At the top of the list, we’ve had outfielders (14), shortstops (six), catchers (four) and third basemen (three). Pitchers, however, have disappeared from the top spot.
It has been 17 seasons since a pitcher ranked No. 1 on the Top 100 Prospects list. This year, the top four prospects on the Top 100 are all position players.
Not only has no pitcher ranked No. 1 since Daisuke Matsuzaka of the Red Sox claimed the top spot in 2007, the only pitcher who has ranked in the top three in the past 10 years is Shohei Ohtani. And he’s a special case, because he also happened to be an outfielder/DH who had 35-home run potential as a two-way player.
It wasn’t always this way. A pitcher topped the list in each of the first three years of the Top 100. Steve Avery (1990), Todd Van Poppel (1991) and Brien Taylor (1992) are also a useful reminder of why just three pitchers—Matsuzaka, Rick Ankiel and Josh Beckett—have ranked No. 1 in the 31 seasons since.
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Esta historia es de la edición March 2023 de Baseball America.
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Wood Has Towering Upside- Nationals rookie James Wood also stands 6-foot-7 and also has game-changing power.
Aaron Judge and Oneil Cruz are 6-foot7 sluggers who stand out for their power in this year’s MLB Best Tools voting. Wood spent half of this season with Triple-A Rochester before making his MLB debut on July 1. While he was in the International League, he captured managers’ attention. Wood unanimously won Best Power Prospect and also claimed Most Exciting Player in a survey of league skippers. Wood hit .353/.463/.595 with 10 home runs in 52 games for Rochester. His .242 isolated slugging was the best for a player 21 or younger at Triple-A this season.
ROAD BLOCK?
Scholarship expansion puts mid-majors at a major disadvantage on the road to Omaha
ROYALS REVIVAL
A revamped and rejuvenated farm system has Kansas City ready to rebound
SUMMER STANDOUTS
The top prospects in summer college leagues are poised to impact the 2025 draft
FLORIDA COMPLEX LEAGUE TOP 10
Last year’s Florida Complex League prospect crop has been beset by lengthy injuries to many of its top players, including Yankees pitchers Henry Lalane and Carlos Lagrange, Mets infielder Marco Vargas and Red Sox catcher Johanfran Garcia.
IN WITH THE NEW
The 2024 draft is in the books. The trade deadline is history.
WALCOTT BLASTS OFF
It took some time for Rangers shortstop Sebastian Walcott to find his footing at High-A Hickory.
A RECORD NIGHT FOR COLLEGIANS
Four key takeaways from the 2024 draft
K.C.MASTERPIECE
Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. wins games for the Royals with his bat, glove, speed and baseball IQ. He might be the most tooled-up player in the game.
HOW THE MAJORS HAVE CHANGED FOR YOUNG PLAYERS
When negotiating the 2022 Collective Bargaining Agreement, the MLB Players Association prioritized the earning power of young major league players, especially young stars.
