2001 Top 50 in Review

Top Prospects of 2001

Reviewing the Top 50 prospects list from 2001, here is what we find:

1. Corey Patterson, OF: 69 career win shares.
   
2. Ryan Anderson, LHP: Career ruined by injuries
   
3. Hee Seop Choi, 1B: 26 career win shares before heading back to Asia. Worthy of a Failed Prospect Profile, a new feature upcoming
   
4. Ben Sheets, RHP: 69 career win shares.
   
5. Josh Beckett, RHP: 73 career win shares
   
6. Josh Hamilton OF: 13 career win shares, career still developing
   
7. Carlos Pena, 1B: 71 career win shares.
   
8. Jon Rauch, RHP: 23 career win shares, was slowed by injuries
   
9. Roy Oswalt, RHP: 125 career win shares
   
10. C.C. Sabathia, LHP: 101 career win shares.
    
11. Sean Burroughs, 3B: 38 career win shares. Another Failed Prospect Profile guy.
    
12. Jose Ortiz, 2B: Never got untracked in Oakland or Colorado, went to Japan and had strong '03 and '04 seasons. Another guy for a Failed Prospect Profile. Overrated on this list.
    
13. Bobby Bradley, RHP: Career ruined by injuries
    
14. Austin Kearns, OF: 84 career win shares
    
15. Kevin Mench, OF: 58 career win shares
    
16. Chin-Hui Tsao, RHP: Injuries, could still do something
    
17. Marcus Giles, 2B: 112 career win shares
    
18. Albert Pujols, 1B: 251 career win shares, Hall of Fame talent
    
19. Vernon Wells, OF: 122 career win shares
    
20. Ben Christensen, RHP: Injuries and bad karma
    
21. Jovanny Cedeno, RHP: Injuries
    
22. Wilson Betemit, INF: 22 career win shares, still young at 26
    
23. Abraham Nunez, OF: Age-Gate, was never as good as he looked due to wrong birthday
    
24. Adam Johnson, RHP: Topped out in Triple-A, huge disappointment
    
25. D'Angelo Jimenez, INF: 67 career win shares
    
26. Nick Johnson, 1B: 80 career win shares
    
27. Matt Belisle, RHP: 11 career win shares
    
28. Joe Borchard, OF: Football Player Tools Bust
    
29. Drew Henson, 3B: Football Player Tools Bust
    
30. Adam Dunn, OF: 144 career win shares
    
31. Juan Cruz, RHP: 24 career win shares
    
32. Nick Neugebauer, RHP: Injuries
    
33. Matt Kinney, RHP: 9 career win shares, control problems
    
34. J.R. House, C: Injuries, but hits great in Triple-A and could still have a career
    
35. Chris George, LHP: Lost velocity and command
    
36. Tim Redding, RHP: 12 career win shares, control problems
    
37. Aubrey Huff, 3B: 98 career win shares
    
38. Ben Broussard, 1B: 52 career win shares
    
39. Dee Brown, OF: Never adjusted to majors
    
40. Pablo Ozuna, 2B: 11 career win shares, hit .328 for the White Sox in `06
    
41. Keith Ginter, 2B: 24 career win shares, had moments of success
    
42. Jesus Colome, RHP: 20 career win shares
    
43. Joe Crede, 3B: 65 career win shares
    
44. Antonio Perez, SS: 13 career win shares
    
45. Bud Smith, LHP: Threw a no-hitter, injuries
    
46. Alex Escobar, OF: Injuries
    
47. Milton Bradley, OF: 80 career win shares
    
48. Luis Rivas, 2B: 33 career win shares. Disappointing.
    
49. Hank Blalock, 3B: 78 career win shares.
    
50. Jack Cust, OF: 23 career win shares, finally got a chance

Ranked By Win Shares
Roy Oswalt, 125 (junior college pitcher)
C.C. Sabathia, 101 (high school pitcher)
Josh Beckett, 73 (high school pitcher)
Ben Sheets, 69 (college pitcher)
Juan Cruz, 24 (free agent, Dominican Republic)
Jon Rauch, 23 (college pitcher)
Jesus Colome, 20 (free agent, Dominican Republic)
Tim Redding, 12 (junior college pitcher)
Matt Belisle, 11 (high school pitcher)
Matt Kinney, 9 (high school pitcher)
Chin-Hui Tsao, 3 (free agent, Taiwan)

Busts
Ryan Anderson (injuries, high school pitcher)
Bobby Bradley (injuries, high school pitcher)
Jovanny Cedeno (injuries, free agent Dominican Republic)
Ben Christensen (injuries, college pitcher)
Chris George (sucked, high school pitcher)
Adam Johnson (sucked, college pitcher)
Nick Neugebauer (injuries, high school pitcher)
Bud Smith (injuries, junior college pitcher)

Hitter Breakdown
Ranked by Win Shares

Albert Pujols, 251 (junior college)
Adam Dunn, 144 (high school)
Vernon Wells, 122 (high school)
Marcus Giles, 112 (junior college)
Aubrey Huff, 98 (college)
Austin Kearns, 84 (high school)
Milton Bradley, 80 (high school)
Nick Johnson, 80 (high school)
Hank Blalock, 78 (high school)
Carlos Pena, 71 (college)
Corey Patterson, 69 (high school)
D'Angelo Jimenez, 67 (Dominican Republic)
Joe Crede, 65 (high school)
Kevin Mench, 58 (college)
Ben Broussard, 52 (college)
Sean Burroughs, 38 (high school)
Luis Rivas, 33 (Venezuela)
Hee Seop Choi, 26 (Korea)
Keith Ginter, 24 (college)
Jack Cust, 23 (high school)
Wilson Betemit, 22 (Dominican Republic)
Josh Hamilton, 13 (high school)
Antonio Perez, 13 (Dominican Republic)
Pablo Ozuna, 11 (Dominican Republic)
Alex Escobar 9 (injuries, Venezuela)
J.R. House (borderline case, injuries, could still have a career, high school)

Busts
Joe Borchard (tools bust, college)
Dee Brown (bust, high school)
Drew Henson (tools bust, high school)
Abraham Nunez (Age-Gate, Dominican Republic )
Jose Ortiz (Dominican Republic, played well in Japan)

Thoughts:

A) Be very skeptical about football players
B) Injuries kill pitchers
C) Talent can come from anywhere. The two best players on this list, Pujols and Oswalt, both came from the junior college ranks and were low-round picks (13th for Pujols, 23rd for Oswalt
D) Some tools guys pan out, others don't. Some sluggers pan out, others don't. Obvious, but true.
E) Even now it is too early to fully evaluate this list. We don't know what will happen with Cust, Hamilton, and Betemit in particular.