2008 Draft Prospects

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Since many have been critical of the list I found, I have been working on one of my own.

20 Top College Prospects

1. Justin Smoak, 1b, South Carolina

2. Aaron Crow, rhp, Missouri

3. Pedro Alvarez, 3b, Vanderbilt

4. Brian Matusz, lhp, San Deigo

5. Yonder Alonso, Miami

6. Brett Hunter, rhp Pepperdine

7. Shooter Hunt, rhp, Tulane

8. Jemile Weeks, 2b, Miami

9. Ryan Perry, rhp, Arizona

10. Buster Posey, c, Florida St.

11. Christian Friedrich, lhp, Eastern Kentucky

12. Brandon Crawford, ss, UCLA

13. Luke Burnett, rhp, Louisiana St.

14. Jacob Thompson, rhp Virginia

15. Cody Satterwhite, rhp, Mississippi

16. Tyson Ross, rhp, California

17. Gordon Beckham, ss, Georgia

18. Tanner Scheppers, rhp, Fresno St.

19. Dennis Raben, of, Miami

20. Chris Carpenter, rhp, Kent St.

Best Athlete: Jemile Weeks, Miami

Best Hitter: Yonder Alonso, Miami

Best Power Hitter: Justin Smoak, South Carolina

Best Speed: Jemile Weeks, Miami

Best Defense: Blake Tekotte, Miami

Hardest Thrower: Aaron Crow, Missouri

Most Poise: Aaron Crow, Missouri

Pitcher in the MLB in '09: Aaron Crow, Missouri

Hitter in MLB in '09: Justin Smoak, South Carolina


Top 10 High School Prospects

1. Tim Beckham, ss

2. Eric Hosmer, 1b

3. Tim Melville, rhp

4. Gerrit Cole, rhp

5. Jordon Cooper, rhp

6. Aaron Hicks, of

7. Harold Martinez, 3b

8. Issac Galloway, of

9. Kyle Skipworth, c

10. Sonny Gray, rhp

11. Alex Meyer, rhp

12. Daniel Webb, rhp

13. Kyle Lobstein, lhp

14. Brett DeVall, lhp

15. Robbie Grossman, of

16. Zack Cox, 3b

17. Jarrett Martin, lhp

18. Michael Palazzone, rhp

19. Robbie Ross, lhp

20. Adrian Nieto, c

Best Athlete: Tim Beckham, ss

Best Hitter: Tim Beckham, ss

Best Power Hitter: Eric Hosmer, 1b

Best Speed: Randall Thorpe, of

Best Defense: Kyle Skipworth, c

Hardest Thrower: Gerrit Cole, rhp

Most Poise: Sonny Gray, rhp

In the MLB in '09: Tim Beckham, ss

Here is the Top 60 List From Keith Law:

NO. PLAYER POS. SCHOOL
1 Tim Beckham SS Griffin (Ga.) H.S.
2 Buster Posey C Florida State
3 Justin Smoak 1B South Carolina
4 Pedro Alvarez 3B Vanderbilt
5 Eric Hosmer 1B American Heritage H.S. (Plantation, Fla.)
6 Aaron Crow RHP Missouri
7 Gordon Beckham SS Georgia
8 Brian Matusz RHP San Diego
9 Tanner Scheppers RHP Fresno State
10 Gerrit Cole RHP Lutheran H.S. (Orange, Calif.)
11 Kyle Skipworth C Patriot H.S. (Riverside, Calif.)
12 Brett Wallace 3B Arizona State
13 Christian Friedrich LHP Eastern Kentucky
14 Aaron Hicks RF/RHP Wilson H.S. (Long Beach, Calif.)
15 Tim Melville RHP Holt H.S. (Wentzville, Mo.)
16 Ethan Martin RHP/3B Stephens County H.S. (Toccoa, Ga.)
17 Josh Fields RHP Georgia
18 Yonder Alonso 1B Miami
19 Shooter Hunt RHP Tulane
20 Jason Cooper 1B California
21 Casey Kelly SS/RHP Sarasota (Fla.) H.S.
22 Jason Castro C Stanford
23 Conor Gillaspie 3B Wichita State
24 Andrew Cashner RHP Texas Christian
25 Lance Lynn RHP Mississippi
26 Dennis Raben RF Miami
27 Reese Havens SS South Carolina
28 Jake Odorizzi RHP Highland (Ill.) H.S.
29 Petey Paramore C Arizona State
30 Jemile Weeks 2B Miami
31 Robbie Ross LHP Lexington (Ky.) Christian Academy
32 Aaron Weatherford RHP Mississippi State
33 Brad Holt RHP UNC Wilmington
34 Josh Lindblom RHP Purdue
35 Bryan Price RHP Rice
36 James Darnell 3B South Carolina
37 Ezekiel Spruill RHP Kell H.S. (Marietta, Ga.)
38 Daniel Webb RHP Heath H.S. (Paducah, Ky.)
39 Adrian Nieto C American Heritage H.S. (Plantation, Fla.)
40 Kyle Lobstein LHP Coconino H.S. (Flagstaff, Ariz.)
41 Michael Montgomery LHP Hart H.S. (Valencia, Calif.)
42 Cody Satterwhite RHP Mississippi
43 Niko Vasquez SS Durango H.S. (Las Vegas, Nev.)
44 Ryan Perry RHP Arizona
45 Alex Meyer RHP Greensburg (Ind.) H.S.
46 Vance Worley RHP Long Beach State
47 Destin Hood OF St. Paul's Episcopal School (Mobile, Ala.)
48 Wade Miley LHP Southeast Louisiana
49 Roger Kieschnick OF Texas Tech
50 Zach Collier OF Chino Hills (Calif.) H.S.
51 Brett DeVall LHP Niceville (Fla.) H.S.
52 Ike Davis 1B Arizona State
53 Aaron Shafer RHP Wichita State
54 Logan Forsyth 3B Arkansas
55 Isaac Galloway OF Los Osos H.S. (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.)
56 Kyle Weiland RHP Notre Dame
57 Tim Murphy LHP UCLA
58 Brett Lawrie C/2B Langley (B.C.) H.S.
59 Nick Maronde LHP Lexington (Ky.) Catholic H.S.
60 Taylor Hightower C Cartersville (Ga.) H.S.

47 comments:

Anonymous 1:22 PM CDT  

Alvarez is a 3B, while Matusz is a LHP.

Anonymous 10:43 AM CST  

You left off Ryan Perry at U of A. The guy throws 97 with a power CB. Surely a top 10 prospect.

Anonymous 2:04 AM CST  

How could you leave off Jonathan Herendeen of Jackson CC. Definetely a top 20 pick

Anonymous 8:50 PM CST  

Over 500 JUCO players were selected in last years draft and you're tellin me that there isn't a single JUCO player worth your list...check out the Arizona JUCO's, guarantee you there would be some players there that would change your list...how about that South Mountain JC pitching staff, 3of their starters signed D1 early...Central Ariz. JC has a first baseman signed prominently early too...cmon, you can't leave out the entire JUCO system when really, they are a HUGE portion of the draft picks

Anonymous 5:02 PM CST  

Michael Petrivelli out of Southwestern College in San Diego is a sleeper pick...keep an eye out for that bulldog

Anonymous 2:57 PM CST  

you failed to talk about 2 HUGE prospects. Brad Hand and Joe Loftus both out of Minnesota. Loftus has a full ride to Vanderbilt. He's a 3B and a pitcher with a 95 mph fastball and nasty slider. Hand is a LHP and 1B. He's going on scholarship to ASU to pitch. He hit 94 and for a lefty thats prime

Anonymous 11:10 PM CST  

To keep an eye out for the best college baseball prospects in the nation, go to collegebaseballprospects.blogspot.com. Here you can keep track of some of the best ncaa players in the country and potential top picks for the 2008 draft.

Anonymous 2:33 PM CST  

I agree about the JUCO system. They have some of the BEST players and there isn't one of them on your list. There are some amazing players at Sacramento City College in Sacramento, CA. They always have at least one or two of their players drafted every year. I think you've missed a big part of the baseball community of players by leaving the JUCO system out.

Anonymous 11:20 PM CST  

Greeley West High School 2008

Anonymous 3:41 PM CST  

What about Canada ?
Last year 8 drafted on day 1 and 3 in the first round.

Brett Lawrie could be the highest ever drafted Canadian positional player. Trained with Russ Martin in the off season.

Remember, MLB teams have easy access for P1 visas. Expect at least 1, maybe 2 Canadians in the top 100.

Anonymous 8:15 PM CST  

Bert Smith 2B and clay whittemore RF from Jacksonville State University are sleepers in 2008 up coming draft. Smith is one of your better college middle infielders in the nation, hands down. stats at PING baseball.

Anonymous 11:53 AM CST  

High School's Justin Jeising is the biggest high school star in the nation and will be moving up to the pro's eventually after going to college where he plans to attend Vanderbilt and he can reach up to 102 miles per hour on the radar gun but is a left fielder with a ton of power as he hit 36 homers in a very short season. I can't name his high school sorry

Anonymous 3:08 PM CST  

Has anyone been following Carlos Lopez.2008 Shortstop/Catcher from Atlantic Community High in Delray Beach FL.
6'0"195 lb. Built like a linebacker.
Plus arm (90 fastball) (90 across infield) A third through season leads all hitters in big schools in Palm Beach County in Avg. (.641) and RBIs. Wake Forest signee. Great hands, hits for power and avg. Only negative is below avg. speed. Several local coaches say he is the best shortstop in area in years and perhaps the best player in the county.

Anonymous 12:52 PM CDT  

Um...what about Andrew Liebel for Long Beach State hes a senior this year and he has a record of 2-1; an ERA of 1.72 and already 46 K's and only 4 walks. Leads the team in K's.

Anonymous 9:12 PM CDT  

T.J House is a LHP from Picayune H.S. in Miss.. He is probably the best lefty in H.S. at present. He will probably go in the 1st round. He should definetely be on this list.

Anonymous 3:58 PM CDT  

how is smoak better than alvarez, matusz, and crow? he is the 4th best at MOST.

Anonymous 4:00 PM CDT  

brett hunter should be dropped considering his injury - which is also why alvarez isnt first????? when he should be.

Anonymous 6:13 PM CDT  

If you like sleepers, a big polished hitter [DeJuan Johnson] in the California NAIA system who goes by DJ - from Univ of Patten. If he finishes the season, close to the way he's been playing to this point, you'll hear him taken top 35 picks, either Diamondbacks or Padres

Anonymous 7:55 PM CDT  

yes i love sleepers, there are many sleepers who i been keeping an eye on lately. the best sleeper i found out about was Former Eastern Michigan Player Montaous walton who now attends Whitewater back in wisconsin. his 06 campaign was crazy after finishing with 22 stolen bases, 14 RBI and a .323 batting average last season he had 17 stolen bases with a .317 batting average. this season he may be out due to grades from what i been hearing, but if he goes out for the draft this season i can see him being taken in the top 35 or 40...if he returns next season he can possibly be taken higher.

Eric Crock 8:06 PM CDT  

there are alot of sleepers this year's draft like Eastern michigan's Montaous Walton who now attends whitewater in Wisconsin. his most dominate season was in 06 and his 07 debut was not bad at all. he will definitely become a later round pick if he go out this season, he should return for his final season to raise his stock higher.

Tyler Beckam 10:09 AM CDT  

yeah that name sounds kind of familiar, although i do believe this year and next years draft is gonna be Awesome! from what i been reading Walton is currently working hard to improve grades,which explains why he may not play all of this season maybe at all, but yeah i agree if he decides to go out this year he will be a later pick, but if he decides to wait until next year's draft he could definitely be higher. he has that much talent and potential i think.

Julian 7:04 PM CDT  

how bout john brebia of Wellington highschool in Wellington florida
so far hes 9-1 with a era of 1.23 and 80 something strikeouts and he plays in one of the hardest districts in in the nation
6A palm beach.

Anonymous 6:11 PM CDT  

Tyler Stovall of Hokes Bluff, Al is one of the best kept secrets in baseball and should draft on June 5

Anonymous 9:50 PM CDT  

from canada, anyone been following oscar rodriguez. top prospect for catching in the province of bc. poped a 1.81 in the arizona fall classic, along with hitting over .500. early signee with western nevada wildcats. hitting a solid .345 in the bcpbl(top league in canada) along with players such as brett lawrie, carter bell, and michael crouse...keep an eye.

Anonymous 11:16 PM CDT  

17 yr old Kid who's under the radar is a 6'3" 185lbs LHP from Newsome HS in Florida. Tossed 49 innings had 88K's as a senior. Allowed just 30 hits. Clocked as high as 91 FB, great curve and outstanding change.
Kris Castellanos.

Anonymous 8:15 PM CDT  

Is there any one following ROBIN BUGALLO first baseman hitting 459 ave
ranked #14 with an slug of 719 on the
NJCAA league?? He is playing for Monroe college.

Coach44 11:15 AM CDT  

Another sleeper. Not only can he hit but has a very strong arm and is like a wall behind the dish. Mount Saint Mary College senior Chris Schacca (Franklin Square, N.Y.) was named the Skyline Conference Player of the Year on Monday, becoming only the second position player in school history to win the award. Playing in all thirty-eight games for the team, Schacca led the Blue Knights with a batting average of .459,(19th in the Nation) a slugging percentage of .637, and an on-base percentage of .545. He also led the team in hits, doubles, and total bases and finished second in runs scored, home runs and runs batted in. The senior’s numbers were even better in conference play as he posted a batting average of .528 to go along with a slugging percentage of .774 and an on-base percentage of .609.

Anonymous 11:17 AM CDT  

Another sleeper..Mount Saint Mary College senior catcher Chris Schacca (Franklin Square, N.Y.) was named the Skyline Conference Player of the Year on Monday, becoming only the second position player in school history to win the award. Playing in all thirty-eight games for the team, Schacca led the Blue Knights with a batting average of .459, a slugging percentage of .637, and an on-base percentage of .545. He also led the team in hits, doubles, and total bases and finished second in runs scored, home runs and runs batted in. The senior’s numbers were even better in conference play as he posted a batting average of .528 to go along with a slugging percentage of .774 and an on-base percentage of .609.

Coach44 11:22 AM CDT  

Another sleeper.. Newburgh, N.Y. - Mount Saint Mary College senior catcher Chris Schacca (Franklin Square, N.Y.) was named the Skyline Conference Player of the Year on Monday, becoming only the second position player in school history to win the award. Playing in all thirty-eight games for the team, Schacca led the Blue Knights with a batting average of .459 (24th in the nation), a slugging percentage of .637, and an on-base percentage of .545. He also led the team in hits, doubles, and total bases and finished second in runs scored, home runs and runs batted in. The senior’s numbers were even better in conference play as he posted a batting average of .528 to go along with a slugging percentage of .774 and an on-base percentage of .609. A very strong arm and is like a wall behind the Dish.

Anonymous 3:12 PM CDT  

How about Nick Freitas from southern Utah University? Great numbers for a lead off hitter. Will he be picked in the draft? How high?

Anonymous 12:54 PM CDT  

Don't overlook small JUCO's. Otero in La Junta, Colorado, Mike Roberts one of the best catcher's seen, 6'4" 225 lbs, strong hitter, RBI leader, baseball training in high altitude puts player step ahead in conditioning. Played two years on his way to D1 or D2 or draft.

zero 9:22 PM CDT  

Michael Mutcheson, 5'11 and a solid 180. 6.5 runner with a gun. First step quickness and a fearless hockey type attitude.
470 foot homerun to dead center in Regionals and an all-star selection at ss.
Baseball America called him the possible sleeper os the draft.

Anonymous 12:05 PM CDT  

Another sleeper can be found at the NJCAA Div 1 W.S., pitching for Johnson County Community College. 6'3" 230# Freshman LHP Brandon Droge set a school record for season innings pitched (93)to remain one of the 12 lowest ERA in the nation (1.54), and was a region 6 1st team selection.

Anonymous 2:17 PM CDT  

Keep an eye open for Division II Lenoir-Rhyne 3B Daniel Ford the kid Left/Right great bat. Season batting average .426, with only 9 strikeouts in 248 plate appearances. 10 homeruns shows good power with strong arm.

Anonymous 2:10 PM CDT  

A sleeper not in this list is JP Ramirez from Canyon High School in Texas the best hitter in the country, without a doubt..

Anonymous 9:09 PM CDT  

You left off Brett (B.J.) Hermsen of West Delaware. (Manchester, IA) He throws between 93-95 and posted a 1.16 ERA as a junior with a no hitter at the State Tornament. He committed to Oregon State and played in the 2007 Aflac All-American game.

Anonymous 10:39 AM CDT  

Brett Lawrie (Langley, BC) has 8 Hr's and 22 rbi in 6 games on junior Team Canada's current Dominican trip vs. Rookie teams... heating up at the right time

Anonymous 6:39 PM CDT  

I think everyone should remember the name Pete Paris of Georgia College. Not going to get drafted high but I gurantee will make an impact within 5 years. Been consistent his whole career and has a great arm for a catcher

Anonymous 5:32 PM CDT  

Brett Sanders from Etobicoke Canada
This kid should be on the radar for sure. Barely into Puberty he is 6'3 220lbs FIRST BASEMAN THAT CAN CATCH WHEN NEEDED!!!
Member of team Canada!
HITS the ball a TON.

Anonymous 11:22 AM CDT  

Delawter from UMBC intrigued me when I saw him. Unbelievable power at the plate. About 6'0 tall and 210-215 pounds I'd guess. Reminds me of Jack Cust who plays for Oakland. Kid can definitely hit. And did fair on the pitchers mound this year going 5-1 in conference games. Absolutely running under the radar.....

Anonymous 7:01 PM CDT  

I may have overlooked him but i dont think i saw Kris Castellanos, he is a 6'-4" 200lb Lefty outta Tampa FL, he has a nasty curve and change up, his fastball is clocked around low 90's he also led the county in strikeouts this year

Anonymous 12:12 PM CDT  

PARISH (rhp), FROM nj

Anonymous 9:27 AM CDT  

corey young from seton hall is the truth

Anonymous 4:37 PM CDT  

To bad the world doesnt know about a young man from a Tennessee JUCO who throws 93-97mph with a 87mph slider and just started pitching when he got to JUCO is freshman year. Not to mention he didnt even play on his high school team. 6-5 210 lbs

Anonymous 12:14 AM CDT  

Does anyone know if Mater Dei standout SS Tyler Rahmatulla got drafted?and where?

Anonymous 4:36 PM CDT  

Milwaukee Native Montaous walton is making a Name for himself over in the West Coast At the ABI Academy
few west coast Scouts were Impressed by his time in the 60 (6.47), it appears he did not play this past school year due to grades, but there is no doubt in mind someone will sign him.

Anonymous 9:45 PM CST  

very impressive player with strong work ethic, has nice speed with great potential