First Class Baseball America: Top 25-11 Prospects

Now we finally get into some analysis of the prospects!

99-89 Elite:
- This player will be one of the best players at his position, top tier starter, or frontline closer

89-87 Very Good:
- This player will be a perennial All-Star, #1 starter (#2 starter on championship teams), or quality closer

87-85 Good:
- This player is the type that fields the majority of starting jobs in the majors, quality #2/3 starter, or second-tier closer

85-83 Above Average:
- This player's overall production will consistently meet or exceed the league average for his position

83-81 Average:
- This player is a solid to average everyday player on non-championship teams, most #4/5 starters, or set-up man

81-79 Below Average:
- This player is a fringe everyday player and is where you'll find most of your backups, some #5 starters, and most middle relievers

#25 Jay Robinson, SP (Dodgers)
-- Robinson has good control and closing in on good movement. He should end up with two average pitches to go along with one plus pitch. The concern for him will be the number of home runs he allows.

#24 Claude Fenwick, SP (Rockies)
-- Fenwick may battle control problems to an extent, but he has good movement and doesn't allow many home runs. He also has a nice repertoire with a nice down'em pitch in his Gyroball that will get him out of trouble.

#23 Jerry Young, 3B (Tigers)
-- Young needs work offensively, but already has a very good eye and can be counted on defensively. If his offense comes around, he'll be the complete package.

#22 Fujifusa Wakisaka, SP (Twins)
-- If it wasn't for his control, he'd probably be one of the elite pitching prospects in the game. He has a good repertoire matched with both good power and movement. The future is bright for this Japanese hurler.

#21 Alberto Verganor, SP (Red Sox)
-- His vitals aren't overall eye pleasing, but he still has plenty of time to develop and has a repertoire that can help him become successful. His amateur and minor league stats show mixed results on home runs allowed, so it'll be interesting to see how it pans out.

#20 Ray Costello, SS (Angels)
-- Costello may have some of the highest potential on the list. But at 17, he still has a lot to prove. Speed is the name of the game for him and with early indications are that he should be a fine on-base guy.

#19 Sean Zlotnick, SP (Rockies)
-- Zlotnick has a dominant fastball to go along with good movement. In time his control and secondary pitches should develop enough to make his a reliable pitcher.

#18 Antonio Candelalia, LF (Angels)
-- When Candelalia's development is all said and done he shouldn't have a rating under 75. He does already show very good contact, but with him being a very low strikeout guy, I have to question how that will effect his batting average.

#17 Chuck Genolio, 2B (Cardinals)
-- Aside from range, Genolio is what you'd expect out of a young second base prospect (probably better than expected offensively). His issue going forward will be health. Though nothing major has happened yet, it appears to only be a matter of time.

#16 Jeff Jewett, LF (Marlins)
-- While Jewett would fare better in central, he will still provide quality gap power and on-base numbers. With heavy right-handed hitting league, his defense will be greatly appreciated in left.

#15 Jim Raines, SP (Royals)
-- At only 20, there's a lot to like about Raines. He'll have two plus pitches and a "show me" changeup. In maturation I'd expect his home run issue to be corrected. He should be a fine #2/3 starter.

#14 Javy Pena, SP (Angels)
-- Pena's repertoire, control, and movement at 20 (in June) is just dandy. Concerns would be home runs and health, but if he can remain healthy, home runs shouldn't be much of a concern in AL West parks.

#13 Jamie Rodriguez, SP (A's)
-- Rodriguez is just another example of promising, very young pitching prospects in the AL West. All pitches in his repertoire could very well develop into above average pitches. Give him a few years and he could be a top five prospect.

#12 Chris Bradley, RF (Nationals)
-- Bradley may very well be done developing, but he's still a very good player. He has high quality defense to go along with very good contact and power. Health is going to be a concern for him and that could cost him some All-Star bids.

#11 Etienne Viloca, 2B (Mets)
-- At just 18, you have to marvel at what his power and eye should become. Defensively he's fairly raw, but there's no reason why he won't develop into respectable with a glove in his hand. I think of him as a better ranging Dan Uggla.

For a complete recap:

Rank	Team	Player Name		Pos	Age	Score
25	LAD	Robinson, Jay		SP	22	85.43
24	COL	Fenwick, Claude		SP	21	85.51
23	DET	Young, Jerry		3B	22	85.70
22	MIN	Wakisaka, Fujifusa		SP	23	85.84
21	BOS	Verganor, Alberto		SP	22	85.85
20	LAA	Costello, Ray		SS	16	86.02
19	COL	Zlotnick, Sean		SP	21	86.25
18	LAA	Candelalia, Antonio		LF	22	86.36
17	STL	Genolio, Chuck		2B	21	86.45
16	FLA	Jewett, Jeff		LF	22	86.60
15	KCR	Raines, Jim		SP	19	86.65
14	LAA	Pena, Javy		SP	19	86.90
13	OAK	Rodriguez, Jamie		SP	18	86.91
12	WSN	Bradley, Chris		RF	23	87.19
11	NYM	Viloca, Etienne		2B	18	87.33

Up Next: Top 10 Prospects...