The answer is likely easier to discern than you may believe. The player who will top next year’s Top 100 is almost assuredly on the current Top 100 list. It’s been 13 years and 14 Top 100s since Bryce Harper became the last player to lead a Top 100 without being on the previous year’s list.
A player has jumped directly to No. 1 just six times among the 34 Top 100s. And in all six cases, the player wasn’t eligible for the Top 100 the year before.
- Harper was the first pick in the 2010 draft and ranked No. 1 heading into 2011.
- Daisuke Matsuzaka came over from Japan in 2007. The 1997 No. 2 pick J.D. Drew had not signed before the 1998
- Top 100 rolled out. Ultimately, he re-entered the 1998 draft and went No. 5 overall to the Cardinals. He ranked No. 1 on the Top 100 in 1999.
- High school pitchers Todd Van Poppel and Brien Taylor jumped straight from being drafted to topping the lists in 1991 and 1992, and Steve Avery was the first ever No. 1 in 1990, so there was no list for him to appear on in 1989.
It’s highly unlikely that any 2023 draftee or foreign signee will jump straight to No. 1. Of the other 28 No. 1 prospects on the Top 100, all 28 ranked in the previous year’s Top 100. Gunnar Henderson, this year’s No. 1, climbed from No. 60 last year to reach the top spot.
Ronald Acuña Jr. holds the record for the largest climb. He ranked 67th in 2017 before ranking No. 1 in 2018.
Other than those two, the other 26 all ranked in the top 25. Andruw Jones ranked a very aggressive 21st coming out of the Appalachian League in 1995 before ranking No. 1 in back-to-back years in 1996 and 1997.
Denne historien er fra March 2023-utgaven av Baseball America.
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Denne historien er fra March 2023-utgaven av Baseball America.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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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.
