Top Ten CF Prospects

*Reminder: Right-handed CFs: Range + Glove must equal at least 165.
Left handed CFs: Range + Glove must equal at least 160 (accounting for the fact that defensively challenged RH CFs may move over to 2B. Left-handed CFs do not have that option, so playing a weaker defensive player at CF makes more sense should that player be left-handed).
No base for arm accuracy/strength.


10. Pablo Nieves
Colorado Springs Silver Stars
Bats: R
21 years old, AA
Signed as an international FA ($4.3 million, Season 6)

A fairly nondescript prospect at first glance, Nieves should nonetheless be at least a championship-caliber backup, or a fringy starter. Nieves' offensive game is fairly well-rounded; he has some pop, hits well against southpaws (while struggling against righties), and displays pretty good patience at the plate. He doesn't run well for a CF, but makes the most of his abilities; defensively, he gets good jumps to compensate for his lack of speed, and on the bases, he'll exercise good judgment. He'll be a fine 2B should the Silver Stars decide to leave him there, but can certainly handle CF well enough to merit a move.


9. Marvin Stern
Colorado Springs Silver Stars
Bats: R
19 years old, High A
Drafted (HS) in the 2nd round (52nd overall, Season 7)

Stern's bat is fairly unimpressive. He's not a terrible hitter, but has trouble driving good pitching, especially against southpaws. A pitcher with a good fastball can knock the bat out of Stern's hands on an inside heater. He also doesn't have much raw power; expect him to put up a sub-.400 SLG with regularity at the ML level. He does do the little things well, though; he's an exciting defender with outstanding speed and athleticism. With some work, he could become a threat on the bases as well. A solid bunter, which should come in handy. He'll be there to play every day, but he does have character issues, and doesn't seem to respond well to criticism.


8. Ray Lyons
Oklahoma City Twins
Bats: L
20 years old, AAA
Drafted (HS) in the 1st round (15th overall, Season 6)

Lyons doesn't profile as an intimidating hitter. He's yet to hit double digits in homers in any given season in the minors. Still, he does have excellent bat control, no platoon split, decent patience, and good speed. His instincts on the bases are top-notch, and he bunts very well, making him an ideal tactical player for "small-ball" managers. Ron Gardenhire would love him. He covers a lot of real estate in center, getting great reads off the bat and taking direct routes to the ball. Never hurt, and doesn't take days off. He's an extreme pull-hitter, despite his lack of power; this is because he crowds the plate enough to pull anything within the strike zone, and has quick hands that get through the hitting zone fast enough to catch up with the inside pitch.


7. Vic Martinez
Richmond Roustabouts
Bats: R
23 years old, AAA
Drafted (College JR) in the 1st round (3rd overall, Season 6)

Another hitter who doesn't excel at anything, but has no weaknesses, Martinez should hit for fairly good averages, draw some walks, and hit his share of homers. He runs fairly well, but is probably slower than your average CF. While he's a good baserunner, he doesn't quite have the top-end speed to become a weapon as a base thief. He should be fast enough to use his excellent bunting ability to produce a fair number of infield singles, however. As I just mentioned, Martinez is a step slower than your typical CF, but he's very sure-handed, with a flair for the spectacular; he'll make his share of wall-climbing grabs and sprawling catches. He sprained his left ankle 3 times in high school, and once in college, and has complained of shoulder stiffness several times in the past. If he's not hurt, though, he'll play every day.


6. Harry Navarre
Minnesota Fatboys
Bats: S
21 years old, High A
International FA, signed to a $16 million contract (Season 5)

Navarre's hitting approach is similar to Howie Kendrick. He doesn't have a whole lot of raw power, but seems to hit the ball on the nose every time he swings. Also like Kendrick, Navarre doesn't walk very often. Expect him to be in the batting title race several times in his career. Despite being fast, Navarre isn't a good baserunner, making a ton of aggressive (read: ill-advised) outs by trying to take the extra base. He's also one of the worst bunters in the organization. Navarre projects as a plus defender with excellent range. However, he suffered a severe hamstring tear last year, an injury that seems to have some serious long-term effects. Some scouts think that the injury may change Navarre's defensive outlook from excellent to merely good. He's still an excellent prospect, but one that comes with a few question marks.


5. Nicholas Helms
Iowa City Comics
Bats: R
20 years old, AA
Drafted (HS) in the 1st round (28th overall, Season 6)

Helms has very good power, but struggles a bit against right-handed pitching and still can't lay off of a good slider when behind in the count. Of course, he's earned this ranking by way of defense. Like Curtis Granderson, Helms lacks top-end speed for a CF (in fact, he's downright slow for the position), but makes up for it with excellent instincts and positioning. He has tremendous range and the ability to make dazzling catches, a combination that should make him a staple of Sportscenter's Webgems for the next dozen years.


4. Tony Pascual
Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Bats: L
20 years old, AA
Drafted (HS) in the 1st round (10th overall, Season 6)

Pascual is close to being a perfect lead-off man. He's a very good contact hitter, has a solid swing, has fantastic plate discipline (with enough power to keep pitchers honest), and is a fast, intelligent baserunner with the ability to bunt for hits and steal bases. He does hit considerably better against righties than lefties, although the difference probably isn't enough to justify a platooning or anything. Defensively, he projects to be solid; while he'll make his share of miscues, he covers enough ground to make up for his faults. The only real issue with Pascual is his injury history; he's extremely fragile, having visited the DL 4 times as a professional already. If the injuries keep piling up, they may end up stunting his growth as a ballplayer.


3. Bip Reagan
New York Metropolitans
Bats: S
22 years old, AAA
Drafted (HS) in the 1st round (8th overall, Season 4)

No, he's not the top CF prospect in baseball, much less the top prospect in baseball. He's still a damn good player. His range at the position is ordinary, but his glovework is very strong. The Metropolitans haven't made it known whether he'll be playing 2B (where he'll be an annual GG candidate) or CF (where he'll be pretty good, but nothing special). Offensively, Reagan's trademark is a looping uppercut swing that generates a ton of power. He makes surprisingly good contact with said swing, but he hits a ton of routine flyballs and popups. A better hitter from the left-hand side. Reagan's plate discipline projects to be no better than average; as a result, he'll probably struggle to put up something resembling a league-average OBP most years. He doesn't take the team's conditioning program very seriously, and can be a bit of an attitude problem. He'll also see his share of ejections. Still, how many players with plus-plus power have the ability to play CF in the majors? (Hint: Look at the next two players on this list)


2. Shannon Perez
Los Angeles Hangars
Bats: L
18 years old, Rookie League
Drafted (HS) in the 1st round (7th overall, Season 8)

Scouts love Perez. His power projects as an 80 on the scouting scale, and his plate discipline and swing both look to be solid. He has trouble picking up lefties at times, but seems to do very well for himself against righties. He'll whiff a lot, but it shouldn't become a major concern. His defense in CF projects to reach around league average, and his baserunning should become pretty good with time; coupled with his speed, Perez should be able to steal quite a few bases in the majors. Of course, the scary thing about prospects this young is the gap between what he is and what he can be; Perez doesn't get very high marks for his work ethic, and while Perez is notably durable, injuries can happen to anyone. There's a lot here to dream on, but it'll be a while before the Hangars can cash in.


1. Phil Walbeck
Vancouver Vigilantes
Bats: R
18 years old, Rookie League
Drafted (HS) in the 1st round (11th overall, Season 8)

Like the two hitters ranked just below him, Walbeck projects to plus-plus power. Unlike them, however, Walbeck's swing projects as excellent; despite his struggles to make contact, Walbeck should still be able to hit for a respectable average against both lefties and righties, and should also hit his share of screamers in the gaps. Walbeck's speed is pretty average for the position. He's a very smart baserunner that knows when to take advantage of a weaker defense, and when to play it safe. He projects to be about average defensively in CF, maybe a bit better. The comment referring to Shannon Perez's youth works with Walbeck as well, although Walbeck's work ethic hasn't been called into question yet. If he reaches his ceiling, he'll be a superstar.