Taking a(nother) Look at Prospect Rankings
This is the follow-up to this post. It originally appeared here.
Well, this is it. I did a preliminary look at prospect lists here. This time, I am including the Bullpen Banter and Fangraphs rankings. I have also changed my methodology a bit.
Likes: The list places a prospect at least two standard deviations below the average ranking. A prospect must be on at least 5 lists to qualify.
Dislikes: The list places a prospect at least two standard deviations above the average ranking. A prospect must be on at least 5 lists to qualify.
Surprising Inclusion: The list includes a prospect ranked better than 80 which is only included on at most 3 lists.
Surprising Exclusion: The list does not include a prospect that is ranked anywhere on at least 6 other lists.
I also changed how the overall rank was calculated. Instead of taking an average rank, I gave each player a certain total depending where he was ranked on each list. a #1 ranking equals 100 points and a 100 ranking equals 1 point. These are all added together and the prospect with the highest total is ranked 1st, etc. Mike Trout ranked 1st with a total of 896 out of a possible 900 points. Bryce Harper was 2nd with a total of 888 points.
AOL
Likes:
None
Dislikes: (AOL, Total Rank, StDev)
Bryce Harper (7, 2, -2.58)
Wil Myers (22, 9, -2.42)
Nick Franklin (66, 44, -2.38)
Surprising Inclusions: (#Lists, AOL)
Oswaldo Arcia (2, 65)
Jeremy Jeffress (2, 75)
Zach Stewart (3, 56)
Andrew Brackman (3, 60)
Adeiny Hechevarria (3, 76)
Surprising Exclusions: (#Lists, Total Rank)
Yasmani Grandal (6, 77)
Nick Castellanos (7, 69)
Zach Lee (7, 79)
Baseball America
Likes: (BA, Total Rank, StDev)
Christian Colon (51, 87, 2.47)
Dislikes:
None
Surprising Inclusions: (#Lists, BA)
Cesar Puello (2, 77)
Tyler Chatwood (3, 76)
Andrew Brackman (3, 78)
Surprising Exclusions: (#Lists, Total Rank)
Yasmani Grandal (6, 77)
Hank Conger (6, 82)
Matt Harvey (6, 89)
Likes: (BB, Total Rank, StDev)
Danny Espinosa (56, 88, 2.33)
Jake McGee (49, 86, 2.18)
Dislikes: (BB, Total Rank, StDev)
Zach Britton (38, 16, -2.45)
Billy Hamilton (100, 61, -2.06)
Zack Wheeler (70, 45, -2.01)
Surprising Inclusions: (#Lists, BB)
Engel Beltre (2, 80)
Trayvon Robinson (3, 69)
Surprising Exclusions: (#Lists, Total Rank)
Anthony Rizzo (7, 58)
Likes: (BP, Total Rank, StDev)
Craig Kimbrel (56, 84, 2.47)
J.P. Arencibia (38, 73, 2.13)
Stetson Allie (39, 80, 2.06)
Dislikes: (BP, Total Rank, StDev)
Dustin Ackley (25, 10, -2.30)
Tony Sanchez (93, 57, -2.22)
Chris Archer (70, 43, -2.18)
Casey Kelly (48, 27, -2.17)
Anthony Ranaudo (100, 64, -2.11)
Surprising Inclusions: (#Lists, BP)
Kenley Jansen, (1, 72)
Jeremy Jeffress (2, 76)
Surprising Exclusions: (#Lists, Total Rank)
Jarred Cosart (6, 66)
Likes: (FG, Total Rank, StDev)
Drake Britton (71, 100, 2.79)
Nolan Arenado (62, 91, 2.19)
Dislikes: (FG, Total Rank, StDev)
Jordan Lyles (64, 39, -2.08)
Desmond Jennings (24, 14, -2.00)
Surprising Inclusions: (#Lists, FG)
Aaron Miller (1, 63)
Carlos Perez (2, 79)
Jared Mitchell (2, 80)
Surprising Exclusions: (#Lists, Total Rank)
Matt Harvey (6, 89)
Hank Conger (6, 82)
Keith Law
Likes: (KL, Total Rank, StDev)
Hank Conger (62, 82, 2.54)
Dislikes: (KL, Total Rank, StDev)
Mike Minor (61, 30, -2.64)
Freddie Freeman (43, 21, -2.26)
Jameson Taillon (30, 15, -2.24)
Surprising Inclusions: (#Lists, KL)
Carlos Martinez (2, 52)
Oswaldo Arcia (2, 74)
Alex Torres (2, 77)
Christian Yelich (2, 79)
Zach Stewart (3, 44)
Surprising Exclusions: (#Lists, Total Rank)
Alex White (7, 67)
Christian Colon (7, 87)
Brett Jackson (8, 46)
Jake Odorizzi (8, 59)
Tanner Scheppers (8, 72)
MLB
Likes: (MLB, Total Rank, StDev)
Tanner Scheppers (43, 72, 2.13)
Dislikes: (MLB, Total Rank, StDev)
Jesus Montero (9, 3, -3.12)
Matt Moore (27, 13, -2.31)
Surprising Inclusions: (#Lists, MLB)
None
Surprising Exclusions: (#Lists, Total Rank) (Only includes those players with a Total Rank in the top 50)
Randall Delgado (8, 40)
Zack Wheeler (8, 45)
Jean Segura (8, 47)
Jason Kipnis (8, 48)
Derek Norris (8, 49)
Miguel Sano (8, 50)
Prospect Junkies
Likes: (PJ, Total Rank, StDev)
Zack Cox (53, 78, 2.23)
Dislikes: (PJ, Total Rank, StDev)
Manny Banuelos (65, 26, -2.38)
Domonic Brown (10, 4, -2.35)
Surprising Inclusions: (#Lists, PJ)
Nick Weglarz (2, 72)
Cesar Puello (2, 78)
A.J. Cole (2, 79)
Surprising Exclusions: (#Lists, Total Rank)
Danny Duffy (6, 71)
Brody Colvin (6, 75)
Likes: (PP, Total Rank, StDev)
Nick Castellanos (32, 69, 2.54)
Matt Harvey (48, 89, 2.27)
Dislikes: (PP, Total Rank, StDev)
Michael Pineda (56, 18, -2.73)
Julio Teheran (22, 6, -2.71)
Jacob Turner (55, 23, -2.71)
Aroldis Chapman (23, 8, -2.67)
Jeremy Hellickson (19, 5, -2.54)
Kyle Gibson (61, 35, -2.50)
Mike Montgomery (54, 24, -2.48)
Gary Sanchez (73, 36, -2.27)
Tyler Matzek (64, 33, -2.18)
Miguel Sano (98, 50, -2.17)
Chris Sale (75, 31, -2.11)
Surprising Inclusions: (#Lists, PP)
Reese Havens (1, 42)
Fernando Martinez (1, 53)
Bobby Borchering (1, 60
James Darnell (1, 62)
Drew Cumberland (1, 63)
Alexi Amarista (1, 65)
Dayan Viciedo (1, 77)
Josh Spence (1, 79)
Nick Weglarz (2, 33)
Adeiny Hechevarria (3, 52)
Josh Sale (3, 69)
Surprising Exclusions: (#Lists, Total Rank)
Jarred Cosart (6, 66)
Danny Duffy (6, 71)
Brody Colvin (6, 75)
Dellin Betances (7, 54)
Grant Green (7, 56)
Billy Hamilton (7, 61)
Trey McNutt (7, 68)
Arodys Vizcaino (7, 76)
Brett Lawrie (8, 42)
Chris Archer (8, 43)
Dee Gordon (8, 53)
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Comments
Very Cool
For us stats geeks gives us a lot of awesome info to chew on!!
I drink your milkshake! I drink it up! Well Mr. Plainview, Devin Mesoraco and I drank lots of milkshakes, and we will drink yours too!
by ChalupaCabrera on Apr 1, 2026 12:08 AM EDT reply actions
Project Prospect
Well its official, I am never using Project Prospect rankings again. The just are so far off everyone else’s radar that its baffling. They have the most Dislikes, the most Suprising Inclusions and the most Surpising Exclusions.
The only way that this would make sense is if their rankings are based on current season MLB value (ie, they don’t think Lawrie will reach the majors this year so he was excluded)
Great info and thanks for the post!
by tenags on Apr 1, 2026 10:09 AM EDT reply actions
You could sail a cruise ship through the hole in that logic.
by PissedMick on Apr 1, 2026 3:56 PM EDT up reply actions
I am never using Project Prospect rankings again.
I hope they can weather the blow…
by blackoutyears on Apr 1, 2026 7:26 PM EDT up reply actions
Ah yes
Because the average amongst all the rankings is the actual “true ranking” that perfectly predicts future MLB value for all the players ranked. Of course. That’s why being further away from the average means your rankings are of a lower quality.
by OctaShields on Apr 2, 2026 12:19 AM EDT up reply actions
minor point...
The graphs look quite different than the previous post (these look correct to me) especially at the higher number picks.
Glancing at the spread of the graphs, it looks like BA and MLB (although difficult to tell for sure with the shorter list) most closely resemble the consensus—probably followed by FG and PJ. PP (no surprise) followed by BP and KL seem to be the biggest outliers.
I wonder whether the higher rating for BA reflects their methods (incorporating opinions from a broad range of people) or their influence—since I’m sure all the other publications also read BA.
by DenverBears on Apr 3, 2026 7:44 AM EDT reply actions
The graphs
Are different. This reflects my change in method. So before, if a prospect was ranked in only one list, the for would be right on the average line. Now, since it is a total points system, the prospects ranked on only a few lists are ranked in the 100s overall. I agree that they look much more correct.
@stealofhome
by Chris St. John on Apr 4, 2026 12:32 AM EDT up reply actions
Swype fail
The “dot” not the for.
@stealofhome
by Chris St. John on Apr 4, 2026 12:32 AM EDT reply actions
Avg top 100
Do you have a list of the top 100 as defined by avg placement?
Also, is there a list of consensus top players (i.e. players that made every list?)
The Dodgers won't win a playoff series until the Cool-a-Coo returns.
by mckeeno on Apr 4, 2026 1:15 PM EDT reply actions
I have the top list
Here: http://stealofhome.blogspot.com/2011/03/2011-top-167-prospect-list.html
I don’t have a consensus top list, though. It probably wouldn’t be too difficult to do.
@stealofhome
by Chris St. John on Apr 11, 2026 10:00 AM EDT up reply actions
Ian Krol
Did he make multiple lists or just the baseball prospectus one?
by auclairkeithbc on Apr 4, 2026 2:30 PM EDT reply actions
Ian Krol
Was only on the BP list.
@stealofhome
by Chris St. John on Apr 11, 2026 10:01 AM EDT reply actions

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