Preliminary Top 50 Hitting Prospects for 2013

Since the minor league season ended, I've received dozens of requests for a new prospect list.

Normally I wouldn't do the next list until my book is finished in January. I don't mean to sound like Dayton Moore, but I have a very specific Process developed over the last 15 years to make sure every list is as comprehensive as possible.

For example, integrating 2012 draftees/signees who have small performance records (Buxton, Correa, etc.) is problematic. With my normal Process, I have months to gather and analyze information to get the placement for those guys right. As I write the book, I do an individual analysis for each player (and about 1000 others) to get a letter grade, then do the list and make adjustments once the grades are done.

I haven't even started the grading for 2013 yet, but people want a list now, so here it is. The next version of the list will be finished when the 2013 Baseball Prospect Book goes to press in January. I'm confident in the names here, but the exact rankings, particularly outside the top ten, may look quite different in January compared to what you see here. This list should be understood as a working document.

Top 50 Hitting Prospects

1) Jurickson Profar, SS, Texas Rangers
2) Oscar Taveras, OF, St. Louis Cardinals
3) Wil Myers, OF, Kansas City Royals
4) Xander Bogaerts, SS, Boston Red Sox
5) Javier Baez, SS, Chicago Cubs
6) Miguel Sano, 3B, Minnesota Twins
7) Billy Hamilton, SS, Cincinnati Reds
8) Mike Zunino, C, Seattle Mariners
9) Travis D'Arnaud, C, Toronto Blue Jays
10) Francisco Lindor, SS, Cleveland Indians
11) Christian Yelich, OF, Miami Marlins
12) Nick Castellanos, 3B, Detroit Tigers
13) Mike Olt, 3B, Texas Rangers
14) Trevor Story, SS, Colorado Rockies
15) Jonathan Singleton, 1B, Houston Astros
16) Nick Franklin, SS, Seattle Mariners
17) Jedd Gyorko, 3B, San Diego Padres
18) Carlos Correa, SS, Houston Astros
19) Byron Buxton, OF, Minnesota Twins
20) Oswaldo Arcia, OF, Minnesota Twins
21) Nolan Arenado, 3B, Colorado Rockies
22) Eddie Rosario, 2B-OF, Minnesota Twins
23) Gary Sanchez, C, New York Yankees
24) Jackie Bradley, OF, Boston Red Sox
25) Brad Miller, SS, Seattle Mariners
26) Kolten Wong, 2B, St. Louis Cardinals
27) Tyler Austin, OF, New York Yankees
28) Wilmer Flores, 3B, New York Mets
29) Gregory Polanco, OF, Pittsburgh Pirates
30) Alen Hanson, 2B, Pittsburgh Pirates
31) Kaleb Cowart, 3B, Los Angeles Angels
32) Addison Russell, SS, Oakland Athletics
33) David Dahl, OF, Colorado Rockies
34) Yasiel Puig, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
35) Alberto Almora, OF, Chicago Cubs
36) Jorge Soler, OF, Chicago Cubs
37) George Springer, OF, Houston Astros
38) Rymer Liriano, OF, San Diego Padres
39) Joc Pederson, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
40) Mason Williams, OF, New York Yankees
41) Miles Head, 1B, Oakland Athletics
42) Michael Choice, Of, Oakland Athletics
43) Austin Hedges, C, San Diego Padres
44) Anthony Rendon, 3B, Washington Nationals
45) Delino DeShields, 2B, Houston Astros
46) Brian Goodwin, OF, Washington Nationals
47) Leonys Martin, OF, Texas Rangers
48) Bubba Starling, OF, Kansas City Royals
49) Kyle Parker, OF, Colorado Rockies
50) Dan Vogelbach, 1B, Chicago Cubs

Additional caveat: I've got serious back problems right now and the muscle relaxers zone me out a bit. Oddities may result.