Keith Law: Top 100 prospects of 2012
For the first time in list history the top two names return to the same spot
By Keith Law
ESPN Insider
Welcome to the 2012 ESPN Insider ranking of the top 100 prospects in baseball.
This is the fifth year I have done these rankings for ESPN, and for the first time I have the same player at No. 1 for the second straight year. Last year's Rule 4 draft was one of the deepest in recent memory, so there are plenty of new faces.
A more detailed explanation of the process in determining these rankings is found at the top of each of the four player capsule pages.
RANK POSITION PLAYER TEAM HEIGHT WEIGHT AGE 1 CF Mike Trout L.A. Angels 6-1 217 20 2 RF Bryce Harper Washington 6-2 245 19 3 LHP Matt Moore Tampa Bay 6-2 205 22 4 SS Manny Machado Baltimore 6-3 185 19 5 RHP Shelby Miller St. Louis 6-3 195 21 6 C Travis d'Arnaud Toronto 6-2 195 22 7 SS Jurickson Profar Texas 5-11 165 18 8 C Devin Mesoraco Cincinnati 6-1 220 23 9 DH/C Jesus Montero Seattle 6-3 235 22 10 RHP Gerrit Cole Pittsburgh 6-4 220 21 11 RHP Dylan Bundy Baltimore 6-1 200 19 12 SS Hak-Ju Lee Tampa Bay 6-2 170 21 13 OF Wil Myers Kansas City 6-3 205 21 14 RHP Arodys Vizcaino Atlanta 6-0 190 21 15 OF Bubba Starling Kansas City 6-4 180 19 16 RHP Jameson Taillon Pittsburgh 6-6 225 20 17 3B Anthony Rendon Washington 6-0 190 21 18 RHP Julio Teheran Atlanta 6-2 175 21 19 RHP Archie Bradley Arizona 6-4 225 19 20 LHP Martin Perez Texas 6-0 180 20 21 RHP Trevor Bauer Arizona 6-1 175 21 22 RHP Carlos Martinez St. Louis 6-0 165 20 23 LHP Manny Banuelos N.Y. Yankees 5-11 155 20 24 RHP Taijuan Walker Seattle 6-4 195 19 25 LHP Tyler Skaggs Arizona 6-4 195 20 26 3B Nolan Arenado Colorado 6-1 205 20 27 RHP Zack Wheeler N.Y. Mets 6-4 185 21 28 3B Miguel Sano Minnesota 6-3 195 18 29 RHP Jacob Turner Detroit 6-5 210 20 30 LHP Danny Hultzen Seattle 6-3 200 22 31 RHP Jarrod Parker Oakland 6-1 195 23 32 RHP Casey Kelly San Diego 6-3 195 22 33 RHP A.J. Cole Oakland 6-4 180 20 34 OF Mason Williams N.Y. Yankees 6-0 150 20 35 SS Francisco Lindor Cleveland 5-11 175 18 36 1B Anthony Rizzo Chicago Cubs 6-3 220 22 37 3B Nick Castellanos Detroit 6-4 195 19 38 RHP Matt Harvey N.Y. Mets 6-4 210 22 39 RHP Wily Peralta Milwaukee 6-4 240 22 40 OF Rymer Liriano San Diego 6-0 211 20 41 RHP Zach Lee L.A. Dodgers 6-4 190 20 42 RHP Drew Hutchison Toronto 6-2 165 21 43 3B Cheslor Cuthbert Kansas City 6-1 190 19 44 SS Jean Segura L.A. Angels 5-11 160 21 45 LHP Drew Pomeranz Colorado 6-5 230 23 46 1B/LF Jonathan Singleton Houston 6-2 215 20 47 OF Jake Marisnick Toronto 6-4 200 20 48 OF Christian Yelich Miami 6-4 189 20 49 RHP Joe Ross San Diego 6-3 185 18 50 OF Eddie Rosario Minnesota 6-0 170 20 51 LHP James Paxton Seattle 6-4 220 23 52 LHP Mike Montgomery Kansas City 6-4 185 22 53 OF Oscar Taveras St. Louis 6-2 180 19 54 RHP Daniel Corcino Cincinnati 5-11 165 21 55 C Gary Sanchez N.Y. Yankees 6-2 220 19 56 3B Jonathan Schoop Baltimore 6-1 187 20 57 SS Nick Franklin Seattle 6-1 175 20 58 RHP Taylor Jungmann Milwaukee 6-6 220 22 59 OF Anthony Gose Toronto 6-1 190 21 60 OF George Springer Houston 6-3 205 22 61 RHP Allen Webster L.A. Dodgers 6-3 185 22 62 SS Xander Bogaerts Boston 6-3 185 19 63 RHP Chris Archer Tampa Bay 6-3 185 23 64 SS Billy Hamilton Cincinnati 6-1 160 21 65 C Yasmani Grandal San Diego 6-2 205 23 66 3B Zack Cox St. Louis 6-0 215 22 67 OF Josh Bell Pittsburgh 6-4 195 19 68 CF Gary Brown San Francisco 6-1 190 23 69 1B Yonder Alonso San Diego 6-2 240 24 70 RHP Garrett Richards L.A. Angels 6-3 215 23 71 RHP Jake Odorizzi Kansas City 6-2 175 21 72 OF Starling Marte Pittsburgh 6-1 170 23 73 RHP Sonny Gray Oakland 5-11 200 22 74 RHP Tyrell Jenkins St. Louis 6-4 180 19 75 3B Mike Olt Texas 6-2 210 23 76 RHP Trevor May Philadelphia 6-5 215 22 77 OF Michael Choice Oakland 6-0 215 22 78 RHP Jarred Cosart Houston 6-3 180 21 79 RHP Nate Eovaldi L.A. Dodgers 6-3 195 21 80 OF Aaron Hicks Minnesota 6-2 185 22 81 RHP John Hellweg L.A. Angels 6-9 210 23 82 3B Matt Davidson Arizona 6-3 225 20 83 RHP Dellin Betances N.Y. Yankees 6-8 260 23 84 LHP Enny Romero Tampa Bay 6-3 165 21 85 OF Oswaldo Arcia Minnesota 6-0 210 20 86 OF Robbie Grossman Pittsburgh 6-1 190 22 87 OF Mikie Mahtook Tampa Bay 6-1 200 22 88 RHP Taylor Guerrieri Tampa Bay 6-3 195 19 89 CF Brett Jackson Chicago Cubs 6-2 210 23 90 3B Jedd Gyorko San Diego 5-10 195 23 91 RHP Chad Bettis Colorado 6-1 195 22 92 RHP Jordan Swagerty St. Louis 6-2 175 22 93 C Derek Norris Oakland 6-0 210 22 94 C Christian Bethancourt Atlanta 6-2 190 20 95 SS Javier Baez Chicago Cubs 6-0 180 19 96 RHP Aaron Sanchez Toronto 6-4 190 19 97 RHP Addison Reed Chicago White Sox 6-4 215 23 98 RHP Randall Delgado Atlanta 6-3 200 22 99 RHP Neil Ramirez Texas 6-3 185 22 100 C Blake Swihart Boston 6-1 175 19