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The Top Prospects of 2000

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By John Sickels
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The Top Prospects of 2000

Reviewing the Top Prospect List from the Year 2000

  1. Corey Patterson, OF: 69 career win shares. Not the star expected but an OK player.
  2. Rick Ankiel, LHP: You all know his story.
  3. Pat Burrell, OF: 142 career win shares.
  4. Vernon Wells, OF: 122 career win shares.
  5. Nick Johnson, 1B: 80 career win shares. Solid but injury prone.
  6. Dee Brown, OF: Huge Bust. Never able to replicate minor league success.
  7. Kip Wells, RHP: 52 career win shares.
  8. Ben Petrick, C: Had a little success (6 win shares) but career ended early, Parkinson's Disease
  9. Sean Burroughs, 3B: 38 career win shares. Never developed the power scouts expected.
  10. Mike Cuddyer, 3B: 60 career win shares, a solid player.
  11. D'Angelo Jimenez, INF: 67 career win shares. Good plate discipline wasn't enough.
  12. Ruben Mateo, OF: Career ruined by broken leg, loss of confidence, and shaky discipline.
  13. Brad Penny, RHP: 83 career win shares.
  14. Chin-feng Chen, OF: Topped out as a Triple-A slugger.
  15. Rafael Furcal, SS: 161 career win shares.
  16. Eric Gagne, RHP: 77 career win shares. Had run as one of the best closers in history.
  17. Matt Riley, LHP: Ruined by injuries and control problems.
  18. Hee Seop Choi, 1B: Has vanished. 26 career win shares. I suspect his career could have gone much differently.
  19. Wilfredo Rodriguez, LHP: Ruined by injuries.
  20. Ed Yarnall, LHP: Topped out in Triple-A, had some success in Japan.
  21. Ramon Ortiz, RHP: 51 career win shares.
  22. Ryan Anderson, LHP: Ruined by injuries.
  23. Alfonso Soriano, SS: 157 career wins shares.
  24. John Patterson, RHP: 19 career win shares, has been effective when healthy.
  25. Milton Bradley, OF: 80 career win shares.
  26. Jesus Colome, RHP: 20 career win shares.
  27. Ramon Hernandez, C: 116 career win shares.
  28. Peter Bergeron, OF: Bust, never hit past Triple-A.
  29. Abraham Nunez, OF: Tools bust and an Age-Gate player, decent Triple-A outfielder.
  30. Matt LeCroy, C: 36 career win shares.
  31. Mike Lamb, 3B: 59 career win shares.
  32. Josh Hamilton, OF: 13 win shares last year, nice comeback.
  33. Tony Armas, JR, RHP: 33 career win shares.
  34. Aaron Myette, RHP: Topped out in Triple-A due to command problems.
  35. Jack Cust, OF: 23 win shares last year, nice comeback.
  36. Francisco Cordero, RHP: 71 career win shares.
  37. A.J. Burnett, RHP: 72 career win shares.
  38. Luis Rivera, RHP: Sleeper prospect never woke up then got hurt.
  39. Junior Guerrero, RHP: Lost 5 MPH off his fastball in 2000 and never recovered.
  40. Drew Henson, 3B: Tools Bust.
  41. Chad Hermansen, OF: Tools Bust.
  42. Mike Restovich, OF: Very good Triple-A slugger has never received a fair major league trial.
  43. Lance Berkman, OF: 209 career win shares.
  44. Wes Anderson, RHP: Ruined by injuries.
  45. Adam Dunn, OF: 144 career win shares.
  46. Ben Broussard, OF: 52 career win shares.
  47. Chip Ambres, OF: Good tools, slowed by injuries, effective Triple-A player.
  48. Josh Beckett, RHP: 73 career win shares.
  49. Adam Piatt, 3B: Hit .248/.323/.422 in 521 major league at-bats before being ruined by injuries.
  50. Travis Dawkins, SS: Great glove, can't hit.
Injuries ruined several pitchers as usual, but also impacted hitters such as Mateo and Piatt. I think you can count Petrick as an injury casualty as well due to the Parkinson's. I still think Choi could have had a career if he'd been handled differently. I also believe that in an alternate universe somewhere Mike Restovich and Chip Ambres have major league jobs and are doing well. Both are proven Triple-A successes who have never received legitimate trials.

Ranking them by current win shares is a bit premature since we don't yet know what will happen with guys like Ankiel, Cust, and Hamilton. But it's interesting to look at it this way:

CREAM OF THE 2000 CROP
Lance Berkman, OF: 209 career win shares.
Rafael Furcal, SS: 161 career win shares.
Alfonso Soriano, SS: 157 career wins shares.
Adam Dunn, OF: 144 career win shares.
Pat Burrell, OF: 142 career win shares.
Vernon Wells, OF: 122 career win shares.
Ramon Hernandez, C: 116 career win shares.
Brad Penny, RHP: 83 career win shares
Milton Bradley, OF: 80 career win shares.
Nick Johnson, 1B: 80 career win shares
Eric Gagne, RHP: 77 career win shares.
Josh Beckett, RHP: 73 career win shares.
A.J. Burnett, RHP: 72 career win shares.
Francisco Cordero, RHP: 71 career win shares.
Corey Patterson, OF: 69 career win shares
D'Angelo Jimenez, INF: 67 career win shares
Mike Cuddyer, 3B: 60 career win shares
Mike Lamb, 3B: 59 career win shares.
Ben Broussard, OF: 52 career win shares.
Kip Wells, RHP: 52 career win shares.
Ramon Ortiz, RHP: 51 career win shares.
Sean Burroughs, 3B: 38 career win shares.
Matt LeCroy, C: 36 career win shares.
Tony Armas, JR, RHP: 33 career win shares.
Hee Seop Choi, 1B: 26 career win shares.
Jack Cust, OF: 23 win shares last year
Jesus Colome, RHP: 20 career win shares.
John Patterson, RHP: 19 career win shares
Josh Hamilton, OF: 13 win shares last year

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