Baseball America Best Tools

[colbyjack]

BA has come out with their midseason grades for the best tools at the MLB, AAA and AA levels. I'm going to include the MLB ones here just so they're all in one place (and not to start another firestorm on the MLB forum given Yost's presence on this list).

 

NL Best Tools

Prince Fielder: Best power

Ben Sheets: Best curveball, third best control

Derrick Turnbow: Third best fastball

Chris Capuano: Best pickoff move

Francisco Cordero: Third best reliever

Ned Yost: Third best manager

 

AAA Best Tools (PCL)

Ryan Braun: Best batting prospect, Most exciting player

Yovani Gallardo: Best control

 

AA Best Tools (SL)

Manny Parra: Best pitching prospect

 

The A+ and A best tools will be released early next week.

[JoeHova]

Nice to see that Parra got that kind of respect despite his injury problems. Sheets got best curve back in like 2004 or 2005, nice to see him reclaim his spot.

 

I'm a little surprised Turnbow got 3rd best fastball. His fastball is obviously very good, but it doesn't seem that much better than Cordero's, for example.

 

Also, I'm very surprised that Gallardo didn't get named one of the top 3 PCL pitching prospects. I guess Lincecum, Hughes, and Bailey must have beat him out? Were they all in the PCL?

[colbyjack]

The minor league tools didn't go three deep like the AL & NL tools did, otherwise I'm sure Gallardo would have been the 2nd or 3rd best pitching prospect.

 

I just got my print edition of BA today, which contains all of the tools lists, so I'll add the best tools from the Brewers A-ballers here (and sorry about the formating above, I meant to have them broken down by paragraphs as I try to get used to the new forum):

 

A Best Tools (FSL)

Mat Gamel: Best strike-zone judgement

Will Inman: Best breaking ball

Alcides Escobar: Best defensive SS, Best IF arm

 

A Best Tools (SAL)

Mike Guerrero: Best managerial prospect

 

In addition to the best tools, BA broke down the 10 best players at each respective position. With all of the recent promotions, only one Brewers farmhand was represented, Mat Gamel, who was ranked as the eighth best third base prospect in all of minor league baseball.

 

Nice feature on Lou Palmisano as well as the focus of the AA breakdown.

[SheetsCyYoung04]

Jeremy Jeffress wasnt eligible? Because I am highly doubting there is a better fastball (or at least by measurables) in the Sally league.

[kgbaseball]

Also, I'm very surprised that Gallardo didn't get named one of the top 3 PCL pitching prospects. I guess Lincecum, Hughes, and Bailey must have beat him out? Were they all in the PCL?

Hughes and Bailey are in the International League.