline problems ruined him.
- Magglio Ordonez, Grade B+: Outstanding hitter.
- Daryle Ward, Grade B+: Played well at times, hampered by injuries and poor defense.
- Mike Caruso, Grade B+: Rushed to majors, played well in 1998, then faded. Now in independent ball, still just 27.
- Ricky Ledee, Grade B+: Role player.
- David Ortiz, Grade B+: Cult hero and excellent power hitter.
- Gabe Kapler, Grade B+: Effective at times, hampered by injuries. Now in Japan.
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