Top Ten O-Rama

Tuesday, January 08 2008 @ 02:20 PM EST

Contributed by: Gerry

It's the season for minor league top ten lists.  Batters Box published our own list shortly after the season ended, but the more general minor league books are now becoming available.  Batters Box recently featured Deric McKamey's list from the Minor League Baseball Analyst.  The Baseball America list is out in the magazine and will be released on their web site on Friday.  John Sickels has just finished his book and his list is now available on his web site, and to complete the party Baseball Prospectus published their top ten list today.

The Batters Box top ten list is as follows:

1.  Travis Snider
2.  Brett Cecil
3.  Kevin Ahrens
4.  Robinzon Diaz
5.  Yohermyn Chavez
6.  John Tolisano
7.  Ricky Romero
8.  David Purcey
9.  Kyle Ginley
10. Mark Rzepcynski

The Baseball America list is as follows:

1.  Snider
2.  Cecil
3.  Ahrens
4.  Arencibia
5.  Romero
6.  Jackson
7.  Tolisano
8.  Thigpen
9.  Purcey
10. Patterson

There are six names common to both lists.  Batters Box did not consider Curtis Thigpen as we believed he had lost his rookie status, had he been eligible he would have made our top ten.  The four players rated in the top ten by Batters Box, and not by Baseball America, are Robinzon Diaz; Yoheromyn Chavez; Kyle Ginley and Mark Rzepcynski.  Ginley and Rzepcynski were number 9 and 10 on the Batters Box list and I assume Baseball America had them rated a little out of the top ten.  Diaz and Chavez are the two biggest differences.  Baseball America included JP Arencibia; Justin Jackson; and Ryan Patterson. 

Diaz is very controversial this off-season, as discussed in the minor league baseball analyst thread scouts are not convinced Diaz's skills will translate to the big leagues.  Chavez is still in rookie ball and like the 2007 draftees he will be expected to prove his prospect status in 2008.  BA really likes Arencibia, his omission from the Batters Box list was controversial back in the fall.  Justin Jackson is a 2007 draftee, an athletic player with upside typically liked by BA.  Patterson had a rough 2007 with a broken arm in spring training but he played well in the fall league.

The list from the Minor League Baseball Analyst is:

1.  Snider
2.  Cecil
3.  Ahrens
4.  Tolisano
5.  Eiland
6.  Chavez
7.  Arencibia
8.  Magnuson
9.  Romero
10. Ginley

There are five names common to all three lists with Snider, Cecil and Ahrens consistently at 1, 2 and 3.  The MLBA introduces two new names, both 2007 selections, Eric Eiland and Trystan Magnuson.  The other three players on the MLBA list are Chavez and Ginley who are on the Batters Box list and Arencibia who is on the BA list.

John Sickels list is:

1.  Snider
2.  Cecil
3.  Ahrens
4.  Arencibia
5.  Tolisano
6.  Jackson
7.  Magnuson
8.  Thigpen
9.  Chavez
10. Rzepcynski

The top four are the same as BA, Thigpen is included, and Tolisano continues to make every list.  Sickels includes Jackson, as does BA, Magnuson as does MLBA, Rzepcynski as does Batters Box, and Chavez who has been on every list except BA.

The final list, from Baseball Prospectus, is:

1.  Snider
2.  Ahrens
3.  Cecil
4.  Tolisano
5.  Arencibia
6.  Jackson
7.  Romero
8.  Chavez
9.  Diaz
10. Purcey

Kevin Goldstein from BA swaps Ahrens and Cecil to break up the sweep.  Tolisano, Arencibia and Jackson make it as they did with BA.  BP likes Chavez and Romero as most lists do, and throws in Diaz and Purcey.

Summary

Four players made all five lists.  Snider, Cecil and Ahrens were consensus top three picks and Tolisano also made all five lists being ranked from four to seven.

Three players made four of the lists, Arencibia, Romero and Chavez.  Arencibia was rated 4, 4, 5 and 7 with Batters Box being the only exception.  Ricky Romero was rated 5, 7, 7 and 9 with Sickels being the exception.  Chavez was rated 5, 6, 8 and 9 with BA leaving him off their list.

Two players made three lists, Purcey and Jackson.  Purcey was rated 8, 9 and 10 with MLBA and Sickels leaving him off their lists.  Jackson was rated at 6 by three lists, with Batters Box and MLBA not putting him in their top tens.

Curtis Thigpen was on two lists with the others likely leaving him off due to uncertainty as to his eligibility due to his major league time.

Four others were on two of the five lists, Diaz; Ginley; Magnuson and Rzepcynski.  Diaz is controversial as we have discussed.  Magnuson has not pitched in a pro game so his status was an unknown to many voters.  Ginley has talent but needs to develop his off-speed pitches, while Rzepcynski was number ten on the two lists he made and presumably close on the ones he missed.

Ryan Patterson and Eric Eiland made one list each with Eiland getting a 5 rating from MLBA in a "stick-your-neck-out" rating.

In total sixteen players were ranked.  The consensus top ten includes: Snider; Cecil; Ahrens; Tolisano; Arencibia; Romero; Chavez; Jackson; Purcey and Thigpen.

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