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.
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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THE SERVICE TIME CONUNDRUM
MLB’s byzantine service time rules cloud rookie status and now PPI eligibility
LUIS TIANT WAS MLB'S MOST SUCCESSFUL CUBAN PITCHER
On a scouting trip to Cuba in 1957, Bobby Avila discovered 16-year-old righthander Luis Tiant on the island's Juvenile League all-star team.
ORGANIZATION REPORT
Outfielder Heston Kjerstad's career has been unique, to say the least.
TOP 10 NL EAST
From the moment Thomas White stepped on a high school mound, he was viewed as the top lefthander available in the 2023 draft.
PREPARATION PAYS OFF
lowa politician J.D. Scholten makes a surprising return to pro ball at age 44
MAKING THE GRADE
Assessing the future value of graduated National League prospects
TOP 10 NL WEST
Even in high school, Bryce Eldridge could hit the ball a mile. The 6-foot-7 righthander could also touch 96 mph off the mound.
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
