Baseball America released it’s Top 10 Tiger Prospect list today. Non-subscribers can read the overview, and the scouting report on #1 Kyle Sleeth. To read reports for 2-10 you need to subscribe. Here are the top 10 according to Baseball America and Pat Caputo. Expected team in parentheses.
1. Kyle Sleeth (Hi A Lakeland)
2. Brent Clevlen (Hi A Lakeland)
3. Joel Zumaya (Hi A Lakeland)
4. Rob Henkel (AAA Toledo)
5. Tony Giarratano (Hi A Lakeland)
6. Cody Kirkland (Low A W. Mich)
7. Scott Moore (Hi A Lakeland)
8. Curtis Granderson (AA Erie)
9. Jay Sborz (Low A W. Mich)
10. Kenny Baugh (AAA Toledo)
Only two members of last years top 10 remained on the list, Clevlen and Moore. Preston Larrison, Nook Logan, and Anderson Hernandez dropped off the list due to performance. Bonderman, German, Infante, and Munson all made the jump, with varying results.
Caputo will chat at Baseball America at 2pm ET.
I read the entire article. Not terribly encouraging. No immediate help which explains all the two year contract for mediocre players. They just can’t afford to look like they aren’t at least trying to be competitive.
For as rough as Caputo sounds on the radio, I’m usually impressed with his knowledge. With the current exodus at AM 1270, he’s one of the more enjoyable people to listen too. Too bad he didn’t have a regular daily show.
Just wanted to chime in on Sleeth – I have seen posters at MotownSports decrying the selection of Sleeth as the number one prospect, but I must say I think the ranking is appropriate. A guy that has pitched at a high level for three years in Division I, let alone in a top conference such as the ACC, has essentially already pitched his way past rookie ball and low-A (and I would even argue he has passed A-ball completely). Sleeth is more polished than perhaps even Baugh, and with no inury history. I expect him to move quickly to (and through) Erie, and though Baugh will beat him to Detroit, I personally expect more from Sleeth.
I don’t have a problem with Sleeth being number one either. If you’re looking for guys with the highest ceiling, I don’t see anyway to disprove that Sleeth doesn’t have the highest potential. Mostly, because he hasn’t pitched in the system yet and given us any reason to doubt.